thelibertybeacon--2020-10-08--Gates Foundation Doubles Down on African Industrial Agriculture Misinformation

The Gates Foundation has not yet responded to requests for comment for this article but said in an earlier email , “ We support organizations like AGRA because they partner with countries to help them implement the priorities and policies contained in their national agricultural development strategies.
” Despite billions of dollars spent and 14 years of promises , AGRA has failed to achieve its goals of reducing poverty and raising incomes for small farmers , according to a July report “ False Promises.
” The research was conducted by a coalition of African and German groups and includes data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tufts Global Development and Environment Institute .
“ We appeal to the Gates Foundation and AGRA to stop promoting failed technologies and outdated extension methods and start listening to the farmers who are developing appropriate solutions for their contexts , ” the faith leaders said .
The letter cites the Gates-led Alliance for a Green Revolution ( AGRA ) for its “ highly problematic ” support of commercial seed systems controlled by large companies , its support of restructuring seed laws to protect certified seeds and criminalize non-certified seed , and its support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about corporate products over much-needed public sector extension services .
“ While we are grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its commitment to overcoming food insecurity , and acknowledging the humanitarian and infrastructural aid provided to the governments of our continent , we write out of grave concern that the Gates Foundation ’ s support for the expansion of intensive industrial scale agriculture is deepening the humanitarian crisis , ” says the sign-on letter coordinated by the Southern African Faith Communities ’ Environment Institute .
On Sept. 10 , faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Gates Foundation asking it to reassess its grant-making strategies for Africa .
The PR investment comes at a time when the Gates Foundation is under fire for spending billions of dollars on agricultural development schemes in Africa that critics say are entrenching farming methods that benefit corporations over people .
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded another $ 10 million late last month to the controversial Cornell Alliance for Science , a communications campaign housed at Cornell that trains fellows in Africa and elsewhere to promote and defend genetically engineered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new grant brings the Gates Foundation grants to the group to $ 22 million .
Launched in 2006 by the Gates and Rockefeller Foundations , AGRA has long promised to double yields and incomes for 30 million farming households in Africa by 2020 .
But the group quietly removed those goals from its website sometime in the past year .
AGRA ’ s Chief of Staff Andrew Cox said via email that the group has not reduced his ambition but is refining its approaches and its thinking about metrics .
He said AGRA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results next year .
AGRA declined to provide data or answer substantive questions from researchers of the “ False Promises ” report , its authors said .
Representatives from BIBA Kenya , PELUM Zambia and HOMEF Nigeria sent a letter to Cox Sept. 7 asking for a response to their research findings .
Cox responded Sept. 15 with what one researcher described as “ basically three pages of PR.
” “ African farmers deserve a substantive response from AGRA , ” said the letter to Cox from Anne Maina , Mutketoi Wamunyima and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s public sector donors , who would seem to be getting a very poor return on their investments .
African governments also need to provide a clear accounting for the impacts of their own budget outlays that support Green Revolution programs.
” African governments spend about $ 1 billion per year on subsidies to support commercial seeds and agrochemicals .
Despite the large investments in agricultural productivity gains , hunger has increased 30 % during the AGRA years , according to the “ False Promises ” report .
Gates Foundation investments have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are shaped in Africa , according to a June report from the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems .
The group reported that billions of dollars in Gates Foundation grants have incentivized industrial agriculture in Africa and held back investments in more sustainable , equitable food systems .
“ [ The Gates Foundation ] looks for quick , tangible returns on investment , and thus favors targeted , technological solutions , ” International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems said in its report .
The Gates Foundation agricultural development approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commodity crops puts it at odds with emerging thinking about how to best deal with the volatile conditions caused by the twin crises of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic .
In September , the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said it is essential to build more resilient local food systems as the pandemic “ has put local food systems at risk of disruptions along the entire food chain.
” The report documents pandemic-related challenges and lessons from a global survey conducted in April and May that drew 860 responses .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cope with shocks such as COVID-19 , cities with suitable socio-economic and agroclimatic conditions should adopt policies and programs to empower local producers to grow food , and promote short food chains to enable urban citizens to access food products , ” the report concludes .
“ Cities have to diversify their food supplies and food sources , reinforcing local sources where possible , but without shutting off national and global supplies.
” As the pandemic threatens farming communities already struggling with climate change , Africa is at a crossroads , wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food Sovereignty Alliance , and Timothy Wise , lead researcher of the Tufts analysis of AGRA , in a Sept. 23 op-ed .
They went on to ask , “ Will its people and their governments continue trying to replicate industrial farming models promoted by developed countries ?
Or will they move boldly into the uncertain future , embracing ecological agriculture ?
” Belay and Wise described some good news from recent research .
They wrote , “ Two of the three AGRA countries that have reduced both the number and share of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have done so in part due to policies that support ecological agriculture.
” The biggest success story , Mali , saw hunger drop from 14 % to 5 % since 2006 .
According to a case study in the “ False Promises ” report , “ progress came not because of AGRA but because the government and farmers ’ organizations actively resisted its implementation.
” Belay and Wise explained that land and seed laws that guarantee farmers ’ rights to choose their crops and farming practices , and government programs that promote not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food crops reduced the hunger rate .
“ It ’ s time for African governments to step back from the failing Green Revolution and chart a new food system that respects local cultures and communities by promoting low-cost , low-input ecological agriculture , ” they wrote .
Doubling down on PR campaign housed at Cornell Against this backdrop , the Gates Foundation is doubling down on its investment in the Cornell Alliance for Science ( CAS ) , a public relations campaign launched in 2014 with a Gates grant and promises to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the new $ 10 million , CAS plans to widen its focus “ to counter conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns that hinder progress in climate change , synthetic biology , agricultural innovations.
” But the Cornell Alliance for Science has become a polarizing force and a source of misinformation as it trains fellows around the world to promote and lobby for genetically engineered crops in their home countries , many of them in Africa .
Numerous academics , food groups and policy experts have called out the group ’ s inaccurate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulate pesticides and biosafety have accused CAS of using bully tactics in Hawaii and exploiting farmers in Africa in its aggressive promotional and lobby campaigns .
A July 30 article by Mark Lynas , a Cornell visiting fellow who works for CAS , illuminates the controversy over the group ’ s messaging .
Citing a recent meta-analysis on conservation agriculture , Lynas claimed , “ agro-ecology risks harming the poor and worsening gender equality in Africa.
” His analysis was widely panned by experts in the field .
Marc Corbeels , the agronomist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article made “ sweeping generalizations.
” Other academics described Lynas ’ article as “ really flawed , ” “ deeply unserious , ” “ demagogic and non-scientific , ” an erroneous conflation that jumps to “ wild conclusions ” and “ an embarrassment for someone who wants to claim to be scientific.
” The article should be retracted , said Marci Branski , a former U.S. Department of Agriculture climate change specialist and Marcus Taylor , a political ecologist at Queen ’ s University .
The controversy resurfaced last week over a webinar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topic of agroecology .
Citing concerns that the Cornell-based group is “ not serious enough to engage in an open , unbiased ” debate , two food-system experts withdrew from the webinar .
The two scientists said they agreed to participate in the webinar after seeing each other ’ s names among the panelists ; “ that was enough for both of us to trust also the organization behind the event , ” wrote Pablo Tittonell , PhD , Principal Research Scientist in Argentina ’ s National Council for Science and Technology and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soils and Cropping Systems Ecology at Michigan State University , to panel moderator Joan Conrow , editor of CAS .
“ But reading some of the blogs and opinion pieces issued by the Alliance , the publications by other panelists , learning about the biased and uninformed claims against agroecology , the ideologically charged push for certain technologies , etc .
we came to the conclusion that this venue is not serious enough to engage in an open , unbiased , constructive and , most importantly , well informed scientific debate , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We therefore withdraw from this debate.
” Conrow has not responded to requests for comment .
The webinar went forward with Nassib Mugwanya , a 2015 CAS global leadership fellow and doctoral student at North Carolina State University , who has also been accused of making unfair attacks on agroecology .
In a 2019 article for the Breakthrough Institute , Mugwanya argued , “ traditional agricultural practices can ’ t transform African agriculture.
” The article reflects typical biotech industry messaging : presenting GMO crops as the “ pro-science ” position while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as ‘ anti-science , ’ groundless and harmful , ” according to an analysis by the Seattle-based Community Alliance for Global Justice .
“ Particularly notable in the article , ” the group noted , “ are strong usages of metaphors ( e.g.
, agroecology likened to handcuffs ) , generalizations , omissions of information and a number of factual inaccuracies.
” With Tittonell and Snapp off the webinar roster , Mugwanya was joined by Pamela Ronald , a professor of plant pathology at the University of California , Davis , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Frédéric Baudron , senior scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center , a Gates Foundation-funded group .
Mariam Mayet , executive director of the African Centre for Biodiversity , sees the ramped up PR campaigns as “ evidence of desperation ” that they “ just can not get it right on the continent.
” Her group has for years been documenting “ the efforts to spread the Green Revolution in Africa , and the dead-ends it will lead to : declining soil health , loss of agricultural biodiversity , loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African farmers into a system that is not designed for their benefit , but for the profits of mostly Northern multinational corporations.
” The Cornell Alliance for Science should be reigned in , Mayet said in an August webinar about the Gates Foundation ’ s influence in Africa , “ because of the misinformation ( and ) the way that they are extremely disingenuous and untruthful.
” She asked , “ Why don ’ t you engage in a fair fight with us ?
”

The Gates Foundation has not yet responded to requests for comment for this article but said in an earlier email, “We support organizations like AGRA because they partner with countries to help them implement the priorities and policies contained in their national agricultural development strategies.”
Despite billions of dollars spent and 14 years of promises, AGRA has failed to achieve its goals of reducing poverty and raising incomes for small farmers, according to a July report “False Promises.” The research was conducted by a coalition of African and German groups and includes data from a recent white paper published by Tufts Global Development and Environment Institute.
“We appeal to the Gates Foundation and AGRA to stop promoting failed technologies and outdated extension methods and start listening to the farmers who are developing appropriate solutions for their contexts,” the faith leaders said.
The letter cites the Gates-led Alliance for a Green Revolution (AGRA) for its “highly problematic” support of commercial seed systems controlled by large companies, its support of restructuring seed laws to protect certified seeds and criminalize non-certified seed, and its support of seed dealers who offer narrow advice about corporate products over much-needed public sector extension services.
“While we are grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its commitment to overcoming food insecurity, and acknowledging the humanitarian and infrastructural aid provided to the governments of our continent, we write out of grave concern that the Gates Foundation’s support for the expansion of intensive industrial scale agriculture is deepening the humanitarian crisis,” says the sign-on letter coordinated by the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute .
On Sept. 10, faith leaders in Africa posted an open letter to the Gates Foundation asking it to reassess its grant-making strategies for Africa.
The PR investment comes at a time when the Gates Foundation is under fire for spending billions of dollars on agricultural development schemes in Africa that critics say are entrenching farming methods that benefit corporations over people.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded another $10 million late last month to the controversial Cornell Alliance for Science, a communications campaign housed at Cornell that trains fellows in Africa and elsewhere to promote and defend genetically engineered foods, crops and agrochemicals. The new grant brings the Gates Foundation grants to the group to $22 million.
Disappearing promises of the green revolution
Launched in 2006 by the Gates and Rockefeller Foundations, AGRA has long promised to double yields and incomes for 30 million farming households in Africa by 2020. But the group quietly removed those goals from its website sometime in the past year. AGRA’s Chief of Staff Andrew Cox said via email that the group has not reduced his ambition but is refining its approaches and its thinking about metrics. He said AGRA will do a full evaluation on its results next year.
AGRA declined to provide data or answer substantive questions from researchers of the “False Promises” report, its authors said. Representatives from BIBA Kenya, PELUM Zambia and HOMEF Nigeria sent a letter to Cox Sept. 7 asking for a response to their research findings. Cox responded Sept. 15 with what one researcher described as “basically three pages of PR.”
“African farmers deserve a substantive response from AGRA,” said the letter to Cox from Anne Maina, Mutketoi Wamunyima and Ngimmo Bassay. “So do AGRA’s public sector donors, who would seem to be getting a very poor return on their investments. African governments also need to provide a clear accounting for the impacts of their own budget outlays that support Green Revolution programs.”
African governments spend about $1 billion per year on subsidies to support commercial seeds and agrochemicals. Despite the large investments in agricultural productivity gains, hunger has increased 30% during the AGRA years, according to the “False Promises” report.
Gates Foundation investments have a significant influence on how food systems are shaped in Africa, according to a June report from the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems. The group reported that billions of dollars in Gates Foundation grants have incentivized industrial agriculture in Africa and held back investments in more sustainable, equitable food systems.
“[The Gates Foundation] looks for quick, tangible returns on investment, and thus favors targeted, technological solutions,” International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems said in its report.
Local producers and short food chains
The Gates Foundation agricultural development approach of building markets for larger-scale, high-input commodity crops puts it at odds with emerging thinking about how to best deal with the volatile conditions caused by the twin crises of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said it is essential to build more resilient local food systems as the pandemic “has put local food systems at risk of disruptions along the entire food chain.” The report documents pandemic-related challenges and lessons from a global survey conducted in April and May that drew 860 responses.
“The clear message is that, in order to cope with shocks such as COVID-19, cities with suitable socio-economic and agroclimatic conditions should adopt policies and programs to empower local producers to grow food, and promote short food chains to enable urban citizens to access food products,” the report concludes. “Cities have to diversify their food supplies and food sources, reinforcing local sources where possible, but without shutting off national and global supplies.”
As the pandemic threatens farming communities already struggling with climate change, Africa is at a crossroads, wrote Million Belay, coordinator of the African Food Sovereignty Alliance, and Timothy Wise, lead researcher of the Tufts analysis of AGRA, in a Sept. 23 op-ed. They went on to ask, “Will its people and their governments continue trying to replicate industrial farming models promoted by developed countries? Or will they move boldly into the uncertain future, embracing ecological agriculture?”
Belay and Wise described some good news from recent research. They wrote, “Two of the three AGRA countries that have reduced both the number and share of undernourished people — Ethiopia and Mali — have done so in part due to policies that support ecological agriculture.”
The biggest success story, Mali, saw hunger drop from 14% to 5% since 2006. According to a case study in the “False Promises” report, “progress came not because of AGRA but because the government and farmers’ organizations actively resisted its implementation.” Belay and Wise explained that land and seed laws that guarantee farmers’ rights to choose their crops and farming practices, and government programs that promote not just maize but a wide variety of food crops reduced the hunger rate.
“It’s time for African governments to step back from the failing Green Revolution and chart a new food system that respects local cultures and communities by promoting low-cost, low-input ecological agriculture,” they wrote.
Doubling down on PR campaign housed at Cornell
Against this backdrop, the Gates Foundation is doubling down on its investment in the Cornell Alliance for Science (CAS), a public relations campaign launched in 2014 with a Gates grant and promises to “depolarize the debate” around GMOs. With the new $10 million, CAS plans to widen its focus “to counter conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns that hinder progress in climate change, synthetic biology, agricultural innovations.”
But the Cornell Alliance for Science has become a polarizing force and a source of misinformation as it trains fellows around the world to promote and lobby for genetically engineered crops in their home countries, many of them in Africa.
Numerous academics, food groups and policy experts have called out the group’s inaccurate and misleading messaging. Community groups working to regulate pesticides and biosafety have accused CAS of using bully tactics in Hawaii and exploiting farmers in Africa in its aggressive promotional and lobby campaigns.
A July 30 article by Mark Lynas, a Cornell visiting fellow who works for CAS, illuminates the controversy over the group’s messaging. Citing a recent meta-analysis on conservation agriculture, Lynas claimed, “agro-ecology risks harming the poor and worsening gender equality in Africa.” His analysis was widely panned by experts in the field.
Marc Corbeels, the agronomist who authored the meta-analysis, said the article made “sweeping generalizations.” Other academics described Lynas’ article as “really flawed,” “deeply unserious,” “demagogic and non-scientific,” an erroneous conflation that jumps to “wild conclusions” and “an embarrassment for someone who wants to claim to be scientific.”
The article should be retracted, said Marci Branski, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture climate change specialist and Marcus Taylor, a political ecologist at Queen’s University.
Debate over agroecology heats up
The controversy resurfaced last week over a webinar CAS hosted on Oct. 1 on the topic of agroecology. Citing concerns that the Cornell-based group is “not serious enough to engage in an open, unbiased” debate, two food-system experts withdrew from the webinar.
The two scientists said they agreed to participate in the webinar after seeing each other’s names among the panelists; “that was enough for both of us to trust also the organization behind the event,” wrote Pablo Tittonell, PhD, Principal Research Scientist in Argentina’s National Council for Science and Technology and Sieglinde Snapp, PhD, Professor of Soils and Cropping Systems Ecology at Michigan State University, to panel moderator Joan Conrow, editor of CAS.
“But reading some of the blogs and opinion pieces issued by the Alliance, the publications by other panelists, learning about the biased and uninformed claims against agroecology, the ideologically charged push for certain technologies, etc. we came to the conclusion that this venue is not serious enough to engage in an open, unbiased, constructive and, most importantly, well informed scientific debate,” Tittonell and Snapp wrote to Conrow.
“We therefore withdraw from this debate.” Conrow has not responded to requests for comment.
The webinar went forward with Nassib Mugwanya, a 2015 CAS global leadership fellow and doctoral student at North Carolina State University, who has also been accused of making unfair attacks on agroecology. In a 2019 article for the Breakthrough Institute, Mugwanya argued, “traditional agricultural practices can’t transform African agriculture.”
The article reflects typical biotech industry messaging: presenting GMO crops as the “pro-science” position while painting “alternative forms of agricultural development as ‘anti-science,’ groundless and harmful,” according to an analysis by the Seattle-based Community Alliance for Global Justice.
“Particularly notable in the article,” the group noted, “are strong usages of metaphors (e.g., agroecology likened to handcuffs), generalizations, omissions of information and a number of factual inaccuracies.”
With Tittonell and Snapp off the webinar roster, Mugwanya was joined by Pamela Ronald, a professor of plant pathology at the University of California, Davis, who has ties to pesticide industry front groups, and Frédéric Baudron, senior scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, a Gates Foundation-funded group.
Asking for a ‘fair fight’
Mariam Mayet, executive director of the African Centre for Biodiversity, sees the ramped up PR campaigns as “evidence of desperation” that they “just cannot get it right on the continent.”
Her group has for years been documenting “the efforts to spread the Green Revolution in Africa, and the dead-ends it will lead to: declining soil health, loss of agricultural biodiversity, loss of farmer sovereignty, and locking of African farmers into a system that is not designed for their benefit, but for the profits of mostly Northern multinational corporations.”
The Cornell Alliance for Science should be reigned in, Mayet said in an August webinar about the Gates Foundation’s influence in Africa, “because of the misinformation (and) the way that they are extremely disingenuous and untruthful.” She asked, “Why don’t you engage in a fair fight with us?”
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Stay tuned to …


thelibertybeacon--2020-10-08--Covid’s Threat Is Greater Than It’s Medical One

Covid ’ s Threat Is Greater Than It ’ s Medical One Posted by The Ron Paul Institute | Written by As readers know , I do not think that the Covid virus itself is a hoax .
From the beginning I have taken the virus seriously .
I reported the available information that the ability of the virus to spread threatened hospital capacity and could overwhelm the medical system .
I supported limited closedowns in order to reduce the rate at which the infection spread .
I reported that Vitamin C and D3 together with zinc and NAC strengthened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I reported that the masks people are wearing are not N95 masks and thereby do not prevent inhalation and exhalation of the virus .
Some medical professionals have concluded that the masks do harm and no good .
As more information became available , I reported that the virus attacked in a different way than assumed and that ventilators rather than the virus itself were killing people .
When doctors discovered the HCQ cure , I reported that an inexpensive and safe cure was available .
I defended with evidence and expert testimony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from public health officials and other Big Pharma shills who intentionally discredited the cure in the interest of Big Pharma ’ s hopes to develop an expensive and mandatory vaccine .
For Fauci and Big Phama shills , profit took precedence over public health and safety .
As more information comes available , we see that that the argument for another lockdown based on a second wave is based on increased testing using a test that produces false positives .
A test that experts know to be unreliable is the basis for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccination , and wear ineffectual masks to keep the fear alive .
Whereas I do not think the virus itself is a hoax , it is obvious that interest groups are serving their agendas by creating hoaxes around the virus .
One agenda is to maintain a high level of fear so that people will submit to the vaccinations that will mean tens of billions of dollars in profit for Big Pharma .
Another agenda is to blame Covid on Trump for calling for an end to lockdowns , not always wearing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
Democrats think this will boost their presidential chances .
Another agenda is to condition the pubic to accept control measures , like the ones in the movie , V for Vendetta , that destroy civil liberty and constitutional protections .
This enhances the power of the deep state over us all .
It is certainly the case that power and profit interests have dominated public health concerns .
One can understand why many view the Covd pandemic as an orchestration .
The reports of Wuhan in China were frightening .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mortality of which were not known .
Despite the warning , the public health authorities in the entirety of the Western World were slow to take any measures and permitted the virus to infect the West.. No airline flights from infected countries were cancelled until after the virus was imported .
Cruise ships continued to operate .
No N95 masks were available .
Measures , except in Sweden , were imposed that themselves were harmful and perhaps caused more harm than Covid itself .
Big Pharma using its paid experts , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC , WHO , and other allegedly “ independent ” agencies financially connected to Big Pharma , exaggerated the threat , ruined the economy with closedowns , and now uses a defective Covid test to orcherestrat a second wave of Covid .
This past week NPR had on air a former Obama official who said we are doomed unless we lockdown 90 % of the economy and all wear masks at all times .
NPR ’ s “ expert ” did not know the difference between masks that protect and those that don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the American medical profession .
I have just completed my annual physical checkup .
Everywhere required a mask for entrance .
I wore a surgical mask and took with me a N95 .
I told every nurse , every technican , every doctor , none of whom were wearing a N95 mask , that the masks they were wearing were useless , and I showed them the mask they needed if they were concerned about becoming Covid infected .
They were dumbfounded .
They had not a clue .
One doctor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes , you are correct , but we wear masks to reassure the patients who have been indoctrinated by the American media .
Covid is a danger , but so is life .
Why wreck the economy and civil liberty over this one danger , especially as the danger has been exaggerated ?
Hardly anyone has died from Covid except people with co-morbidities .
These deaths are concentrated in the older age groups for the simple reason that the longer a person lives , the more morbidity the person has accumulated by poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , alcohol , and lack of exercise .
These are the same morbidities that result in flu deaths .
Americans need to recover from their gullibiity .
Too many Americans believe the presstitutes and believe pubic authorities .
Too few Americans understand that every crisis , real or manufactured , is an opportunity for an interest group ’ s profit and power .
The explanations that Americans get are controlled to serve power and profit .
If the public doesn ’ t catch on , America is doomed .
( TLB ) Published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul Institute and Written by PaulCraigRoberts As COVID-1984 Accelerates , Bill Gates Blames “ Freedom ” For Spread of the Virus Gates & Company ’ s COVID-19 Vaccine Boosterism Ignores Significant SARS Coronavirus Vaccine Risks Known for Over a Decade The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate , and for this we are grateful and excited !
But we must also be practical .
For 7 years we have not asked for any donations , and have built this project with our own funds as we grew .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent .
So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them .
Nothing is too small .
We thank you for all your support and your considerations … ( TLB )

Covid’s Threat Is Greater Than It’s Medical One
Posted by The Ron Paul Institute | Written by Paul Craig Roberts
As readers know, I do not think that the Covid virus itself is a hoax. From the beginning I have taken the virus seriously. I reported the available information that the ability of the virus to spread threatened hospital capacity and could overwhelm the medical system. I supported limited closedowns in order to reduce the rate at which the infection spread.
I reported that Vitamin C and D3 together with zinc and NAC strengthened the immune system against the virus.
I reported that the masks people are wearing are not N95 masks and thereby do not prevent inhalation and exhalation of the virus. Some medical professionals have concluded that the masks do harm and no good.
As more information became available, I reported that the virus attacked in a different way than assumed and that ventilators rather than the virus itself were killing people.
When doctors discovered the HCQ cure, I reported that an inexpensive and safe cure was available. I defended with evidence and expert testimony the effectiveness and safety of the cure from public health officials and other Big Pharma shills who intentionally discredited the cure in the interest of Big Pharma’s hopes to develop an expensive and mandatory vaccine. For Fauci and Big Phama shills, profit took precedence over public health and safety.
As more information comes available, we see that that the argument for another lockdown based on a second wave is based on increased testing using a test that produces false positives. A test that experts know to be unreliable is the basis for the effort to renew the lockdown, mandate vaccination, and wear ineffectual masks to keep the fear alive.
Whereas I do not think the virus itself is a hoax, it is obvious that interest groups are serving their agendas by creating hoaxes around the virus.
One agenda is to maintain a high level of fear so that people will submit to the vaccinations that will mean tens of billions of dollars in profit for Big Pharma.
Another agenda is to blame Covid on Trump for calling for an end to lockdowns, not always wearing a mask, and supporting reopening of the economy. Democrats think this will boost their presidential chances.
Another agenda is to condition the pubic to accept control measures, like the ones in the movie, V for Vendetta, that destroy civil liberty and constitutional protections. This enhances the power of the deep state over us all.
It is certainly the case that power and profit interests have dominated public health concerns.
One can understand why many view the Covd pandemic as an orchestration. The reports of Wuhan in China were frightening. The lockdown and massive number of cases, the mortality of which were not known. Despite the warning, the public health authorities in the entirety of the Western World were slow to take any measures and permitted the virus to infect the West.. No airline flights from infected countries were cancelled until after the virus was imported. Cruise ships continued to operate. No N95 masks were available. Measures, except in Sweden, were imposed that themselves were harmful and perhaps caused more harm than Covid itself.
Big Pharma using its paid experts, whose research it finances, and NIH, CDC, WHO, and other allegedly “independent” agencies financially connected to Big Pharma, exaggerated the threat, ruined the economy with closedowns, and now uses a defective Covid test to orcherestrat a second wave of Covid. This past week NPR had on air a former Obama official who said we are doomed unless we lockdown 90% of the economy and all wear masks at all times. NPR’s “expert” did not know the difference between masks that protect and those that don’t.
And neither does most of the American medical profession. I have just completed my annual physical checkup. Everywhere required a mask for entrance. I wore a surgical mask and took with me a N95. I told every nurse, every technican, every doctor, none of whom were wearing a N95 mask, that the masks they were wearing were useless, and I showed them the mask they needed if they were concerned about becoming Covid infected.
They were dumbfounded. They had not a clue. One doctor, a female from India, said, yes, you are correct, but we wear masks to reassure the patients who have been indoctrinated by the American media.
Covid is a danger, but so is life. Why wreck the economy and civil liberty over this one danger, especially as the danger has been exaggerated? Hardly anyone has died from Covid except people with co-morbidities. These deaths are concentrated in the older age groups for the simple reason that the longer a person lives, the more morbidity the person has accumulated by poor health habits such as diet, smoking, alcohol, and lack of exercise. These are the same morbidities that result in flu deaths.
Americans need to recover from their gullibiity. Too many Americans believe the presstitutes and believe pubic authorities. Too few Americans understand that every crisis, real or manufactured, is an opportunity for an interest group’s profit and power.
The explanations that Americans get are controlled to serve power and profit. If the public doesn’t catch on, America is doomed.
Reprinted with permission from PaulCraigRoberts.org.
_________
(TLB) Published this article as Posted by The Ron Paul Institute and Written by PaulCraigRoberts
Related from The Liberty Beacon:
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Stay tuned to …
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The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
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Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
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thelibertybeacon--2020-10-08--Sen. Kamala Harris & VP Mike Pence sparred in VP Debate [Video]

Harris , Pence clash on taxes , Green New Deal , COV-19 , China & packing the Supreme Court Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence sparred over tax policy , the Green New Deal , the pandemic , China and the Supreme Court on Wednesday night during their vice presidential debate .
During the opening segment of the debate , Harris argued that Pence and President Trump have “ forfeited ” the right to re-election based on their handling of coronavirus pandemic .
Pence said that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden criticized Trump ’ s decision to restrict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early stages of the coronavirus outbreak .
Harris shook her head but did not respond to Pence ’ s statement about Biden ’ s position on China travel .
Harris argued that Trump knew how dangerous the virus was and didn ’ t communicate it to the American public in February .
In response , Pence referenced Dr. Anthony Fauci , the country ’ s top infectious disease expert , who had said that everything Trump communicated publicly about the virus early on had reflected the information he discussed with the president in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people deserve credit for the sacrifices ” they have made during the pandemic for the health of their families and neighbors .
He added that the U.S. will have a COVID-19 vaccine in record time and argued that Harris was undermining confidence in a vaccine .
“ Stop playing politics with people ’ s lives , ” he said .
Harris and Pence met in their only debate on the 2020 presidential campaign , with Election Day now less than 25 days away .
The fireworks that marked the first presidential debate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump – didn ’ t reignite in the vice presidential debate , at the University of Utah , in Salt Lake City .
Moderator USA Today ’ s Susan Page vowed to extinguish the kind of interruptions and crosstalk that marred the Trump-Biden debate and largely achieved her goal – with the exception of each candidate occasionally interrupting each other and demanding more speaking time .
The pandemic , to be sure , was omnipresent , from being a dominant topic of discussion to the protective plexiglass that separated the seated debaters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation that Trump signed in 2017 and said Biden would repeal it on “ Day One ” of his presidency .
Pence said Biden ’ s promise to raise taxes would hurt the economy .
Harris said Biden would only raise taxes on individuals and families making $ 400,000 or more but didn ’ t elaborate on Biden ’ s position on the corporate tax rate reductions in the Trump tax reform plan .
Pence predicted that 2021 is “ going to be the biggest economic year in the history of this country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Harris told her supporters in the Democratic primary that she will end fracking .
In response , Harris said a Biden administration would not end fracking .
“ He [ Biden ] has been very clear about that , ” she said .
Harris was asked about Biden saying he doesn ’ t support the Green New Deal while the Biden campaign website mentions that the Green New Deal is a framework for Biden ’ s energy plans .
In response , Harris said Biden ’ s climate plan would seek to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invest more federal resources toward renewable energy .
Pence said America doesn ’ t need a “ massive $ 2 trillion Green New Deal ” that would impose new mandates on American businesses and families .
“ Joe Biden wants us to retrofit 4 million American business buildings – it makes no sense , ” he said .
Harris pivoted to trade and argued that the Trump administration has “ lost ” the trade war with China .
“ We are in a manufacturing recession because of it , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ war with China during his 47 year career in politics .
“ Joe Biden has been a cheerleader for communist China over the last several decades , ” he said .
Pence said 500,000 manufacturing jobs were created under Trump before the pandemic hit .
“ That ’ s exactly the kind of growth we ’ re going to continue to see as we bring our nation through this pandemic , ” he said .
Pence emphasized that the administration will hold China “ accountable ” for their handling of the early stages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debate , Pence pressed Harris on her and Biden ’ s position on expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court but she did not elaborate .
President Trump weighed in during the debate .
.
.
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate , and for this we are grateful and excited !
But we must also be practical .
For 7 years we have not asked for any donations , and have built this project with our own funds as we grew .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the large number of websites and projects we represent .
So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them .
Nothing is too small .
We thank you for all your support and your considerations … ( TLB ) Disclaimer : TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner .
We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “ fair use ” in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political , health , economic and social issues .
The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes .
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Harris, Pence clash on taxes, Green New Deal, COV-19, China & packing the Supreme Court
Harris says Biden will repeal the Trump tax reform law on “Day One” and Pence predicts 2021 will be “the biggest economic year in the history of this country” if Trump is re-elected
By Nicholas Ballasy
Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence sparred over tax policy, the Green New Deal, the pandemic, China and the Supreme Court on Wednesday night during their vice presidential debate.
During the opening segment of the debate, Harris argued that Pence and President Trump have “forfeited” the right to re-election based on their handling of coronavirus pandemic.
Pence said that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden criticized Trump’s decision to restrict travel to and from China in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.
Harris shook her head but did not respond to Pence’s statement about Biden’s position on China travel.
Harris argued that Trump knew how dangerous the virus was and didn’t communicate it to the American public in February.
In response, Pence referenced Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, who had said that everything Trump communicated publicly about the virus early on had reflected the information he discussed with the president in meetings.
Pence said the “American people deserve credit for the sacrifices” they have made during the pandemic for the health of their families and neighbors. He added that the U.S. will have a COVID-19 vaccine in record time and argued that Harris was undermining confidence in a vaccine.
“Stop playing politics with people’s lives,” he said.
Harris and Pence met in their only debate on the 2020 presidential campaign, with Election Day now less than 25 days away.
The fireworks that marked the first presidential debate of the cycle – last week between Biden and Trump – didn’t reignite in the vice presidential debate, at the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City.
Moderator USA Today’s Susan Page vowed to extinguish the kind of interruptions and crosstalk that marred the Trump-Biden debate and largely achieved her goal – with the exception of each candidate occasionally interrupting each other and demanding more speaking time.
The pandemic, to be sure, was omnipresent, from being a dominant topic of discussion to the protective plexiglass that separated the seated debaters.
Harris criticized the Republican tax reform legislation that Trump signed in 2017 and said Biden would repeal it on “Day One” of his presidency. Pence said Biden’s promise to raise taxes would hurt the economy.
Harris said Biden would only raise taxes on individuals and families making $400,000 or more but didn’t elaborate on Biden’s position on the corporate tax rate reductions in the Trump tax reform plan.
Pence predicted that 2021 is “going to be the biggest economic year in the history of this country” if Trump is re-elected.
Pence said Harris told her supporters in the Democratic primary that she will end fracking. In response, Harris said a Biden administration would not end fracking.
“He [Biden] has been very clear about that,” she said.
Harris was asked about Biden saying he doesn’t support the Green New Deal while the Biden campaign website mentions that the Green New Deal is a framework for Biden’s energy plans.
In response, Harris said Biden’s climate plan would seek to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and invest more federal resources toward renewable energy.
Pence said America doesn’t need a “massive $2 trillion Green New Deal” that would impose new mandates on American businesses and families.
“Joe Biden wants us to retrofit 4 million American business buildings – it makes no sense,” he said.
Harris pivoted to trade and argued that the Trump administration has “lost” the trade war with China.
“We are in a manufacturing recession because of it,” she said.
Pence said Biden never fought the trade war with China during his 47 year career in politics.
“Joe Biden has been a cheerleader for communist China over the last several decades,” he said.
Pence said 500,000 manufacturing jobs were created under Trump before the pandemic hit.
“That’s exactly the kind of growth we’re going to continue to see as we bring our nation through this pandemic,” he said.
Pence emphasized that the administration will hold China “accountable” for their handling of the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.
Later in the debate, Pence pressed Harris on her and Biden’s position on expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court but she did not elaborate.
_________
President Trump weighed in during the debate . . .
Mike Pence is doing GREAT! She is a gaffe machine. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2020
POTUS Twitter added by (TLB)
_________
THE FACTS INSIDE OUR REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Video
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The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
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Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
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Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.


thelibertybeacon--2020-10-08--Billionaires’ Media: The Smearing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Those behind Event201 , mentioned below , must have calculated well in advance that RFK Jr. would be a force to be reckoned with .
Below , Canadian journalist Joyce Nelson documents a recent smear job by the supposedly credible Globe and Mail against Kennedy .
And guess who ’ s connected to it ?
… If , as we believe , Q is a major diversion to render Trump-supporting populists passive and distracted , what better trick than to raise the name of Kennedy – but to pick PRECISELY-THE-WRONG-ONE ?
Which led us to do some creative thinking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ wasn ’ t merely an accident of nature .
RFK Jr. is , in a sense , a man whose time has come .
The virus nonsense has become the perfect opportunity to talk about vaccination , wireless radiation , the cashless society , corporate control , and the impending loss of liberty .
All of which he did magnificently at a major public event in Berlin on August 29 , 2020 .
See Robert F. Kennedy Jr : Fighting Against Global Totalitarianism in Berlin [ VIDEO ] .
Robert F. Kennedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet highly accomplished lawyer , having won major cases against the US Government , Monsanto-Bayer and environmental polluters among others .
His website , Children ’ s Health Defense ( CHD ) , publishes peer-reviewed science on vaccines , children ’ s health and related topics .
There is absolutely nothing that is careless or undocumented about the content he produces and represents .
You would hardly expect anything less of a lawyer anyway : it ’ s what they ’ re supposed to do .
TLB , our parent company , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its dissemination of their carefully researched work .
View the following for a recent sampling of his work as an attorney : On Sept. 17 , Toronto-based The Globe and Mail newspaper published an extraordinary and very lengthy article vilifying Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and calling him “ a top voice of misinformation on social media.
” The headline for the piece summarizes its range : “ How a Kennedy became a ‘ superspreader ’ of hoaxes on COVID-19 , vaccines , 5G and more ” .
[ 1 ] For more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised issues about vaccine safety through the organization he founded , Children ’ s Health Defense .
The Globe and Mail piece stated : Screenshot from The Globe and Mail At the end of what can only be called a smear piece , the print edition of The Globe and Mail stated , “ This article was originally published by Tortoise , a different kind of newsroom committed to a slower , wiser news .
To try Tortoise , Globe readers can get a 30-day free trial and a special half price offer… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention of Children ’ s Health Defense , or of Kennedy ’ s Jr. ’ s August 29 speech in Berlin , where he addressed a huge rally .
He told them that the COVID-19 pandemic is a “ crisis of convenience for the elites ” who are “ destroying the middle class , ” “ using the quarantine to bring 5G into our communities ” for “ surveillance and data-mining ” , and shifting us all “ to digital currencies ” and a cashless society that will benefit “ the billionaires.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t mention that on August 17 , Children ’ s Health Defense filed a lawsuit against Facebook , Mark Zuckerberg and three fact-checking companies , charging them with censoring truthful public health information .
[ 2 ] So what ( or who ) is Tortoise Media ?
Tortoise Media was launched in April 2019 by three people : James Harding , former editor at Rupert Murdoch ’ s Times newspaper , and subsequently head of BBC News until resigning in October 2017 ; Matthew Barzun , former US ambassador to the UK ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones .
Initial financial backing for London-based Tortoise was provided by banker Bernie Mensah , Global Head of Emerging Markets for Bank of America Merrill Lynch , tech investor Saul Klein , and two anonymous backers .
[ 3 ] The Tortoise Media website now lists Harding as Editor ; Vanneck-Smith as Publisher ; Matthew Barzun as Chairman ; and Ceci Kurzman ( former founder of Nexus Management ) as Independent Director .
The website also currently lists 27 major funding partners , including the Bill & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plan Investment Board , Edelman , Facebook , Google , and the Rockefeller Foundation .
[ 4 ] This article will focus on the Gates Foundation , and Edelman – considered one of the largest public-relations firms in the world , with some 67 offices worldwide .
Tortoise Media used a November 2018 Kickstarter campaign to launch a drive for a membership boutique – a “ redistributive model ” for news funding by which expensive membership tiers provide funding for less expensive ( or free ) memberships .
By June of 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 per cent of them under the age of 30 .
Businesses are funding memberships to be distributed by charitable organizations , academies , and other groups in order to “ fill Tortoise ’ s demographic gaps , such as those outside London , teenagers , the elderly , and the working class.
” [ 5 ] Press Gazette also noted that only three months after the April 2019 launch , seven major brand names “ including Santander bank and PR firm Edelman ” had signed up to fund memberships .
[ 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pounds sterling per month ( or 50 pounds per year ) for someone under-30 , to 24 pounds per month ( for other individuals ) and 250 pounds per month ( for businesses and wealthy sponsors ) .
The first 5,000 founding student members receive free membership .
By November 2019 , Tortoise Media was claiming “ nearly 20,000 members , ” with numbers climbing rapidly because of widespread corporate support subsidizing memberships .
[ 7 ] Tortoise hosts frequent “ ThinkIns ” ( editorial meetings and conversations ) between partners and members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between partner companies and their employees .
“ We believe in opening up journalism , ” their website states , “ so we can examine issues and develop ideas for the 21st Century .
We want to do this with our members and with our partners .
We want to give everyone a seat at the table.
” Tortoise calls its members “ family.
” The Tortoise Media website stresses that “ we don ’ t take ads…Instead , our journalism is funded by our members and our partners .
We establish partnerships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of journalism , enable the public debate , share their expertise and communicate their point of view.
” But Tortoise hastens to add : “ Our partners , of course , know that we are a journalistic enterprise .
Our independence is non-negotiable .
If we ever have to choose between the relationship and the story , we ’ ll always choose the story.
” With regard to the September 17 piece smearing RFK Jr. , Tortoise Media didn ’ t have to choose between the relationship with two of its funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and “ the story ” because all three were nicely aligned .
Back in autumn 2018 , when buzz was circulating about the upcoming launch of Tortoise Media , Emily Bell , the director of a digital journalism center at Columbia University ’ s graduate school of journalism , wrote an opinion piece for The Guardian .
Bell called the Tortoise venture “ mysterious , ” but noted that mainstream media is under financial “ pressure ” and may be in need of a “ redistributive model of news funding , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
[ 8 ] “ There is an acceptance that billionaires might be the answer after all , ” wrote Bell in her praise for the Tortoise approach , citing examples such as Apple founder Steve Job ’ s widow Laurene Powell Job ’ s purchase of The Atlantic ; Salesforce founder Mark Benioff ’ s purchase of Time magazine ; and Amazon head Jeff Bezos ’ buy-up of the Washington Post .
[ 9 ] What Bell glaringly omitted is the fact that over the past decade , Facebook , Google , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from the mainstream media , enriching the firms ’ executives and shareholders while gutting newsrooms across the globe .
As thousands of journalists have been jettisoned , billionaires have stepped in to become media owners , furthering their control of information and public discourse on key issues .
Tortoise Media ’ s funding partners include two of the wealthiest billionaires on the planet : Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg .
Of course , that should remind Canadian readers that The Globe and Mail ( which published the Tortoise Media piece ) is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Thomsons , “ who have seen their fortune increase by nearly $ 9 billion during the pandemic , up to $ 50.6 billion from $ 41.7 billion in March.
” [ 10 ] Strangely , The Guardian ’ s Emily Bell expressed hope that Tortoise would “ encourage a rush of 1 % wealth into more deprived areas of [ news ] coverage , ” such as “ income inequality , racism , the health service , climate change , the march of authoritarianism , the inexorable rise of misogyny , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapse of democratic institutions.
” [ 11 ] This a very naive position , as though news coverage of such issues has nothing to do with how they are covered , but only that they are covered .
Indeed , the loss of so many professional journalists means that mainstream news outlets increasingly rely on corporate press releases , think tank reports , corporate pundits , and spin – the very backbone of PR firms like Tortoise funding partner Edelman , which exist to manage such issues for their clients .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s largest PR company , synonymous with astroturf-style front groups and dirty tricks.
” [ 12 ] Shortly after Tortoise Media was launched , two of its funding partners participated in a global-pandemic exercise called Event 201 , which was held in New York City in October 2019 and involved 15 lead participants .
Independent journalist Rosemary Frei , who has written extensively about COVID-19 , told me by email that Event 201 “ simulated a novel-coronavirus pandemic – and eerily reflected what started to roll out in the real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the virus causing the markets to crash.
” Frei told me , “ One of the event ’ s main sponsors was the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , ” and “ a representative from the foundation was among the 15 lead participants .
Another lead participant was Matthew Harrington , the Global Chief Operating Officer at Edelman.
” According to Frei , citing video footage from Event 201 that she ’ d mentioned in her March 29 blog entry ( rosemaryfrei.ca/blog ) , “ One of the central predictions in Event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and misinformation circulating over the internet ’ .
[ Edelman ’ s ] Harrington opined at the roundtable that , in response , social-media platforms [ Facebook , Google , Twitter , etc . ]
must recognize they are broadcasters and partner “ with the scientific and health communities to counterweight [ misinformation ] , if not flood the zone , [ with ] accurate information.
” Frei told me , “ Harrington also said ‘ there needs to be a centralized response around the communications approach , that then is cascaded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the medical professionals , etc.
’ and ‘ centralized on an international basis ’ .
” With Edelman and the Gates Foundation worried about dis- and misinformation circulating over the internet , these two Tortoise partners appear to have joined forces with Tortoise partners Facebook and Google , which during the pandemic lockdown have been censoring public health information from a variety of websites .
A Facebook spokesperson recently told The Guardian that “ we have removed 7m [ million ] pieces of Covid-19-related misinfo between April and June… ” [ 13 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its members is a “ daily news feed ” of selected articles from other sites , along with its own pieces .
It looks like Tortoise Media is intended to be a “ centralized response ” on “ an international basis ” .
With Edelman ’ s help , and its 67 offices worldwide , that is potentially possible .
That may help explain Tortoise Media ’ s Sept. 17 article expressing concern that “ Since February , Mr. Kennedy Jr. ’ s social-media support has tripled from 229,000 followers to 665,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those numbers come nowhere close to the millions of people reached through the media by Bill Gates , who has been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into mainstream news outlets across Europe and North America .
In a feature article for the Columbia Journalism Review ( August 21 , 2020 ) , Tim Schwab stated : “ As philanthropists increasingly fill in the funding gaps at news organizations – a role that is almost certain to expand in the media downturn following the coronovirus pandemic – an underexamined worry is how this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their benefactors .
Nowhere does this concern loom larger than with the Gates Foundation , a leading donor to newsrooms and a frequent subject of favorable news coverage.
” [ 15 ] Schwab examined “ nearly twenty thousand charitable grants the Gates foundation had made through the end of June [ 2020 ] and found more than $ 250 million going toward journalism.
” Recipients included the BBC , NBC , Al-Jazeera , ProPublica , National Journal , The Guardian , Univision , Medium , the Financial Times , The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gannett , Washington Monthly , Le Monde , the Seattle Times , the Center for Investigative Reporting , Participant , the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting , the National Press Foundation , the International Center for Journalists , and the American Press Institute .
Schwab called the list incomplete because the Gates Foundation doesn ’ t have to report everything it funds .
Schwab stated : “ In the same way that the news media has given Gates an outsize voice in the pandemic , the foundation has long used its charitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything from global health to education [ favouring charter schools ] to agriculture [ pro-GMOs ] – a level of influence that has landed Bill Gates on Forbes ’ list of the most powerful people in the world.
” [ 16 ] Germany ’ s major newspaper Der Spiegel recently reported that , like other news outlets , it has received “ around 2 – 3 million euros over three years ” from the Gates Foundation , and noted that this raises “ questions about a covert agenda to influence the news.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any news outlet funded by him , “ what they actually write in those articles is totally up to them.
” [ 18 ] But according to CJR ’ s Tim Schwab , “ When Gates gives money to newsrooms , it restricts how the money is used – often for topics , like global health and education , on which the foundation works – which can help elevate its agenda in the news media.
” [ 19 ] Noting that critical coverage of Gates is “ rare , ” Schwab stated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prevailing coverage of Gates sets for how we report on the next generation of tech billionaires-turned philanthropists , including Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.
” [ 20 ] But that ’ s where a site like Tortoise Media comes in , with its courting of the under-30 age group , its ThinkIns , its free subscriptions for the disadvantaged , its daily news feeds for members , its consideration of members and partners as “ family ” , and its partnership with a major PR firm .
When PR Watch called Edelman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dirty tricks ” in August 2014 , it was referring to past scandals such as the revelation in 2008 that the firm had created fake “ grassroots ” bloggers for a digital astroturfing campaign assisting its client Walmart during a battle with unions .
PR Watch could not have known that , just months later in November 2014 , another scandal would erupt that would expose Edelman ’ s PR tactics in detail .
In November 2014 , Greenpeace released documents that revealed Edelman ’ s internal PR advice for its client TransCanada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian public ’ s support for a tar sands pipeline called Energy East .
Greenpeace called the advice “ dirty tricks ” .
The documents unveiled Edelman ’ s plan for a “ permanent campaign ” to turn Canadians into “ champions ” for the pipeline , which would move tar sands bitumen across six provinces .
Edelman further recommended that “ Third-party voices must also be identified , recruited and heard to build an echo chamber of aligned voices ” in the media .
In order to “ neutralize risk , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key opposition groups ” such as Council of Canadians , Equiterre , the David Suzuki Foundation , Avaaz , and Ecology Ottawa .
They also advised : “ Add layers of difficulty for our opponents , distracting them from their mission and causing them to redirect their resources.
” [ 22 ] Even the mainstream media called these “ creepy tactics , ” with one columnist referring to “ communications black ops , phony grassroots campaigns , squadrons of dutiful Twitter trolls and search-and-destroy missions on opponents…rooting out skeletons in the closets ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corp. had to distance itself from Edelman ’ s advice , and later cancelled the Energy East pipeline project .
This background on Edelman ’ s PR tactics does make one wonder to what extent Tortoise Media is adopting a somewhat similar strategy .
Readers of the smear piece on RFK Jr. may have been wondering what the “ and more ” part of the “ hoaxes on COVID-19 vaccines , 5G and more ” headline refers to .
Quite likely , it refers to Kennedy Jr. ’ s comment in Berlin about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital currencies ” to their benefit .
The Gates Foundation is part of the “ Better Than Cash Alliance , ” which in 2016 allied with USAID and pushed India ’ s Norenda Modi government to remove several banknotes – the 500 Rupee and the 1,000 Rupee – from circulation .
That would be like suddenly removing all ten-dollar and 20-dollar bills from circulation in North America and declaring that holders of those notes would have to deposit them in a bank by a certain deadline or they would be worthless .
[ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USAID , the “ Better Than Cash Alliance ” includes Mastercard and Visa , the Ford Foundation , Omidyar Network ( EBay ) , banking giant CitiGroup and others .
[ 25 ] USAID and its corporate partners knew in advance that only 55 % of India ’ s population had a bank account , and 95 % of all transactions were conducted in cash .
So the sudden change had a huge affect on India ’ s poorest , working in the informal sector for cash .
As a result of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of people died because they had no way to buy food .
Furthermore , thousands of small businesses went under .
[ 26 ] In Der Spiegel ’ s recent interview with Bill Gates , he expressed concerns about poor countries and insisted “ Our foundation is about saving lives.
” [ 27 ] But that certainly wasn ’ t true in India in November 2016 .
As Columbia Journalism Review ’ s Tim Schwab stated : “ Bill Gates has shown how seamlessly the most controversial industry captain can transform his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ philanthropist .
Insofar as journalists are supposed to scrutinize wealth and power , Gates should probably be one of the most investigated people on earth – not the most admired.
” [ 28 ] But if Tortoise Media and its “ family ” of partners and members have their way , that ’ s how things will remain .
Joyce Nelson is a freelance writer and author .
She can be reached via www.joycenelson.ca [ 1 ] Alexi Mostrous , “ How a Kennedy became a ‘ superspreader ’ of hoaxes on COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Globe and Mail , September 17 , 2020 .
[ 3 ] Emily Bell , “ Can James Harding ’ s Tortoise be more than a rich person ’ s club ?
” The Guardian , October 22 , 2018 .
[ 5 ] Charlotte Tobitt , “ ’ Slow News ’ venture Tortoise creates ‘ inclusive ’ members ’ model with potential to partner with local publishers , ” Press Gazette , June 28 , 2019 .
[ 7 ] Freddy Mayhew , “ Tortoise claims nearly 20,000 members as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press Gazette , November 8 , 2019 .
[ 10 ] Derrick O ’ Keefe , “ COVID sucks , unless you ’ re a billionaire .
Canada ’ s richest have raked in $ 37 billion since March , ” Ricochet , September 17 , 2020 .
[ 13 ] Niamh McIntyre and Ben Quinn , “ Engagement with anti-vaccine Facebook posts trebles in one month , ” The Guardian , September 19 , 2020 .
[ 17 ] Veronika Hackenbroch and Marc Pitzke , “ Bill Gates on COVID-19 : ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re Not Further Along , ” Der Spiegel , Sept. 16 , 2020 .
[ 22 ] Suzanne Goldenberg , “ Revealed : Keystone company ’ s PR blitz to safeguard its backup plan , ” The Guardian , November 18 , 2014 .
[ 24 ] Joyce Nelson , “ Resisting the Push for a Cashless Society , ” Bypassing Dystopia : Hope-Filled Challenges to Corporate Rule , Comox : Watershed Sentinel Books , 2018 , pp .
48-50 .

Those behind Event201 , mentioned below, must have calculated well in advance that RFK Jr. would be a force to be reckoned with.
Below, Canadian journalist Joyce Nelson documents a recent smear job by the supposedly credible Globe and Mail against Kennedy. And guess who’s connected to it? …
If, as we believe, Q is a major diversion to render Trump-supporting populists passive and distracted, what better trick than to raise the name of Kennedy – but to pick PRECISELY-THE-WRONG-ONE?
Which led us to do some creative thinking about Q and the possibility that ‘COVID-19’ wasn’t merely an accident of nature. RFK Jr. is, in a sense, a man whose time has come. The virus nonsense has become the perfect opportunity to talk about vaccination, wireless radiation, the cashless society, corporate control, and the impending loss of liberty. All of which he did magnificently at a major public event in Berlin on August 29, 2020. See Robert F. Kennedy Jr: Fighting Against Global Totalitarianism in Berlin [VIDEO] .
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a very low-key, personable yet highly accomplished lawyer, having won major cases against the US Government, Monsanto-Bayer and environmental polluters among others. His website, Children’s Health Defense (CHD), publishes peer-reviewed science on vaccines, children’s health and related topics . There is absolutely nothing that is careless or undocumented about the content he produces and represents. You would hardly expect anything less of a lawyer anyway: it’s what they’re supposed to do. TLB, our parent company, is in fact a proud partner of CHD in its dissemination of their carefully researched work. View the following for a recent sampling of his work as an attorney:
On Sept. 17, Toronto-based The Globe and Mail newspaper published an extraordinary and very lengthy article vilifying Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and calling him “a top voice of misinformation on social media.” The headline for the piece summarizes its range: “How a Kennedy became a ‘superspreader’ of hoaxes on COVID-19, vaccines, 5G and more”. [1]
For more than a decade, Kennedy Jr. has raised issues about vaccine safety through the organization he founded, Children’s Health Defense. The Globe and Mail piece stated:
“Like other conspiracy theorists, [RFK Jr.] has gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting his anti-vaccine messages to fit the crisis, firing off false allegations against Microsoft founder Bill Gates [on COVID-19 vaccines, and other issues] and about the safety of 5G telecom networks. Since February, Mr. Kennedy Jr.’s social media support has tripled from 229,000 followers to 665,000 today.”
Screenshot from The Globe and Mail
At the end of what can only be called a smear piece, the print edition of The Globe and Mail stated, “This article was originally published by Tortoise, a different kind of newsroom committed to a slower, wiser news. To try Tortoise, Globe readers can get a 30-day free trial and a special half price offer…”
Strangely, the article made no mention of Children’s Health Defense, or of Kennedy’s Jr.’s August 29 speech in Berlin, where he addressed a huge rally. He told them that the COVID-19 pandemic is a “crisis of convenience for the elites” who are “destroying the middle class,” “using the quarantine to bring 5G into our communities” for “surveillance and data-mining”, and shifting us all “to digital currencies” and a cashless society that will benefit “the billionaires.”
Similarly, the Tortoise article didn’t mention that on August 17, Children’s Health Defense filed a lawsuit against Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and three fact-checking companies, charging them with censoring truthful public health information. [2]
So what (or who) is Tortoise Media?
“Slower, Wiser News”?
Tortoise Media was launched in April 2019 by three people: James Harding, former editor at Rupert Murdoch’s Times newspaper, and subsequently head of BBC News until resigning in October 2017; Matthew Barzun, former US ambassador to the UK; and Katie Vanneck-Smith, former president of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones.
Initial financial backing for London-based Tortoise was provided by banker Bernie Mensah, Global Head of Emerging Markets for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, tech investor Saul Klein, and two anonymous backers. [3]
The Tortoise Media website now lists Harding as Editor; Vanneck-Smith as Publisher; Matthew Barzun as Chairman; and Ceci Kurzman (former founder of Nexus Management) as Independent Director. The website also currently lists 27 major funding partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Edelman, Facebook, Google, and the Rockefeller Foundation. [4] This article will focus on the Gates Foundation, and Edelman – considered one of the largest public-relations firms in the world, with some 67 offices worldwide.
Tortoise Media used a November 2018 Kickstarter campaign to launch a drive for a membership boutique – a “redistributive model” for news funding by which expensive membership tiers provide funding for less expensive (or free) memberships.
By June of 2019, Tortoise Media had 8,000 members, with 40 per cent of them under the age of 30. Businesses are funding memberships to be distributed by charitable organizations, academies, and other groups in order to “fill Tortoise’s demographic gaps, such as those outside London, teenagers, the elderly, and the working class.” [5] Press Gazette also noted that only three months after the April 2019 launch, seven major brand names “including Santander bank and PR firm Edelman” had signed up to fund memberships. [6]
A Tortoise membership costs from 5 pounds sterling per month (or 50 pounds per year) for someone under-30, to 24 pounds per month (for other individuals) and 250 pounds per month (for businesses and wealthy sponsors). The first 5,000 founding student members receive free membership. By November 2019, Tortoise Media was claiming “nearly 20,000 members,” with numbers climbing rapidly because of widespread corporate support subsidizing memberships. [7]
Tortoise hosts frequent “ThinkIns” (editorial meetings and conversations) between partners and members, between partners and stakeholders, and between partner companies and their employees. “We believe in opening up journalism,” their website states, “so we can examine issues and develop ideas for the 21st Century. We want to do this with our members and with our partners. We want to give everyone a seat at the table.” Tortoise calls its members “family.”
The Tortoise Media website stresses that “we don’t take ads…Instead, our journalism is funded by our members and our partners. We establish partnerships with businesses willing to back a new form of journalism, enable the public debate, share their expertise and communicate their point of view.” But Tortoise hastens to add: “Our partners, of course, know that we are a journalistic enterprise. Our independence is non-negotiable. If we ever have to choose between the relationship and the story, we’ll always choose the story.”
With regard to the September 17 piece smearing RFK Jr., Tortoise Media didn’t have to choose between the relationship with two of its funding partners (the Gates Foundation, Facebook) and “the story” because all three were nicely aligned.
Billionaires’ Media
Back in autumn 2018, when buzz was circulating about the upcoming launch of Tortoise Media, Emily Bell, the director of a digital journalism center at Columbia University’s graduate school of journalism, wrote an opinion piece for The Guardian. Bell called the Tortoise venture “mysterious,” but noted that mainstream media is under financial “pressure” and may be in need of a “redistributive model of news funding,” such as that being created by Tortoise. [8]
“There is an acceptance that billionaires might be the answer after all,” wrote Bell in her praise for the Tortoise approach, citing examples such as Apple founder Steve Job’s widow Laurene Powell Job’s purchase of The Atlantic; Salesforce founder Mark Benioff’s purchase of Time magazine; and Amazon head Jeff Bezos’ buy-up of the Washington Post. [9]
What Bell glaringly omitted is the fact that over the past decade, Facebook, Google, etc. have taken major ad revenues away from the mainstream media, enriching the firms’ executives and shareholders while gutting newsrooms across the globe. As thousands of journalists have been jettisoned, billionaires have stepped in to become media owners, furthering their control of information and public discourse on key issues.
Tortoise Media’s funding partners include two of the wealthiest billionaires on the planet: Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
Of course, that should remind Canadian readers that The Globe and Mail (which published the Tortoise Media piece) is owned by the richest family in Canada, the Thomsons, “who have seen their fortune increase by nearly $9 billion during the pandemic, up to $50.6 billion from $41.7 billion in March.” [10]
Strangely, The Guardian’s Emily Bell expressed hope that Tortoise would “encourage a rush of 1% wealth into more deprived areas of [news] coverage,” such as “income inequality, racism, the health service, climate change, the march of authoritarianism, the inexorable rise of misogyny, the challenges of artificial intelligence and the collapse of democratic institutions.” [11] This a very naive position, as though news coverage of such issues has nothing to do with how they are covered, but only that they are covered.
Indeed, the loss of so many professional journalists means that mainstream news outlets increasingly rely on corporate press releases, think tank reports, corporate pundits, and spin – the very backbone of PR firms like Tortoise funding partner Edelman, which exist to manage such issues for their clients. In fact, PR Watch has called Edelman “the world’s largest PR company, synonymous with astroturf-style front groups and dirty tricks.” [12]
Event 201
Shortly after Tortoise Media was launched, two of its funding partners participated in a global-pandemic exercise called Event 201, which was held in New York City in October 2019 and involved 15 lead participants.
Independent journalist Rosemary Frei, who has written extensively about COVID-19, told me by email that Event 201 “simulated a novel-coronavirus pandemic – and eerily reflected what started to roll out in the real world shortly after that, including measures against the virus causing the markets to crash.” Frei told me, “One of the event’s main sponsors was the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,” and “a representative from the foundation was among the 15 lead participants. Another lead participant was Matthew Harrington, the Global Chief Operating Officer at Edelman.”
According to Frei, citing video footage from Event 201 that she’d mentioned in her March 29 blog entry (rosemaryfrei.ca/blog), “One of the central predictions in Event 201 was ‘overwhelming amounts of dis- and misinformation circulating over the internet’. [Edelman’s] Harrington opined at the roundtable that, in response, social-media platforms [Facebook, Google, Twitter, etc.] must recognize they are broadcasters and partner “with the scientific and health communities to counterweight [misinformation], if not flood the zone, [with] accurate information.”
Frei told me, “Harrington also said ‘there needs to be a centralized response around the communications approach, that then is cascaded to informed advocates representing the NGO communities, the medical professionals, etc.’ and ‘centralized on an international basis’.”
With Edelman and the Gates Foundation worried about dis- and misinformation circulating over the internet, these two Tortoise partners appear to have joined forces with Tortoise partners Facebook and Google, which during the pandemic lockdown have been censoring public health information from a variety of websites. A Facebook spokesperson recently told The Guardian that “we have removed 7m [million] pieces of Covid-19-related misinfo between April and June…” [13]
One of the perks that Tortoise provides to its members is a “daily news feed” of selected articles from other sites, along with its own pieces. It looks like Tortoise Media is intended to be a “centralized response” on “an international basis”. With Edelman’s help, and its 67 offices worldwide, that is potentially possible.
Gates & Media
That may help explain Tortoise Media’s Sept. 17 article expressing concern that “Since February, Mr. Kennedy Jr.’s social-media support has tripled from 229,000 followers to 665,000 today.” [14]
Ironically, those numbers come nowhere close to the millions of people reached through the media by Bill Gates, who has been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into mainstream news outlets across Europe and North America.
In a feature article for the Columbia Journalism Review (August 21, 2020), Tim Schwab stated: “As philanthropists increasingly fill in the funding gaps at news organizations – a role that is almost certain to expand in the media downturn following the coronovirus pandemic – an underexamined worry is how this will affect the ways newsrooms report on their benefactors. Nowhere does this concern loom larger than with the Gates Foundation, a leading donor to newsrooms and a frequent subject of favorable news coverage.” [15]
Schwab examined “nearly twenty thousand charitable grants the Gates foundation had made through the end of June [2020] and found more than $250 million going toward journalism.” Recipients included the BBC, NBC, Al-Jazeera, ProPublica, National Journal, The Guardian, Univision, Medium, the Financial Times, The New York Times, The Atlantic, the Texas Tribune, Gannett, Washington Monthly, Le Monde, the Seattle Times, the Center for Investigative Reporting, Participant, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the National Press Foundation, the International Center for Journalists, and the American Press Institute.
Schwab called the list incomplete because the Gates Foundation doesn’t have to report everything it funds.
Schwab stated: “In the same way that the news media has given Gates an outsize voice in the pandemic, the foundation has long used its charitable giving to shape the public discourse on everything from global health to education [favouring charter schools] to agriculture [pro-GMOs] – a level of influence that has landed Bill Gates on Forbes’ list of the most powerful people in the world.” [16]
Germany’s major newspaper Der Spiegel recently reported that, like other news outlets, it has received “around 2 – 3 million euros over three years” from the Gates Foundation, and noted that this raises “questions about a covert agenda to influence the news.” [17] Gates responded that for any news outlet funded by him, “what they actually write in those articles is totally up to them.” [18]
But according to CJR’s Tim Schwab, “When Gates gives money to newsrooms, it restricts how the money is used – often for topics, like global health and education, on which the foundation works – which can help elevate its agenda in the news media.” [19]
Noting that critical coverage of Gates is “rare,” Schwab stated that “a larger worry is the precedent the prevailing coverage of Gates sets for how we report on the next generation of tech billionaires-turned philanthropists, including Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.” [20]
But that’s where a site like Tortoise Media comes in, with its courting of the under-30 age group, its ThinkIns, its free subscriptions for the disadvantaged, its daily news feeds for members, its consideration of members and partners as “family”, and its partnership with a major PR firm.
“Dirty Tricks”
When PR Watch called Edelman “synonymous with astroturf-style front groups and dirty tricks” in August 2014, it was referring to past scandals such as the revelation in 2008 that the firm had created fake “grassroots” bloggers for a digital astroturfing campaign assisting its client Walmart during a battle with unions. PR Watch could not have known that, just months later in November 2014, another scandal would erupt that would expose Edelman’s PR tactics in detail.
In November 2014, Greenpeace released documents that revealed Edelman’s internal PR advice for its client TransCanada Corp. in an effort to win the Canadian public’s support for a tar sands pipeline called Energy East. Greenpeace called the advice “dirty tricks”.
The documents unveiled Edelman’s plan for a “permanent campaign” to turn Canadians into “champions” for the pipeline, which would move tar sands bitumen across six provinces.
As CBC News reported:
“It starts with getting people to simply click on an Energy East project website to request more information about the project. Edelman says it can turn the ‘average citizen into issue activists’. ‘Using targeted messaging and behaviour tracking to directly appeal to the individual’s trigger points and develop them from a supporter to an activist to a champion,’ said one of the documents… It says advocacy can develop from people simply signing a petition and develop into testifying at public meetings or lending their personal stories for ads and promotions. ‘They provide us with a rich base of advocates who passionately understand and support our cause and are willing – more often than not – to do what’s asked of them’.” [21]
Edelman further recommended that “Third-party voices must also be identified, recruited and heard to build an echo chamber of aligned voices” in the media. In order to “neutralize risk,” Edelman suggested “detailed background research on key opposition groups” such as Council of Canadians, Equiterre, the David Suzuki Foundation, Avaaz, and Ecology Ottawa. They also advised: “Add layers of difficulty for our opponents, distracting them from their mission and causing them to redirect their resources.” [22]
Even the mainstream media called these “creepy tactics,” with one columnist referring to “communications black ops, phony grassroots campaigns, squadrons of dutiful Twitter trolls and search-and-destroy missions on opponents…rooting out skeletons in the closets” of opponents. [23] TransCanada Corp. had to distance itself from Edelman’s advice, and later cancelled the Energy East pipeline project.
This background on Edelman’s PR tactics does make one wonder to what extent Tortoise Media is adopting a somewhat similar strategy.
Cashless Society
Readers of the smear piece on RFK Jr. may have been wondering what the “and more” part of the “hoaxes on COVID-19 vaccines, 5G and more” headline refers to. Quite likely, it refers to Kennedy Jr.’s comment in Berlin about the billionaires shifting us all into “digital currencies” to their benefit.
The Gates Foundation is part of the “Better Than Cash Alliance,” which in 2016 allied with USAID and pushed India’s Norenda Modi government to remove several banknotes – the 500 Rupee and the 1,000 Rupee – from circulation. That would be like suddenly removing all ten-dollar and 20-dollar bills from circulation in North America and declaring that holders of those notes would have to deposit them in a bank by a certain deadline or they would be worthless. [24]
Besides the Gates Foundation and USAID, the “Better Than Cash Alliance” includes Mastercard and Visa, the Ford Foundation, Omidyar Network (EBay), banking giant CitiGroup and others. [25]
USAID and its corporate partners knew in advance that only 55% of India’s population had a bank account, and 95% of all transactions were conducted in cash. So the sudden change had a huge affect on India’s poorest, working in the informal sector for cash. As a result of this decree, there was massive famine and thousands of people died because they had no way to buy food. Furthermore, thousands of small businesses went under. [26]
In Der Spiegel’s recent interview with Bill Gates, he expressed concerns about poor countries and insisted “Our foundation is about saving lives.” [27] But that certainly wasn’t true in India in November 2016.
As Columbia Journalism Review’s Tim Schwab stated: “Bill Gates has shown how seamlessly the most controversial industry captain can transform his public image from tech villain to benevolent philanthropist. Insofar as journalists are supposed to scrutinize wealth and power, Gates should probably be one of the most investigated people on earth – not the most admired.” [28] But if Tortoise Media and its “family” of partners and members have their way, that’s how things will remain.
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Joyce Nelson is a freelance writer and author. She can be reached via www.joycenelson.ca
Notes
[1] Alexi Mostrous, “How a Kennedy became a ‘superspreader’ of hoaxes on COVID-19, vaccines, 5G and more,” The Globe and Mail, September 17, 2020.
[2] Julia Woodford, “Woodford Files,” Vitality Magazine, Fall 2020.
[3] Emily Bell, “Can James Harding’s Tortoise be more than a rich person’s club?” The Guardian, October 22, 2018.
[4] www.tortoisemedia.com/partners/
[5] Charlotte Tobitt, “’Slow News’ venture Tortoise creates ‘inclusive’ members’ model with potential to partner with local publishers,” Press Gazette, June 28, 2019.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Freddy Mayhew, “Tortoise claims nearly 20,000 members as it eyes move into podcasting,” Press Gazette, November 8, 2019.
[8] Bell, op. cit.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Derrick O’Keefe, “COVID sucks, unless you’re a billionaire. Canada’s richest have raked in $37 billion since March,” Ricochet, September 17, 2020.
[11] Bell, op. cit.
[12] Nick Surgery, PR Watch, “Edelman Makes a Climate Change Pledge, but Forgets About ALEC,” Truthout, August 17, 2014.
[13] Niamh McIntyre and Ben Quinn, “Engagement with anti-vaccine Facebook posts trebles in one month,” The Guardian, September 19, 2020.
[14] Mostrous, op. cit.
[15] Tim Schwab, “Journalism’s Gates keepers,” Columbia Journalism Review, August 21, 2020.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Veronika Hackenbroch and Marc Pitzke, “Bill Gates on COVID-19: ‘It’s Mind-Blowing That We’re Not Further Along,” Der Spiegel, Sept. 16, 2020.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Schwab, op. cit.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Margo McDiarmid, “Energy East pipeline ‘advocates’ targeted in TransCanada PR move,” CBC News, November 18, 2014.
[22] Suzanne Goldenberg, “Revealed: Keystone company’s PR blitz to safeguard its backup plan,” The Guardian, November 18, 2014.
[23] Jeffrey Jones, “PR trickery tarnishes oil patch’s credibility,” The Globe and Mail, November 19, 2014.
[24] Joyce Nelson, “Resisting the Push for a Cashless Society,” Bypassing Dystopia: Hope-Filled Challenges to Corporate Rule, Comox: Watershed Sentinel Books, 2018, pp. 48-50.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Quoted in Hackenbroch and Pitzke, op. cit.
[28] Schwab, op. cit.
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