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894 | abcnews--2019-01-07--Senators renew attempt to protect special counsel Mueller | 2019-01-07T00:00:00 | abcnews | Senators renew attempt to protect special counsel Mueller | Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are renewing their attempt to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's job, sending a signal to President Donald Trump as he keeps up his criticism of Mueller's Russia investigation. The legislation, sponsored by incoming Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and three other members, is expected to be introduced this week. The same bill was approved by the panel in April but later blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said it was unnecessary and who allowed the legislation to expire at the end of the year. But there will be more pressure on senators this Congress as Democrats now have the House majority and have already introduced a similar bill. Graham is a friend and ally of the president's but has frequently warned him not to mess with Mueller's job. "I think this will serve the country well," Graham said in a joint statement ahead of the bill's introduction. Both Graham and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, the bill's other Republican sponsor, have said they don't think Trump will move to have Mueller fired. "I still believe that is true," Tillis said in the statement. "However, I also believe this bipartisan legislation is good government policy with enduring value across the current and future administrations." The legislation would allow any fired special counsel to seek a judicial review within 10 days of removal and puts into law existing Justice Department regulations that a special counsel can only be fired for good cause. It would also order that staff remain and documents be preserved while the matter is pending. Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey are also sponsors of the bill. "This is a time when Republicans and Democrats need to stand up and protect the rule of law in this country," Coons said in the statement. Trump regularly criticizes Mueller's Russia investigation on Twitter, calling it a "witch hunt" and a "hoax." In December, he suggested he would do a counter report to challenge Mueller's probe into contact Trump's Republican presidential campaign had with Russia. On Dec. 3, he tweeted that Mueller and his staff "only want lies." Graham, Tillis, Coons and Booker originally introduced bills in the summer of 2017 after Trump started to criticize the special counsel. They agreed on a compromise version in early 2018, and the panel approved it with the support of four Republicans on the panel. One of those Republicans, former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, tried to force McConnell to pass the bill in December by saying he would vote against all judicial nominees at the end of the year. But McConnell refused to consider the legislation. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., introduced a companion bill in the House last week, his first major action as chairman. | Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/senators-renew-attempt-protect-special-counsel-mueller-60218605 | 2019-01-07 22:30:36+00:00 | 1,546,918,236 | 1,567,553,590 | politics | government policy |
4,199 | activistpost--2019-03-10--The National Emergency Scam | 2019-03-10T00:00:00 | activistpost | The “National Emergency” Scam | Donald Trump found himself in hot water last month with critics and supporters alike. His new spending bill didn’t sit well with fiscally concerned Republicans, who watched as our annual deficit topped $1 trillion. Meanwhile, his more border-hawkish supporters were disappointed to see only $1.3 billion set aside in funding for the border wall. What caused the chaos most though was the “state of emergency” Trump declared as he admittedly decided to seek funding for the wall through alternative means. This left both sides clamoring to sort out a number of issues like whether or not there even is an emergency on our southern border, the constitutionality of the decision and the future precedent set by it. One thing we can see from the evidence is that, when it comes to the crises we’re facing, national emergencies need less government, not more. Let’s start with the most obvious aspect of this: declaring a national emergency doesn’t magically solve any problems. What’s more, there appears to be a direct correlation that these situations deteriorate further once an emergency is declared. There are currently thirty national emergencies declared, with Trump’s latest making it thirty-one. These range from the proliferation of WMDs back in the ’90s, seizing Colombian assets in the War on Drugs, responses to human rights violations in Venezuela, to sanctions on countries like Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan. As you can see, two things immediately stick out from that list. National emergencies seem to focus on things happening in other countries, not particularly our own. And almost every single issue was made worse upon it being seen as a national emergency. The nuclear proliferation treaty with Russia has since expired; Venezuela has become a socialist’s nightmare; the War on Drugs has created a heroin epidemic that’s led to overdoses becoming the number one cause of death in Americans under 50; there is a genocide going on in Yemen; Libya has open slave trades after our toppling of Gaddafi; while Sudan and Syria have undergone brutal civil wars. This is not to claim the emergency declaration is directly responsible for these problems, but to say they’ve been anything but complete failures is utterly untrue. In fact, almost every one of these emergencies would be better off had the government not set its eyes on trying to fix it. Which brings us to the current emergency on the border, where again we see some telling problems. Donald Trump, in his entertaining yet sloppy, off-the-cuff style, begins by contradicting himself almost immediately after declaring the emergency, saying that he “didn’t really need to do it.” Which, even by those in favor of the move, undermines the idea of its necessity and, therefore, of it being an emergency. Leading directly to the precedent set here. Sure, you could say Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc. all did it, too. What’s the big deal? Unfortunately, policies have a rather steady track record of coming around and being used against those who once favored them (anyone old enough to remember Harry Reid using the nuclear option on Supreme Court votes? I’m sure Brett Kavanaugh does). And while past presidents may have declared their fair share of emergencies, none on that list are such a blatant response to the inability to get legislation through Congress (as if Obama’s “I’ve got a pen and a phone” executive orders weren’t bad enough?). Only making the idea of executive overreach that much more acceptable in political life; something both Republicans and Democrats should recognize the danger of. Even without the absurd precedent and executive overreach though, the argument is still yet to be made as to why more government involvement will solve this so-called emergency. Granting that it is an emergency only seems to damn the case further, too. Which reason should we cite? Drugs crossing over from more than half a century of perverse incentives and failed policies from the War on Drugs? We can’t even keep drugs out of prisons today (I think they even have walls, too). Perhaps it’s the immigrants we fear will come here and abuse our welfare system. Except government runs those programs, too. Maybe they should just end the incentive to come here by getting rid of them, but I won’t hold my breath; seeing as how American citizens use more welfare than immigrants. In reality, there isn’t a single argument for why this issue constitutes a crisis that cannot be traced right back to one government policy or another. Still, the debate about borders and how we should “solve” immigration has been a tireless and emotional argument, and often argued in poor judgement. The only thing anyone seems to agree on is just how arduous a process it is. With what we know of the slow and often unscrupulous nature of government policy, the best conclusion we could come to is that national emergencies need less government, not more. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/03/the-national-emergency-scam.html | 2019-03-10 01:02:22+00:00 | 1,552,197,742 | 1,567,546,778 | politics | government policy |
43,481 | bbcuk--2019-09-16--Boris Johnson insists UK will leave EU on 31 October | 2019-09-16T00:00:00 | bbcuk | Boris Johnson insists UK will leave EU on 31 October | The prime minister has told the BBC that he will follow the law, but will leave the EU at the end of October. "I will uphold the constitution, I will obey the law, but we will come out on October the 31st" he told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg. A bill was passed by Parliament in early September to prevent the UK from leaving the European Union without a deal. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49720910 | 2019-09-16 16:00:13+00:00 | 1,568,664,013 | 1,569,330,229 | politics | government policy |
90,160 | channel4uk--2019-12-20--MPs back Johnson’s EU withdrawal bill | 2019-12-20T00:00:00 | channel4uk | MPs back Johnson’s EU withdrawal bill | We are one step closer to Brexit. That’s what the Prime Minister told the Commons today after his withdrawal bill was passed by a large majority. It still has some hurdles to clear – but it now looks certain the UK will leave the European Union on the 31st of January. The bill is not exactly as it was before – most notably a clause on workers rights has been removed – and one has been added which would make it illegal for the transition period to extend beyond 2020 | Gary Gibbon | https://www.channel4.com/news/mps-back-johnsons-eu-withdrawal-bill | Fri, 20 Dec 2019 19:59:15 +0000 | 1,576,889,955 | 1,576,887,896 | politics | government policy |
249,648 | inquisitr--2019-01-11--183 House Republicans Voted To Not Resume Food Safety Inspection | 2019-01-11T00:00:00 | inquisitr | 183 House Republicans Voted To Not Resume Food Safety Inspection | While the ongoing federal government shutdown has most notably impacted approximately 800,000 furloughed employees — who have been affected financially due to a lack of a regular paycheck — the fallout from the shutdown continues to grow as each day passes. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, charities around the country have been severely impacted, as an influx of government employees have flocked to local food banks to offset their lack of income. National parks have also gained widespread media attention due to the accumulation of trash, a side-effect of having no government employees available to handle garbage disposal duties, as noted by USA Today. Another consequence of the government shutdown has recently come to light: food safety. As reported by ThinkProgress, due to the ongoing shutdown, the Food and Drug Administration has ceased a majority of its food safety inspections, a potential issue which is compounded by recent E. coli outbreaks across the country, which have contaminated harvests of romaine lettuce. In an effort to respond to this issue, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday. This particular piece of legislation, H.R. 265, would provide funding to small portions of the federal government, allowing for a reopening of both the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These offices directly handle food safety, agriculture, and rural development. While the bill was passed following a vote yesterday, ThinkProgress notes that the legislation was approved by a margin of 243 to 183. Breaking down the votes a little further, 233 Democratic representatives voted in favor of the bill, with 10 Republicans joining them. With eight congresspersons abstaining from voting, this leaves a total of 183 Republican representatives, who voted against the bill. In total, 10 Republican representatives voted across party lines, including Washington’s Jaime Herrera Beutler, Illinois’ Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger, Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick, Texas’ Will Hurd, New York’s John Katko and Elise Stefanik, New Jersey’s Chris Smith, Michigan’s Fred Upton, and Oregon’s Greg Walden. As ThinkProgress details, Alabama Representative Robert Aderholt led the opposition of H.R. 265. Aderholt took issue with the lack of funding for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall, as well as a program to address the lack of rural broadband internet access. In regards to the border wall, Trump has recently come under fire for his funding plan. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Trump’s goal of seeking federal funding to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border directly contradicts campaign promises he made in 2016, which explicitly stated that the border wall would be paid for by Mexico. During a speech he delivered in Texas, Trump explained that he did not intend for constituents to believe that Mexico would directly pay for the construction of a border wall. “When I said Mexico would pay for the wall in front of thousands and thousands of people… obviously I never meant Mexico would write a check,” he explained. | Shaan Joshi | https://www.inquisitr.com/5245947/183-house-republicans-voted-to-not-resume-food-safety-inspection/ | 2019-01-11 22:07:11+00:00 | 1,547,262,431 | 1,567,552,859 | politics | government policy |
275,075 | ipolitics--2019-04-10--House backs motion calling on Senate to pass UNDRIP sexual assault training bills | 2019-04-10T00:00:00 | ipolitics | House backs motion calling on Senate to pass UNDRIP, sexual assault training bills | NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has successfully moved a motion calling on the Senate to pass legislation harmonizing Canadian laws with the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and requiring sexual assault training for judges. Singh rose in the House after question period Wednesday to ask his fellow MPs to support sending a message to the Upper Chamber calling for both bills to be “passed into law at the earliest opportunity.” In the motion, Singh called the bills “critical pieces of legislation” that had been passed by the elected House and had been before the Senate for “many months.” It was unanimously adopted by the House. Both pieces of legislation are private member’s bill that won relatively broad support in the House. NDP MP Romeo Saganash’s Bill C-262 to have Canadian laws conform with UNDRIP was passed by the House last May. It was supported by all parties in the House save for the Tories, and enjoys broad support among Indigenous groups, including the Assembly of First Nations. Bill C-337, known alternatively as the JUST Act, would mandate sexual assault training for everyone seeking a federal judicial appointment. It was sponsored by former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, citing concerns over the behaviour of judges handling sexual assault cases. In the most notable instance, an Alberta judge questioned the accuser in a sexual assault case he was overseeing about why she “couldn’t just keep [her] knees together.” The bill was passed unanimously in the House in 2017, however, it has not advance quickly in the Senate, where it remains at committee. Saganash’s bill is at the second reading stage in the Upper Chamber. Ambrose has frequently criticized the Senate for moving slowly on her bill. In a recent CTV interview, she blamed a “group of old boys” in the Upper Chamber for stalling the bill. A website promoting the bill that prominently features Ambrose has a running clock on how long the Senate has been “delaying the JUST Act.” As of Wednesday, it stood at 694 days. That, in the opinion of the House, bill C-262, An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as bill C-337, An Act to amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code (sexual assault), are both critical pieces of legislation that have been duly passed by the House of Commons, and have been in possession of honourable Senators for many months; that both bills should be passed into law at the earliest opportunity; and that a message be sent to the Senate to acquaint that House accordingly. | Marco Vigliotti | https://ipolitics.ca/2019/04/10/house-backs-motion-calling-on-senate-to-pass-undrip-sexual-assault-training-bills/ | 2019-04-10 20:30:41+00:00 | 1,554,942,641 | 1,567,543,282 | politics | government policy |
419,440 | politicscouk--2019-08-28--Prorogue The government takes its shot | 2019-08-28T00:00:00 | politicscouk | Prorogue: The government takes its shot | So we finally get to the meat of it. After months of threats and bluffs to cancel parliament so Boris Johnson can force through no-deal, it looks like the plan is finally revealed. The news broke today that the government intends to prorogue parliament from around the 12th of September to October 14th, when it will lay out a new Queen's Speech. First things first: this is not cancelling parliament, as we'd feared over the summer. It does not cross the October 31st line. That means that when you take all the Dominic Cummings-type threats out of it, what their offensive really amounts to is simply limiting the time MPs have available, not stopping them from responding at all. Some of the reporting suggests MPs have lost the ability to stop no-deal. That's wrong. This timetable still leaves parliament sitting from the 3rd of September to around the 12th. There would then be two weeks before no-deal for MPs to stop it. And there will now be a Queen's Speech for them to use to attach amendments to. There is still time to block the government. And in a nuclear option, they would still have the option of a no-confidence vote in late October, and picking anyone - anyone at all, the time constraint adding urgency to the discussion - to act as caretaker, extend Article 50 and set a date for an election. This isn't a sign of strength. In reality, it reveals how weak the government is. It cannot, as it once claimed, stop MPs preventing no-deal. It can just try to limit the time they have to do so. When the Cooper-Letwin bill was passed forcing Theresa May to extend Article 50 earlier this year, it was done in a few days. Johnson and his ministers will now claim that this is all entirely normal and ask how can anyone get upset about it. It's nonsense, of course. They are deliberately trying to limit parliamentary involvement in the most important decision it will take in our lifetime. This helps the government, which already has advantages over the control of the parliamentary timetable. But MPs - and especially those moderate Tories wavering on how to act next week - should take careful note. The government is going to gun hard for no-deal. They have to act, and act quickly. That should begin immediately, as soon as parliament resumes, with legislation to rule out no-deal, as was agreed by opposition parties yesterday. This does not mean, as the government would have people believe, that no-deal can't be stopped. It simply means MPs will have to be quick about it. Ian Dunt is editor of Politics.co.uk and the author of Brexit: What The Hell Happens Now? The opinions in Politics.co.uk's Comment and Analysis section are those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the website or its owners. | null | http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2019/08/28/prorogue-the-government-takes-its-shot | 2019-08-28 08:51:44+00:00 | 1,566,996,704 | 1,567,543,613 | politics | government policy |
493,569 | sluggerotoole--2019-09-26--The present state of Northern Irelands governance can no longer be ignored as October deadline loom | 2019-09-26T00:00:00 | sluggerotoole | The present state of Northern Ireland’s governance can no longer be ignored as October deadline looms, says the Institute for Government | The think tank closest to Whitehall the Institute for Government has published the most comprehensive report on the state of government in Northern Ireland since the breakdown of Stormont. Here is its executive summary. It deserves to be read in full. Here is the launch video. Not before time the IfG reminds the UK government of the perils of ignorance and neglect. Rather generously, it attributes blame for failures as much to the persistent and puzzling ignorance of our affairs in London since the GFA, as to the intractability of our politics. Written very much within a civil service culture, it has nevertheless avoided pulling too many punches when addressing Westminster and Whitehall. It gives real insight into the Whitehall mentality and has given a useful voice to the hard pressed Northern Ireland Civil Service. The best outcome of the report will be signs that the government will adopt the more activist approach it recommends. Brexit makes that both more desirable and more difficult. The report writers don’t seem to have engaged much with local politicians and have relied for evidence mainly on civil servants and academics. This was probably wise, given the stand-off and the confidentiality surrounding the fruitless series of talks. Northern Ireland politics will soon reach a new watershed on the interlinked agenda of Brexit reaching a climax of some sort and the UK government being forced to decide on some form of direct rule, with the local parties likely to remain deadlocked at least until a Brexit outcome emerges. NI business in the Commons will feature on or around 21 October which is the deadline for reviewing progress on restoring the institutions. In July, back bench amendments to the NI Executive Formation Act on same sex marriage and abortion were accepted as a device to prevent Parliament being prorogued for long. The Bill has since been superseded as a block on prorogation by the sensational Supreme Court ruling. But it has had the equally sensational and locally more significant result of passing these reforms into law in default of a Stormont restoration. It remains to be seen whether the government will seek to amend them with or without DUP pressure or even introduce a repeal Bill for abortion at least. There follows an extended summary of the IfG report. The full version is pretty comprehensive although cautious about peering too far into the future. At first digest its analysis will command idespread support – although it oddly omits a discussion on a voluntary coalition in its proposed Assembly reforms. Everyone we spoke to agreed that the current situation was unacceptable – but had differing views on what the most troubling implications of the prolonged period without ministers were. They variously highlighted: • Pressing issues are going unaddressed – even where there is local agreement. • The inability of civil servants to make policy decisions risks “stagnation and decay” of public services. • There is a lack of scrutiny and accountability. • Opportunities for cross-border working are being missed. • Northern Ireland has been left without proper representation in the Brexit process. • The long-term risk is a deterioration in community relations. On 24 July 2019, over two years after the Hart Inquiry ( into Historical Institutional Abuse) concluded, then minister of state for Northern Ireland, John Penrose, told the House of Commons that the UK government would introduce legislation after summer recess a commitment that the new NI secretary, Julian Smith, reiterated in August. The Domestic Abuse Bill introduced to the House of Commons on 16 July extends the offence of coercive control to Northern Ireland. The decision in September by Prime Minister Johnson to end the parliamentary session meant that the bill was expected to fall, but with the Supreme Court’s decision that prorogation was unlawful it could continue its passage unless and until parliament is prorogued again. Despite these recent commitments, such changes will require primary legislation – unless direct rule is imposed. And with continuing parliamentary battles over Brexit and the vulnerability of Johnson’s minority government, it is unlikely that devolved Northern Ireland issues will be a priority of the UK government in the near future – so the list of outstanding issues is likely to grow the longer the executive is absent The inability of civil servants to make policy decisions risks “stagnation and decay” of public services Most senior civil servants we spoke to told us that the biggest consequence of the absence of an executive was not an immediate ‘cliff-edge’ caused by a lack of short-term decision making, but a longer-term inability to develop new policy or change policy direction. Many interviewees told us of the major structural changes to public services that are needed in Northern Ireland to run government effect But even where there is clear policy direction on transformation there are still important decisions that civil servants do not feel can be made in the absence of political cover. A prime example is the merging of NI hospital emergency departments, where performance has always been worse than their English comparator, but has been in further decline since 2017 In its review of education funding in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee said that “the political deadlock at Stormont has meant that the education system has been unable to respond to the urgent challenges facing schools”, and that the UK’s approach of passing budgets for Northern Ireland on a rolling annual basis “has been an obstacle to investment and improvement in children’s education”. Officials in the Department of Infrastructure told us that there is a public perception that the absence of ministers has meant that there is a big pile of projects waiting for sign off. In reality, however, there is no money for new projects to sign off on – and officials feel they cannot commit any capital sums for future projects that would pre-empt the decisions of incoming ministers. There are also important decisions to be made about the long-term funding of water infrastructure. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that currently does not have domestic water charges, but officials and regulators have warned that the underfunding of water infrastructure is becoming increasingly unsustainable and could act as a brake on future economic development. The Westminster institutions have done little to fill the scrutiny gap left by the absence of the NI Assembly. As a consequence of the UK government’s unwillingness to legislate until the last minute, most Northern Ireland bills have been subject to the emergency legislation procedure. In recent times, bills have usually been passed in one day in the Commons – having committee stage on the floor of the house rather than in public bill committees – and have passed through the Lords in two days. This means that legislation is often subject to little or no scrutiny, and there are few, if any, opportunities for concerned parties in Northern Ireland to feed into the process. This absence of political representation was made even more problematic by the fact that the Northern Ireland perspective has often been missing in Whitehall, too. The Northern Ireland Office lacks the clout within government to ensure that Northern Ireland issues were given the priority they perhaps deserved. Officials told us that the culture of ‘no bad news’ among ministers translated into a reluctance to address the difficult issues raised by the Irish border and need for cross-border co-operation – for example, the operation of the Single Electricity Market. In the absence of a plurality of Northern Ireland voices in Westminster, civil society in Northern Ireland has taken a more high-profile role than previously. Business, farming and human rights groups have publicly outlined their views on the consequences of Brexit on their respective sectors, and have been increasingly vocal in opposing no deal.25 This is unusual in Northern Ireland, where many civil society groups have been traditionally reluctant to speak out on political issues. The absence of an executive is prompting remarkably little comment It is striking how readily accepted the prolonged absence of the executive seems to be. The current arrangements could not survive a no-deal Brexit It is also clear that this vacuum could not survive no deal – as both UK ministers and Northern Ireland civil servants have acknowledged. Unless power-sharing is resumed, a no-deal Brexit will require UK ministers to take some sort of legislative control, as officials will not be able to take the fast-pace and wide-ranging policy decisions that will be required to manage the fallout – and cannot be held accountable for those decisions.* Whether that constitutes full-on direct rule, or more limited Brexit-related powers, is uncertain. But no one should underestimate how controversial the imposition of direct rule in the circumstances of a no-deal Brexit would be. Such a move would attract strong criticism from nationalists, the Irish government and key figures in the US, who would likely argue that this would be an infringement of the GFA. When direct rule was last imposed, in 2002, there was an understanding that power-sharing was in its infancy and that teething problems were inevitable. Now, 20 years on, a decision to impose direct rule would be much more significant act., Polling from August 2019 suggests that a majority of people in Northern Ireland would also back a Northern Ireland-only backstop; although only one in six unionists would… The UK government would undoubtedly be widely blamed for any economic fallout – north and south of the border – caused by a no-deal exit. In these circumstances, hopes of an imminent return of devolved government would be dashed. A no-deal Brexit would drive a further wedge between the parties, and the difficulties it would create would likely disincentivise any political party from re-entering government. The history of Northern Ireland shows that once imposed, direct rule often remains in place for a long time. Many people suggest that power-sharing is near to its last chance saloon, and that any further collapses would leave big question marks over how to govern Northern Ireland in the long term. Whatever problems devolution has encountered, everyone we spoke to was clear that Northern Ireland had benefited from its return and that when the parties could act together that brought solid gains to Northern Ireland. This is perhaps best manifested in the fact that Northern Ireland has become a major tourist destination in recent years – external overnight trips increased by 34% between 2013 and 201835 – and that figure will have been further boosted in 2019 by the hosting of the Open golf tournament for the first time since 1951. If the current attempts to restore power-sharing falter – and the government is not forced by a no-deal Brexit to change approach – the NI secretary should set out clearly the government’s long-term plan for governance in Northern Ireland, including how it intends to address the scrutiny gap. It should also outline how it will ensure that the people of Northern Ireland do not suffer from the failure of their politicians to co-operate. Prime Minister Johnson has said restoration is a priority: he now needs to act as though it truly is. He must also think how a power-sharing executive can be supported through the type of Brexit he is pushing for. The excuse that everything is on hold until power-sharing comes back is well past its sell-by date. Whatever comes next, good UK–Irish relations are of great importance Co-operation between the UK and Irish governments is essential to any successful strategy in Northern Ireland. But Brexit has meant official relations between the two are at their lowest ebb since well before the 1990s. The Irish government considers itself as the co-guarantor of the GFA; the UK government has been reluctant to embrace such a characterisation, although Dublin’s central role in power-sharing talks is widely acknowledged. Officials present during the St Andrews Agreement, which paved the way for the last successful restoration of the executive, highlighted the importance of the British and Irish governments working in ‘lockstep’. If direct rule is imposed, nationalist parties would expect a role for the Irish government. Both Sinn Féin and the SDLP have said they would favour a “joint authority” approach where Northern Ireland is co-governed by the UK and Irish governments – but the UK has ruled this out. Nonetheless, the Irish government will want to make full use of its entitlement under the GFA to involvement in Northern Ireland affairs (though without the derogation from sovereignty) through the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference. This institution, although disliked by unionists, is an essential part of the GFA. The government must find ways to repair its relationship with the Irish government, for the sake of Northern Ireland. Those institutions will be more important than ever as the UK leaves the EU. Irish diplomats have stressed that the fact that the UK and Ireland were both EU members, and often acted in concert in the EU, provided a forum for building and normalising relations that had been strained over the previous 50 years. The UK’s exit reduces that opportunity:38 the UK will have to actively invest in maintaining good relations with Ireland. There will be further recommendations on how to improve the functioning of NI government when the Renewable Heat Initiative (RHI) Inquiry1 report is released. Those recommendations may cover capacity in the civil service and its need to formalise internal processes, the relationships between ministers and civil servants and the role of special advisers. David Sterling, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) told the inquiry that 14 actions were already being put in place to address shortcomings. We do not attempt replicate the detail of that inquiry or its likely recommendations here. Instead, we look at possible reforms that might increase the capacity of the political institutions in Northern Ireland to address the longer-term challenges people we spoke to identified. The seven areas for practical improvement are: Increase the capacity for scrutiny by the Northern Ireland Assembly. The government has also come under increasing pressure to address discrepancies in abortion and LGBT rights that exist between the UK and Northern Ireland. During the passage of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Bill 2017–19, amendments were added to compel the government to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland and to liberalise abortion laws – both issues the government considered to be devolved matters – on which MPs were given a free vote. These provisions will come into force should the executive not be restored by 21 October 2019. Further amendments were subsequently added, including requirements for the NI secretary to report to Parliament on the progress of executive formation on specified dates, to limit the window in which the government could prorogue Parliament and to ensure that Parliament sits in the run-up to the UK’s current date for EU withdrawal on 31 October. The bill was passed into law in July 2019. Scrutiny in the Assembly is also underdeveloped. The creation in 2016 of an official opposition is a new feature that requires further development; committees have done some great work but are often not taken seriously by ministers. To effectively hold the executive to account, the Assembly needs to develop its own identity, distinct from government, and ensure it has the appropriate resources to effectively scrutinise it. The NICS should be applauded for how it has handled the absence of ministers, but as the Renewable Heat Incentive Inquiry into the ‘cash-for-ash’ scandal is expected to outline in its report due in November 2019, there are areas – such as transparency, collaboration across departments and capability – where there is room for improvement. Reform is needed. In Westminster and Whitehall, the NI-specific implications of policies or issues are rarely considered, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is marginalised, and there is a poor general understanding of local issues. Greater clarification of the role of the NIO and steps to improve Northern Ireland literacy are necessary. The government’s no-deal planning assumptions – Operation Yellowhammer, released in September 2019 – state that in the event of no deal, the government will not impose new checks, to avoid a hard border. However, it also notes that “the model is likely to prove unsustainable due to significant economic, legal and bio-security risks and no effective mitigations to address this will be available”. We argue that the UK government and the British political establishment has not treated Northern Ireland and the Irish dimension of Brexit with the seriousness it deserves since the 2016 referendum, and even following the collapse of the power-sharing executive. Finally, we look at whether it might be possible after any future return of power-sharing to bolster NI political institutions to make it easier for local politicians to address longer-term issues. More generally, departments have taken different approaches to working without ministers depending on the nature of the departmental work, the level of ministerial intervention when the executive was running, the level of clear policy direction pre-collapse and, in some cases, the individual personalities of senior officials and their willingness to take possibly risky decisions, for example, the Department of Health (DoH) benefits from a 10-year plan Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together, approved by the executive before its collapse and published in May 2016. In an interview with Civil Service World, DoH Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly, said that “the first couple of years are largely getting your sleeves rolled up and starting to do the hard graft”6 so civil servants have been able to get on with delivering this. By contrast, there had been little new policy direction from ministers in the Department of Education prior to the collapse. As such, the focus of the department has been on maintaining the current system, not reforming it. Officials have had to manage preparations for Brexit without local political input Intergovernmental working at an official level has generally been good, but there have been concerns that Northern Ireland-specific issues are not being adequately considered in UK preparations. This is in part because UK officials have been reluctant to force their ministers to confront the issues associated with managing the land border and north–south relations after Brexit. There is a general wariness in Whitehall to share information on Brexit preparation with the devolved administrations – a consequence of the UK government’s distrust of Holyrood – hampering the ability of civil servants in the devolved administrations to plan accordingly. A lack of knowledge, and a failure to think through the implications of UK-wide initiatives for Northern Ireland, have also meant the NICS has repeatedly had to draw issues – such as unintentionally inflammatory communications* – to the attention of Whitehall colleagues. Although the officials from Belfast can speak, the ministers from Scotland and Wales take precedence and the NICS officials do not raise the same sort of political objections as the Scottish and Welsh governments (although we have heard anecdotal evidence that Scottish and Welsh ministers often feel obliged to highlight issues that affect Northern Ireland in such fora). Also in the absence of ministerial direction, Northern Ireland has not been able to develop clear thinking on its post-Brexit approach in key areas such as agriculture, fisheries and environmental protection. This has hampered its ability to feed into the discussions on the UK-wide commons frameworks necessary to ensure co-ordination and consistency across the UK in certain devolved policy areas that are to be repatriated from the EU. The lack of ministerial voice from Northern Ireland places an additional responsibility on the Northern Ireland secretary to make sure that Northern Ireland’s concerns are properly addressed in all UK government Brexit discussions – and to make sure that they fully reflect the whole range of local concerns. While Theresa May’s Northern Ireland secretary, Karen Bradley, was on her key EU exit committee, her successor, Julian Smith, does not sit on the XS Committee, the Johnson administration’s key EU exit strategy committee. This report highlights some of the consequences of such a prolonged period of governing without ministers: | Brian Walker | https://sluggerotoole.com/2019/09/26/the-present-state-of-northern-irelands-governance-can-no-longer-be-ignored-as-october-deadline-looms-says-the-institute-for-government/ | 2019-09-26 12:55:26+00:00 | 1,569,516,926 | 1,570,222,180 | politics | government policy |
552,581 | sputnik--2019-12-11--Israeli Parliament Launches Dissolution Procedures Amid Political Deadlock - Statement | 2019-12-11T00:00:00 | sputnik | Israeli Parliament Launches Dissolution Procedures Amid Political Deadlock - Statement | The current convocation lasted less than three months, the shortest period in the country's history. The bill was passed hours before the legislature's mandate to form a governing coalition expired. On Monday, Israel's two largest parties, Likud and the Blue and White political alliance, agreed that if the current Knesset dissolved itself as expected on Wednesday, the country would hold new a parliamentary election on 2 March. Following the April general election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of Likud, failed to form a viable coalition. Another election in September saw Benny Gantz of the Blue and White alliance pull slightly ahead of the current prime minister but still fall short of a majority. | null | https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201912111077544668-israeli-parliament-launches-dissolution-procedures-amid-political-deadlock---statement/ | Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:02:01 +0300 | 1,576,101,721 | 1,576,111,849 | politics | government policy |
720,178 | thehill--2019-01-24--Senate rejects two measures to end shutdown | 2019-01-24T00:00:00 | thehill | Senate rejects two measures to end shutdown | Senate Republicans blocked a stopgap measure to end the partial shutdown on Thursday, the second of two failed efforts to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Senators voted 52-44 on the legislation, falling short of the 60 votes needed to defeat a filibuster. GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander Andrew (Lamar) Lamar AlexanderGrassley to test GOP on lowering drug prices McConnell blocks House bill to reopen government for second time Senators restart shutdown talks — and quickly hit roadblocks MORE (Tenn.), Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsGOP seeks to change narrative in shutdown fight Trump pitches new plan to reopen government amid Dem pushback The Memo: Concern over shutdown grows in Trump World MORE (Maine), Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerGOP seeks to change narrative in shutdown fight The Memo: Concern over shutdown grows in Trump World Senate Republicans eye rules change to speed Trump nominees MORE (Colo.), Johnny Isakson John (Johnny) Hardy IsaksonOn The Money: Shutdown Day 27 | Trump fires back at Pelosi by canceling her foreign travel | Dems blast 'petty' move | Trump also cancels delegation to Davos | House votes to disapprove of Trump lifting Russia sanction Leaders nix recess with no shutdown deal in sight Senators offer measure naming Saudi crown prince 'responsible' for Khashoggi slaying MORE (Ga.), Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiMomentum for earmarks grows with Dem majority New momentum for Equal Rights Amendment Trump pitches new plan to reopen government amid Dem pushback MORE (Alaska) and Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyFederal court hands Dems big win in Virginia redistricting case The Memo: Diverse Democratic field lines up for 2020 The Senate should host the State of the Union MORE (Utah) broke rank and voted to advance the stopgap bill, which would have reopened the quarter of the government currently shuttered and funded it through Feb. 8. The vote came after the Senate also rejected a White House–backed proposal on Thursday that would have exchanged reopening the government for $5.7 billion for the wall. It would have allowed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and some temporary protected status holders to apply for a three-year extension of some legal protections, but included new restrictions on asylum seekers. In a blow to Trump, that proposal got less support in the Senate than the stopgap measure, failing in a 50-47 vote. The back-to-back failed votes in the Senate guarantees that the partial government shutdown will stretch into next week. More than 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed or forced to work without pay; they will miss their second paycheck on Friday. The rejection of the stopgap bill comes after the Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) late last month that would have prevented the partial shutdown and funded the government through Feb. 8. But the political landscape changed dramatically for Republicans after President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump: I will deliver State of the Union 'when the shutdown is over' Former NYPD commander claims Trump got special treatment for gun licenses Colbert starts petition for Cardi B to give State of the Union rebuttal MORE indicated that he would not support it without extra funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The earlier bill was passed in a voice vote with senators singing Christmas carols while they waited for the vote. The moods have changed considerably since then. “Leader McConnell says that President Trump’s bill is the only way to open up the government — bull. He claims our bill won’t pass because President Trump won’t sign it. Has he ever heard of a veto override? Has he ever heard of Article I?” Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerCongress: Americans in Puerto Rico still need our help Airbnb is doing the Democrats' dirty work Protecting our judiciary must be a priority in the 116th Congress MORE (D-N.Y.) said from the Senate floor on Thursday. Polls have consistently shown that a majority of Americans believe Trump is more to blame for the partial shutdown. A Fox News poll released Thursday found that 51 percent say Trump is more to blame, compared to Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Federal workers will mess their second paycheck during the shutdown on Friday. Sen. Brian Schatz Brian Emanuel SchatzDemocrats signal they'll reject Trump shutdown proposal Trump expected to pitch immigration deal to end funding stalemate Dem senators debate whether to retweet Cardi B video criticizing Trump over shutdown MORE (D-Hawaii) said in a tweet on Friday that it wasn't “tenable” for Republicans to vote against reopening the government. “You don’t get to say you want the government open but vote against the bill to reopen the government. It’s time to walk the talk,” Schatz said. But Trump has shown no signs of backing down from his demand for wall funding. He tweeted on Thursday morning ahead of the vote: “Without a Wall there cannot be safety and security at the Border or for the U.S.A. BUILD THE WALL AND CRIME WILL FALL!” Senate Republicans have largely remained aligned with Trump. They are defending a majority of their 2020 Senate seats in red states and don’t want to set up a fight with the president over an issue viewed as crucial to their base. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellAir travel union leaders warn of 'unprecedented' safety risks as shutdown continues On The Money: Shutdown Day 33 | Fight over State of the Union | Pelosi tells Trump no speech on Tuesday | Trump teases 'alternative' address | Trump adviser warns shutdown could hurt growth | Mulvaney seeks list of vulnerable programs Demonstrators protesting shutdown arrested outside McConnell's office MORE (R-Ky.) tried to characterize the decision between the two votes as wanting to make a “law,” by backing the GOP effort, or trying to make “points,” by supporting the short-term continuing resolution. Republicans are trying to drive a wedge between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro PelosiTrump: I will deliver State of the Union 'when the shutdown is over' Colbert starts petition for Cardi B to give State of the Union rebuttal On The Money: Shutdown Day 33 | Fight over State of the Union | Pelosi tells Trump no speech on Tuesday | Trump teases 'alternative' address | Trump adviser warns shutdown could hurt growth | Mulvaney seeks list of vulnerable programs MORE (D-Calif.) and Democrats, who have remained deeply unified throughout the weeks-long fight. “They know the Speaker of the House is unreasonable on these subjects, with her own members and her own House majority leader openly contradicting her on national television, and that Senate Democrats are not obligated to go down with her ship,” McConnell said from the Senate floor. Senators are hoping that both bills failing would force Trump and Democrats to restart talks, which derailed during a White House meeting earlier this month, though Thursday’s votes provided no clear path to a quick solution. A group of moderate senators are continuing to talk behind closed doors and have floated asking for a temporary CR in exchange for agreeing to take up Trump's border request. Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamDOJ opinion will help protect kids from dangers of online gambling Graham angers Dems by digging into Clinton, Obama controversies Barr’s first task as AG: Look at former FBI leaders’ conduct MORE (R-S.C.), who has been a part of that group, reiterated on Thursday that he still wanted to pass a three-week stopgap bill but they likely needed more buy-in from Pelosi if they were going to gain traction. Some GOP senators, including members of leadership, have also floated potentially broadening negotiations, by including more issues viewed as important Trump and Democrats, as an exit path. “I actually think the president will have moved this process forward,” said Sen. Roy Blunt Roy Dean BluntMomentum for earmarks grows with Dem majority McConnell: Senate won't override Trump veto on shutdown fight Senate immigration talks fall apart MORE (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, “by beginning the process of expanding it so that we can reach a conclusion.” | Jordain Carney | https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/426826-senate-rejects-two-measures-to-end-shutdown | 2019-01-24 20:37:10+00:00 | 1,548,380,230 | 1,567,551,119 | politics | government policy |
18,945 | aljazeera--2019-12-26--Turkish court rules Wikipedia block violates rights | 2019-12-26T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Turkish court rules Wikipedia block violates rights | Turkey's Constitutional Court has ruled that a more than two-year block on access to online encyclopaedia Wikipedia in the country is a violation of freedom of expression. Turkey blocked Wikipedia in April 2017, accusing it of being part of a "smear campaign" against the country, after the website refused to remove content that allegedly portrayed Turkey as supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group and other organisations. • Twitter removes 5,929 Saudi accounts it deems to be state-backed On its website, the court said on Thursday it had ruled "that freedom of expression, which is under the protection of the 26th clause of the constitution, had been violated". The ruling opens the way for lifting the website ban. Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit organisation that hosts Wikipedia, had applied to Turkey's highest court to challenge the access block. "One of the sad issues is this: We expressed on every platform since the first day that the process of blocking access to the whole of Wikipedia was unlawful," Gonenc Gurkaynak, a lawyer representing Wikimedia, wrote on Twitter. "Still, we had to drag out the subject by filing a lawsuit both with the [Constitutional Court] and [the European Court of Human Rights] and fight for this issue for years," he said. The ruling was passed by a 10-to-six majority in the court, said Yaman Akdeniz, a lawyer who had applied to the court as a user. Turkey blocked Wikipedia in April 2017 when the telecommunications watchdog cited a law allowing it to ban access to sites deemed obscene or a threat to national security. The Constitutional Court needs to send a written statement to Turkey's telecommunication watchdog for the ban to be lifted, Akdeniz told Reuters news agency, adding that in the past similar rulings were implemented within 24 hours. "Legally the [lower] court does not have the right to resist this ruling," he said. But he added there have been recent examples in which lower courts did not immediately implement the Constitutional Court ruling. Akdeniz said the articles that led to the ban would remain online. The independence of Turkey's judiciary has been hotly debated in recent years, with critics saying court rulings are influenced by politicians. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party deny such claims, saying the judiciary makes its decisions independently. Many Turks have found ways to circumvent the ban on Wikipedia and other blocked websites. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/turkish-court-rules-wikipedia-block-violates-rights-191226164029936.html | Thu, 26 Dec 2019 18:13:50 GMT | 1,577,402,030 | 1,577,406,035 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
71,862 | breitbart--2019-08-20--Bokhari The Koch-Soros Alliance to Censor the Internet | 2019-08-20T00:00:00 | breitbart | Bokhari: The Koch-Soros Alliance to Censor the Internet | Organizations established by left-winger George Soros and libertarian Charles Koch have been working together on a key priority of globalist neoliberals and neoconservatives: censorship of the Internet. Last year, the Charles Koch Institute pledged its support for the “After Charlottesville Project,” an initiative organized by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) aimed at combating “online extremism.” Sponsors of the initiative include Comcast, NBC Universal, the Kresge Foundation, and the George Soros Charitable Foundation. Other groups involved in the project include a host of Soros-funded organizations, including “Hope not Hate,” the British equivalent of the far-left SPLC, and the pro-immigration National Immigration Forum. The former group, Hope not Hate, has a reputation for far-left extremism. Liberal anti-extremism campaigner Maajid Nawaz accused them of “book burning” after it announced a campaign to get allegedly “racist” books banned by major retailers. It was also forced to retract a smear against a Jewish pro-Israel activist last year. The National Immigration Forum, which initially aimed to persuade evangelicals and conservatives to support amnesty for illegal aliens, was exposed for its ties to George Soros by Breitbart News in 2013. The ADL, which leads the After Charlottesville Project, was once a politically neutral anti-semitism watchdog. However, under former Obama White House official Jonathan Greenblatt, it has shifted in a markedly partisan direction, accusing President Trump of “racism” and attempting to blame rising anti-semitism on Trump supporters. The Charles Koch Institute, once seen as a conservative nemesis of the left, has now aligned itself with this group of left-wing, pro-censorship, anti-Trump agitators. When it comes to censoring the Internet, both the progressive and “conservative” establishment appear to be converging on a common position. More recently, the Charles Koch Institute has teamed up with Engine, a Google-funded think tank to host a series of events on internet content moderation, billed as discussions about “how and why various Internet companies of all sizes moderate their users’ content to the benefit of the platform and its users.” Attendees at the events have included representatives from Airbnb, Cloudflare, Tumblr, the Wikimedia Foundation, and Automattic, the company that owns and operates the Wordpress.com blogging platform. ADL-like rhetoric about fighting “hate” or “extremism” is frequently used as a pretext by major tech platforms to censor lawful expression. In one such example, just over a month before their representative attended the Koch-organized panel on content moderation, Automattic deleted several Wordpress blogs aimed at tracking the spread of radical Islam. The Charles Koch Institute now appears committed to advancing Internet censorship — or “content moderation,” as they might call it. Sarah Ruger, the Institute’s director of “free expression initiatives” has praised Airbnb for canceling the reservations of far-right activists, and has called for “online hate” to be treated like a “virus.” As always, there’s an elephant in the room — what counts as “online hate?” Are you an insider at Google, Facebook, Twitter or any other tech company who wants to confidentially reveal wrongdoing or political bias at your company? Reach out to Allum Bokhari at his secure email address [email protected]. Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. | Allum Bokhari | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/7Y4bHWxz00M/ | 2019-08-20 18:46:46+00:00 | 1,566,341,206 | 1,567,533,930 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
1,206 | abcnews--2019-01-21--Billionaire fortunes grew 12 percent in 2018 as worlds poorest got 11 percent poorer | 2019-01-21T00:00:00 | abcnews | Billionaire fortunes grew 12 percent in 2018 as world's poorest got 11 percent poorer | In 2018, billionaire fortunes grew by 12 percent -- about $2.5 billion every day -- as the world's 3.8 billion poorest people lost about 11 percent of their wealth, according to a report by Oxfam launched to coincide with this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The number of billionaires has doubled since the financial crisis a decade ago, according to the report, with a millionaire becoming a billionaire roughly every other day. "The last ten years clearly shows that we have learned nothing," Paul O'Brien, Oxfam America's vice president for policy and campaigns, said in a Jan. 20 statement. "While corporations and the super-rich enjoy the lowest tax bills, millions of girls around the world have no access to a decent education and women are dying due to a lack of maternity care." Oxfam, which spans more than 90 countries and is dedicated to ending world poverty, according to the organization's website, has estimated that raising taxes by 0.5 percent on the world's richest 1 percent of earners would generate $418 billion annually that could go toward education and healthcare, ultimately saving more than 3 million people. "The 2017 US tax bill is super-charging the worldwide tax race to the bottom and exacerbating the trend of governments dramatically cutting tax rates for wealthy individuals and corporations around the world," Oxfam said the statement. "The top rate of personal income tax in rich countries fell from 62 percent in 1970 to just 38 percent in 2013. The average rate in poor countries is just 28 percent. ... The corporate tax rate has been similarly slashed around the world over the past decades, with some countries now mulling over further cuts in response to the US move to do so." O'Brien called the United States' latest tax law "a master class on how to favor massive corporations and the richest citizens" because it "rewards US companies that have trillions stashed offshore, encourages US companies to dodge foreign taxes on their foreign profits, and fuels a global race to the bottom that benefits big business and wealthy individuals at the expense of poor people everywhere." Every day, Oxfam reported, about 10,000 people die because they can't access affordable healthcare. "The only winners in the race to the bottom on corporate tax are the wealthiest among us," O'Brien added. "Now is the time to work towards a new set of tax rules that work for the many, not the few." | Justin Doom | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/billionaire-fortunes-grew-12-percent-2018-worlds-poorest/story?id=60516250 | 2019-01-21 08:20:43+00:00 | 1,548,076,843 | 1,567,551,500 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
8,533 | aljazeera--2019-01-21--Oxfam Worlds richest 26 own same wealth as poorest half | 2019-01-21T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Oxfam: World's richest 26 own same wealth as poorest half | The world's 26 richest people own the same wealth as the poorest half of humanity, according to Oxfam International, as it urged governments to rise taxes on the wealthy to fight soaring inequality. Billionaires around the world, who have almost doubled in number since the 2008 global financial crisis, saw their combined fortunes grow by $2.5bn a day, while the 3.8 billion people at the bottom of the scale saw their wealth decline by 11 percent in 2018, said the UK-based charity's annual inequality report on Monday. The findings were released in the face of the World Economic Forum, which kicks off in the Swiss city of Davos on Tuesday. The world's richest man, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, saw his fortune increase to $112bn last year, Oxfam said, pointing out that just one percent of his wealth was the equivalent to the entire health budget of Ethiopia, a country of 105 million people. Analysts found that 3.4 billion people have barely escaped extreme poverty and are living on less than $5.50 a day while stressing the growing gap between rich and poor was undermining the fight against poverty, damaging economies, and increasing public anger. "Our economy is broken with hundreds of millions of people living in extreme poverty while huge rewards go to those at the very top," Oxfam said. "People across the globe are angry and frustrated," warned Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam's executive director, in a statement. "Governments must now deliver real change by ensuring corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share of tax," she added, arguing this money could be used for education and healthcare to lift people out of poverty. The report also said women and girls are the hardest hit by rising inequality, as men own 50 percent more of the total global wealth and control 86 percent of corporations. Oxfam analysts acknowledged the number of extremely poor people was reduced by half between 1990 and 2010, and has since fallen further to 736 million. They also noted, however, tax rates for high incomes have fallen in wealthy countries over the past decades. "The super-rich and corporations are paying lower rates of tax than they have in decades," the Oxfam report said, pointing out "the human costs - children without teachers, clinics without medicines - are huge." Calls for increased taxes on the wealthy have multiplied amid growing popular outrage in a number of countries over swelling inequality. In the United States, new Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made headlines earlier this month by proposing to tax the ultra-rich up to 70 percent. And in Europe, the "yellow vest" movement that has rocked France with anti-government protests since November is demanding that President Emmanuel Macron repeal controversial tax cuts on high earners. Oxfam said getting the world's richest one percent to pay just 0.5 percent extra tax on their wealth could raise more money than it would cost to educate the 262 million children out of school, and provide life-saving healthcare for 3.3 million people. It also suggested governments look again at taxes on inheritances or property, which have been reduced or eliminated in much of the developed world and barely implemented in the developing world. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/oxfam-world-richest-26-wealth-poorest-190121054249908.html | 2019-01-21 08:25:23+00:00 | 1,548,077,123 | 1,567,551,541 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
7,706 | aljazeera--2019-01-06--Top 10 countries most at risk of humanitarian disaster in 2019 | 2019-01-06T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Top 10 countries most at risk of humanitarian disaster in 2019 | The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has named the countries most at risk of being hit by humanitarian catastrophe next year, with Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan topping the top 10 list. As wars, famines and other disasters loom over several countries, 2019 is set to be another arduous year for millions of people around the world. The next seven at-risk countries identified by the IRC's emergency response experts are Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Central African Republic, Syria, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Somalia. The risks are both human (armed conflicts or economic collapse) as well as natural (droughts, floods and other climate-related events). Internal or external displacement is the defining trend in the IRC list. Around 40 million people have been displaced across the world, with the top 10 countries accounting for over half - or nearly 22 million - of those displacements. The 10 countries also account for at least 13 million refugees, 65 percent of the global total, plus an additional three million people who have fled Venezuela. According to the United Nations, nearly 132 million people in 42 countries around the world will need humanitarian assistance, including protection, in 2019. This photo gallery was provided by the International Rescue Committee | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/top-10-countries-risk-humanitarian-disaster-2019-181213184843061.html | 2019-01-06 11:30:42+00:00 | 1,546,792,242 | 1,567,553,746 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
195,875 | foreignpolicy--2019-02-24--Theres More Bad News Than You Think | 2019-02-24T00:00:00 | foreignpolicy | There’s More Bad News Than You Think | There’s More Bad News Than You Think Between the 24-hour news cycle, the internet, and the smartphone the world has never been so saturated with information. Yet a new report by CARE International finds that humanitarian crises affecting millions of people around the world snagged relatively few headlines last year. The report, “Suffering in Silence,” also found that climate change played a direct role in at least five of the 10 most underreported humanitarian crises of 2018, from chronic droughts in Ethiopia to Typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines. The tally underscores how the developing world, which has less historical responsibility for the emissions that cause climate change, is feeling its effects earliest and hardest. In Madagascar, which the report describes as being at the front line of climate change, drought and unfavorable weather conditions have withered crops, while food prices hover close to record highs. Malnutrition is already rampant in Madagascar, which will likely be compounded by crop failure. Almost half of Madagascar’s children are stunted, which can hurt their cognitive and mental growth for the rest of their lives. Madagascar was ranked as the third most underreported crisis on the list. The report looked at man-made or natural disasters affecting more than 1 million people, then analyzed online media reports to weigh the coverage they received. While the earthquake in Haiti made international headlines in 2010, the country’s chronic food shortages were the most underreported crisis of last year, the study found. Haiti was ranked fourth on the 2018 Long-Term Climate Risk Index, and the country is still struggling to recover from droughts in northern areas at the beginning of last year. Frequent natural disasters and extreme poverty have left half of the country facing the continued threat of extreme hunger, with almost a quarter of children in Haiti chronically malnourished. Wars and revolutions galvanize global attention. Long-term droughts don’t. A lack of news coverage has real-world consequences, said Sven Harmeling, CARE International’s global policy Lead on climate change and resilience. “If there is not enough media attention, it often means that there is a lack of political attention in terms of confronting the causes of the problem, but also in delivering the support and help that the people affected need,” he said. Cutbacks in news organizations’ foreign bureaus, he noted, have affected the ability of newsrooms to maintain their coverage of these crises. While refugee and migrant flows to Europe and the United States have dominated headlines in the West in recent years, the report notes that over 80 percent of the world’s refugees currently live in developing countries. Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, currently hosts over 170,000 refugees from neighboring Nigeria and Mali. In Niger, which CARE International ranks eighth on the list of underreported crises, this has further strained a country already battling chronic food insecurity. The report, which makes clear how climate change can reshape the security environment, comes at a time with the United States has stepped back from global efforts to combat climate change. President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from the Paris agreement on climate change, undone a number of Obama-era climate change policies, and appointed a former coal industry lobbyist to run the Environmental Protection Agency. Most recently, he appointed a climate change skeptic to lead a White House initiative to denigrate the security threat from climate change that his own Pentagon is busy preparing for. In January, Trump posted a tweet mocking global warming as large parts of the United States braced for winter storms. “The evidence and scientific facts are so clear that not acting is coming close to a crime against humankind,” said Harmeling of CARE International. One big problem: The places most likely to suffer as climate change intensifies are the ones with the least ability to gather the kind of detailed data that could help build predictive models. “In the places where we see the biggest vulnerability, the highest human suffering, we are least able to provide precise numbers,” said Maarten van Aalst, the director of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre. Van Aalst, along with the U.S. military and intelligence community, stresses that many global disasters are caused by a confluence of factors, of which climate change is just one ingredient. “Climate change is acting as a risk magnifier for many of these disasters, but we shouldn’t blame climate change on its own,” he said. Still, it’s a devastating magnifier, especially where infrastructure is weak and resilience is weaker. “The first climate shock erodes vulnerability further, so the second shock hits people even harder and erodes vulnerability even further, so that the third shock is an even bigger killer,” van Aalst said. | Amy Mackinnon | https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/02/24/theres-more-bad-news-than-you-think-climate-change-humanitarian-disaster-madagascar-philippines-ethiopia/ | 2019-02-24 15:36:58+00:00 | 1,551,040,618 | 1,567,547,521 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
274,636 | ipolitics--2019-02-21--The Drilldown Report finds climate change most underreported humanitarian crisis | 2019-02-21T00:00:00 | ipolitics | The Drilldown: Report finds climate change most underreported humanitarian crisis | Food shortages borne of intense drought and hurricanes devastated countries such as Ethiopia. (Photo: CC, via News API.) According to a study examining over a million online news stories, climate change caused the majority of underreported humanitarian disasters last year. Food shortages borne of intense drought and hurricanes devastated countries such as Ethiopia and Haiti, but received less than 1,000 articles’ worth of coverage. “Not only are the people who live in the world’s poorest countries most vulnerable to climate change, but they are also the least equipped to address its increasing impacts,” Sven Harmeling, climate change lead for report commissioner Care International, told the Guardian. “Media must not turn a blind eye to such crises and the role of climate change.” In 2018, extreme weather events claimed about 5,000 lives and left almost 29 million people around the globe in need of humanitarian aid and emergency assistance. The report shows that nine of the 10 most neglected tragedies occurred in countries in the Africa Caribbean and Pacific states. Oklahoma-based Devon Energy is moving $9 billion of assets out of Canada’s oilsands, announcing after markets closed Tuesday that it will pursue the “separation” of Canadian assets and its Barnett Shale holdings in Texas from its core business. The company will open data rooms for potential buyers in the second quarter, with the aim to announce a deal by year-end for an outright sale or creation of new companies to own and operate the assets. “With our world-class U.S. oil resource plays rapidly building momentum and achieving operating scale, the final step in our multi-year transformation is an aggressive, transformational move that will accelerate value creation for our shareholders by further simplifying our resource-rich asset portfolio,” CEO Dave Hager said in a news release. Devon isn’t the first foreign company to divest from the oilsands, as Norway’s Statoil, France’s Total SA, Arkansas-based Murphy Oil and Houston-based ConocoPhillips have made similar moves to reduce ownership in Canada. CIBC analyst Jon Morrison told the Financial Post that divestment could prove difficult amid Alberta’s curtailment measures and pipeline uncertainty in Western Canada. However, he pointed to Imperial Oil Ltd., Canadian Natural, Husky Energy Inc. and Suncor Energy Inc. as potential suitors in the bid for Devon’s assets. Iraq is close to sealing a deal that would allow it to continue importing Iranian energy by avoiding the U.S. dollar, amid the Trump administration’s international pressure to cut natural gas purchases out of Iran. “A big delegation came from the Iranian central bank and the idea was proposed to trade with Iran in euros,” Abdulkarim Hashim Mustafa, special adviser to Iraq’s prime minister, told Bloomberg in an interview Tuesday in Moscow. “There are other ideas to pay in Iraqi dinars, or in oil.” The U.S. has pressured Iraq to slash purchases from Iran, but extended a temporary waiver to Baghdad from their sanctions on nations maintaining trade with Iran. “These are American sanctions and we have the right to protect our national interests,” Mustafa said. “We tell them always: we are your friends but we are not part of your policies in the region. The Americans are well aware of this — it isn’t news for them.” On Thursday morning, Brent Crude was at US$66.83 and West Texas Intermediate US$56.78. In an op-ed for the Globe and Mail, Duane Bratt writes that the United We Roll protest was “almost a perfect demonstration.” Although he pointed to the merit of the movement in generating conversation outside of Alberta on issues plaguing the oil industry, Bratt said a few missteps kept the protest from reaching its potential. First he said, the timing was off as “The Trudeau government is being rocked by the SNC-Lavalin scandal … (so) the convoy was the media’s second item, instead of leading the coverage.” Further, he said that because there was no appointed spokesperson there was a “disjointed … and at worse a racist message.” | Savannah Awde | https://ipolitics.ca/2019/02/21/the-drilldown-report-finds-climate-change-most-underreported-humanitarian-crisis/ | 2019-02-21 19:25:50+00:00 | 1,550,795,150 | 1,567,547,754 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
59 | 21stcenturywire--2019-01-19--REVEALED Amnesty Internationals Historic Links to US UK Intelligence Agencies | 2019-01-19T00:00:00 | 21stcenturywire | REVEALED: Amnesty International’s Historic Links to US & UK Intelligence Agencies | IMAGE: Propaganda image from the cover of Amnesty International’s report entitled, ‘Squeezing the Life Out of Yarmouk: War Crimes Against Besieged Civilians’, one of many designed to fit hand-in-glove with the joint US and UK covert regime change operation deployed against Syria since 2011. Amnesty International, the eminent human-rights non-governmental organization, is widely known for its advocacy in that realm. It produces reports critical of the Israeli occupation in Palestine and the Saudi-led war on Yemen. But it also publishes a steady flow of indictments against countries that don’t play ball with Washington — countries like Iran, China, Venezuela, Nicaragua, North Korea and more. Those reports amplify the drumbeat for a “humanitarian” intervention in those nations. Amnesty’s stellar image as a global defender of human rights runs counter to its early days when the British Foreign Office was believed to be censoring reports critical of the British empire. Peter Benenson, the co-founder of Amnesty, had deep ties to the British Foreign Office and Colonial Office while another co-founder, Luis Kutner, informed the FBI of a gun cache at Black Panther leader Fred Hampton’s home weeks before he was killed by the Bureau in a gun raid. These troubling connections contradict Amnesty’s image as a benevolent defender of human rights and reveal key figures at the organization during its early years to be less concerned with human dignity and more concerned with the dignity of the United States and United Kingdom’s image in the world. Amnesty’s Benenson, an avowed anti-communist, hailed from a military intelligence background. He pledged that Amnesty would be independent of government influence and would represent prisoners in the East, West, and global South alike. But during the 1960s the U.K. was withdrawing from its colonies and the Foreign Office and Colonial Office were hungry for information from human-rights activists about the situations on the ground. In 1963, the Foreign Office instructed its operatives abroad to provide “discreet support” for Amnesty’s campaigns. SEE ALSO: AN INTRODUCTION: Smart Power & The Human Rights Industrial Complex Also that year, Benenson wrote to Colonial Office Minister Lord Lansdowne a proposal to prop up a “refugee counsellor” on the border of present-day Botswana and apartheid South Africa. That counsel was to assist refugees only, and explicitly avoid aiding anti-apartheid activists. “Communist influence should not be allowed to spread in this part of Africa, and in the present delicate situation, Amnesty International would wish to support Her Majesty’s Government in any such policy,” Benenson wrote. The next year, Amnesty ceased its support for anti-apartheid icon and the first president of a free South Africa, Nelson Mandela. The following year, in 1964, Benenson enlisted the Foreign Office’s assistance in obtaining a visa to Haiti. The Foreign Office secured the visa and wrote to its Haiti representative Alan Elgar saying it “support[ed] the aims of Amnesty International.” There, Benenson went undercover as a painter, as Minister of State Walter Padley told him prior to his departure that “We shall have to be a little careful not to give the Haitians the impression that your visit is actually sponsored by Her Majesty’s Government.” The New York Times exposed the ruse, leading some officials to claim ignorance; Elgar, for example, said he was “shocked by Benenson’s antics.” Benenson apologized to Minister Padley, saying “I really do not know why the New York Times, which is generally a responsible newspaper, should be doing this sort of thing over Haiti.” In 1966, an Amnesty report on the British colony of Aden, a port city in present-day Yemen, detailed the British government’s torture of detainees at the Ras Morbut interrogation center. Prisoners there were stripped naked during interrogations, were forced to sit on poles that entered their anus, had their genitals twisted, cigarettes burned on their face, and were kept in cells where feces and urine covered the floor. The report was never released, however. Benenson said that Amnesty general secretary Robert Swann had censored it to please the Foreign Office, but Amnesty co-founder Eric Baker said Benenson and Swann had met with the Foreign Office and agreed to keep the report under wraps in exchange for reforms. At the time, Lord Chancellor Gerald Gardiner wrote to Prime Minister Harold Wilson that “Amnesty held the [report] as long as they could simply because Peter Benenson did not want to do anything to hurt a Labour government.” Then something changed. Benenson went to Aden and was horrified by what he found, writing “I never came upon an uglier picture than that which met my eyes in Aden,” despite his “many years spent in the personal investigation of repression.” As all of this was unfolding, a similar funding scandal was developing that would rock Amnesty to its core. Polly Toynbee, a 20-year-old Amnesty volunteer, was in Nigeria and Southern Rhodesia, the British colony in Zimbabwe, which was at the time ruled by the white settler minority. There, Toynbee delivered funds to prisoner families with a seemingly endless supply of cash. Toynbee said that Benenson met with her there and admitted that the money was coming from the British government. Toynbee and others were forced to leave Rhodesia in March 1966. On her way out, she grabbed documents from an abandoned safe including letters from Benenson to senior Amnesty officials working in the country that detailed Benenson’s request to Prime Minister Wilson for money, which had been received months prior. In 1967 it was revealed that the CIA had established and was covertly funding another human rights organization founded in the early 1960s, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) through an American affiliate, the American Fund for Free Jurists Inc. Benenson had founded, alongside Amnesty, the U.K. branch of the ICJ, called Justice. Amnesty international secretariat, Sean MacBride, was also the secretary-general of ICJ. Then, the “Harry letters” hit the press. Officially, Amnesty denied knowledge of the payments from Wilson’s government. But Benenson admitted that their work in Rhodesia had been funded by the government, and returned the funds out of his own pocket. He wrote to Lord Chancellor Gardiner that he did it so as not to “jeopardize the political reputation” of those involved. Benenson then returned unspent funds from his two other human-rights organizations, Justice (the U.K. branch of the CIA-founded ICJ) and the Human Rights Advisory Service. Benenson’s behavior in the wake of the revelations about the “Harry letters” infuriated his Amnesty colleagues. Some of them would go on to claim that he suffered from mental illness. One staffer wrote: Later that year, Benenson stepped down as president of Amnesty in protest of its London office being surveilled and infiltrated by British intelligence — at least according to him. Later that month, Sean MacBride, the Amnesty official and ICJ operative, submitted a report to an Amnesty conference that denounced Benenson’s “erratic actions.” Benenson boycotted the conference, opting to submit a resolution demanding MacBride’s resignation over the CIA funding of ICJ. Amnesty and the British government then suspended ties. The rights group then promised to “not only be independent and impartial but must not be put into a position where anything else could even be alleged” about its collusion with governments in 1967. Amnesty’s role in the death of Black Panther Fred Hampton But two years later, senior Amnesty officials engaged in far more troubling coordination with Western intelligence agencies. FBI documents, released by the Bureau in the spring of 2018 as a part of a series of disclosures of documents pertaining to the assassination of President John Kennedy, detail Amnesty International’s role in the killing of Black Panther Party (BPP) Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton, the 21-year-old up-and-coming black liberation icon — a killing that was widely believed to be an assassination but was ruled officially as a justifiable homicide. Amnesty International co-founder Luis Kutner attended a November 23, 1969 speech of Hampton’s delivered at the University of Illinois. During the speech, Hampton described the BPP “as a revolutionary party” and “indicated that the party has guns to be used for peace and self-defense, and these guns are at the Hampton residence as well as BPP headquarters,” according to the FBI document. “Kutner has reached the point where he would like to take legal action to silence the BPP,” the FBI wrote. “Kutner concluded by stating that he believed speakers like Hampton were psychotic, and it is only when they are faced with a court action that they stop their “rantings and ravings.” The FBI internal report on Kutner’s testimony cited above was issued on December 1, 1969. Two days later, the FBI, alongside the Chicago Police Department, conducted a firearms raid on Hampton’s residence. When Hampton came home for the day, FBI informant William O’Neal slipped a barbiturate sleeping pill into his drink before leaving. At 4:00 a.m. on December 4, police and FBI stormed into the apartment, instantly shooting a BPP guard. Due to reflexive convulsions related to death, the guard convulsed and pulled the trigger on a shotgun he was carrying – the only time a Black Panther member fired a gun during the raid. Authorities then opened fire on Hampton, who was in bed sleeping with his nine-month pregnant fiancee. Hampton is believed to have survived until two shots were fired at point-blank range towards his head. Kutner would go on to form the “Friends of the FBI” group, an organization “formed to combat criticism of the Federal Bureau of Investigations,” according to the New York Times, after its covert campaign to disrupt leftists movements — COINTELPRO — was revealed. He also went on to operate in a number of theaters that saw heavy involvement from the CIA — including work Kutner did to undermine Congolese Prime Minister and staunch anti-imperialist Patrice Lumumba — and represented the Dalai Lama, who was provided $1.7 million a year by the CIA in the 1960s. While Amnesty International’s shady operations in the 1960s might seem like ancient history at this point, they serve as an important reminder of the role that non-governmental organizations often play in furthering the objectives of governments of the nations where they are based. | 21wire | https://21stcenturywire.com/2019/01/19/revealed-amnesty-internationals-links-to-us-uk-intelligence-agencies/ | 2019-01-19 17:43:47+00:00 | 1,547,937,827 | 1,567,551,696 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
6,113 | activistpost--2019-11-27--Amnesty International: Google & Facebook’s “Surveillance-Based” Model Threatens Human Rights | 2019-11-27T00:00:00 | activistpost | Amnesty International: Google & Facebook’s “Surveillance-Based” Model Threatens Human Rights | Amnesty International has said that the “surveillance-based” business models of tech giants like Google and Facebook threaten human rights. Big tech has been known to collect private data, censor speech on behalf of the government, and financially punish dissenters by disallowing advertising. Amnesty International has gone public with its scathing commentary about big tech. Describing Google and Facebook’s advertising-centric business models as “surveillance-based,” Amnesty International warns that the “mass harvesting of data – primarily for the purpose of advertising – has meant that surveillance has become the ‘business model of the internet.’” So in order to sell you more products and get you to spend your hard-earned dollars, big tech fully intends to spy on you. This is not new information by any stretch of the imagination; however, it’s worth pointing out again. • Facebook and Google both run “continuous analysis and accumulation of information about people,” which constitutes illegal surveillance under the United States Constitution. • Facebook and Google don’t charge for their services, and instead, rely on people “handing over their data as a hidden kind of payment.” • Facebook and Google collect “a wealth of highly detailed data” that allows them to know more about individuals “than the individuals do about themselves.” • Facebook and Google now have the capacity to analyze and predict user habits and behaviors using artificial intelligence (AI) systems equipped with advanced surveillance and tracking technologies. “… despite the real value of the services they provide, Google and Facebook’s platforms come at a systemic cost,” the Amnesty International report reveals. “The companies’ surveillance-based business model forces people to make a Faustian bargain, whereby they are only able to enjoy their human rights online by submitting to a system predicated on human rights abuse,” it adds. “Firstly, an assault on the right to privacy on an unprecedented scale, and then a series of knock-on effects that pose a serious risk to a range of other rights, from freedom of expression and opinion to freedom of thought and the right to non-discrimination.” “This isn’t the internet people signed up for,” notes Amnesty International. “When Google and Facebook were first starting out two decades ago, both companies had radically different business models that did not depend on ubiquitous surveillance. The gradual erosion of privacy at the hands of Google and Facebook is a direct result of the companies’ establishing dominant market power and control over the global ‘public square.’” We, as individuals, need to decide if the surveillance and lack of privacy is worth it. This article was sourced from SHTFPlan.com Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/11/amnesty-international-google-facebooks-surveillance-based-model-threatens-human-rights.html | Wed, 27 Nov 2019 00:56:37 +0000 | 1,574,834,197 | 1,574,856,406 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
10,202 | aljazeera--2019-02-22--Rights groups demand release of Duterte critic Leila de Lima | 2019-02-22T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Rights groups demand release of Duterte critic Leila de Lima | International human rights groups have renewed their call on the Philippine government to drop all charges against detained opposition senator, Leila de Lima, even as she expressed doubt about getting a fair trial while President Rodrigo Duterte is in office. "De Lima's prolonged detention is the culmination of President Duterte's long demonisation campaign against a critical sitting senator," Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said on Friday in a joint statement with Amnesty International and FORUM-ASIA. "These preposterous charges against her should immediately be dropped and the senator released." Nicholas Bequelin of Amnesty International said de Lima's "prolonged arbitrary detention" is a "blatant attempt to silence her" as she continues to speak against the alleged human rights violations of the Duterte administration. De Lima has been under detention since February 24, 2017. The justice department filed charges against her alleging that she received money from drug dealers when she was the justice secretary during the previous administration. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera in December, the senator had denied the allegations, saying she has already been "pronounced guilty" even without a trial. "This is farcical. The charges are a total, absolute lie and fabrications." In the two years that she has been arrested, she said the Duterte administration has subjected her to "the most vicious attack on my honour, dignity and womanhood". "I am a victim of political persecution, and my right to due process has been violated," de Lima said from her detention cell at the national police headquarters in Manila. She said the personal attacks against her have distorted public opinion, making it easier for the president and his allies to "manipulate" the legal system and justify her detention. Earlier, de Lima had challenged her arrest and detention, but the Supreme Court denied her request. De Lima said the only reason Duterte targeted her is that she refused to back down from her criticism of the president's drug war. "He [Duterte] hates strong women who stand up to him and fight him," she said. Human rights advocates say the death toll in Duterte's war on drugs has surpassed 20,000 since he assumed office in 2016. A human rights watchdog said in December that the number could be as high as 27,000. The government, however, claims the toll is much lower. According to its latest report, published in December, a total of 5,050 people have been killed since the launch of the anti-drug campaign. FORUM-ASIA, a network of human rights advocates in Asia, said de Lima's detention is "emblematic of the deteriorating situation for all human rights defenders" in the Philippines. "Senator de Lima's two years in custody show the lengths the Duterte administration will go to stifle dissent and threaten human rights defenders who demand accountability for violations," said John Samuel, executive director of FORUM-ASIA. "The government's fabricated charges against her only reflect how compromised its institutions have become under the present administration." From inside her jail cell, Senator de Lima continues to call out the president on the extra-judicial killings, the plan to revive the death penalty and the renewal of the martial law in the southern island of Mindanao. "What is happening now in Mindanao is an aberration of the law. The declaration trivialises the situation there." In response, Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo dismissed de Lima's recent statements calling her a "disgruntled and failed politician". In a statement to Al Jazeera, opposition senator, Benigno Aquino IV, however, defended the detained legislator "for her bravery and her untiring passion to serve the Filipino people in the face of the injustice and oppression that she is experiencing." After two years of involuntary confinement, Senator de Lima said that she has learned to adjust to her daily routine, which includes reviewing pending legislation and other documents, which an assistant regularly brings to her detention cell. "I have spent my second Christmas here, and my second birthday here," she said. "But when you are innocent, you are not really afraid." "I can sleep well at night. But I must admit that sometimes I cry. Of course, I am only human," de Lima said. But she complained that during the summer months, she has difficulty sleeping as the temperature becomes unbearable, with only a small electric fan provided to her. To ease the heat, she would splash water in the concrete flooring of her cell to keep her room cooler. She said that she also misses cooking at home and spending time with her 84-year-old mother, Norma, who is now suffering from dementia. They saw each other for the first time in two years just before Christmas. De Lima said that given her political fight with the president, it is doubtful that she could be released while Duterte is in power. "But I am sure vindication will come. I just don't know when." Asked if she can forgive Duterte, she said, "The time of reckoning will eventually come. I am capable of forgiving him. But I also want justice." | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/rights-groups-demand-release-duterte-critic-leila-de-lima-190222053034258.html | 2019-02-22 12:13:30+00:00 | 1,550,855,610 | 1,567,547,683 | politics | non-governmental organisation |
3,640 | abcnews--2019-12-30--Reparations and Religion: 50 years after ‘Black Manifesto’ | 2019-12-30T00:00:00 | abcnews | Reparations and Religion: 50 years after ‘Black Manifesto’ | (RNS) — On a Sunday morning in May of 1969, as clergy processed into the sanctuary of New York’s august Riverside Church, civil rights activist James Forman vaulted into the pulpit to demand $500 million in reparations for the mistreatment of African Americans from white churches and synagogues. At the time, Forman’s interruption represented the high point for the reparations movement. A week before, Forman had debuted a radical proposal for racial justice known as “the Black Manifesto” for 500 black activists gathered in Detroit for the National Black Economic Development Conference. “(W)e know that the churches and synagogues have a tremendous wealth,” the manifesto stated, “and its membership, white America, has profited and still exploits black people. ”The conference determined, by a 187-63 vote, that it was time for white Christians and Jews to pay reparations and demonstrate a willingness to fight “the white supremacy and racism which has forced us as black people to make these demands. This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ”Riverside, then a mostly white liberal Protestant congregation whose neo-Gothic landmark building was financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr., would be deeply divided over the next few years over Forman’s challenge. As the activist brought his manifesto to other congregations and denominations, Riverside established a lecture series and a “Fund for Social Justice” that aimed to raise $450,000 over three years to help the poor in the local community. It fell short of the goal by almost $100,000. The Black Manifesto’s demands never caught fire in the broader U.S. religious community. The Rev. Gayraud Wilmore, a black Presbyterian leader in New York City in 1969, recalled 50 years later how religious institutions responded. “I saw them withering and unable to step forward and say ‘Let’s be the church,’” said Wilmore, now 98. “I saw no bold action taken on our side to go along with the bold action Forman was taking. ”Five decades later, the reparations debate has reentered the national spotlight, with some religious institutions leading the way. Earlier in December, Reform Jews, declaring that “racial inequity is present in virtually every aspect of American life,” voted overwhelmingly to support a U.S. commission to develop proposals for reparations and urged conversations in their congregations to redress systemic racism. In recent months, Virginia Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary and Georgetown University have all announced plans to fund initiatives that would benefit the descendants of slaves, while Episcopal dioceses in New York and Long Island made million- and half-million-dollar commitments as reparations committees continued their work. In May, the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland voted to study reparations and urge congregations to “examine how their endowed wealth is tied to the institution of slavery. ”Maryland’s African American bishop, Eugene Taylor Sutton, said tears came to his eyes when the measure passed at the diocese’s general convention with no dissenting votes, and he realized that the assembled delegates, representing a membership that is 90% white, “got it.” “They get this thing called justice, and when you put it in a frame that there is a basic injustice in this nation of stealing from generations of people and that has a direct effect on today, then people,” Sutton said, “they say, 'OK, we got to get that fixed.’ ”Sutton, who testified before Congress in June with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates to advocate for the idea of a U.S. reparations commission, emphasized that reparations can come in many forms. Starting next month, members of his diocese will begin to consider options such as providing better access for people of color to home buying, job training and faculty positions at seminaries. It has taken some American religious institutions 50 years to get their heads around reparations. When Forman hijacked that Sunday morning service, two-thirds of Riverside worshippers, including the minister, stormed out in protest. After activists occupied offices in the Interchurch Center of New York, a court issued restraining orders to bar Forman from the building. In Missouri, manifesto supporters in St. Louis carried out a series of “Black Sunday” protests, interrupting local services, which led to confrontations with white church members and arrests. The manifesto was quite specific in its demands. Black activists would control the distribution of reparations. The $500 million (soon increased to $3 billion) would be spent on programs designed to ensure black self-determination. These included establishing a Southern land bank, publishing industries, television networks, job training centers, labor unions and a black university. The manifesto’s rhetoric was just as controversial. Written by Forman, a former member of the civil rights group known as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the preamble framed reparations in Marxist terms. “Time is short,” Forman wrote. “(N)o oppressed people ever gained their liberation until they were ready to fight, to use whatever means necessary, including the use of force and power of the gun to bring down the colonizer. ”Prominent black and white religious leaders diverged on how to interpret Forman’s call for revolution. The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, who succeeded the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, compared Forman to biblical prophets who spoke truth to power. Writing in The Christian Century, he asked, “Was there not even a physical resemblance between Amos, the dusty-road-weary prophet in his desert garb, and Jim Forman in his dashiki?” The response from some white denominations was outright rejection. The Southern Baptist Convention dismissed the manifesto as “outrageous.” The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York called it un-American and touted its own programs for the “needy and disadvantaged” instead. The American Jewish Committee, which as part of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization had helped organize the National Black Economic Development Conference, withdrew from the IFCO. Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum, IFCO’s first president, resigned, stating hecould not “in conscience stand by in silence and appear ... to give assent to the revolutionary ideology and racist rhetoric of the Black Manifesto. ”Other denominations were more ambivalent. The Reformed Church in America invited Forman to address its general synod after he occupied the denomination’s headquarters a month after his action at Riverside. The Rev. Rand Peabody, a 22-year-old white seminarian who had already been slated to give the sermon the next day, revised his sermon after hearing news of Forman’s “liberation” of the RCA’s offices. “I remember I said it’s not a time for us to feel either blamed or shamed and certainly not a time to feel futile,” Peabody, now 73, said in an interview. “Our denomination, in his eye, did indeed have the power to play a part and we should accept that as almost a commissioning of the denomination to indeed step up to the plate and get involved in more focused and proactive ways. ”Like other denominations, the RCA didn’t accede to Forman’s demand that reparations be handed over freely. Instead the synod voted to create a $100,000 fund “to be disbursed according to the decisions” of a newly formed Black Council. The council then rejected the money.“We just basically wanted to be at the table where decisions are being made and not considered an auxiliary or an offshoot or a secondhand portion of the denomination,” said the Rev. Dwayne Jackson, a Hackensack, New Jersey, pastor, who was a panelist at an RCA event commemorating the manifesto in October titled “Unfinished Business.” Jackson, who knew some members of the council from his childhood church in the Bronx, said the staffer hired to oversee the council was the church’s first black executive. (Today, people of color comprise a third of the RCA’s executive leadership team.) Other denominations acknowledged the grievances raised by the manifesto but rejected the solutions it proposed and even the language of “reparations.” Instead they created or continued programs aimed at helping poor blacks and others. The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, the Evangelical Covenant Church’s Fund for Disadvantaged Americans of Minority Groups and the Episcopal Church’s General Convention Special Program were all created around the time of Forman’s action. Dominique DuBois Gilliard, the current director of the ECC’s “racial righteousness and reconciliation” ministry, recently reflected on how this kind of response “enacted a very problematic erasure of the black freedom struggle.” Met with the manifesto’s demands, “the Covenant found it more palatable to shift the conversation to marginalization in general,” Gilliard writes in the May/August edition of its Covenant Quarterly, which focused on the 50th anniversary of the manifesto. “This response has strong parallels to proclamations that ‘All Lives Matter’ in response to the declaration ‘Black Lives Matter.’" There has been a shift in recent years, however, which Gilliard has helped encourage. The ECC Resolution on Racism, passed in June, insists that “the time is right for white clergy to attend to the sins of our own community and make a public commitment to prioritize antiracism work within our ministerium.” Nell Gibson, a member and former chair of the Episcopal Diocese of New York’s Reparations Committee, recalled that in the wake of Forman’s declaration — which resulted in the Episcopal Church’s $200,000 donation to the National Committee of Black Churchmen — members of her Manhattan church created a Black and Brown Caucus. After receiving the $30,000 they demanded from their St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, they developed a free breakfast program for children, a summer “liberation school” that taught minority children their ancestors’ history and a prison law library. Fifty years on, reparations are often framed as spiritual tests as much as financial ones. This year was named the “Year of Apology” for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and each Sunday Gibson’s congregation has said a prayer that includes this sentence: “For the many ways — social, economic and political — that white supremacy has accrued benefits to some of us at the expense of others, we repent.” Soon, the diocesan reparations committee will consider a number of possible next steps, such as a truth and reconciliation commission or education and health care initiatives. Likewise, Sutton said his Maryland Episcopal diocese is moving methodically after years of conversation about reparations to figuring out how that will be lived out financially and otherwise. “We don’t have all the solutions, we don’t know everything that’s going to fix the problem and so we’re going to be humble in even what we think we can accomplish,” he said. “But, by God, we’re going to do something. ”This story is one in a series by Religion News Service about the future of segregation and integration in American religion, produced in partnership with Sacred Writes, a project that helps scholars share their research with a broader audience. This story is one in a series by Religion News Service about the future of segregation and integration in American religion, produced in partnership with Sacred Writes, a project that helps scholars share their research with a broader audience. | null | https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/reparations-religion-50-years-black-manifesto-67989717 | Mon, 30 Dec 2019 16:48:12 -0500 | 1,577,742,492 | 1,577,750,734 | religion and belief | religious leader |
8,317 | aljazeera--2019-01-17--McJesus in Palestine Using bad art to whitewash Israels crimes | 2019-01-17T00:00:00 | aljazeera | McJesus in Palestine: Using bad art to whitewash Israel's crimes | Hundreds of Palestinian Muslims and Christians descended on the Haifa Museum of Art last Friday to protest the display of various artworks that use mass culture merchandise and corporate mascots to depict Christian icons. An online petition has also been launched to demand the removal of Finnish artist Jani Leinonen's artworks, which included a crucified Ronald McDonald and Mattel dolls - Ken and Barbie - representing Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. Although Leinonen made a name for himself as a subversive anti-capitalist protest artist, the artworks he chose to put on display in the Haifa Museum's "Sacred Goods" exhibition missed the mark. In irreverent creations such as "McJesus", the artist offered little more than an uninspiring rehash of the centuries-old critique of the relationship between religion and capitalism. More importantly, he completely ignored the political context in which these artworks are displayed, allowing the Israeli establishment to use the local population's anger about the offensive exhibition to whitewash the oppression and threats the Palestinian Christians are currently facing. Leinonen's McJesus, like other artwork in the exhibition, seeks to show how consumer products have become "sacred goods," merchandise invested with the authority of religious power and symbolism. However, there is nothing provocative or refreshing about this critique. The criticism of the sacralisation of capitalism and its obverse notion, the commercialisation of religion, has been ongoing for quite a few centuries now. Already in The Theory of the Moral Sentiments (1759), Adam Smith had used the "invisible hand" metaphor to draw this analogy between capitalism and religion. Ironically, the anachronistic nature of Leinonen's artwork was also highlighted in the curator's comment on the exhibition, where it was noted that "Already in the late nineteenth century, writer Emile Zola crowned consumption as the new religion, in which religious rituals in a church have been replaced by purchasing ceremonies at a department store." Recycling the age-old critique of the complicity between religion and capitalism - as banal as it may be - could have still made an impact if Leinonen bothered to take into consideration the context in which these artworks are going to be displayed. The local context was clearly on the artist's mind when he decided to transform a Ken doll into Jesus, as the box he packaged the doll in was emblazoned with the Hebrew word for Jesus (Yeshua). However, there was no commentary offered in any of his artworks about Israel's realities - its occupation of Palestinian land and oppression of the Palestinian population. In the hands of a different artist attuned to the brutal realities of the local context, the image of a crucified McDonalds' clown could have offered radical commentary on the Palestinian struggle for freedom. It could have easily highlighted the concerted efforts of both American religious institutions, especially evangelicals, and American corporate culture to provide material support and mythical narratives that legitimise the current policies of the authoritarian colonial-capitalist Israeli state. Leinonen missed this opportunity. But even more importantly, his "bad art" allowed Israeli authorities to opportunistically exploit the indigenous population's protests about Leinonen's artworks and use the controversy to conceal the Israeli state's racist and discriminatory policies and mistreatment of Palestinian Christians. Following protests by Palestinians, Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev spared no time in condemning the art exhibition in the name of "democratic values" and" tolerance for other cultural and religious traditions". In her letter to the museum director, Regev stated: "The values that distinguish us as a Jewish and democratic state oblige us to respect the religious feelings of all citizens of the State of Israel - Muslims, Christians, Druze and others." She insisted that disrespecting sacred symbols "may affect the delicate fabric of our democratic society, which respects the religious feelings of others as one of its most enlightened foundations." This appeal for tolerance is belied not only by the racist, discriminatory and divisive policies of Israel but also by the past actions of Regev herself. In May 2012, for example, Regev received much unwanted public attention after she called Sudanese asylum seekers a "cancer in the nation's body." For the record, Regev later apologised to Israeli cancer patients for her offensive remarks about cancer, but never felt the need to apologise to the human beings that she likened to a deadly disease. So what was behind the Culture Minister's uncharacteristic appeal for tolerance and newfound concern for the rights and sentiments of Israel's indigenous communities? Regev's condemnation of the exhibition was an attempt to whitewash the ongoing Nakba and to present Israel as a state that respects the diverse religious identities of all its citizens and residents, including Christians. This, of course, couldn't be further from the truth. About a year ago, Theophilos III, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, warned in an op-ed in the Guardian that Israeli policies are driving Palestinian Christians out of the Holy Land. He outlined the efforts of the Israeli Knesset to strip Palestinian Christians of their church lands and property rights through a "church lands" bill that would put an end to the church's sovereignty over its lands in the old city of Jerusalem. Theophilos III also pointed out the activities of radical settler groups in and around Jerusalem that are destabilising the status quo regarding "the protection and accessibility" of the holy sites in the city. Many of these radical settlers have been suspected of carrying out "price tag" attacks on churches and other Christian properties, desecrating and vandalising churches, monasteries, and holy sites and spraying hate graffiti on them. In most of these cases, the Israeli authorities did not apprehend any suspects and dismissed the incidents on the grounds of unknown perpetrators. These attacks on Christian churches and properties, which date back to the Nakba, also target Christians in the West Bank. Israeli forces, for example, have raided a well-known monastery in Bethlehem and attempted to confiscate its land to continue building its apartheid annexation and separation wall in the Cremisan Valley. It is important to note that Israeli military forces aid and abet the radical settlers in their desecration of Christian sites, offering them the protection they need as they raid these sites to perform religious rituals there. The state's racist and discriminatory laws, closure policies and the apartheid annexation and separation wall restrict the access of Palestinian Christians to the holy sites in Jerusalem, effectively censuring their religious freedom and hindering them from practising their faith. These policies, as Theophilos III warns, threaten "the very presence of Christians in the Holy Land". Disingenuous calls for tolerance and understanding by Israeli authority figures like Regev should not trick anyone into thinking that the capitalist settler-colony that is Israel cares about the religious sensitivities of Christians or Muslims living in Israel. Needless to say, as Regev was talking about the so-called "democratic fabric" of the Israeli society, Israeli state police was using stun grenades and tear gas to squash and disperse the crowds demonstrating near the museum. Regev's letter also exposed a major shortcoming of the Israeli liberal left. Israeli leftists were outraged not only by Regev's failure to condemn "the violence against the museum," but also by her threats to cut state funding for such offensive exhibitions. In their eyes, as always, violence was one-sided and perpetrated by the Arabs. They ignored the structural violence of the state in the name of the fight over culture and artistic freedom. Leinonen's McJesus and other artwork in the "Sacred Goods" exhibition is uncharacteristic of his other subversive anti-capitalist protest art and the School of Disobedience he runs. In this exhibition, he misses an important opportunity to critique the more pernicious aspects of capitalist exploitation and fetishisation through a critical engagement with the structures of violence and social inequalities that constitute the authoritarian capitalist-colonial Israeli state. The only way out of the false universality of the corporate capitalist culture that the crucified clown represents and into the truly radical and egalitarian universality for which Jesus stands is the practice of decolonisation. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/mcjesus-palestine-bad-art-whitewash-israel-crimes-190115155534587.html | 2019-01-17 14:55:55+00:00 | 1,547,754,955 | 1,567,552,070 | religion and belief | religious leader |
10,117 | aljazeera--2019-02-20--Vaticans first summit on child sex abuse What to expect | 2019-02-20T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Vatican's first summit on child sex abuse: What to expect | Pope Francis has summoned senior bishops from all over the world to Rome for a landmark meeting on sexual abuse. From Thursday to Sunday, 190 Catholic leaders, including 10 women, will gather in the Italian capital at the pope's request; the event marks the first time in history that a pope has called senior bishops to discuss sexual abuse. Scandals have struck the Catholic Church for decades, with pressure increasing after journalistic and judicial investigations revealed patterns of sexual abuse and cover-ups. Further cases in 2018 heightened the crisis - some senior bishops have said the issue puts the very credibility of the Catholic Church at stake. It's a four-day gathering of about 190 Catholic leaders who will discuss how to resolve the issue of the sexual abuse of minors. It takes place in the Vatican, in Rome, under the official title of "Protection of Minors in the Church". The Vatican's press office has described the meeting's goal as making "absolutely clear" to bishops how to act to prevent and deal with sexual abuse. It focuses on sharing best practices in dealing with abuse, educating bishops on the problem, and on bolstering transparency, responsibility and accountability in the church. It will not, crucially, focus on canon law reform. The pope has asked those invited to pray for the coming meeting. The summit is important for at least three reasons. First, although similar meetings have taken place in the past, it is the first time that a pope has summoned senior bishops for it. Second, Pope Francis has given more voice to survivors of clerical sexual abuse - he has met some of them and has urged bishops to do the same in their countries before leaving for Rome. Some survivors will also give their testimony at the summit. Finally, the Vatican has acknowledged that sexual abuse is a global problem in the church, and not only an issue in some specific countries, as it had previously downplayed it. Not everyone agrees on the summit's importance, but most people welcome it as a positive development. "For survivors who have been around for 25 years, like me, this is an incredible achievement," says Peter Isely, a survivor, critic of the Vatican and founding member of Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) Global. "Years ago, this was inconceivable." Two cases, in particular, have shaken the Vatican in 2018. In the United States, the grand jury of the state of Pennsylvania released a report that revealed the sexual abuse and systematic cover-up of more than 1,000 minors over 70 years, implicating some 300 clergymen. After its release, at least 14 other US states have launched similar investigations, suggesting that more scandals are likely to surface in the next few years. The other incident took place in Chile, where bishops and high prelates have come under pressure for covering up a sexual abuse crisis centred around Fernando Karadima. While Karadima was sentenced to a "life of prayer and penance" in 2011, his case came back under the spotlight after Pope Francis spoke in support of one of the bishops involved in the cover-up, in early 2018. Realising the mistake, the pope has since apologised and called the Chilean bishops to Rome. They offered their resignations en-masse, and five of them have been accepted. Karadima has since been removed from the priesthood. "I believe the Chilean case was decisive [for calling the summit]," says Paolo Rodari, Vatican analyst for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "It was a big blow for Pope Francis. "My impression is that the pope realised that not everyone in the church grasps the seriousness of the problem," he says. "It signals that the pope has understood how serious this is." Almost entirely, although some are not convinced. Some victims, for example, don't support the summit because it doesn't promise canon law reform. They have even called it a media bluff. "For us, this summit is meaningless," says Francesco Zanardi, a survivor who has campaigned on the issue for nine years. He is the president of Rete L'Abuso, an Italian association of survivors. "We are only going to Rome to protest." Inside the church though, there is little outspoken opposition. "Everybody in the church is against sexual abuse, that is not the question," says Rev Thomas Reese, a senior analyst with the Religious News Service. "The question is that there are bishops, predominantly in the Global South, who don't think it is a problem in their countries." He explains that this happens because scandals haven't struck all countries, so some bishops feel safe. But this often happens because of social stigma on the sexually abused in certain countries, or because survivors are not encouraged to come out - not because abuses haven't happened. Actually not much, at least for now. While this might lead to concrete results in the future, it's unlikely to produce ground-breaking new protocols in the short run. Pope Francis has warned that expectations around the summit must be "deflated", and Vatican sources have called it a step in a 15-year journey. These words have frustrated survivors and activists demanding an immediate end to clerical sexual abuse and cover-ups. "Expecting a priest who sexually abuses a child and a bishop who covers it up to be removed from the priesthood is not an 'inflated' expectation," says Peter Isely of ECA Global. "It's a minimum expectation." On Monday, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's leading investigator of clerical sexual abuse, confirmed that "this is not going to be a three-day wonder" and stressed the importance of follow-ups on the summit. Survivors demand zero tolerance - that the Vatican remove from the priesthood not only any priest guilty of sexually abusing a child, but also any bishops and cardinals involved in covering him up and shuffling them to other posts. Other demands include handing over priest offenders to civil authorities and ending alternative punishment such as sentences to a life of "penance and prayer" or retreat in religious institutions instead of jail. All survivors pledge to carry on their battle. "We've lived with a lot of disappointments," says Peter Isely of ECA Global. "Expectation is not what drives us." Juan Carlos Cruz, who is among the people abused by Karadima in Chile and has also met Pope Francis to discuss the problem, said: "[Bishops who deny the problem] are on borrowed time. If the summit turns out to be more of the same, survivors will keep fighting. It's a tsunami that no one will stop." Some interviews were translated from Italian. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/vatican-summit-child-sex-abuse-expect-190219221043083.html | 2019-02-20 07:33:28+00:00 | 1,550,666,008 | 1,567,547,914 | religion and belief | religious leader |
11,095 | aljazeera--2019-03-21--Birmingham Muslims blame far-right extremism for mosque attacks | 2019-03-21T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Birmingham Muslims blame 'far-right extremism' for mosque attacks | Four mosques in the English city of Birmingham were damaged overnight, police said on Thursday, in the latest in a spate of Islamophobic attacks in Britain since the murder of 50 people by a white supremacist at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. West Midlands Police said detectives and counterterrorism officers are investigating after windows were smashed at four mosques in Birmingham. The force said in a statement the incidents "are being treated as linked". Officers responded after reports in the early hours of Thursday of a man seen shattering windows with a sledgehammer at one mosque, the police said. "Neighbourhood officers are working closely with mosques around the West Midlands today," the force said. "Since the tragic events in Christchurch, New Zealand, officers and staff from West Midlands Police have been working closely with our faith partners across the region to offer reassurance and support at mosques, churches and places of prayer," West Midlands Police Chief Constable Dave Thompson said in a statement. "At the moment, we don't know the motive for last night's attacks," Thompson added. "At difficult times like this, it is incredibly important that everyone unites against those who seek to create discord, uncertainty and fear in our communities," he said. Forensics experts are working to identify evidence at the scenes of the four attacks, while CCTV is also being examined. Shabana Mahmood, a member of parliament for Birmingham, said the reported attacks were "truly terrible." "I would urge all residents to remain calm and call [the police] with any info you may have," Mahmood tweeted. A statement from the Birmingham Council of Mosques said: "We were deeply horrified to hear a number of mosques were vandalised during the early hours of this morning. "Birmingham's mosques are a place of worship, serenity and a source of peace and tranquillity. We are appalled by such acts of hate/terror." In August last year, Birmingham mosques were attacked with catapults during evening prayers. The city, in the Midlands, is home to a large Muslim community. "I think that all religious institutions do need access to a high security budget [from the government], in light of the fact that far-right extremists have been left for too long," Kamran Hussain, general manager at Birmingham's Green Lane Mosque and Community Centre, told Al Jazeera. "Far-right extremism ... is now in Eastern Europe, it is in America, and it has been left unchangelled in many aspects. We haven't addressed it in the media or even at government level." Hussain's mosque was not targeted, but is close to those that were, such as the Witton Islamic Centre. "The risk from Islamophobia has been on the rise for many years now," said a Witton Islamic Centre spokesperson. "This form of hate has fallen under the radar in many aspects, including some parts of the media and our intelligence and security services. The tragic events from last week's attacks in Christchurch have caused great concern among the Muslim community." Saddique Hussain, trustee at the Central Jamia Mosque Ghamkol Sharif, said it was impossible to fully secure a mosque. "Trying to secure a building of this nature and calibre is extremely difficult, and not possible to do," he said. "A mosque needs to be an open place of worship. For example, we can't lock our doors when the prayers start because some people [are] late for prayers. "To secure a place where the door is constantly open? ... You can’t." Worshipper Ali, 26, said: "People see what is going on in the world because of social media and they get annoyed. They kind of believe it and take it the wrong way. If I die in the mosque, I would be blessed. So, I think there should be no security and the doors should remain open." | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/uk-counter-terror-police-investigate-attack-birmingham-mosques-190321110555768.html | 2019-03-21 17:57:00+00:00 | 1,553,205,420 | 1,567,545,385 | religion and belief | religious leader |
147,844 | drudgereport--2019-05-03--Violence prompts houses of worship to beef up security | 2019-05-03T00:00:00 | drudgereport | Violence prompts houses of worship to beef up security... | When members of the Bayside Shul gathered for Passover last month, it was behind the locked doors of the synagogue, an armed security guard patrolling its parking lot. And when Milwaukee-area Muslims kneel in prayer for the start of Ramadan on Sunday, many local mosques will be taking those same precautions. Seven years after a white supremacist killed six worshipers at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin — after Charleston and Pittsburgh, Christchurch, Sri Lanka and now Poway — faith leaders are increasingly hardening their buildings against potential attacks. Many are hiring off-duty police officers or armed security guards for services and special events. They are locking doors, installing cameras, taking active-shooter training and in some cases tacitly allowing the carrying of concealed weapons during services. These are necessary precautions, they say. But they worry that they cut at the very heart of their faith traditions, which call on them to welcome the stranger, to open their doors as places of prayer and refuge. "It is really disheartening," said Othman Atta of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, which operates three mosques in Milwaukee and Brookfield. "You don't want to be a fortress, where you're turning people away or creating a separation. But you don't want to be sitting targets either," he said. "This is something all religious institutions are really struggling with." RELATED: Daughter of the rabbi injured in the San Diego synagogue shooting has a connection to the Milwaukee area RELATED: 500 attended a vigil at the Islamic Center of Milwaukee for victims of the New Zealand mosque attacks Last week's shooting at a San Diego-area synagogue was the latest in a series of deadly attacks on houses of worship in the United States and abroad in recent years. Last fall, 11 people were killed when a gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. This year, 50 people died when a white supremacist attacked mosques during Friday prayers in Christchurch, New Zealand. And more than 200 were killed in the Easter Sunday bombings of Catholic churches by Islamic militants in Sri Lanka. At the same time, the FBI and other organizations have documented an increase in hate crimes, including those based on race and religion, and spikes in anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic incidents. In the most recent FBI report, hate crimes committed on the basis of religious identity jumped 23 percent, the biggest annual increase since 2001. Many Milwaukee-area houses of worship began seriously evaluating their security after the Sikh Temple shooting in 2012, with the help of local and federal authorities. And they have added security measures over the years, driven at times by the most recent attack. James Davis, an elder at New Testament Church in Milwaukee, said his church began hiring an armed security guard in 2015 after white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine people during a Bible study at an African American church in Charleston, S.C. After Pittsburgh, Congregation Emanu-El B'Ne Jeshurun in River Hills, which had been securing its doors for a while, hired a full-time director of security — a first for a Milwaukee-area synagogue. And the Bayside Shul beefed up its security, locking doors at all times, installing new security cameras inside and out, and hiring armed security for services and events. Some Milwaukee-area mosques have been using armed security guards for a while, but interest has increased over the last year, according to Atta. "There's definitely a sadness that this had to happen," Rabbi Cheski Edelman said of the heightened measures at the Bayside Shul. "But people understand that this is the reality ... and that it's the best way to protect the community." Some congregations have begun drafting their own members to assist in security, whether that's greeting newcomers at the door or patrolling their parking lots, with an eye toward spotting anyone who looks unfamiliar or out of place. And some are turning a blind eye to the "no-weapons" signs they posted after Wisconsin passed its concealed carry law in 2011, believing that congregants who are trained and licensed to carry firearms could save lives in the minutes it takes for police to respond to an attack. "It's kind of a don't-ask-don't-tell policy," said Noman Hussain, the imam at the Islamic Society's Masjid Al-Noor mosque in Brookfield, which has used an off-duty Waukesha County sheriff's deputy for security for about two year. "But we're going to highly recommend that anyone who wants to carry makes sure they have multiple hours of training, so they don't do more harm than good," he said. "For now, we're not officially allowing guns. But if someone does and we don't know about it ..." At New Testament, where several members work in law enforcement or other jobs in which they're licensed to carry firearms, church leaders are taking a more direct approach. According to Davis, the church is developing a security "ministry" that would sanction the carrying of concealed firearms by certain qualified members. And it would revamp its "no-weapons" signage to make it clear that some members "have the permission of the board of elders to carry a concealed weapon." "We want to do as much as we can to let folks know that this may be the wrong building to go after," said Davis. Many faith leaders blame the increase in hate crimes on the rise of President Donald Trump, whose anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, they believe, has emboldened extremists, and the power of social media to amplify their views and inspire copycats. "We live in a much more polarized society right now. And that's part of the problem," said Atta. "I think it's empowering more people to think they have free rein to say and do what they want to do." There is a long history in African American churches of some members carrying firearms because of racist attacks, according to the Rev. Walter Lanier, pastor of Progressive Baptist Church on Milwaukee's northwest side. Still, he said, it is seen by some as a lack of faith that God will protect them. Edelman, of the Bayside Shul, does not share that view. "The Jewish tradition is pretty clear that we are partners with God. We have to do our part, and God will do His part," he said. To illustrate, he shared the biblical story of Jacob's meeting with his brother, Esau, after two decades estranged. "When Jacob was going to confront his brother, it says he prayed, but he also prepared for war," said Edelman. "He did both." Contact Annysa Johnson at [email protected] or 414-224-2061. Follow her on Twitter at @JSEdbeat. And join the Journal Sentinel conversation about education issues at www.facebook.com/groups/WisconsinEducation. | null | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/IQn-JWjlimk/ | 2019-05-03 00:55:38+00:00 | 1,556,859,338 | 1,567,541,332 | religion and belief | religious leader |
215,258 | france24--2019-04-16--World watches and weeps as Notre-Dame burns | 2019-04-16T00:00:00 | france24 | World 'watches and weeps' as Notre-Dame burns | AFP | An aerial view shows Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris as flames tear through the building on Monday, APril 15, 2019. Religious leaders and heads of state and government from around the world voiced their shock and sorrow as flames ravaged the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris Monday night. As a fire swept across the top of the 12th-century cathedral in the heart of the French capital, statement and tweets came pouring in from across the globe while the international community united to express their sympathies over the loss of one of the world’s most historic monuments. The Vatican said the fire as the "symbol of Christianity in France and in the world" had caused shock and sadness and that it was praying for the firefighters. "We express our closeness with French Catholics and with the Parisian population. We pray for the firefighters and for all those who are trying their best to tackle this dramatic situation," said a Vatican spokesman. Notre Dame 'belongs to the whole of humanity' Notre-Dame "belongs to the whole of humanity. It has inspired writers, painters, philosophers and visitors who have come from all round the world", said EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker "Horrified by the pictures coming from Paris with the fire engulfing Notre-Dame Cathedral -- a unique example of world heritage that has stood tall since the 14th century. My thoughts are with the people and government of France," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said her thoughts "are with the people of France tonight" while German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said the images of the cathedral on fire were "painful". "Notre-Dame is a symbol of France and of our European culture. Our thoughts are with our French friends," added Seibert. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, described the fire as "horrible" and suggested the emergency services used flying water tankers to put out the flames, an idea that was quickly dismissed by the authorities. Former US president Barack Obama also expressed his sorrow to the people of France. In a Twitter post featuring a photograph of his family during a 2009 visit to the cathedral, Obama noted, "Notre Dame is one of the world's great treasures, and we're thinking of the people of France in your time of grief. It's in our nature to mourn when we see history lost -- but it's also in our nature to rebuild for tomorrow, as strong as we can." Former first lady Michelle Obama said: "The majesty of Notre Dame -- the history, artistry, and spirituality -- took our breath away, lifting us to a higher understanding of who we are and who we can be. Being here in Paris tonight, my heart aches with the people of France. Yet I know that Notre Dame will soon awe us again." In a message posted on Twitter, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he was, "Saddened that Notre Dame -- that iconic monument dedicated to the worship of our one God & that brought all of us closer through Hugo's literary masterpiece -- is partially destroyed after standing through wars & revolution for 800 yrs. Our thoughts are w/ the French & all Catholics." "The Arab Republic of Egypt affirms that it is following, with pain and sorrow, the Notre-Dame Cathedral catching fire, especially that this monument is of important cultural and historic significance for France and as part of the world's heritage," said an Egyptian foreign ministry statement. Many non-Catholic religious institutions and leaders also offered their prayers to the people of France and the firefighters battling the blaze. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Anglican Church, said that "tonight we pray for the firefighters tackling the tragic Notre-Dame fire -- and for everyone in France and beyond who watches and weeps for this beautiful, sacred place where millions have met with Jesus Christ". The World Jewish Congress also paid tribute to what its president Ronald S. Lauder said was "an inimitable icon, a symbol of the country's great culture and history". "We pray that there are no injuries or loss of life in this tragedy, and that the destruction can be restored to allow this unparalleled structure to return to its position of symbolic majesty on the Parisian skyline," he said. | FRANCE 24 | https://www.france24.com/en/20190416-world-watches-weeps-notre-dame-cathedral-fire-france-paris | 2019-04-16 00:04:44+00:00 | 1,555,387,484 | 1,567,542,883 | religion and belief | religious leader |
218,183 | freebeacon--2019-10-11--Beto: Religious Institutions Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status for Same-Sex Marriage Opposition | 2019-10-11T00:00:00 | freebeacon | Beto: Religious Institutions Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status for Same-Sex Marriage Opposition | Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke (D., Texas) said he would strip religious institutions of their tax exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage. "We are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans," the former congressman said during CNN's Equality Town Hall on Thursday. CNN host Don Lemon pressed O'Rourke on the particulars of his plan for LGBT Americans. "Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax exempt status if they oppose same sex marriage?" Lemon asked. O'Rourke answered with an unequivocal yes, and stressed that as president, he would make punishing religious organizations a priority. "There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us," O'Rourke said. His remarks sparked condemnation from Republican lawmakers. Sen. Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) said O'Rourke's approach would criminalize any and all "religious convictions [that] don’t fall in line with his progressive politics." "This extreme intolerance is un-American," Sasse said in a statement. "This bigoted nonsense would target a lot of sincere Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Leaders from both political parties have a duty to flatly condemn this attack on very basic American freedoms." Religious liberty groups said O'Rourke's proposal threatens fundamental constitutional rights. Luke Goodrich, an attorney with the nonprofit firm Becket Law, said the government should not target religions based upon their traditional beliefs. "Stripping the tax-exempt status of religious groups simply because they hold beliefs that the government dislikes is blatantly unconstitutional,"Goodrich said in a statement. "It's also foolish because those groups provide billions of dollars in essential social services to their communities. Churches and ministries should be allowed to hold centuries-old beliefs without fear of government retribution." O'Rourke has previously expressed his support for abortion up to the day before birth, telling a crowd at the College of Charleston, "this is a decision that neither you, nor I, nor the United States government should be making." He is struggling to gain traction among Democratic voters, and faces the strong possibility of missing out on the fifth Democratic presidential debate in November due to weak polling. | Graham Piro | https://freebeacon.com/politics/beto-religious-institutions-should-lose-tax-exempt-status-for-same-sex-marriage-opposition/ | Fri, 11 Oct 2019 13:05:31 +0000 | 1,570,813,531 | 1,570,842,013 | religion and belief | religious leader |
218,207 | freebeacon--2019-10-14--O’Rourke Doubles Down on Punishing Churches Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage | 2019-10-14T00:00:00 | freebeacon | O’Rourke Doubles Down on Punishing Churches Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage | Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke doubled down on his proposal to revoke the tax-exempt status of religious institutions that do not support same-sex marriage. The former Texas congressman reiterated his support for punitive tax measures against churches or affiliated services that believe marriage is between a man and a woman, a position he introduced at CNN's Equality Town Hall on Thursday evening. NBC host Geoff Bennett asked O'Rourke how he would implement this plan given that the government "can't just dole out punishments on theological grounds." "You are free to believe anything that you want to in this country, to associate with whom you please, to practice your faith as you best see fit, but you are not allowed to discriminate against people in this country," O'Rourke said during a Sunday appearance. "What I'm talking about is making sure that we follow the letter and the spirit of the law, and that as president I will sign into law the Equality Act to make sure that we do not deny the civil rights and human rights of any of our fellow Americans based on their sexual orientation or gender identity." House Democrats passed the Equality Act in May. Critics say that it will not just protect LGBT people, but punish those with traditional religious beliefs. The legislation could undermine Religious Freedom Restoration Acts at the state and federal level and would strike down "religious freedom protections for private citizens if they exercised their consciences in running their own businesses." O'Rourke went on to say he believes any nonprofit organization that is going to deny equal treatment under the law to Americans in the "LGBTQ community" will be held accountable, saying he would withdraw their tax-exempt status. Bennett pressed O'Rourke on the unintended consequences of this policy, noting that it could also be used to target "conservative black churches, mosques, Islamic organizations, orthodox Jewish communities, [and] a number of religiously affiliated HBCUs." O'Rourke responded that a religious organization simply professing opposition to same-sex marriage would not be enough to void its tax-exempt status. Rather, religiously affiliated service providers—those in "higher education, or health care, or adoption services" for example—that "discriminate or deny equal treatment under the law based on someone's skin color or ethnicity or gender or sexual orientation" would be at risk. "If one of these nonprofit institutions persisted in that kind of discriminant treatment of our fellow Americans, we would look at revoking their tax-exempt status," he said. Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who is married to a man, criticized O'Rourke's proposal on Sunday, saying that O'Rourke does not understand its implications. During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union, he raised the same concerns Bennett had. "That means going to war not only with churches, but I would think with mosques and a lot of organizations that may not have the same view of various religious principles that I do, but also, because of the separation of church and state, are recognized as non-profits in this country," Buttigieg said. Buttigieg said that he supported anti-discrimination rules "for a school or an organization," but that targeting the tax-exempt status of religious institutions themselves would be destructive. "Going after the tax exemption of churches, Islamic centers, or other religious facilities in this country, I think that's just going to deepen the divisions that we're already experiencing," he said. | Cameron Cawthorne | https://freebeacon.com/politics/orourke-doubles-down-on-punishing-churches-opposed-to-same-sex-marriage/ | Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:20:51 +0000 | 1,571,077,251 | 1,571,098,122 | religion and belief | religious leader |
299,586 | mail--2019-05-03--Synagogue didnt get to fund security upgrades before attack | 2019-05-03T00:00:00 | mail | Synagogue didn't get to fund security upgrades before attack | "Obviously, we did not have a chance to start using the funds yet," rabbi Simcha Backman told The Associated Press. Backman, who oversees security grants for the 207 Chabad institutions across California, wouldn't give details on the planned enhancements or speculate whether they might have changed the outcome of Saturday's attack. The gunman killed a woman and wounded an 8-year-old girl, her uncle and Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was leading the service on the last day of Passover, a major Jewish holiday. Goldstein, who lost a finger, joined President Donald Trump on Thursday for the National Day of Prayer . Republican state Sen. Brian Jones, whose district includes the synagogue near San Diego, said he wants to find a way to shorten the time it takes for security grant money to get to organizations. "Can we remove some bureaucratic steps here to help these organizations get these improvements done quicker?" he said. The Poway synagogue doesn't have security guards. But rabbis of California's Chabad organization began asking members who were trained law enforcement professionals to carry their weapons at services after a gunman massacred 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh last October. Goldstein also applied for a concealed carry permit, and the congregation received training from the city of Poway on responding to an active shooter. Houses of worship, like all institutions open to the public, face a balancing act in providing security while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere, said Jesus Villahermosa, a former law enforcement officer in Washington state who teaches classes nationwide on deterring and reacting to active shooters. "All the mechanical security in the world isn't going to change that anyone in America can walk into any place in America and open fire," he said. "It's difficult because I don't think there is a perfect solution." Even installing metal detectors merely makes those gathered there the potential initial target, he said. Villahermosa said synagogue leaders were wise to ask officers to come armed, but layers of security would be best, including professional armed guards at entrances, embedded in the congregation and at the front of the worship area. On Saturday, an off-duty Border Patrol agent who attends the synagogue fired at the gunman as he fled, hitting his vehicle. The 19-year-old suspect, John T. Earnest, has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges. The synagogue was built two decades ago with security features including video surveillance, but leaders started beefing up those measures in 2010. They received and spent money from a $75,000 grant earmarked for a security assessment, 16 cameras, fencing and lighting, according to records reviewed by AP. One camera showed the gunman fumbling with his rifle before fleeing. The synagogue applied for another grant in May 2018 to upgrade those cameras and add other enhancements. While the synagogue got approval in September, a workshop on the required documents wasn't held until late October and the synagogue submitted its first documents in early February, said Brad Alexander, a spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services, which administers the program for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The state then requested additional information before awarding the money on March 22. New FEMA rules allow the grants to be spent on security guards, and state officials said recipients can seek a modification to existing grants to use the money that way. Backman said the synagogue is considering it and will find money to hire guards even if the government does not fund them. Gov. Gavin Newsom is backing legislation that would change a similar state grant program to allow money for guards, citing the increase in hate crimes against Jews and other religious and racial minorities. He said institutions should decide whether those guards are armed. In response to the increase in mass shootings, states from Florida to Texas are considering measures that would allow people to be armed in places of worship and study. Newsom announced Monday that he was budgeting $15 million to increase security for religious institutions and other vulnerable nonprofits. Last year, the program got $500,000. Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, vice chairman of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, said lawmakers will have more control over how quickly the state money gets to institutions at risk of hate-motivated violence. "Obviously, there's every reason in the world to get those funds out as quickly as possible," he said. Jewish-affiliated organizations in California received 79% of the 264 nonprofit security grants awarded under the federal and state programs since 2012. The remaining 21% went to institutions serving other faiths, hospitals, Planned Parenthood chapters, domestic violence shelters, museums and a university. The goal is to help any at-risk institution, though Jewish organizations could be more aware of the program, Gabriel said. "There's a real sense of vulnerability right now in the Jewish community," he said. Government help with security makes sense because millions of Americans attend places of worship, Backman said. "I understand the concern for separation of church and state, but this is not about the government supporting one religious institution over another," the rabbi said. "It's about the government protecting its citizens." Thompson reported from Sacramento. Associated Press writer Adam Beam in Sacramento contributed to this story. | null | https://www.mail.com/news/us/9146308-synagogue-to-fund-security-upgrades-attack.html | 2019-05-03 01:12:00+00:00 | 1,556,860,320 | 1,567,541,239 | religion and belief | religious leader |
312,129 | mercurynews--2019-04-02--Diocese of San Jose adds Paul Duggan former priest to list of clergy accused of sexual abuse | 2019-04-02T00:00:00 | mercurynews | Diocese of San Jose adds Paul Duggan, former priest, to list of clergy accused of sexual abuse | SAN JOSE — Father Paul Emmet Duggan, a former Catholic priest with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, was added to a list of clergy accused of sexual misconduct for alleged abuse of a child at St. Patrick School during the 1950s. The Diocese of San Jose, which covers Santa Clara County, added Duggan to the public list Tuesday. Duggan was assigned to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in San Jose from 1951 to 1956, and St. William Parish in Los Altos from 1978 to 1981, before the Diocese of San Jose was formed, according to the list. He retired in 1983, and died in 2007 at the age of 82. According to an obituary published in the Catholic Voice, a publication of the Diocese of Oakland, Duggan also served as associate pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in San Francisco and St. Jerome Parish in El Cerrito. After leaving St. Patrick in San Jose, he joined the faculty of Serra High School in San Mateo in 1956, according to the obituary. The incident was reported in 2002, when the Archdiocese of San Francisco removed him as a priest, according to the list. “With this updated list, the Diocese acknowledges and expresses our sorrow over the failings of the past and the damage done,” said Bishop Patrick J. McGrath in a statement. “I hope that this list demonstrates our commitment to do everything in the Diocese of San Jose’s power to confront the evil of clergy sexual abuse, to support and help victims, and to prevent abuse from happening in the future.” The addition of Duggan’s name to the list is the result of a review of more than 1,000 clergy and religious files that began in November 2018, according to the diocese. The Diocese of San Jose’s clergy abuse disclosure list includes all clergy with credible allegations of sexual abuse of children against them, who were assigned to a parish or diocesan ministry in Santa Clara County. The Diocese also announced Tuesday that the list now includes clergy not affiliated with the Diocese who ever ministered within Santa Clara County, whether it occurred at an official institution or not, or who resided at a seminary, religious retirement home or other religious institutions within the county. Duggan, from Berkeley, was the sixth of seven children, including three other siblings who went into religious life: Father Eugene F. Duggan, Father William E. Duggan and Sister Claire Duggan, according to the Catholic Voice. He was a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and was a pastor of St. Augustine Parish in South San Francisco, Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Daly City and St. Cecilia Parish in Lagunitas, according to the Catholic Voice. The list currently includes 16 individuals affiliated with the Diocese of San Jose and 23 unaffiliated individuals who ministered within Santa Clara County. | Thy Vo | https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/04/02/catholic-diocese-of-san-jose-adds-paul-duggan-former-priest-to-list-of-clergy-accused-of-sexual-abuse/ | 2019-04-02 21:17:04+00:00 | 1,554,254,224 | 1,567,544,321 | religion and belief | religious leader |
145,715 | drudgereport--2019-03-31--Can Archaeological Dig Change Future of Jerusalem | 2019-03-31T00:00:00 | drudgereport | Can Archaeological Dig Change Future of Jerusalem? | JERUSALEM — I want to tell you about a piece of clay the size of my pinkie fingernail and the color of ash. It is called a bulla, and it is what the people of the ancient Near East used before the invention of rubber bands or paper clips. They would roll up their papyrus, wrap cords around the bundle and secure it all with a bit of clay. The clay would then be stamped with a seal — the primitive version of a John Hancock. This particular bulla was dug out of the ground in October by an archaeologist named Yuval Gadot. In the many years he’s been spading the earth in this city, Dr. Gadot, a professor at Tel Aviv University, has found several bullas. [This one is special](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/30/opinion/sunday/bible- josiah-david-seal.html). “This bulla connects to a whole context, a whole world, that we have been uncovering in this spot,” Dr. Gadot explained. The spot he’s talking about is the City of David — the mound of ancient Jerusalem — which archaeologists have been trying to uncover for 150 years. When most people think of Jerusalem they think of the walled Old City: the place that contains the Western Wall and the Aqsa Mosque and the Via Dolorosa and inspires more religious fervor than perhaps anywhere else on earth. But the Jerusalem of the Bible is a modest, narrow ridge just outside the walls. Yuval Baruch, the Jerusalem regional archaeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority, described it this way: “Jerusalem was the capital of Judean kings and that capital was located in what we call today the City of David.” Archaeologists have been engaged in a [ferocious debate](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2010/12/david-and- solomon/) about whether a king named David literally built his palace here. Dr. Gadot, who belongs to the school of archaeology known as biblical minimalism, is skeptical. But almost all agree on the big picture, which is that the 11-acre mound is the seat of the Davidic dynasty, which begot what we now call Jewish civilization.  Yuval Gadot at the edge of the Givati Parking Lot dig, where he found the bulla. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times “You cannot cast doubts over the importance of this place. This is the acropolis of Israel,” Dr. Gadot said. There is just one problem. The acropolis of Israel is being unearthed in East Jerusalem, which much of the world does not regard as belonging to the state of Israel. And it is being unearthed, at least in part,[ ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israel-unearths-a-sacred-roman-road-in- east-jerusalem-unsettling-a-palestinian-neighborhood/2019/01/24/8918dfa0-19ac- 11e9-b8e6-567190c2fd08_story.html)[beneath the homes of Palestinians](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israel-unearths-a-sacred- roman-road-in-east-jerusalem-unsettling-a-palestinian- neighborhood/2019/01/24/8918dfa0-19ac-11e9-b8e6-567190c2fd08_story.html), from land that those Palestinians want to be incorporated into their future state. If any archaeological dig in this part of the world is bound to hit on ethnic, national and religious fault lines, this one is the Middle Eastern equivalent of the San Andreas. Because in Jerusalem, the contest over the city’s past is part of the war over its future. Workers on the afternoon shift, digging underneath houses near the Shiloach Pool, in the Silwan neighborhood. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times The archaeologists hard at work uncovering ancient Jerusalem are not consumed with borders and politics. They aren’t looking up. They are looking down, at olive pits and shards of clay, and thinking about what they tell us about the past. They say this latest find, this bulla (the discovery of which has not been previously reported), is from the middle of the seventh or beginning of the sixth century B.C., judging by the style of writing on it and the pottery found next to it. This was the period when the First Temple stood in Jerusalem, the heyday of the Judaic monarchy. It was the period when Jews were not yet Jews but Judahites, when they worshiped their God by slaughtering animals, when many among them still secretly practiced magic and prayed to idols — more than 500 years before the Jew now known as Jesus was born. A name has been stamped into its surface. If you read ancient Hebrew, the words are easily decipherable: “l’Natan-Melech Eved haMelech,” or “to Natan- Melech, the king’s servant.” Natan-Melech[ ](https://biblehub.com/2_kings/23-11.htm)[appears in the second Book of Kings](https://biblehub.com/2_kings/23-11.htm) as a chamberlain in King Josiah’s court. “Natan-Melech himself is a kind of a mystery,” said Dr. Gadot. “But what he was a part of — a very developed monarchy that expressed itself through bureaucracy and writing — is hugely significant. We hear about the big empires in Mesopotamia, but for the creation of our civilization, this is the cradle.”  David Be’eri on the underground Pilgrim’s Road. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times Queen Victoria dispatched Charles Warren to dig here in 1867, and archaeologists have been digging ever since. Starting in the 1960s, excavations became more systematic and a clear vision of the city in its different historical periods began to emerge. Among the bonanza of finds: bullas with the names of two characters from the Book of Jeremiah; a large stone building from the 10th century B.C. that some have theorized was [King David’s palace](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/world/africa/king-davids-fabled- palace-is-this-it.html); a pool from the first century A.D. that many believe is the pool of Siloam, mentioned in the Gospel of John as the place where Jesus healed the blind man; eggplant seeds from the early Islamic period; coins, cooking vessels and an engraving of a menorah left behind in a 2,000 -year-old drainage channel by Jewish rebels hiding from the Romans; an ancient Roman road that may have taken hundreds of thousands of Jewish pilgrims up to the Second Temple. Donations have poured in, including from Americans, both liberals like the tech entrepreneur Marc Benioff and conservatives like the financier Roger Hertog. Rabbi Erica Gerson, who has given over $1 million to the project with her husband, Mark, said, “There is no other sight in Israel that can as effectively and authentically bring to life the 3,000-year-old connection between the Jewish people and our homeland.” Before he was assassinated, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin[ ](https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/mfa- archive/1993/pages/jerusalem%203000-%20city%20of%20david%201996.aspx)[declared](https://mfa.gov.il/mfa /mfa-archive/1993/pages/jerusalem%203000-%20city%20of%20david%201996.aspx) that 1996 would be celebrated as the “Trimillennium of Jerusalem” — in other words, the 3,000th anniversary of King David conquering the Jebusite city and establishing the capital of his kingdom. When I asked David Friedman, the current American ambassador to Israel and a religious Jew, what the place meant to him, he said, without hesitating, “Everything.” Jerusalem was a divided city after Israel’s 1948 war for independence. The West was Israeli. The East was a Jordanian-ruled Palestinian city. Then came June 1967, and the Arab-Israeli War that tripled the size of Israel and transformed its national psychology. Israel annexed East Jerusalem and overnight, Jerusalem became a united, ethnically divided, city. According to Israel, all of Jerusalem is its capital. According to international law, East Jerusalem is occupied territory. The area is majority Palestinian. And that’s precisely where the dig is located. Yet as far as the state of Israel is concerned, “East Jerusalem is the equivalent of Tel Aviv,” said Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli lawyer who founded Terrestrial Jerusalem, which supports dividing the city as part of a future two-state solution. Those Jewish Israelis for whom Jerusalem means something far more than territory are determined to keep all of the city under Israel sovereignty. And they are willing to undertake extreme measures to make it so. That is where the City of David Foundation comes in. Ultra-Orthodox Jews praying at the Western Wall and Palestinians at prayer at Lyon's Gate, both in the Old City of Jerusalem. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times This nationalist, religious organization plays three roles, which many see as deeply contradictory. First, it established and operates the City of David national park; more than 600,000 tourists visited last year to view the excavations. Second, though the archaeological dig is carried out under the auspices of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the foundation — together with the government of Israel, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Ministry of Tourism and the prime minister’s office — underwrites it. Third, and most controversially, it acquires homes to help settle Jewish families in Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, especially Wadi Hilweh, where the dig is located. David Be’eri founded the organization in 1986, and everyone who lives here knows his name. Some think he sees himself as a modern successor to King David himself — down to the fact that his wife, like the biblical king’s first wife, is named Michal. Those who despise him and those who adore him agree on one thing: He is a visionary who has transformed this city’s landscape and, perhaps, its future borders. When you try to figure out just how he pulled it off, things get very muddy very quickly.  David Be'eri at home in the City of David. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times Mr. Be’eri, who is 65, was born in Israel to parents who survived Auschwitz. When he was a young man, he served in Sayeret Matkal, the most prestigious unit of the Israeli military. His commander was[ ](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/world/middleeast/netanyahu-entebbe- israel-africa-terrorism-brother-yoni.html)[Yoni Netanyahu](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/world/middleeast/netanyahu- entebbe-israel-africa-terrorism-brother-yoni.html), the prime minister’s older brother. In the 1980s, he was asked to help command a new, elite counterterrorism unit, **** called Duvdevan, which would send Israeli soldiers undercover as Arabs to Palestinian neighborhoods. (If you’ve seen the TV series “Fauda” you get the picture.) The village of Silwan, which includes the neighborhood known variously as the City of David and Wadi Hilweh, was one of the main places he would patrol. It was a dangerous job. **** But he’ll also tell you that those years were a gift. “I heard from the Arabs about King Solomon, King David. They knew the historical meaning of this place,” he told me. “One day I came to Michal and I said: Michal, this is the City of David. This is our historical capital. And here I cannot walk here as a Jew? I’m going to change it. I’m going to leave the army and bring back tourists and visitors to this place. One day we are going to live here.” School children visiting the City of David, which has become a tourist attraction. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times More than 20 years later, he does. The Be’eris live inside the national park, in a home above an ancient cistern. Mr. Be’eri rarely gives interviews, but he has made headlines twice in the past decade. Once in 2010, when he ran over two Palestinian boys who were part of a group throwing stones at his car with his 12-year-old son. (The boys survived their injuries; Mr. Be’eri said he[ ](https://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/rashomon-in-east- jerusalem/)[feared](https://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/rashomon-in- east-jerusalem/) for his life.) He made news again in 2017, when Israel’s right-wing government awarded Mr. Be’eri the Israel Prize — the country’s equivalent of the Medal of Honor — hailed as “one of the greatest builders of Jerusalem during the modern era.” Mr. Be’eri said that when he moved to the neighborhood in 1991, he was the first Jewish resident there since the 1930s. Today, because of his organization, there are around 1,000 Jews living among some 5,000 Palestinians. Jawad Siyam, a prominent Palestinian activist who runs the Wadi Hilweh Information Center and lives just across the street from the entrance to the City of David site, told me that in Jerusalem, Mr. Be’eri “is more powerful than Netanyahu himself.”  Jawad Siyam, a Palestinian activist, standing near a partially collapsed lot next to one of the entrances to the excavation site. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times The official City of David Foundation story is that the acquisition of the land for the dig was all kosher. The people who work for the group will show you photographs from the 1910s and 1930s in which the ridge looks sparsely populated. They will tell you that the Palestinians who live there now are squatters. They will say that much of the land was bought in the 1920s by the philanthropist Baron Edmond de Rothschild and that the foundation reclaimed lands that were rightly his.  Approximate extent of dig site Approximate extent of dig site  Approximate extent of dig site Approximate extent of dig site The Library of Congress (1936 photo); 2016 photo courtesy of the City of David Archive They will insist that the way they acquired homes was completely legal. That they were bought outright from East Jerusalem Palestinians (local Palestinians will tell you stories of bags with dollars handed over in the dead of night; of sellers jailed or beaten as “collaborators” by other Palestinians), or that they relied on Israel’s Absentee Property Law, which was passed in 1950 as a way of allowing the state to acquire Palestinian homes that were abandoned after 1948.  A partial view of the East Jerusalem village of Silwan. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times They tend to talk about the project as the kind of gentrification, typical of any cosmopolitan city, where one wealthier group pushes out a poorer one. Suffice it to say that this is not how many legal experts, local monitoring groups or the Palestinian residents see things. For starters, they believe that archaeology is being used as cover for a land grab. “The archaeological site is the tool to delete the village that is here,” said Yonatan Mizrahi, who runs the anti-occupation group Emek Shaveh and gives his own critical tours of the site. The foundation, he said, “has degraded archaeology in Jerusalem from science that can teach us about our shared past into a divisive tool which pits peoples and ethnic and religious groups against each another.” Second, they see the convergence of the government, which is meant to look out for all Jerusalemites, and the City of David Foundation, which has a clear political agenda, as inherently corrupt. They say that the Absentee Property Law was abused by both the government and the foundation. “The law, which in Israel’s fledgling years was a necessary evil, became an unmitigated evil. The abuse of power was so stark in East Jerusalem that the Israeli Supreme Court[ ](http://t-j.org.il/LatestDevelopments/tabid/1370/currentpage/1/articleID/763/Default.aspx)[recently acknowledged this](http://t-j.org.il/LatestDevelopments/tabid/1370/currentpage/1/articleID/763/Default.aspx) and restricted its application somewhat,” said Mr. Seidemann, the lawyer. Indeed, in 1992, the Rabin government issued a report that exposed collusion over property transfers between the state and various nationalist organizations, including the City of David Foundation. But even if it is all technically legal, where is the justice or political wisdom in such a strategy? “It’s hard to overstate how moving it is for Jews to connect to David’s Jerusalem,” said Dan Shapiro, an ambassador to Israel under President Barack Obama. “But any project that seeks to embed Jewish families in Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, in the absence of any progress toward two states and a plan to share the city, has a clear political intent, which is to cement permanent Israeli control. And that isn’t good for anyone who still has hope for a resolution.” That view, once reliably centrist, now seems left-wing in Jerusalem politics, where the City of David Foundation seems to have unalloyed backing. When I asked Nir Barkat, the former mayor of Jerusalem and a leading Likud politician, if he sees the Jewish families of the City of David as settlers, he called the label “absurd.” (Mr. Siyam, the activist, called the former mayor “a slave of David Be‘eri.”) “From my perspective Jews can live anywhere they want in the world,” Mr. Barkat told me. “They can live in Pittsburgh, they can live in Jerusalem, they can live in Paris. They can buy property anywhere they want in the world. And you want to tell me they can’t do that in Jerusalem? I will defend any Jew who wants to live anywhere he wants in the world. Including and firstly in the capital of the state of Israel.” The difference is that when a Jew buys an apartment in the 18th arrondissement, her presence does nothing to hurt her neighbor’s national aspirations. What’s more, Jewish and Muslim neighbors in Paris, at least in theory, have the same rights and representation.  A Palestinian youth near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times This is not the case for the more than 300,000 Palestinians of East Jerusalem, of whom a vast majority remain in legal limbo, citizens of no country. They are considered “permanent residents” of Jerusalem, which entitles them to the same social services and health care as other Israelis, but they cannot vote in national elections. They[ ](https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/11/19/why- theres-no-palestinian-protest-vote-in-jerusalem-israel-municipal-palestinian- authority-ramadan-dabash-aziz-abu-sarah/)[can vote](https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/11/19/why-theres-no-palestinian-protest- vote-in-jerusalem-israel-municipal-palestinian-authority-ramadan-dabash-aziz- abu-sarah/) in municipal ones and[ ](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/opinion/ramadan-dabash-jerusalem- palestinians.html)[run for city council](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/opinion/ramadan-dabash-jerusalem- palestinians.html), and since they constitute[ ](https://www.haaretz.com /israel-news/palestinians-now-make-up-some-40-percent-of- jerusalem-s-population-1.6077642)[almost 40 percent](https://www.haaretz.com /israel-news/palestinians-now-make-up-some-40-percent-of- jerusalem-s-population-1.6077642) of the population of the city, they could be a major force. But 99 percent boycott the vote. None of this — especially the fact that the City of David Foundation is also a settlement enterprise — makes the archaeologists who work or have worked on the dig happy. They are quick to point out their independence, that their salaries are paid by their universities, and that their job is not tourism, but to carry out a dig to the highest possible scientific standards. Archaeology is always political, said[ ](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-is-beneath-the-temple- mount-920764/)[Gabriel Barkay](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-is- beneath-the-temple-mount-920764/), a prominent Israeli archaeologist: “Sneezing in Jerusalem is an intensive political activity. You can do it into the face of an Arab, into the face of a Christian, into the face of a Jew. To the left or the right.” But Mr. Barkay, a Holocaust survivor and no dove, thinks that the City of David Foundation has made a serious error in pushing for Jewish settlement in the neighborhood. “Archaeological sites are cultural treasures,” he said. “No one should live there.” Miryam Basher, a Palestinian high-school math teacher, is one of them. Her house is just down the road and a world away from the entrance to the City of David. Though she has several heavily laden lemon trees in her front yard, the walls of her home have gaping cracks — the result, she told me, of the digging taking place beneath her feet to uncover the[ ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israel-unearths-a-sacred-roman-road-in- east-jerusalem-unsettling-a-palestinian-neighborhood/2019/01/24/8918dfa0-19ac- 11e9-b8e6-567190c2fd08_story.html?utm_term=.3c0be5a5ec4b)[underground Pilgrim’s Road](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israel-unearths-a-sacred- roman-road-in-east-jerusalem-unsettling-a-palestinian- neighborhood/2019/01/24/8918dfa0-19ac- 11e9-b8e6-567190c2fd08_story.html?utm_term=.3c0be5a5ec4b), which the foundation hopes to open to the public in a few years. Ms. Basher said her parents built the house in 1963 and that the cracks started appearing only three years ago. She has moved a large armoire against the wall with the biggest one because she is nervous it will cave in.  Miryam Basher showing cracks in the walls of her home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi Hilweh. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times “There was injustice before and after the dig,” she told me over homemade lemonade. “But now you feel the occupation in your house. You don’t feel comfortable in your home. I’m not sure your readers can imagine our lives.” Why not move? Given the location of her home, I suspect it would fetch a high price. Would she ever consider selling it? “They could give me a million dollars and even if they demolished this house I’d live on the stones,” she replied. Shoshi Tropper is a Jewish mother of five who lives down the road from Ms. Basher. She and her husband moved to the City of David 11 years ago because, she told me, “we wanted to live somewhere meaningful.” Though her car has been stoned more than once, she said, “It’s a normal life” and “we really love it.”  Shoshi Tropper, a Jewish mother of five, moved with her husband to the City of David 11 years ago. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times “From outside maybe we seem like fanatics, as settlers, full of hate. But in our life, we are liberal, full of love.” What of her relationships with her neighbors? “We’re a Jewish community and we live inside a big Arab community. We’re neighbors,” she said, and “we get along well.” She showed me a red sweater that she said a Palestinian neighbor had knitted for her daughter. “They are talking about coexistence,” said Mr. Siyam when I asked him about relationships between the Jewish and Palestinian residents. “You know what kind of coexistence? The kind you have with your donkey or your dog.” “I don’t know how to argue about whether King David was here or not,” he continued. “That doesn’t give them the right to kick me out of this neighborhood.” There is a strong case to be made that the modern should always trump the ancient, even on an archaeological gold mine. That the needs of people living in a particular spot in the here and now are far more important than uncovering the lives of those who once did. Fakhri Abu Diab is a 57-year-old Palestinian resident of Silwan and an activist who once served more than a year in jail for[ ](http://www.silwanic.net/index.php/article/news/38352)[protesting the dig](http://www.silwanic.net/index.php/article/news/38352). His home, like dozens of others in his part of the village, is under[ ](https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0915/How-Israeli- Palestinian-battle-for-Jerusalem-plays-out-in-one-neighborhood)[threat of demolition](https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0915/How-Israeli- Palestinian-battle-for-Jerusalem-plays-out-in-one-neighborhood) because it was built without a permit — a permit he said he spent years trying in vain to get. He has nothing against King David, he said. “If King David lived here 2,000 years ago,” he said, then “I am the grandchild of King David” — an idea he considered “an honor.” But he argued that the history doesn't justify what is happening to his neighborhood today. “People are much more important than stones,” he told me. But what happens when the prerequisite for agreeing to a compromise with people in the present is a renunciation of the stones that are the legacy of your people’s past? Many of the opponents of the dig aren’t just arguing that it is unjust and an abuse of the law. They are saying that the archaeological discoveries have been faked and that there is no evidence of a Jewish civilization here. “All of it is lies,” said Iman Rajabi, who lives 300 feet downhill from the Pool of Siloam, at the bottom of the dig. We sat at her mother-in-law’s house and drank tea. “All of it is Islamic. There are no Jewish antiquities. They dig. They place stuff. And they convince the world. It’s all lies.” As for the Temple, she insisted that there never was one. “For sure the Jews are lying. This is the pretext for taking Al Aqsa,” the mosque that was built on the spot where the ancient Jewish temples once stood, and is the third holiest site in Islam.  Relatives of Iman Rajabi at their home. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times When I asked Jawad Siyam’s deputy at the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, Sahar Abbasi, about ancient Jewish roots in Jerusalem, she said: “You should for sure focus on if, if, if — if there is any kind of history. Because with Israeli archaeology, nothing was proved.” Even a graduate of Birzeit University, the[ ](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180611-palestines-birzeit-ranked-as-one- of-worlds-best/)[top Palestinian university](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180611-palestines-birzeit- ranked-as-one-of-worlds-best/), standing with me at the Western Wall — the remnant of the retaining wall of the Second Temple — told me she could not utter the word “temple,” because it would give credence to a Jewish claim. “It’s like saying the word ‘cancer,’” she said. It wasn’t always this way. A 1925 booklet put out by the Waqf, the Jordanian authority that oversees the Temple Mount, marketed Al Aqsa Mosque thus: “Its identity with the site of Solomon’s Temple is beyond dispute.” Blame goes to Yasir Arafat for planting the lie about Jewish history. During the Camp David summit in 2000, he reportedly said to President Bill Clinton that Solomon’s Temple was not in Jerusalem, but in Nablus, deep in the West Bank. In 2010, a senior Palestinian Authority official[ ](https://www.haaretz.com/1.5144129)[put out a report](https://www.haaretz.com/1.5144129) saying that the Western Wall “has never been a part of what is called the Jewish Temple.” And a softened version of it has[ ](https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium- liberal-jews-should-condemn-denial-of-jewish-ties-to-temple- mt-1.5450731)[trickled down](https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-liberal- jews-should-condemn-denial-of-jewish-ties-to-temple-mt-1.5450731) to purportedly neutral organizations like Unesco, which in a[ ](https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/full-text-of-unesco-s-resolution-on- jerusalem-1.5450617)[2016 resolution on Jerusalem](https://www.haaretz.com /israel-news/full-text-of-unesco-s-resolution-on-jerusalem-1.5450617) referred to the holy site solely as “Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram al Sharif,” put references to the Western Wall in scare quotes, and called on Israel to stop all archaeological excavations. For Western liberals who like to imagine that this conflict is exclusively about borders, this denialism is a wake-up call. Some people I spoke to compared it to the denial of the Holocaust. Mr. Barkay, the archaeologist, who survived the Budapest ghetto, even thinks that “Temple denial is more serious than Holocaust denial.” Perhaps that is because what is at stake is the Jewish indigenous claim to the land of Israel. “If someone comes to me and denies the Holocaust, do I have a question? No. Because I saw the number of my father, his number from Auschwitz,” Mr. Be’eri told me. “I want the next generation to be like I was with the number of my father. I want them to dig, to find. When you find a coin and you can read the date you have no question. It’s not a story I tell you.” Mr. Seidemann, the lawyer, believes that the City of David should not be part of sovereign Israel in a two-state solution. “David Be‘eri and I will oppose each other and say your dream is my nightmare and my nightmare is your dream.” he said. “They are blind to the cruelty of occupation.” But the finds are another story. “The reason we can engage is that I see what they see. That’s my Mayflower. That’s my Plymouth Rock.” There is a concept in Judaism of “Jerusalem shel-malah” and “Jerusalem shel- matah”: Jerusalem of above and Jerusalem of below, referring to the distinction between the heavenly and earthly cities. Humanists like me tend to believe that the earthly Jerusalem has suffered brutally at the hands of those zealous about the heavenly one. It is why I always loved[ ](http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/yehuda_amichai/poems/52.html)[the poem](http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/yehuda_amichai/poems/52.html) “Tourists” by Israel’s former poet laureate, Yehuda Amichai, which is set by a gate at David’s Tower in Jerusalem: “‘You see that man with the baskets? Just right of his head there’s an arch from the Roman period. Just right of his head.’ ‘But he’s moving, he’s moving!’ I said to myself: redemption will come only if their guide tells them, ‘You see that arch from the Roman period? It’s not important: but next to it, left and down a bit, there sits a man who’s bought fruit and vegetables for his family.’” But a week in this place made me think a bit differently about the relationship between the two Jerusalems. The earthly one divided, but the heavenly one — at least some of it — is not. After all, one man, David, is both the king of Israel, a prophet of the Muslims and the progenitor of the line that gave the world Jesus. Every person I spoke to sounded as if they knew him. He was a stone-thrower; a hero; a statesman; a sinner; a poet; a warrior; a romantic; a lying, cheating bastard. Perhaps King David himself is the shared territory — a flawed shepherd who once united a nation and is claimed by everyone who wakes and sleeps in Zion.  The archaeologists hard at work uncovering ancient Jerusalem are not consumed with borders and politics. They aren’t looking up. They are looking down. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times | null | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrudgeReportFeed/~3/H_41ctf7HJs/jerusalem-city-of-david-israel-dig.html | 2019-03-31 19:19:38+00:00 | 1,554,074,378 | 1,567,544,611 | science and technology | scientific standards |
855,122 | therussophileorg--2019-04-07--Lunatics Taking Over the Asylum by Lance Welton | 2019-04-07T00:00:00 | therussophileorg | Lunatics Taking Over the Asylum, by Lance Welton | This [post](http://www.unz.com/article/lunatics-taking-over-the-asylum/) was originally published on [this site](http://www.unz.com/)[]() Recently, all Wikipedia pages in German, Danish, Czech and Slovak were blacked out. This wasn’t a technical error. It was Wikipedia’s protest against the European Parliament for once doing something debatably useful: updating copyright laws to stop people from stealing digital intellectual content. [ _[Why Four Versions of Wikipedia Have Deliberately Gone Dark,](http://fortune.com/2019/03/21/wikipedia-dark-eu-copyright-protest/ "http://fortune.com/2019/03/21/wikipedia-dark-eu-copyright-protest/")_ By David Meyer, _Fortune,_ March 21, 2019] It should be no surprise that the controllers of Wikipedia, and even more so its woke competitor Rational Wiki, should object to such outdated and likely racist concepts as law and private property: to a fatal extent, they are crazed Social Justice Warriors—and a growing threat to political and scientific discourse. [](https://www.therussophile.org/linkout/1067590) In the ongoing war between reasonable people and Leftism, there is a vital battle being waged on Wikipedia, which, like it or not, is a latter-day oracle of information. Control the fourth-most popular website in the Western world ([according](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_most_popular_websites&oldid=890789629 "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_most_popular_websites&oldid=890789629") to Wikipedia itself) and you, at least partly, control the Western mind. For this reason, online skirmishes over Wikipedia’s non-PC topics are particularly vicious, and the murky manipulators prepared to devote their time to the struggle take fanaticism, and even insanity, to levels that defy belief. Of course, most of us like to think that we’re above relying on something as obviously untrustworthy as an anonymously-written encyclopedia dependent on non-expert contributors. But scientists really do read Wikipedia entries and reuse the citations in their peer-reviewed articles. [[ _Science is Shaped by Wikipedia: Evidence From a Randomized Control Trial_ ,](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3039505 "https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3039505") by Neil Thompson & Douglas Hanley, MIT Sloan Research Paper, 2017] Which means that the SJWs who control Wikipedia actually help to shape science itself. It’s fiendishly difficult for thinking people to edit articles on areas like as “race” so that they conform to scientific standards, because Wikipedia’s gatekeepers have instituted a raft of tendentious rules in order to stop this happening. [[ _Wikipedia Is Shockingly Biased: 5 Lessons From An Admin,_](http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2344-5-ugly-realities- wikipedia-i-learned-as-admin.html "http://www.cracked.com/personal- experiences-2344-5-ugly-realities-wikipedia-i-learned-as-admin.html") by Mark Hill, _Cracked_ , July 11, 2016] Wikipedia both reflects and drives a society that seems to be [decreasingly interested in empirical truth](https://vdare.com/articles/it-s-official-even- hard-science-entering-new-dark-age "https://vdare.com/articles/it-s-official- even-hard-science-entering-new-dark-age"). As Mark Hill noted in _Cracked_ , Wikipedia also attracts a very specific kind of person. In order to get anywhere in the Wikipedia Wars, you have to be highly computer-literate. The editor must be prepared to spend inordinate amounts of time fighting with anonymous enemies, who will alter his changes, and with “vandals,” who will play around with entries they dislike to make them seem ridiculous. These petty rivalries have sometimes gotten completely out of hand, with editors using their computer wizardry to work out who their opponents are and then “doxing” them; revealing their true identities and everything they can discover about them. [‘[ _Despicable lies’: Rep. Maxine Waters denies her staff doxed Republicans on Wikipedia, b_](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/30/despicable-lies-rep- maxine-waters-denies-her-staff-doxed-republicans- wikipedia/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a0f8fc956e3b "https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/30/despicable-lies-rep- maxine-waters-denies-her-staff-doxed-republicans- wikipedia/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a0f8fc956e3b") y Alex Horton and Reis Thebault, _Washington Post,_ September 30, 2018] For some SJWs, controlling Wikipedia is simply not good enough, because Wikipedia does at least maintain something vaguely akin to academic standards—see Wikipedia’s [own list of “Reliable Sources”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources"). Accordingly, in 2007, they created a rival, the ironically-named Rational Wiki. Rational Wiki is a nakedly Cultural Marxist project, its entries openly mocking their subjects, not even pretending to be neutral. According to [_RationalWiki: What is a RationalWiki article?_](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F#SPOV "https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F#SPOV") _,_ [accessed January 11, 2019] they have instead of an NPOV or “Neutral Point Of View” (as claimed, but not achieved, by Wikipedia itself), they have an SPOV, with the “S” standing for either Scientific or Snarky. But because of [search engine optimization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization") tricks Rational Wiki entries appear very high on Google’s rankings. If a “controversial” scientist lacks a Wikipedia entry, then his Rational Wiki combination of lampoon and defamation will rank first when his name is Googled; potentially damaging his reputation. And the entry is also likely to be taken seriously by less skeptical readers. So, who are these Nerdish Leftists who dedicate their spare time to anonymously fighting in our increasingly violent Culture War? A particularly diligent and prolific one has been revealed to be a 28-year-old Englishman called Oliver D. Smith. [[ _Rationalwiki’s (Oliver D. Smith’s) attack page about me_ ,](http://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/?page_id=7034 "http://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/?page_id=7034") by Emil Kirkegaard, _Clear Language, Clear Mind,_ January 10, 2018]. Smith is a truly amazing character; you really couldn’t make him up. According to British public records, “Oliver Dean Smith” lives with his father, Peter Smith, and Peter’s wife, Sandra, in the picturesque village of Radlett in Hertfordshire; specifically, in “[Primrose Cottages.”](https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101103645-primrose-cottages- aldenham "https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101103645-primrose-cottages- aldenham") This “listed (historically important) building” is opposite an old “pub” called The Red Lion. [[Google Maps Link](https://www.google.com.ph/maps/@51.6831841,-0.3170686,126a,35y,343.2h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3 "https://www.google.com.ph/maps/@51.6831841,-0.3170686,126a,35y,343.2h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3")] Hertfordshire is a wealthy county in the southeast of England and Smith’s father—whom birth and marriage records mysteriously imply has different forenames from those on the property records—is the [director of a construction company](https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01266089/officers "https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01266089/officers") . Oliver D. Smith, who is unemployed, has a twin brother called “Darryl” and [appears](http://coldfusioncommunity.net/tag/oliver-d-smith/%5D "http://coldfusioncommunity.net/tag/oliver-d-smith/%5d") to sometimes write under his brother’s name. One of Smith’s internet enemies has actually been in direct contact with Smith’s mother (or possibly step-mother; the public records are confusing) about her son’s online behavior [[ _Oliver Smith, Autistic Legion of Doom_](https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/Autistic_Legion_of_Doom#Oliver_Smith "https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/Autistic_Legion_of_Doom#Oliver_Smith") _,_ Encyclopedia Dramatica, accessed January 11, 2019] In 2013, Smith graduated with a degree in “Classical Civilization” from London’s [Roehampton University](http://coldfusioncommunity.net/anglo- pyramidologist/identity "http://coldfusioncommunity.net/anglo- pyramidologist/identity"), a relatively mediocre school, ranked [70th](https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings /university-roehampton "https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university- rankings/university-roehampton") in the UK. Various nerds with whom Smith has clashed seem to have spent a great deal of time using their “weaponized autism” to work out, from his “sock puppets” (internet false identities), exactly who he is. [[ _The Smiths’ Dark Entanglement, a criminal report,_](http://wikipediawehaveaproblem.com/2017/03/oliver-smith-dark- entanglement/ "http://wikipediawehaveaproblem.com/2017/03/oliver-smith-dark- entanglement/") WikipediaWeHaveAProblem.com, March 17, 2017] It is geeks and faceless internet obsessives, albeit on our side of the lines, who have exposed Smith, but they are open about the sources and reasoning that have led them to him. Smith wields a particular grudge against a Danish computer type, 29-year-old Emil Kirkegaard. Kirkegaard runs the online academic journal [_Open Psych_](https://openpsych.net/about "https://openpsych.net/about") and has published in high-impact journals, such as _Intelligence_ [[ _Are Headstart gains on the_ g _factor?_](https://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/?p=4361 "https://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/?p=4361") _,_ by Jan te Nijenhuis, Birthe Jongeneel-Grimen & Emil Kirkegaard, _Intelligence,_ 2014]. Smith’s fury with Kirkegaard extends to anyone who, like his Danish nemesis, attended the London Conference on Intelligence at University College London, on which I’ve [reported](https://vdare.com/posts/then-they-came-for-the-london-conference- on-intelligence "https://vdare.com/posts/then-they-came-for-the-london- conference-on-intelligence") before, meaning that Smith has created Rational Wiki articles about most of the academics involved. The Rational Wiki page [London Conference on Intelligence](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/London_Conference_on_Intelligence "https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/London_Conference_on_Intelligence") [accessed January 11, 2019] starts “London Conference on Intelligence were a series of controversial [pseudoscientific](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Pseudoscience "https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Pseudoscience")[ [3]](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/London_Conference_on_Intelligence#cite_note-3 "https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/London_Conference_on_Intelligence#cite_note-3") conferences held annually at University College London (UCL) from 2014-2017, attended by [far-right](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Far-right "https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Far-right") speakers, including [white supremacists](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/White_supremacists "https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/White_supremacists") and most notoriously, [Emil Kirkegaard](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Emil_Kirkegaard "https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Emil_Kirkegaard")…” and gets worse from there. Kirkegaard’s own [summary](http://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/?page_id=7034 "http://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/?page_id=7034") of the research into Smith’s background is most enlightening. Smith first appears online, at the age of about 15, with the posting on a forum whose administrators, for whatever reason, added the word “pedophile” to the user description on his name. The [following year,](https://archive.is/anRwH%23selection-2801.187-2794.3 "https://archive.is/anRwH%23selection-2801.187-2794.3") Smith [wrote](https://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?s=fe912f7811f430903a4c08f2ce05ad52&p=1175112&postcount=89 "https://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?s=fe912f7811f430903a4c08f2ce05ad52&p=1175112&postcount=89") of the Columbine killers [that](https://archive.is/anRwH#selection-2801.187-2794.3 "https://archive.is/anRwH#selection-2801.187-2794.3"), “It’s not their fault at all i mean if you were bullied all day by non-whites of course you would join a right wing organisation online [ _sic._ ]”. In various online forums, Smith has admitted to being a [pathological liar who suffers from schizophrenia](http://archive.is/6cbg4 "http://archive.is/6cbg4") , though he has then used sock puppets to [claim](http://coldfusioncommunity.net/tag/oliver-d-smith/%5D "http://coldfusioncommunity.net/tag/oliver-d-smith/%5d") he made this up. Schizophrenia is strongly consistent with his Leftist bias, as schizophrenics tend to be very low in systematizing but so high in “empathy”—reading signals of people’s minds—that they become paranoid and delusional [[ _Mentalism and Mechanism_](http://www.thegreatdebate.org.uk/MentalismCB.html "http://www.thegreatdebate.org.uk/MentalismCB.html") _,_ by Christopher Badcock, _Human Nature and Social Values,_ 2003] Early in his online career, Smith posted about his “autism” on the radical Right website Stormfront. Some symptoms of autism cross ,over with those of schizophrenia meaning that certain kinds of autistic are sometimes wrongly diagnosed with a mild form of schizophrenia, known as a schizotypal disorder. [[ _Autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and diagnostic confusion,_ by](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2928288/ "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2928288/") Marc Woodbury-Smith et al., _Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience,_ 2010] Smith also denied the Holocaust, advocated a bizarre form of white supremacy, claimed to be a “conservative Christian” and wrote for assorted right-wing online encyclopedias. It seems, however that he became an SJW at the beginning of 2012. Numerous Wikipedia accounts of his have ended up being shut down leading him to move on to Rational Wiki. (See [_Encyclopediadramatica.se/Oliver_D._Smith_Brothers_](https://encyclopediadramatica.se/Oliver_D._Smith_Brothers "https://encyclopediadramatica.se/Oliver_D._Smith_Brothers") _,_ July 13, 2012.) Autistics are prone to an unstable and weak sense of self and thus to dramatic identity changes. [ _[Poor recognition of ‘self’ found in high functioning people with autism](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2008-02-poor- recognition-high-functioning-people.html "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2008-02-poor-recognition-high-functioning- people.html"), Medical Express,_ February 6, 2008]. Smith is interested in Atlantis, to the extent of having publishing academic articles on it. [[Oliver D. Smith](https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=LOlJIzgAAAAJ&hl=en "https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=LOlJIzgAAAAJ&hl=en"), Independent Scholar, Google Scholar Page, accessed January 11, 2019]. Atlantis-fascination is an example of a “Sensational Interest.” Having sensational interests seems to be associated with aspects of “psychopathic” personality [[ _Sensational interests and general personality traits_ ,](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585189908402160 "https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585189908402160") by Vince Egan et al, _Journal of Forensic Psychiatry,_ 1999] which correlates with proneness to schizophrenia [[ _Psychopathy and violent behavior among patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder,_](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10375148 "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10375148") by K. Nolan et al., _Psychiatric Services,_ 1999] and autism. [[ _Comorbid Psychopathology in Autism Spectrum Disorder_](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40489-014-0012-y "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40489-014-0012-y") _,_ by Arlene Mannion et al., _Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders,_ 2014] Smith has claimed to be, in a nuanced way, asexual (see [_Emil O. W. Kirkegaard’s lies and defamation about me,_](http://archive.is/lGOXN "http://archive.is/lGOXN") AtlantisOliver.wordpress.com November 25, 2018], though he has a passion for violent and sexual movies such as [_Cannibal Holocaust_ ,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibal_Holocaust "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibal_Holocaust") and also for pornographic videos such as _Naked Tomb Raider._ [[ _Sites with evidence and claims_](http://coldfusioncommunity.net/anglo-pyramidologist/sites-with- evidence-and-claims/ "http://coldfusioncommunity.net/anglo-pyramidologist /sites-with-evidence-and-claims/") _,_ Anglo Pyramidologist – Cold Fusion Community, May 2, 2018]. Hyposexuality is common among schizophrenics, a side effect of the medications they take [[ _Sexual disorders in non/acute psychiatric outpatients_ ,](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010440X96900528 "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010440X96900528") by G. Kockott et al. _Comprehensive Psychiatry,_ 1996] Clearly, Oliver D. Smith is, well, odd. He would seem to exemplify the phenomenon of “negative Social Epistasis,” whereby, in our world of weakened selection against the accumulation of deleterious mutations, mutants attain positions of social influence and are able to potentially corrupt the norms of civilization, causing others to behave in a maladaptive way in the process. Online, these disturbed individuals can potentially involve very large numbers of people who, ordinarily, would never come into contact with them, in their delusions. When such “spiteful mutants” become numerous, the rapid collapse of complex societies ensues. I have [written](https://vdare.com/articles/of-mice- and-men-spiteful-mutations-look-bad-for-the-west "https://vdare.com/articles /of-mice-and-men-spiteful-mutations-look-bad-for-the-west") previously about the research of a group of scientists who have linked this with the work of John Calhoun, and the rapid collapse of his Mouse Utopia, through new experimental data. And there’s reason to think that Smith may actually be an—albeit exaggerated to the point of satire—archetype of a “Wikipedean.” Research on Wikipedeans has found they are substantially motivated by “ideology,” specifically of an egalitarian kind [[ _What Motivates Wikipedeans?_](https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1297798 "https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1297798") by Oded Nov, _Communications of the ACM,_ 2007]. They are lower than are non-Wikipedeans in the personality traits of Openness (which fits, because Openness predicts being ‘arty’ rather than a Nerd) but also in Agreeableness (altruism) and Conscientiousness (impulse control) [[ _Personality characteristics of Wikipedia members_ ,](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18954273 "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18954273") by Y. Amichai-Hamburger et al., _Cyberpsychological Behavior,_ 2008]. When these psychopathic personality traits are put together with a childlike rejection of authority and of traditional purity rules based around sex [[ _Jonathan Haidt: The moral roots of liberals and conservatives,_](https://en.tiny.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind "https://en.tiny.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind") by Jonathan Haidt, _TED_ , 2008], then you have the typical Wikipedia writer. In other words, the store of human knowledge is now being—at least to some extent—censored, manipulated, and even directed by anonymous, mentally unstable malcontents, quite a few of them _literally_ living in their moms’ basements. And many of them, are likely, only marginally less bizarre than Oliver D. Smith. Such people can spend all of their spare time focused on their own little contribution to destroying Western civilization, facing no consequences whatsoever. In contrast, a patriot who makes a throwaway remark online can lose his job. In this war, we need to know our enemies and Smith’s targets have done an excellent job in unearthing exactly who is directing a particular “Black Op” of the many that are underway. Hopefully more of this will follow. And hopefully, as these counter-operations continue, people will increasingly realize that Wikipedia and similar Wiki-type projects must be treated with caution. These are not “Democratic Encyclopedia(s).” They are a democracy that has been overthrown by schizophrenics, psychopaths, deviants, and people who’ve never really grown up. from http://www.unz.com/article/lunatics-taking-over-the-asylum/ | Lance Welton | https://www.therussophile.org/lunatics-taking-over-the-asylum-by-lance-welton.html/ | 2019-04-07 06:18:06+00:00 | 1,554,632,286 | 1,567,543,661 | science and technology | scientific standards |
337,656 | naturalnews--2019-11-20--America is flying blind into a potentially disastrous health catastrophe: The '5G revolution' could | 2019-11-20T00:00:00 | naturalnews | America is flying blind into a potentially disastrous health catastrophe: The '5G revolution' could bring the '5G apocalypse' | (Natural News) While globalists happily push 5G into America and now on a fast-track with words like ‘5G Revolution‘ being tossed around, the website Scientific American recently put out this story within which they warned “We Have No Reason to Believe 5G Is Safe“. As this story Steve Quayle linked to Sunday over at the Mind Unleashed reports of the Scientific American story, of particular significance is the fact that SciAm is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States, founded by inventor and publisher Rufus M. Porter in 1845, and running monthly since 1921. It is a highly influential publication, widely reputed for its rigorous scientific standards, and lauded by today’s fact-checkers as highly credible and staunchly pro-science. With the Scientific American story reporting that “the technology is coming, but contrary to what some people say, there could be health risks“, their story confirmed much of what the independent media has been reporting for the past couple of years about 5G, that America is flying blind into a potentially disastrous health mess with potential damages to human beings including: Millimeter waves are mostly absorbed within a few millimeters of human skin and in the surface layers of the cornea. Short-term exposure can have adverse physiological effects in the peripheral nervous system, the immune system and the cardiovascular system. The research suggests that long-term exposure may pose health risks to the skin (e.g., melanoma), the eyes (e.g., ocular melanoma) and the testes (e.g., sterility). And as we’ve reported numerous times previously on ANP, with 5G technology using the same millimeter waves as the Pentagon’s Crowd-Control Active Denial Systems, we’re not surprised that one so-called ‘conspiracy theorist‘ in the UK recently took apart a 5G streetlight that was sent to him by a whistleblower and found technology equivalent to a weapon’s system. Since we know that not everyone is going to take the word of a ‘conspiracy theorist‘ about the dangers of 5G, before we go any further, let’s take a look at a recent warning given by one Medical doctor, Dr. Martin Pall, in this story titled “5G and the Wireless Revolution: When Progress Becomes a Death Sentence“. Much more below including how we can go about protecting ourselves from 5G and other wireless radiation as also heard in the final video at the bottom of this story. These quotes from Dr. Pall are mind boggling. “Without any 5G, without any expansion of 4G, without putting any radar units in cars, all of these things are being planned for us, I believe we’ll be going…our reproduction will crash essentially to zero within probably about 2-3 years….5G, it could be months…” “The regulatory agencies around the world have been corrupted by the industry and are serving the goals of the industry, and are not serving the goals of the people that they’re supposed to be protecting.” You can hear directly from Dr. Pall in the 3rd video at the bottom of this story in which he expands upon those thoughts above and much more, warning the fast-tracking of 5G across America is absolutely insane. While the FCC continues over and over and over again to say that 5G is safe, the extended excerpt below which comes to us from this story over at Global Research titled “5G Danger: 13 Reasons 5G Wireless Technology Will Be a Catastrophe for Humanity” gives us many reasons to believe otherwise. The 5G danger can’t be overstated. 5G (5th Generation) is now being actively rolled out in many cities around the world. Simultaneously, as awareness over its horrific health and privacy impacts is rising, many places are issuing moratoriums on it or banning it, such as the entire nation of Belgium, the city of Vaud (Switzerland) and San Francisco (USA). Radiofrequency radiation (RF or RFR) and electromagnetic fields (EMF) are being increasingly recognized as new types of pollution – environmental pollution. Read more at: AllNewsPipeline.com and 5GAlert.com. | News Editors | http://www.naturalnews.com/2019-11-20-5g-revolution-could-bring-5g-apocalypse.html | Wed, 20 Nov 2019 08:10:08 +0000 | 1,574,255,408 | 1,574,295,282 | science and technology | scientific standards |
592,532 | thedailybeast--2019-03-23--Quillette Ben Shapiro and the Myth of Conservative Facts | 2019-03-23T00:00:00 | thedailybeast | Quillette, Ben Shapiro, and the Myth of Conservative ‘Facts’ | “Today's culture wars are framed as a contest between Left & Right, but it's about epistemology more than politics,” tweeted Claire Lehmann. “On one side we have those who value evidence and reason, and on the other we have those who lay claim to knowledge via emotion and drama.” Lehmann, the editor in chief of Quillette, is echoing a refrain oft shouted from the right: “We are the rational ones, the left is all about emotions. Facts don’t care about your feelings!” The irony, of course, is this mythology the right has built about itself ignores its deeply anti-intellectual roots and embrace of grievance and fear over facts. Quillette, a site that fancies itself intellectually contrarian but mostly publishes right-wing talking points couched in grievance politics, recently published a piece by Richard Hanania, a research fellow at Columbia University, called “It Isn’t Your Imagination: Twitter Treats Conservatives More Harshly Than Liberals.“ Eric Kaufmann, a professor of politics at Birkbeck, University of London, said “[a] rigorous study finds that Twitter bans essentially fall exclusively on conservative commentators.” Finally, conservatives have proof of what they know deep down to be true: They are being oppressed. Except even a cursory glance at the “data” shows a shocking lack of rigor, intellectual honesty, and scientific standards. “I began my analysis by compiling a list of every prominent individual or political party known to have been banned from Twitter since its founding,” Hanania writes. One would expect this to be quite an undertaking since Twitter has suspended thousands of users in its decade of existence, but when you opened the supporting evidence, it was merely a list of 22 cherry-picked names. And if I were a conservative, I would be offended by those he claimed to own that label. David Duke is a Klansman. George Zimmerman a killer. Tila Tequila is a reality show “star” who dresses in Nazi cosplay. Other people on the list like Baked Alaska, Richard Spencer, and James Allsup are prominent members of the alt-right, also known as neo-Nazis. The tacit admission that modern conservatism is inextricably linked to racist white identity politics should not go unnoticed. Of course, these data are nonsense for a few reasons: So why would Quillette, a site atheist Jerry Coyne instructed his readers to “think of it as Slate, but more serious, more intellectual, and without any Regressive Leftism,” publish such a fact-free, embarrassing piece? Why would Claire Lehmann, a woman who embraces the label of “intellectual dark web,” get behind it? Because the right, despite all its posturing about the left being inextricably tied to their narratives, has become all of what they claim to hate. Take the National Review for example. NR was founded by William F. Buckley for the express purpose of creating a conservative intellectual tradition. In 1955 he wrote, “Ideas have to go into exchange to become or remain operative; and the medium of such exchange is the printed word.” Of course, those “ideas,” in NR were often repugnant. Since then it has abandoned that intellectual pretense and employed Dinesh D’Souza, one of the most morally and intellectually bankrupt conservatives in America [citations: 1, 2, 3, 4] and Victor Davis Hanson, a man who might be a talented classicist but whose work has been called "spectacularly stupid" by even those on the right when it comes to his political and social writings. Both of these men suffer deeply from Conservative Victimhood Syndrome, which attracts them to Trump, a born-rich white man who has failed up his entire life and yet claims to be “treated very unfairly.” D’Souza and Hanson consistently put feelings before facts as evidenced by Hanson’s recent interview with Isaac Chotiner in The New Yorker and David Frum’s detailing of D’Souza’s descent in The Atlantic. National Review now publishes stories like Charcoal Face Masks Deemed an Example of ‘Racism’ and ‘Blackface’. This piece, written by NRO’s Kat Timpf, claims that liberals are saying white women can’t use charcoal facial cleansing masks because it looks too much like blackface. But even a cursory glance at the piece shows it is entirely false. Timpf quotes three tweets as evidence, one from a person with eight followers and two by comedians. It is unclear if the tweet from the first person (who soared up to nine followers) was meant seriously or in jest but the others were clearly comedy from comedians, and Timpf was either too lazy, dishonest, or dunderheaded to see that. This equation of “look at this outrageous thing we found 1-3 examples of out of a country of more than 300 million with no context” + “liberals are oppressing you with this ridiculousness” = “big story on conservative website” is not unique. NRO was forced to retract another of Kat Timpf’s stories because it cherry-picked facts and left out context just like the Quillette piece, only this time, the claims were much more serious. Timpf claimed a University of Missouri student had been targeted for violating Title IX because he had “asked another student out on a date and is physically larger,” completely leaving out that he had stalked and harassed the female student over a period of months. Timpf was not alone. The Daily Wire, a site run by Ben Shapiro, published the same specious story but refused to retract it even when the truth was exposed. Shapiro, whose tagline is “facts don’t care about your feelings,” has a long history of publishing misleading stories meant to inflame the right wing then either not correcting the mistake or taking weeks to do so. When Young Kim, a California Republican, was in a tight race for Congress in southern California, The Daily Wire ran a story with the headline, “GOP Elects First Korean American Woman To Congress. But You Wouldn’t Know It.” It began: “While leftists are howling at the moon over the ascent of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman elected to Congress, the media has almost virtually ignored another historic victory from Tuesday night's midterm: Young Kim of the CA-39, the first Korean American elected to Congress, who is also a Republican.” In fact, Young Kim narrowly lost that race, but the fact that they couldn’t wait for the results to push a narrative over leftist hypocrisy speaks volumes. After several days they put a disclaimer, “UPDATE: Despite early returns, Kim did not in fact win in CA-39. Instead, [Gil] Cisneros won a narrow victory over Kim,” on the article. Other stories that were disproven after the Daily Wire published them include “Mohammed Is Most Popular Name For Newborn Boys . . . In The Netherlands,” Ben Carson Finds $500 Billion (Billion!) In Errors During Audit Of Obama HUD and “AWFUL: Top Democrats Refuse to Stand, Clap for Navy SEAL Widow Honored by Trump” among others. You might not expect that from an editor in chief who says things like, “From Covington to Smollett, if a story seems perfectly constructed to fit a narrative, it probably is.” But the reality is the modern right is engaged in all of the practices they claim are unique to the left. According to The New York Times, Shapiro is “the cool kid’s philosopher, dissecting arguments with a lawyer’s skill and references to Aristotle.” Current Affairs, a left-wing political magazine, did a deep look at Shapiro shortly after The New York Times published their story and ran a withering piece that takes apart this narrative with ease: “What dispirited me about Shapiro’s approach is that he’s clearly not actually very interested in facts at all. The role that race plays in American life is a serious sociological question, one that isn’t answered easily. But Shapiro plucks only the statistics that suggest race doesn’t matter, and pretends the statistics that suggest it does matter don’t exist. Nobody can trust him, because if he comes across a finding showing that incarceration rates more closely follow crime rates than racial demographics, you can bet it will appear in his next speech. But if someone shows that a white man with a criminal record is far more likely to receive a job callback than a black man without a criminal record, you’ll never hear it mentioned.” But one need not even delve that far into Shapiro’s alternative-fact reality to see that he is given far too much credit for his debating skills. He recently got into a fight on Twitter with Ilyse Hogue of NARAL about motherhood in politics and it took only minutes for Shapiro to grow frustrated with his inability to win and shoot back: “You are aware you work for an abortion organization, correct? You might want to sit out the motherhood discussion.” Not only does this make very little sense considering 59 percent of women having abortions are mothers, but also Hogue is herself a mother and Shapiro is not. Lehmann, Shapiro, NRO, and more expose the lie that the right puts facts above feelings. In 2017, Yale professors did a study and found they could turn conservatives into liberals by allaying fears for their safety. By giving them a thought exercise of imagining they were completely safe and protected from threats, Republicans became significantly more liberal when asked about their stances on social issues. Now we see why Shapiro and his ilk are so invested in fear mongering about the radical left with intellectual dishonesty. | null | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailybeast/articles/~3/TFbTPafPT8g/quillette-ben-shapiro-and-the-myth-of-conservative-facts | 2019-03-23 02:12:46+00:00 | 1,553,321,566 | 1,567,545,066 | science and technology | scientific standards |
4,278 | activistpost--2019-03-19--SPACE FORCE US Defense Officials Want 304 Million Towards Space-Based Weaponry | 2019-03-19T00:00:00 | activistpost | SPACE FORCE: U.S. Defense Officials Want $304 Million Towards Space-Based Weaponry | Defense officials have asked for $304 million to fund research into Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) including but not limited to — space-based lasers, particle beams, and other space-based weaponry in the 2020 budget, Defense One reported. The officials want to test a neutral particle beam in orbit by fiscal year 2023 as a means of next-generation missile defense against adversary countries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran according to the report. However, the article only addresses $15 million of that budget, leaving a gap for what the other $289 million dollars is used for. As NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed, under high levels of national security there was a black budget of 52.6 billion dollars. One may wonder how much more that cost has risen and how much is allocated to “space-based weaponry” off the books on the black budget? According to Defense One: The Pentagon first tested the concept of a neutral particle beam in the late 1980s as part of a program self-titled the Neutral Particle Beam, or NPB. According to a 1990 report that military scientists sent to lawmakers, scientists in black projects explored the possibility of a space-based weapon that could “kill missiles and reentry vehicles in the boost, post-boost, and mid-course portion of an ICBM trajectory as well as discriminated objects during the midcourse phase.” In July 1989, the program put a neutral particle beam into orbit as part of a project called the Beam Experiment Aboard a Rocket, which is seen as “a major success for the NPBprogram.” On the other side of the hemisphere, the Soviets had worked for years on ground-based directed energy weapons — mainly lasers, high-powered microwave masers, and exotic particle beam weapons. Evidence exists that the USSR tested these weapons (both anti-satellite and ABM (Anti-ballistic missile capable). Here is a declassified Defense Department photograph from 1980s of a suspected particle beam weapon installation allegedly located in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. In 2017 shortly before Trump’s inauguration a U.S. Air Force commander proclaimed that space weapons can now be used against ISIS. This type of technology has been developed, in secret, for years. “If we want to be more agile then the reality is we are going to have to push decision authority down to some lower levels in certain areas the big question that we’ve got to wrestle with … is the authorities to operate in cyber and space,” General David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff, told USA TODAY. Although General Goldfein did not go into detail, citing that the material is classified, there is enough data out on the Internet to speculate what weapons could be used against the Islamic State. This preceded an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump about creating a Space Force after Congress had discussed the creation of a new branch of the military. In 2017 I wrote a lengthy exposé by a since-deceased military whistleblower in regards to a secret space program existing and having run several experiments that were always canceled over the years but received immense funding. Within that article, entitled: “The Origins And 50 Years Of Evidence Of A Secret Space Program,” I provided evidence that these military space plans weren’t canceled but were simply discredited while remaining operational and went into BLACK PROJECT SAPS or Special Access Programs. Meanwhile, Congress voted under the Defense Authorization 2018 bill on forming a “new” sixth branch of the military called “Space Corps” which would take over Air Force Space Command Operations and likely Naval Space Operations or Naval Space Command. In 2015, The New York Times reported that space could be the next war zone, warning about the implications of weaponizing space in an opinion piece literally entitled: “Preventing A Space War.” It’s worth noting that space-based weaponry is nothing new. Believe it or not, history of space-based weapons goes back to 1959 when the Air Force first expressed interest in space weapons and considered a plan, Project A119, according to a declassified report by the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center from June 1959. The report shows they wanted to investigate the capability of weapons in space. Let’s first look at a project known as Horizon, which was supposedly just a drawn-up plan in the 1960s that is our first canceled project in a long list of projects that were canceled, that seemingly depicts the blueprints for a Secret Space Program including a base on the moon. It’s worth noting that in 2017, a year prior before the announcing of Space Force, the U.S. and Russia agreed to build a moon base together, Activist Post reported. NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced a partnership for human exploration of the moon and deep space. Both agencies signed a joint statement on the collaborative effort. It all stems from NASA’s “deep-space gateway” concept, a mission architecture designed to send astronauts into lunar orbit by 2020 (the statement sets a mid-2020s goal for beginning the project.) “This plan challenges our current capabilities in human spaceflight and will benefit from engagement by multiple countries and U.S. industry,” NASA officials said in a statement. Unlike Project Horizon, the recently proposed plan is an orbital station that will orbit the moon, as opposed to a stationary base on the moon’s surface. Instead, the current plan resembles another previous proposal called the MOL (Manned Orbiting Laboratory) which was suggested during the Cold War. The MOL ran from December 1963, until its alleged cancellation in June 1969. Its mission was to use an elite corps of secret U.S. astronauts to gather intelligence on the Soviets during the Cold War. This historical fact proves that secret astronauts were proposed and may exist today in black ops known as Special Access Programs or SAPS. China and Europe also recently proposed to “build” a joint lunar command for their own future space endeavors in the past few years. This project, however, is the opposite and more closely resembles Project Horizon, a stationary joint command structure. on the moon. A quote from President Ronald Reagan on June, 11th 1985 seems to allude to that fact. Reagan wrote in his diary that he had been told about a “space shuttle that carries 300 men” when having lunch with five of the top scientists at the time. The quote by Ronald Regan in his diary makes only a little more sense when compared with a 1989, New York Times article which reported that the Air Force had shut down another planned manned space program, with a staff of 32 astronauts and a space shuttle launching facility in Colorado. The space facility and project costed an estimated minimum of $5 billion dollars, so why would they shut it down? Reagan said, “space truly is the last frontier and some of the developments there in astronomy etc. are like science fiction, except they are real. I learned that our shuttle capacity is such that we could orbit 300 people.” Modern space shuttles only carry eight passengers maximum, so 32 or 300 would be an accomplishment indeed. Then there is the Air Force’s X-20 Dyna-Soar space plane, which was also designed in the 1960s and was allegedly scrapped for metal. The Air Force quietly announced its cancellation in 1963. Today the U.S. Air Force has another plane that has been documented to have been in space four times the X-37B. However, the X-37B is an unmanned craft and its mission purpose is classified and unknown. It’s also alleged that the X-37B operation is run from the Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office and not the U.S. Air Force Space Command. Ronald Reagan is also the same president who signed the original SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative), aka “Star Wars” — a project to set up satellites with lasers that could destroy any ballistic missiles which threatened the U.S. He gave his famous speech about how if Earth was invaded by a hostile force, we would all have to forget our differences and come together in peace. There is also a space weapons agreement that a congressman proposed called the “Space Preservation Treaty” in 2005, which states that countries won’t seek to weaponize space. However, Obama recently violated this agreement under the 2017 NDAA Act, and no one noticed that the legislation he signed is essentially the Star Wars Defense Initiative II that his predecessor, Ronald Reagan, signed calling for a space-based missile system. That proposed system is now under Trump’s control, and Defense officials now want more money to develop U.S. space-based weapons. Trump’s Pentagon arms-research chief, Michael Griffin, first expressed interest in Directed Energy Weapons last year, Activist Post reported. WikiLeaks documents from Hacking Team, the mysterious Italian surveillance malware vendor, also show references to nonlethal Directed Energy Weapons already being sold globally. Then there is this interesting document on the bio-effects of nonlethal weapons. In fact, we know that Directed Energy Weapons have existed since at least April 28, 1997, when U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen made the following statement according to the DoD: However, currently Russia and China want a Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Dr. Vitaly Churkin expressed. In fact, other WikiLeaks documents — this time from John Podesta emails — show an email from the former astronaut and sixth to walk on the moon, Edgar Mitchell, who talks about this treaty with Podesta. Is there any evidence that there is advanced weaponry in space? Mitchell warned the “war in the space race is heating up.” Mitchell also sends Podesta a revised new space weapons treaty to ban the use of weapons in outer space. What is the Rod Of God? The Rod of God is a part of the Directed Energy Weapon family; it’s a kinetic energy weapon. The rods are directed munitions; the higher you are (the greater your distance from the planet), the greater the kinetic energy you have. There is also the Space Based Laser (SBL). All of these weapons and more used to be under the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR.) Like many of these projects, the Rod Of God weapon was proposed in the 1950s by the Rand Corporation prior to Reagan’s SDI (Star Wars Project.) Rand played with the idea of placing rods on the tips of ICBMs. The “U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan,” published by the Air Force in November 2003, references “hypervelocity rod bundles” in its outline of future space-based weapons, and in 2002, another report from RAND, “Space Weapons, Earth Wars,” talks about the effectiveness of such a weapon. The concept of developing kinetic-energy weapons has been around ever since the RAND Corporation proposed placing rods on tips of ICBMs in the 1950s. Although the Pentagon won’t say how far along the research is, or even confirm that any efforts exist, citing those details are classified. The “U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan,” published by the Air Force in November 2003, references “hypervelocity rod bundles” in its outline of future space-based weapons; and in 2002, another report from RAND, “Space Weapons, Earth Wars,” talks about the effectiveness of such a weapon. It’s highly possible that the Rods Of God were used after a North Korean launchpad collapsed in 2017, since former Secretary of Defense James Mattis suggested the U.S. could use “kinetic weapons” against North Korea prior to the strange earthquake, as Activist Post reported. An earthquake then happened; and although small, a 3.5 earthquake took place near its nuclear facilities in April right after Mattis’s comments and a bigger one then followed in July 2017 which was a 5.8 as reported by Australian News.com.au. There was also a further earthquake in September 2017, which Voice Of America blamed on North Korea running nuclear tests, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people. One month later in October, there was another nuclear test site destroyed when a mine shaft being dug at the regime’s nuclear test site collapsed and killed 200+ people which was blamed on the previous testing, Telegraph reported. Last year a study by a group of geologists discovered that the Mount Mantap mountains used by North Korea for its nuclear bomb testing had collapsed as a result of the explosions last April. The collapsed mountain further raised concerns about radioactive fallout, which could make its way into China, according to scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China. The researchers believe this could be the true reason North Korean President Kim Jong-un announced the halt of their nuclear testing program. I personally feel all these coincidental earthquakes after the kinetic weapon threat is un-ignorable empirical evidence since there were several nuclear test sites destroyed and hit with tremors. Another time the Rod Of God weapon may have been used was in 2015 when Natural News reported that the several explosions in Tianjin, China were due to the Rod of God, largely due to the Chinese cyber attacks and presumably U.S. currency devaluation that took place in 2015 from dumping massive bonds. In 2011, a few years prior, The New York Times reported that the Defense Department was working up new strategies to counter cyber attacks, including, as the paper reported, “a military response,” because they would soon consider cyber attacks as an act of war. In 2015, The New York Times followed up with a report on “The Rods From God.” Another type of blacklisted space weaponry is an aircraft known as Aurora or TR-3B. When you first start researching space weapons, one man comes up a lot in your searches — and that man is Edgar Fouche. Fouche, a former contractor with the Department of Defense, began leaking information in the 1990s pertaining to the existence of a U.S. Air Force triangular shaped craft known as the TR-3B or the Aurora Project. He alleged the aerial vehicle was an advanced version of the SR-71 and had been developed in secret by the NSA and the U.S. Air Force and had been flying since at least the 1980s. Is Edgar Fouche credible? Yes, there are dozens of documents of his awards; he is indeed who he claims to be: a technician who worked within DARC (Defense Advanced Research Center) who was stationed at Nellis Air Force base and Groom Air Force base. A few of those documents are below. It’s worth noting that on February this year a UFO researcher filmed unknown craft flying out of Nellis Air Force base on a daily basis. “I was stationed at Nellis from 76-79. In the summer of 79 I worked at Groom AB and DARC (Defense Advanced Research Center). This is right before assignment to Kadena AFB, Okinawa Japan,” Fouche said. Whistleblower Master Sergeant Edgar Fouche (deceased) worked as an avionics engineer for the U.S. Air Force for over 20 years, and in 1998, published details of an aerial vehicle known as the TR3-B that he claims was developed in secret by the NSA and U.S.A.F. The performance characteristics of this vehicle are mind-boggling, using field propulsion to reduce the weight of the craft, plasma, and traveling faster than 30x the Earth’s gravity at Mach 9 (6,900 mph) vertically or horizontally. Is this possible? Let’s first answer if the speed is achievable. Recently, warp drive technology like this became public and the Chinese tested the leaked EM-drive patent and manufactured the device, so the technology is indeed operational and NASA has confirmed too that it works. An astrophysicist claimed that we would have it within 100 years, while another scientist in Britain, Roger Shawyer, claimed he figured out the secret and we could reach the moon in four hours. Russia has made a similar claim, but with a nuclear-fission engine, claiming that the engine can provide a fast way to get to Mars in 6 weeks. Next, let’s talk about the possibility to generate a magnetic field for the use of propulsion. Is this plausible? A scientific paper titled, “Generating a magnetic field by a rotating plasma” proves that this is indeed possible. Former Lockheed Martin Skunkworks Senior Scientist Boyd Bushman came out in 2012, on his deathbed, about Antigravity Propulsion Devices and how they tie into what is known as “Singularity,” which could allow you to move anywhere within the universe instantaneously. He further explained how magnetics worked by doing a magnet experiment with a copper pipe and aluminum pipe. Is there any video evidence of such an anti-gravity craft being used? In Canada, released through a FOIA request, there is a video of the Avrocar, which was the U.S. Army’s top secret flying saucer, tested between 1952-1961. Although the Avrocar only reached hovering heights of three feet and speeds of 30 knots. This shows that levitation technology was actively being developed in the 1950s-60s, so it’s believed to be a prototype of the hovering craft, but it’s not the only known prototype. Another project, the supersonic flying saucer, was declassified and was worked on in the 1950s. This wasn’t the only saucer project that the U.S. Air Force would be involved on working on. Declassified plans for another project around the same time in the 1950s shows another saucer that looks exactly like your typical UFO craft except this one was deemed “supersonic.” It was the same company, Avro Canada, in tandem with the U.S. Air Force who was tasked with developing this project. The supersonic flying saucer would propel itself by rotating an outer disk at very high speed, taking advantage of the Coandă effect. Keep this in mind as we are going to talk about another craft, the TR-3B, which I believe uses the Coandă effect later on in the article. Fouche says to the deniers in the video below that, “if you think these rumors are far-fetched look at the YB49 flown in 1948 and the XB70 flown in 1964, then look at the SR-74 and SR-75 Aurora which has been spotted numerous times you say that the government can’t keep a secret? Boy, you are wrong.” Fouche says that the “SR-74 and SR-75 or Aurora” were both “replacements for the SR-71 blackbird spy plane.” The SR-71 blackbird was developed in 1964, Fouche alleges that its replacement was created in the 1990s almost two decades later. Before the SR-71 in 1962, there was another plane as mentioned above, the X-20 Dyna-Soar, which literally says space plane on the Air Force’s website. Do you really think that was the Air Force’s last attempt at a space vehicle? Today the Air Force Space Command, separate from the Air Force, admittedly has the X-37B an unmanned spacecraft that has had numerous unknown missions into space. In late 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump resurrected the U.S. National Space Council (NSC) by signing an executive order on June 30th, 2017 in order to steer the future of American space policy. The council was last active in the early 1990s during President George H.W. Bush’s administration. Pence chairs the reinstated council, with aerospace veteran Scott Pace serving as executive secretary to the committee. At @POTUS' direction, the Nat'l Space Council will hold first meeting with all aspects of space enterprise for 1st time in a quarter century pic.twitter.com/3YBiNUTV6l “At President Trump’s direction, the kick-off meeting of the National Space Council will bring together all aspects and sectors of the national space enterprise for the first time in a quarter-century,” Pence said in a statement. “This meeting will provide an opportunity for the Administration to lay out its vision for space exploration. As President Trump said, ‘We’re a nation of pioneers, and the next great American frontier is space.’” Focusing on the recent revival of the NSC or National Space Council, which has been dormant since it was disbanded in 1993 during the Clinton administration, the NSC helps Trump’s admin follow through with their goals in space. I will end this article the same way I ended my previous leak on 50 Years Of Evidence Of A Secret Space Program. Could the government keep such a massive secret hiding a Secret Space Program? The National Security Agency (NSA) was founded in 1952, but its existence was hidden until the mid 1960s. Even more secretive is the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which was founded in 1960 but remained completely secret for 30 years. Then there was the Manhattan Project or the atomic weapons test which was kept secret through compartmentalization despite at least 1500 leaks. In other words, the project was broken into many isolated sub-projects exactly as is detailed above with the SSP. Most of the people managing sub-projects knew nothing about the other sub-projects. They would report to a superior, who would provide the information they needed and nothing more. Vice President Harry Truman didn’t even know the Manhattan Project existed. So absolutely the government can keep a secret this vast and has before, but only for so long until whistleblowers emerge and journalists like me get curious and start digging and peeling back the secrecy to bring transparency to an issue that majority of the public doesn’t even know exists. The main thing to take away from all this information is, as SeattlePi wrote in a 2015 article, “Weapons in space put the world at risk.” Especially if they are running unsanctioned programs unbeknownst to Congress and even the President of the United States by Military Industrial Complex Aerospace corporations. It’s time to peel back truth’s protective layers; if they have worked on various black projects for fifty-plus years, what makes you think they stopped? The second thing to take away is that there is a tremendous amount of history where the U.S. has been working on these weapons, and many likely already exist at least in compartmentalized circles. Regardless, it’s now quite known that Space Force is a thing, but what if we have already weaponized space? Space-based weapons are quite literally a threat to National Security and American sovereignty – space is the final frontier as Neil Armstrong said. Although, I don’t think Armstrong meant to end life as we know it and expand war into space by bringing about our own demise through our actions towards other humans or an alien race. Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post. Support us at Patreon. Follow us on Minds, Steemit, SoMee, BitChute, Facebook and Twitter. Ready for solutions? Subscribe to our premium newsletter Counter Markets. | Aaron | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/03/space-force-u-s-defense-officials-want-304-million-towards-space-based-weaponry.html | 2019-03-19 00:05:17+00:00 | 1,552,968,317 | 1,567,545,588 | science and technology | scientific standards |
6,191 | activistpost--2019-12-06--Smartphone Class Action Lawsuits Consolidated. FCC Accredited Lab Confirms Models Exceed RF Safety L | 2019-12-06T00:00:00 | activistpost | Smartphone Class Action Lawsuits Consolidated. FCC Accredited Lab Confirms Models Exceed RF Safety Levels Up to 500% | In August the Chicago Tribune published a report that 11 smartphone models exceeded federal RF safety levels. This led to FeganScott law firm starting a class action lawsuit against Apple and Samsung. Consumers claim they were not adequately warned about radiation exposure risks from these devices. In fact, no “safe” level of cell phone radiation has still been scientifically determined for children or pregnant women. For many years now, health experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have also been warning that children are more susceptible to harm from exposure. Regardless, phone manufacturers continue to make and market smartphones and other wireless devices to children and for children. Thanks to FeganScott for providing updates about their progress: San Francisco – December 6, 2019 – National consumer-rights law firm FeganScott consolidated its two proposed class action suits against Apple (AAPL) and Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) after independent testing from a Federal Communications Commission-accredited laboratory confirmed that radio-frequency (RF) radiation levels from popular Apple and Samsung smartphones far exceeded federal limits when the devices are used as marketed by the manufacturers. Beth Fegan, managing partner of FeganScott and the attorney representing the consolidated suit, which was filed after the firm hired the industry-recognized lab, says that smartphone manufacturers must take responsibility for misleading consumers about the levels of RF radiation emitted by their smartphones when used against or in close proximity to the user’s skin. “Apple and Samsung smartphones have changed the way we live. Adults, teenagers and children wake up to check their email or play games and do work or school exercises on their smartphones. They carry these devices in their pockets throughout the day and literally fall asleep with them in their beds,” Fegan said. “The manufacturers told consumers this was safe, so we knew it was important to test the RF radiation exposure and see if this was true,” Fegan noted. “It is not true. The independent results confirm that RF radiation levels are well over the federal exposure limit, sometimes exceeding it by 500 percent, when phones are used in the way Apple and Samsung encourage us to. Consumers deserve to know the truth.” The FCC-accredited lab tested six different brand-new smartphone models at various distances, ranging from zero to 10 millimeters to measure the amount of RF radiation released when touching or in close proximity to the body. When tested at two millimeters, the iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 were more than twice the federal exposure limit. At zero millimeters, the iPhone 8 was five times more than the federal exposure limit, and the Samsung Galaxy S8 was more than three times the federal exposure limit. The consolidated suit filed by FeganScott includes a comprehensive list of all named plaintiffs and includes the extensive FCC-accredited lab test results from all the smartphones tested: iPhone 7+, iPhone 8, iPhone XR, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy S10. The test settings reflected the smartphones’ actual use conditions, rather than the conditions set by manufacturers in order to produce results that appear to be safe for consumers. “Smartphone owners across the country deserve to know that the RF radiation levels from smartphones when touching the skin or used close to the body may be unsafe,” Fegan noted. “The emails and calls from concerned consumers have increased as more research comes to light, and it is our goal to show that Apple and Samsung were aware of the alarmingly high radiation levels when their products arrived on the market.” According to Pew Research Center, 96 percent of Americans own a cell phone, and of those, 81 percent own a smartphone. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, reports that 29 percent of American teens sleep with their phones in bed with them, which makes the radiation level findings especially alarming. Filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, the lawsuit seeks to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone owners. The suit asks the court to order the defendants to pay for medical monitoring and damages FeganScott is a nationwide class-action law firm dedicated to helping consumers. The firm’s partners have successfully recovered $1 billion on behalf of consumers and victims nationwide. FeganScott is committed to pursuing successful outcomes with integrity and excellence, while holding unjust parties accountable. To learn more, visit www.feganscott.com. Activist Post reports regularly about biological exposure risks from all sources of Electromagnetic Radiation aka Electrosmog. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites: Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/12/smartphone-class-action-lawsuits-consolidated-fcc-accredited-lab-confirms-models-exceed-rf-safety-levels-up-to-500.html | Fri, 06 Dec 2019 23:53:16 +0000 | 1,575,694,396 | 1,575,720,439 | science and technology | scientific standards |
26,394 | bbc--2019-04-28--The Wandering Earth and Chinas sci-fi heritage | 2019-04-28T00:00:00 | bbc | The Wandering Earth and China's sci-fi heritage | The Wandering Earth has been billed as a breakthrough for Chinese sci-fi. The film tells the story of our planet, doomed by the expanding Sun, being moved across space to a safer place. The Chinese heroes have to save the mission - and humanity - when Earth gets caught in Jupiter's gravitational pull. Based on Hugo Award winner Liu Cixin's short story of the same name, Wandering Earth has already grossed $600m (£464m) at the Chinese box office and was called China's "giant leap into science fiction" by the Financial Times. It's been bought by Netflix and will debut there on 30 April. But while this may be the first time many in the West have heard of "kehuan" - Chinese science fiction - Chinese cinema has a long sci-fi history, which has given support to scientific endeavour, offered escapism from harsh times and inspired generations of film-goers. So for Western audiences eager to plot the rise of the Chinese sci-fi movie, here are five films I think are worth renewed attention. For most in the Western world, their first encounter with Chinese cinema came from directors like Wu Tianming (The Old Well, The King of Masks) and Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers, Raise the Red Lantern). They were largely preoccupied with themes like the loss of youth, tradition versus change, and creating the rural aesthetic most people associated with Chinese film. But China in the 1980s was a scene of rapid modernisation, urbanisation and Westernisation, and films started responding to the impact of this massive change. In Dislocation, a scientist creates an android version of himself to attend the endless meetings that rob him of his time, in a black comedy of mechanisation and bureaucracy. Huang's take on the debate on artificial intelligence is superbly delivered against a surreal Kafka-esque dreamscape, with stark lighting and suspenseful music, making this film a delight to watch. Hopefully the new interest in kehuan will see it gain an official release in the West. A grown-up style of kehuan emerged in the 1990s, reflecting the themes of identity versus technological advancement which were also occupying Western sci-fi at the time. In Warrior Revived, police officer Song Da Wei dies a gruesome death on duty and ends up in a decade-long coma. He's brought back to life by a "miracle cure" from a biologist who has found a way to repair defective DNA. The genetically enhanced Song finds himself uncomfortable with the cyberised world around him, and excluded by his old comrades. Meanwhile, the heavily maimed villain he gave his life to destroy is plotting to steal the gene formula and wreak his revenge. Like a lot of great cyberpunk movies before the age of CGI, this early mainland kehuan impresses with its high kitsch, low-budget, imaginative approach. The villain's lair is filled with neon tubes, hand-crafted lab controls and walls covered with plastic bowls in the best traditions of the Tardis. What it lacks in sleekness it more than makes up with innovative costume designs and soundtrack, diligent camera work and the sheer energy from the cast. The 1980s brought a slew of Hollywood sci-fi films made for children, but which appealed equally to adults - like Explorers, Flight of The Navigator, and D.A.R.Y.L. - and filmmakers in China were taking a similar route. Produced by the Children's Film Studios and hailed as the nation's first children's fantasy film, Wonder Boy tells the story of a child born with the ability to generate electricity. Bei Bei is bullied by neighbours and kept in isolation by parents who want to protect him, but is still a caring and mischievous little boy, who uses his powers to help others and have fun in equal measure. When Bei Bei is taken away to be experimented on - by a non-governmental, possibly foreign group - a handful of the close friends he has made come to his rescue. Well-loved for its humour and accessibility, Wonder Boy is remembered in China as a great classic, and still enjoyed by children today when it is repeated on both national television and streaming services. Produced by Jackie Chan and winner of the 2017 Grand Remi for Best Feature and Best Actress, Reset is a time travel thriller, which addresses a Chinese preoccupation with personal roles in a culture that so totally promotes the good of society. Xia Tian (Yang Mi) is a senior researcher of wormhole technology and a single mother. When her young son is kidnapped, she is forced to hand over her research, but when the villain murders her child anyway she is forced to test her own discoveries into time travel in order to save his life, and maybe undo her own betrayal of the programme. The film is an exploration of the plight of a New Chinese Woman, who walks the line between the roles of highly skilled professional and loving mother. The psychological exploration is fantastic. With several versions of Xia being generated by her repeated time travel, the face-off between our heroine and these alternate selves, including a darker, damaged one, creates an amazing tension which is missing from so many Western takes on this classic trope. A female-led space kehuan story that also deals with single parenthood couldn't be more relevant in a society that is simultaneously beginning a golden space age, and struggling with attitudes to women's emancipation. Wuxia, or kung fu fantasy, is so intrinsic to Chinese pop culture it was almost inevitable that its tropes would be incorporated into Chinese sci-fi. Produced exclusively for IQiyi, China's version of Netflix, Super Mechs is set in 2066 in a world where humanity has begun to experience genetic mutations which leave some people with X-Men style super powers. Global criminal organisations are threatening the order of society and private entities are stepping up to uphold it by developing highly advanced mechanised power suits. Hero Xiao Qi is an ordinary office clerk enlisted by the Dragon Clan, who reveal to him his latent mutant ice powers, before arming him with a robotic power suit and sending him on a mission. Little does Xiao Qi know that he will be greeted by another mech-suited warrior with fire-based powers who will fight him to a standstill. The "warriors with opposite powers" trope is a staple of the wuxia genre, but the film falls deeper down the rabbit hole when this deadly opponent is revealed to be Xiao Qi's long-lost brother. Add in ancient warring clans, fast-paced action between the sleek computer-generated mechanical fighters and a cheeky sense of humour from our protagonist, and the high budget Huayi Brothers production appeals to fans of superhero, kung fu and toku/tecuo films alike. The works of stalwart wuxia authors like Jin Yong are steadily being translated into English, so we will certainly see more from this sub-genre reach our screens. Acknowledging the rich and varied Chinese science fiction tradition does not at all detract from the pride in the success of Wandering Earth. With China's growing middle class and increased youth spending power, Chinese filmmakers are increasingly catering for a booming domestic demand for entertainment, and no longer worry as much about making their films palatable for export. But with more East-West co-productions in the pipeline, like the animated Next Gen which originated from a Chinese web comic, it is certainly a sensible decision for companies like Netflix to bring films from platforms like IQiyi, to an English speaking audience, and that is going to include kehuan. Western audiences may not immediately "get" some of these films, or may feel that some elements do not flow to their expectations. But Wandering Earth and the titles above are the product of China's culture and worldview. And to some extent, it's what makes them different that will pique interest, fascinate and entertain. Xueting Christine Ni is a writer and speaker on Chinese culture, based in the UK. She can be found on Twitter at @xuetingni | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-47769882 | 2019-04-28 23:39:05+00:00 | 1,556,509,145 | 1,567,541,808 | science and technology | scientific standards |
27,077 | bbc--2019-05-20--Teaching machines to write better adverts than humans | 2019-05-20T00:00:00 | bbc | Teaching machines to write better adverts than humans | Machines are now writing advertising copy as well as basic news reports, but are their efforts any good and can they be taught to be more inventive? "Have a suite stay" read an ad for a hotel offering all-suite rooms. A neat - if obvious - pun you might think. But what made this ad noteworthy was that it was created by an automated copywriting programme developed by Dentsu Aegis Network, the marketing giant. The firm launched its natural language generation algorithm last year to increase output after changes were made to Google's advertising system, explains Audrey Kuah, the firm's managing director. The programme creates 20 to 25 full ads a second in English and is "trained" by feeding it thousands of the kind of ads it is meant to produce, she says. But what caught their eye about this ad was that it was quite witty. Google's "cost-per-click-basis" advertising system, whereby the cost of an ad falls the more it is clicked on, encourages clients to play it safe, says Ms Kuah, making the ads rather pedestrian. The algorithm couldn't learn to be more creative based on such a back catalogue of humdrum copy. "We got quite fascinated by how we inject this concept of creativity," she says. So they began to "feed" the algorithm with editorial headlines from travel articles and idioms to see if it could learn "more flowery" language. "Our ambition is to train this AI [artificial intelligence] copywriter to learn how to inject a little bit of that human creativity, which today is taken out of the search advertising system because it may not be so readily rewarded," she says. The idea of making AI more human-like and inventive is already happening to a certain extent in China. Retail giant Alibaba, for example, enables merchants on its e-commerce ecosystem to dictate the tone of the language when using Alibaba's AI-generated copywriting service, a company spokesperson tells the BBC. On the Taobao shopping site, for example, merchants can choose between descriptive "short-title" copy, more promotional "selling point" copy, and more emotional "heart-warming" copy. One heart-felt ad for a hoodie read: "A windbreaker is enough to withstand the autumn wind in England". The AI copywriter learns from millions of existing samples and can generate 20,000 lines of copy a second in Chinese, the spokesperson says. While the copy created is not necessarily perfect, the service makes life easier for the many, smaller merchants on Alibaba's e-commerce sites, which do not have the resources to do a marketing push themselves. "A single product might require up to 10 versions of copy for different advertising formats, like posters, web banners, product pages, and event pages," says Li Mu, director of Alimama Marketing Research and Experience Center. Alimama is Alibaba's digital marketing arm. "Many merchants, and especially smaller ones, lack the marketing expertise or resources. We aim to solve this problem with easily-accessible and user-friendly technology." Companies generally welcome the greater use of AI, says Parry Malm, chief executive of Phrasee, an AI-powered copywriting firm, headquartered in the UK. An AI-generated email subject line for a Virgin Holidays campaign continuously outperformed a human-written one over a testing period, he says. "Shop the sale - don't hang around, book today!" proved more popular than the human-written "There's still time to book that dream holiday for less". "This resulted in a revenue increase of several million pounds for their email campaigns - which Virgin Holidays has confirmed was a direct result of using Phrasee's AI technology for email marketing," says Mr Malm. But the scope of AI can be limited and making it more "creative" is not without its challenges. Ms Kuah says the Dentsu Aegis algorithm sometimes gets confused when you give it new information. "It will start to go haywire," she says. "You will suddenly have things that don't make sense appear. So it's a little bit like teaching a wayward dog that doesn't want to sit." Phrasee meanwhile seeks to avoid what it calls "simplistic emotional tagging" altogether, says Mr Malm. Instead, it tries to differentiate itself by allowing clients to create AI-generated copy that adapts to the "voice" of a particular brand through a "bespoke language model". "The traditional approach for many marketers and providers has been to tag language with certain emotions - 'happy', 'sad', 'scary' - but such an approach is problematic," argues Mr Malm. "It not only limits the language available to use but is highly susceptible to human error and prejudice. In other words, it's not scientific." While the use of AI in advertising copywriting is still very niche, such automation is widely employed in the selling and distribution of digital ads, and increasingly, in journalism. Broadcasters in Russia and China have recently introduced robot presenters, for example. "The adoption of AI is growing significantly among advertisers with the increasing use of mass marketing," says Venkata Krishnan Seshadri, industry manager for information and communications technology at market research company Technavio. "In 2018, over 40% of advertisers used AI for analyzing their target audience. This is expected to increase in the coming years, as numerous organizations are utilising their AI capabilities to streamline their marketing and sales process." The bottom line is that if AI produces better responses to adverts than humans manage to achieve - and at lower cost - marketers will jump at the chance to use it. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47944276 | 2019-05-20 23:24:08+00:00 | 1,558,409,048 | 1,567,540,419 | science and technology | scientific standards |
533,845 | sputnik--2019-05-13--Exerting Undue Influence Monsantos Long History of Threatening Journalists | 2019-05-13T00:00:00 | sputnik | 'Exerting Undue Influence': Monsanto's 'Long History' of Threatening Journalists | French authorities have opened a preliminary enquiry into allegations that controversial US pesticide giant Monsanto illegally collected information on the views and pliability of hundreds of high-profile figures and media outlets in France. The documents were apparently compiled by FleishmanHillard, which assessed the views of targeted individuals and media entities across France on the controversial weedkiller glyphosate and genetically modified crops, as well as the likelihood they could be influenced in their opinions. Monsanto was convicted in the US in 2018 of not taking necessary steps to warn of the potential risks of its product Roundup, despite being aware that the weedkiller contained a likely carcinogenic chemical. Alongside journalists, politicians and scientists are listed, along with their leisure pursuits, addresses and phone numbers — some were considered "priority targets", others "potential allies". France's former Environment Minister Segolene Royal is said to have appeared on the list — she noted that the allegations said "a lot about the methods of lobbyists…they carry out spying, infiltration, seek to influence, sometimes financially", and many other companies were likely to employ similar practices. Sheldon Krimsky, Lenore Stern professor of humanities and social sciences in the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, told Sputnik that Monsanto "has a long history" of threatening to litigate journals and publishers when they publish "uncomplimentary" articles or books about to the company. "They've also had undue influence on US regulators, and exercised influence over journals to retract articles that came to conclusions against its financial interests. If the French prosecutor has probable cause of Monsanto exercising undue influence on journalists and lawmakers that violate French law, he has good reason to investigate. Monsanto has shown it will circumvent scientific standards and publication ethics to protect its products. If the French proceed with litigation and can obtain 'discovery documents' they will learn a great deal about this company that's often hidden from the public", Krimsky said. "It's very bad publicity for the company and could open the way for deputies [French MPs] to vote for a law creating new offences and criminalising this and similar behaviour on the part of any country. In our epoch, everybody can manipulate everybody", she explained to Sputnik. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik | null | https://sputniknews.com/europe/201905131074966343-monsanto-spying-france-history/ | 2019-05-13 16:51:00+00:00 | 1,557,780,660 | 1,567,540,797 | science and technology | scientific standards |
911,372 | therussophileorg--2019-12-29--Jewish Brilliance: Synthetic Like Zirconia, by Eric Striker | 2019-12-29T00:00:00 | therussophileorg | Jewish Brilliance: Synthetic Like Zirconia, by Eric Striker | This post was originally published on this site The New York Times recently published an opinion piece by its gun-grabbing, open borders in-house “conservative” columnist Bret Stephens asserting that Ashkenazi Jews are an elite race by nature of their superior hereditary, culture and soul. For sure, there are Jews of exceptional intellect and ability, but this is true for most races. Stephen’s dictation is an evacuation straight from the bowels of Zionist ideology into the minds of the liberal status quo beneath his feet. His inference is the contention that Jewish domination of Western cultural, economic and political choke points is a product of natural selection rather than nepotism and propaganda. A cursory glance of history puts the Jews to shame. When it comes to innovation, no nation has punched outside of its weight class like Scotland. With a modern population of 4.5 million and less than a million in England, Scots have gifted mankind with radar technology, Penicillin, the telephone, the vacuum flask and much more. Unlike abstractions like Marxism, Freudianism and Relativity, these inventions have have drastically improved the lives of all human beings and taken civilization to new heights. In the sciences, Stephens points to Jews winning Nobel prizes at a disproportionate rate as evidence of their genius. Yet it is Swedes, with a population smaller than Jewry, who have discovered 20 elements on the Periodic Table, only slightly trailing the United Kingdom (24) and America (21) in the race to understand the hidden nuances of the world around us. As a complement to Nordic scientific prowess, the smallest branch of the Latin-Mediterranean race, Portugal – a nation which during the 1500s had a population of less than 2 million – rose to prominence in the Age of Discovery, helping man fill an otherwise blank map of the globe. Despite being a tiny sliver of land off the Iberian peninsula surrounded by hostile powers, Portugal had by the 16th century developed ships that shattered European limitations in sea travel (the equivalent of going to space at the time) to circumnavigated Earth and split claims to much of the newly discovered world with Spain at the Treaty of Tordesillas. The plucky Portuguese had a presence seemingly everywhere, with holdings and ports as far as Japan and India, not to mention permanent cultural and racial imprints in Africa and Latin America. What, in comparison, are the major achievements of the booming Ashkenazi Jewish population during this time period? They may have a presence on every continent today, but only thanks to infrastructure and discoveries by nations like Portugal. The biggest hole in the contemporary race theories Stephens quotes, by delineating Ashkenazis from Sephardics, is that the rise and fall in prominence of the two groups coincides with the arc of their hosts. When Latins ruled the world, it was Sephardics (including those expelled from Spain) who composed the elite of world Jewry in Britain, Holland, and so on. With Anglo-Saxon powers, Germany and the ethnic go-between of France taking Spain and Portugal’s place as superpowers, suddenly Ashkenazis woke up to find themselves in the driver’s seat. This suggests civilizational parasitism, not independent genius. We can see other examples of Jewish underachievement in the Classical world. New studies show that the Roman Empire at its peak had a population of 5 million, while estimates of the Jewish population in times before Christ range from 3 to 8 million (Josephus claimed 1.1 million Jews died during the First Roman-Jewish War alone). Jews are purported to have had large armies and empires, but they were largely pastoralists who shared more in common with the Mongols in their violent disdain for high culture and intolerance, leaving behind few literary or technological achievements. Even the Western Wall, which Jews claim is their ancient Temple, is nothing more than the remnant of a Roman army fort. The Myth of Einstein and “Relativity Hype” Stephens emphasizes the cultural meme of Albert Einstein as the core evidence demonstrating the intellectual prowess of the Jews. Jews are indeed highly overrepresented as Nobel Prize winners in the world of physics, where many of the theories are abstract and difficult (if not impossible) to prove or disprove, but are not very well represented in the most significant developments in the field in the last three decades: Quantum Teleportation (one Jew out of six authors), the Bose-Einstein Condensate (independently discovered by the Indian Satyendra Nath Bose yet credited to Einstein who merely reiterated the work afterwards), the “God Particle” (Peter Higgs and Francois Englert), etc. The Einstein question thus personifies the problem with claims of Jewish superiority. The theory of relativity was controversial inside the European scientific community when it was released in 1905 without peer review. Nobel Prize winning German physicists Johannes Stark and Philipp Lenard were open opponents of it due to what they saw as hijacking physics away from illustrative and intuitive norms towards unfalsifiable abstractions and overemphasis on math. The German physics community’s main issue with the Einstein phenomenon was not just the theory, but how normal scientific standards were suspended to declare Einstein the new Copernicus. This declaration was made by Einstein’s (a Zionist activist deeply integrated with pan-Jewry) fellow Jews in the press, which critics dubbed “relativity hype.” This both surprised and infuriated his colleagues. A book released in 1924 by renown physicist Ernst Gehrcke, “The Mass Suggestion of Relativity Theory,” recorded 5,000 newspaper articles affirming with no proof that Einstein had shattered all previous notions in classical physics despite the jury still being out among many of his most respected peers. Einstein’s genius is the work of publicists and mass suggestion, in other words. Additionally, Einstein did not discover relativity, but merely reconstituted discoveries by Joseph Larmor (released in 1897 and work by Henri Poincare (published in 1898), both who abided by classical scientific norms. Whatever the merits or demerits of E=mc2, it was the Italian Galileo Galilei who first theorized about relativity in 1632. When confronted with these facts or dissenting opinions throughout his career, Einstein’s go-to tactic was to take to the newspapers that loved him and accuse his detractors of “anti-Semitism.” With modern technology, the theory of relativity has been challenged time and time again. Every year a new scientist outside of the oxygen-deprived and politicized Western academy, like in India or Russia, provides mathematical or even common sense (like mass and energy being interchangeable) wrenches in the relativity machine, at least as Einstein proposed it. In 2011, the highly respected CERN caused waves in the media by seemingly disproving the core arguments attributed to Einstein when neutrinos sped faster than light during a high-tech experiment. After outcry and dismay from certain gatekeepers in academia and the media, CERN claimed that a cable in their machine was loose and the previous results were not recreated after adjustment. While this incident alone does not prove an attempt to protect Einstein’s legacy, fear within the scientific community of losing grants in resource-starved physics research by making discoveries financial and political kingmakers do not like should not dismissed either. Today, Albert Einstein’s reputation as the smartest man who ever lived is bolstered by a seemingly infinite number of books, TV shows, and movies celebrating his life and supposed achievements – far more than any other scientist in history. Jews excel in physics on paper but it was Einstein’s “common sense” oriented scientific opponents in the Third Reich that first developed the rocket technology that allowed us to reach space. While this author is out of his element when it comes to the nuts and bolts of relativity, one looks at the Jewish spirit’s replacement of reason and intuition with abstraction and relativism in other fields like the arts, anthropology, culture of critique or music, and questions should arise regarding whether Einstein’s similar approach towards Physics has been more of a retarding arbitrary rule scientists are pressured to work within the confines of rather than the groundbreaking accomplishment we are expected to take for granted. Would this supposed “consensus” still be so if Germany had won the Second World War and science was freed of top-down Jewish pressure from people like Bret Stephens? It is generally assumed that the hard sciences are free from political ideology, but challenging the Einstein myth provokes the same institutional reaction as James Watson affirming the biology of race (outside of the Jewish superiority context Bret Stephens and the New York Times has deemed appropriate). We are convinced that Jews are our masters only because celebrating the group-achievements of far more accomplished Europeans is forbidden by the establishment. The brilliance of the plagiarist Einstein embodies the nature of Stephens’ broader patronizing claims of born-to-rule Jewish excellence: it may look like a diamond, but it’s synthetic like a zirconia. | Eric Striker | https://www.therussophile.org/jewish-brilliance-synthetic-like-zirconia-by-eric-striker.html/ | Sun, 29 Dec 2019 04:19:00 +0000 | 1,577,611,140 | 1,577,624,125 | science and technology | scientific standards |
69 | 21stcenturywire--2019-01-23--Hollywoods Mission The Systematic Degradation of Western Society | 2019-01-23T00:00:00 | 21stcenturywire | Hollywood’s Mission: The Systematic Degradation of Western Society | For music, TV and film, the current race to the bottom is palpable. For even the most casual observer of mass media and entertainment, it’s become increasingly obvious that Hollywood’s stock-in-trade is now marked by gratuitous, profanity, violence, sex, and one of the most disturbing trends: the increased degradation of women, and the systematic sexualized depiction of children. AVAILABLE NOW: Esoteric Hollywood 2: More Sex, Cults & Symbols in Film Programming and social conditioning through mass public ceremonies is nothing new and continues to this day, weaponized by the corporate entertainment industry to further degrade society. What first began through the planned counter-culture revolution of the 1960s, has now descended into a relentless onslaught of overt messaging through mass media. All of this is preparation for a new AEON being ushered in through even greater levels of psychological and cultural degradation, with the end game being the fragmentation of society through the institution of social engineering. Author Jay Dyer explains how these carefully crafted mass public ritual ceremonies are one of the chief ways we are initiated into this anti-spiritual state: from the Beatles to Ariana Grande – know that society is being indoctrinated. Watch: | 21wire | https://21stcenturywire.com/2019/01/23/hollywoods-mission-the-systematic-degradation-of-western-society/ | 2019-01-23 12:08:01+00:00 | 1,548,263,281 | 1,567,551,131 | society | social condition |
101,593 | cnn--2019-01-17--Gen Z is as liberal as millennials if not more | 2019-01-17T00:00:00 | cnn | Gen Z is as liberal as millennials, if not more | Washington (CNN) Most of them aren't old enough to vote yet, but Generation Z shows signs of being as liberal as millennials on a number of political and social topics, and they're more liberal when it comes to their belief about the role of government, according to a new report from Pew. Pew defines Gen Z as those born from 1997 to 2012. They'll be ages 7 to 22 in 2019,and recent Pew surveys of teenagers and adults on political and social issues found members of Gen Z are often within just a few percentage points of millennials, who according to Pew were born from 1981 to 1996. Here are some of the issues where the two generations line up: Believe increasing racial and ethnic diversity is good for society Believe the Earth is getting warmer due to human activity Approve of NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice Believe same-sex marriage is either a good thing or doesn't make a difference The two generations have a more substantial gap when it comes to beliefs about the role of government, one of the defining issues that separate conservatives and liberals. In Pew's latest survey, though, 64% of millennials said they believe government should do more to solve problems, a figure higher than those older than them but lower than Gen Z, 70% of whom said government should do more to solve problems. Most Gen Z members are too young to vote, and their political beliefs could evolve as they're shaped by political and social conditions and age. But Pew's early data suggests they could be as liberal if not more than millennials, reshaping American politics decades down the road. Pew Research Center's results come from two online surveys derived from probability-based panels. Results among adults are based on a survey conducted Sept. 24 through Oct. 7, 2018. Results among those under 18 are from a survey conducted Sept. 17 through Nov. 25. Results among 2,674 millennials have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points, among the 1,178 Gen Z respondents, the error margin is plus or minus 4.2 points. | Hunter Schwarz | http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/aM38q1A7e2s/index.html | 2019-01-17 21:29:54+00:00 | 1,547,778,594 | 1,567,552,083 | society | social condition |
116,164 | collectiveevolution--2019-04-15--Update Mother Enraged As Cause Of Babys Death 36 Hours After Vaccination Ruled Undetermined | 2019-04-15T00:00:00 | collectiveevolution | Update: Mother Enraged As Cause Of Baby’s Death 36 Hours After Vaccination Ruled ‘Undetermined’ | This article was originally published under the heading ‘Are Western Doctors Compelled To Support The Vaccine Industry?‘ If you have not read the article, it is included in full below and highly recommended. Otherwise, you can skip down to see an an update from a Facebook Post by Catie Clobes, the mother whose baby died 36 hours after the scheduled 6-month vaccines. What is most shocking about the story, and what Catie elaborates on so eloquently and poignantly in her posts, is that despite promising otherwise, doctors did not investigate any possible link between baby Evee’s death and the vaccines, preferring to label her cause of death ‘undetermined.’ If we take a broad overview of the structure of conventional medicine in our Western societies, we are left with an inescapable conclusion: it is set up as a business, where profit is most highly valued and human health and safety is secondary. The evidence for this is overwhelming and is discussed in greater detail in many of our articles on the subject listed at the end of this article. This is absolutely not to say that there are not loving, upstanding people who are doctors, researchers, or otherwise as part of the Western medical establishment. Not at all. I believe most of them are. However, when it comes specifically to the family doctors and pediatricians who are trusted by their patients to make recommendations for their patients’ health and well-being, there is a limit to how far they can push the boundaries of the highly controlled business structure they find themselves in. This is probably most obvious when it comes to vaccines. I don’t think any doctor could tell me straight-faced that if they decided that vaccines were not safe for their patients, and they were openly vocal about it in public, that there wouldn’t be pushback from their industry, including intimidation and threats of losing their medical license. And so, unfortunately, there is a built-in bias from the start, and doctors know that going down the path of truly doing their own independent research into the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, in order to make an informed decision about what they will recommend to their patients, will either be a lot of work for nothing or will end up with them having to fight against their powerful establishment and risk losing their livelihood. But haven’t doctors been thoroughly and convincingly shown already in Medical school the overwhelming proof that vaccines are safe and effective? There is somewhat of a misconception that the public is under about the process by which would-be doctors become convinced about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines: Despite questioning the safety and efficacy of vaccination by reputable medical men since its introduction, debate has been, and is, increasingly discouraged. Information published in scientific journals is used to support this position, other views being regarded as “unscientific.” It was a received “article of faith” for me and my contemporaries, that vaccination was the single most useful health intervention that had ever been introduced. Along with all my medical and nursing colleagues, I was taught that vaccines were the reason children and adults stopped dying from diseases for which there are vaccines. We were told that other diseases, such as scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, typhus, typhoid, cholera, and so on, for which there are no vaccines at the time, diminished both in incidence and mortality (ability to kill) due to better social conditions. You would think–as medical students who are supposed to be moderately intelligent–that some of us would have asked, “But if deaths from these diseases decreased due to improved social conditions, mightn’t the ones for which there are vaccines also have decreased at the same time for the same reason?” But we didn’t. The medical curriculum is so overloaded with information that you just have to learn what you hear, as you hear it: nonvaccinatable diseases into the social conditions box and vaccinatable diseases into the vaccines box and then onto the next subject.–Dr. Jayne L. M. Donegan, foreward to Suzanne Humphries’ Dissolving Illusions Having been convinced that vaccines are effective without spending any time looking critically at objective (not industry-funded) studies, doctors are led to treat the matter of the safety of vaccines as a foregone conclusion. This is notwithstanding the publicly available fact that the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act has paid approximately $4 billion to families with vaccine injured children, and that only accounts for 1 percent of vaccine injured children. This is a fact that doctors are not informed about by their industry, and those who become aware of it are almost compelled to wilfully ignore. You can read more about that act and access direct primary sources here. Vaccines, the industry will repeat until the cows come home, ARE SAFE. PERIOD. Yes, there are extremely rare exceptions when they do cause damage, the industry admits when pressed on the matter, but because they argue that vaccines are so important to societal health, the industry will continue to say with unwavering certainty that VACCINES ARE SAFE. Consequently, while they are afforded a narrow bit of leeway for de-combining vaccines and delaying schedules, the solemn duty of doctors is to promote the safety of vaccines to their patients. This is all fine and dandy for doctors. Until one of their young patients have serious adverse reactions or even dies after receiving vaccines. Much as many doctors would be heartbroken and would like to offer true love and support to the parents, the position they have been put in by the medical industry forces them to sternly deny the possibility that vaccines could be the cause of the damage, not because logic dictates so, but because they fear that their future career is dependent on this denial. I recently came upon a Facebook post from March 22nd made by a woman named Catie Clobes that was actually the inspiration for this article. Her daughter Evee Gayle Clobes had tragically died on March 1st, a day and a half after receiving six vaccines at her six month doctor’s visit. The post below, from this brave woman looking for answers as to why her daughter died, explains it all: Me: “I know this is going to sound morbid, but it sounds like with everything you’re saying to me, my daughter basically “took one for the team”, right?” Pathologist: “I don’t even know what to say to that.” I just finished up a very heated, baffling phone conversation with the very “cold” doctor who performed my daughter’s autopsy. The autopsy is pretty much complete on their end, there have been no answers, it’s at a finalizing paperwork phase. My mother was in the room when this call took place, she heard this all! I’m not exaggerating a thing. After several calls this week to try and get this doctor on the phone, I sent an email today requesting the simple additional tests that I wanted done in my daughter’s autopsy. I was assured the day of my daughter’s death by that office that “every test” would be performed, that her receiving vaccinations a day and a half prior was of concern, and they’d be running “those kinds of tests”, that they took infant deaths very seriously. I believed them. These simple tests I requested would reveal if vaccinations had played any part in my daughter’s death. Well less than an hour after sending that email, I finally got that doctor to call me back! She refused to do the tests, each and every one. Me: “My daughter was in perfect health and then received 6 vaccinations and died a day and a half later. Why wouldn’t you run ANY tests to check if vaccinations were the cause?” Pathologist: “It’s not medically necessary, there is no medical reasoning, and it’s not medically approved.” No kidding, she said this!! She refused to acknowledge that it might even be a possibility that it was the cause! State or County Medical Examiner offices refuse and will not run any tests in an autopsy that could reveal any link to vaccination as the cause of death because it is not “medically accepted.” This is a fact. They will put SIDS on the death certificate before running of these tests. At this point, being an angry, grieving mother, I said some controversial things to try and get some sort of sensible answer out of this woman. She was like a robot. I said to her, “It sounds like you’re just reading me some script the CDC and the government have given you!” I cried in disbelief and anger. I yelled, “If this was your baby that you just lost, you’d want answers no matter what it took.” I asked her opinion on why so many shots had to be given to such a small child? She never once gave any opinion. She kept repeating that science and research shows this and that, but none of it made sense. She had nothing to say about vaccination inserts saying that “SIDS” can occur, and all the other warnings. She had no solid fact, reasoning, nothing educational or productive. I couldn’t even believe I was speaking with a doctor. It was clear she was watching her words. I told her I didn’t believe in “SIDS” and that every death has a real reason behind it. She had nothing to say to that. What was NOT surprising was that a pause of hesitation came before each of her responses. She actually started to say to me “Listen, you are a part of a community that…” and I stopped her and I said “NO! I have vaccinated all of my children. I have always trusted medical professionals. I was never told by any doctor that more than a fever could occur after my babies getting their shots. I never knew any better because people like you shame that “community” and silence them. Don’t label me to try and discredit what I’m saying. I was “provaxx” just like you until I sadly had to find out in the worst way possible how many babies and children have died and been hurt by these shots.” That’s when I made the “take one for the team statement”. My last words to her were “you should be ashamed, you’re a doctor, and it’s your job to find answers and save lives and that’s not what you are doing.” There was silence on her end and then I hung up. I’m making nothing up. This is not “stuff” I’m hearing, this is what I am living. I understand the need for vaccinations, I get the government’s reasoning, the importance. Sure. The lack of care, lack of research, lack of information about gene testing and titer level testing to prevent injuries and deaths, lack of any TRUTH or answers, and the lack of any real accountability when it comes to the negative, that I don’t understand. The corruption – that is what blows my mind. So I will continue on my fight for the answer I am looking for. I’m just also on a mission to expose and share with everyone the crazy, sick truth I am experiencing along the way. (That’s what this post is about.) Mommy has got your back, my “Eeves Peeves”! She always has and she always will. #justiceforevee One of the reasons we talk about vaccine injuries so much at CE is because they provide us with a clear window into the true motives and values of the powerful forces at the top of the medical industry, and who are just part of a larger group that control all facets of Western society. It is sad and unfortunate that people like Catie Clobes continue to experience the injuries or deaths of cherished loved ones, just because we have a medical industry that puts profits above human health and safety. We do the most service to these people by supporting their efforts, sharing their stories, raising awareness, and aiming for a future in which our entire medical industry holds fast to the prime directive to ‘first, do no harm.’ Since the article above was written, Catie Clobes got final confirmation that the role of vaccines in her baby’s death was not investigated, and that the cause of death on Evee’s death certificate was ‘undetermined.’ I could go on about this, but Catie’s words in a later Facebook post carry much more weight on this than mine ever could: – Evee ? was 100% healthy a day and a half before she passed as she was her whole life. – Evee ? had an appointment a day and a half before she passed and at that appt. I was asked if Evee was getting her vaccinations and I replied “yes” and not before or after was I given any information about adverse reactions of immunizations that are listed on the vaccinations’ inserts (including death) which I now know are overwhelming – Evee ? was given SIX vaccinations (research ingredients in vaccinations quick, if ya don’t know) in the form of 2 shots in each leg. I was clueless mother, doing what I thought was right for my baby. She was 15.1 lbs that day. ? – Evee’s nurse carelessly misdocumented the location she put the shots which I found out after she had passed (this was corrected after intervention) as if she was just “another patient poked”. – Evee ? had no symptoms. I found her peaceful, lifeless body March 1st, 2019, less than a day and a half after her shots. – Insignificant single mother (me) ✋ was promised every test and measure would be taken to determine the cause of her death, including vaccination-related testing, by the medical examiner’s office, right away. – I requested specific tests, vital to the determination of vaccines being the cause of death and was REFUSED these tests by the medical examiner/doctor. Flat out refused. How could a healthy baby just die, and doctors and the State of Minnesota, are OK with telling me “undetermined” was the cause of death in my daughter, after all of these facts? I’m sick. This is beyond wrong. Do you know there is a Federal fund set up to “pay off” families in situations like this?????? ? Wake up, friends who KNOW me, this is all real!! My best friend is gone and these are the facts!! ?? For those who are concerned about vaccine safety and the current push for mandatory vaccination, I would recommend that you follow Catie Clobes in her search for the truth on her Facebook page linked above. The latest news is that she will be building a website devoted to ‘Justice for Evee’. She is a brave young woman and she is fighting for truth and justice on a matter that affects us all. | Richard Enos | https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/04/15/update-mother-enraged-as-cause-of-babys-death-36-hours-after-vaccination-ruled-undetermined/ | 2019-04-15 04:00:19+00:00 | 1,555,315,219 | 1,567,542,944 | society | social condition |
131,703 | dailykos--2019-10-21--Warren Misses the Mark | 2019-10-21T00:00:00 | dailykos | Warren Misses the Mark | Elizabeth Warren blames billionaires. “We cannot afford a billionaire class, whose greed and corruption has been at war with the working families of this country for 45 years,” she said at the October debate. But a more serious problem is the greed of ordinary Americans — greed fomented by the System that encourages everyone to climb social ladders and look down on and dominate those below. To counter greed, we need to transform the System, which is self-perpetuating. A better alternative to Warren’s economic populism is a “democratic equality” that “guarantees all law-abiding citizens effective access to the social conditions of their freedom at all times,” as articulated by Elizabeth Anderson in her landmark essay, “ What is the Point of Equality? ” (see “ The Democrats: What Happened to Equality? ). With her focus on “rebuilding the middle class,” Warren embraces greed, praises consumerism, and legitimizes upward mobility. When other candidates at the debate accused her of being “punitive” toward billionaires, she said, “ I don't have a beef with billionaires.... What we're all looking for is how we strengthen America's middle class.” At her , Warren said. “Look, I get it. I know that some people will always have more money, so they can own more shoes or more clothes than other people.” She acknowledged, “Any great fortune in America was built, at least in part, using workers all of us helped pay to educate…. We’re happy to do it. This is America. We’re happy to invest in opportunities. But we’re saying that if you make it big, really big, really, really big, then pitch in two cents....” Warren advocates equal opportunity. She wants to “transform our economy so that every person, no matter where they live, no matter who their parents are, no matter how much money they have, every person has real opportunity…, [to] truly level the playing field [and create] real opportunity, not just opportunity for people born into privilege, opportunity for everyone.” None of the fifty-six plans on Warren’s target poverty, homelessness, or economic inequality. The site highlights five goals. The second is “rebuild the middle class.” That plank merely proposes “putting power back in the hands of workers and unions,” says “we can make investments that create economic opportunity, address rural neglect, and a legacy of racial discrimination (sic),” and envisions “an economy that works for everyone.” “Upward mobility” is a myth that reinforces inequality. In White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America, Nancy Isenberg writes, “We cling to the comfort of a middle class, forgetting that there can't be a middle class without a lower.” And despite some dramatic individual stories, most Americans have never been able to rise far above their standing at birth. Anderson challenges the focus on “equal opportunity.” She argues: In sync with this ideology, Warren proposes paternalistic measures to alleviate suffering when people fall behind during the race — rather than prevent suffering in the first place. Anderson points out that this liberal paternalism “seems strangely detached from existing egalitarian political movements…[that have fought for] the freedom to appear in public as who they are, without shame, [and] campaigned against demeaning stereotypes.” Anderson’s alternative is to end oppression by creating communities “in which people stand in relations of equality” to one another. This “democratic equality” differs fundamentally from mitigation for the losers under starting-gate equal opportunity. “In seeking the construction of a community of equals,” she “integrates principles of distribution with the expressive demands of equal respect.” Warren’s focus on economics is typical of those who identify as “leftist.” But their definition of “the system” is too narrow, materialistic, and reliant on economic determinism — and neglects the need for personal, social, and cultural transformation. So long as the self-perpetuating System persists and most Americans envy and identify with the wealthy and would like to be rich themselves while others are poor, a popular movement for real justice is unlikely to succeed. In the September 30 New Yorker’s article, “Merit Badges,” Louis Menand says the “conception of meritocray as a machine that runs itself is a powerful one.” He wrtites, “Even if we randomized college admissions,... the level of income inequality will remain more or less the same…. The problem...is that the economy is structured to allow [some] to soak up most of the national wealth.” With their embrace of upward mobility as a solution, Warren, Bernie Sanders, and most leftists do not propose a fundamental restructuring of the meritocracy. Economic populism misses that our social system consists of more than the economy and the government. The System also includes other major institutions, our culture, and ourselves as individuals, who reinforce the System with our daily actions. We must hold people accountable for crimes and other ethical violations, but we cannot place all or most blame on the billionaire class. The primary problem is the System and to transform it we must transform each and every element. Anderson’s democratic equality is not new. It’s affirmed in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But during the six hours of their September and October debates, the Democratic candidates for President talked about equality, much less equal respect, equal worth, co-equal partnerships, community empowerment, and individual empowerment. Instead, they merely want to help disadvantaged people to eventually “get ahead (of others).” We, the people, are angry enough already. We don’t need economic populists to inflame anger, which breeds more anger. We need to channel our anger into effective, democratic, popular movements that push for a positive vision. We don’t need leaders who believe a good leader is one who’s able to mobilize followers to do what the leader wants — especially if those leaders are politicians who primarily want their followers to vote for themselves and their allies and get others to do the same. This elitism is often reflected in casual expressions of disrespect, as with Obama’s comment about guns and religion and Clinton’s reference to a basket of deplorables. Warren expressed similar disrespect when she was asked, “Let’s say you’re on the campaign trail and a supporter approaches you and says ‘Senator, I’m old fashioned and my faith teaches me that marriage is between one man and one woman. What is your response?” Warren answered, “Well, I’m going to assume it’s a guy who said that. And I’m going to say…then just marry one woman. I’m cool with that!” She then added: “Assuming you can find one.” The audience roared with laughter and applause. Warren’s disrespectful crack betrays a fundamental arrogance that’s often reflected in her tone of voice and her claim to have the plan for everything. Unfortunately, she’s not alone. I suspect most Democratic Party activists are afflicted with similar arrogance. They probably laughed at her joke and most probably do not see a problem with her college-professor arrogance. But until Democrats really affirm equal respect and practice what they preach, they’ll continue to undermine their effectiveness. In “ ,” inspired by Anderson (and Harry Boyte’s argument for ), I try to absorb the principles of democratic equality and point the way toward a more effective strategy. With progressive taxation, the federal government could establish an Economic Security Trust Fund analogous to the Social Security Trust Fund and distribute money to local governments for public-service jobs to meet pressing human and environmental needs. And individuals, especially wealthy philanthropists, could donate to that fund, as they can to the Social Security Trust Fund. Regardless, one way or the other, with private and public money, we can assure everyone a living-wage job opportunity. A “federal jobs guarantee” need not involve more federal employees. Then all Americans could focus on the quality of life rather than the size of their bank account and take care of themselves, their family, their community, all humanity, and the environment. Individuals can improve their economic condition without doing so at the expense of others. Win-win solutions and “the 99% for the 100%” are possible. A “us vs. them” battle of good vs. evil is not essential. Rather than inflaming anger as Warren does, we can inspire with a positive vision. We can affirm everyone’s equal value, establish relationships of equality throughout society, nurture mutual respect, and protect everyone’s right to a secure, comfortable, and meaningful life. Rather than reinforce the casino, paper economy and glorify the rich and famous, we can focus on human needs, save the environment, and build a humane economy. | [email protected] (sonofhud) | https://www.dailykos.com/story/2019/10/21/1894075/-Warren-Misses-the-Mark | Mon, 21 Oct 2019 17:42:24 +0000 | 1,571,694,144 | 1,572,535,890 | society | social condition |
227,301 | globalresearch--2019-01-08--Los Angeles Teachers Prepare for Strike | 2019-01-08T00:00:00 | globalresearch | Los Angeles Teachers Prepare for Strike | More than 33,000 teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District are set to strike Thursday in what would be the largest walkout by educators in the US since last year’s statewide strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona. Like the previous struggles, the battle in the nation’s second largest school district centers on the fight by educators against the assault by both the Democratic and Republican parties on the right to public education. Teachers are demanding pay raises, smaller class sizes and increased funding to hire more nurses, librarians, counselors and other critical support staff. They are also opposing the school authorities’ use of standardized tests to scapegoat teachers for educational problems caused by the defunding of education and the deterioration of social conditions. In Los Angeles, as in other school districts, the shutting down of “failing schools” has been used as the justification for a vast expansion of for-profit charter schools, which siphon off an estimated $600 million from LA public schools each year. While last year’s statewide strikes largely pitted educators against Republican-led state governments, in Los Angeles teachers are fighting directly against the Democratic Party, which controls the school district and the local government, holds the governor’s seat, and wields a super-majority in both houses of the state legislature. Students and teachers march in downtown LA last month (Source: WSWS) While the teachers’ unions in California and nationally have falsely promoted the Democrats as allies of teachers and defenders of public education, the Democratic Party has proven to be just as ruthless an enemy as the Republican Party. Decades of bipartisan funding cuts have reduced California schools, once known as the best in the nation, to 43rd in the US in per-pupil spending. The state is expecting a $15 billion budget surplus, but the new governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, has declared that any proposals for increased K-12 school funding will have to be “whittled down” because “we all” have to “live within in our means.” After a meeting with state Democrats, he told the Sacramento Bee last month, “We’re not going to deviate from being fiscally prudent”—a reference to his predecessor Jerry Brown’s austerity measures. Yet both corporate-controlled parties have showered Silicon Valley and the entertainment and finance industries with endless tax cuts. California is home to the largest number of billionaires—144—in the nation. The school district, headed by the multi-millionaire former investment banker Austin Beutner, has refused to budge. It is demanding that the paltry three percent raise it is offering be contingent on cutting the health care benefits of future teachers. School officials are also rejecting out-of-hand the teachers’ demands for increased school funding and hiring, and a curtailment of charter schools. An article in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times (Beutner is the newspaper’s former publisher and CEO), complained that teachers are demanding “more control over how money is spent at schools, how much time is given over to standardized testing and how space on district campuses is allocated to charter schools.” The article continued: Beutner got his start in the privatization of public assets when he was tapped by the Clinton administration to head the State Department’s collaboration in the dismantling of state-owned property in the Soviet Union and its sell-off to criminal asset strippers. Backed by powerful corporate interests pushing for more for-profit charter schools, Beutner, a Democrat and former deputy mayor of Los Angeles, hopes to inflict a devastating defeat on the teachers and accelerate the privatization of public education. In the face of this all-out assault, the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), which is affiliated with both national teacher unions—the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—has kept teachers on the job without a new contract for a year-and-a-half, including months of state mediation and fact-finding. In so doing, the union ignored a near unanimous strike mandate by rank-and-file teachers. In a last-ditch effort to prevent a walkout, UTLA officials are meeting with school authorities on Monday. In a Los Angeles Times op-ed piece Sunday, UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl wrote: This vague formula appears to invite the district to offer some cosmetic change in its position in order to block a strike. If the UTLA is unable to prevent a strike, it plans to follow the pattern of the NEA and AFT in 2018 in West Virginia and other states where the unions worked to isolate the teachers and then cut deals with the political establishment that abandoned educators’ demands for substantial improvements in pay and school funding. The unions did everything they could to prevent the spread of strikes across the US and prevent the movement of educators from developing into a political confrontation with the Democratic Party. Instead, they sought to channel the opposition of the teachers behind the campaign of the Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections under the banner of “Remember in November.” The outright treachery of this policy is already becoming evident to the teachers in LA. In his comment in the Times, Caputo-Pearl tried to boost illusions that teachers could achieve their aims by lobbying for increased funding from the Democrats in the state capital in Sacramento. The UTLA president also promoted a Democratic-backed initiative on the 2020 ballot that includes a modest increase in capital gains taxes. The unions peddled the same illusions and lies last year in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona, with the result that none of the supposed funding guarantees have been honored and no significant increase in school funding has occurred. A court ruling by a federal judge over the weekend, which denied the district’s efforts to compel special education teachers to work during a strike, indicates that the state is looking to the union to quickly shut down a walkout before it can escalate into a broader movement of teachers and the working class more generally. But that is exactly what is needed. If the LA teachers are to mount a serious fight, they must take the conduct of the struggle into their own hands through the formation of rank-and-file action committees in every school and community. These committees must formulate their own demands, including a 30 percent increase in wages, the reconversion of all charter schools to public schools and a vast increase in funding. To conduct this fight, LA teachers must join their struggle with that of educators in Oakland and other school districts and fight for a statewide strike to defend the right to high quality public education. The fight of teachers must be linked to broader sections of workers as part of an assault on the fortunes of the super-rich and the fight for a radical redistribution of wealth to meet social needs. Los Angeles educators who spoke to the WSWS Teacher Newsletter expressed their determination to fight. Lamisha, a school counselor in her fifth year with the district, said, “I travel to an elementary school one day, a middle school another day, and a high school another day, and so on. Things are getting worse because of the social crisis, and we have no support. “Everything is on a minimum level for maximum problems. We need more counselors who can work with kids with anger management and other problems. If a child is homeless, they’re experiencing trauma. How can they learn? We need to get to the root of the problems, and no one’s tackling that one.” “The teachers have got to speak out now,” Barbara, a special education assistant since 1999, told the WSWS. “Almost everybody I know is working two jobs to make ends meet. The three percent they’re offering the teachers is nothing. It used to be that you’d automatically get a three percent raise, like a cost-of-living raise. Then you’d get a real raise on top of that. Even people working at In ‘n Out and McDonalds are getting better raises.” Barbara, who is member of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99, added, “Our union has thrown us under the bus. We were told that if we attended the training in June, we would get an additional five percent in pay. That never happened. Our contract was violated. I don’t understand why we can’t go out in support of the teachers. All my local said we’re going to do is wear red. That’s all.” “I have been teaching for over 25 years and every year teachers have been mandated to do more with less,” an LA teacher posted in the comment section of a local news outlet. “The evidence is in my classroom and in the school. The school grounds are unkempt, as you can see scuff marks, trash across the campus, dirty restrooms, dusty windows, because the district has downsized custodial staff. My kindergarten students and I sweep the room and pretend to ‘ice skate’ with baby wipes while listening to music to mop the room. “Our library is neglected because we only have a librarian every other week and the library is closed the week she is not there. There are less resources and teachers are treated like children. We have to justify why we need a learning tool or why we need certain books to meet students’ needs. Many of us either swallow the cost and buy what we need or we just make do with what we have—which is not enough. “Sometimes I think it’s a miracle I still try to engage my students despite all the obstacles I encounter every day. I enjoy teaching my students and I value them. That’s why I think the course we’re on as a district is not sustainable. I cannot continue to subsidize my students’ education and it’s getting harder and harder for me and my colleagues to pretend that everything is okay. It’s not. That’s why I’m willing to strike—so that my students and I get the respect we deserve.” Note to readers: please click the share buttons above. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. | Jerry White | https://www.globalresearch.ca/los-angeles-teachers-prepare-for-strike/5664919 | 2019-01-08 05:43:57+00:00 | 1,546,944,237 | 1,567,553,405 | society | social condition |
228,113 | globalresearch--2019-02-19--A New Despotism in the Era of Surveillance Capitalism | 2019-02-19T00:00:00 | globalresearch | A New Despotism in the Era of Surveillance Capitalism | There is a fascinating chapter toward the end of Alexis de Toqueville’s Democracy in America titled “What Kind of Despotism Do Democratic Nations Have to Fear?” in which the author attempted something truly extraordinary – to describe a social condition which humankind had never before encountered. We find him trying to put his finger on something which does not yet exist, but which – in his extraordinary political imagination – he was able to foresee with startling clarity. I maintain that we have good reason to fear that the business model of commercial surveillance – pioneered by Google and adopted by Facebook, among others – is serving to undermine the foundations of our democracy. Shoshana Zuboff explains in her new book, The Age of Surveillance Capital (Public Affairs, 2019), that the system works by treating human experience as “free raw material for translation into behavioral data. Although some of these data are applied to service improvements, the rest are declared as proprietary behavioral surplus, fed into advanced manufacturing processes known as ‘machine intelligence,’ and fabricated into prediction products that anticipate what you will do now, soon and later. Finally, these prediction products are traded in a new kind of marketplace that I call behavioral futures markets. Surveillance capitalists have grown immensely wealthy from these trading operations, for many companies are willing to lay bets on our future behavior.” In effect, we are becoming the subject of a new insidious, subtle, and almost invisible form of subjugation that was foreseen with uncanny ability by Tocqueville in 1849. Over a hundred and seventy-five years ago, Tocqueville wrote: He goes on to describe the elevation of The notion of a bubble here is a useful one: central to the work of Jakob von Uexküll, an Estonian-born biologist and one of the fathers of biosemiotics, is the concept of the umwelt – or ‘surrounding-world’ – the ‘soap-bubble’ that each creature creates for itself and which constitutes their experiential world. The umwelt is composed of signs as bearers of meaning, and for each organism the umwelt is the whole of their reality. What distinguishes us as human beings is that our umwelt is not fixed, immobile, rigid, or static. One of the ways we can understand the effect of Facebook’s algorithms on its users is that the umwelt each user inhabits runs the danger of effectively shrinking: growing smaller and ever more calcified. In “How Facebook’s Algorithm Suppresses Content Diversity and How the Newsfeed Rules Your Clicks,” the author Zeynep Tufekci asserts that researchers were able to definitively conclude that, by a measurable amount, Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm reduces a user’s exposure to “…ideologically diverse, cross-cutting content…” By assuring that we are exposed only to that which we are likely to approve of and assent to, our umwelt – or social reality – is that much more diminished and homogenized. Facebook’s business model has far-reaching implications, especially in terms of our ability to empathize with others – others who may not be like, or think like, ourselves. This had devastating results in Myanmar where Facebook became a tool for ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya. While it certainly may not have been its intention, Facebook has become a “forum for tribalism” promoting a “simplistic version of ‘community’” while arguably “harming democracy, science and public health” – as Siva Vaidhyanathan suggests in Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2018). Much of my research has shown that there is a close relationship between empathy and our ability to creatively reconstruct the umwelt of the other. While one cannot share his or her umwelt – each of us remains in our own soap-bubble, as it were – we can participate in a common umwelt, which in many ways is purportedly the stated goal of social media. It is ironic that Facebook, which claims to prize connectivity above all, has in fact, contributed to producing the opposite result – where each of us fixed in a vapid and hardened bubble of isolation. In the face of an American government that is increasingly retreating from its responsibilities, we must recognize that Facebook, Google, and Amazon are the new leviathans. In serving users only those posts with which they will agree, Facebook is like Tocqueville’s ‘tutelary’s power’ which “everyday … renders the employment of free will less useful, and more rare; it confines the action of the will in a smaller space, and little by little steals the very use of free will from each citizen.” These companies do not simply want to automate information: as Zuboff observes, “the goal now is to automate us… to produce ignorance by circumventing individual awareness and thus eliminate any possibility of self-determination.” Facebook’s business model represents a new insidious form of subjugation that does not tyrannize, but as Vaidhyanathan observes, “it hinders, compromises, enervates, extinguishes, dazes, and finally reduces each nation to being nothing more than timid and industrious animals of which the government is the shepherd.” Facebook has contributed its share to the deterioration of epistemic norms and has helped to usher in the era of so-called post-truth. The motivation behind this disdain for truth as such, has always been the same – namely, it serves the bottom line. As McNamee puts it: “on Facebook, information and disinformation look the same; the only difference is that disinformation generates more revenue, so it gets better treatment.” Over a two-year period preceding the 2016 election, one hundred and twenty-six million Americans saw Russian-backed content. Facebook was at best reckless in the rampant and deliberate spread of disinformation through fake Russian accounts; which is to say that by allowing the proliferation of fake news, Facebook incontrovertibly helped Donald Trump to become the President of the United States. Facebook has provided fertile ground for the spread of grossly irresponsible conspiracy theories and “hopelessly inaccurate viral posts.” Like many others, McNamee suggests that users should have control over their own data and metadata – as if data ownership is the solution to the scourge of surveillance capitalism. The problem with this kind of thinking is that it fails to ask the more elementary question of whether such data should exist at all. As Zuboff observes “It’s like negotiating how many hours a day a seven-year-old should be allowed to work, rather than contesting the fundamental legitimacy of child labor.” Surveillance capitalism represents a new form of despotism, one that is harming our capacity for individual autonomy in order that behavioral data can continue to be generated unimpeded, supplying markets and the advertisers that are Google’s and Facebook’s real customers. We are becoming the kind of solipsistic and atomistic society that Tocqueville foresaw, “an enumerable crowd of like and equal men who revolve on themselves without repose … each of them, withdrawn, and apart, is like a stranger to the destiny of all the others… As for dwelling with his fellow citizens, he is beside them, but he does not see them; he touches them and does not feel them.” Alexis de Tocqueville warned us that oppression may take forms which are gentle, quiet, calm, but nonetheless, inimical to genuine freedom. To adequately respond to the problem will require more than demanding greater privacy or data ownership – it will involve a radical questioning of our basic assumptions, and a new understanding of what democracy means and entails in the age of capitalistic surveillance. Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. Sam Ben-Meir is a professor of philosophy and world religions at Mercy College in New York City. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research. | Prof. Sam Ben-Meir | https://www.globalresearch.ca/a-new-despotism-in-the-era-of-surveillance-capitalism/5669034 | 2019-02-19 09:43:12+00:00 | 1,550,587,392 | 1,567,547,984 | society | social condition |
231,867 | globalresearch--2019-11-21--Chicago Teachers Union Ratifies Contract in the Aftermath of 11 Day Strike | 2019-11-21T00:00:00 | globalresearch | Chicago Teachers Union Ratifies Contract in the Aftermath of 11 Day Strike | Chicago educators on November 16 approved by a wide margin the contract negotiated by their union leadership. On October 17, 25,000 Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members walked off the job demanding better salaries and working conditions among other issues. The strike also was joined by members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) which reached a tentative agreement prior to the teachers. A division of SEIU represents thousands of security guards and teachers’ assistants in Chicago Public Schools system. An October 30 tentative agreement between the CTU and the city administration was agreed upon by the executive board ending the strike paving the way for a return to classes for 350,000 students on November 1. The deal created the conditions for schools to open fully staffed since the SEIU said it would not return to work until the city administration reached an agreement with the CTU. This agreement guarantees all CTU members a 16% salary increase over the five-year life of the contract. The City of Chicago has also pledged to invest $35 million into the school system in order to reduce class sizes, placing at least one nurse and a social worker in every building by 2023. Public support for the strike was widespread throughout the city and around the United States as school systems have come under tremendous pressure due to privatization of services, the proliferation of charter schools and tax-funded vouchers for private educational institutions. Although Chicago is a major center for industrial production, retail outlets and finance capital, the majority African American and Latinx communities still suffer from disproportionate allocations for schools. Many of the students attending the Chicago Public Schools come from families living just above or below the poverty lines. A housing crisis which has plagued many large urban areas has impacted Chicago with the razing of public housing complexes, an epidemic of home foreclosures and the rising costs of rental units. The recent work stoppage was the second of its kind since 2012. Nonetheless, it appears as if the situation has worsened for students, service employees and teachers over the last seven years. Two issues raised by the CTU during the strike appear to have remained unresolved: the growing demand for affordable housing and the need to address the shrinking availability of trained librarians within the CPS. Since the previous strike in 2012, the number of librarians has declined. An article published in the November 8 edition of American Libraries Magazine says of the situation in Chicago that: The lack of available librarians is the direct result of the austerity which has impacted public schools. In Chicago many of the librarians have either been laid off, resigned or found positions in other sectors. Some more affluent areas of the city have kept school libraries open through parental and community volunteers. Nonetheless, this is not necessarily an option for distressed neighborhoods and it does not address the pressing need for personnel trained in information science. This same above-mentioned report published by American Libraries Magazine continues by emphasizing: “While the new contract commits funding to 120 schools in economically depressed parts of the city to create new positions—though Wiltse says the language of the contract allows the funds to be used for programming or materials, not necessarily for hiring new employees—principals are tasked with making tough decisions on where to allocate those dollars. They could opt to bring librarians back to their schools, but they likely won’t, Wiltse says. ‘This contract had a lot of really big wins for our students, but it’s not going to help the lack of librarians in our school system,’ she says.” Chicago’s new Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the first woman and only third African American to serve in that position, was elected to office in April of this year amid a groundswell of dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party political machine. Lightfoot pledged to improve the social conditions of the working class and poor residents of this municipality of 2.7 million people. However, the mayor failed to negotiate an agreement with the CTU that could have avoided the 11-day strike. Tensions between the administration and the CTU continued after the tentative agreement was announced on October 30 as representatives of the union refused to appear in a proposed joint press conference with Lightfoot. CTU President Jesse Sharkey wrote an open letter to the public after the tentative agreement in which he characterized the political atmosphere in the city as lacking representation on the part of the electorate to choose members of the CPS board. The board is selected by the mayor making all of its members political appointees of the city administration. The letter also went on to address broader social issues underlying the strike, stressing: “While a linchpin in our bargaining was the demand to lift our paraprofessionals out of poverty, this was not a strike solely about wages and benefits. We returned to our school communities with the same pay increase that was on the table before our strike. We fought, instead, to shift CPS policy away from a relentless agenda of austerity and privatization toward real student needs, and, by extension, the needs of the neighborhoods our school communities anchor. We fought for the common good of students, and CPS must now — for the first time in decades — invest in the bare minimum: a nurse in every school every day; social workers and counselors; and manageable class sizes, especially in schools with urgent needs.” The Chicago Teachers’ strike follows similar actions over the last year-and-a-half. Beginning with an unexpected statewide strike in West Virginia, teachers continued to demand better wages and working conditions along with pension guarantees in other districts in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Arizona, Kentucky, Arkansas and Colorado. Strikes occurred in 2018 and 2019 in Los Angeles and Oakland, California. Similar labor actions have taken place among bus drivers in Georgia and part-time faculty members in Virginia. This trend has been labelled #RedforEd. November 19 was a day of action by the Indiana State Teachers Association and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) which stayed away from the classroom to stage a rally at the Capitol building in Indianapolis. The union websites published testimonials from teachers deploring the deteriorating conditions under which they are working. City administrations and school districts are increasingly subjected to the withholding of tax revenues for the purpose of funding high profile prestige economic projects owned and controlled by capitalist corporations. The Lincoln Yards Development in Chicago is a prime example of this process where taxpayers in the city are mandated to provide $1.3 billion in Tax Increment Funding (TIF). A major community struggle aimed at blocking the transferal of public funds for corporate profit-making projects is underway in Chicago. Mayor Lightfoot while running for office said she had reservations about the Lincoln Yard Development and its reliance on TIF. Nevertheless, after being elected, Lightfoot gave her support to the project along with a majority of the Board of Alderman. The Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights is suing Sterling Bay, the Lincoln Yards Development leader, saying that the utilization of TIF violates the laws of the State of Illinois which suggests that the funds should be invested in distressed communities for the benefit of the people who live there. Aneel Chablani, chief counsel for the Lawyers Committee, said of the legal ramifications of the project: These issues can potentially link the labor unions with community-based movements against austerity. The current phase of capitalist development requires even greater levels of worker exploitation and the expropriation of public funds for private investments which further enrich the billionaire ruling class. Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. Abayomi Azikiwe is the editor of Pan-African News Wire. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research. Featured image is from the author | Abayomi Azikiwe | https://www.globalresearch.ca/chicago-teachers-union-ratifies-contract/5695518 | Thu, 21 Nov 2019 01:46:00 +0000 | 1,574,318,760 | 1,574,337,893 | society | social condition |
232,284 | globalresearch--2019-12-15--The Humane Obligation of Conscience. Capitalist Orchestrated Horror. Desperate Protests Across the G | 2019-12-15T00:00:00 | globalresearch | The Humane Obligation of Conscience. Capitalist Orchestrated Horror. Desperate Protests Across the Globe | The world war of Democracy against its people is now official. On Oct 20, 2019, Chilean president Sebastian Pinera publicly admitted the singular capitalist threat implicitly and silently embraced by virtually all politicians across our embattled Earth: Pinera formally declared war on his people. Said this corporatist salesman of the draconian and ever-expanding horrors of corporatist austerity- better known as greed: “We are at war against a powerful enemy, who is willing to use violence without any limits.” Then, Pinera had his army unload their weaponry on the non-violent protesters; attempting to kill the dreams of freedom by these impoverished Chilean people who had reached the limits of their human tolerance for this oppression. As a natural reaction, a million Chileans hit the streets to raise their middle fingers at Pinera and all he and his puppet masters stand for. Then they did it again. They continue to do so this day. Pinera’s self-serving lie, however, had already been recently translated into English by another corporate lackey also no longer possessed of proper human conscience: disgraced former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, who, while departing No.10 for Brussels with her ever reddening barbed tail thus tucked between her bowed and knee scabbed legs, declared to the world: The World is in flames as never before. Humanity has had all it can take. It will take no more. Now cornered by national oppression orchestrated by an insatiable globalist salivation for untold riches, the human-animal has but one remaining choice. It is now time for strong words and stronger actions. It is time for real populist leadership. It is time– in any national language– for growing worldwide opposition and activism to come together as one. The forces of capitalism fight minute-by-minute in a collective battle against humanity. The world must now rebel with maximum strength, not only as nations but as the global Congress of the Humane. As seen in so many desperate protests across the globe, this Congress is increasing, but so far without a cohesive effort that transcends boundaries with a common focal point, one that will bring all national protest movements together to fight this corporate enemy of man. After spending a week marching through the streets of London while reflecting with optimism on the increased opposition protests globally, it just may be that Extinction Rebellion- that scourge started mere months ago here in London- will provide effective necessary organization and an epicentre of protest to this overdue worldwide non-violent demand for real systemic governmental change. Today, the list of truly populist national leaders is a rarity of decimal point proportions. This past month’s’ American backed and capitalist orchestrated horror show coup against newly re-elected Bolivian President Evo Morales well illustrates this in detail each and every day. Those who aspire to true leadership- like Morales- are demonized, marginalized and vilified- or overthrown- by Zio-Corporate interests and a complicit media that exists for the same purpose as Pinera and May and who have no interest whatsoever in populist democracy. Rather, today’s leaders of each of the purported international democracies- political, spiritual, and societal- are in reality a far-reaching sociopathic conspiracy cloaked within a very antiquated definition of “democracy” long ago dead and gone. These faux leaders are gladly willing to steal the livelihood of the many while defrauding all but themselves of any future prosperity, thus stealing the democratic apple once known as “Hope” and turning it, instead, into nothing more than a dangling carrot. Yet…they still want more! Throughout our ever more impoverished world, what these forces of non-stop austerity do not want, will never tolerate, and abhor to the base of their soulless drive for greed- ever – is resistance: A public resistance that becomes a rebellion and then sparks into revolution. This natural humanist cycle –now suffering under similar social conditions as seen today-has been repeated throughout history by humane civilian necessity when the proper conscience of man finally awakens to the vital need for personal or family liberation from…one’s own government! These “primal forces of nature, Mr Beale”?! Oh, how they detest Extinction Rebellion. For, it is THEM that we come for! As I stepped off the train at Paddington Station after a two-hour ride down to London, memories came to mind of arriving in Los Angeles, then New York, then Washington, D.C., in what seemed like aeons ago, but a mere eight years. Like tens of thousands of others back then whose backs had been broken by the last straw of capitalism, I had come to resist. The name of that resistance was called, “Occupy!” In those heady days, there was an optimism in the air and an understanding, like here this past few weeks at XR, that it was indeed the “system itself” that was-is-the problem, and that we could change it. Would change it. As documented in more than twenty articles from the Occupy camps at that time and recently encapsulated in, “The Day American Activism Died,” a nation rose to fix that endemic problem: to fix the system. Occupy provided a communal epicentre within scores of US towns for common collective protest. We did this so well- all of us– that Occupy was within 30 days of the first Occupy National Assembly and a potential move to a third political party. Better: A return to the proper definition of populist democracy too long ago forgotten. Then America’s new constitutional scholar president… he crushed it! That experience in becoming involved with Occupy on both coasts of America, now on this new day, left an indelible and sad memory of what might have been. So, while marching up the stairs of Charing Cross station in London, a city steeped in populist history that provided sanctuary to Marx and later Lenin and saw the powerful rise of the political epicentres of The Weavers and the Chartists who propagated social revolution in the time of the industrial revolution. Walking over to Trafalgar Square to join my new brethren at the main XR camp, as I tossed down my backpack- the same one as long before- I once again slowly straightened my spine, drew breath and looked about the camp; slowly turning 360 to carefully study this brand new epicentre of protest: it’s colours, it’s tents, its banners, its protesters chatting with impassioned gestures in small groups, the costumes; drummers beating skins, musicians playing and optimism dancing. Listening with just the right ears to these increasing winds of change, one could hear a special note so rarely heard: that perfect low rumbling pitch…a cadence? A march? Ever-increasing in its frequency, rising high across this XR camp, entwining with every part of it to create a sweet music that only a concert made of the full instruments of human protest can distil into a simple smile. Oh, it had been far, far, too long. So, so many memories roared back in once again before moistened eyes. But what had we learned? The world everywhere howls in protest. Worldwide, democracy is now merely oppression rebranded. The old fashioned definition is repeatedly dashed on the rocks of capitalist austerity while the cries of so many nations beg for release from the iron grip of America, IMF, World Bank, EU, and the docket of ever-greedy corporations and their prostitute politicians who provide them with the military support for their crimes. This has been witnessed just this past week in Chile, Guinea, Catalonia, Kashmir, Hong Kong, Honduras, Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, Pakistan, Gaza, Egypt, Lebanon, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and again on the Brexit stained streets here in London; where the same human condition has been squeezed- and squeezed– to rebellion. These protests are growing. They will not stop. Worldwide, the problem is now understood by far too many. Silence? Acquiescence? Obedience? No more. World protesters are now righteous in their individual causes and sacrifices. But, they all so far lack the one essential strength- the First Rule of Democracy– necessary to achieve real long-lasting change. So far, they resist alone. To win, all must come together. Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. Brett Redmayne-Titley has published over 180 in-depth articles over the past ten years for news agencies worldwide. Many have been translated and republished. On-scene reporting from important current events has led to his many multi-part exposes on such topics as the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, NATO summit, Keystone XL Pipeline, Porter Ranch Methane blow-out, Hizbullah in Lebanon, Erdogan’s Turkey and many more. He can be reached at: live-on-scene ((at)) gmx.com. Prior articles can be viewed at his archive: www.watchingromeburn.uk All images in this article are from the author | Brett Redmayne-Titley | https://www.globalresearch.ca/humane-obligation-conscience-extinction-rebellion-world-rebellion/5697732 | Sun, 15 Dec 2019 15:11:40 +0000 | 1,576,440,700 | 1,576,454,689 | society | social condition |
425,941 | pravadareport--2019-04-24--Americas choice a party of criminals or a party of cowards | 2019-04-24T00:00:00 | pravadareport | America's choice: a party of criminals or a party of cowards | If there is one unwritten, but immutable, law governing the world, it is that people advocating for social change, or even revolution, are automatically at a disadvantage. One reason is that those who uphold the status-quo are often also the ones profiting from it. Absent significant motivation, they are not about to yield even a modicum of power or privilege, regardless of how corrupt or unjust this status-quo might be. Those who advocate for change, on the other hand, might easily agree that such change is necessary, but vigorously disagree about how extensive it should be. During the civil rights struggles of the late 1960s, for example, more traditional activists contended that laws against discrimination, and more opportunities for racial minorities to gain employment in a capitalist society, was an adequate solution, while younger, more militant activists, argued that nothing short of revolution and the destruction of the capitalist system would suffice. Yet, even among these more militant activists, unity was hard to achieve. Questions arose about who should be included in this revolution. Some, for example, believed it was essential to include the working class, while others argued that America's working class was the same group that elected "law and order" candidate Richard Nixon to the presidency (twice!). Also, some revolutionaries, who followed traditional Marxist thinking, contended that no revolution could be successful without the right social conditions being in place. Others subscribed to Regis Debray's theory of focalism. Focalism utilized the traditional Leninist theory of vanguardism, which contended that it was essential for the most politically enlightened to educate the masses, through words and deeds, about the necessity for drastic social change, and by doing so they could ignite the desire for revolution where none had existed before. To support his theory, Debray explained how an initially small band of revolutionaries was able to defeat a numerically superior foe during the Cuban revolution. It could be argued, however, that perhaps the proper social conditions were in place in Cuba to make its revolution a success. This argument can be bolstered by the failure of Che Guevara's focalist efforts in Bolivia in 1967. One of the most interesting arguments Guevara proffered was that revolutions were not only a necessity to overthrow repressive dictatorships, but even essential in a democracy. Elections, in his view, were designed to placate the masses by providing the illusion of change without the reality of it. Perhaps the most important social condition necessary for any significant change to transpire is when a substantial number of people come to believe they have nothing to lose if they oppose the status-quo. In most dictatorships, where there are often mammoth income gaps between the wealthy and the poor, this desperation often comes easily. But most democracies, like the United States (even with its huge income disparities between the rich and poor), have managed to provide all but the most impoverished with enough material goods to make them afraid of losing them. An excellent example of this comes from a semi-biographical play written by the late, great Rod Serling. In one scene, the main character laments to his friend, "You know how they do it? They pay you $100,000 a year until you need that much to live on. Then you spend the rest of your life terrified they're going to take it away." It should also not be surprising that many of these material goods are diversionary in nature, designed to keep people so immersed in superficiality that they come to accept it as substance. Those who doubt this, just look around. People are glued to their telephones and other forms of social media. So-called "news" is inundated with celebrity gossip, and people are more aware of alleged (and usually artificially manufactured) feuds between the rich and famous than they are actual conflicts where the innocent are dying. People spend hours, even days, playing video games. And those who think the blacklisting of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was about his alleged "disrespect" for the flag, think again. Football is the ultimate diversion, with countless hours and dollars being spent watching and/or betting on games or participating in "fantasy" football leagues, not to mention a treasure-trove for advertisers. Kaepernick shattered this diversion by compelling unwilling people to face the reality of racial injustices that occur both inside and outside of America's legal system, something the social control mechanisms of American society would rather have people ignore. In 1994, a former employee of the State of Arkansas filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Democratic President Bill Clinton. In 1998, the Republican controlled House of Representatives decided that some of the statements Clinton had made in response to this lawsuit sufficiently arose to the "high crimes and misdemeanors" standard required by the United States Constitution, and they voted to impeach him on two charges: perjury and obstruction of justice. Fast forward to the coup of 2000, when a corruptly politicized United States Supreme Court appointed Republican George W. Bush president of the United States. Thanks to this appointment, the Bush administration did and/or sanctioned the following: Lied, in order to enrich their cronies in the oil and armaments industries, about Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction-a lie that resulted in the deaths of thousands of American soldiers, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and the destabilization of the region; advocated the use of torture, even the torture of American citizens; obliterated the Constitutional right to due process; and abused the material witness statutes. And this is only a partial list. But even though the Democratic party held a majority in both the House and Senate from 2007-2009, Bush's actions, in this party's eyes, did not meet the "high crimes and misdemeanor" criteria. Then followed Democratic President Barack Obama, and a weary world, sickened by the Bush years, awarded Obama the Nobel Peace Prize, despite the fact he had done nothing to deserve it, and, as his presidency progressed, even demonstrated he was completely unworthy of it. Through his lackey, then-Attorney General Eric Holder, Obama did everything in his power to not only ensure those who engaged in torture and war crimes during the Bush years went unpunished, both criminally and civilly, but even zealously prosecuted and imprisoned people who exposed these crimes. The result was that former torturers became law professors, federal judges, and one even heads the CIA-the very agency responsible for much of this torture. Yet, when the Republicans talked impeachment, not one of their alleged impeachable crimes dealt with Obama's coddling of torturers and war criminals. Now we have Republican Donald Trump, and a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. And once again this party's abject stench of cowardice is ubiquitous. Despite allegations in the now famous (or infamous) Mueller Report that Trump repeatedly attempted to obstruct justice, this still, according to the so-called "mainstream" Democrats, isn't enough to impeach him (even though it was sufficient enough for the Republicans to impeach Clinton), nor is the fact that Trump violated federal law by paying "hush money" during his campaign to silence women about sexual relationships he had with them. The principal excuse being cited for why Democrats are terrified to impeach Trump is that it could negatively impact Democratic candidates during the 2020 election. Yet the facts don't bear this out. First of all, the Republicans did not hesitate to impeach Clinton, even though it was politically unpopular to do so. According to a 1999 article on CNN.com, only "a third of the country" supported his impeachment, and more than 50% agreed with the Senate's ultimate decision to allow him to remain in office. In addition, as discussed above, Republican George W. Bush obtained office after Clinton. Although the machinations used to get him there were duplicitous, they never could have happened if the election had not been close. As also mentioned above, until the final two years of his time in office Bush enjoyed a Republican majority in one or both Houses of Congress, and Republicans also controlled one House of Congress during four of the eight years Obama was in office, and in his final two years they controlled both. In other words, the political fallout against Republicans for the impeachment of Clinton was negligible. And it should not be forgotten that Trump lost to Hillary Clinton by almost three million votes, winning only because of the anachronistic idiocy of the so-called "Electoral College." And, despite Mueller's assertion that no "collusion" took place between Trump and foreign governments to ensure his election, it has also been determined that bogus posts by foreign governments on social media sites were designed to help Trump garner votes. This determination has resulted in some of these sites pledging to be more proactive in preventing "fake news." So, the mainstream Democrats' excuse about the fear of political "repercussions" if they impeach Trump is specious at best, and gutless at worst. If you're asking why there was a discussion about the need for change, and perhaps even revolution, at the opening of this article, the answer is simple: Ever since the dawn of the new millennium, Americans, election after election, have trudged to the polls (if they bother to vote at all), to sheepishly vote for either the party of the criminals (Republicans) or the party of the cowards (Democrats). It's time for that to change, even if it takes a revolution to do it. | null | http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/142361-america/ | 2019-04-24 08:19:00+00:00 | 1,556,108,340 | 1,567,541,897 | society | social condition |
486,605 | slate--2019-01-23--The Next Step in MeToo Is for Men to Reckon With Their Male Fragility | 2019-01-23T00:00:00 | slate | The Next Step in #MeToo Is for Men to Reckon With Their Male Fragility | These are devastating times for survivors of sexual assault. It is devastating to live through the constant barrage of new accusations, and it is devastating to have witnessed a credibly accused man like Brett Kavanaugh elevated to the Supreme Court. It is also devastating to have lived through the 2016 election, when credible accusations of sexual misconduct and assault from numerous women did not prevent Donald Trump from becoming president. Progressives and feminists like me are enraged, perhaps especially, by the way we see conservatives defending serially accused men, such as Roy Moore, and assailing survivors, such as Christine Blasey Ford. Yet, if my own experiences of sexual abuse have taught me something, it is that liberals need to take a long look in the mirror before laying blame solely on the outdated patriarchal models overtly embraced by the right. Though the fierce opposition to female liberation from the right is well-known, progressives and feminists also need to demonstrate a willingness to address the unique challenges of misogyny and sexual abuse from men who claim, and maybe even fully believe, themselves to be feminists. Understanding the specific problems of addressing sexual abuse perpetrated by progressive men can unearth and explain some of the broader issues our society at large is facing when it comes to alleviating gender-based oppression more broadly. It’s also worth acknowledging that many women who are abused by men claiming to be feminists are particularly afraid to speak out. This is unsurprising—when we speak out, we are betraying “our” men. We will not win this struggle for gender liberation until we focus more on perpetrators, men, and masculinity rather than on survivors, women, and femininity, and in many cases that means holding “our” men accountable. We should not be afraid to accurately frame the problem—to change our language from “she was raped” to “he raped her.” One of the largest hurdles facing us as we struggle to dismantle gendered oppression is that it has thus far largely been considered the realm of women to understand and rectify. Men are often absent from conversations on gender because they are considered the default gender, and so rethinking these ideas is not deemed their work. But as increasing numbers of women have a voice in decision-making structures, and as the #MeToo movement has started to shift the ground, it is becoming impossible to ignore us. Men are now expected to catch up. We will not win this struggle for gender liberation until we focus more on perpetrators, men, and masculinity rather than on survivors, women, and femininity Unfortunately, as has happened with issues of race, the patriarchal forces in our society have largely reacted with defensiveness. The parallels to structural oppression on the basis of race are apparent when analyzing the central arguments Robin DiAngelo makes in her book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. The complicity of all white people in racial oppression stems from the systemic nature of white supremacy, in that it is collective and engineered into social machinery; this counters the long-held misconception that racism operates only at the individual level, in a conscious and intentional manner. This is the same framework we must apply to the gendered hierarchy—it is not enough for men to simply not abuse women just as it is not enough for white people not to be avowedly racist. All men, even the “good men,” must also recognize the structures that are in place to maintain male hegemony. These structures are still very much intact among progressives, where good men may be enabling the abuse of women even when they are not aware of it. Since the Harvey Weinstein news first broke in October 2017, we have read countless stories about sexual abuse. Many, if not most, of them focusing on the theme of power, yet the gendered aspect of sexual harassment—while often implicitly present in the discussions—is one that has been taboo to explicitly state. But neglecting gender-based explanations and analyses leaves us vulnerable to inaccurately identifying the critical male dimension of the problem. Progressives have an aversion to gender distinctions for many reasons—understandably because such distinctions have long been deployed to subjugate women and queer people. But this reluctance has led to stripping #MeToo of an explicitly gendered dimension and focusing solely on institutional hierarchies, where sexual harassment is regarded as primarily an issue of power imbalances in institutions. And yet, in an analysis devoid of gender, there is a blatant disregard to the structural power that men wield in society, especially straight white men. It’s essential for us to realize that even sexual liberation emerged within a social atmosphere of pervasive misogyny. It is often overlooked that men have long been sexually liberated with respect to women—perhaps too liberated—to the extent where a woman’s agency and refusal is regarded as another obstacle to eradicate. This is a gendered difference that has been baked into our legal system and our cultural understanding for centuries, and undoing this requires applying a critical gender lens to discussions pertaining to sex and power. Laws in the West previously sexually confined women, but now, even as women gain more sexual agency, slut shaming, a key facet of rape culture, enforces control over women’s sexual agency. It is time for us to place responsibility where it belongs—not on women’s sexuality and bodies but on the shoulders of men and masculinity. Culturally, men who are sexually proactive and successful in seducing large numbers of women are lauded, while women who do so are denounced and shamed. I remember a man once telling me that in his freshman year of high school, a girl performed oral sex on him, and somehow word spread. He said it was his best year of school, and her worst. The overwhelming evidence indicating a primarily one-sided flow of sexual violence and abuse from men toward women (and toward other men and nonbinary individuals) is also ignored if we factor gender out of the equation and focus solely on institutional hierarchy. This is not to say that women never perpetuate abuse, but it is possible for #MeToo to explicitly put an emphasis on female survivors of sexual abuse. #BlackLivesMatter provides a strong model for this approach, as a movement that emphasizes the oppression of one particular group—black people—through systemic police violence. Advocates for racial justice have provided many cogent rebuttals to “All Lives Matter” arguments that criticize the movement for focusing on black victims. These rebuttals provide a framework for #MeToo advocates to similarly emphasize the critical need for the movement to focus on the gendered dimension of the problem. This doesn’t mean there is no space for men to be allies to the movement, but it does mean that such allyship requires more reckoning than what this moment seems to allow. There is an additional layer of complexity to misogyny from feminist men: the dissonance between their conscious values and their subconscious absorption of misogyny. Similar to the internal conflict within conservative men between their values of sexual puritanism and their feelings of lust, some progressive men experience the disconnect between their avowed feminism and their internal sexual urges, often responding to social pressure, to sexually objectify women. As with the puritans, the progressive male rage is unleashed on women, and we are then resented by men for evoking these unethical urges within them. It is time for us to place responsibility where it belongs—not on women’s sexuality and bodies but on the shoulders of men and masculinity. In order to effect broad change, the key vehicle will be changing the toxic aspects of received masculinity, particularly through early interventions to prevent harm to another generation of children. As revealed by the ensuing controversy after the Gillette commercial, which challenged men to confront toxic masculinity within themselves and other men, these efforts will be met with fierce resistance and defensiveness. Patriarchy is fueled by “male fragility” in similar ways that white supremacy is maintained by “white fragility.” Men need to be part of the conversation on gender justice, but they must also be willing to investigate their own role in contributing to the oppression of women—even if it is unknowing. Process and policy remedies are also direly needed as we wade through the institutional and systemic minefield of hurdles women face when challenging sexual abuse and harassment. Law enforcement itself poses both difficulties and risks for survivors in the way sexual violence is currently handled, leaving many in fear of reporting such crimes. Reforming the judiciary and legislation to provide more equitable treatment to survivors, particularly those who are most marginalized, is critical to improving individual outcomes. Such reform also poses a challenge for progressives because the push for sexual accountability is often cast as oppositional to the call for due process, a cornerstone of progressive thought. The history of discomfort with prosecution resides in the traditional use of judicial and penal processes by the powerful to indict the weak, and modern-day liberal discomfort surrounding criminalization includes an additional desire to treat even perpetrators of heinous acts with humanity. These guiding principles are well-intentioned, but they fail to apply a nuanced consideration for sexual crimes against women. Sexual violence usually involves a more powerful perpetrator and a more vulnerable victim, upending the progressive assumption of universally powerless defendants. In cases of sexual harassment, the power advantage of the perpetrator to the victim is often overwhelming. Owing to these currents on the left, progressive feminists working to build a viable victims’ rights movement have sought alliances with conservatives in order to bring focus on the harm suffered by survivors of sexual violence. In an essay, “The Rise of the Victims’-Rights Movement,” historian Jill Lepore explores the relationship between the unlikely bedfellows, and concludes that some of the changes to the court system from this alliance are leading to tougher sentencing standards. Progressives should certainly evaluate the effects of survivor-centered advocacy on incarceration and punishment, but this must be weighed against the long history of women being denied justice. #MeToo is currently unfairly portrayed to be against due process. It is not—it instead attempts to acknowledge the anger and frustration at how long due process and justice have been denied to women both institutionally and culturally. The case of Cyntoia Brown highlights the continued complexity of these intersections. Brown, a victim of child sex trafficking and a woman of color, was 16 years old when she was sentenced to life in prison, for shooting a man who had solicited her for sex and taken her to his home. Recently, a court ruled that she must serve 51 years before she was eligible for release, a decision reversed in early January when she was given clemency. Brown will now be released in August, and her case shows a situation where the court believing her as a survivor of sexual abuse and exploitation led to a lighter sentence, running contrary to the framing where believing victims abets questionable prosecutions. Instances where women have killed their abusers—or those abusing their children—provide an important counterpoint to simplistic links between believing survivors and increased incarceration. These challenges are also present for survivors who are women of color in cases where the perpetrators of sexual harassment or violence are men of color. The white lens of the social left has traditionally favored denying woman of color justice rather than doing the messy work of grappling with issues of sexual misconduct and violence by men of color. This task is daunting because the system is already set up to disenfranchise men of color, as Lara Bazelon demonstrated in a recent New York Times op-ed explaining how the stricter standards for prosecuting sexual assault had resulted in a vast increase in men of color being imprisoned. Bazelon penned her support for recent changes to Title IX to adjust backward Obama-era reforms, partially based on consultations with “men’s rights activists” put forth by the Trump administration. These are certainly systemic problems, but it’s worth noting that they track onto our already established patriarchal hierarchies of power. Progressives—and especially white progressives—tend to erase the challenges women of color and trans women face in reporting sexual assault. Race also plays a key role in survivors being believed. Lena Dunham’s confession that she lied to discredit Aurora Perrineau—a black woman—to protect her friend and colleague Murray Miller—a white man—further exposes the racism women of color who speak out often face. Women of color and trans women will be disproportionately affected by obstacles for women to report sexual harassment and abuse. Marginalized women—lower income women, women of color, trans women—are prime targets for abusers, because we are less likely to be believed by authorities and institutions, less likely to be supported by the largely cis white rape survivor support networks, and less likely to be represented by plaintiff firms that consider their economic bottom lines when accounting for jury bias against marginalized women. We will not move forward until we understand that misogyny is something that is so embedded that it imbibes our own thinking and that of those men we love most dearly. There are also unique complications for survivors of abuse when the perpetrators are influential and visible progressive men. Since much of the labor and support for survivors is done in progressive circles, powerful progressive perpetrators often have deep personal ties to those involved in that realm and command respect and admiration from victims’ rights advocates. Survivors may thus experience fear, isolation, and rejection by those from whom they seek support, as often the personal loyalties of the traditional sources of support are with the perpetrators. Transgender women face the additional vector of exclusion because many of those activists who most deeply understand the issues of sexual harassment and rape do not even consider us women. Just as the broader social hierarchies present obstacles to justice, our interpersonal hierarchies do as well. Men we love and respect, in whom we want to believe, populate our worlds in ways no other oppressor group does. Every aspect of our interrelation with the world is entwined with having faith in the ties that surround us, from the bonds with our fathers to our fierce love for our sons. Not him, we want to think, especially when he is there in the trenches with us against the patriarchy. But it should not be considered a setback to the #MeToo movement when male allies face allegations of violence or misconduct. It is instead a potent reminder of how pervasive such toxic behaviors in fact are. None of this is to suggest that progressives are worse on gender justice than those on the right—clearly this is not the case. However, it goes to show how fraught the struggle for gender justice is and how grueling the fight for women’s liberation will be. The chains and shackles of misogyny encircle us all, we all have implicit biases, and we all exhibit “himpathy.” And we will not move forward until we understand that misogyny is something that is so embedded that it imbibes our own thinking and that those men we love most dearly, our sons, our partners, our fathers, are easily induced to oppress women by the prevailing forces of social conditioning. It is possibly all men, including men that we love. Women have long been advocating and organizing for our fundamental right to physical safety, largely without any concrete support and effort from men. As we continue on the laborious road to “taking back the night” and constructing a future without the blight of sexual violence, we should look to the men closest to us and ask more of them. Where necessary, we should hold them accountable, as difficult as it may seem. Men, including those we love, should understand that inaction from them makes them complicit in perpetuating a culture that is hostile and violent toward women. There should no longer be opportunities for men to remove themselves from our efforts, and we must insist that the men in our lives are active and introspective participants in our fight for gender liberation. After all, women’s and queer people’s liberation from patriarchal oppression is inextricably linked to freeing men from the bludgeons of toxic masculinity. None of us can be truly free unless all of us—women, men, and everyone in between—are. | null | https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/01/men-male-fragility-metoo-progress.html | 2019-01-23 21:23:03+00:00 | 1,548,296,583 | 1,567,551,126 | society | social condition |
495 | 21stcenturywire--2019-08-01--2020 Debate Tulsi Gabbard Takes Down Kamala Harris Twitter Censors Gabbard | 2019-08-01T00:00:00 | 21stcenturywire | 2020 Debate: Tulsi Gabbard Takes Down Kamala Harris – Twitter Censors Gabbard | The second installment of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate was held in Detroit last night, and appeared to be more energetic than the previous night, featuring numerous lively exchanges between candidates. Most notably, sparks flew between Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and California Senator Kamala Harris, as Gabbard attacked Harris’s problematic record on criminal justice as her state’s prosecutor and attorney general. “There are too many examples to cite, but she put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana,” said Gabbard said. Harris tried to rebuke Gabbard, but only received a second blow in return. Watch: During the entire first hour of the debate, CNN’s panel of ‘moderators’ actively avoided Gabbard allowing her to speak only once in the first 60 minutes of the contest, while favoring DNC favorites Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, both of who were given near unlimited time to talk and argue back and forth in lengthy exchanges. After the debate, CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Kamala Harris about the exchange with Gabbard, and Harris proceeded to unleash an ad hominem attack on the Hawaii Congresswoman, calling her “an apologist” for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Watch: Harris’ press secretary, Ian Sams, went on to label Gabbard’s supporters as part of a clandestine “the Russian propaganda machine.” Quickly falling into line behind the Democrat’s Russiagate conspiracy were mainstream journalists, including Wajahat Ali from the New York Times, immediately reacting by circulating xenophobic smears claiming that Gabbard’s trending popularity is part of some secret Russian plot: Not losing any time in manipulating public opinion for this US election, Silicon Valley gatekeepers at Twitter quickly moved to suppress Tulsi Gabbard from its US Trending topics – effectively erasing her from its US rankings of trending topics, although Gabbard was clearly visibly in their world rankings. This was more proof that self-styled technocrats at Twitter are in fact directly involved in election meddling and interference in the US: Despite Twitter’s best efforts to censor Gabbard, interest in her performance clearly dominated Google Trends in across the US: Recently Tulsi Gabbard filed a lawsuit against Google for censoring and erasing the Democratic candidate. Independent journalist Tom Luongo describes how Google acted to blunt interest in her campaign in the critical hours after the first democratic debate. He explains: The two main points of her lawsuit are: 1) suspending her Google Ad account for six hours while search traffic for her was spiking and 2) Gmail disproportionately junked her campaign emails. This represents an intervention into her ability to speak to voters and, as such, is a violation of not only her First Amendment rights but also, more critically, campaign finance law. | 21wire | https://21stcenturywire.com/2019/08/01/2020-debate-tulsi-gabbard-takes-down-kamala-harris-twitter-censors-gabbard/ | 2019-08-01 17:33:52+00:00 | 1,564,695,232 | 1,567,535,083 | politics | political process |
5,931 | activistpost--2019-11-08--Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov Suggests Killing Users Who “Insult Honour” Online | 2019-11-08T00:00:00 | activistpost | Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov Suggests Killing Users Who “Insult Honour” Online | Chechnya’s outspoken ruler Ramzan Kadyrov has publicly suggested the murder of his government’s critics online. During a government meeting about the development of small businesses on November 5, Kadyrov appeared to condone extrajudicial attacks on online critics, calling on youth organisations, law enforcement agencies, and the government to come together to name and shame such users. This is not unusual behaviour for Kadyrov, who has ruled the restive autonomous republic of one million in Russia’s North Caucasus since 2007. For several years, human rights defenders have consistently cited Chechnya as one of Russia’s most repressive regions, citing widespread torture, disappearances, and a complete intolerance of dissent. This makes Chechnya an extremely dangerous place for any kind of critical or investigative journalism; in 2017, the Russian journalist Elena Milasheva went into hiding after receiving death threats connected with her reporting on an ongoing crackdown against LGBT people in Chechnya. The most striking sentence in Kadyrov’s speech read: Initially, Kadyrov appeared to stress the legality of these threats, possibly referring to a law passed this year against “disrespect” to the authorities online. The Chechen leader added that “the law, constitution, and democracy are for the well-being of the people,” but warned that “all the rest are crooks, traitors, rabble-rousers, and schizophrenics of all stripes; we must stop them.” Ominously, Kadyrov warned that “if somebody insults honour, it is impossible to leave him alone, even if the whole world burns with a blue flame and the laws of all countries are violated.” Predicting a public outcry, Kadyrov complained that “now they’ll all say: ‘Ramzan said that somebody must be killed’ yet again.” His prediction was correct: Kadyrov’s words have been reported by both pro-Kremlin and independent media outlets, generating fierce criticism in the comments sections of both. Kadyrov’s speech was originally broadcast by CGTRK Grozny, a state-owned television channel close to Chechnya’s regional government. It only received wider attention after the BBC’s Russian service produced a video with Russian subtitles. Most of Kadyrov’s address to the regional government was in Chechen, with occasional phrases in Russian. That could be deliberate; the BBC has noted that Kadyrov is much more belligerent when speaking in Chechen. There are, after all, not many non-native Chechen speakers worldwide; this fact has led Russian government officials to claim that Kadyrov’s words were mistranslated. On November 7, Kadyrov’s press secretary Alvi Karimov told Interfax-News that BBC had not covered Kadyrov’s words objectively and that “their translator knows Chechen as well as I know Tahitian.” But other responses suggest that the translation was accurate; the same day, Chechnya’s ombudswoman for human rights Kheda Saratova remarked that while she could not support such words as a human rights defender, she sympathised with Kadyrov, who was fed up with being insulted online and made death threats simply for effect, in order to get his critics to be silent. But it’s possible that these words were not merely an outburst on the spur of the moment. In April, Kadyrov met with local media representatives and demanded that they step up the fight against “ideological attacks against Chechnya and Russia,” giving speaker of parliament Magomed Daudov and Akhmed Dudayev, the recently-appointed head of CGTRK Grozny, three months to show results. This also led to a wave of social media harassment against the popular exiled blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov, a Chechen Islamist video blogger living in exile whose Telegram channel is sharply critical of Kadyrov’s government. This has become a common response to prominent Chechen critics. As Kavkaz Realii, the North Caucasus service of RFE/RL, has reported, citing anonymous sources, the Chechen authorities have run a “troll factory” since at least 2017, whose employees register under Russian-sounding names to post support for Kadyrov online, giving the impression that his heavy handed rule has admirers across the rest of Russia. By October 2019, Dudayev declared that Kadyrov and Chechnya were victims of attempts at defamation from overseas, the battle against which would be aided by a full reorganisation of state media. In light of these efforts, it is no surprise that Kadyrov has made similar threats in the past. A similar incident occurred in June 2019, when a lingering territorial dispute between Chechnya and the neighbouring Russian republic of Dagestan flared up again. In this tense atmosphere, Kadyrov’s Instagram account (of which he is an avid user) was filled with critical and sometimes offensive comments from Dagestani users. Kadyrov was indignant, and recorded a video on June 11 in which he said that he had “brotherly respect” to Dagestanis and fellow Chechens, the security services were watching such behaviour online: This was no bluster; it appears that Chechnya’s authorities closely follow the mood on social media. In fact, they have an extensive history of publicly humiliating Chechens live on television for any kind of criticism or dissent, including that expressed on social media. On February 1, a man named Musa Susayev apologised on television for sharing an anonymous message on WhatsApp criticising the conduct of Chechnya’s gas company. On July 27, 16-year old Magomed Akhmatov had to repent live on air in a conversation with Chechnya’s chief mufti Salah Mezhiyev, which was broadcast by GTRK Grozny, saying that he was “deceived by people who care nothing for me,” and “apologised before the entire Chechen people.” In September, the brothers Adam and Magomed Ismayilov were made to apologise publicly to local officials on television for leaving comments on social media speculating about the origin of the funds for a large new mosque in the city of Shali. But across the rest of Russia, these statements are received with deep unease. At a time when charges of “extremism” have been brought against protesters such as Yegor Zhukov for much, much less, a widely shared impression across the RuNet is that Chechnya’s ruler is a law unto himself. This is probably why Russia’s presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently dismissed the idea that the Kremlin would call Kadyrov to account for his words: | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/11/chechen-leader-ramzan-kadyrov-suggests-killing-users-who-insult-honour-online.html | Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:40:01 +0000 | 1,573,249,201 | 1,573,258,056 | politics | political process |
8,315 | aljazeera--2019-01-17--May searching for Brexit plan B by reaching out to opposition | 2019-01-17T00:00:00 | aljazeera | May searching for Brexit 'plan B' by reaching out to opposition | British Prime Minister Theresa May is reaching out to opposition parties and other legislators in a battle to keep Brexit on track after surviving a no-confidence vote. European Union countries are also debating on how to move forward now that the UK Parliament has rejected May's Brexit deal with the bloc and with the March 29 exit date looming. Parliament overwhelmingly rejected the deal on Tuesday night, in a crushing defeat for May. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn immediately called for a no-confidence vote, but May's government narrowly survived it on Wednesday night. May invited opposition leaders for talks about how best to avoid leaving the EU without an agreement. But Corbyn has so far declined to meet with May unless she takes the "no-deal" possibility off the table. EU countries have generally reacted to the Brexit political crisis unfolding in the UK by putting the onus on the British government and its legislators to decide what they want to do. Some British legislators want May to call for an extension of negotiations with the EU and postpone the March 29 deadline to leave the bloc, while others are lobbying for a second Brexit referendum. The prime minister has so far rejected those options. France's prime minister is holding a special government meeting on Thursday on how his country will cope with a possible no-deal Brexit. The French parliament adopted a law on Wednesday allowing emergency measures after March 30 in the event Britain leaves without a deal. Such measures could aim to reduce problems in cross-border trade and transport, notably through the Eurotunnel beneath the English Channel, and allow British workers and retirees based in France temporary permission to stay until a longer-term deal is worked out. EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was expected in Lisbon, Portugal, where he was due to meet local officials and give a news conference on Thursday. Barnier said Wednesday in Strasbourg he was more concerned than ever about the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without an agreement. If May fails to forge consensus, the world's fifth largest economy will drop out of the EU on March 29 without a deal or will be forced to halt Brexit, possibly holding a national election or even another referendum. May has repeatedly refused to countenance another election and has warned that another referendum would be corrosive as it would undermine faith in democracy among the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum. "I believe it is my duty to deliver on the British people's instruction to leave the European Union. And I intend to do so," May said outside Downing Street in an attempt to address voters directly. "I am inviting MPs from all parties to come together to find a way forward," May said. "This is now the time to put self-interest aside." As the United Kingdom tumbles towards its biggest political and economic move since World War II, other members of the EU have offered to talk though they can do little until London decides what it wants out of Brexit. Yet ever since the UK voted by 52-48 percent to leave the EU in June 2016, British politicians have failed to find agreement on how or even whether to leave the EU. In a sign of just how hard May's task may be, the main opposition leader, Corbyn, refused to hold talks unless a no-deal Brexit was ruled out. "Before there can be any positive discussions about the way forward, the government must remove clearly, once and for all, the prospect of the catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit from the EU and all the chaos that would come as a result of that," he said. But the further May moves towards softening Brexit, the more she alienates dedicated Brexiteers in her own party who think the threat of a no-deal Brexit is a crucial bargaining chip. Without a deal, trade with the EU would then default to basic World Trade Organization rules. Company chiefs are aghast at the political crisis over Brexit and say it has already damaged Britain's reputation as Europe's pre-eminent destination for foreign investment. From Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel to Scottish whisky distillers, firms have called for urgent and decisive government action and warned of the consequences of a no-deal Brexit. "If anybody believes that you can just go ahead without some sort of an agreement here, I think that that is reckless," said John Bason, finance chief of Associated British Foods, the food and retail group which has sales of over $20bn. "The UK's food supply generally is dependent on the free flowing-border," Bason said. Labour wants a permanent customs union with the EU, a close relationship with its single market and greater protections for workers and consumers. But the chairman of May's Conservative party, Brandon Lewis, said on Thursday that Britain should not stay in the current customs union because striking international trade deals after Brexit is a priority. He said senior ministers would meet colleagues from across the House of Commons, Britain's lower house of parliament, on Thursday. The Times newspaper said both remaining in a full customs union with the EU and delaying Brexit through an extension of Article 50 would be discussed at meetings between the government and legislators. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday a delay to Brexit was now inevitable, adding that leaving the EU without a deal would inflict profound economic damage on the UK. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/searching-brexit-plan-reaching-opposition-190117090348786.html | 2019-01-17 09:33:09+00:00 | 1,547,735,589 | 1,567,552,072 | politics | political process |
12,818 | aljazeera--2019-05-06--Israel and Gaza reach ceasefire agreement amid tense calm | 2019-05-06T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Israel and Gaza reach ceasefire agreement amid tense calm | Palestinian officials say a ceasefire agreement has been reached with Israel to end a surge of violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel that has led to the deaths of at least 25 Palestinians and four Israelis. Gaza officials confirmed to Al Jazeera that a deal was reached at 1:30 GMT, and no Israeli air raids on the Palestinian territory have been reported since the deal came into effect. The officials said Egypt and Qatar helped mediate an end to days of attacks between Gaza and Israel. There was no confirmation from the Israeli side. However, the Israeli army early on Monday lifted all protective restrictions imposed near the Gaza area during the weekend's flare-up. The Home Front Command instructed residents of the south to return to their routines. The Israeli Transportation Ministry announced that all public bus routes in the south would return to full and normal operation. The railway line between the cities of Ashkelon and Beersheba was also set to resume later in the morning. An Islamic Jihad official, on condition of anonymity, said the truce agreement was based on Israel easing its blockade of the Gaza Strip. Among the steps, he said, were the easing of limits on the fishing zone to 12 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza and improvements in Gaza's electricity and fuel situation. An Egyptian official also confirmed the deal on condition of anonymity. The prime minister of the occupied West Bank-based Palestinian Authority government Mohammed Shtayyeh said on Monday that the government welcomed "any effort for a ceasefire, especially the Egyptian efforts." "We are hoping that this will lead to an end to the tragedy against our people and preserve their lives," he said, speaking at a government meeting in the city of Ramallah. Shtayyeh called on the United Nations to stop Israeli aggression against Palestine and to provide international support for its people in the Gaza Strip. The flare-up was the most serious clash between the two sides since a spate of fighting in November. Rocket sirens in southern Israel, which had gone off continuously over the weekend, sending residents running for cover, were quiet for a few hours straight before dawn on Monday. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered "massive strikes" on the Gaza Strip after a two-day escalation in which Israeli warplanes and gunboats targeted Gaza as fighters in the besieged enclave fired a barrage of rockets into southern Israel. A 34-year-old Hamas commander was killed on Sunday in what the Israeli military described as a targeted strike. An army statement accused Hamad al-Khodori of "transferring large sums of money" from Iran to armed factions in Gaza. Other Palestinian victims included two pregnant women and two infants. In Beit Lahiya, a town in the northern Gaza Strip, an Israeli air raid hit a residential building, killing a four-month-old baby and her father. A 12-year-old boy, Abdelrahman Abu al-Jadyan, was also killed in the same attack. The bodies of his parents, Talal and Raghda, were recovered under the rubble on Monday, bringing the death toll in the Gaza Strip to 25 killed. In the Israeli city of Ashkelon, a 58-year-old Israeli man was killed after being struck by shrapnel from a rocket attack. Two other Israelis, critically wounded in a separate rocket attack on a factory on Sunday afternoon, later died. Around two million Palestinians live in Gaza, the economy of which has suffered years of Israeli and Egyptian blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts and sanctions by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas' West Bank-based rival. Israel said its blockade was necessary to stop weapons reaching Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since the group seized control of Gaza in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew its settlers and troops from the area. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/palestinians-truce-reached-israel-vowed-massive-strikes-190506022134617.html | 2019-05-06 11:36:24+00:00 | 1,557,156,984 | 1,567,541,049 | politics | political process |
75,902 | breitbart--2019-11-18--Grand Valley State University Kills Pledge of Allegiance Tradition | 2019-11-18T00:00:00 | breitbart | Grand Valley State University Kills Pledge of Allegiance Tradition | Students at Grand Valley State University in Michigan voted last week to stop reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at student government meetings over concerns that it is discriminatory and oppressive. According to a report by The College Fix, Grand Valley State University students voted last week to end their tradition of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before student government meetings. Student activists argued that the pledge was oppressive and discriminatory against international students. The students voted last week 22-10 in favor of the Pledge ban. Dorian Thompson, a student senator at Grand Valley State University, told The College Fix that student government members made a strong push to end the tradition. “The arguments to remove it were to create an inclusive environment, that it represented an oppressive government, and that there are international students that we should be representing,” Thompson said in a short comment. “Of course our country doesn’t have the brightest past with human rights issues, but with liberty and justice for all, that says right there no matter what interesting times we are in we will always rise above it and go forward and not backwards,” Thompson added. Thompson claims that he will fight to reinstate the Pledge of Allegiance tradition at Grand Valley State University. In a Facebook post, Thompson wrote that “the fight” to defend the pledge “is not over.” “[M]ake this no mistake, the fight is not over,” Thompson wrote on Facebook. “No matter if I continue to serve on this body or decide that they do not represent my values and leave, I will do everything in my power to fight this disgraceful act. God bless our flag, and may God bless our great country.” Breitbart News reported in September that the student government at the University of Oklahoma made a similar decision to end their Pledge of Allegiance tradition. A resolution before the student government made the case that the pledge was incompatible with the First Amendment. The student government voted 15-11 in favor of the resolution. | Tom Ciccotta | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/0vCivlZ3gCk/ | Mon, 18 Nov 2019 22:23:58 +0000 | 1,574,133,838 | 1,574,122,100 | politics | political process |
106,565 | cnn--2019-09-08--Trump says he canceled secret Camp David meeting with Taliban leaders | 2019-09-08T00:00:00 | cnn | Trump says he canceled secret Camp David meeting with Taliban leaders | (CNN) President Donald Trump said Saturday that Taliban leaders were to travel to the US for secret peace talks this weekend but that the meeting has been canceled and he's called off peace talks with the militant group entirely. Trump tweeted that he scrapped the meeting after the Taliban took credit for an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed a dozen people, including an American soldier Inviting Taliban leaders onto American soil is an unprecedented move and a significant development in America's longest running war just days from the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It comes after Trump said as recently as late last month that he is planning to withdraw thousands of US forces from Afghanistan but will keep 8,600 troops in the country at least for the time being. It's not clear if Trump's Saturday night announcement will impact that plan. "Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday," Trump tweeted Saturday night. Trump claimed that before traveling to the US on Saturday evening, "Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to......an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers, and 11 other people." "I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations," Trump added. CNN military analyst John Kirby, a retired Navy rear admiral and former State Department and Pentagon spokesman, called the news "stunning," saying this would give the Taliban "a boost of political legitimacy that they don't deserve at this stage in negotiations and would be a huge propaganda victory for them, not to mention a slap at the Afghan government and President Ghani." The President slammed the leaders for thinking that the attacks would improve their negotiating position. The State Department referred CNN to the White House for comment. The US National Security Council did not respond to request for comment. The Afghanistan government blamed the Taliban for the canceled peace talks, saying the group's "obstinacy to increase violence against Afghans" is the "main obstacle" to peace negotiations. "We have consistently stressed that genuine peace is possible when the Taliban stop the killing of Afghans, embrace an inclusive ceasefire, and enter into direct negotiations with the Afghan government," the government said in a statement. The insurgent group has not halted its campaign of violence as the peace talks with the US have taken place but Thursday's killing of an American when a deal was reportedly close appears to have prompted the dramatic move from the President. The Afghan government did not push for the cancellation of the meeting at Camp David after the Taliban attack this week, it was a decision by the White House and the State Department, according to a source familiar with the planning. Despite Trump saying in his tweet Saturday that peace negotiations are called off, new dates are being discussed by the White House for a potential meeting with the Taliban and the Afghan government, the source says. It's unclear if the Taliban will have to make hard and fast commitments before the meeting or if Trump is using the cancellation and rescheduling simply as a negotiating tactic. The US troop withdrawals could mark the beginning of the conflict triggered by 9/11 that has cost billions in taxpayer dollars and claimed more than 2,300 American lives. In his tweets, Trump cast doubt on the leaders' bargaining abilities in light of the killings. Earlier this week CNN was told by a source informed on the matter that the State Department and the National Security Council were working on scheduling a US-Afghan government meeting as well as a US-Taliban meeting on US soil, though the location was never explicitly stated. Afghanistan wanted it sooner rather than later, but the US side was looking at the middle of this month as the most likely date. Trump was involved in the planning personally, hoping that it would come to fruition in the coming week, the source said. He got personally attached to the outcome and the logistics of the talks after meeting with top advisers about the Afghan peace process in August. Before that, US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had been given a long leash to do the negotiating to bring all parties -- including the Taliban -- to an agreement. A source familiar with details of the meeting told CNN the plan had been for Trump to meet separately with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and with the Taliban's chief negotiator, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. If Trump's meetings had gone well, the hope was to convince the two Afghans to meet face to face. The stakes were high, according to the source, because it would have been politically toxic for Mullah Baradar to meet with Ghani. The Taliban negotiator is not authorized to talk to the Afghan government. The Afghan government had for months been frustrated that they had not been invited to Washington by Trump during his first two and a half years in office. Afghan officials had planned to come last year right after UN General Assembly meeting but the trip fell apart because the timing did not work out, and the Trump administration canceled the visit. Trump's announcement Saturday comes as the US and the Taliban appeared to be close to finalizing a peace deal. Khalilzad returned to Doha, Qatar, this week to resume talks with the Taliban. Khalilzad had told Afghanistan's TOLOnews on Monday that the US and the Taliban have reached an agreement "in principle," pending final approval by Trump. Khalilzad said that based on the draft agreement, the US would pull troops from five bases across Afghanistan within 135 days so long as the Taliban met conditions set out in the agreement. The US currently has about 14,000 service members in Afghanistan, alongside NATO troops, helping to train and advise Afghan troops and conducting counterterrorism operations. This story has been updated with additional developments Saturday. | Caroline Kelly | http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/vRa9k2Yyqak/index.html | 2019-09-08 13:04:19+00:00 | 1,567,962,259 | 1,569,330,816 | politics | political process |
110,217 | cnsnews--2019-02-13--Radical Green New Deal Coming to a Community Near You | 2019-02-13T00:00:00 | cnsnews | Radical ‘Green New Deal’ – Coming to a Community Near You | Politicians in Washington are often immersed in endless political fights with little regard for the impact of the policies they are actually fighting over. We see this with taxes, regulations, spending, trade and other issues. The decisions they make often have unforeseen consequences in communities and small towns. This week, the left’s new rising star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and her allies, introduced their far-reaching radical “Green New Deal.” These ideas are not only being discussed in Washington, but they are actually well under way and causing great debate and conflict in many communities throughout the United States. In New York, Governor Cuomo and his green energy bureaucrats have imposed mandates to reduce carbon emissions. Appealingly entitled Clean Energy Standards (CES), these mandates call for over 50 percent of the state's utilities to generate electricity through renewable sources by 2030. In addition, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order mandating over 2,000 megawatts of energy be generated, also by 2030, using offshore wind. How is all of this being paid for you might ask. Well, by the same folks who always pay – you, the taxpayer. Indeed, to fund the CES, New Yorkers will pay an increase of $3.6 billion in electricity costs according to a report by Continental Economics. That’s just to get things going. By 2050, New Yorkers will be subsidizing Cuomo’s green new deal to a tune of over one trillion dollars, “providing scant, if any, measurable benefits” the report states. Footnote: U.S. per person CO2 emissions have declined to their lowest levels in over six decades. The U.S. Energy Administration reports that from 2005-2017 U.S. energy related emissions are down 14 percent. But it’s not just about the numbers, the money and the costs. There is tremendous environmental and community impact experienced by the deployment of green energy. Utility scale solar facilities, not built in the desert, require destruction of the land – trees and farms – and they can permanently alter the character of the community. There is additional risk from muddy runoff, which can impact roads, streams and tributaries. Water is needed for cleaning the panels so solar companies often have to tap into water sources impacting local wells and aquifers. If decommissioning is not handled appropriately, when their use is complete, these solar fields can be left to rot causing additional environmental damage, waste of land and taxpayers being left to pay the clean-up costs. Solar and wind facilities, largely propped up by taxpayers’ subsidies, are causing environmental damage and community conflict. But local citizens going about their daily grind are never told or warned about these troubles. Rather, they are told to be proud that a green energy project is coming to a community near you. But in some communities, the people impacted, and the taxpayers being forced to pay for these projects, are standing up and voicing concerns about the damage they can cause. Residents in Spotsylvania, Virginia, for example, are pushing back against what would be the largest utility scale solar complex east of the Mississippi, covering over 6,000 acres – that’s half the size of Manhattan. It would be the fifth largest solar facility in the U.S. and the twelfth largest in the world. This large, not so green, facility is part of embattled and controversial Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s version of the green new deal. Local citizens have formed citizens groups. Large numbers of citizens are attending local government meetings and voicing their concerns. This all proves, once again, that if we are going to fight the not-so-good deals emanating from Washington and some state capitals, citizen activism is critical. Because while all of this sounds and feels good to the politicians, someone has to live with the consequences. Ken Blackwell is former Mayor of Cincinnati, Secretary of State of Ohio and former Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. | Ken Blackwell | https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/ken-blackwell/radical-green-new-deal-coming-community-near-you | 2019-02-13 15:42:14+00:00 | 1,550,090,534 | 1,567,548,632 | politics | political process |
136,977 | dailystormer--2019-01-13--President Trump Says He Didnt Do a Conspiracy at Helsinki Putin Meeting Talked About Saving Israe | 2019-01-13T00:00:00 | dailystormer | President Trump Says He Didn’t Do a Conspiracy at Helsinki Putin Meeting – Talked About Saving Israel Instead | President Trump Says He Didn’t Do a Conspiracy at Helsinki Putin Meeting – Talked About Saving Israel Instead I wish so badly that everything could stop being about the filthy goddamned Jews. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would be willing to release the details of his private conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last summer. “I would. I don’t care,” Trump told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro in a phone interview, adding: “I’m not keeping anything under wraps. I couldn’t care less.” The president’s remarks came hours after a report by The Washington Post stating that Trump “has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details” of his talks with Putin. The Post also reported that there is no detailed record of Trump’s interactions with Putin at five locations over the past two years, according to U.S. officials. The president referred to his roughly two-hour dialogue with Putin in Helsinki — at which only the leaders and their translators were present — as “a great conversation” that included discussions about “securing Israel and lots of other things.” What does this man not get? Mr. President: the Jews are not going to get off of your back in any situation. There is no situation where that will happen. Domestically, they don’t care what you do for Israel, because any Democrat will do more. In Israel, maybe Netanyahu thought you were going to do something for him more than the Iran deal pullout, but after the withdrawal from Syria, he doesn’t think that anymore. You are not going to get out of anything by appealing to Jews. It will not work. There are no Jewish allies. Even the most hardcore Zionists – at least those with any influence – would prefer a Democrat. You know who else they would prefer? There is no path around the Jews, Mr. President. You have to go through them. “I had a conversation like every president does,” Trump said Saturday. “You sit with the president of various countries. I do it with all countries.” House Republicans in July quashed an attempt by Democratic lawmakers to subpoena Trump’s interpreter in Helsinki. “The Washington Post is almost as bad, or probably as bad, as the New York Times,” Trump said. The New York Times on Friday reported that the FBI opened an inquiry focused on whether Trump was a national security threat to his own country shortly after he fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. Asked by Pirro if he’d ever worked on behalf of Russia, Trump did not directly answer the question, calling the Times’ report “insulting.” I’m sure that he’s covering up a conspiracy with Russia, after all these years, after all of this spying, it’s been hidden in plain sight all along: he did the conspiracy at an official government meeting. Oh, and at a random meeting with an irrelevant lawyer, where nothing actually happened. Maybe also when his National Security Advisor called the ambassador… at the behest of Jared Kushner… to talk about Israel. Maybe even if it wasn’t real before, it has become real because the media has talked about it so much. Maybe reality is influenced by belief, and if the media is able to make enough people believe that Trump is a KGB shill, reality will shift, the past will change and it will become true. Maybe that’s what the media has been working on this entire time. Or perhaps Robert Mueller is a pedophile who is possessed by demonic creatures from another dimension that give him the ability to mold the fabric of reality. Maybe that is why he was tapped to run the Special Counsel. Maybe he used to keep these demonic entities in check by using experimental drugs from a Chinese company, and before he was appointed, the Jews bought the company and told him that they would only give him the drugs if he used his otherworldly satanic abilities to make it so Trump only won the presidency through Russian internet Facebook meme conspiracy that he planned with Vladimir Putin, and which he discussed the outcome of at an official meeting he had under the guise of discussing the security of the Jews. Perhaps this is all linked to experiments at CERN to open a portal into the demonic realm, to overcome the nature of time and reality itself with evil power, to reshape the world in the image of that which has been promoted by the media. This ongoing Russian conspiracy theory certainly overlaps with the dawn of the age of the tranny, which speaks to that particular theory. It’s possible that the past is being manipulated through a series of mass-consciousness-related meddling using both satanic powers and technological instruments in order to create a new reality wherein Donald Trump is a KGB shill, hellbent on something something something Russia. Or perhaps… perhaps the entire thing is simply a gigantic hoax. | Andrew Anglin | https://dailystormer.name/president-trump-says-he-didnt-do-a-conspiracy-at-helsinki-putin-meeting-talked-about-saving-israel-instead/ | 2019-01-13 05:10:11+00:00 | 1,547,374,211 | 1,567,552,715 | politics | political process |
167,048 | eveningstandard--2019-03-11--Theresa May arrives in Strasbourg for last-ditch Brexit talks with Jean-Claude Juncker | 2019-03-11T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Theresa May arrives in Strasbourg for last-ditch Brexit talks with Jean-Claude Juncker | Theresa May touched down in Strasbourg tonight for last-minute Brexit talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and other EU leaders. The Prime Minister's meeting was confirmed by Downing Street on Monday evening. It will be Mrs May's final throw of the dice ahead of Tuesday's Commons vote on her Withdrawal Agreement. The talks with Mr Juncker will be one last opportunity to secure legal assurances on the Irish backstop - and in doing so secure the vital support of hardline Tory Brexiteers and the DUP. Ministers in the Irish cabinet were also summoned to an emergency government meeting on Brexit. The Irish premier, Leo Varadkar, who was due to begin his journey to the US for St Patrick's Day, returned from Dublin airport and was brought back to government buildings for the cabinet briefing. A government source confirmed the hastily-arranged meeting took place at 7pm on Monday night. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliment's Brexit coordinator, confirmed he and EP president Antonio Tajani will also meet Theresa May tonight. He tweeted: "Meeting with @theresa-may & @EP-President tonight. I hope progress can be made, if it is possible, as a no deal £Brexit would be a catastrophe. We will stand by Ireland & the need to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement." One of those Tory Brexiteers, Iain Duncan Smith, responded to the news by telling the BBC "I think they are reaching the point where they are about to have some kind of agreement". However, he added his support - and that of the influential European Research Group - would be dependent on the verdict of its "group of legal people" which will pore over any proposal coming out of Strasbourg. A statement to the Commons by Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay has been put back to about 10pm as a result of Mrs May's talks. The negotiations are a boost for Number 10 after Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, said earlier on Monday there would be no more high-level backstop talks. Mr Barnier had claimed the only talks that mattered were “between the Government in London and the Parliament in London”. Mrs May had earlier ducked a demand from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to update the House of Commons on the progress of negotiations, sending Brexit minister Robin Walker to respond to his urgent question in her place. If her deal is defeated on Tuesday, MPs will then vote on Wednesday whether to support a no-deal Brexit. If a no-deal Brexit is rejected, members will get a vote on Thursday on requesting an extension to Article 50 and delaying EU withdrawal. | James Morris | https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-may-dashes-to-strasbourg-for-lastditch-brexit-talks-with-jeanclaude-juncker-a4088741.html | 2019-03-11 17:28:00+00:00 | 1,552,339,680 | 1,567,546,696 | politics | political process |
197,879 | fortruss--2019-01-07--Trump a Puppet of Israel Is Washington About to Recognize Israeli Occupation of Syrias Golan Heigh | 2019-01-07T00:00:00 | fortruss | Trump a Puppet of Israel? Is Washington About to Recognize Israeli Occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights | US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering press statements prior to an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN Trump a Puppet of Israel? Is Washington About to Recognize Israeli Occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers it very important that the United States and the international community recognize Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights. Netanyahu wants Washington to recognize Israel’s sovereignty in the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory occupied by Israel, as compensation for the withdrawal of US troops from Syria. The Israeli prime minister expressed his desire during a meeting with Donald Trump’s National Security adviser, John Bolton. The Israeli government leader sent a letter to the White House requesting recognition, plus he transmitted a petition to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Noting that last week they met in Brazil, according to Israeli media. During the meeting with Bolton, the Israeli prime minister thanked him for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and thanked him for US sanctions against Iran and support received by the Americans. Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will continue to confront Iran’s military activities in Syria. “Our position is clear. We will continue to act against the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, including at present, and we will act against any element that undermines, or attempts to undermine, the security of Israel,” Netanyahu told a government meeting as quoted on your official Twitter account. The prime minister further added that he had plans to discuss a number of issues with the US national security adviser, John Bolton, on Sunday. “This evening I will meet with US National Security Adviser John Bolton. I will discuss with him the efforts to block the Iranian aggression in our region, the situation in Syria in continuation of both President Trump’s decision and the conversation I had with President Putin last Friday, and the deepening of intelligence and operational cooperation between Israel and the US, which is becoming closer all the time,” Netanyahu said. In December, US President Donald Trump said US forces would leave Syria as Daesh would be defeated. The terrorist group was banned from Russian territory. | Paul Antonopoulos | https://www.fort-russ.com/2019/01/trump-a-puppet-of-israel-is-washington-about-to-recognize-israeli-occupation-of-syrias-golan-heights/ | 2019-01-07 15:31:05+00:00 | 1,546,893,065 | 1,567,553,667 | politics | political process |
3,978 | activistpost--2019-02-07--The US Faces A Catastrophic Food Supply Crisis In America As Farmers Struggle | 2019-02-07T00:00:00 | activistpost | The U.S. Faces A Catastrophic Food Supply Crisis In America As Farmers Struggle | American farmers are battling several issues when it comes to producing our food. Regulated low prices, tariffs, and the inability to export have all cut into the salaries of farmers. They are officially in crisis mode, just like the United States’ food supply. “The farm economy’s in pretty tough shape,” said John Newton, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. “When you look out on the horizon of things to come, you start to see some cracks.” Average farm income has fallen to near 15-year lows under president Donald Trump’s policies; and in some areas of the country, farm bankruptcies are soaring. And with slightly higher interest rates, many don’t see borrowing more money as an option. “A lot of farmers are going to give the president the benefit of the doubt, and have to date. But the longer the trade war goes on, the more that dynamic changes,” said Brian Kuehl, executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, according to Politico. With no end to the disastrous trade war in sight, many farmers have traveled to Washington to share their plights with the president himself hoping that he’ll end the trade war that’s exacerbating an already precarious food crisis. Farmers make up a fairly large chunk of president Trump’s base, and an unwillingness to put food production in the United States first could be detrimental for Trump reelection chances in 2020. It could also be the beginning of a catastrophic food shortage. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis warned back in November of rising Chapter 12 bankruptcies used by family farmers to restructure massive amounts of debt. The Fed said that the strain of low commodity prices “is starting to show up not just in bottom-line profitability, but in simple viability.” The increase in bankruptcies was driven by woes in Wisconsin’s dairy sector, which shrunk by about 1,200 operations, or 13 percent, from 2016 to October 2018. “You’ve had farms that have gone out of business, that have gone bankrupt because of this trade war,” said Kuehl of Farmers for Free Trade. “There’s a lot of farmers going through tough conversations right now with their lenders.” And so far, the government’s solution to the problem they created is to give more welfare to farmers, placing the burden on the backs of taxpayers. As the government continues to pass the burden onto others while destroying the food industry, things could very well reach apocalyptic levels. Nothing will see this country spiral into complete disarray like a lack of food. Alarmingly, scientists have already said that the global food supply system is broken. To put it simply, government interference in the agriculture industry is responsible for the food crisis we all are about to face. Click here to subscribe: Join over one million monthly readers and receive breaking news, strategies, ideas and commentary. You can read more from Mac Slavo at his site SHTFplan.com | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/02/the-u-s-faces-a-catastrophic-food-supply-crisis-in-america-as-farmers-struggle.html | 2019-02-07 16:35:41+00:00 | 1,549,575,341 | 1,567,549,269 | economy, business and finance | economic sector |
5,279 | activistpost--2019-08-14--5 Sectors of The US Economy That Are In Decline | 2019-08-14T00:00:00 | activistpost | 5 Sectors of The U.S. Economy That Are In Decline | As regular readers of this site are probably well aware, it often feels like we are living in parallel worlds when it comes to media coverage of just about anything. This is extremely evident in the economy. In a game of numbers, one would think that there would be much more obvious agreement about the conclusions we can draw from economic data. Nothing could be further from the truth, as on one end we are given persistently buoyant optimism from the Wall Street stock-market crowd; and signs of imminent economic end-times on the other extreme side of the spectrum. However, for anyone who spends even a small amount of time on Main Street, the realities tend to be much more obvious — consumer debt is at an all-time high, bankruptcies are surging, and more than half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Let’s look at which areas of the U.S. economy have achieved some consensus in the determination that all might not be well. Get your silver, get your gold, get your cryptocurrency, get your term insurance, get your prepping gear and get your critical thinking caps on to at least hedge yourself against these areas of the economy that are experiencing turbulence. Retail — Speaking of life on Main Street, perhaps this one is the most obvious to each of us. It seems like a “Retail Apocalypse” has been accepted as an apt catch phrase that reflects empty malls and disappearing mom-and-pops. It even has its own Wikipedia entry. Some pundits have argued that “retail apocalypse” is a misnomer and is instead just a reflection of our modern shift away from brick-and-mortar establishments and over to an online economy. Nevertheless, there is a lot of physical space now left behind. Washington Post recently reported that 75,000 more stores could soon be added to the many thousands of those that already have shuttered — and they are some of the biggest names in retail. Banking — Even beyond Main Street, the upper echelons of the finance world do not seem to be immune … at least when currency wars, trade wars, political instability and outright corruption become part of the operating expenses. Just last week it was announced that big banks are having big troubles — HSBC, Deutsche, Societe, and Citi will account for tens of thousands of new layoffs worldwide, including some high-paid executives. Since the world at large doesn’t appear to be stabilizing anytime soon, it is probably safe to surmise that “restructuring” efforts by major banks might not offer their advertised solutions. Agriculture — This might be the one area that will affect everyone, regardless of where you live or the level of your income bracket. The food supply itself is coming under extreme pressure from a combination of natural and political assaults. The American farmer, in particular, is suffering under the weight of a trade war with China that CNBC says only “piles on to a devastating year.” Farms are also suffering from historic flooding and heat waves. This has become the perfect storm to drive up food prices and even threaten the food supply, as many large stores like Kroger’s have begun posting signs like this one: It’s always a political talking point, and it appears no one has yet found an answer to restoring American supremacy in manufacturing. In fact, things have only gotten worse lately, and most believe it’s yet another result of the trade war. MarketWatch reports that manufacturing is now in a technical recession. But the overall trend in the sector looks a bit more dramatic, regardless of any political messaging: Another key symbol of Main Street economic health is the restaurant sector. It highlights how much discretionary income is available, as well as being a solid marker for employment and even policy changes that might have unintended consequences. The National Restaurant Association released their July report and things aren’t trending well: | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/5-sectors-of-the-u-s-economy-that-are-in-decline.html | 2019-08-14 20:05:11+00:00 | 1,565,827,511 | 1,567,534,182 | economy, business and finance | economic sector |
4,711 | activistpost--2019-05-25--US Manufacturing SLUMPS To 9-Year Low In May | 2019-05-25T00:00:00 | activistpost | U.S Manufacturing SLUMPS To 9-Year Low In May | All economic data is pointing to a slower 2019. One of those bits of data is from the manufacturing industry. United States manufacturing growth has hit a 9-year low this month, which is a terrible sign for our volatile economy. Faced with decreasing demand from customers and a flareup in U.S.-China trade war and tariff tensions, American businesses grew in May at the slowest pace since before President Trump was elected, a pair of new surveys show. An IHS Markit “flash” survey of U.S. manufacturers fell to a nine-and-a-half-year low of 50.6 this month from 52.6 in April. Manufacturing conditions have been soft for months. Even more ominous, was the firm’s survey of U.S. service-oriented companies such as banks and retailers. These slipped to a 39-month low of 50.8 from 52.7. Any number over 50 represents “growth” according to Market Watch. Service companies employ about four-fifths of all U.S. workers and until very recently they’ve been expanding rapidly if you listen to the mainstream media. Retail apocalypse, anyone? But these could drop dramatically in the next 6 months or so if the trade war rages on and tariffs continue to plague the wallets of consumers. The growth in new orders from both domestic customers and foreign buyers declined and firms have now “put the brakes on hiring,” IHS said. “Growth of business activity slowed sharply in May as trade war worries and increased uncertainty dealt a further blow to order book growth and business confidence,” said Chris Williamson, a chief business economist at IHS Markit. “The slowdown has been led by manufacturing, but shows increasing signs of spreading to services.” All of this is happening at a time when the labor market is still going strong and households are spending at a rapid rate. American households are also now in a record amount of debt thanks to their spending habits, and interest rates are falling after the Federal Reserve relaxed its stance. “We don’t think it’s a genuine sign that the economy is suddenly plunging into recession,” Williamson added. But the signs that the economy is on edge are all there and impossible to miss. Does that mean we’ll have a recession this year? Probably not, but it does look like the end of 2019 will be a much slower economy than the beginning. The trade war and 25% tariffs may have pushed the recession a little closer, but market analysts and other economists still say that we have time, and to not expect the recession before spring of 2020. This article was sourced from SHTFplan. Be Free and Independent! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/05/u-s-manufacturing-slumps-to-9-year-low-in-may.html | 2019-05-25 15:20:25+00:00 | 1,558,812,025 | 1,567,540,176 | economy, business and finance | economic sector |
5,911 | activistpost--2019-11-06--We Haven’t Seen A Manufacturing Slowdown Like This Since The Last Financial Crisis | 2019-11-06T00:00:00 | activistpost | We Haven’t Seen A Manufacturing Slowdown Like This Since The Last Financial Crisis | This isn’t what was supposed to happen. According to the economic optimists, there was going to be a great “manufacturing renaissance” as America entered a wonderful new golden age of boundless prosperity. But of course that is not what has happened. Manufacturing activity has been declining for the past three months, and all across the country we are seeing economic conditions rapidly deteriorate. Over and over, we are seeing economic numbers that are worse than anything we have seen since the last recession, but the economic optimists keep assuring us that these are just temporary blips on the way to America’s glorious economic renewal. Well, they can keep believing in a mirage of future prosperity if they want, but the hard numbers keep telling us another story. For example, the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index has now fallen to a level that was “last sustained during the financial crisis”… In the middle of the country, it already feels like a manufacturing recession for many business owners. Manufacturing facilities are being closed down, machines are being idled and thousands of workers are being let go. The following comes from a CNBC article about our current manufacturing slowdown… That sure doesn’t sound like a “booming economy” to me. So far this year, thousands upon thousands of manufacturing workers have been laid off in the Upper Midwest. By now, we were supposed to be adding large numbers of these good paying jobs, but instead we are losing them at a frightening pace. In fact, it is being reported that more than 8,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the key state of Pennsylvania alone… Of course it isn’t just the manufacturing industry where employment is cooling off. At this point, the number of job openings in the U.S. has fallen to an 18 month low, and it is expected to fall ever further in the months ahead. Things have already gotten so bad that the mainstream media is running articles about how ordinary Americans can prepare for the coming recession. For instance, the following comes from a CNN article entitled “What can you do now to financially prepare for a layoff later?”… And remember, all of this is happening even though the federal government is running trillion dollar deficits and the Federal Reserve is using up all the ammunition that they should be saving for the depths of the next recession. In essence, the authorities are already implementing emergency measures in a desperate attempt to support the faltering U.S. economy, but it isn’t working. This week, we learned that orders for Class-8 trucks in the month of October were down 51 percent from a year ago. Can anyone explain to me how that is consistent with the “booming economy” narrative that the economic optimists are endlessly pushing? Unfortunately, the truth is that we can see signs of a major slowdown all around us. U.S. business hiring has fallen to a 7 year low, the Cass Freight Index has declined for 10 months in a row, and manufacturing is now the smallest share of the United States economy that it has been in 72 years. But despite all of the evidence that is staring them right in the face, the economic optimists continue to insist that everything is probably going to be okay. In fact, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon is telling us that “the chance of a U.S. recession between now and the election is small”… Of course the truth is that American consumers are actually not “very healthy” at this moment. Consumer confidence has fallen for 3 months in a row, and 44 percent of all Americans currently do not make enough money to cover their monthly expenses. | Activist Post | https://www.activistpost.com/2019/11/we-havent-seen-a-manufacturing-slowdown-like-this-since-the-last-financial-crisis.html | Wed, 06 Nov 2019 17:36:20 +0000 | 1,573,079,780 | 1,573,062,425 | economy, business and finance | economic sector |
198,478 | fortruss--2019-04-05--Diamonds are Forever Russia to Intensify Economic Cooperation with Angola | 2019-04-05T00:00:00 | fortruss | Diamonds are Forever: Russia to Intensify Economic Cooperation with Angola | MOSCOW – During the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Angolan counterpart João Lourenço, held yesterday, the two leaders have shown their commitment to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields. Russia hopes to promote bilateral relations with Angola, including in the areas of diamond extraction, fisheries and space, said President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Angolan counterpart João Lourenço. “There are interesting areas such as diamond mining, fishing and space,” Putin said on Thursday. “Angola is a reliable and long-standing partner, and we need to look at what needs to be done in the near future to intensify economic-trade cooperation.” The Russian president stressed that the two countries also have perspectives on humanitarian cooperation, for example in the preparation of personnel. João Lourenço was also keen to expand bilateral cooperation with Russia. “This is why yesterday I spoke at the opening of the Angola-Russia business forum here in Moscow to raise interest in Russian entrepreneurs to invest in the Republic of Angola – to diversify our economy,” said Lourenço. Putin invited Lourenço to participate in the Russia-Africa forum, which will be held in the Russian city of Sochi on October 24. The Angolan president, for his part, thanked and accepted the invitation. The meeting between the Russian and Angolan leaders was held as part of João Lourenço’s official visit to Russia. Earlier, the two leaders had met in July 2018 during the BRICS summit in the South African city of Johannesburg. The Russian president highlighted the political and air security cooperation between the two countries, as well as the prospects for joint projects that could increase trade between Angola and Russia. Lourenço said that he counts on a deeper economic cooperation with Russia, emphasizing that Russian companies are already present in the extractive industry of his country and he is hopeful that other spheres of the Angolan economy gain Russian notoriety. | Paul Antonopoulos | https://www.fort-russ.com/2019/04/diamonds-are-forever-russia-to-intensify-economic-cooperation-with-angola/ | 2019-04-05 13:49:57+00:00 | 1,554,486,597 | 1,567,543,951 | economy, business and finance | economic sector |
2,028 | abcnews--2019-11-08--$800 million in disaster aid to farmers hit by hurricanes | 2019-11-08T00:00:00 | abcnews | $800 million in disaster aid to farmers hit by hurricanes | The federal government announced $800 million in aid Friday to farmers in three southern states that were devastated by last year's hurricanes. Nearly half that money will go to Florida, where timber farmers suffered catastrophic losses when Hurricane Michael came ashore in October 2018 and destroyed 2.8 million acres of commercially grown trees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the funding also will help Alabama and Georgia cover hurricane losses in the timber, cattle and poultry industries. The money, which will be distributed as block grants to communities, is part of a $3 billion disaster relief package authorized by Congress earlier this year to help communities recovering from wildfires, flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes. "Natural disasters dealt producers some hefty blows in the past couple of years," a statement from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says. "While we can't make producers whole, we can give them a helping hand to get back on their feet and prepare for next year's planting and harvest." Florida's share is expected to top $380 million, while $347 million is headed to Georgia, where the timber industry also suffered significant losses. Alabama gets $25 million. While the announcement by federal officials referenced Hurricane Florence, the state hardest hit by that storm — North Carolina — was not among the immediate beneficiaries being announced on Friday. North Carolina and federal officials were still negotiating over the terms of the aid package, U.S. Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce told The Associated Press. The remaining money, more than $40 million, could end up helping farmers in the Tar Heel State who were hit hard by Hurricane Florence. The financial help is especially welcome in Florida's panhandle, where the timber industry suffered $1.3 billion in losses. Much of that timber is rotting in denuded forests partly because many farmers did not have the resources to harvest logs. In order to for them to reforest their land, farmers will have to invest thousands of dollars to clear their property of debris. Unlike other farmers whose crops can be insured, timber growers are usually on their own. "Although it won't make forest landowners whole, it will make a tremendous difference in their ability to begin recovery and move forward with clean-up and reforestation," said Alan Shelby, the executive vice president of the Florida Forestry Association. Farmers have been waiting for relief for months, and federal officials said they hoped to finalize contracts by Thanksgiving and release money to the states soon after. "In the coming weeks, our priority will be moving this funding forward, so that timber producers can have checks in hand and trees in the ground," Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said. Hurricane Michael ploughed through the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 storm, the strongest ever recorded to hit the region, before pummeling Georgia and the Carolinas. It destroyed thousands of homes and battered coastal and rural communities, many still trying to recover a year later. Weeks earlier, Hurricane Florence whipped through North Carolina and deluged the region with flooding rains. Steve Troxler, the agriculture commissioner for North Carolina, said negotiations with federal officials will continue so his state's farmers get their share of aid. "About 70% of the federal funding was earmarked for a timber program that won't help our farmers," he said, "because it stipulates that the funding cover timber that was damaged beyond repair." While the state had significant timber losses, Troxler said, the damage did not meet the funding guidelines set by federal officials. An earlier version of this report had an incorrect spelling of U.S. Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce's name. | null | https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/800-million-disaster-aid-farmers-hit-hurricanes-66855085 | Fri, 08 Nov 2019 17:40:30 -0500 | 1,573,252,830 | 1,573,257,980 | economy, business and finance | economic sector |
7,721 | aljazeera--2019-01-07--Brazils environmental chief resigns after Bolsonaro criticism | 2019-01-07T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Brazil's environmental chief resigns after Bolsonaro criticism | The head of Brazil's environmental protection agency has resigned following criticism from the country's newly inaugurated far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. A spokesperson for the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) confirmed on Monday that Suely de Araujo stepped down after Bolsonaro suggested there were irregularities in Ibama's budget, Reuters news agency reported. Araujo had led the agency since 2016. The Environment Ministry, which oversees Ibama, told Reuters in an emailed statement that it had been planning to replace Araujo and that a new head of the agency would be named within days. Bolsonaro, a former army captain who swept to power in a tumultuous October election, has routinely attacked Ibama, which is tasked with policing the Amazon rainforest to stop deforestation and illegal mining. On Sunday, the 63-year-old retweeted a Tweet published by Brazil's environment minister, Ricardo Salles, highlighting an alleged 28.7 million reais ($7.73m) budget allocation by the agency for rental vehicles. "We've had a system created mainly to financially violate Brazilians without the slightest care," Bolsonaro, who has toyed with yanking Brazil out of the Paris climate accord, said. Araujo released a written statement on Sunday saying Bolsonaro and Salles, who has previously called climate change a "secondary issue" and alleged many environmental fines are "ideological", had made "baseless accusations." She said the cost was for the rental of 393 four-wheel drive trucks used by Ibama's armed agents across Brazil, and that the contract's amount also included all fuel costs and maintenance. A high-ranking Ibama official told Reuters on Monday that the pressure from Bolsonaro and Salles was simply an attempt "to get rid of our ability to halt policing for those committing environmental crimes." "It's an absurd factoid created to weaken Ibama," the person said on condition of anonymity. "This contract was approved by government regulators, and it is 10 percent less than the previous contract and for more vehicles." The official added that the contract remained valid, but that the agency is concerned there will be attempts to cancel it, possibly leading to a crippling of its ability to patrol the Amazon and other regions. Analysts, meanwhile, said Bolsonaro's actions demonstrated his presidency could pose a genuine "threat to the Amazon". "The protection of the Amazon always relies on strong laws and rules," Thiago de Aragao, a director at the Brasilia-based political consultancy Arko Advice, told Al Jazeera. "So definitely he [Bolsonaro] could be a threat in the sense that he could create a trend that the mindset of protecting the Amazon might not be the number one priority among certain individuals within the government," de Aragao added. The rhetoric of Bolsonaro's administration has left many environmentalists deeply concerned for the preservation of the Amazon under his government. Within 24 hours of taking office on January 1, the Brazilian leader signed an executive order making Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture responsible for the regulation and creation of new indigenous reserves, in a move widely seen as a boost for the country's powerful agribusiness lobby. About 13 percent of Brazil's national territory is demarcated as indigenous land - defined as an area inhabited and exclusively possessed by indigenous people. Approximately 98 percent of such areas are located in the Amazon, an ecosystem considered by environmental scientists as a crucial buffer against the impacts of climate change. The temporary decree, which will expire unless it is ratified within 120 days by Congress, also moved the Brazilian Forestry Service, which promotes the sustainable use of forests and is currently linked to the Ministry of the Environment, under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture, according to Reuters. Additionally, the order stated that the Ministry of Agriculture will be in charge of the management of public forests. A close ally of the agribusiness lobby, Bolsonaro pledged during his election campaign to "end all activism" in Brazil. On Monday, he announced that funding of all nongovernmental organisations working in the country will be rigidly controlled, reflecting increased oversight by his new administration over such groups. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/brazil-environmental-chief-resigns-criticism-190107161353404.html | 2019-01-07 19:51:10+00:00 | 1,546,908,670 | 1,567,553,634 | economy, business and finance | economic sector |
33,754 | bbc--2019-12-10--UK economic growth slowest since early 2009 | 2019-12-10T00:00:00 | bbc | UK economic growth slowest since early 2009 | The economy suffered its worst three months for more than a decade after official figures revealed output failed to grow once again in October. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed the economy flatlined month-on-month in October, after two months of declines. It was the weakest three months since early 2009. The figures come ahead of Thursday's general election, with the main parties all promising to boost growth. Although the service sector expanded 0.2% in the August-to-October period, that was offset by a 0.7% contraction in manufacturing and 0.3% fall in construction. The ONS said there had been "a notable drop in housebuilding and infrastructure in October". John Hawksworth, chief economist at consultancy PwC, blamed Brexit-related uncertainty for the economy's "loss of momentum". He said: "Growth seems likely to remain subdued through the rest of 2019, but we would hope for a gradual revival in activity over the course of 2020 if current political and economic uncertainties ease. Our main scenario is for 1% GDP growth in 2020 assuming an orderly Brexit." Professor Costas Milas, of the University of Liverpool's management school, described the figures as "quite poor". "The main point is that our economy continues to disappoint badly, which will probably bring a Bank of England interest rate cut much closer especially if Thursday's election turns out very inconclusive," he said. Jack Leslie, economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said that the UK's domestic challenges come against a weak global economic outlook for next year. "While the main parties have avoided any discussion of this challenging economic environment during the election campaign, navigating it will be a central task for the next government nonetheless," he said. However, the pound shrugged off the figures, continuing to rise on Tuesday after gains on Monday. In early London trading, sterling was up 0.2% at $1.3157, and against the euro rose 0.1% to 84.18p "Sterling price action is all about the upcoming parliamentary election and real economic data should continue to play second fiddle," ING analysts said in a note sent to clients. Separately, the ONS released trade data which showed Britain's goods trade deficit widened by more than expected to nearly £14.5bn in October from £11.5bn in September. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50725715 | Tue, 10 Dec 2019 11:45:43 GMT | 1,575,996,343 | 1,575,979,641 | economy, business and finance | economic sector |
13,020 | aljazeera--2019-05-20--Pakistani traditions Selling Ralli quilts to survive | 2019-05-20T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Pakistani traditions: Selling Ralli quilts to survive | The Art of Ralli, or making patchwork quilts, has existed for centuries. The tradition lives on in Pakistan's Thar Desert, where it gives poor women an opportunity to make money. The products have become a household name in cities all over Pakistan and beyond. Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder reports from a small village in the Thar Desert in Sindh province. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/pakistani-traditions-selling-ralli-quilts-survive-190520124037533.html | 2019-05-20 12:40:37+00:00 | 1,558,370,437 | 1,567,540,436 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
130,837 | dailyheraldchicago--2019-12-21--How Muslims in the suburbs view Jesus, Mary and Christmas traditions | 2019-12-21T00:00:00 | dailyheraldchicago | How Muslims in the suburbs view Jesus, Mary and Christmas traditions | Abiha Khan is no stranger to Christmas. It was an annual observance at the Catholic school Khan attended while growing up in Karachi, Pakistan. Many Muslims like Khan attend Catholic schools for the quality of their education. But it wasn't until Khan had children of her own that she began to appreciate the more cultural aspects of the Christian holiday. "We put up a tree every year ever since I had my kids," said Khan, 30, of Barrington Hills. "Basically, we do it in the spirit of the holidays." Khan's children -- Kabir, 5, and Hussain, 4 -- get excited every year around the holidays. They believe in Santa Claus and make wish lists for presents. Khan puts up stockings for them, leaves out cookies and milk for Santa, and puts presents under the tree before Christmas morning -- none of which she views as religious. "It's a fun family thing. It's just a happy time for all of us," she said. Muslims don't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. Yet many Muslims share a deep reverence for certain principal characters of the Christian faith. Jesus is exalted as a notable prophet in the Islamic tradition, and an entire chapter in the Quran -- Islam's holy book -- is dedicated to his mother, Mary. Muslims and Christians also have shared beliefs in past prophets, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses, as well as Jesus' virgin birth, his performing of miracles, and his prophesied return in the end of days. "Jesus is considered one of the greatest prophets in Islam," said Rachid Belbachir, resident scholar for the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America based in Park Ridge. "As part of the faith, we have to believe in all the prophets." Mary is the only woman named and honored in the Quran with an entire chapter. "It just shows you the level of respect of how Muslims view her," Belbachir said. "For us, Mary, peace be upon her, exemplifies the perfect pious woman." While Muslims really don't celebrate the birth of prophets, Christmas is an opportunity to remember their legacies and contributions to mankind. "Jesus is exemplary in how he was kind in taking care of his mom. At Christmas, it's a reminder for us to be kind to our parents as Jesus was," Belbachir said. Azam Nizamuddin, an adjunct professor of Islamic theology at Loyola University of Chicago, emphasizes these commonalities in interfaith work for the Islamic Foundation of Villa Park. "We consider Mary to be one of the seminal women figures in Islamic history," he said. "Mary serves as a role model for piety." Aside from the religious ties between the Abrahamic faiths, the sensory overload of festive songs, holiday decorations and store sales this time of year also make Christmas unavoidable, Nizamuddin said. "That's just a cultural phenomenon that you can't really escape unless you are really not a part of society," he said. Participating, even nominally, in these holiday festivities is becoming more common among some religious and secular Muslims, second- or third-generation immigrants, Muslim converts whose family members celebrate Christmas, and those who are part of interfaith marriages or want to indulge in the spirit of the season through gift-giving and spending time with family and friends. The desire to be included prompts others to join in. Abiha Khan's elder son, Kabir, is the only Muslim kid in his class. "I don't want him to feel left out," she said of holiday parties and activities. Christmas has become such a cultural holiday that many Muslim families are putting up Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, gathering for family dinner, yet not celebrating the religious aspects, said Shazia Khan of South Barrington. "There are still a lot of Muslim and Jewish families who don't celebrate Christmas," Shazia Khan said. "We do feel a lot of pressure for our kids that we don't celebrate Christmas because it's all around us." Kiran Ansari Rasul of Elgin said she gives gifts to her three children's schoolteachers as well as mail carriers and housekeepers at Christmas, just as she would for the Islamic celebrations of Eid, which occur twice a year. "Living here and the kids being born and brought up here, we can't just pretend that nothing is happening," Ansari Rasul said. "Each family draws their own line. This is how we choose to celebrate. We talk more about community and respecting others ... reminding the kids to just be extra kind." | null | http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20191221/how-muslims-in-the-suburbs-view-jesus-mary-and-christmas-traditions | Sat, 21 Dec 2019 16:55:46 -0500 | 1,576,965,346 | 1,576,974,165 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
172,120 | eveningstandard--2019-04-17--How is Easter celebrated around the world 8 surprising traditions from Spain France Germany and m | 2019-04-17T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | How is Easter celebrated around the world? 8 surprising traditions from Spain, France, Germany and more | If you hadn't have guessed from the mountains of chocolate eggs littering the supermarket, Easter is very nearly upon us. That's right, the Easter weekend is now just a few days away, giving you just the right amount of time to stock up on chocolate. While most of us in the UK tend to celebrate the four-day weekend with egg hunts and stacks of sweet treats, other countries have embraced their own Easter rituals. Here, we take a look at some Easter traditions around the globe and the history behind them. Known in Spain as Semana Santa, or Holy Week, Easter is observed for an entire seven days on the Iberian peninsula. Celebrations begin during the last week of Lent, and it is marked by huge and elaborate religious processions in nearly every single town and village across the country. People parade through the streets in costumes or in hooded robes, carrying intricate religious floats depicting difference scenes from the bible, while often accompanied by live music. Some of the most well known take place in Zamora, Valladolid, Seville and Granada. Treats such as torrija (similar to French toast), pestiños and cakes are all popular around this time as well. Much like in Spain, many of France's Easter customs stem from Catholic tradition and as such the holiday is usually a more religious affair than the UK's. One such tradition dictates that church bells stop ringing around Easter as a mark of respect for Jesus' death, and to explain their silence children are told the bells have flown to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. On the morning of Easter Sunday - Jesus' resurrection - the bells then fly back to France loaded with sweet treats which they drop into gardens for the children. Once they are back in their steeples they then start ringing joyfully again. So in France it is the "cloches volantes" or "cloches de Pâques", and not the Easter bunny, which brings the Easter eggs. Once the bells have begun to rung, the Easter egg hunt - or "chasse aux oeufs" - begins. Traditional food revolves around lamb, cheese, potatoes and chocolate. In the town of Bessières thousands of people gather on the Monday morning to make a giant omelette, usually consisting of 15,000 eggs and 40 cooks. Good Friday and Easter Monday are both public holidays in Germany, and they celebrate by lighting bonfires around sunset on Holy Saturday. Some places have turned the "osterfeuer" (Easter bonfire) into mini festivals with stands selling sausages, wine and funfair rides while other communities stuff huge bales of straw into a wooden wheel, set it on fire and roll it down a hill (known as the Osterrad). Other traditions include decorating an "Easter tree" with hand painted eggs, known as the Ostereierbaum. Usually, families hang the ornaments from a small household tree, however you can hang them from bigger foliage in your garden. It is also traditional in Germany to eat something green on Maundy Thursday, which is called Gründonnerstag - or "green Thursday". Spiced, sweet bread, enriched with eggs and dairy and dotted with almonds, candied peel raisins are also popular during Easter for breakfast and afternoon tea. Unsurprisingly the Pope leads the Easter celebrations in Italy, holding a huge mass on Good Friday at St. Peter's Basilica where the Via Crucis, or Station of the Cross, is celebrated. During the mass, a huge crucifix made out of burning torches is raised in the night sky. In Florence, Easter Sunday is marked by the Scoppio del Carro, a centuries-old custom in which a huge and elaborately designed antique wagon full of fireworks is set alight by a dove-shaped rocket after being hauled into a small square by oxen and hundreds of people in 15th century dress. Elsewhere in Italy over the course of the three days, religious processions are held in which people dress in ancient costumes and parade artefacts, statues and olive branches through main squares. One of the most popular foods on the peninsula during this period is the Colomba di Pasqua, a traditional cake which is similar to a panettone. Across central and Eastern Europe an ancient tradition exists which sees people try to drench each other with water buckets of water, usually men soaking the women, on Easter Monday. Known as Smigus-dyngus (Wet Monday) in Poland, Watering Monday in Ukraine, Watering in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and Sprinkling in Hungary, the ritual is supposedly based around womens' fertility, with the water having a cleansing effect in an effort to make them healthy for the upcoming spring. In Hungary participants will often dress up in folk costumes and the men will douse the women with buckets of water or perfume. In Poland, traditionally the women get soaked but today it has become more of a country-wide water fight. After the soaking, usually the women then provide the men with food and alcohol. Another Easter tradition exists these countries in which men whip women with a special handmade whip made from willow and decorated with ribbons. Not intended to be painful, it supposedly helps women keep their youth, health and fertility throughout the year. In a centuries-old folk ritual that looks remarkably similar to Halloween, children in both Finland and Sweden dress up as Easter witches (påskkärring) and go door-to-door in their neighbourhoods in the hope of receiving chocolate. The youngsters wear decorated headscarves, paint their faces and carry bunches of decorated willow twigs, paintings and drawings which they exchange for sweet treats. Devout Catholics in the Philippines will volunteer to be "crucified" on Good Friday to reenact Jesus' suffering, in a particularly gruesome practice that has been condemned by the church. Thousands watch the reenactment, known as the San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites, in the province of Pampanga, in which believers are nailed to crosses to atone for their sins or pray for others. Penitents volunteer to have nails measuring two inches long hammered into their palms and feet by people dressed as Roman centurions and nailed to a cross. They are only taken down from the cross once they feel atoned of their sins. The practice, which is believed to date to the 1950s, also sees other penitents flagellate themselves using bamboo sticks tied to a rope. As you'd expect from a tropical island, Easter is much more relaxed and a whole lot warmer than it is for us in Europe. Fittingly then, Bermudians of all ages like to celebrate Good Friday on the beach, where they fly both special homemade and store-bought kites. The kites supposedly represent Christ's resurrection, and come in all manner of shapes, colours and sizes. Some are so big they require several people to get it airborne. Along with kite-flying, Bermudian also enjoy eating fish cakes and hot cross buns at this time of year. | Tom Herbert | https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/easter-traditions-around-the-world-celebrated-spain-france-germany-a4112936.html | 2019-04-17 08:27:00+00:00 | 1,555,504,020 | 1,567,542,666 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
181,817 | eveningstandard--2019-08-07--Notting Hill Carnival Executive Director Matthew Phillip on the festivalaposs traditions and what | 2019-08-07T00:00:00 | eveningstandard | Notting Hill Carnival: Executive Director Matthew Phillip on the festival's traditions and what to expect from this year | It all started back in January 1959. Claudia Jones, a Trinidadian human rights activist, organised a Caribbean Carnival at St. Pancras Town Hall in London – a celebration of West Indian culture that was televised by the BBC and so successful, it ran for a further six years. Made-up of a series of indoor events which took place around London in the early 1960s, the carnival was promoted by Trinidadian husband and wife booking agents Edric and Pearl Connor. Together, they worked alongside Jones and the newspaper she founded, the West Indian Gazette, to popularise the festivities. Jones’ 'indoor' carnival paved the way for what we now know as the Notting Hill Carnival. However, it was social worker Rhaune Laslett who is credited for founding the very first outdoor celebration. Of Native American and Russian descent, Laslett was a well-known community activist who had done much to relieve the inter-cultural tensions in Notting Hill following the race riots there in 1958. Laslett had a vision, to create an outdoor multi-cultural community fayre for children. But the inaugural fayre took on a more carnival style owing to the renowned pan player Russell Henderson, who Laslett had asked to perform. Accompanied by his fellow pan band members – Sterling Betancourt, Vernon ‘Fellows’ Williams, Fitzroy Coleman and Ralph Cherry – Henderson walked along the Portobello Road as he played, piquing the interest of locals who began dancing to the music and following the band as it moved through Notting Hill. That was Carnival number one, in 1966. And in just over two weeks' time, Notting Hill will host its 53rd. Over a million visitors are expected to attend the three-day festival, partygoers who will flock to see, to listen, to dance, and to celebrate what this world-famous gathering is all about: cultural diversity and inclusivity. Ahead of it, Future London caught up with Notting Hill Carnival Ltd’s Executive Director Matthew Phillip, to find out how the festival has changed over the years and what Londoners can expect from 2019. How has Carnival developed since its foundation? Carnival is now the second largest carnival in the world (after Rio) and is currently – Brexit pending – Europe’s largest street event. More importantly to me, it’s the biggest community-led event on the planet! Uniquely, Carnival is the only full-scale carnival in the world to feature multiple static sound systems – a feature introduced in 1973 by the then organiser, Leslie Palmer MBE. There are live performances too. The first stages were organised by Wilf Walker in 1979, chiefly featuring reggae and punk bands. (See image above.) Can you describe the main features of Carnival? Mas Bands, which are themed costume bands on the parade, steel bands and static sound systems: these provide a soundtrack that is so varied I don’t think there is a musical genre that isn’t heard. Often there are surprise performances from A-list artists as well, like Wiley and Stormzy. In addition, mobile sound systems share their sounds with the parade route, and there is also Calypso – traditional Caribbean music that can be heard on the live stages, and in the run up to Carnival, at the Calypso tent at The Tabernacle. These are the essential roots of Carnival. We also have the live stages, surprise superstar artists, and the Children’s Day on the Sunday. Carnival began as a children’s fayre, and the Sunday has always been about children, it has just not been spotlighted in recent years. So this year, we have increased the number of children’s Mas Bands to 40. Are there any Carnival traditions readers should know about? J’ouvert [a procession marking the start of Carnival] takes place from sunrise on Carnival Sunday. Look out for the Moko Jumbies on the parade route, they are stilt-walking masqueraders. Panorama is the steel band competition that takes place on the Saturday evening. Is there anything you are looking forward to in particular this year? There is no one thing, it’s just an incredible event to be a part of, whether as a participant or spectator. For me, I’m really proud and honoured to be a part of the community that spawned this world-renowned event that brings such joy and unity to the streets of London. Everywhere you go you see happy faces – faces of people from all generations, heritages and all walks of life, united in the spirit of Carnival. Will there be any recycling/sustainability initiatives in place to ensure as much waste is recycled as possible? Most Mas Bands provide re-usable cups for their masqueraders so that they can refill their drinks at the mobile bars accompanying them on the parade route. Once again we are working with Thames Water, who will provide water fountains. We ask that attendees bring their own reusable containers to reduce the impact of single-use plastic. We are also working with the local boroughs who, we know, have briefed food traders and encouraged them to be more aware about using take-away packaging that isn’t biodegradable, recyclable or compostable. Local councils will be collecting food waste for the second year in a row. And they will also provide composting toilets for the first time this year, which are bespoke units, specially produced for Carnival. Top tips for someone going to Carnival for the first time? I would say to plan ahead and use our app – to find out about travel, Mas Band details, Carnival-related events, stages and steel bands. Everything you need is on the app, which available to download on Android and through the App store. Notting Hill Carnival runs from Sunday 25th to Monday 26 August 2019, with Panorama, the steel band competition, taking place on the evening of Saturday 24th August. For further information visit nhcarnival.org | Edwina Langley | https://www.standard.co.uk/futurelondon/culturecity/notting-hill-carnival-executive-director-matthew-phillip-on-the-traditions-of-carnival-and-what-to-a4207896.html | 2019-08-07 14:23:00+00:00 | 1,565,202,180 | 1,567,534,649 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
718,390 | theguardianuk--2019-12-18--The seven most terrifying Christmas traditions around the world | 2019-12-18T00:00:00 | theguardianuk | The seven most terrifying Christmas traditions around the world | In most English-speaking countries, the worst fate a naughty child can expect on Christmas is an absence of gifts (or, in the US, coal). Children in other countries, however, can expect worse. Here are seven of the creepiest Christmas traditions around the world. In many European countries, Saint Nicholas has companions who act as a negative counterpart. Saint Nick is the benevolent Good Cop; you do not want to meet the Bad Cop. One particularly bad cop is Krampus, a demonic half-goat monster with horns and a long tongue. He drags chains behind him as he walks and rattles them ominously. He carries a birch to whip bad children and sometimes a basket or sack for kidnapping them. The Eve of St Nicholas, 5 December, is Krampusnacht. Hordes of Krampuses march through Alpine towns in elaborate, sinister costumes. In recent years, the Krampuses’ tendency to go on drunken rampages, getting in fights and destroying property, has become a bit of a problem. Frau Perchta is a witch who comes to see who has been naughty or nice. She slits the bellies of bad children and stuffs their corpses with straw. It’s sort of like Santa bringing coal, but with disembowelment instead. Imagine: it is New Year’s Eve. You are a small Welsh child. You hear a knock on the door. You open it. Looming over you is a creature with a horse’s skull, wearing a long, billowing cloak and trailed by people chanting. In the horse’s eye cavities are fake eyeballs. Its mouth is slightly ajar. You are paralyzed in terror. As you wet yourself in fear, adults around you wish each other happy new year. Gryla is a giant ogre who lives in a cave. During Christmas she emerges to hunt for children, which she kidnaps, takes to her cave, and cooks in a vat of stew. Gryla has a variety of companions, including the Yule Lads – her 13 unruly troll children/Large Adult Sons – and the Jólakötturinn, or Yule Cat. Did you think that the Yule Cat sits on your lap as you open gifts, playing with the wrapping paper and contributing to the overall atmosphere of cozy Christmas hygge? Wrong. The Yule Cat is terrifying. Like Satan, walking among us like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, the massive Yule Cat lopes through town in the dark, peering into the lighted windows of children’s bedrooms. The only way to save yourself from being eaten is to show him that you got clothes for Christmas because you were good this year. If you didn’t get any new clothes, you leave out old clothes, and hope to God they meet his standards. According to Alsatian lore, Hans Trapp was a local man renowned for his greed and unscrupulousness. He used witchcraft and deals with the Devil to become rich. After being excommunicated from the Catholic church, he lost his wealth and social standing. He took to roaming the countryside disguised as a scarecrow. At some point, Hans Trapp became consumed with the idea of tasting human flesh. He lured a shepherd boy to his death, then cooked him over a fire. Before Hans Trapp could take his first bite, however, God – finally feeling that things had gone too far – struck him with lightning. Hans Trapp died, but he returns sometimes on Christmas, to go from door to door looking for young, tasty children. The Kallikantzari are goblins who spend most of the year underground, trying to bring about the apocalypse. During Advent they come out on to human territory to cause mischief and evil. They are sometimes described as black furry creatures with tusks and horns. They are usually male, and grotesquely well endowed. Père Fouettard was a butcher. He and his wife kidnapped, robbed and killed wealthy children, then carved up their bodies and hid them in salting barrels. Saint Nicholas discovered the crime and brought the children back to life. As punishment, he forced Père Fouettard into bondage as his eternal cannibal manservant. He follows St Nick around, dealing with the problem children. | J Oliver Conroy | https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/dec/18/the-seven-most-terrifying-christmas-traditions-around-the-world | Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:30:15 GMT | 1,576,679,415 | 1,576,671,838 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
31,114 | bbc--2019-09-24--Meghan and Harry visit South Africas oldest mosque | 2019-09-24T00:00:00 | bbc | Meghan and Harry visit South Africa's oldest mosque | The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ate traditional South African food and visited the country's oldest mosque on day two of their 10-day tour of Africa. The royals visited the 225-year-old Auwal Mosque in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, on South Africa's Heritage Day - a public holiday celebrating national culture. Earlier, the couple visited a charity that works with surfers to provide mental health support for youngsters. The tour is their first official overseas trip with their son, Archie. On their trip to the mosque, Prince Harry and Meghan met with local faith leaders, including Imam Sheikh Ismail Londt and Muslim community leader, Mohamed Groenwald. Meghan wore a headscarf to enter the mosque which was built in 1794 in Bo-Kaap district, which is known for its neon-coloured terraced houses. Ahead of the visit, the royals were pictured eating at a local family's home. Shaamiela Samodien, 63, told AFP: "We (are) used to cooking for big parties and family. So it's no effort. "They tried koeksisters (a traditional South African sweet) and apple crumble." Earlier, in the day the royals visited a beach in Cape Town to learn about a project helping vulnerable young people with their mental health. The couple met surfing mentors at Monwabisi Beach to hear about the work of the NGO Waves for Change. Harry and Meghan also learned about the non-profit Lunchbox Fund, which benefited from public donations after the birth of their son Archie. Waves for Change offers a mix of mind and body therapy as part of a child-friendly mental health service for vulnerable young people. The organisation, which supports 1,200 children, is based in a collection of shipping containers close to the beach. The Lunchbox Fund provides nearly 30,000 meals a day to the children on the programme, as well as schools. Asked about the key issue in tackling the stigma around mental health, Meghan said: "It's just getting people to talk about it and talk to each other, right? "And you see that no matter where you are in the world, if you're a small community or a township, if you're in a big city - it's that everyone is dealing with a different version of the same thing." Prince Harry added: "Everyone has experienced trauma or likely to experience trauma at some point during their lives. "We need to try, not to eradicate it, but to learn from previous generations so there's not a perpetual cycle." He said a whole generation of children that had "no role models at all" was now being given an opportunity. Monwabisi Beach is on the edge of one of South Africa's biggest townships, Khayelitsha. During the visit, the couple joined 25 surf mentors in taking part in a welcoming chant. They ended the day meeting young people and community leaders at the city's residence of the British High Commissioner. Their first day involved meeting teenage girls in the deprived Nyanga township and they spoke out about violence against women and children. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49808690 | 2019-09-24 19:45:00+00:00 | 1,569,368,700 | 1,570,222,338 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
196,003 | foreignpolicy--2019-03-21--International Relations Theory Doesnt Understand Culture | 2019-03-21T00:00:00 | foreignpolicy | International Relations Theory Doesn’t Understand Culture | In today’s world politics, culture is everywhere. The rise of non-Western great powers, the return of ethnonationalism, violent extremism justified in the name of religion, and so-called white resistance—the list goes on. Yet those who should be best placed to explain it—international relations scholars—are ill equipped to do so. Conventional wisdom holds that IR theory has little to say about culture. After all, the argument goes, its dominant schools of thought focus on struggles for material power and treat actors as self-interested egoists. In fact, IR scholars talk about culture all the time. It permeates their arguments about the Western foundations of the modern international order, about China as a civilizational state, and about the fate of the Arab Spring. And if discussions of the Western nature of human rights aren’t about culture, then what are they about at all? The real problem is that IR scholars cling stubbornly to a view of culture that anthropologists and sociologists last took seriously between the 1930s and 1950s. Indeed, when discussing culture, IR looks like a conservation zoo for concepts long dead in their natural habitats. The outdated view sees cultures as coherent things: as tightly integrated, neatly bounded, and clearly differentiated. They are causally powerful. Culture makes individuals who they are and defines what they want and how they think. And it is culture that undergirds social institutions. Cultural unity makes strong societies; cultural diversity is corrosive. For evidence of such views, look no further than Brexit, U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign, Russian irredentism, and Confucian nationalism in China. Such views have long been rejected in specialist fields. Cultures are now seen as heterogeneous and contradictory, highly porous, and deeply entwined and interrelated. In her celebrated 1986 article “Culture in Action,” Ann Swidler, the eminent Berkeley sociologist, put it this way: “all real cultures contain diverse, often conflicting symbols, rituals, stories, and guides to action.” Decades of empirical research sustains such understandings of culture. Anthropologists have demonstrated it at very local levels. Lila Abu-Lughod’s work on Bedouin women is a fine example. And historians have demonstrated it at the level of empires and international orders. Karen Barkey, Jane Burbank, Frederick Cooper, Pamela Kyle Crossley, and many others have revealed the heterogeneous cultural contexts in which such orders evolve. The old, discredited view of culture is still alive in IR. Yet the old, discredited view of culture is still alive in IR. And not just in little pockets. It is IR’s default conception across the discipline’s rival schools. Realists are materialists at heart, yet they frequently make arguments that rest on cultural assumptions. They describe themselves as studying conflict groups, and when we probe the nature of these groups, they commonly appear as cultural units: nation-states with national characters, identities, and interests. The anarchic international system gives states certain primary interests—principally survival—but national culture is commonly seen as a key source of other interests. Many realists admit that today’s international order rests on legitimacy as much as material might. And when explaining such legitimacy, they join others in emphasizing Western civilization, which is said to provide the norms and values that inform and sustain modern institutions. For former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and others, the erosion of this cultural foundation poses a fundamental threat. How can “regions with such divergent cultures, histories, and traditional theories of order vindicate the legitimacy of any common system?” Kissinger asked in his book World Order. On the surface, it might seem like rational choice theory would have even less to say about culture than realism. Yet culture enters rationalist arguments, too, in three ways: when adherents explain the rational choice of norms, when they accommodate cultural preferences, and in their argument that common knowledge is essential to solving coordination problems. The last of these is particularly interesting, as it is here that rationalists express a version of IR’s default conception of culture. Coordination problems exist when actors have common interests but can only realize as much if they coordinate their choices, usually without direct communication. To overcome such problems, actors rely on mutual expectations, and such expectations come from common knowledge: things I know, and you know, and we both know that we both know. Rationalists see cultural norms, values, and practices as a major source of such knowledge, and thus common culture is important to solving the variety of coordination problems actors navigate every day. Most rationalists focus on specific collaboration problems and localized common knowledge, but others make larger claims about social order. Here the claim is a familiar one: Culturally homogeneous societies, which they take as their baseline, are more conducive to the solution of coordination problems than diverse societies. It may seem unfair to expect realism and rational choice to be abreast of current thinking on culture: It is not their game, after all. Yet constructivism and the English School, both of which see culture as core business, fare no better. Constructivism’s core insight is that shared meanings—ideas, norms, and values—make the social and natural worlds knowable. Constructivists frequently describe such meanings as “cultural.” In principle, that tendency is entirely compatible with current understandings of culture as heterogeneous and contradictory. Yet the two main strands of constructivist research have been largely deaf to such understandings. The first strand focuses on international norms: how they emerge and how they shape the identities, interests, and behavior of states and other actors. This work disaggregates culture, breaking it up into individual norms and then studying their causal effects. But while culture is not treated as a coherent, bounded whole, the complexity in which individual norms are embedded is neglected. The second strand of research focuses on the institutional foundations of international relations, most notably the origins of modern sovereignty. It is here that the default conception of culture is most clear. Constructivists identify deep, system-wide cultural meanings and use these to explain key institutional developments. They see international orders as founded, in part, on what they call collective mentalities—and when these change, so do basic institutions. For example, my own early research attributes variations in the basic institutional practices of different societies to their different cultural understandings of the moral purpose of the state. The English School is noted for its trademark claim that states can form international societies, not just international systems. That is, states can come together over shared common interests to agree on common rules and create institutions to uphold those rules. When asked what sustains such a society, English School theorists offer two main answers. One is pragmatic: States share basic interests in physical security, stable territorial rights, and the keeping of agreements, and international society is the best means to these ends. This is overlaid, however, by an argument about the cultural prerequisites for international society. Far from seeing culture as complex and contradictory, Martin Wight, one of the school’s founders, held in Systems of States that an international society “will not come into being without a degree of cultural unity among its members.” Modern international society, he argued, had its origins in European civilization, and when decolonization admitted a host of non-Western states, international society had “outrun cultural and moral community.” The idea that pragmatism could only ever sustain a thin social order—and that a common culture was needed to undergird robust bonds, institutions, and practices—focused much of the school’s post-decolonization research on the possibility of international society in a culturally diverse world. IR’s failure to integrate contemporary conceptions of culture is more than an academic curiosity—it has far-reaching implications for how we understand today’s global politics of culture. Take one critical issue: the impact of rising non-Western powers on the modern international order. At present, debate is dominated by culturalists, who think that the order will collapse as its Western cultural foundations erode, and liberals, who deny that cultural differences matter, holding that liberal institutions can accommodate states and peoples of diverse cultural complexions. But what if we take seriously the insight that there is no such thing as a unified culture, that all culture is complex and contradictory? We would have to assume, first of all, that the modern order arose under conditions of cultural diversity, not unity. And we would then have to ask how these heterogeneous conditions shaped the order’s evolution and, in turn, how the order’s institutions were constructed to govern and order that diversity. Doing so would bring the conquest of the Americas, the Protestant Reformation, the post-Versailles division of Europe into ethnically defined nation-states, and decolonization into new focus. Most importantly, it would lead us to ask not whether sudden onset diversity will destroy a formerly Western order, but whether post-decolonization practices for governing global diversity can accommodate new arrangements of power and expressions of cultural difference. This article was adapted in part from the author’s 2018 book, On Cultural Diversity: International Theory in a World of Difference, published by Cambridge University Press. | Christian Reus-Smit | https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/21/international-relations-theory-doesnt-understand-culture/ | 2019-03-21 17:09:48+00:00 | 1,553,202,588 | 1,567,545,422 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
749,220 | theindependent--2019-02-25--Childbirth traditions from around the world displayed in touching photo series | 2019-02-25T00:00:00 | theindependent | Childbirth traditions from around the world displayed in touching photo series | A poignant series of photos has been released documenting childbirth and motherhood traditions from around the world, in countries including India, Uganda, Sweden and Scotland. Following the birth of a child, different communities have various ways of celebrating the momentous occasion. Take Malawi, for example, where new mothers are served a special porridge that's believed to provide them with energy and essential nutrients. Or Madagascar, where new mothers wear a "masonjoany" mask, a paste that's made from a grounded sandalwood tree branch to protect them from evil spirits. These rituals and several more were captured on camera by non-profit organisation WaterAid, in a series of images that pay tribute to the beauty of childbirth and familial love. Many rituals carried out by communities following childbirth involve water. Yet one in nine people across the globe don't have access to clean water, with one in three health centres not being able to provide patients with water that's safe to drink. WaterAid, which was first established in 1981, helps people living in poor communities access clean water, healthy sanitation and education regarding hygiene. Tim Wainwright, the NGO's chief executive, explained that while many communities conduct rituals for new mothers with the belief they'll be provided with protection, for some, this isn't a reality. “The birth of a new baby is a time of great joy and celebration, and all over the world, communities hold to traditions believed to keep the mothers safe and bring the babies good luck, happiness or good health," he said. "But for the millions of mothers who have no choice but attend a health centre without clean water, they do not have the most important thing to welcome any new life – clean water and a hygienic environment." The photo series has been launched as part of WaterAid's Water Effect campaign, an initiative that aims to provide mothers and babies with clean water, healthy sanitation and good hygiene in health centres across the globe. To find out more about WaterAid's Water Effect appeal, click here. | Sabrina Barr | https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/childbirth-birth-baby-tradition-photo-series-wateraid-campaign-mothers-a8792526.html | 2019-02-25 07:22:25+00:00 | 1,551,097,345 | 1,567,547,382 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
958,139 | thesun--2019-04-29--Happy May Day 2019 How is 1st May celebrated in the UK and what traditions and quotes are there | 2019-04-29T00:00:00 | thesun | Happy May Day 2019! How is 1st May celebrated in the UK and what traditions and quotes are there? | EVERYONE looks forward to the influx of bank holidays that arrive around Easter and May each year and 2019 is no different. But what exactly is May Day and when is our early May long weekend this year? May Day is a holiday usually celebrated on May 1 and is a day that stems from ancient celebrations of spring. However, in England, May 1 is not a public holiday unless it falls on a Monday. Instead, since 1978 the Spring bank holiday has always fallen on the first Monday of the month. This year, as May Day falls on a Wednesday, the bank holiday is moved to the following Monday, which is May 6. Unlike the other bank holidays, the first Monday in May is taken off from schools by itself, and not as part of an end of term or half term holiday. The reason for this is because the day has no Christian significance - so doesn’t fit into the usual school holiday pattern. In the UK, May 1 is also International Workers’ Day – or Labour Day. In England, traditional May Day celebrations include crowning a May Queen and dancing around a maypole. It has been a day of festivities throughout history and is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime and the fertility of the land and livestock. May 1 is also a national holiday in Russia and Asian countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam. For many around the world, May Day is also associated with springtime and new beginnings. That being the case, many of the quotes about May Day refer to spring. Here are some of our favourites: However, May Day also symbolises labour movements around the world. Here are some quotes that represent those May Day vibes. | nkeegan | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3324669/may-day-2018-traditions-quotes-uk/ | 2019-04-29 16:33:18+00:00 | 1,556,569,998 | 1,567,541,751 | arts, culture, entertainment and media | culture |
3,640 | abcnews--2019-12-30--Reparations and Religion: 50 years after ‘Black Manifesto’ | 2019-12-30T00:00:00 | abcnews | Reparations and Religion: 50 years after ‘Black Manifesto’ | (RNS) — On a Sunday morning in May of 1969, as clergy processed into the sanctuary of New York’s august Riverside Church, civil rights activist James Forman vaulted into the pulpit to demand $500 million in reparations for the mistreatment of African Americans from white churches and synagogues. At the time, Forman’s interruption represented the high point for the reparations movement. A week before, Forman had debuted a radical proposal for racial justice known as “the Black Manifesto” for 500 black activists gathered in Detroit for the National Black Economic Development Conference. “(W)e know that the churches and synagogues have a tremendous wealth,” the manifesto stated, “and its membership, white America, has profited and still exploits black people. ”The conference determined, by a 187-63 vote, that it was time for white Christians and Jews to pay reparations and demonstrate a willingness to fight “the white supremacy and racism which has forced us as black people to make these demands. This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ”Riverside, then a mostly white liberal Protestant congregation whose neo-Gothic landmark building was financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr., would be deeply divided over the next few years over Forman’s challenge. As the activist brought his manifesto to other congregations and denominations, Riverside established a lecture series and a “Fund for Social Justice” that aimed to raise $450,000 over three years to help the poor in the local community. It fell short of the goal by almost $100,000. The Black Manifesto’s demands never caught fire in the broader U.S. religious community. The Rev. Gayraud Wilmore, a black Presbyterian leader in New York City in 1969, recalled 50 years later how religious institutions responded. “I saw them withering and unable to step forward and say ‘Let’s be the church,’” said Wilmore, now 98. “I saw no bold action taken on our side to go along with the bold action Forman was taking. ”Five decades later, the reparations debate has reentered the national spotlight, with some religious institutions leading the way. Earlier in December, Reform Jews, declaring that “racial inequity is present in virtually every aspect of American life,” voted overwhelmingly to support a U.S. commission to develop proposals for reparations and urged conversations in their congregations to redress systemic racism. In recent months, Virginia Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary and Georgetown University have all announced plans to fund initiatives that would benefit the descendants of slaves, while Episcopal dioceses in New York and Long Island made million- and half-million-dollar commitments as reparations committees continued their work. In May, the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland voted to study reparations and urge congregations to “examine how their endowed wealth is tied to the institution of slavery. ”Maryland’s African American bishop, Eugene Taylor Sutton, said tears came to his eyes when the measure passed at the diocese’s general convention with no dissenting votes, and he realized that the assembled delegates, representing a membership that is 90% white, “got it.” “They get this thing called justice, and when you put it in a frame that there is a basic injustice in this nation of stealing from generations of people and that has a direct effect on today, then people,” Sutton said, “they say, 'OK, we got to get that fixed.’ ”Sutton, who testified before Congress in June with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates to advocate for the idea of a U.S. reparations commission, emphasized that reparations can come in many forms. Starting next month, members of his diocese will begin to consider options such as providing better access for people of color to home buying, job training and faculty positions at seminaries. It has taken some American religious institutions 50 years to get their heads around reparations. When Forman hijacked that Sunday morning service, two-thirds of Riverside worshippers, including the minister, stormed out in protest. After activists occupied offices in the Interchurch Center of New York, a court issued restraining orders to bar Forman from the building. In Missouri, manifesto supporters in St. Louis carried out a series of “Black Sunday” protests, interrupting local services, which led to confrontations with white church members and arrests. The manifesto was quite specific in its demands. Black activists would control the distribution of reparations. The $500 million (soon increased to $3 billion) would be spent on programs designed to ensure black self-determination. These included establishing a Southern land bank, publishing industries, television networks, job training centers, labor unions and a black university. The manifesto’s rhetoric was just as controversial. Written by Forman, a former member of the civil rights group known as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the preamble framed reparations in Marxist terms. “Time is short,” Forman wrote. “(N)o oppressed people ever gained their liberation until they were ready to fight, to use whatever means necessary, including the use of force and power of the gun to bring down the colonizer. ”Prominent black and white religious leaders diverged on how to interpret Forman’s call for revolution. The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, who succeeded the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, compared Forman to biblical prophets who spoke truth to power. Writing in The Christian Century, he asked, “Was there not even a physical resemblance between Amos, the dusty-road-weary prophet in his desert garb, and Jim Forman in his dashiki?” The response from some white denominations was outright rejection. The Southern Baptist Convention dismissed the manifesto as “outrageous.” The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York called it un-American and touted its own programs for the “needy and disadvantaged” instead. The American Jewish Committee, which as part of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization had helped organize the National Black Economic Development Conference, withdrew from the IFCO. Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum, IFCO’s first president, resigned, stating hecould not “in conscience stand by in silence and appear ... to give assent to the revolutionary ideology and racist rhetoric of the Black Manifesto. ”Other denominations were more ambivalent. The Reformed Church in America invited Forman to address its general synod after he occupied the denomination’s headquarters a month after his action at Riverside. The Rev. Rand Peabody, a 22-year-old white seminarian who had already been slated to give the sermon the next day, revised his sermon after hearing news of Forman’s “liberation” of the RCA’s offices. “I remember I said it’s not a time for us to feel either blamed or shamed and certainly not a time to feel futile,” Peabody, now 73, said in an interview. “Our denomination, in his eye, did indeed have the power to play a part and we should accept that as almost a commissioning of the denomination to indeed step up to the plate and get involved in more focused and proactive ways. ”Like other denominations, the RCA didn’t accede to Forman’s demand that reparations be handed over freely. Instead the synod voted to create a $100,000 fund “to be disbursed according to the decisions” of a newly formed Black Council. The council then rejected the money.“We just basically wanted to be at the table where decisions are being made and not considered an auxiliary or an offshoot or a secondhand portion of the denomination,” said the Rev. Dwayne Jackson, a Hackensack, New Jersey, pastor, who was a panelist at an RCA event commemorating the manifesto in October titled “Unfinished Business.” Jackson, who knew some members of the council from his childhood church in the Bronx, said the staffer hired to oversee the council was the church’s first black executive. (Today, people of color comprise a third of the RCA’s executive leadership team.) Other denominations acknowledged the grievances raised by the manifesto but rejected the solutions it proposed and even the language of “reparations.” Instead they created or continued programs aimed at helping poor blacks and others. The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, the Evangelical Covenant Church’s Fund for Disadvantaged Americans of Minority Groups and the Episcopal Church’s General Convention Special Program were all created around the time of Forman’s action. Dominique DuBois Gilliard, the current director of the ECC’s “racial righteousness and reconciliation” ministry, recently reflected on how this kind of response “enacted a very problematic erasure of the black freedom struggle.” Met with the manifesto’s demands, “the Covenant found it more palatable to shift the conversation to marginalization in general,” Gilliard writes in the May/August edition of its Covenant Quarterly, which focused on the 50th anniversary of the manifesto. “This response has strong parallels to proclamations that ‘All Lives Matter’ in response to the declaration ‘Black Lives Matter.’" There has been a shift in recent years, however, which Gilliard has helped encourage. The ECC Resolution on Racism, passed in June, insists that “the time is right for white clergy to attend to the sins of our own community and make a public commitment to prioritize antiracism work within our ministerium.” Nell Gibson, a member and former chair of the Episcopal Diocese of New York’s Reparations Committee, recalled that in the wake of Forman’s declaration — which resulted in the Episcopal Church’s $200,000 donation to the National Committee of Black Churchmen — members of her Manhattan church created a Black and Brown Caucus. After receiving the $30,000 they demanded from their St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, they developed a free breakfast program for children, a summer “liberation school” that taught minority children their ancestors’ history and a prison law library. Fifty years on, reparations are often framed as spiritual tests as much as financial ones. This year was named the “Year of Apology” for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and each Sunday Gibson’s congregation has said a prayer that includes this sentence: “For the many ways — social, economic and political — that white supremacy has accrued benefits to some of us at the expense of others, we repent.” Soon, the diocesan reparations committee will consider a number of possible next steps, such as a truth and reconciliation commission or education and health care initiatives. Likewise, Sutton said his Maryland Episcopal diocese is moving methodically after years of conversation about reparations to figuring out how that will be lived out financially and otherwise. “We don’t have all the solutions, we don’t know everything that’s going to fix the problem and so we’re going to be humble in even what we think we can accomplish,” he said. “But, by God, we’re going to do something. ”This story is one in a series by Religion News Service about the future of segregation and integration in American religion, produced in partnership with Sacred Writes, a project that helps scholars share their research with a broader audience. This story is one in a series by Religion News Service about the future of segregation and integration in American religion, produced in partnership with Sacred Writes, a project that helps scholars share their research with a broader audience. | null | https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/reparations-religion-50-years-black-manifesto-67989717 | Mon, 30 Dec 2019 16:48:12 -0500 | 1,577,742,492 | 1,577,750,734 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
8,317 | aljazeera--2019-01-17--McJesus in Palestine Using bad art to whitewash Israels crimes | 2019-01-17T00:00:00 | aljazeera | McJesus in Palestine: Using bad art to whitewash Israel's crimes | Hundreds of Palestinian Muslims and Christians descended on the Haifa Museum of Art last Friday to protest the display of various artworks that use mass culture merchandise and corporate mascots to depict Christian icons. An online petition has also been launched to demand the removal of Finnish artist Jani Leinonen's artworks, which included a crucified Ronald McDonald and Mattel dolls - Ken and Barbie - representing Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. Although Leinonen made a name for himself as a subversive anti-capitalist protest artist, the artworks he chose to put on display in the Haifa Museum's "Sacred Goods" exhibition missed the mark. In irreverent creations such as "McJesus", the artist offered little more than an uninspiring rehash of the centuries-old critique of the relationship between religion and capitalism. More importantly, he completely ignored the political context in which these artworks are displayed, allowing the Israeli establishment to use the local population's anger about the offensive exhibition to whitewash the oppression and threats the Palestinian Christians are currently facing. Leinonen's McJesus, like other artwork in the exhibition, seeks to show how consumer products have become "sacred goods," merchandise invested with the authority of religious power and symbolism. However, there is nothing provocative or refreshing about this critique. The criticism of the sacralisation of capitalism and its obverse notion, the commercialisation of religion, has been ongoing for quite a few centuries now. Already in The Theory of the Moral Sentiments (1759), Adam Smith had used the "invisible hand" metaphor to draw this analogy between capitalism and religion. Ironically, the anachronistic nature of Leinonen's artwork was also highlighted in the curator's comment on the exhibition, where it was noted that "Already in the late nineteenth century, writer Emile Zola crowned consumption as the new religion, in which religious rituals in a church have been replaced by purchasing ceremonies at a department store." Recycling the age-old critique of the complicity between religion and capitalism - as banal as it may be - could have still made an impact if Leinonen bothered to take into consideration the context in which these artworks are going to be displayed. The local context was clearly on the artist's mind when he decided to transform a Ken doll into Jesus, as the box he packaged the doll in was emblazoned with the Hebrew word for Jesus (Yeshua). However, there was no commentary offered in any of his artworks about Israel's realities - its occupation of Palestinian land and oppression of the Palestinian population. In the hands of a different artist attuned to the brutal realities of the local context, the image of a crucified McDonalds' clown could have offered radical commentary on the Palestinian struggle for freedom. It could have easily highlighted the concerted efforts of both American religious institutions, especially evangelicals, and American corporate culture to provide material support and mythical narratives that legitimise the current policies of the authoritarian colonial-capitalist Israeli state. Leinonen missed this opportunity. But even more importantly, his "bad art" allowed Israeli authorities to opportunistically exploit the indigenous population's protests about Leinonen's artworks and use the controversy to conceal the Israeli state's racist and discriminatory policies and mistreatment of Palestinian Christians. Following protests by Palestinians, Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev spared no time in condemning the art exhibition in the name of "democratic values" and" tolerance for other cultural and religious traditions". In her letter to the museum director, Regev stated: "The values that distinguish us as a Jewish and democratic state oblige us to respect the religious feelings of all citizens of the State of Israel - Muslims, Christians, Druze and others." She insisted that disrespecting sacred symbols "may affect the delicate fabric of our democratic society, which respects the religious feelings of others as one of its most enlightened foundations." This appeal for tolerance is belied not only by the racist, discriminatory and divisive policies of Israel but also by the past actions of Regev herself. In May 2012, for example, Regev received much unwanted public attention after she called Sudanese asylum seekers a "cancer in the nation's body." For the record, Regev later apologised to Israeli cancer patients for her offensive remarks about cancer, but never felt the need to apologise to the human beings that she likened to a deadly disease. So what was behind the Culture Minister's uncharacteristic appeal for tolerance and newfound concern for the rights and sentiments of Israel's indigenous communities? Regev's condemnation of the exhibition was an attempt to whitewash the ongoing Nakba and to present Israel as a state that respects the diverse religious identities of all its citizens and residents, including Christians. This, of course, couldn't be further from the truth. About a year ago, Theophilos III, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, warned in an op-ed in the Guardian that Israeli policies are driving Palestinian Christians out of the Holy Land. He outlined the efforts of the Israeli Knesset to strip Palestinian Christians of their church lands and property rights through a "church lands" bill that would put an end to the church's sovereignty over its lands in the old city of Jerusalem. Theophilos III also pointed out the activities of radical settler groups in and around Jerusalem that are destabilising the status quo regarding "the protection and accessibility" of the holy sites in the city. Many of these radical settlers have been suspected of carrying out "price tag" attacks on churches and other Christian properties, desecrating and vandalising churches, monasteries, and holy sites and spraying hate graffiti on them. In most of these cases, the Israeli authorities did not apprehend any suspects and dismissed the incidents on the grounds of unknown perpetrators. These attacks on Christian churches and properties, which date back to the Nakba, also target Christians in the West Bank. Israeli forces, for example, have raided a well-known monastery in Bethlehem and attempted to confiscate its land to continue building its apartheid annexation and separation wall in the Cremisan Valley. It is important to note that Israeli military forces aid and abet the radical settlers in their desecration of Christian sites, offering them the protection they need as they raid these sites to perform religious rituals there. The state's racist and discriminatory laws, closure policies and the apartheid annexation and separation wall restrict the access of Palestinian Christians to the holy sites in Jerusalem, effectively censuring their religious freedom and hindering them from practising their faith. These policies, as Theophilos III warns, threaten "the very presence of Christians in the Holy Land". Disingenuous calls for tolerance and understanding by Israeli authority figures like Regev should not trick anyone into thinking that the capitalist settler-colony that is Israel cares about the religious sensitivities of Christians or Muslims living in Israel. Needless to say, as Regev was talking about the so-called "democratic fabric" of the Israeli society, Israeli state police was using stun grenades and tear gas to squash and disperse the crowds demonstrating near the museum. Regev's letter also exposed a major shortcoming of the Israeli liberal left. Israeli leftists were outraged not only by Regev's failure to condemn "the violence against the museum," but also by her threats to cut state funding for such offensive exhibitions. In their eyes, as always, violence was one-sided and perpetrated by the Arabs. They ignored the structural violence of the state in the name of the fight over culture and artistic freedom. Leinonen's McJesus and other artwork in the "Sacred Goods" exhibition is uncharacteristic of his other subversive anti-capitalist protest art and the School of Disobedience he runs. In this exhibition, he misses an important opportunity to critique the more pernicious aspects of capitalist exploitation and fetishisation through a critical engagement with the structures of violence and social inequalities that constitute the authoritarian capitalist-colonial Israeli state. The only way out of the false universality of the corporate capitalist culture that the crucified clown represents and into the truly radical and egalitarian universality for which Jesus stands is the practice of decolonisation. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/mcjesus-palestine-bad-art-whitewash-israel-crimes-190115155534587.html | 2019-01-17 14:55:55+00:00 | 1,547,754,955 | 1,567,552,070 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
10,117 | aljazeera--2019-02-20--Vaticans first summit on child sex abuse What to expect | 2019-02-20T00:00:00 | aljazeera | Vatican's first summit on child sex abuse: What to expect | Pope Francis has summoned senior bishops from all over the world to Rome for a landmark meeting on sexual abuse. From Thursday to Sunday, 190 Catholic leaders, including 10 women, will gather in the Italian capital at the pope's request; the event marks the first time in history that a pope has called senior bishops to discuss sexual abuse. Scandals have struck the Catholic Church for decades, with pressure increasing after journalistic and judicial investigations revealed patterns of sexual abuse and cover-ups. Further cases in 2018 heightened the crisis - some senior bishops have said the issue puts the very credibility of the Catholic Church at stake. It's a four-day gathering of about 190 Catholic leaders who will discuss how to resolve the issue of the sexual abuse of minors. It takes place in the Vatican, in Rome, under the official title of "Protection of Minors in the Church". The Vatican's press office has described the meeting's goal as making "absolutely clear" to bishops how to act to prevent and deal with sexual abuse. It focuses on sharing best practices in dealing with abuse, educating bishops on the problem, and on bolstering transparency, responsibility and accountability in the church. It will not, crucially, focus on canon law reform. The pope has asked those invited to pray for the coming meeting. The summit is important for at least three reasons. First, although similar meetings have taken place in the past, it is the first time that a pope has summoned senior bishops for it. Second, Pope Francis has given more voice to survivors of clerical sexual abuse - he has met some of them and has urged bishops to do the same in their countries before leaving for Rome. Some survivors will also give their testimony at the summit. Finally, the Vatican has acknowledged that sexual abuse is a global problem in the church, and not only an issue in some specific countries, as it had previously downplayed it. Not everyone agrees on the summit's importance, but most people welcome it as a positive development. "For survivors who have been around for 25 years, like me, this is an incredible achievement," says Peter Isely, a survivor, critic of the Vatican and founding member of Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) Global. "Years ago, this was inconceivable." Two cases, in particular, have shaken the Vatican in 2018. In the United States, the grand jury of the state of Pennsylvania released a report that revealed the sexual abuse and systematic cover-up of more than 1,000 minors over 70 years, implicating some 300 clergymen. After its release, at least 14 other US states have launched similar investigations, suggesting that more scandals are likely to surface in the next few years. The other incident took place in Chile, where bishops and high prelates have come under pressure for covering up a sexual abuse crisis centred around Fernando Karadima. While Karadima was sentenced to a "life of prayer and penance" in 2011, his case came back under the spotlight after Pope Francis spoke in support of one of the bishops involved in the cover-up, in early 2018. Realising the mistake, the pope has since apologised and called the Chilean bishops to Rome. They offered their resignations en-masse, and five of them have been accepted. Karadima has since been removed from the priesthood. "I believe the Chilean case was decisive [for calling the summit]," says Paolo Rodari, Vatican analyst for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "It was a big blow for Pope Francis. "My impression is that the pope realised that not everyone in the church grasps the seriousness of the problem," he says. "It signals that the pope has understood how serious this is." Almost entirely, although some are not convinced. Some victims, for example, don't support the summit because it doesn't promise canon law reform. They have even called it a media bluff. "For us, this summit is meaningless," says Francesco Zanardi, a survivor who has campaigned on the issue for nine years. He is the president of Rete L'Abuso, an Italian association of survivors. "We are only going to Rome to protest." Inside the church though, there is little outspoken opposition. "Everybody in the church is against sexual abuse, that is not the question," says Rev Thomas Reese, a senior analyst with the Religious News Service. "The question is that there are bishops, predominantly in the Global South, who don't think it is a problem in their countries." He explains that this happens because scandals haven't struck all countries, so some bishops feel safe. But this often happens because of social stigma on the sexually abused in certain countries, or because survivors are not encouraged to come out - not because abuses haven't happened. Actually not much, at least for now. While this might lead to concrete results in the future, it's unlikely to produce ground-breaking new protocols in the short run. Pope Francis has warned that expectations around the summit must be "deflated", and Vatican sources have called it a step in a 15-year journey. These words have frustrated survivors and activists demanding an immediate end to clerical sexual abuse and cover-ups. "Expecting a priest who sexually abuses a child and a bishop who covers it up to be removed from the priesthood is not an 'inflated' expectation," says Peter Isely of ECA Global. "It's a minimum expectation." On Monday, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's leading investigator of clerical sexual abuse, confirmed that "this is not going to be a three-day wonder" and stressed the importance of follow-ups on the summit. Survivors demand zero tolerance - that the Vatican remove from the priesthood not only any priest guilty of sexually abusing a child, but also any bishops and cardinals involved in covering him up and shuffling them to other posts. Other demands include handing over priest offenders to civil authorities and ending alternative punishment such as sentences to a life of "penance and prayer" or retreat in religious institutions instead of jail. All survivors pledge to carry on their battle. "We've lived with a lot of disappointments," says Peter Isely of ECA Global. "Expectation is not what drives us." Juan Carlos Cruz, who is among the people abused by Karadima in Chile and has also met Pope Francis to discuss the problem, said: "[Bishops who deny the problem] are on borrowed time. If the summit turns out to be more of the same, survivors will keep fighting. It's a tsunami that no one will stop." Some interviews were translated from Italian. | null | https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/vatican-summit-child-sex-abuse-expect-190219221043083.html | 2019-02-20 07:33:28+00:00 | 1,550,666,008 | 1,567,547,914 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
74,287 | breitbart--2019-10-11--Beto O'Rourke: Religious Institutions Will Lose Tax Exemption If They Oppose Same Sex Marriage | 2019-10-11T00:00:00 | breitbart | Beto O'Rourke: Religious Institutions Will Lose Tax Exemption If They Oppose Same Sex Marriage | During the broadcast of CNN’s town hall on LGBTQ issues on Thursday, 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) said religious institutions that do not agree with same-sex marriage would lose their tax-exempt status under his presidency. Don Lemon asked, “This is from your LGBTQ plan. This is what you write. Freedom of religion is a fundamental right, but it should not be used to discriminate. Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage? O’Rourke said, “Yes. There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights, and the full civil rights of every single one of us. And so as president, we’re going to make that a priority, and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon human rights.” | Pam Key | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/4zSWGIOBnX8/ | Fri, 11 Oct 2019 02:39:06 +0000 | 1,570,775,946 | 1,570,796,508 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
115,779 | cnsnews--2019-10-11--Beto O'Rourke Would End Tax-Exempt Status for Churches That Oppose Gay Marriage | 2019-10-11T00:00:00 | cnsnews | Beto O'Rourke Would End Tax-Exempt Status for Churches That Oppose Gay Marriage | (CNSNews.com) - "Yes," Beto O'Rourke told a CNN town hall on LGBTQ equality Thursday night. He would use the government tax code to crimp the free exercise of religion. CNN's Don Lemon pointed to O'Rourke's LGBTQ plan: "This is what you write. 'Freedom of religion is a fundamental right but it should not be used to discriminate.' Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax exempt status if they oppose same sex marriage?" "Yes," O'Rourke said. "There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us. "And so as president, we're going to make that a priority, and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans." | Susan Jones | https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/beto-orourke-would-end-tax-exempt-status-churches-oppose-gay-marriage | Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:10:36 -0400 | 1,570,799,436 | 1,570,832,302 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
115,825 | cnsnews--2019-10-14--Progressive Base Sees Religious Freedom As Hate Speech | 2019-10-14T00:00:00 | cnsnews | Progressive Base Sees Religious Freedom As Hate Speech | Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke expressed the deep, heartfelt desire of many progressives: to punish conservative religious people for their beliefs. At a CNN Town Hall on Thursday, he was asked if he believed that “religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities” should “lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage.” “Yes,” said O’Rourke, an answer met with raucous applause and loud cheers from the Democratic crowd. “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us.” Although the progressive audience enthusiastically and overwhelmingly supported O’Rourke’s proposal, it was later criticized by legal experts and religious people. Progressive commentators responded by going into damage-control mode. Recognizing that O’Rourke’s proposal might be unpopular with the broader public, commentators aligned with the Democratic Party sought to downplay its significance. They pointed out that O’Rourke is a second-tier presidential candidate with little hope of becoming president. But O’Rourke’s proposal plainly is popular with the progressive base of the Democratic Party, and other candidates at the CNN Town Hall made no effort to distance themselves from O’Rourke’s position. In response to the same question, Sen. Cory Booker said that religious institutions would face “consequences,” and that he would “press this issue.” Booker avoided “saying” whether he would take away their tax-exemptions, “because … this is a long legal battle.” Most legal commentators said that O’Rourke’s proposal is unconstitutional under Supreme Court rulings like Speiser v. Randall (1958). Those rulings forbid withholding tax exemptions based on the viewpoint advocated by a person or organization. Such viewpoint discrimination is forbidden by the First Amendment. But O’Rourke’s unconstitutional proposal plainly appeals to many Democratic voters, judging by their defenses of it on Twitter, and enthusiasm for it at the CNN Town Hall. A Twitter user named Travis Bell defended it by saying: "Taking away tax-exempt status is not forcing anyone to believe anything. If people wanted to hold outdated, bronze-age beliefs, then that is their right. But we as a society don’t need to subsidize it. Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right." Bell had plenty of company. An Episcopalian feminist wrote that “churches should lose nonprofit status if they are exclusionary.” “They can continue their backwards beliefs if they want, they just won’t get indirect subsidies anymore,” Miguel Chavez said. “I agree” with Beto, said Sallie Hopper. “Absolutely — religion is not to be used as a crutch to” justify bigotry, said a Louisiana Democratic activist. A self-described member of “The Resistance” praised O’Rourke’s comments, calling him the “one candidate consistently speaking truth to power.” A Democratic dentist in New Jersey praised O’Rourk, for sending the message to churches “that it’s wrong to have prejudicial views and use the Bible & ‘religious beliefs’ as a veneer to justify them.” “Taking away the tax exempt status of ‘politically motivated’ religions is a great start,” raved Peter Swisher. A New York Democrat enthused that opposing same-sex marriage is one of the “excellent reasons for churches to lose tax-exempt status.” “Finally!! The debasement of human beings according to one’s religion is coming to an end,” agreed a liberal psychologist. “I am with Beto on that,” said a progressive YouTuber. This position by progressives isn’t surprising. Most progressives support forcing churches to marry gay couples, and long have. Even back in 2013, when support for gay marriage was much lower than it is today, Democrats mostly supported coercing churches to perform gay marriages. A poll by the “center-left” think-tank Third Way found that 28% of voters felt that churches should not “be able to refuse to perform” same-sex marriages, while 61% felt that they should have that right. That 28% amounted to most of the Democratic Party, which comprises less than half of America’s population. And that was back in 2013, when public support for same-sex marriage was at least 14% lower than it is today. Progressives also often view opposition to same-sex marriage as hate speech. Democrats overwhelmingly want to ban hate speech. Fifty-one percent of Democrats supported banning “hate speech,” while only 21% opposed such a ban, in a widely-cited You.Gov poll. Under campus speech codes and social media rules aimed at preventing hate speech and “harassment,” people have been punished just for criticizing “homosexuality, gay marriage, or transgender rights.” The Supreme Court struck down a hate-speech ordinance as a violation of the First Amendment in R.A.V. v. St. Paul (1992). But progressives are much more hostile to free speech today than they were back then. So a future, more progressive Supreme Court might be willing to reconsider that decision, which many progressive legal scholars passionately condemned. Some progressives define even single-instances of “hate speech” as a civil-rights violation: New York City recently warned residents that it may fine them up to $250,000 if they use the term illegal alien in the workplace or rental housing, even if they do so only once. New York City views illegal alien as a pejorative term that constitutes illegal discriminatory harassment when it is uttered to offend or demean such immigrants — even though the term is found in federal laws. Even if the courts wouldn’t let churches be stripped of their tax exemptions based on their beliefs or statements about same-sex marriage, they might let churches be targeted for some of their actions in not facilitating same-sex weddings. Legal commentator Walter Olson persuasively argues that current Supreme Court precedent does not allow churches to lose their tax exemptions based on refusal to marry gay couples. But the Supreme Court did allow Bob Jones University to be denied tax-exempt status by the IRS for discrimination against interracial couples, even though interracial relationships were against its religious beliefs. LGBT rights groups cite this ruling to argue that churches can be punished for not recognizing gay marriage in religious schools they operate, or for not hosting same-sex marriage ceremonies in public accommodations such as pavilions that they own. CNN quoted “Camilla Taylor, director of constitutional litigation for Lambda Legal, one of the oldest organizations focused on LGBT rights.” She told CNN, “In the past, the Supreme Court upheld the IRS when they issued a revenue ruling that educational institutions that discriminate on race do not qualify as charitable institutions given that they are acting contrary to public policy.” In the years to come, LGBT groups will argue that religious schools (and perhaps even churches) do not qualify as tax-exempt charitable institutions, if they don’t recognize gay marriages between their students or parishioners (for purposes of decisions like where to house or seat them). They have already sued religious colleges for not allowin gay couples to live in housing specifically reserved for married students. One such lawsuit was successfully brought by an unmarried gay couple in liberal New York City, over a religious college’s refusal to let them stay in housing for married couples. They objected to being in housing for unmarried students. Similar challenges to churches over their membership practices are likely to fail. That’s because the Supreme Court’s Bob Jones decision suggested in a footnote that churches are different from religious schools in terms of when they can be denied a tax-exemption based on discrimination. (Hans Bader practices law in Washington, D.C. After studying economics and history at the University of Virginia and law at Harvard, he practiced civil-rights, international-trade, and constitutional law. He also once worked in the Education Department.) | Hans Bader | https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/hans-bader/progressive-base-sees-religious-freedom-hate-speech | Mon, 14 Oct 2019 09:36:23 -0400 | 1,571,060,183 | 1,571,091,504 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
121,694 | crikey--2019-12-03--Forget religious freedom; the church just wants power | 2019-12-03T00:00:00 | crikey | Forget religious freedom; the church just wants power | Forget religious freedom; the church just wants power Religious institutions already have enough freedom — what they want is a bill to help rebuild their dwindling congregation. The lobbying push on the religious freedom bill -- which the government has booted into next year, perhaps hoping for a death and resurrection -- is gathering pace. How's it going? | Guy Rundle | https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/12/03/religious-freedom-bill-study/ | Tue, 03 Dec 2019 01:08:17 +0000 | 1,575,353,297 | 1,575,375,860 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
195,268 | fivethirtyeight--2019-09-18--The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion | 2019-09-18T00:00:00 | fivethirtyeight | The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion | A few weeks ago, the Democratic National Committee formally acknowledged what has been evident for quite some time: Nonreligious voters are a critical part of the party’s base. In a one-page resolution passed at its annual summer meeting, the DNC called on Democratic politicians to recognize and celebrate the contributions of nonreligious Americans, who make up one-third of Democrats. In response, Robert Jeffress, a Dallas pastor with close ties to Trump, appeared on Fox News, saying the Democrats were finally admitting they are a “godless party.” This was hardly a new argument. Conservative Christian leaders have been repeating some version of this claim for years, and have often called on religious conservatives and Republican politicians to defend the country against a growing wave of liberal secularism. And it’s true that liberals have been leaving organized religion in high numbers over the past few decades. But blaming the Democrats, as Jeffress and others are wont to do, doesn’t capture the profound role that conservative Christian activists have played in transforming the country’s religious landscape, and the role they appear to have played in liberals’ rejection of organized religion. Researchers haven’t found a comprehensive explanation for why the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans has increased over the past few years — the shift is too large and too complex. But a recent swell of social science research suggests that even if politics wasn’t the sole culprit, it was an important contributor. “Politics can drive whether you identify with a faith, how strongly you identify with that faith, and how religious you are,” said Michele Margolis, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “From Politics to the Pews: How Partisanship and the Political Environment Shape Religious Identity.” “And some people on the left are falling away from religion because they see it as so wrapped up with Republican politics.” Over the course of a single generation, the country has gotten a lot less religious. As recently as the early 1990s, less than 10 percent of Americans lacked a formal religious affiliation, and liberals weren’t all that much likelier to be nonreligious than the public overall. Today, however, nearly one in four Americans are religiously unaffiliated. That includes almost 40 percent of liberals — up from 12 percent in 1990, according to the 2018 General Social Survey. The share of conservatives and moderates who have no religion, meanwhile, has risen less dramatically. The result is that today, most people’s political ideology is more tightly tethered to their religious identity. The overlap is far from complete — there are still some secular conservatives and even more religious liberals. In fact, the majority of Democratic voters are religiously affiliated. But the more liberal you are, the less likely you are to belong to a faith; whereas if you’re conservative, you’re more likely to say you’re religious. To be sure, religious belief and practice can still exist without a label. Many people who are religiously unaffiliated still believe in God, or slip back into the pews a few times a year. But liberals are also cutting ties with religious institutions — since 1990, the share of liberals who never attend religious services has tripled. And they’re less likely to believe in God: The percentage of liberals who say they know God exists fell from 53 percent in 1991 to 36 percent in 2018. At first, it wasn’t clear why so many Americans were losing their faith — and of the available explanations, politics wasn’t high on the list. After all, there are lots of reasons why any individual person would stop attending church that have nothing to do with politics. A church scandal might spark a crisis of faith. You might begin to view a religion’s hierarchies or rules as antiquated, restrictive or irrelevant to your life. You might not have been that religious to begin with. Social scientists were initially reluctant to entertain the idea that a political backlash was somehow responsible, because it challenged long-standing assumptions about how flexible our religious identities really are. Even now, the idea that partisanship could shape something as personal and profound as our relationship with God might seem radical, or maybe even a little offensive. But when two sociologists, Michael Hout and Claude Fischer, began to look at possible explanations for why so many Americans were suddenly becoming secular, those conventional reasons couldn’t explain why religious affiliation started to fall in the mid-1990s. Demographic and generational shifts also couldn’t fully account for why liberals and moderates were leaving in larger numbers than conservatives. In a paper published in 2002, they offered a new theory: Distaste for the Christian right’s involvement with politics was prompting some left-leaning Americans to walk away from religion. It was a simple but compelling explanation. For one thing, the timing made sense. In the 1990s, white evangelical Protestants were becoming more politically powerful and visible within conservative politics. As white evangelical Protestants became an increasingly important constituency for the GOP, the Christian conservative political agenda — focused primarily on issues of sexual morality, including opposition to gay marriage and abortion — became an integral part of the the party’s pitch to voters, but it was still framed as part of an existential struggle to protect the country’s religious foundation from incursions by the secular left. Hout and Fischer argued that the Christian right hadn’t just roused religious voters from their political slumber — left-leaning people with weaker religious ties also started opting out of religion because they disliked Christian conservatives’ social agenda. At the time, Hout and Fischer’s argument was mostly just a theory. But within the past few years, Margolis and several other prominent political scientists have concluded that politics is a driving factor behind the rise of the religiously unaffiliated. For one thing, several studies that followed respondents over time showed that it wasn’t that people were generally becoming more secular, and then gravitating toward liberal politics because it fit with their new religious identity. People’s political identities remained constant as their religious affiliation shifted. Other research showed that the blend of religious activism and Republican politics likely played a significant role in increasing the number of religiously unaffiliated people. One study, for instance, found that something as simple as reading a news story about a Republican who spoke in a church could actually prompt some Democrats to say they were nonreligious. “It’s like an allergic reaction to the mixture of Republican politics and religion,” said David Campbell, a political scientist at the University of Notre Dame and one of the study’s co-authors. Granted, the people who were leaving weren’t necessarily at the center of their religious community — they didn’t attend religious services often, perhaps dropping in once or twice a year. But the numbers began to add up, opening a rift between conservatives and liberals. According to Margolis’s research, while young people across the political spectrum tend to drift away from religion, liberals are increasingly unlikely to return. As a result, views about religion and its role in American society have become increasingly polarized. According to surveys by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of liberals who believe that churches and religious organizations positively contribute to society dropped from nearly half (49 percent) in 2010 to only one-third (33 percent) today. And according to 2016 data from the Voter Study Group, only 11 percent of people who are very liberal say that being Christian is at least fairly important to what it means to be American — compared to 69 percent of people who identify as very conservative. And although the people who have left religion could return, it seems more and more unlikely. For one thing, conservative Christians are still a key part of the Republican coalition, where their agenda on issues like abortion and religious exemptions remains a high political priority within the party. This means liberals’ views of the association between conservative politics and religion could be hard to shake. These patterns are self-reinforcing in other ways, too. Recent surveys show that secular liberals are more likely than moderates or conservatives to have spouses who aren’t religious. That’s critical because these couples are then often less likely to pray or send their children to Sunday school, and research shows that formative religious experiences as a child play a crucial role in structuring an adult’s religious beliefs and identity. It’s no coincidence then that the youngest liberals — who never lived in a political world before the Christian right — are also the most secular. “It’s very, very unlikely that a kid raised in a nonreligious liberal household would suddenly consider going to church,” Margolis said. The political implications of this shift are already evident. As more liberals become nonreligious, the Democratic Party’s base is growing more secular, complicating the party’s efforts at reaching more religious voters. But what it means for religion is less clear. Paul Djupe, a political scientist at Denison College, said that the impact might be blunted by the fact that the people who are becoming nonreligious mostly weren’t that involved in religion to begin with. But Campbell warned that this shift is already reducing churches’ ability to bring a diverse array of people together and break down partisan barriers. That, in his view, threatens to further undermine trust in religious groups and make our politics more and more divisive. “We have very few institutions left in the country where people who have different political views come together,” he said. “Worship was one of those — and without it, the list is smaller and smaller.” | Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux | https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-christian-right-is-helping-drive-liberals-away-from-religion/ | 2019-09-18 11:00:28+00:00 | 1,568,818,828 | 1,569,329,923 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
218,183 | freebeacon--2019-10-11--Beto: Religious Institutions Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status for Same-Sex Marriage Opposition | 2019-10-11T00:00:00 | freebeacon | Beto: Religious Institutions Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status for Same-Sex Marriage Opposition | Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke (D., Texas) said he would strip religious institutions of their tax exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage. "We are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans," the former congressman said during CNN's Equality Town Hall on Thursday. CNN host Don Lemon pressed O'Rourke on the particulars of his plan for LGBT Americans. "Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, charities, should they lose their tax exempt status if they oppose same sex marriage?" Lemon asked. O'Rourke answered with an unequivocal yes, and stressed that as president, he would make punishing religious organizations a priority. "There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us," O'Rourke said. His remarks sparked condemnation from Republican lawmakers. Sen. Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) said O'Rourke's approach would criminalize any and all "religious convictions [that] don’t fall in line with his progressive politics." "This extreme intolerance is un-American," Sasse said in a statement. "This bigoted nonsense would target a lot of sincere Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Leaders from both political parties have a duty to flatly condemn this attack on very basic American freedoms." Religious liberty groups said O'Rourke's proposal threatens fundamental constitutional rights. Luke Goodrich, an attorney with the nonprofit firm Becket Law, said the government should not target religions based upon their traditional beliefs. "Stripping the tax-exempt status of religious groups simply because they hold beliefs that the government dislikes is blatantly unconstitutional,"Goodrich said in a statement. "It's also foolish because those groups provide billions of dollars in essential social services to their communities. Churches and ministries should be allowed to hold centuries-old beliefs without fear of government retribution." O'Rourke has previously expressed his support for abortion up to the day before birth, telling a crowd at the College of Charleston, "this is a decision that neither you, nor I, nor the United States government should be making." He is struggling to gain traction among Democratic voters, and faces the strong possibility of missing out on the fifth Democratic presidential debate in November due to weak polling. | Graham Piro | https://freebeacon.com/politics/beto-religious-institutions-should-lose-tax-exempt-status-for-same-sex-marriage-opposition/ | Fri, 11 Oct 2019 13:05:31 +0000 | 1,570,813,531 | 1,570,842,013 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
237,337 | hitandrun--2019-12-11--An LGBT Discrimination Compromise Bill Is Proposed in an Uncompromising Culture | 2019-12-11T00:00:00 | hitandrun | An LGBT Discrimination Compromise Bill Is Proposed in an Uncompromising Culture | Several Republican lawmakers have introduced a compromise bill that would provide gay and transgender people federal discrimination protections while still preserving some ability for religious organizations and nonprofits to seek exemptions. Of course, it doesn't appear that either side of the LGBT/religious conservative divide is willing to accept such a compromise. But the effort itself is worth noting as a sign of the significant cultural shift on LGBT issues. Rep. Chris Stewart (R–Utah) has introduced the "Fairness for All Act" which attempts to thread the needle between protection and religious freedom. Stewart's bill would add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to federal discrimination laws. This would make it against the law nationwide to fire an employee or refuse to rent an apartment to somebody because they are gay or transgender. While this sounds almost exactly like the Equality Act proposed by Democrats and LGBT leaders and passed by the House this May, Stewart's bill provides more specific exemptions for religious institutions and religious nonprofits, as well as small businesses. A large chain bakery or grocery store would be expected to make those gay wedding cakes (and they all do already because they like making money), while small businesses like Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado or Arlene's Flowers in Washington state would still be able to decline to provide services for same-sex weddings because of their religious objections to recognizing gay marriage. The Fairness for All Act prepares the possibility of an expansion of the federal definition of a "public accommodation" by defining some exceptions. Currently, federal civil rights act laws define "public accommodation" more narrowly than most state laws—places like gas stations, movie theaters, restaurants, and hotels are covered, while many other professional services are not. Stewart's act would make it clear that facilities operated by a church or religious organization are exempted from any expansions in the definition of what counts as a public accommodation. The bill tries to thread a difficult needle in how trans people should be treated for the use of facilities like restrooms and changing rooms. Public schools will be expected to accommodate trans students using the facility that matches their chosen gender, but schools will also need to find a way to "reasonably accommodate" anybody seeking greater privacy. The most relevant concern here is that of a cisgender woman who is uncomfortable sharing bathroom or changing space with a trans woman who still has male sexual organs. But not all women would care. So those who do care would be accommodated with something like a private stall, rather than requiring the trans woman to do so. All in all, the purpose of the Fairness for All Act is to add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal discrimination laws in such a way that won't result in the Department of Justice targeting churches and religious institutions for punishment. It's a much milder change than the Equality Act, which would significantly expand public accommodation classifications and more tightly prohibit any religious-based exemptions. Stewart's efforts have gotten him support from the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Utah's Governor Gary Herbert, a Republican. The proposal is based on a compromise bill passed in Utah in 2015 that similarly added sexual orientation and gender identity to discrimination protections but also exempted religious organizations. Clearly, we're not in a political environment where compromise is on the table, and coverage of the act shows it. Over at Vox, Katelyn Burns does a fair job of explaining what the bill does, but a significant amount of her piece is full of quotes from religious conservatives, LGBT activists, and for some reason, an atheist organization, all blasting the bill. Googling "Fairness for All Act" leads—in its very first match—with a paid link from the religious conservative Alliance Defending Freedom written in 2017 (after the Utah compromise passed and Republican lawmakers began considering a federal version) warning that these types of "proposals surrender essential, constitutionally guaranteed individual and institutional freedoms and empower the government to discriminate against its citizens in exchange for narrow carve-outs for religious freedom and perhaps other protections of uncertain scope." And then the next two links are to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), both blasting the Fairness for All Act from the other direction. The ACLU says, "The new legislation signals that LGBTQ people are less worthy of protection. It does this by providing religious organizations and service providers with the ability to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity where they are explicitly prohibited under current federal law from discriminating based on other protected characteristics." The whole point of a compromise bill is that neither side gets everything that they want, but we're not in a cultural spot where the people with the loudest voices are interested in compromise. Each of the Democratic candidates for president have thrown their support behind the Equality Act, and in their various appeals for the LGBT vote, have made it clear they'd rather punish religious objectors than try to figure out a way to work with them. The Fairness for All Act stands as conscientious objector to the culture wars. But right now, few people are looking for a truce. Read a draft version of the bill here. | Scott Shackford ([email protected]) | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/reason/HitandRun/~3/cxf2ulfJRI8/ | 2019-12-11T18:15:39Z | 1,576,106,139 | 1,576,110,040 | religion and belief | religious institutions and state relations |
29,905 | bbc--2019-08-21--Amazon fires Record number burning in Brazil rainforest - space agency | 2019-08-21T00:00:00 | bbc | Amazon fires: Record number burning in Brazil rainforest - space agency | Brazil's Amazon rainforest has seen a record number of fires this year, new space agency data suggests. The National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) said its satellite data showed an 84% increase on the same period in 2018. It comes weeks after President Jair Bolsonaro sacked the head of the agency amid rows over its deforestation data. The largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming. It is also home to about three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people. Conservationists have blamed Mr Bolsonaro for the Amazon's plight, saying he has encouraged loggers and farmers to clear the land, and scientists say the rainforest has suffered losses at an accelerated rate since he took office in January. Meanwhile, US space agency Nasa said that overall fire activity in the Amazon basin was slightly below average this year. The agency said that while activity had increased in Amazonas and Rondonia, it had decreased in the states of Mato Grosso and Pará. It was earlier reported that a blackout on Monday in the city of São Paulo - more than 2,700km (1,700 miles) away - had been caused by smoke from the Amazon fires. But some meteorologists say the smoke came from major fires burning in Paraguay, which is much closer to the city and not in the Amazon region. Wildfires often occur in the dry season in Brazil but they are also deliberately started in efforts to illegally deforest land for cattle ranching. Inpe said it had detected more than 74,000 fires between January and August - the highest number since records began in 2013. It said it had observed more than 9,500 forest fires since Thursday, mostly in the Amazon region. In comparison, there are slightly more than 40,000 in the same period of 2018, it said. However, the worst recent year was 2016, with more than 68,000 fires in that period. The satellite images showed Brazil's most northern state, Roraima, covered in dark smoke, while neighbouring Amazonas declared an emergency over the fires. Mr Bolsonaro brushed off the latest data, saying it was the "season of the queimada", when farmers use fire to clear land. "I used to be called Captain Chainsaw. Now I am Nero, setting the Amazon aflame," he was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. Later he appeared to suggest that non-governmental organisations had set fires, as revenge for his government slashing their funding. He presented no evidence and gave no names to support this theory, saying there were "no written records about the suspicions". "So, there could be..., I'm not affirming it, criminal action by these 'NGOers' to call attention against my person, against the government of Brazil. This is the war that we are facing," he said in a Facebook Live on Wednesday. Inpe noted that the number of fires was not in line with those normally reported during the dry season. "There is nothing abnormal about the climate this year or the rainfall in the Amazon region, which is just a little below average," Inpe researcher Alberto Setzer told Reuters. "The dry season creates the favourable conditions for the use and spread of fire, but starting a fire is the work of humans, either deliberately or by accident." Ricardo Mello, head of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Amazon Programme, said the fires were "a consequence of the increase in deforestation seen in recent figures". The reports of a rise in forest fires come amid criticism over Mr Bolsonaro's environmental policies. Scientists say the Amazon has suffered losses at an accelerated rate since the president took office in January, with policies favouring development over conservation. Over the past decade, previous governments had managed to reduce deforestation with action by federal agencies and a system of fines. But Mr Bolsonaro and his ministers have criticised the penalties and overseen a fall in confiscations of timber and convictions for environmental crimes. Last month, the far-right president accused Inpe's director of lying about the scale of deforestation in the Amazon and trying to undermine the government. It came after Inpe published data showing an 88% increase in deforestation there in June compared to the same month a year ago. The director of the agency later announced that he was being sacked amid the row. Inpe has previously insisted that its data is 95% accurate. The agency's reliability has also been defended by several scientific institutions, including the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Do you have video or pictures of fires in the affected regions? If it is safe to do so email [email protected] Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-49415973 | 2019-08-21 14:38:12+00:00 | 1,566,412,692 | 1,567,533,849 | science and technology | scientific institution |
43,253 | bbcuk--2019-09-06--Gender equality No room at the top for women scientists | 2019-09-06T00:00:00 | bbcuk | Gender equality: 'No room at the top for women scientists' | The number of women climbing the career ladder in science is "disappointingly low", say researchers. Women make up half of students in the life sciences, but only one in four professors, according to data from 500 scientific institutions worldwide. The main problem lies with retaining and promoting women into influential positions, the study concluded. It found women had fewer chances to serve on committees or speak at scientific meetings. Other factors included unconscious bias, tensions with work-life balance, poor funding and pay, and a lack of networking opportunities. The data, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, came from 541 universities and research institutions in 38 countries in the US, Europe and Australia. Women made up more than half of undergraduate and postgraduate students, 42% of assistant professors and 23% of full professors, although rates varied by institution. The findings back the view of many women in science that more must be done to address the problem of the "leaky pipeline" - where women leave the profession due to problems such as harassment and issues around promotion and pay. "There is no point in encouraging more girls into science if the system is set up to exclude them," Dr Jessica Wade of Imperial College London, who champions women in physics but was not connected with this particular study, told the BBC. "Improving gender balance in science will take institutional commitments to support women in their applications for promotion, act when there are reports of sexual harassment or bullying and make work allocation more transparent." Women have made important contributions to science throughout history, but have consistently been underrepresented at all levels. One recent study found that closing the gender gap in physics will take hundreds of years, given the current rate of progress. | null | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49552812 | 2019-09-06 02:49:35+00:00 | 1,567,752,575 | 1,569,331,100 | science and technology | scientific institution |
426,568 | prepareforchange--2019-02-19--Geoengineering the Space Fence and the Advent of Transhumanism Part 1 | 2019-02-19T00:00:00 | prepareforchange | Geoengineering, the Space Fence, and the Advent of Transhumanism Part 1 | If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State. We’ve arranged a society on science and technology in which nobody understands anything about science and technology, and this combustible mixture of ignorance and power sooner or later is going to blow up in our faces. I mean, who is running the science and technology in a democracy if the people don’t know anything about it? The American entry into the race to control space began in 1945 when Operation Paperclip brought 10,000 Nazi engineers, technicians, doctors, and scientists to the United States to create technological wonders. For example, aerospace engineer Arthur Rudolph, former colleague of SS aeronautics engineer Wernher von Braun (director of Marshall Space Flight Center), had been Hitler’s director of the Mittelwerk underground rocket factory nicknamed “Dante’s Inferno” where 52,000 prisoners turned out 6,000 V-2 rockets. From 1951 to 1961, Rudolph worked for Martin Marietta in Waterton, Colorado, after which he became project director of the Saturn V rocket program. Rudolph became an American citizen and received the Distinguished Service Award. In 1984, he renounced his U.S. citizenship and returned to Germany, having faithfully served the transfer of the Third Reich secret space program to the United States. Infiltration and co-optation, compartmentalization, confidentiality agreements, backroom deals, threats, bribes, skewed research, packed peer review committees, embedded international media—one can only marvel at the legerdemain and sheer deception it takes to steer international conferences, committees, publishing houses, news outlets, and university and elementary school curriculi so as to construct a vast global house of cards built on turning carbons—the building blocks of all of life—into the culprit behind global warming. It is quite the con, given that CO2 is just above the minimum needed to sustain plant life, and nations should be increasing their CO2 instead of being penalized for the CO2 they have. In 2012, climatologist Tim Ball stressed one more time that CO2 is not a greenhouse gas: The truth is that ionospheric heaters like HAARP are being used to modify the atmosphere (thus heating it), while carbon taxes and emissions trading support the secret space program. But what of “science” during all of this politicizing of the climate? Control over scientists and the various institutions of the scientific apparat has been tight since the Paperclip Nazi takeover at the beginning of the Cold War. The peer review system has been utterly co-opted by the military-industrial-intelligence complex that controls the purse strings and thus favors some theories and scientists while banishing others to the outer darkness of non-publication and stonewalled careers. Nobel Laureate biologist Sydney Brenner: Social commentator Charles Eisenstein describes the outer-darkness opposition to cutting-edge scientists like those exploring Electric Universe theory as that of a “powerful orthodoxy against a marginalized heterodoxy”: If you have faith in the soundness of our scientific institutions, you will assume that the dissidents are marginalized for very good reason: their work is substandard. If you believe that the peer review process is fair and open, then the dearth of peer-reviewed citations for [Electric Universe] research is a damning indictment of their theory. And if you believe that the corpus of mainstream physics is fundamentally correct, and that science is progressing closer and closer to truth, you will be highly skeptical of any major departure from standard theories . . . Can we trust scientific consensus? Can we trust the integrity of our scientific institutions? Perhaps not. Over the last few years, a growing chorus of insider critics have been exposing serious flaws in the ways that scientific research is funded and published, leading some to go so far as to say, “Science is broken.” In the forty years between 1973 and 2013, decisions as to which scientific papers merited publication and which didn’t fell to only six major publishers— ACS; Reed Elsevier; Sage; Taylor & Francis; Springer; and Wiley-Blackwell)—all in the back pocket of Big Pharma and the medical industry that profit from sickness, not health: Then there is the omnipresent danger quotient far beyond loss of career for scientists working on classified projects. In the early days of the “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) now culminating in the Space Fence, two dozen scientists and experts working for Marconi and Plessey Defence Systems either disappeared or died under “mysterious circumstances.” Most were microbiologists. The scientist death toll continued into the 1990s and post-9/11. Now, the targets appear to be naturopathic doctors and health-minded MDs peering behind the curtains of Big Pharma vaccinations, autism, and cancer-for-profit. Science has been broken on a rack of secrets owned by the few and denied the majority. Disclaimer: We at Prepare for Change (PFC) bring you information that is not offered by the mainstream news, and therefore may seem controversial. The opinions, views, statements, and/or information we present are not necessarily promoted, endorsed, espoused, or agreed to by Prepare for Change, its leadership Council, members, those who work with PFC, or those who read its content. However, they are hopefully provocative. Please use discernment! Use logical thinking, your own intuition and your own connection with Source, Spirit and Natural Laws to help you determine what is true and what is not. By sharing information and seeding dialogue, it is our goal to raise consciousness and awareness of higher truths to free us from enslavement of the matrix in this material realm. | Derek Knauss | https://prepareforchange.net/2019/02/18/geoengineering-the-space-fence-and-the-advent-of-transhumanism-part-1/ | 2019-02-19 03:41:14+00:00 | 1,550,565,674 | 1,567,547,988 | science and technology | scientific institution |
566,575 | tass--2019-06-20--Free trade zones development to be studied in a scientific institution on Hainan | 2019-06-20T00:00:00 | tass | Free trade zone's development to be studied in a scientific institution on Hainan | HAIKOU, June 20./TASS/. The University Of International Business And Economics established a special scientific institution for free trade zone's development studies on Hainan. According to the local administration, the new institution's main goal is aimed at creating scientific and theoretical foundations for the free trade zone's successful functioning on the Island on Hainan. The new institution will be based on the existing center for professional and technical work and will cooperate with other scientific organizations specializing in market liberalization, regional studies, efficient supply chain. It will become a "platform for nurturing professionals, providing consulting and setting up innovative start-ups". According to the university representative, "the authorities will do their utmost to ensure the institution's success. Our university <...> has all it takes to help this new center ensure Hainan's social and economic development". The authorities have not yet announced the project's budget plans for the upcoming year. It has been reported, however, that the best researchers with highest credentials will be working in the center. In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. The project is aimed at integrating the island into globalization and labor migration, to establish a solid innovative foundation that will enable the province of Hainan to develop. In order to do that, the local authotities intend to ensure preferential conditions for investors. New ideas and programs will be welcome, and the matter of scientific and research infrastructure in this region of China is a priority. By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan. | null | https://tass.com/economy/1064763 | 2019-06-20 05:00:01+00:00 | 1,561,021,201 | 1,567,538,544 | science and technology | scientific institution |
569,755 | tass--2019-08-27--More than 750 scientists take part in International Marine forum on Hainan | 2019-08-27T00:00:00 | tass | More than 750 scientists take part in International Marine forum on Hainan | SANYA, August 27. /TASS/. Over 750 scientists from all over the world, including twelve Nobel Prize winners, as well as Turing Prizes, Fields Prizes, Lasker Prizes and Wolf Prizes, took part in the Marine Forum held in the city of Sanya (Hainan Province, South China) on the sidelines of the World Forum of Laureates, China Daily reported. The main topic for the discussion was the intellectual exploitation of marine natural resources and marine economy. “The tropical island province of Hainan has a unique geographic location and environment that has contributed to its rapid social and economic growth and development,” said Vice Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Li Jun, while speaking at the forum. “We intend to create a favorable social and environmental climate that would contribute and benefit research and innovations." According to him, Hainan intends to continue being a platform for research and exchanges between leading scientists and international specialists. “We will facilitate the construction of a number of projects, including the National Center for Seed Production, as well as the facilities of the National Deep-Water Technological Base,” Li Jun continued. “The province also plans to build laboratories and attract representatives of leading domestic and foreign educational and scientific institutions to implement projects at a high level." During the forum, participants made presentations and discussed key issues on the agenda of the event. Four Nobel laureates have been offered positions of international consultants to the University of Hainan. A number of agreements on cooperation in the scientific and technical industry, among which - an agreement between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Sino-Russian innovation platform at Tus-Holdings to create a joint innovation and start-up base in Sanya was signed during the forum. The World Forum of Laureates in Sanya was held on August 22-23. | null | https://tass.com/science/1075351 | 2019-08-27 17:00:01+00:00 | 1,566,939,601 | 1,567,543,656 | science and technology | scientific institution |
856,416 | therussophileorg--2019-04-11--Greetings to The Age of Archaeology Discoveries Goals Perspectives International Forum | 2019-04-11T00:00:00 | therussophileorg | Greetings to The Age of Archaeology: Discoveries, Goals, Perspectives International Forum | This [post](http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60268) was originally published on [this site](http://en.kremlin.ru/) The message reads, in part: “A hundred years ago, on April 18, 1919, the Russian Academy for the History of Material Culture was established. The Russian Academy of Sciences’ Archaeology Institute in Moscow and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for the History of Material Culture in St Petersburg carry on this academy’s traditions with dignity. Since then, these leading centres have accumulated great experience in carrying out basic and field research, and have made an immense contribution to enriching global humanitarian knowledge. Of course, they have also raised numerous generations of scientists who have applied their talents and skills at scientific institutions, museums, archaeological expeditions and relevant departments of Russian and foreign higher education institutions. It is gratifying that you treasure the unique creative legacy of your predecessors, contribute significantly to studying the most important sources of information about Russia’s key historic events and the priceless spiritual and cultural heritage of our ancestors, and bring sought-after research, educational and awareness-raising projects to life.” from http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60268 | Presidential Press and Information Office | https://www.therussophile.org/greetings-to-the-age-of-archaeology-discoveries-goals-perspectives-international-forum.html/ | 2019-04-11 14:17:54+00:00 | 1,555,006,674 | 1,567,543,146 | science and technology | scientific institution |
863,623 | therussophileorg--2019-05-30--Global Fishery Forum 2019 Focus on Digitalization | 2019-05-30T00:00:00 | therussophileorg | Global Fishery Forum 2019: Focus on Digitalization | This [post](http://tass.com/press-releases/1060912) was originally published on [this site](http://tass.com/) Moscow, May 30. Aspects of further digitalization of the Russian fishing industry and opportunities for its development using modern technologies will be discussed at a roundtable at the Global Fishery Forum 2019 in St. Petersburg on 10 July. The event will be attended by representatives of Russian fishery associations and companies and scientific institutions, as well as foreign experts from government agencies and the business community. “Digitalization is an essential element of a modern and competitive industry. Use of digital technologies increases the transparency and clarity of regulation, as well as the efficiency of data processing and, consequently, that of decision-making, which is very important and relevant in the dynamically changing working conditions of fishermen”, – said Ilya Shestakov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries. The key speaker will be Artyom Vilkin, Head of the Centre of Fishery Monitoring and Communications System. He will talk about the development of the industry’s monitoring system over the 20-year period, its structure and ongoing improvement. Representatives of the fishing industry will share their experience of using digital technologies to automate and improve production processes, trade in aquatic bioresources, including sales through auction sites. The invited speakers include Dobroflot Group CEO Alexander Yefremov, representatives of Trading Technologies Group Maxim Buzmakov and Vadim Klementyev, as well as experts from Norway. Digitalization plays a special role for science, which is the main driver of progress. The roundtable will be attended by specialists from the All-Russia Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography: introduction of digital technologies helps improve the accuracy of the forecasting of various natural processes, including climate change, the dynamics of the number of aquatic bioresources, and the efficiency of online control over the catch of hydrobionts and the quality of products from them. In addition, scientists will present the Big Fish Data project for a global information system for the fishing industry including all relevant information about the state of and opportunities for extraction in the world’s oceans, among them the function of operational recommendations for fishing, taking into account analysis of consumer demand on the markets. The III Global Fishery Forum and International Exhibition of Fish Industry, Seafood and Technology (Seafood Expo Russia) will be held in St. Petersburg from 10 to 12 July 2019. The venue will be the Exproforum Convention and Exhibition Centre. The organizer is the Federal Agency for Fisheries; the Forum’s Operator is the Roscongress Foundation. The official website of the Global Fishery Forum: fishexpoforum.com **Organizer:** The Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) regulates extraction, preservation and reproduction of aquatic bioresources. The agency is responsible for organizing fishery and scientific support for fishing, development of aquaculture (fish breeding), supervision over safety of navigation by fishing fleet vessels and performance of rescue operations in fishing areas, as well as fish conservation measures. Rosrybolovstvo’s tasks include ensuring sustainable development of the fishing industry, which makes a significant contribution to the food security of the country and is a driver of economic growth for coastal regions. The Russian Federation accounts for more than 5.5 per cent of global fish production, the fourth biggest in the world. In 2018, Russian fishermen achieved a record catch of 5 million tonnes of aquatic bioresources, the highest in the last quarter century and almost 5% above the previous year’s level. With information support from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. **Forum operator:** The Roscongress Foundation is a socially orientated non- financial development institution and a major organizer of international, congress, exhibition and public events. The Roscongress Foundation was established in 2007 to promote development of the economic potential, national interests and image of Russia. The Foundation comprehensively studies, analyzes, forms and covers the issues on the Russian and global economic agenda. It also offers administrative services, provides promotional support for business projects and attracting investment, and helps foster social entrepreneurship and charitable projects. The Foundation’s events draw more than 80,000 participants each year from 195 countries, with more than 10,000 media representatives working on-site at Roscongress’ various venues. The Foundation benefits from analytical and professional expertise provided by 2,500 people working in Russia and abroad. In addition, it works in close cooperation with economic partners from 75 countries worldwide. www.roscongress.org from http://tass.com/press-releases/1060912 | Michael Sullivan | https://www.therussophile.org/global-fishery-forum-2019-focus-on-digitalization.html/ | 2019-05-30 15:54:16+00:00 | 1,559,246,056 | 1,567,539,665 | science and technology | scientific institution |
866,203 | therussophileorg--2019-06-20--Free trade zones development to be studied in a scientific institution on Hainan | 2019-06-20T00:00:00 | therussophileorg | Free trade zone's development to be studied in a scientific institution on Hainan | This [post](https://tass.com/economy/1064763) was originally published on [this site](http://tass.com/) HAIKOU, June 20./TASS/. The University Of International Business And Economics established a special scientific institution for free trade zone’s development studies on Hainan. According to the local administration, the new institution’s main goal is aimed at creating scientific and theoretical foundations for the free trade zone’s successful functioning on the Island on Hainan. The new institution will be based on the existing center for professional and technical work and will cooperate with other scientific organizations specializing in market liberalization, regional studies, efficient supply chain. It will become a “platform for nurturing professionals, providing consulting and setting up innovative start-ups”. According to the university representative, “the authorities will do their utmost to ensure the institution’s success. Our university <…> has all it takes to help this new center ensure Hainan’s social and economic development”. The authorities have not yet announced the project’s budget plans for the upcoming year. It has been reported, however, that the best researchers with highest credentials will be working in the center. In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. The project is aimed at integrating the island into globalization and labor migration, to establish a solid innovative foundation that will enable the province of Hainan to develop. In order to do that, the local authotities intend to ensure preferential conditions for investors. New ideas and programs will be welcome, and the matter of scientific and research infrastructure in this region of China is a priority. By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan. from https://tass.com/economy/1064763 | Michael Sullivan | https://www.therussophile.org/free-trade-zones-development-to-be-studied-in-a-scientific-institution-on-hainan.html/ | 2019-06-20 12:52:29+00:00 | 1,561,049,549 | 1,567,538,526 | science and technology | scientific institution |
905,942 | therussophileorg--2019-12-09--How US Think Tanks Reshape the World We Live In | 2019-12-09T00:00:00 | therussophileorg | How US Think Tanks Reshape the World We Live In | This post was originally published on this site For the longest time the so-called “think tanks” have been an indispensable element of the American political system. These days there’s well over two thousand such “analytical centers” operating in the US, which exceeds the combined total of such major international players as in India, China, Argentina, Germany and the UK. The first noticeable spike in the number of think tank across America occurred in the post-WWII years, when such “analytical centers” assumed the duty of upholding the emerged unipolar world order with Washington reigning above all other international players. In fact, most of them were created primarily by the military interested in developing a strategy for accumulating large volumes of politically relevant information, which would have been impossible without the employment of civilian specialists possessing diverse skill sets that allowed them to become proficient at geostrategic analysis. Thus, in 1956, the US Secretary of Defense headed by Charles Erwin Wilson demanded that a total of five largest American universities joined their efforts in establishing a non-profit research organization called the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA). In less than a decade, this entity grew into a massive scientific institution employing well over 600 people. In the 1960s, there were over 200 think tanks operating simultaneously all across America. The most famous and influential among them were the so-called “government-funded centers”, among them the RAND Corporation, the Institute for Defense Analysis, the Institute for Naval Analysis, the Aerospace Corporation, all of which were directly supported by the US Congress, which would allocate up to 300 million dollars annually to support their operations. However, in addition to those thinks tanks funded by the state there was a rapidly growing number of privately-owned analytical centers that were funded by those special interests that decided to use those entities to advance their own agenda, thus indirectly influencing American domestic and foreign policies, by launching various campaigns. That where various charitable foundations came in handy, providing gifts and public donations and allowing their analysts to profit from various publications. During the period from 1957 to 1964, when the very term “think tanks” was coined, the total turnout of those entities increased to 15 billion dollars annually. At the peak of the think tank craze in the United States — from 1960 to 1970 — more than 150 billion dollars was spent on their operations. Today, the budget of RAND Corporation alone exceeds the threshold of 12 billion dollars a year. Initially, the American empire of think tanks was used to overcome crises and develop long-term strategies, with custom-tailored recipes provided to American politicians for approaching various regions of the world. In the 1960s,were tasked with finding solutions to the problems associated with the Vietnam War, the declining role of US dollar in the global financial markets and the internal instability of the United States. That’s when globalist projects were born that were designed in such a way that they would divert the attention of the general public from the most acute social problems at home. Thus, by the end of the previous century American think tanks turned themselves into an active decision-making tool in the US, as they were not just using “external financing” to advance an agenda of their benefactors, but were also capable of putting forward respected analysts supporting their cause, with the controlled MSM spinning their narrative. The close inter-connection of the large think tanks and the US government structures is confirmed by American politicians and businessmen changing high-profile positions within the government with positions in those entities. From the point of view of political rotation, those think tanks serve as a training ground for future high-ranking officials of the next administration, where the establishment hand picks and approves those figures who could eventually get elected. And while one party is in power, the other sends its front-liners back to the think tanks. A vivid example of this phenomenon is the track record of Donald Trump’s former advisor on matters of national security, John Bolton, who at different periods of his political career was a employed by three different think tanks – the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies (IASPS) and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). And besides this, as you must know, he was Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs under George W. Bush, a member of the New American Century (PNAC), and in 2007 joined the American Enterprise Institute (AE), that is also an NGO. Upon receiving specific tasks from the behind the scenes masterminds, elites and various departments, those think tanks start developing various foreign policy concepts, train experts and representatives, while preparing the public opinion for certain developments through the media, like the advancement of “color revolutions” or reemergence of some “evil powers” that try to compete with Washington. Aside from the well-publicized example of the RAND Corporation, you can look at at StrategEast, which is described as the strategic center for political and diplomatic decisions. The main stated objective of StrategEast is the development of programs for specific states on the basis of their susceptibility to various Western (American) values. Behind this beautiful concept hides the following: StrategEast analysts collect information on the possibility of creating a pro-American society on the those territories that are of interest to the United States. For instance, from the mid-80s onwards, Washington was interested in the Soviet Union, and its republics, which resulted in the Baltic states, and then Georgia and Ukraine joining the list of the allies of the United State due to the programs developed by StrategEast. Today, they are busy researching the Central Asian states, so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to predict what happens next. On the initial stage, StrategEast programs provide a recipe to drive a country away from its traditional cultural values, so that it could be turned into an anti-Russian stronghold (as it was done in the Baltic countries, Georgia, Ukraine) or into their anti-Chinese equivalent (like its happening now with the countries of Central and Southeast Asia). In Central Asian states, for example, American “experts” began to impose on the authorities the idea of translating the national alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin under a very strange pretext that it would then make life easier for local Internet users (while they could never explain why the Japanese and Chinese incredibly complex characters will not impede the ability of users in Japan and China to use the Internet.) In parallel with linguistic and cultural westernization, the local public is being prepared for the possibility of massive protests so that it wouldn’t object to those “color revolutions” that are about to follow. As we’re witnessing the new Cold War getting into full swing, there must be an objective assessment of the activities of US think tanks, as their “concepts” and “projects” should be approached with a clear understanding of the fact that advance certain interests that do not necessarily correspond with the national interests of other countries. | Darryl Paolucci | https://www.therussophile.org/how-us-think-tanks-reshape-the-world-we-live-in.html/ | Mon, 09 Dec 2019 06:02:10 +0000 | 1,575,889,330 | 1,575,895,036 | science and technology | scientific institution |
574,727 | tass--2019-12-06--Investments in Arctic studies in 2020 estimated at $27 mln | 2019-12-06T00:00:00 | tass | Investments in Arctic studies in 2020 estimated at $27 mln | "The State Duma has supported it, the budget has passed three readings," he told TASS. "1.7 billion rubles for 2020 is an unprecedented amount, which will be allocated for science, applied research, which is very important for the Arctic." ST. PETERSBURG, December 6. /TASS/. The Russian budget allocated 1.7 billion rubles ($27 million) for the program of complex scientific studies in the high-latitude Arctic in 2020, the State Duma’s head of the ecology committee Vladimir Burmatov said on fringes of the Arctic: Present and Future international forum. The money will be spent for complex scientific studies in the Arctic’s high latitudes, which will feature experts from more than 20 institutes, the Russian Academy of Sciences, RosHydroMet, the Kurchatov Institute, and five universities. The program includes the North Pole 2020 expedition on the Kapitan Dranitsyn icebreaker’s floating station, frozen into ice. The Lomonosov Northern (Arctic) Federal University’s Rector Prof. Elena Kudryashova told TASS the university would participate in the complex studies, and would send its experts to the Kapitan Dranitsyn, which will be a base for scientists from across Russia. "Artur Chilingarov, the presidential envoy on international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, has insisted on bigger investments in Arctic projects, and his efforts have resulted in the decision to finance the 2020 expedition, where the Kapitan Dranitsyn [vessel] will be frozen into ice, and onboard the vessel major scientific studies will be conducted by prominent scientific institutions: those are the Academy of Sciences’ institutes, RosHydroMet’s main Institute of the Arctic and Antarctic, <…> and also our university," she said. Onboard the icebreaker the scientists will conduct studies in many directions, related to the climate changes in the Arctic, to the Arctic ecology. They will also study the Arctic flora and fauna, and infrastructures of the Northern Sea Route. "The expedition will be very interesting," she continued. "Scientists will come there for certain terms, will conduct studies and then will process the data onboard." "It is an unprecedented project, as earlier such expeditions used to be organized right on the ice, but in the changing climate such arrangements are not safe any longer," she said. Russia’s state policies in the Arctic to 2020 are regulated by a document, which the then President Dmitry Medvedev inked in 2008. On November 30, 2019, the Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic reported it had finalized a draft of the Arctic zone’s development strategy to 2035. The Arctic: Present and Future forum is underway in St. Petersburg until December 7. The event features about 2,500 delegates from Russia and 20 countries. | null | https://tass.com/economy/1096393 | Fri, 06 Dec 2019 11:47:09 +0300 | 1,575,650,829 | 1,575,634,911 | science and technology | scientific institution |
1,696 | abcnews--2019-10-18--Charges: Cemetery killer booby-trapped home to target police | 2019-10-18T00:00:00 | abcnews | Charges: Cemetery killer booby-trapped home to target police | A Wisconsin man charged with killing one person and wounding two others at a cemetery where he once worked rigged his apartment and a house next door with explosives that could have killed police and neighbors, prosecutors said Friday. Henry West, of Schofield, appeared Friday in court, where his cash bond was set at $10 million. West, 64, is charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide, 11 counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, one count of arson, three counts of attempted arson and resisting or obstructing an officer, the Wausau Daily Herald reported. Authorities say he opened fire Oct. 3 at Pine Grove Cemetery in Wausau. Patty Grimm, the 52-year-old cemetery manager, was killed and two other people were wounded. Police say West was fired from the cemetery in 2012. Two days before the shooting and fire, a judge ordered West evicted from his apartment, according to court records. According to the criminal complaint, when police entered West's apartment after the attack, they found a toaster plugged into a timer sitting next to a container of what appeared to be oil. Another toaster in the apartment was stationed next to a container of gasoline, the complaint said. Police also found two other 1 gallon (3.79 liter) jugs of gasoline and several other containers of incendiary liquids in the home. According to prosecutors, West also set an explosive trap in a house next to his apartment building that could have killed as many as 100 people if it had detonated. About 15 minutes before the shootings, a fire broke out in a garage at West's apartment complex, which was less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the cemetery. While emergency crews were investigating the garage fire, they responded to a gas leak at a vacant home next door. Police said they also found primitive explosive devices there while ventilating the house. Had it ignited, the gas leak would have been enough to kill up to 100 people, including police, nearby residents and anyone at neighboring businesses, according to the complaint. West is due back in court Nov. 21. His public defender did not immediately reply to a phone message from The Associated Press on Friday seeking comment on West's behalf. | null | https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/charges-cemetery-killer-booby-trapped-home-target-police-66378352 | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 17:56:27 -0400 | 1,571,435,787 | 1,571,437,796 | crime, law and justice | crime |
1,713 | abcnews--2019-10-18--Jury recommends death sentence for "Boy Next Door Killer" who attacked California women in their hom | 2019-10-18T00:00:00 | abcnews | Jury recommends death sentence for "Boy Next Door Killer" who attacked California women in their homes | Jury recommends death sentence for "Boy Next Door Killer" who attacked California women in their homes. | null | https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jury-recommends-death-sentence-boy-door-killer-attacked-66378818 | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 16:46:55 -0400 | 1,571,431,615 | 1,571,437,807 | crime, law and justice | crime |
2,402 | abcnews--2019-11-19--Prosecutor: Suspect in 1979 killing may be a serial killer | 2019-11-19T00:00:00 | abcnews | Prosecutor: Suspect in 1979 killing may be a serial killer | Prosecutors are branding an Arizona man a serial killer in a bid to persuade a Nevada judge to deny him bail until his trial in the killing of a California woman more than 40 years ago. Defense attorney David Houston says 73-year-old Charles Gary Sullivan will plead not guilty Tuesday and challenge DNA evidence that prosecutors say ties him to the 1979 bludgeoning death of 20-year-old Julia Woodward outside Reno. Sullivan was arrested in August in Flagstaff, Arizona. He had been convicted of a 2007 sex attack on a woman in Northern California. A filing this month by prosecutors calls Sullivan a suspect in the slayings of two other Reno-area women: a 23-year-old in 1979 and a 17-year-old in 1978. He’s not charged in those cases. | null | https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/prosecutors-man-held-1979-killing-suspected-67140532 | Tue, 19 Nov 2019 19:02:53 -0500 | 1,574,208,173 | 1,574,208,420 | crime, law and justice | crime |
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