shoebat--2020-07-15--‘UK Student And Writer’ Who Accused People Of Being Terrorists Exposed As Deepfake, Non-Existent Per

‘UK Student And Writer’ Who Accused People Of Being Terrorists Exposed As Deepfake, Non-Existent Person

Reuters reported on a fascinating story about an “ Oliver Taylor ” , a man who claimed to be a student and wrote numerous articles for various newspapers has since been exposed by them alongside an Israeli deepfake detection company as being a deepfake , with the real identity of the person who made the original posts still unknown Oliver Taylor , a student at England ’ s University of Birmingham , is a twenty-something with brown eyes , light stubble , and a slightly stiff smile .
A combination photograph showing an image purporting to be of British student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and a heat map of the same photograph produced by Tel Aviv-based deepfake detection company Cyabra is seen in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters .
The heat map , which was produced using one of Cyabra ’ s algorithms , highlights areas of suspected computer manipulation .
The digital inconsistencies were one of several indicators used by experts to determine that Taylor was an online mirage .
Online profiles describe him as a coffee lover and politics junkie who was raised in a traditional Jewish home .
His half dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active interest in anti-Semitism and Jewish affairs , with bylines in the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel .
The catch ?
Oliver Taylor seems to be an elaborate fiction .
His university says it has no record of him .
He has no obvious online footprint beyond an account on the question-and-answer site Quora , where he was active for two days in March .
Two newspapers that published his work say they have tried and failed to confirm his identity .
And experts in deceptive imagery used state-of-the-art forensic analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profile photo is a hyper-realistic forgery – a “ deepfake.
” Who is behind Taylor isn ’ t known to Reuters .
Calls to the U.K. phone number he supplied to editors drew an automated error message and he didn ’ t respond to messages left at the Gmail address he used for correspondence .
Reuters was alerted to Taylor by London academic Mazen Masri , who drew international attention in late 2018 when he helped launch an Israeli lawsuit against the surveillance company NSO on behalf of alleged Mexican victims of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In an article in U.S. Jewish newspaper The Algemeiner , Taylor had accused Masri and his wife , Palestinian rights campaigner Ryvka Barnard , of being “ known terrorist sympathizers.
” Masri and Barnard were taken aback by the allegation , which they deny .
But they were also baffled as to why a university student would single them out .
Masri said he pulled up Taylor ’ s profile photo .
He couldn ’ t put his finger on it , he said , but something about the young man ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviewed by Reuters say the image has the characteristics of a deepfake .
“ The distortion and inconsistencies in the background are a tell-tale sign of a synthesized image , as are a few glitches around his neck and collar , ” said digital image forensics pioneer Hany Farid , who teaches at the University of California , Berkeley .
Artist Mario Klingemann , who regularly uses deepfakes in his work , said the photo “ has all the hallmarks.
” The Taylor persona is a rare in-the-wild example of a phenomenon that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the digital age : The marriage of deepfakes and disinformation .
The threat is drawing increasing concern in Washington and Silicon Valley .
Last year House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff warned that computer-generated video could “ turn a world leader into a ventriloquist ’ s dummy.
” Last month Facebook announced the conclusion of its Deepfake Detection Challenge – a competition intended to help researchers automatically identify falsified footage .
Last week online publication The Daily Beast revealed a network of deepfake journalists – part of a larger group of bogus personas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are dangerous because they can help build “ a totally untraceable identity , ” said Dan Brahmy , whose Israel-based startup Cyabra specializes in detecting such images .
Brahmy said investigators chasing the origin of such photos are left “ searching for a needle in a haystack – except the needle doesn ’ t exist.
” Taylor appears to have had no online presence until he started writing articles in late December .
The University of Birmingham said in a statement it could not find “ any record of this individual using these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and The Algemeiner say they published Taylor after he pitched them stories cold over email .
He didn ’ t ask for payment , they said , and they didn ’ t take aggressive steps to vet his identity .
“ We ’ re not a counterintelligence operation , ” Algemeiner Editor-in-chief Dovid Efune said , although he noted that the paper had introduced new safeguards since .
After Reuters began asking about Taylor , The Algemeiner and the Times of Israel deleted his work .
Taylor emailed both papers protesting the removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miriam Herschlag said she rebuffed him after he failed to prove his identity .
Efune said he didn ’ t respond to Taylor ’ s messages .
The Jerusalem Post and Arutz Sheva have kept Taylor ’ s articles online , although the latter removed the “ terrorist sympathizers ” reference following a complaint from Masri and Barnard .
The Post ’ s editor-in-chief , Yaakov Katz , didn ’ t respond when asked whether Taylor ’ s work would stay up .
Arutz Sheva editor Yoni Kempinski said only that “ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pseudonyms to byline opinion articles.
” Kempinski declined to elaborate or say whether he considered Taylor a pseudonym .
Oliver Taylor ’ s articles drew minimal engagement on social media , but the Times of Israel ’ s Herschlag said they were still dangerous – not only because they could distort the public discourse but also because they risked making people in her position less willing to take chances on unknown writers .
“ Absolutely we need to screen out impostors and up our defenses , ” she said .
“ But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these barriers that prevent new voices from being heard.
” ( source )

Reuters reported on a fascinating story about an “Oliver Taylor”, a man who claimed to be a student and wrote numerous articles for various newspapers has since been exposed by them alongside an Israeli deepfake detection company as being a deepfake, with the real identity of the person who made the original posts still unknown
Oliver Taylor, a student at England’s University of Birmingham, is a twenty-something with brown eyes, light stubble, and a slightly stiff smile.
A combination photograph showing an image purporting to be of British student and freelance writer Oliver Taylor (L) and a heat map of the same photograph produced by Tel Aviv-based deepfake detection company Cyabra is seen in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters. The heat map, which was produced using one of Cyabra’s algorithms, highlights areas of suspected computer manipulation. The digital inconsistencies were one of several indicators used by experts to determine that Taylor was an online mirage.
Online profiles describe him as a coffee lover and politics junkie who was raised in a traditional Jewish home. His half dozen freelance editorials and blog posts reveal an active interest in anti-Semitism and Jewish affairs, with bylines in the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel.
The catch? Oliver Taylor seems to be an elaborate fiction.
His university says it has no record of him. He has no obvious online footprint beyond an account on the question-and-answer site Quora, where he was active for two days in March. Two newspapers that published his work say they have tried and failed to confirm his identity. And experts in deceptive imagery used state-of-the-art forensic analysis programs to determine that Taylor’s profile photo is a hyper-realistic forgery – a “deepfake.”
Who is behind Taylor isn’t known to Reuters. Calls to the U.K. phone number he supplied to editors drew an automated error message and he didn’t respond to messages left at the Gmail address he used for correspondence.
Reuters was alerted to Taylor by London academic Mazen Masri, who drew international attention in late 2018 when he helped launch an Israeli lawsuit against the surveillance company NSO on behalf of alleged Mexican victims of the company’s phone hacking technology.
In an article in U.S. Jewish newspaper The Algemeiner, Taylor had accused Masri and his wife, Palestinian rights campaigner Ryvka Barnard, of being “known terrorist sympathizers.”
Masri and Barnard were taken aback by the allegation, which they deny. But they were also baffled as to why a university student would single them out. Masri said he pulled up Taylor’s profile photo. He couldn’t put his finger on it, he said, but something about the young man’s face “seemed off.”
Six experts interviewed by Reuters say the image has the characteristics of a deepfake.
“The distortion and inconsistencies in the background are a tell-tale sign of a synthesized image, as are a few glitches around his neck and collar,” said digital image forensics pioneer Hany Farid, who teaches at the University of California, Berkeley.
Artist Mario Klingemann, who regularly uses deepfakes in his work, said the photo “has all the hallmarks.”
“I’m 100 percent sure,” he said.
The Taylor persona is a rare in-the-wild example of a phenomenon that has emerged as a key anxiety of the digital age: The marriage of deepfakes and disinformation.
The threat is drawing increasing concern in Washington and Silicon Valley. Last year House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff warned that computer-generated video could “turn a world leader into a ventriloquist’s dummy.” Last month Facebook announced the conclusion of its Deepfake Detection Challenge – a competition intended to help researchers automatically identify falsified footage. Last week online publication The Daily Beast revealed a network of deepfake journalists – part of a larger group of bogus personas seeding propaganda online.
Deepfakes like Taylor are dangerous because they can help build “a totally untraceable identity,” said Dan Brahmy, whose Israel-based startup Cyabra specializes in detecting such images.
Brahmy said investigators chasing the origin of such photos are left “searching for a needle in a haystack – except the needle doesn’t exist.”
Taylor appears to have had no online presence until he started writing articles in late December. The University of Birmingham said in a statement it could not find “any record of this individual using these details.” Editors at the Jerusalem Post and The Algemeiner say they published Taylor after he pitched them stories cold over email. He didn’t ask for payment, they said, and they didn’t take aggressive steps to vet his identity.
“We’re not a counterintelligence operation,” Algemeiner Editor-in-chief Dovid Efune said, although he noted that the paper had introduced new safeguards since.
After Reuters began asking about Taylor, The Algemeiner and the Times of Israel deleted his work. Taylor emailed both papers protesting the removal, but Times of Israel Opinion Editor Miriam Herschlag said she rebuffed him after he failed to prove his identity. Efune said he didn’t respond to Taylor’s messages.
The Jerusalem Post and Arutz Sheva have kept Taylor’s articles online, although the latter removed the “terrorist sympathizers” reference following a complaint from Masri and Barnard. The Post’s editor-in-chief, Yaakov Katz, didn’t respond when asked whether Taylor’s work would stay up. Arutz Sheva editor Yoni Kempinski said only that “in many cases” news outlets “use pseudonyms to byline opinion articles.” Kempinski declined to elaborate or say whether he considered Taylor a pseudonym.
Oliver Taylor’s articles drew minimal engagement on social media, but the Times of Israel’s Herschlag said they were still dangerous – not only because they could distort the public discourse but also because they risked making people in her position less willing to take chances on unknown writers.
“Absolutely we need to screen out impostors and up our defenses,” she said. “But I don’t want to set up these barriers that prevent new voices from being heard.” (source)


shoebat--2020-07-15--Massive Drop In Children Being Born Is Upon The World

There is a lot of malthusian talk about the dangers of ‘ overpopulation ’ and how the human population needs to be ‘ reduced ’ as though man were just a race of mindless animals meandering through life to satisfy basic needs .
But this has never been true , for not only can the world sustain far more people than what she currently has , but people are the greatest asset to the world , since it is people that develop the world , and not enough people means not enough to do the work , which means society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the BBC reports how some researchers are terrified about the coming and currently dropping rate in children being born , since it will have long-term social and policy implications .
The world is ill-prepared for the global crash in children being born which is set to have a “ jaw-dropping ” impact on societies , say researchers .
Falling fertility rates mean nearly every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century .
And 23 nations – including Spain and Japan – are expected to see their populations halve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatically , with as many people turning 80 as there are being born .
The fertility rate – the average number of children a woman gives birth to – is falling .
If the number falls below approximately 2.1 , then the size of the population starts to fall .
In 1950 , women were having an average of 4.7 children in their lifetime .
Researchers at the University of Washington ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed the global fertility rate nearly halved to 2.4 in 2017 – and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects it will fall below 1.7 by 2100 .
As a result , the researchers expect the number of people on the planet to peak at 9.7 billion around 2064 , before falling down to 8.8 billion by the end of the century .
“ That ’ s a pretty big thing ; most of the world is transitioning into natural population decline , ” researcher Prof Christopher Murray told the BBC .
“ I think it ’ s incredibly hard to think this through and recognise how big a thing this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have to reorganise societies.
” ( source ) The aberration that was the twentieth century , with the mass propagation of eugenics through birth control , abortion , sterilization , and social bullying to get people not to reproduce is bearing its rotten fruits .
People complain about tax issues , a lack of work getting done , or issues with migration .
The fact is that all of these ‘ problems ’ are very easily solved , and the way to solve them is to have a family that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often is done not because of a desire for family , but rather as a trophy to oneself and one ’ s own self-declared ‘ accomplishments ’ .
This is the future that was chosen by previous generations and is being chosen today by the Millennials and Zoomers , who are not reproducing , but are actively dying out .
This is going to re-shape the world , and to that same end , Africa ’ s population continues to grow , but is it their fault that they want to reproduce while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Certainly it is not their fault , for the future belongs to he who wants to have a family since all men pass away , and what they leave behind carries on .
Population is a critical topic to discuss because the demographics , in the complete sense of the word ( meaning all aspects of a man or group of men , good , bad , or neutral ) are the destiny of every nation , and if one groups of men does not want to make a future , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is how life functions for all peoples in all times , and one only ignores this at his own peril because it favors no race or habit save those who choose to exist .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you what lies for the future .
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There is a lot of malthusian talk about the dangers of ‘overpopulation’ and how the human population needs to be ‘reduced’ as though man were just a race of mindless animals meandering through life to satisfy basic needs. But this has never been true, for not only can the world sustain far more people than what she currently has, but people are the greatest asset to the world, since it is people that develop the world, and not enough people means not enough to do the work, which means society rots.
It is thus of interest that the BBC reports how some researchers are terrified about the coming and currently dropping rate in children being born, since it will have long-term social and policy implications.
The world is ill-prepared for the global crash in children being born which is set to have a “jaw-dropping” impact on societies, say researchers. Falling fertility rates mean nearly every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century. And 23 nations – including Spain and Japan – are expected to see their populations halve by 2100. Countries will also age dramatically, with as many people turning 80 as there are being born. The fertility rate – the average number of children a woman gives birth to – is falling. If the number falls below approximately 2.1, then the size of the population starts to fall. In 1950, women were having an average of 4.7 children in their lifetime. Researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed the global fertility rate nearly halved to 2.4 in 2017 – and their study, published in the Lancet, projects it will fall below 1.7 by 2100. As a result, the researchers expect the number of people on the planet to peak at 9.7 billion around 2064, before falling down to 8.8 billion by the end of the century. “That’s a pretty big thing; most of the world is transitioning into natural population decline,” researcher Prof Christopher Murray told the BBC. “I think it’s incredibly hard to think this through and recognise how big a thing this is; it’s extraordinary, we’ll have to reorganise societies.” (source)
The aberration that was the twentieth century, with the mass propagation of eugenics through birth control, abortion, sterilization, and social bullying to get people not to reproduce is bearing its rotten fruits.
People complain about tax issues, a lack of work getting done, or issues with migration. The fact is that all of these ‘problems’ are very easily solved, and the way to solve them is to have a family that is more than a single child, which often is done not because of a desire for family, but rather as a trophy to oneself and one’s own self-declared ‘accomplishments’.
This is the future that was chosen by previous generations and is being chosen today by the Millennials and Zoomers, who are not reproducing, but are actively dying out.
This is going to re-shape the world, and to that same end, Africa’s population continues to grow, but is it their fault that they want to reproduce while many other people do not want to? Certainly it is not their fault, for the future belongs to he who wants to have a family since all men pass away, and what they leave behind carries on.
Population is a critical topic to discuss because the demographics, in the complete sense of the word (meaning all aspects of a man or group of men, good, bad, or neutral) are the destiny of every nation, and if one groups of men does not want to make a future, then another one will take his place. It is how life functions for all peoples in all times, and one only ignores this at his own peril because it favors no race or habit save those who choose to exist.
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shoebat--2020-07-17--Trump Administration Re-Routes COVID-19 Data To Itself Before Going To The CDC

Propaganda is a part of all governments , and while it can in certain cases serve a constructive purpose , it often has a negative association with attempting to force a lie to be accepted as a “ truth ” , and there are many ways that one can do this .
Thus it is with interest that the Trump administration is demanding to see all COVID-19 data before it passes to the CDC as MSN News reports .
Hospital data on coronavirus patients will now be rerouted to the Trump administration instead of first being sent to the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to CNN on Tuesday .
The move could make data less transparent to the public at a time when the administration is downplaying the spread of the pandemic , and threatens to undermine public confidence that medical data is being presented free of political interference .
Michael Caputo , the assistant secretary for public affairs at the department , confirmed the change first reported by The New York Times earlier in the day , saying in a statement that the “ new faster and complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defeat the coronavirus and the CDC , an operating division of HHS , will certainly participate in this streamlined all-of-government response .
They will simply no longer control it.
” “ The CDC ’ s old hospital data gathering operation once worked well monitoring hospital information across the country , but it ’ s an inadequate system today , ” Caputo said in the statement .
The Times said hospitals are to begin reporting the data to HHS on Wednesday , noting also that the “ database that will receive new information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which could affect the work of scores of researchers , modelers and health officials who rely on C.D.C .
data to make projections and crucial decisions.
” CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said the change is “ going to lead to more opaqueness ” about coronavirus data .
“ What logic does this have , other than to take away the data from the epidemiologists that are the best in the world at looking at this data , making sense of it , translating it for people , versus giving it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN ’ s “ New Day ” Wednesday morning .
Former CDC acting director Dr. Richard Besser on Wednesday said rerouting hospital data is a “ step backwards ” for the country ’ s coronavirus response .
“ It ’ s another example of CDC being sidelined .
Not only should the data be coming to CDC , but CDC should be talking to the public through the media every day , ” Besser told Gupta in an interview .
He worried that the data going directly to HHS could “ be further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last thing you want.
” “ One of the nice things about CDC being in Atlanta — being away from Washington — is that we ’ re able to avoid a lot of political pressure that you get in when you ’ re in DC , ” he said .
Besser appeared to agree with Caputo that systems needed to be modernized , but he added , “ the answer to this isn ’ t bypassing CDC ; it ’ s working to ensure that the flow is going faster , making sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data.
” The Trump administration continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic — which has already claimed the lives of more than 136,000 Americans — in moves that are increasingly being seen as political .
On Tuesday , four former CDC directors blasted the administration ’ s efforts to disregard and politicize guidelines from the agency in a scathing Washington Post op-ed .
The four former CDC officials warned against what they called a “ tragic indictment ” of the CDC ’ s efforts as President Donald Trump and top coronavirus task force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s schools .
Trump has said he will “ pressure ” governors to reopen schools , despite internal documents from the CDC separately obtained by the Times warning that reopening K-12 schools and universities would be the “ highest risk ” for the spread of the deadly virus .
“ Unfortunately , their sound science is being challenged with partisan potshots , sowing confusion and mistrust at a time when the American people need leadership , expertise and clarity .
These efforts have even fueled a backlash against public health officials across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , threatened and forced to resign when we need them most .
This is unconscionable and dangerous , ” the former CDC officials wrote .
Public health experts , they said : “ Face two opponents : covid-19 , but also political leaders and others attempting to undermine ” the CDC .
( source )

Propaganda is a part of all governments, and while it can in certain cases serve a constructive purpose, it often has a negative association with attempting to force a lie to be accepted as a “truth”, and there are many ways that one can do this. Thus it is with interest that the Trump administration is demanding to see all COVID-19 data before it passes to the CDC as MSN News reports.
Hospital data on coronavirus patients will now be rerouted to the Trump administration instead of first being sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.
The move could make data less transparent to the public at a time when the administration is downplaying the spread of the pandemic, and threatens to undermine public confidence that medical data is being presented free of political interference.
Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the department, confirmed the change first reported by The New York Times earlier in the day, saying in a statement that the “new faster and complete data system is what our nation needs to defeat the coronavirus and the CDC, an operating division of HHS, will certainly participate in this streamlined all-of-government response. They will simply no longer control it.”
“The CDC’s old hospital data gathering operation once worked well monitoring hospital information across the country, but it’s an inadequate system today,” Caputo said in the statement.
The Times said hospitals are to begin reporting the data to HHS on Wednesday, noting also that the “database that will receive new information is not open to the public, which could affect the work of scores of researchers, modelers and health officials who rely on C.D.C. data to make projections and crucial decisions.”
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said the change is “going to lead to more opaqueness” about coronavirus data.
“What logic does this have, other than to take away the data from the epidemiologists that are the best in the world at looking at this data, making sense of it, translating it for people, versus giving it to HHS,” he asked on CNN’s “New Day” Wednesday morning.
Former CDC acting director Dr. Richard Besser on Wednesday said rerouting hospital data is a “step backwards” for the country’s coronavirus response.
“It’s another example of CDC being sidelined. Not only should the data be coming to CDC, but CDC should be talking to the public through the media every day,” Besser told Gupta in an interview.
He worried that the data going directly to HHS could “be further politicized, and that’s the last thing you want.”
“One of the nice things about CDC being in Atlanta — being away from Washington — is that we’re able to avoid a lot of political pressure that you get in when you’re in DC,” he said.
Besser appeared to agree with Caputo that systems needed to be modernized, but he added, “the answer to this isn’t bypassing CDC; it’s working to ensure that the flow is going faster, making sure that they’re getting the right data.”
The Trump administration continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic — which has already claimed the lives of more than 136,000 Americans — in moves that are increasingly being seen as political.
On Tuesday, four former CDC directors blasted the administration’s efforts to disregard and politicize guidelines from the agency in a scathing Washington Post op-ed.
The four former CDC officials warned against what they called a “tragic indictment” of the CDC’s efforts as President Donald Trump and top coronavirus task force officials seek to reopen the nation’s schools.
Trump has said he will “pressure” governors to reopen schools, despite internal documents from the CDC separately obtained by the Times warning that reopening K-12 schools and universities would be the “highest risk” for the spread of the deadly virus.
“Unfortunately, their sound science is being challenged with partisan potshots, sowing confusion and mistrust at a time when the American people need leadership, expertise and clarity. These efforts have even fueled a backlash against public health officials across the country: Public servants have been harassed, threatened and forced to resign when we need them most. This is unconscionable and dangerous,” the former CDC officials wrote.
Public health experts, they said: “Face two opponents: covid-19, but also political leaders and others attempting to undermine” the CDC. (source)


shoebat--2020-07-16--Every Son And Daugther Of The Irish- In America And Ireland -Needs Reparations

Asheville is to North Carolina what San Francisco is to California , Austin is to Texas , or Provincetown is to Massachusetts- it is a very liberal and generally ‘ strange ’ place with a lot of strange or extreme idea of the far-left variety .
according to an article from the Asheville Citizen Times , the city council has recently voted on giving reparations to the American descendants of African slaves because of slavery .
In an extraordinary move , the City Council has apologized for the city ’ s historic role in slavery , discrimination and denial of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide reparations to them and their descendants .
The 7-0 vote came the night of July 14 .
“ Hundreds of years of black blood spilled that basically fills the cup we drink from today , ” said Councilman Keith Young , one of two African American members of the body and the measure ’ s chief proponent .
“ It is simply not enough to remove statues .
Black people in this country are dealing with issues that are systemic in nature , ” Young said .
The unanimously passed resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will make investments in areas where Black residents face disparities .
“ The resulting budgetary and programmatic priorities may include but not be limited to increasing minority home ownership and access to other affordable housing , increasing minority business ownership and career opportunities , strategies to grow equity and generational wealth , closing the gaps in health care , education , employment and pay , neighborhood safety and fairness within criminal justice , ” the resolution reads .
The resolution calls on the city to create the Community Reparations Commission , inviting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join .
It will be the commission ’ s job to make concrete recommendations for programs and resources to be used .
Councilwoman Sheneika Smith , who is Black , said the council had gotten emails from those “ asking , ‘ Why should we pay for what happened during slavery ? '
” “ ( Slavery ) is this institution that serves as the starting point for the building of the strong economic floor for white America , while attempting to keep Blacks subordinate forever to its progress , ” said Smith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split with Young and Smith on police and budget issues said he supported the measure for moral reasons .
But he said skeptics could look to the “ practical reason ” : data showing showing large disparities between African Americans and other Asheville residents .
“ We don ’ t want to be held back by these gaps , ” Kapoor said .
“ We want everyone to be successful.
” ( source ) This of course comes as none of such persons has ever experienced slavery , and one would think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the same aforementioned bloc in the form of various types of welfare , full-paid scholarship , job preference in hiring , and even reduced standards for acceptance on the basis of race as opposed to other people ( aside from the fact that such is arguably a form of racism ) , there are far too many who seem to claim that because of the , to paraphrase the words of numerous activists , “ the ongoing legacy of slavery ” , that even more government handouts , either as a financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services , are something to ask for .
To that , I should note that in the American context , if one is going to follow this same logic , there is another group who is in need of reparations , and they are the Irish and descendants of the Irish .
It does not matter whether one is a “ full-blooded Irishman ” or had an Irish great-grandparent somewhere in the family tree- if one is Irish , one should get reparations from the American and British governments for the ongoing legacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism against the Irish people and nation .
Anti-Irish sentiment , as Wikipedia notes , was around going back to the time of the Greek geographer Strabo .
In the 19th century , it reached a fevered pitch with the Potato famine and the eugenic policies encouraged by men such as the English Protestant Charles Trevelyan , who preferred to see the Irish starve as a means to place the ‘ fear of God ’ into them .
Millions of Irish died or fled , and when they came to England or America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and society , including frequent persecution such as with the infamous Philadelphia riots of 1844 where many Catholics were killed .
Plus there is also the issue of centuries of enslavement of the Irish , which many people do not wish to talk about .
Based on almost two-thousand years of oppression , racism , discrimination , and slavery , and in recent times especially from the UK and US , do the Irish NOT deserve not only a formal apology , but reparations to all descendants of Ireland for the crimes committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make clear , I am NOT advocating for reparations for anybody .
Indeed , all people at some point have ancestors that were both slavers and enslaved .
This is a fact of human history that none can avoid .
It is true that in cases of recent crimes , financial restitution can be a means for applying justice in a way that is practical and puts a matter to rest , which should be the point of any justice system , not to create a situation where perpetual grievances can be launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do , for such is not justice , but vengeance and power-seeking in the name of justice at the expense of another .
It is not the fault of the modern descendant of the English people for crimes his ancestors committed against people in Ireland in as much as it is not the fault of people in America today whose ancestors owned slaves that they are individually or collectively responsible for the current situation of many descendants of the African slaves .
Indeed , it is arguable that in the case of African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue of “ reparations ” focuses on in the US -the British and the Americans have done exceedingly well to provide them with many , many chances to better themselves , and far more than what were extended to the Irish when they came to the US and certainly for other ethnic groups in Europe such as the Polish , who still have yet to receive even so much as an apology for centuries of being plundered , butchered , and enslaved by the Germans , Russians , Austrians , and even Turks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slavery was legal in the US .
Indeed , people serious about stopping slavery would be better focused on ending government-ownership of slavery under the justification of crimes committed ( contrary to popular opinion , slavery was not banned- read the Thirteenth Amendment ) instead of trying to blame “ white people ” - many of whose ancestors in the last two-hundred years not only never owned slaves , but were actively slaves themselves .
History is not perfect .
Bad things happen , but one ’ s future does not need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially for events which one has no relation to or experience in .
The only thing that even just the talk of “ reparations ” will do is to encourage racism on both sides and sow conflict between the groups , which is something that helps no one .
It is important to talk about things that happened , but it is also important sometimes as a part of forgiveness to stop talking about certain things because there is a point when “ conversation ” no longer serves a constructive purpose .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not live in a mindset based on the past because while one should draw upon the lessons learned , rooting one ’ s identity in old conflicts does not resolve them but perpetuates the conflict to a point where it can start again .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
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Asheville is to North Carolina what San Francisco is to California, Austin is to Texas, or Provincetown is to Massachusetts- it is a very liberal and generally ‘strange’ place with a lot of strange or extreme idea of the far-left variety. according to an article from the Asheville Citizen Times, the city council has recently voted on giving reparations to the American descendants of African slaves because of slavery.
In an extraordinary move, the City Council has apologized for the city’s historic role in slavery, discrimination and denial of basic liberties to Black residents and voted to provide reparations to them and their descendants. The 7-0 vote came the night of July 14. “Hundreds of years of black blood spilled that basically fills the cup we drink from today,” said Councilman Keith Young, one of two African American members of the body and the measure’s chief proponent. “It is simply not enough to remove statues. Black people in this country are dealing with issues that are systemic in nature,” Young said. The unanimously passed resolution does not mandate direct payments. Instead it will make investments in areas where Black residents face disparities. “The resulting budgetary and programmatic priorities may include but not be limited to increasing minority home ownership and access to other affordable housing, increasing minority business ownership and career opportunities, strategies to grow equity and generational wealth, closing the gaps in health care, education, employment and pay, neighborhood safety and fairness within criminal justice,” the resolution reads. The resolution calls on the city to create the Community Reparations Commission, inviting community groups and other local governments to join. It will be the commission’s job to make concrete recommendations for programs and resources to be used. Councilwoman Sheneika Smith, who is Black, said the council had gotten emails from those “asking, ‘Why should we pay for what happened during slavery?'” “(Slavery) is this institution that serves as the starting point for the building of the strong economic floor for white America, while attempting to keep Blacks subordinate forever to its progress,” said Smith. Councilman Vijay Kapoor who has often split with Young and Smith on police and budget issues said he supported the measure for moral reasons. But he said skeptics could look to the “practical reason”: data showing showing large disparities between African Americans and other Asheville residents. “We don’t want to be held back by these gaps,” Kapoor said. “We want everyone to be successful.” (source)
This of course comes as none of such persons has ever experienced slavery, and one would think that with the countless and continual handouts given to the same aforementioned bloc in the form of various types of welfare, full-paid scholarship, job preference in hiring, and even reduced standards for acceptance on the basis of race as opposed to other people (aside from the fact that such is arguably a form of racism), there are far too many who seem to claim that because of the, to paraphrase the words of numerous activists, “the ongoing legacy of slavery”, that even more government handouts, either as a financial payment or race-based preference in more social services, are something to ask for.
To that, I should note that in the American context, if one is going to follow this same logic, there is another group who is in need of reparations, and they are the Irish and descendants of the Irish. It does not matter whether one is a “full-blooded Irishman” or had an Irish great-grandparent somewhere in the family tree- if one is Irish, one should get reparations from the American and British governments for the ongoing legacy of Anglo-American oppression, slavery, and racism against the Irish people and nation.
Anti-Irish sentiment, as Wikipedia notes, was around going back to the time of the Greek geographer Strabo. In the 19th century, it reached a fevered pitch with the Potato famine and the eugenic policies encouraged by men such as the English Protestant Charles Trevelyan, who preferred to see the Irish starve as a means to place the ‘fear of God’ into them. Millions of Irish died or fled, and when they came to England or America, suffered terribly with discrimination in work and society, including frequent persecution such as with the infamous Philadelphia riots of 1844 where many Catholics were killed. Plus there is also the issue of centuries of enslavement of the Irish, which many people do not wish to talk about.
Based on almost two-thousand years of oppression, racism, discrimination, and slavery, and in recent times especially from the UK and US, do the Irish NOT deserve not only a formal apology, but reparations to all descendants of Ireland for the crimes committed against them?
Now I want to make clear, I am NOT advocating for reparations for anybody. Indeed, all people at some point have ancestors that were both slavers and enslaved. This is a fact of human history that none can avoid. It is true that in cases of recent crimes, financial restitution can be a means for applying justice in a way that is practical and puts a matter to rest, which should be the point of any justice system, not to create a situation where perpetual grievances can be launched at people for things they did not do, for such is not justice, but vengeance and power-seeking in the name of justice at the expense of another.
It is not the fault of the modern descendant of the English people for crimes his ancestors committed against people in Ireland in as much as it is not the fault of people in America today whose ancestors owned slaves that they are individually or collectively responsible for the current situation of many descendants of the African slaves. Indeed, it is arguable that in the case of African slaves- since that is what the main issue of “reparations” focuses on in the US -the British and the Americans have done exceedingly well to provide them with many, many chances to better themselves, and far more than what were extended to the Irish when they came to the US and certainly for other ethnic groups in Europe such as the Polish, who still have yet to receive even so much as an apology for centuries of being plundered, butchered, and enslaved by the Germans, Russians, Austrians, and even Turks.
There was a time when private slavery was legal in the US. Indeed, people serious about stopping slavery would be better focused on ending government-ownership of slavery under the justification of crimes committed (contrary to popular opinion, slavery was not banned- read the Thirteenth Amendment) instead of trying to blame “white people”- many of whose ancestors in the last two-hundred years not only never owned slaves, but were actively slaves themselves.
History is not perfect. Bad things happen, but one’s future does not need to be shaped by one’s past, especially for events which one has no relation to or experience in. The only thing that even just the talk of “reparations” will do is to encourage racism on both sides and sow conflict between the groups, which is something that helps no one.
It is important to talk about things that happened, but it is also important sometimes as a part of forgiveness to stop talking about certain things because there is a point when “conversation” no longer serves a constructive purpose. Indeed, one should remember the past but not live in a mindset based on the past because while one should draw upon the lessons learned, rooting one’s identity in old conflicts does not resolve them but perpetuates the conflict to a point where it can start again.
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shoebat--2020-07-16--Egyptian Military Equipment Spotted In Libya As Talk Of War Between Turkey And Egypt Intensifies

The parliament of Tobruk in Libya just approved a motion authorizing Egypt to make a direct military intervention into Libya ’ s civil war if the Egyptian military is needed to war against the Turkish backed Government of National Accord ( GNA ) .
The Egyptians are backing Khalifa Haftar , a Libyan general who until recently controlled most of Libya but has lot tremendous swaths of territory thanks to Turkey ’ s military support for Haftar ’ s enemy , the Government of National Accord .
The battle lines The resolution passed by the Tobruk parliament authorizes “ Egyptian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security of Libya and Egypt if they see an imminent danger to both our countries ” .
The passing of this resolution follows a statement from the President of Egypt , Abdel Fatah el-Sisi who said last month that Egyp could deploy troops into Libya , warning the GNA that “ Any direct intervention in Libya will be aimed at securing the border and a ceasefire ” .
El-Sisi also affirmed that his country has a right to do “ external military missions if necessary ” , adding : “ Any direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquired international legitimacy .
… If some people think that they can cross the Sirte-Jufra frontline , this is a red line for us.
” The GNA responded that it considered el-Sisi ’ s comments a “ declaration of war ” .
The center of the fighting is now Sirte .
Anwar Gargash , the UAE ’ s minister of state for foreign affairs , wrote on Twitter : “ The drums of the war raging around Sirte in Libya threaten serious developments and dangerous humanitarian and political consequences .
Meanwhile GNA spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance toward the “ cities taken hostage ” and “ eradicate all outlaw groups ” .
Egypt ’ s military recently conducted exercises involving navy , air force , and special forces near the Libyan border in response to the “ severe and rapid changes ” in neighboring Libya .
Notwithstanding these tensions , there are numerous analysts arguing that the chances of a military intervention into Libya by Egypt is unlikely .
Libya analyst Jalel Harchaoui – of the Clingendael Institute in The Hague – said that regardless of the the rhetoric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of Egyptian military intervention is imminent : There is a recent report on Egyptian military supplies being sent into Libya , as we read from Middle East Monitor : The Libyan Army monitored the arrival of military supplies coming from Egypt to the city of Tobruk yesterday .
According to the media centre of the Libyan Army ’ s “ Volcano of Anger ” operation , the delivery came a day after renegade General Khalifa Haftar announced that a “ major battle ” was taking place in the surroundings of Sirte and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published a picture of trucks transporting weapons and military ammunition , and people wearing military uniforms standing next to them , without providing further details .
The centre had previously released photos showing the arrival of a ship from Egypt carrying 40 containers of military supplies and ammunition to support Haftar ’ s militia .
The vessel had docked on 8 April .
Its possible that Egypt will not fight Turkey , anytime soon .
But , things will eventually escalate between Egypt and Turkey , and Turkey will eventually invade Egypt in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The sword shall come upon Egypt , And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia , When the slain fall in Egypt , And they take away her wealth , And her foundations are broken down .
( Ezekiel 30:4 ) “ He shall stretch out his hand against the countries , and the land of Egypt shall not escape .
He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver , and over all the precious things of Egypt ; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.
” @ @ @ @

By Theodore Shoebat
The parliament of Tobruk in Libya just approved a motion authorizing Egypt to make a direct military intervention into Libya’s civil war if the Egyptian military is needed to war against the Turkish backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
The Egyptians are backing Khalifa Haftar, a Libyan general who until recently controlled most of Libya but has lot tremendous swaths of territory thanks to Turkey’s military support for Haftar’s enemy, the Government of National Accord. The battle lines The resolution passed by the Tobruk parliament authorizes “Egyptian armed forces to intervene to protect the national security of Libya and Egypt if they see an imminent danger to both our countries”. The passing of this resolution follows a statement from the President of Egypt, Abdel Fatah el-Sisi who said last month that Egyp could deploy troops into Libya, warning the GNA that “Any direct intervention in Libya will be aimed at securing the border and a ceasefire”. El-Sisi also affirmed that his country has a right to do “external military missions if necessary”, adding: “Any direct intervention from the Egyptian state has now acquired international legitimacy. … If some people think that they can cross the Sirte-Jufra frontline, this is a red line for us.”
The GNA responded that it considered el-Sisi’s comments a “declaration of war”. The center of the fighting is now Sirte. Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, wrote on Twitter: “The drums of the war raging around Sirte in Libya threaten serious developments and dangerous humanitarian and political consequences. Meanwhile GNA spokesman Mohamad Gnounou affirmed that GNA forces would advance toward the “cities taken hostage” and “eradicate all outlaw groups”. Egypt’s military recently conducted exercises involving navy, air force, and special forces near the Libyan border in response to the “severe and rapid changes” in neighboring Libya.
Notwithstanding these tensions, there are numerous analysts arguing that the chances of a military intervention into Libya by Egypt is unlikely. Libya analyst Jalel Harchaoui – of the Clingendael Institute in The Hague – said that regardless of the the rhetoric, he does not agree that the risk of Egyptian military intervention is imminent:
“The military reality around Sirte has not changed significantly in the past two weeks”
There is a recent report on Egyptian military supplies being sent into Libya, as we read from Middle East Monitor:
The Libyan Army monitored the arrival of military supplies coming from Egypt to the city of Tobruk yesterday. According to the media centre of the Libyan Army’s “Volcano of Anger” operation, the delivery came a day after renegade General Khalifa Haftar announced that a “major battle” was taking place in the surroundings of Sirte and Jufra. The Libyan Army Media Centre published a picture of trucks transporting weapons and military ammunition, and people wearing military uniforms standing next to them, without providing further details. The centre had previously released photos showing the arrival of a ship from Egypt carrying 40 containers of military supplies and ammunition to support Haftar’s militia. The vessel had docked on 8 April.
Its possible that Egypt will not fight Turkey, anytime soon. But, things will eventually escalate between Egypt and Turkey, and Turkey will eventually invade Egypt in order to manifest her desires for empire.
The sword shall come upon Egypt,
And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia,
When the slain fall in Egypt,
And they take away her wealth,
And her foundations are broken down. (Ezekiel 30:4) “He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.” (Daniel 11:42-43)
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shoebat--2020-07-16--European Court Rules Against US Companies In Possible Trans-Atlantic Trade War

Economics always precedes politics , and as such trade wars often precede ‘ hot wars ’ with soldiers and guns .
With data being the currency of the twenty-first century and the free flow of data vital to economic interchange , the Associated Press reports in a major ruling from the European Court of Justice that the current arrangement for US-EU data interchange is invalid because it does not protect the ‘ privacy rights ’ of Europeans sufficiently .
The European Union ’ s top court ruled Thursday that an agreement that allows thousands of companies — from tech giants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data to the United States is invalid because the American government can snoop on people ’ s data .
The ruling to invalidate Privacy Shield will likely complicate business for around 5,000 companies , and it could require regulators to vet any new data transfers to make sure Europeans ’ personal information remains protected according to the EU ’ s stringent standards .
It will no longer simply be assumed that tech companies like Facebook will adequately protect the privacy of its European users ’ data when it sends it to the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely have to find a new agreement that guarantees that Europeans ’ data is afforded the same privacy protection in the U.S. as it is in the EU .
Privacy activists hailed the court ruling as a major victory , while business groups worried about the potential to disrupt commerce , depending on how the ruling is implemented .
Companies like Facebook routinely move such data among their servers around the world and the practice underpins billions of dollars in business .
“ It is clear that the U.S. will have to seriously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies want to continue to play a major role on the EU market , ” said Max Schrems , an Austrian activist whose complaints about the handling of his Facebook data triggered the ruling after years of legal procedures .
He first filed a complaint in 2013 , after former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the American government was snooping on people ’ s online data and communications .
The revelations included detail on how Facebook gave U.S. security agencies access to the personal data of Europeans .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over Facebook in particular , it could have far-reaching implications not only for tech companies but also businesses in sectors like finance and the auto industry .
Things like emails or hotel reservations between the U.S. and Europe would not be affected because there is no way to conduct that business without data crossing the border .
But in other cases , such as with Facebook , for example , messages between Europeans would have to stay in Europe , which can be complicated and require their platform to be split up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called standard contractual clauses that force businesses to abide by EU privacy standards when transferring messages , photos and other information .
The clauses — which are stock terms and conditions — are used to ensure the EU rules are maintained when data leaves the bloc .
The Court of Justice of the EU ruled Thursday that those clauses are still valid in principle .
However , it declared invalid the Privacy Shield agreement between the U.S. and EU on data transfers over concerns that the U.S. can demand access to consumer data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in cases where there are concerns about data privacy , EU regulators should vet , and if needed block , the transfer of data .
That raises the prospect that EU regulators will block Facebook , for example , from transferring any more European data to the U.S .
The European Commission said it was studying the ruling and stressed that a system is needed to allow data transfers while also protecting privacy .
It said it was in touch with its counterparts in the U.S. on how to proceed .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage in solutions that reflect the values that we share as democratic societies , ” European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said .
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said the U.S. was “ deeply disappointed ” by the ruling and we “ hope to be able to limit the negative consequences to the $ 7.1 trillion trans-Atlantic economic relationship.
” Experts said the full impact on businesses will largely depend on how authorities respond .
“ EU regulators will need to adopt a pragmatic approach to enforcement , allowing businesses a period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrangements , ” said Bridget Treacy , data privacy partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in London .
Government surveillance of personal data is something the U.S. in its turn accuses China of doing through tech companies like Huawei .
And it highlights the growing importance of data as the basis of modern business and politics .
Data drives much of the world ’ s largest companies , like Facebook , Google , Alibaba and Amazon , and is also prized for national security to prevent extremist attacks , for example .
Mining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also become crucial to winning elections , such as the use of Facebook data for Donald Trump ’ s presidential victory in 2016 .
Alexandre Roure , a senior manager at Computer & Communications Industry Association , said the decision “ creates legal uncertainty for the thousands of large and small companies on both sides of the Atlantic that rely on Privacy Shield for their daily commercial data transfers .
“ We trust that EU and U.S. decision-makers will swiftly develop a sustainable solution , in line with EU law , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underpins the trans-Atlantic economy.
” ( source ) Under the current standards , European data protection laws states that data can only be transferred out of the European Union to the United States or elsewhere if ‘ appropriate safeguards ’ are in place .
This ruling from the ECJ says that US ‘ surveillance programs ’ are not limited to what is strictly necessary ” , which it classified as requirements related to ‘ US national security , ’ ‘ public interest ’ , and l ’ aw enforcement ’ Some argue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , called Privacy Shield , will be good for ‘ human rights ’ , and some say that it will compel the US to create a more ‘ comprehensive ’ privacy and data protection framework , enable both Americans and Europeans equal access to legal action in the case of rights violations due to unlawful data processing in the US or by US authorities ; and that it would compel the US to reform its surveillance practices .
But what does this really do ?
Is it really going to ensure the ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is true that there has been a lot of abuse from the US regarding privacy ‘ rights ’ - which fundamentally do not exist any more because of the Internet , and there is no real way to , under the current schema , revive them .
This ruling does not actually help revive anything , and if one thinks that Germany is going to be any more trustworthy than the US , one is simply deceiving oneself , for as with any nations that has a long history or a contemporary desire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany , India , Japan , Russia , or the US -there is going to be spying , and the idea of “ privacy ” in such cases should be considered not a legitimate concern , but rather a battering ram used to justify the abuse of power by one side and not another .
It is similar to the anti-Islam movements , for while one can not say that Islam is good and certainly it is evil , many of those who criticize Islam do not do so out of the objective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather as a means to realize an even more nefarious end , which are nationalism and contemporary darwinism .
While the future of how this law will affect business relations between the US and Europe in a major way .
Current contractual agreements between American companies and European nations , called standard contractual clauses ( SCCs ) , could be overidden using this ruling with the justification of “ privacy ” , thus making it much harder for American companies to do business with European nations , and putting the US at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject to transfer rules could include communications like emails financial records , business files , human resources materials , employee data , marketing databases , and customer records .
It could even go so far as to include social media posts , meaning that a posting on Facebook could create a legally tenuous situation between Europe and the US if it was found to be a ‘ violation ’ of ‘ privacy rights ’ .
For example , consider years ago at Shoebat.com when Ted interviewed Martin Sellner , an Austrian activists with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martin Sellner became very angry with Ted because Ted filmed and intended to post the interview , to which Martin Sellner threatened Ted and Ted correctly noted that this is not Austria , but America , and we don ’ t have to listen to your laws .
With these new laws , it could be possible that Ted ’ s interview might be blocked or banned from European Union nations in the name of claimed “ privacy rights ” , yet the fact is that such a complaint at the time had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the fact that he was exposed for his connections and was unable to hide it legally .
Banned in Europe ?
This video could be potentially banned under the new European data protection laws .
There are a lot of complaints that people have about abuse from the Americans and the problems of the American Empire , and they should be exposed .
However , the fact is that the US has also enabled many good things to happen , one of which is a freer flow of information interchange for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there is much work to be done , as I noted earlier using Islam as the example , it is equally wrong to use one real issue to legitimize the same abuses but by a different person .
One could consider this to be is a very bold move by Europe against the US , since what we are seeing here looks suspiciously like a privacy trade war , where Europe is saying their data standards can be trusted but those in the US can not .
Specifically , since the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and given that Germany is the powerhouse of Europe and has expressed ambitions towards nationalism in recent years as well as has a long history of nationalist violence , is a German move against the US .
Germany does not like the US .
She is one of the largest economies in the world , and she wants Europe to become a world power again .
Some of her complaints are legitimate and of good concern , but one must also remember that in the last hundred years , twice Germany rose up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wars .
Prior to that , one can count the veritable once-a-century uprisings that resulted in bouts of horrific violence be it the sackings of Rome by Germanic tribes , the countless inter-continental wars , the Protestant Revolution , the Thirty Years War , the Partitioning of Poland , the Prussian Empire , or foreign ventures such as the first genocide of the twentieth century in Namibia against the Herrero people that served as the basis for the eugenics programmes of the Third Reich .
This court ruling has nothing to do with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while American companies have abused their positions , one may want to think of the current situation such as what happened in France leading up to the French Revolution- the king may have done a poor job for a long time , but the Revolution that happened was far worse since it hurt more people than it helped and caused far more problems whose effects still endure to this day in France .
It is easy to focus on one evil , only to ignore the evil that is using another evil to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first evil only to realize the second evil was present all along and be unable to stand against it when one has to .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TO FOLLOW OUR NEW SHOEBAT FACEBOOK PAGE

Economics always precedes politics, and as such trade wars often precede ‘hot wars’ with soldiers and guns. With data being the currency of the twenty-first century and the free flow of data vital to economic interchange, the Associated Press reports in a major ruling from the European Court of Justice that the current arrangement for US-EU data interchange is invalid because it does not protect the ‘privacy rights’ of Europeans sufficiently.
The European Union’s top court ruled Thursday that an agreement that allows thousands of companies — from tech giants to small financial firms — to transfer data to the United States is invalid because the American government can snoop on people’s data. The ruling to invalidate Privacy Shield will likely complicate business for around 5,000 companies, and it could require regulators to vet any new data transfers to make sure Europeans’ personal information remains protected according to the EU’s stringent standards. It will no longer simply be assumed that tech companies like Facebook will adequately protect the privacy of its European users’ data when it sends it to the U.S. Rather, the EU and U.S. will likely have to find a new agreement that guarantees that Europeans’ data is afforded the same privacy protection in the U.S. as it is in the EU. Privacy activists hailed the court ruling as a major victory, while business groups worried about the potential to disrupt commerce, depending on how the ruling is implemented. Companies like Facebook routinely move such data among their servers around the world and the practice underpins billions of dollars in business. “It is clear that the U.S. will have to seriously change their surveillance laws, if U.S. companies want to continue to play a major role on the EU market,” said Max Schrems, an Austrian activist whose complaints about the handling of his Facebook data triggered the ruling after years of legal procedures. He first filed a complaint in 2013, after former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the American government was snooping on people’s online data and communications. The revelations included detail on how Facebook gave U.S. security agencies access to the personal data of Europeans. Though the legal case was triggered by concerns over Facebook in particular, it could have far-reaching implications not only for tech companies but also businesses in sectors like finance and the auto industry. Things like emails or hotel reservations between the U.S. and Europe would not be affected because there is no way to conduct that business without data crossing the border. But in other cases, such as with Facebook, for example, messages between Europeans would have to stay in Europe, which can be complicated and require their platform to be split up, Schrems said. Companies use legal mechanisms called standard contractual clauses that force businesses to abide by EU privacy standards when transferring messages, photos and other information. The clauses — which are stock terms and conditions — are used to ensure the EU rules are maintained when data leaves the bloc. The Court of Justice of the EU ruled Thursday that those clauses are still valid in principle. However, it declared invalid the Privacy Shield agreement between the U.S. and EU on data transfers over concerns that the U.S. can demand access to consumer data for national security reasons. It said that in cases where there are concerns about data privacy, EU regulators should vet, and if needed block, the transfer of data. That raises the prospect that EU regulators will block Facebook, for example, from transferring any more European data to the U.S. The European Commission said it was studying the ruling and stressed that a system is needed to allow data transfers while also protecting privacy. It said it was in touch with its counterparts in the U.S. on how to proceed. “I see it as an opportunity to engage in solutions that reflect the values that we share as democratic societies,” European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said the U.S. was “deeply disappointed” by the ruling and we “hope to be able to limit the negative consequences to the $7.1 trillion trans-Atlantic economic relationship.” Experts said the full impact on businesses will largely depend on how authorities respond. “EU regulators will need to adopt a pragmatic approach to enforcement, allowing businesses a period of grace in which to implement alternative arrangements,” said Bridget Treacy, data privacy partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in London. Government surveillance of personal data is something the U.S. in its turn accuses China of doing through tech companies like Huawei. And it highlights the growing importance of data as the basis of modern business and politics. Data drives much of the world’s largest companies, like Facebook, Google, Alibaba and Amazon, and is also prized for national security to prevent extremist attacks, for example. Mining large sets of people’s data has also become crucial to winning elections, such as the use of Facebook data for Donald Trump’s presidential victory in 2016. Alexandre Roure, a senior manager at Computer & Communications Industry Association, said the decision “creates legal uncertainty for the thousands of large and small companies on both sides of the Atlantic that rely on Privacy Shield for their daily commercial data transfers. “We trust that EU and U.S. decision-makers will swiftly develop a sustainable solution, in line with EU law, to ensure the continuation of data flows which underpins the trans-Atlantic economy.” (source)
Under the current standards, European data protection laws states that data can only be transferred out of the European Union to the United States or elsewhere if ‘appropriate safeguards’ are in place. This ruling from the ECJ says that US ‘surveillance programs’ are not limited to what is strictly necessary”, which it classified as requirements related to ‘US national security,’ ‘public interest’, and l’aw enforcement’
Some argue that the striking down of the current schema, called Privacy Shield, will be good for ‘human rights’, and some say that it will compel the US to create a more ‘comprehensive’ privacy and data protection framework, enable both Americans and Europeans equal access to legal action in the case of rights violations due to unlawful data processing in the US or by US authorities; and that it would compel the US to reform its surveillance practices.
But what does this really do? Is it really going to ensure the ‘protection of privacy?’
Now it is true that there has been a lot of abuse from the US regarding privacy ‘rights’- which fundamentally do not exist any more because of the Internet, and there is no real way to, under the current schema, revive them. This ruling does not actually help revive anything, and if one thinks that Germany is going to be any more trustworthy than the US, one is simply deceiving oneself, for as with any nations that has a long history or a contemporary desire to seek power- be it China, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, or the US -there is going to be spying, and the idea of “privacy” in such cases should be considered not a legitimate concern, but rather a battering ram used to justify the abuse of power by one side and not another. It is similar to the anti-Islam movements, for while one cannot say that Islam is good and certainly it is evil, many of those who criticize Islam do not do so out of the objective good for the Muslim people, but rather as a means to realize an even more nefarious end, which are nationalism and contemporary darwinism.
While the future of how this law will affect business relations between the US and Europe in a major way. Current contractual agreements between American companies and European nations, called standard contractual clauses (SCCs), could be overidden using this ruling with the justification of “privacy”, thus making it much harder for American companies to do business with European nations, and putting the US at a trade disadvantange. Likewise, the data subject to transfer rules could include communications like emails financial records, business files, human resources materials, employee data, marketing databases, and customer records. It could even go so far as to include social media posts, meaning that a posting on Facebook could create a legally tenuous situation between Europe and the US if it was found to be a ‘violation’ of ‘privacy rights’.
For example, consider years ago at Shoebat.com when Ted interviewed Martin Sellner, an Austrian activists with ties to National Socialists and Pagans. Martin Sellner became very angry with Ted because Ted filmed and intended to post the interview, to which Martin Sellner threatened Ted and Ted correctly noted that this is not Austria, but America, and we don’t have to listen to your laws. With these new laws, it could be possible that Ted’s interview might be blocked or banned from European Union nations in the name of claimed “privacy rights”, yet the fact is that such a complaint at the time had nothing to do with privacy, but with the fact that he was exposed for his connections and was unable to hide it legally.
Banned in Europe? This video could be potentially banned under the new European data protection laws.
There are a lot of complaints that people have about abuse from the Americans and the problems of the American Empire, and they should be exposed. However, the fact is that the US has also enabled many good things to happen, one of which is a freer flow of information interchange for all people, and while abuses have happened and there is much work to be done, as I noted earlier using Islam as the example, it is equally wrong to use one real issue to legitimize the same abuses but by a different person.
One could consider this to be is a very bold move by Europe against the US, since what we are seeing here looks suspiciously like a privacy trade war, where Europe is saying their data standards can be trusted but those in the US cannot. Specifically, since the case was filed through an Austrian activist, and given that Germany is the powerhouse of Europe and has expressed ambitions towards nationalism in recent years as well as has a long history of nationalist violence, is a German move against the US.
Germany does not like the US. She is one of the largest economies in the world, and she wants Europe to become a world power again. Some of her complaints are legitimate and of good concern, but one must also remember that in the last hundred years, twice Germany rose up and plunged the world into two world wars. Prior to that, one can count the veritable once-a-century uprisings that resulted in bouts of horrific violence be it the sackings of Rome by Germanic tribes, the countless inter-continental wars, the Protestant Revolution, the Thirty Years War, the Partitioning of Poland, the Prussian Empire, or foreign ventures such as the first genocide of the twentieth century in Namibia against the Herrero people that served as the basis for the eugenics programmes of the Third Reich.
This court ruling has nothing to do with “privacy” at all, and while American companies have abused their positions, one may want to think of the current situation such as what happened in France leading up to the French Revolution- the king may have done a poor job for a long time, but the Revolution that happened was far worse since it hurt more people than it helped and caused far more problems whose effects still endure to this day in France.
It is easy to focus on one evil, only to ignore the evil that is using another evil to hide itself, and then to defeat the first evil only to realize the second evil was present all along and be unable to stand against it when one has to.
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shoebat--2020-07-17--Massive Heat Wave Hits Siberia

Massive Heat Wave Hits Siberia

When one thinks of places that are almost always very cold , Siberia often comes to mind for many .
The great land mass of Russia east of the Urals in Asia , sparsely populated and filled with previous minerals as well as historical crossing routes is the secret to Russia ’ s power and influence in the world .
But the snow-dusted , cold lands with ancient permafrost in many parts are facing a historic heat wave that is causing massive temperature increases and in some cases thawing that which has been frozen for thousands of years .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been the heat .
A series of warnings , reports and studies over the past few weeks have raised alarm bells over the record temperatures in the vast Russian region spanning much of Eurasia and Northern Asia .
The extreme heat wave in the Russian region is “ probably the most significant weather event of the year ” , said Mika Rantanen , a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute , on Twitter .
In an interview with FRANCE 24 , Rantanen explained that it was a long-term phenomenon since “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not surprised by the temperature variations over this vast area of 13 million square kilometres , which accounts for 77 percent of Russia ’ s area and is larger than Canada .
They have long known that temperatures are rising faster because of warm ocean currents that melt snow .
This year , however , in addition to global warming , climatologists have noted two natural factors that have accentuated the heat spike .
First , an unusually strong polar vortex over the North Pole has created a mild climate over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-pressure system in June favoured the rise in temperatures .
“ As it was already warm in spring , the snow cover melted earlier than usual , ” said Rantanen .
“ So the heat energy in summer has not been consumed into melting of snow and ice .
This resulted in record temperatures.
” While noting that , “ We don ’ t know yet if this is just a one-year event or the beginning of something completely new , ” Rantanen warned that “ it will be worrying if the conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arctic heatwave has major consequences for global warming .
Massive forest fires have engulfed the area , with more than 275,000 hectares going up in smoke in the vast Sakha region in northeastern Siberia , according to the Russian government forestry agency .
The number and intensity of the wildfires resulted in “ an estimated total of 59 megatonnes of CO2 ” emissions in the atmosphere , according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service , which is a record since measurements began in 2003 .
Although the intensity of the fires decreased in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and threaten 333,000 hectares .
Based on satellite data , Greenpeace ’ s forest monitoring service in Russia estimates that around 9.26 million hectares have been affected by fires since the start of the year .
Another consequence of rising temperatures on forests is the spread of invasive species such as Dendrolimus sibiricus , a moth that can produce colonies capable of devouring the foliage of a giant pine tree in a few hours .
Their voracious larvae attack conifers and their needles , making them more vulnerable to fires , leading experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for pine forests .
Finally , rising temperatures in Siberia lead to the melting of permafrost , or ground that remains frozen for a minimum of two years and up to hundreds of thousands of years , which the Russians call “ the eternal freeze ” .
The thawing Arctic permafrost releases vestiges of ancient life , including Ice Age plant matter and animal fossils locked in frozen dirt for millennia , which in turn emit masses of carbon into the atmosphere .
It is also partly responsible for the damage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy ’ s Thermal Power Plant in late May , which resulted in an oil spill of an estimated 20,000 tonnes into the Ambarnaïa River .
This ecological disaster prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to declare a state of national emergency .
Climatologists have long viewed the thawing of the Arctic ’ s permafrost as a climate and health bomb .
Their concerns are now being mirrored by some politicians .
“ Some of our cities were built north of the Arctic Circle , on the permafrost , ” warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts to thaw , you can imagine the consequences .
It ’ s very serious.
” ( source )

When one thinks of places that are almost always very cold, Siberia often comes to mind for many. The great land mass of Russia east of the Urals in Asia, sparsely populated and filled with previous minerals as well as historical crossing routes is the secret to Russia’s power and influence in the world. But the snow-dusted, cold lands with ancient permafrost in many parts are facing a historic heat wave that is causing massive temperature increases and in some cases thawing that which has been frozen for thousands of years.
The most chilling phenomenon in Siberia this season has been the heat. A series of warnings, reports and studies over the past few weeks have raised alarm bells over the record temperatures in the vast Russian region spanning much of Eurasia and Northern Asia.
…
The extreme heat wave in the Russian region is “probably the most significant weather event of the year”, said Mika Rantanen, a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, on Twitter. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Rantanen explained that it was a long-term phenomenon since “it started in winter”.
Scientists however are not surprised by the temperature variations over this vast area of 13 million square kilometres, which accounts for 77 percent of Russia’s area and is larger than Canada. They have long known that temperatures are rising faster because of warm ocean currents that melt snow.
This year, however, in addition to global warming, climatologists have noted two natural factors that have accentuated the heat spike. First, an unusually strong polar vortex over the North Pole has created a mild climate over the entire area. In addition, a high-pressure system in June favoured the rise in temperatures.
“As it was already warm in spring, the snow cover melted earlier than usual,” said Rantanen. “So the heat energy in summer has not been consumed into melting of snow and ice. This resulted in record temperatures.”
While noting that, “We don’t know yet if this is just a one-year event or the beginning of something completely new,” Rantanen warned that “it will be worrying if the conditions continue like this”.
The record Arctic heatwave has major consequences for global warming. Massive forest fires have engulfed the area, with more than 275,000 hectares going up in smoke in the vast Sakha region in northeastern Siberia, according to the Russian government forestry agency.
The number and intensity of the wildfires resulted in “an estimated total of 59 megatonnes of CO2” emissions in the atmosphere, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which is a record since measurements began in 2003.
Although the intensity of the fires decreased in mid-July, 159 fires are still active and threaten 333,000 hectares. Based on satellite data, Greenpeace’s forest monitoring service in Russia estimates that around 9.26 million hectares have been affected by fires since the start of the year.
Another consequence of rising temperatures on forests is the spread of invasive species such as Dendrolimus sibiricus, a moth that can produce colonies capable of devouring the foliage of a giant pine tree in a few hours. Their voracious larvae attack conifers and their needles, making them more vulnerable to fires, leading experts to warn about their “tragic consequences” for pine forests.
Finally, rising temperatures in Siberia lead to the melting of permafrost, or ground that remains frozen for a minimum of two years and up to hundreds of thousands of years, which the Russians call “the eternal freeze”.
The thawing Arctic permafrost releases vestiges of ancient life, including Ice Age plant matter and animal fossils locked in frozen dirt for millennia, which in turn emit masses of carbon into the atmosphere.
It is also partly responsible for the damage and collapse of a diesel fuel storage tank at the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy’s Thermal Power Plant in late May, which resulted in an oil spill of an estimated 20,000 tonnes into the Ambarnaïa River. This ecological disaster prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to declare a state of national emergency.
Climatologists have long viewed the thawing of the Arctic’s permafrost as a climate and health bomb. Their concerns are now being mirrored by some politicians. “Some of our cities were built north of the Arctic Circle, on the permafrost,” warned Putin in December. “If it starts to thaw, you can imagine the consequences. It’s very serious.” (source)


shoebat--2020-07-17--Christian Refugee Migration To The US Drops 90% Since 2015

Trump promised during his presidential campaign to help persecuted Christians .
He has repeated such during his time in office .
This has earned him a lot of support from Christians , especially the American Evangelical bloc .
However , his talk has not measured up to his actions .
This has been noted in a recent report from the Christian Post , which says that since 2015 , there has been a 90 % drop in the resettlement of Christian refugees into the US .
There ’ s been a nearly 90 % reduction in the number of Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from countries where churches face the greatest persecution since 2015 , according to two leading evangelical humanitarian organizations .
Open Doors USA , a watchdog group that monitors the persecution of Christians in over 60 countries , teamed up with the refugee resettlement agency World Relief , the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals , to release a new report Friday .
The 16-page report , titled “ Closed Doors , ” is critical of policies that have drastically reduced refugee resettlement to the U.S. in recent years and others that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals and families to seek asylum .
“ There have been many recent changes regarding refugee resettlement and asylum law that has effectively shut the door on many of the refugees from being able to access protection in the United States of America , ” World Relief Vice President of Advocacy and Policy Jenny Yang told reporters on a press call Friday .
“ As organizations that are working to help those that are fleeing religious persecution , particularly Christians , we feel like it is of the utmost importance that the … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report includes testimonies from persecuted Christians as well as data comparing the numbers of refugees resettled during the final years of the Obama administration to the drastically decreased numbers resettled under President Donald Trump .
The report finds that 18,462 Christians from countries listed on Open Doors USA ’ s influential annual list of 50 worst countries where Christians face persecution were resettled to the U.S. in 2015 and 17,122 Christians from those countries were resettled in 2016 , the final two years under Obama .
By comparison , only 946 Christians from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch List were resettled in the first half of the fiscal year 2020 .
The report estimates that if projections remain steady , only 1,897 Christians from those 50 countries will be resettled by the end of the fiscal year 2020 , which represents a reduction of 89.7 % from 2015 .
( source ) i have been saying this for a long time , and it can not be repeated enough- Christians are NOT cared for in the US save as a political bloc , and one that is in decline and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it is convenient .
Talk is cheap , and the actions do not measure up to it .
Stop trusting in politicians and start taking care of each other , because at some point , the government will likely turn against Christians , beginning with the Catholic Church as it is the largest single bloc , and when it does fully go against them , the persecution will be American style , with its legal formality and organization , but equally and perhaps even more ruthless that in the past .
Donate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
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Trump promised during his presidential campaign to help persecuted Christians. He has repeated such during his time in office.
This has earned him a lot of support from Christians, especially the American Evangelical bloc. However, his talk has not measured up to his actions. This has been noted in a recent report from the Christian Post, which says that since 2015, there has been a 90% drop in the resettlement of Christian refugees into the US.
There’s been a nearly 90% reduction in the number of Christian refugees being resettled to the United States from countries where churches face the greatest persecution since 2015, according to two leading evangelical humanitarian organizations. Open Doors USA, a watchdog group that monitors the persecution of Christians in over 60 countries, teamed up with the refugee resettlement agency World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, to release a new report Friday. The 16-page report, titled “Closed Doors,” is critical of policies that have drastically reduced refugee resettlement to the U.S. in recent years and others that have made it increasingly difficult for persecuted individuals and families to seek asylum. “There have been many recent changes regarding refugee resettlement and asylum law that has effectively shut the door on many of the refugees from being able to access protection in the United States of America,” World Relief Vice President of Advocacy and Policy Jenny Yang told reporters on a press call Friday. “As organizations that are working to help those that are fleeing religious persecution, particularly Christians, we feel like it is of the utmost importance that the … U.S. keeps its doors open.” The report includes testimonies from persecuted Christians as well as data comparing the numbers of refugees resettled during the final years of the Obama administration to the drastically decreased numbers resettled under President Donald Trump. The report finds that 18,462 Christians from countries listed on Open Doors USA’s influential annual list of 50 worst countries where Christians face persecution were resettled to the U.S. in 2015 and 17,122 Christians from those countries were resettled in 2016, the final two years under Obama. By comparison, only 946 Christians from those countries on the Open Doors World Watch List were resettled in the first half of the fiscal year 2020. The report estimates that if projections remain steady, only 1,897 Christians from those 50 countries will be resettled by the end of the fiscal year 2020, which represents a reduction of 89.7% from 2015. (source)
i have been saying this for a long time, and it cannot be repeated enough- Christians are NOT cared for in the US save as a political bloc, and one that is in decline and will at some point be disposed of when it is convenient. Talk is cheap, and the actions do not measure up to it.
Stop trusting in politicians and start taking care of each other, because at some point, the government will likely turn against Christians, beginning with the Catholic Church as it is the largest single bloc, and when it does fully go against them, the persecution will be American style, with its legal formality and organization, but equally and perhaps even more ruthless that in the past.
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