bonginoreport--2020-06-23--Seattle to Finally Dismantle CHAZ/CHOP Following Shootings

A sign welcomes visitors Monday , June 22 , 2020 , near an entrance to what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone in Seattle .
For the second time in less than 48 hours , there was a shooting near the `` CHOP '' area that has been occupied by protesters after Seattle Police pulled back from several blocks of the city 's Capitol Hill neighborhood near the Police Department 's East Precinct building .
( AP Photo/Ted S. Warren ) A sign welcomes visitors Monday , June 22 , 2020 , near an entrance to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protest zone in Seattle .
For the second time in less than 48 hours , there was a shooting near the `` CHOP '' area that has been occupied by protesters after Seattle Police pulled back from several blocks of the city 's Capitol Hill neighborhood near the Police Department 's East Precinct building .
( AP Photo/Ted S. Warren ) SEATTLE ( AP ) — Faced with growing pressure to crack down on an “ occupied ” protest zone following two weekend shootings , Seattle ’ s mayor said Monday that officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ span of city streets taken over two weeks ago that President Donald Trump asserted is run by “ anarchists.
” Mayor Jenny Durkan said at a news conference that the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters seeking to address racial inequity and police brutality .
She said the city is working with the community to bring the “ Capitol Hill Occupied Protest ” zone to an end .
“ The cumulative impacts of the gatherings and protests and the nighttime atmosphere and violence has led to increasingly difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Durkan said .
“ The impacts have increased and the safety has decreased.
” A shooting Sunday night was the second in less than 48 hours at the edge of the zone , named for the Capitol Hill neighborhood near downtown that emerged during nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd .
The 17-year-old victim , who was shot in the arm , declined to speak with detectives , police said .
Gunfire early Saturday left a 19-year-old man dead and another person critically wounded .
It was not apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the protest .
Protesters cordoned off the several-block area , known as CHOP , near a police station after clashes with officers .
Seattle riot squads unleashed tear gas , pepper spray and flash-bangs on large crowds of mostly peaceful protesters , drawing condemnation from many city leaders and a federal court order temporarily banning the use of the weapons on demonstrators .
After police largely abandoned the East Precinct building , protesters took over the area — with demonstrators painting a large “ Black Lives Matter ” mural on the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music and planting a community garden .
Its existence incensed Trump , who criticized Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee , both Democrats .
Peacefulness has prevailed during the day .
On Monday , people lounged on the turf at a park , while volunteers handed out food , water and toiletries .
Artists painted designs on wooden barricades , and a few candles burned in front of a sign on the police precinct listing people killed by officer .
At night , however , the atmosphere becomes more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed volunteer guards keeping watch .
Among the demands are calls to shift funding for police to community health or other social justice causes .
Durkan said she planned to announce a plan Monday for addressing public safety in the area .
“ After days of peaceful demonstrations , two nights of shootings have clearly escalated the situation on Capitol Hill , ” Durkan ’ s office said in a statement .
“ We have been meeting with residents and small business owners to address their safety and disorder concerns , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the area .
... As many community groups are also urging , ( the ) Mayor believes individuals can and should peacefully demonstrate , but the message can not be lost in the violence.
” Volunteer medics inside the zone brought the victims of Saturday ’ s shooting to the hospital rather than wait for the police and fire departments , who were preparing to respond before entering .
Demonstrators who had marched to the West Precinct police building downtown were returning to the zone when Sunday night ’ s shooting occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treated and released from the hospital and wouldn ’ t speak with police , the department said .
Investigators urged anyone with information to come forward .
Andre Taylor , who founded of the anti-police-shooting organization Not This Time !
after his brother was killed by Seattle police in 2016 , said Monday that he had warned protest organizers that the city would need to retake the area because of the violence .
“ That CHOP area is attracting this kind of activity and it ’ s unsafe , ” Taylor said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , ’ All those people that were supporting you guys , they ’ re going to start walking away from you , especially all those white people that were following you .
...
They don ’ t want to be associated with any part of that violence.
” Former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert , a Republican who previously served as sheriff in the county where Seattle is located , also called on the city to take back control .
“ Elected officials have abandoned the rule of law and their oath to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wrote in an opinion piece for Washington State Wire , a website devoted to state political news .
“ They have abandoned their law-abiding citizens and have been cowardly bullied into surrendering the East Precinct – and multiple city blocks .
”

SEATTLE (AP) — Faced with growing pressure to crack down on an “occupied” protest zone following two weekend shootings, Seattle’s mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago that President Donald Trump asserted is run by “anarchists.”
Mayor Jenny Durkan said the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters opposing racial inequity and police brutality. She said at a news conference that the city is working with the community to bring the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone, or CHOP, to an end and that police soon would move back into a precinct building they had largely abandoned in the area.
Durkan also vowed to address some of the protesters’ demands, including investing more in Black communities, reimagining policing in cooperation with community leaders, and pushing for accountability measures and statewide reform of police unions.
The mayor did not give an immediate timeline for clearing out the occupation but said “additional steps” would be examined if people don’t leave voluntarily. With scores of people camping in a park in the protest zone, Durkan said peaceful demonstrations could continue, but nighttime disorder had to stop.
“The cumulative impacts of the gatherings and protests and the nighttime atmosphere and violence has led to increasingly difficult circumstances for our businesses and residents,” Durkan said. “The impacts have increased and the safety has decreased.”
A shooting Sunday night was the second in less than 48 hours at the edge of the zone, which is named for the Capitol Hill neighborhood near downtown Seattle and emerged during nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The 17-year-old victim was shot in the arm and declined to speak with detectives, police said. Gunfire early Saturday left a 19-year-old man dead and another person critically wounded.
The victims were taken to a hospital by volunteer medics in private cars, and police said they were met by a hostile crowd that prevented them from immediately getting to the scene.
It was not apparent if the shootings had anything to do with the protest — gunfire sometimes occurs in the neighborhood, especially on warm summer nights.
Protesters cordoned off the several-block area near the police’s East Precinct after Seattle riot squads unleashed tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bangs on large crowds of mostly peaceful protesters, drawing condemnation from many city leaders and a federal court order temporarily banning the use of the weapons on demonstrators.
After police largely abandoned the building, protesters took over the area — with demonstrators painting a large “Black Lives Matter” mural on the street, handing out free food, playing music and planting a community garden. Its existence incensed Trump, who criticized Durkan and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, both Democrats.
Peace has prevailed during the day. On Monday, people lounged on the turf at a park, while volunteers handed out food, water and toiletries. Artists painted designs on wooden barricades, and a few candles burned in front of a sign on the police building listing people killed by officers.
At night, however, the atmosphere has become more charged, with demonstrators marching and armed volunteer guards keeping watch.
“With not having a police presence here, people are free to do whatever they want to do,” said Bobby Stills, a Seattle resident who has spent time volunteering at the protest zone. “You never know who’s going to show up. That’s why people here are on such high alert — they don’t know who’s who or what’s what or their intentions.”
Durkan, who has faced calls from protesters and even some City Council members to resign over her handling of the demonstrations, and Police Chief Carmen Best said they did not immediately have a timeline for returning officers to the East Precinct, which was established to better respond to emergency calls in the city’s historically Black district. They said officers would return safely and in the near future. Best noted that some other crimes, including rape, arson and burglary, had been reported in or near the protest zone.
Demonstrators who had marched to the West Precinct police building downtown were returning to the zone when Sunday night’s shooting occurred, police said.
Andre Taylor, who founded of the anti-police-shooting organization Not This Time! after his brother was killed by Seattle police in 2016, said Monday that he had warned protest organizers that the city would need to retake the area because of the violence.
“That CHOP area is attracting this kind of activity and it’s unsafe,” Taylor said in a Facebook video. “I told them, ‘All those people that were supporting you guys, they’re going to start walking away from you, especially all those white people that were following you. ... They don’t want to be associated with any part of that violence.”
Former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, a Republican who previously served as sheriff in the county where Seattle is located, also called on the city to take back control.
“Elected officials have abandoned the rule of law and their oath to protect and defend our communities,” he wrote in an opinion piece for Washington State Wire, a website devoted to state political news. “They have abandoned their law-abiding citizens and have been cowardly bullied into surrendering the East Precinct – and multiple city blocks.”
___
Associated Press photographer Ted Warren in Seattle contributed.


bonginoreport--2020-06-22--These Ex-CNN Reporters Now Work for CCP Propaganda Outlet CGTN

China Global Television Network , a registered foreign agent in the U.S. and integral outlet in the Chinese state-owned media landscape , employs several former CNN correspondents and anchors .
China Global Television Network ( CGTN ) has been identified as a “ long-standing weapon in Beijing ’ s arsenal of repression ” whose raison d ’ être is “ to attack designated enemies of the Communist Party , ” chiefly the U.S. Headquartered in Beijing , funded by the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) , and controlled by the regime ’ s Publicity Department , the outlet is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a result , CGTN was forced to register with the Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) in 2019 .
CGTN ’ s international disinformation campaign – which has resulted in airing forced confessions and deeply biased coverage of Hong Kong protests – aligns with President Xi Jinping ’ s 2016 decree that “ wherever the readers are , wherever the viewers are , that is where propaganda reports must extend their tentacles.
” Despite this , there ’ s an apparent door between CGTN and establishment U.S. media outlet CNN .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facts First , ” former employees are now helping to create and amplify content to glorify the CCP .
Sean Callebs is currently employed as a national correspondent at CGTN America .
In addition to serving as a diplomat in Afghanistan for the US State Department in 2011 , Callebs was a CNN correspondent for over 20 years , from 1989 to 2009 .
CGTN brandishes these credentials in his bio : He comes to CGTN with more than 20 years experience at CNN , where he covered a wide array of stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person based in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina .
[ … ] Sean anchored news programs on CNN and CNN Headline News , and was in the anchor chair the morning Saddam Hussein was captured in Iraq .
Callebs has pushed the 2016 Russia collusion narrative on CGTN , declaring President Trump ’ s insistence the Mueller Report vindicated him was “ not accurate.
” Much like CNN , Callebs ’ s segment noted : “ Special Investigator Robert Mueller said his probe delivered no determination on collusion but did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy.
” Callebs has also praised the CCP ’ s actions on the environment , despite the country consistently accounting for the world ’ s largest share of greenhouse gas emissions and disproportionately polluting air and water .
Touting China ’ s “ Ecological Red Lines ” as a measure to protect the environment , Callebs slammed the U.S. for “ heading in the opposite direction.
” He also produced commemorative stories on the “ 70th anniversary of the founding of the People ’ s Republic of China , ” noting the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then what China has become today.
” Between when the CCP took over the country in 1949 and 1997 , over 65 million people have died .
Naidoo dedicated an entire segment to the U.S. coronavirus death toll “ surpassing ” China , branding the Trump administration ’ s response as inadequate and emphasizing how states were looking to China for assistance with personal protective equipment .
On CGTN , he also peddled the untruth that DC police used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear out protestors from Lafayette Square prior to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church – rather than the truth : that one officer deployed pepper spray after being attacked by rioters .
Naidoo , however , emphasized the “ chaos in the streets of Washington D.C. ” while falsely stating that “ police forcefully clear out protestors from in front of the White House , firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
” His segment with a World Health Organization official who praised China ’ s “ transparency ” regarding coronavirus also parrots CCP talking points .
In reality , Chinese Communist Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ development and human-to-human transmission from their own citizens and the world .
They even silenced doctors who attempted to inform co-workers of the developing coronavirus strain , subjecting them to police visits and forcing individuals to sign letters admitting guilt for “ making false comments ” and “ severely disturbing the social order.
” To advocate against President Trump ’ s tariffs , Huber created a segment entitled : “ How dependent are Americans on Chinese goods ?
” She took viewers inside her home to demonstrate how the overwhelming majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , failing to mention how Chinese imports have harmed American lives : Chinese toys are made with toxic lead paint ; Chinese fish are carcinogenic due to the country ’ s polluted water ; Chinese candy has been contaminated formaldehyde ; and Chinese drywall is made with radioactive material .
She also produced a segment criticizing the Trump administration ’ s decision to curtail Chinese student visas as “ bad public policy , bad for higher education , and bad for the country ” despite intelligence officials raising red flags about the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rubio what “ the counterintelligence risk posed to U.S. national security from Chinese students , particularly those in advanced programs in the sciences and mathematics ” was , FBI Director Christopher Wray responded : “ the use of nontraditional collectors , especially in the academic setting , whether it ’ s professors , scientists , students , we see in almost every field office that the FBI has around the country.
” Namdar appeared alongside co-host and fellow CNN veteran Callebs to attack President Trump ’ s decision to kill Iranian General Qasem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keen to paint Trump as warmongering : “ President George W. Bush and Barack Obama both had the opportunity and the means to launch a similar drone strike , but they didn ’ t. ” She also failed to push back on a guest ’ s bogus claim that China is “ not just leading in the U.S. but leading the world ” concerning its actions on the environment .
And Jim Spellman is a CGTN correspondent who “ was a journalist at CNN for over a decade ” and “ reported for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN.com ” and is similarly anti-Trump .
Spellman has also defended the merits of Chinese student visas , falsely praising the corrupt and authoritarian CCP ’ s “ shift from rule by law to rule of law , ” and attacked President Trump ’ s tariffs .
He also dedicated an entire segment to the CCP ’ s technological innovation – making no mention of extensive intellectual property theft from U.S. companies and universities – emphasizing how the country “ has become a scientific force ” that ’ s “ on-track ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research and development .
The National Pulse has reached out to CNN for comment on its revolving door with the Chinese Communist Party ’ s foreign influence operation , CGTN , but at the time of publication , we had not heard back .

China Global Television Network, a registered foreign agent in the U.S. and integral outlet in the Chinese state-owned media landscape, employs several former CNN correspondents and anchors.
China Global Television Network (CGTN) has been identified as a “long-standing weapon in Beijing’s arsenal of repression” whose raison d’être is “to attack designated enemies of the Communist Party,” chiefly the U.S. Headquartered in Beijing, funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and controlled by the regime’s Publicity Department, the outlet is inundated with anti-U.S. and anti-Trump content.
As a result, CGTN was forced to register with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in 2019.
CGTN’s international disinformation campaign – which has resulted in airing forced confessions and deeply biased coverage of Hong Kong protests – aligns with President Xi Jinping’s 2016 decree that “wherever the readers are, wherever the viewers are, that is where propaganda reports must extend their tentacles.”
Despite this, there’s an apparent door between CGTN and establishment U.S. media outlet CNN.
While CNN prides itself on placing “Facts First,” former employees are now helping to create and amplify content to glorify the CCP.
Sean Callebs is currently employed as a national correspondent at CGTN America. In addition to serving as a diplomat in Afghanistan for the US State Department in 2011, Callebs was a CNN correspondent for over 20 years, from 1989 to 2009.
CGTN brandishes these credentials in his bio:
He comes to CGTN with more than 20 years experience at CNN, where he covered a wide array of stories. Sean was CNN’s point person based in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. […] Sean anchored news programs on CNN and CNN Headline News, and was in the anchor chair the morning Saddam Hussein was captured in Iraq.
Callebs has pushed the 2016 Russia collusion narrative on CGTN, declaring President Trump’s insistence the Mueller Report vindicated him was “not accurate.”
Much like CNN, Callebs’s segment noted: “Special Investigator Robert Mueller said his probe delivered no determination on collusion but did find some ground to prove a possible conspiracy.”
Callebs has also praised the CCP’s actions on the environment, despite the country consistently accounting for the world’s largest share of greenhouse gas emissions and disproportionately polluting air and water.
Touting China’s “Ecological Red Lines” as a measure to protect the environment, Callebs slammed the U.S. for “heading in the opposite direction.”
He also produced commemorative stories on the “70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China,” noting the country’s “very humble beginnings and then what China has become today.”
Between when the CCP took over the country in 1949 and 1997, over 65 million people have died.
CGTN’s Sean Callebs is in #China producing stories on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Day one assignment is challenged by rain. @sfcallebs pic.twitter.com/nHjafwa4ID — CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) September 9, 2019
The next CNN transplant is Anand Naidoo, an anchor for CGTN program “The Heat,” based out of the network’s Washington D.C. Bureau, and formerly an “Atlanta-based anchor for CNN International’s World News for ten years.”
Naidoo dedicated an entire segment to the U.S. coronavirus death toll “surpassing” China, branding the Trump administration’s response as inadequate and emphasizing how states were looking to China for assistance with personal protective equipment.
On CGTN, he also peddled the untruth that DC police used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear out protestors from Lafayette Square prior to President Trump visiting St. John’s Church – rather than the truth: that one officer deployed pepper spray after being attacked by rioters.
Naidoo, however, emphasized the “chaos in the streets of Washington D.C.” while falsely stating that “police forcefully clear out protestors from in front of the White House, firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.”
His segment with a World Health Organization official who praised China’s “transparency” regarding coronavirus also parrots CCP talking points.
In reality, Chinese Communist Party officials purposefully withheld knowledge of the virus’ development and human-to-human transmission from their own citizens and the world. They even silenced doctors who attempted to inform co-workers of the developing coronavirus strain, subjecting them to police visits and forcing individuals to sign letters admitting guilt for “making false comments” and “severely disturbing the social order.”
Karina Huber is a New York correspondent for CGTN and fill-in anchor for the network’s program “Global Business America.
CGTN explained in her bio:
Prior to CGTN America, Karina was a business reporter for CNN and Reuters reporting live from the New York Stock Exchange.
Huber has produced countless CGTN segments lauding China.
To advocate against President Trump’s tariffs, Huber created a segment entitled: “How dependent are Americans on Chinese goods?”
She took viewers inside her home to demonstrate how the overwhelming majority of products she used were made in China, failing to mention how Chinese imports have harmed American lives: Chinese toys are made with toxic lead paint; Chinese fish are carcinogenic due to the country’s polluted water; Chinese candy has been contaminated formaldehyde; and Chinese drywall is made with radioactive material.
She also produced a segment criticizing the Trump administration’s decision to curtail Chinese student visas as “bad public policy, bad for higher education, and bad for the country” despite intelligence officials raising red flags about the national security threat.
Asked by Senator Marco Rubio what “the counterintelligence risk posed to U.S. national security from Chinese students, particularly those in advanced programs in the sciences and mathematics” was, FBI Director Christopher Wray responded: “the use of nontraditional collectors, especially in the academic setting, whether it’s professors, scientists, students, we see in almost every field office that the FBI has around the country.”
Asieh Namdar , a former anchor for CNN providing “reports and analysis of international news on CNN” turned CGTN anchor, has provided similarly flattering coverage of the CCP and is a staunch Trump critic:
Ok I’ve seen enough. The Trump portion of these “briefings” are becoming harder and harder to watch . Total waste of time. — Asieh Namdar (@asiehnamdar) April 13, 2020
Namdar appeared alongside co-host and fellow CNN veteran Callebs to attack President Trump’s decision to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani via drone strike.
Both were keen to paint Trump as warmongering: “President George W. Bush and Barack Obama both had the opportunity and the means to launch a similar drone strike, but they didn’t.”
She also failed to push back on a guest’s bogus claim that China is “not just leading in the U.S. but leading the world” concerning its actions on the environment.
And Jim Spellman is a CGTN correspondent who “was a journalist at CNN for over a decade” and “reported for CNN, CNN International, HLN and CNN.com” and is similarly anti-Trump.
https://twitter.com/jimspellmanTV/status/1250262086715936769?s=20
https://twitter.com/jimspellmanTV/status/1248674964410183685?s=20
Spellman has also defended the merits of Chinese student visas, falsely praising the corrupt and authoritarian CCP’s “shift from rule by law to rule of law,” and attacked President Trump’s tariffs.
He also dedicated an entire segment to the CCP’s technological innovation – making no mention of extensive intellectual property theft from U.S. companies and universities – emphasizing how the country “has become a scientific force” that’s “on-track” to outspend the U.S. on spending related to research and development.
The National Pulse has reached out to CNN for comment on its revolving door with the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign influence operation, CGTN, but at the time of publication, we had not heard back.


bonginoreport--2020-06-22--YouTube Bans Gavin McInnes

YouTube Bans Gavin McInnes

Gavin McInnes , the Canadian-British comedian and founder of Censored.TV , The Proud Boys , and Vice Magazine , has been kicked off of YouTube following `` severe violations of [ YouTube 's ] Community Guidelines . ''
According to the video streaming giant , McInnes had posted content on YouTube `` glorifying or inciting violence against another person or group of people . ''
McInnes is now banned from `` accessing , possessing , or creating any other YouTube accounts . ''
A screenshot of the banning notification was posted to McInnes ' Telegram account , as he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Instagram .
McInnes told The Post Millennial that he believes the move was a pre-emptive one , as the platform may have been fearing that McInnes would somehow mobilize a gang to attack the Seattle-based Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ( CHAZ ) , a leftist Antifa compound set up in the heart of the city .
`` I hadn ’ t uploaded there for over a week so it wasn ’ t anything I said .
I think they ’ re petrified I ’ m going to mobilize some kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' McInnes told The Post Millennial .
McInnes also told The Post Millennial that he believes Big Tech and the deep state were holding the left and the right to two different standards .
`` Insiders told me the FBI have begun monitoring my phone for that same reason , '' he explained .
`` They ( Big Tech , the media , deep state , etc . )
are so focussed on “ potential ” danger from the right , they are totally blind to radical leftists burning their country down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the Southern Poverty Law Centre due to their designation of the Proud Boys has a hate group .

Gavin McInnes, the Canadian-British comedian and founder of Censored.TV, The Proud Boys, and Vice Magazine, has been kicked off of YouTube following "severe violations of [YouTube's] Community Guidelines."
According to the video streaming giant, McInnes had posted content on YouTube "glorifying or inciting violence against another person or group of people." McInnes is now banned from "accessing, possessing, or creating any other YouTube accounts."
A screenshot of the banning notification was posted to McInnes' Telegram account, as he has already been banned from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
McInnes told The Post Millennial that he believes the move was a pre-emptive one, as the platform may have been fearing that McInnes would somehow mobilize a gang to attack the Seattle-based Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), a leftist Antifa compound set up in the heart of the city.
"I hadn’t uploaded there for over a week so it wasn’t anything I said. I think they’re petrified I’m going to mobilize some kind of army and go attack CHAZ, seriously," McInnes told The Post Millennial.
McInnes also told The Post Millennial that he believes Big Tech and the deep state were holding the left and the right to two different standards.
"Insiders told me the FBI have begun monitoring my phone for that same reason," he explained. "They (Big Tech, the media, deep state, etc.) are so focussed on “potential” danger from the right, they are totally blind to radical leftists burning their country down."
McInnes recently filed a lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Centre due to their designation of the Proud Boys has a hate group.


bonginoreport--2020-06-22--Trump Admin Shuts Down Radio Station Run by CCP Propaganda Outlet

A radio station controlled by the Chinese Communist Party propaganda outlet Phoenix TV has been ordered by the Trump administration to cease its broadcasts within 48 hours .
The Federal Communications Commission ruled on Monday that a Mexico-based radio station owned in part by Phoenix TV—one of the Communist regime ’ s leading propaganda organs—must end its broadcasts due to its failure to disclose its ties to China .
Prior to the FCC ’ s ruling , the station was exploiting a loophole that allows content produced in the United States to be broadcast from foreign radio towers , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is headquartered in California , produced its content domestically and then used the more powerful Mexican station to broadcast across the U.S. border .
The FCC denied a license for that radio station , XEWW-AM , because it `` failed to include in their application a key participant , Phoenix Radio , which produces the Mandarin programming in its studio , '' the agency disclosed .
Phoenix Radio , Phoenix TV 's radio affiliate , was using the station to broadcast Chinese propaganda across Southern California , in violation of FCC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Congress ’ s crosshairs earlier this year , after one of its reporters confronted President Donald Trump during a White House briefing about the coronavirus pandemic and Chinese government efforts to cover up the illness .
The station ’ s presence at the White House generated concerns about the proliferation of Chinese state-controlled press organs in the United States .
The Mexican radio station failed to disclose Phoenix TV 's `` extensive role '' in producing content , an FCC spokesperson told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` It was a violation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has ties to the Chinese government , not to be included on the application filed with the Commission .
Therefore , the application was deficient and was dismissed . ''
Phoenix TV used Mexican radio towers to skirt U.S. laws barring the dissemination of foreign propaganda in America .
The FCC ’ s ruling is a sign the Trump administration seeks to more aggressively police these types of outlets , which for years have operated with little oversight .
Congress has moved in recent months to crack down on a range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that help the Communist regime saturate the American marketplace with state-approved propaganda .
The Free Beacon first reported in April that Sen. Ted Cruz ( R. , Texas ) was leading a charge to see the Mexican station shut down over its ties to Phoenix TV .
Cruz introduced legislation exposing how Phoenix TV used a series of corporate cutouts to purchase the Mexican radio station and use its airwaves to broadcast Communist propaganda in the United States .
The legislation would have closed loopholes in the FCC ’ s statutes that permitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Today ’ s decision sends an important message to the world that the U.S. will not allow China to exploit FCC loopholes and spread its propaganda over our airwaves , '' Cruz told the Free Beacon .
`` More importantly , this decision is a critical step in countering the Chinese Communist Party ’ s efforts to control what Americans see , hear , and ultimately think . ''
The FCC ruling accuses XEWW-AM ’ s owners of trying to hide the station 's ties to Phoenix TV .
The station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , did not disclose Phoenix TV ’ s role in producing the station ’ s broadcasts .
The license was rejected on this basis .
While the station can resubmit its application at a later date , it is likely to be rejected due to mounting concerns about Phoenix TV ’ s distribution of Communist regime propaganda .
Cruz first raised concerns with the FCC in 2018 , when the H & H Capital investment group purchased the Mexican station .
H & H , Cruz said , is completely enmeshed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & H is owned in large part by Vivian Huo , a U.S. citizen and Beijing native who formerly worked for several Chinese-run media outlets .

A radio station controlled by the Chinese Communist Party propaganda outlet Phoenix TV has been ordered by the Trump administration to cease its broadcasts within 48 hours.
The Federal Communications Commission ruled on Monday that a Mexico-based radio station owned in part by Phoenix TV—one of the Communist regime’s leading propaganda organs—must end its broadcasts due to its failure to disclose its ties to China.
Prior to the FCC’s ruling, the station was exploiting a loophole that allows content produced in the United States to be broadcast from foreign radio towers, such as those in Mexico. Phoenix TV, which is headquartered in California, produced its content domestically and then used the more powerful Mexican station to broadcast across the U.S. border.
The FCC denied a license for that radio station, XEWW-AM, because it "failed to include in their application a key participant, Phoenix Radio, which produces the Mandarin programming in its studio," the agency disclosed. Phoenix Radio, Phoenix TV's radio affiliate, was using the station to broadcast Chinese propaganda across Southern California, in violation of FCC statutes.
Phoenix TV first found itself in Congress’s crosshairs earlier this year, after one of its reporters confronted President Donald Trump during a White House briefing about the coronavirus pandemic and Chinese government efforts to cover up the illness. The station’s presence at the White House generated concerns about the proliferation of Chinese state-controlled press organs in the United States.
The Mexican radio station failed to disclose Phoenix TV's "extensive role" in producing content, an FCC spokesperson told the Washington Free Beacon. "It was a violation of the Communications Act for that company, which has ties to the Chinese government, not to be included on the application filed with the Commission. Therefore, the application was deficient and was dismissed."
Phoenix TV used Mexican radio towers to skirt U.S. laws barring the dissemination of foreign propaganda in America. The FCC’s ruling is a sign the Trump administration seeks to more aggressively police these types of outlets, which for years have operated with little oversight. Congress has moved in recent months to crack down on a range of Chinese broadcasters and social media accounts that help the Communist regime saturate the American marketplace with state-approved propaganda.
The Free Beacon first reported in April that Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) was leading a charge to see the Mexican station shut down over its ties to Phoenix TV. Cruz introduced legislation exposing how Phoenix TV used a series of corporate cutouts to purchase the Mexican radio station and use its airwaves to broadcast Communist propaganda in the United States. The legislation would have closed loopholes in the FCC’s statutes that permitted Phoenix TV to operate in this manner.
"Today’s decision sends an important message to the world that the U.S. will not allow China to exploit FCC loopholes and spread its propaganda over our airwaves," Cruz told the Free Beacon. "More importantly, this decision is a critical step in countering the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think."
The FCC ruling accuses XEWW-AM’s owners of trying to hide the station's ties to Phoenix TV. The station’s license application, the FCC said, did not disclose Phoenix TV’s role in producing the station’s broadcasts. The license was rejected on this basis. While the station can resubmit its application at a later date, it is likely to be rejected due to mounting concerns about Phoenix TV’s distribution of Communist regime propaganda.
Cruz first raised concerns with the FCC in 2018, when the H&H Capital investment group purchased the Mexican station. H&H, Cruz said, is completely enmeshed in Phoenix TV’s operations. H&H is owned in large part by Vivian Huo, a U.S. citizen and Beijing native who formerly worked for several Chinese-run media outlets.


bonginoreport--2020-06-22--Victory! Michigan Drops Lawsuit Against Barber Who Reopened in Defiance Of Governor

The state of Michigan has agreed to drop the lawsuit against a barber who stood in defiance of Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s coronavirus lockdown and refused to close his shop .
Karl Manke , a 77-year-old who has operated his shop in Owosso for 60 years , was granted a full and final dismissal of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ’ lawsuit seeking to shut him down , according to court documents obtained by FOX66 Flint .
MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH BARBER WHO REOPENED IN DEFIANCE OF WHITMER ’ S CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am not a health threat to anyone and that I have a right to continue to cut hair , ” Manke said in a statement issued by his attorney , David A. Kallman , according to MLive.com .
“ The courts have consistently upheld my constitutional rights affirming that the governor ’ s attempts to shut me down were out of line.
” Since reopening his shop May 4 , Manke was issued at least two citations and charged with a misdemeanor and had his license suspended .
But the 77-year-old stood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the state , which claimed he was a danger to public health for operating his shop during the COVID-19 shutdown , and even continued to cut hair .
MICHIGAN GOV .
WHITMER APOLOGIZES AFTER TELLING RESIDENTS TO 'GOOGLE HOW TO DO A HAIRCUT' Manke scored a victory earlier this month after the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously sided with him , ruling that the state appeals court didn ’ t follow proper procedure to make its decision .
A pending appeal in the Michigan Court of Appeals will also be dropped as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local reports .
Manke also had his license reinstated last week when Michigan allowed barbershops and salons to reopen statewide .
Whitmer ’ s executive order had shut those businesses down since March 17 .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP However , Kallman said Manke is still facing misdemeanor criminal charges filed by the Shiawassee County Prosecutor ’ s Office , according to the outlet .
He also said the barber will contest a still-pending formal complaint the state filed against him at a hearing on July 15 .

The state of Michigan has agreed to drop the lawsuit against a barber who stood in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus lockdown and refused to close his shop.
Karl Manke, a 77-year-old who has operated his shop in Owosso for 60 years, was granted a full and final dismissal of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ lawsuit seeking to shut him down, according to court documents obtained by FOX66 Flint.
MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH BARBER WHO REOPENED IN DEFIANCE OF WHITMER’S CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN
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“I am glad the state has finally realized I am not a health threat to anyone and that I have a right to continue to cut hair,” Manke said in a statement issued by his attorney, David A. Kallman, according to MLive.com. “The courts have consistently upheld my constitutional rights affirming that the governor’s attempts to shut me down were out of line.”
Since reopening his shop May 4, Manke was issued at least two citations and charged with a misdemeanor and had his license suspended.
But the 77-year-old stood his ground during the month-long legal battle against the state, which claimed he was a danger to public health for operating his shop during the COVID-19 shutdown, and even continued to cut hair.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
MICHIGAN GOV. WHITMER APOLOGIZES AFTER TELLING RESIDENTS TO 'GOOGLE HOW TO DO A HAIRCUT'
Manke scored a victory earlier this month after the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously sided with him, ruling that the state appeals court didn’t follow proper procedure to make its decision.
A pending appeal in the Michigan Court of Appeals will also be dropped as a result of the agreement, according to local reports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Manke also had his license reinstated last week when Michigan allowed barbershops and salons to reopen statewide. Whitmer’s executive order had shut those businesses down since March 17.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
However, Kallman said Manke is still facing misdemeanor criminal charges filed by the Shiawassee County Prosecutor’s Office, according to the outlet. He also said the barber will contest a still-pending formal complaint the state filed against him at a hearing on July 15.


bonginoreport--2020-06-22--Acting DHS Secretary Says That DACA Will Continue, But We Think It’s Illegal

The Trump Administration will keep DACA operational despite believing the program illegal .
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf vowed on NBC ’ s Meet the Press and CBS ’ Face the Nation he believed the U.S. Supreme Court never declared DACA legal but had issues with its implementation .
From Face the Nation : Well , what I would tell you is that we know that the DACA program is unlawful .
The Supreme Court even this week did not say that the program was lawful .
And in fact , they said that the department has the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t like is the rationale in the way in which we propose to do that .
And I- I find that a little concerning because what we know is the Obama administration created this program out of thin air , did not provide notice and comment before the American public to comment on such a- a monumental decision .
Instead , the president and this administration has laid out a six month phase out program , been very upfront with the American people about how to do that .
Wolf noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ruling , for now .
We ’ ll continue the program as we have over the past two years , continuing to renew those .
But the president ’ s been very clear about wanting to find a lasting solution for these individuals .
He ’ s also directed the department to take a look at the court opinion , take a look at our rationale , and we ’ re doing that as well so that we can , again , wind down this program .
I think it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is an unlawful program .
Wolf ’ s and the Trump Administration ’ s justification fell under the guise of “ it takes a wrong to right another wrong.
” However , the Supreme Court believed otherwise in ruling the Administration violated the Administrative Procedures Act by not allowing public comment ( hot takes from journalists and social media notwithstanding ) .
“ The dispute before the Court is not whether DHS may rescind DACA , ” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion .
“ All parties agree that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primarily about the procedure the agency followed in doing so.
” The Court agreed that some procedures were correctly followed by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions until DHS got involved .
I ’ m partially sympathetic towards the Trump Administration ’ s argument .
The Obama Administration ’ s decision to unilaterally enact DACA exceeded his scope of authority under the Constitution .
The fact he violated the Administrative Procedures Act cinches my opinion despite a compelling argument to the contrary from Ilya Somin at Volokh Conspiracy in 2012 .
Somin saw DACA as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government deciding what crimes are worth pursuing and what aren ’ t due to the leviathan of federal law .
The Trump Administration sees the decision to revoke DACA as legal because it ’ s enforcing the leviathan of federal law .
Both arguments make sense ; however , the federal government needs to play by the rules regardless of the circumstances .
Not doing so only allows the executive to hoard more and more power for itself .
We don ’ t live under an elected monarchy with elected “ advisers ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is simple : Congress…do your job .
Perhaps it ’ s also time to reconsider the plethora of laws on the books and start revoking them , as well , if they have nothing to do with life , liberty , or property .

The Trump Administration will keep DACA operational despite believing the program illegal. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf vowed on NBC’s Meet the Press and CBS’ Face the Nation he believed the U.S. Supreme Court never declared DACA legal but had issues with its implementation. From Face the Nation:
Well, what I would tell you is that we know that the DACA program is unlawful. The Supreme Court even this week did not say that the program was lawful. And in fact, they said that the department has the ability to rescind the program. What they didn’t like is the rationale in the way in which we propose to do that. And I- I find that a little concerning because what we know is the Obama administration created this program out of thin air, did not provide notice and comment before the American public to comment on such a- a monumental decision. Instead, the president and this administration has laid out a six month phase out program, been very upfront with the American people about how to do that.
Wolf noted the agency will follow the high court’s ruling, for now.
We’ll continue the program as we have over the past two years, continuing to renew those. But the president’s been very clear about wanting to find a lasting solution for these individuals. He’s also directed the department to take a look at the court opinion, take a look at our rationale, and we’re doing that as well so that we can, again, wind down this program. I think it’s important to- to remind your viewers this is an unlawful program.
Wolf’s and the Trump Administration’s justification fell under the guise of “it takes a wrong to right another wrong.” However, the Supreme Court believed otherwise in ruling the Administration violated the Administrative Procedures Act by not allowing public comment (hot takes from journalists and social media notwithstanding).
“The dispute before the Court is not whether DHS may rescind DACA,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. “All parties agree that it may. The dispute is instead primarily about the procedure the agency followed in doing so.”
The Court agreed that some procedures were correctly followed by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions until DHS got involved.
The dissent is correct that DACA was rescinded because of the Attorney General’s illegality determination. But nothing about that determination foreclosed or even addressed the options of retaining forbearance or accommodating particular reliance interests. Acting Secretary Duke should have considered those matters but did not. That failure was arbitrary and capricious in violation of the APA.
I’m partially sympathetic towards the Trump Administration’s argument. The Obama Administration’s decision to unilaterally enact DACA exceeded his scope of authority under the Constitution. The fact he violated the Administrative Procedures Act cinches my opinion despite a compelling argument to the contrary from Ilya Somin at Volokh Conspiracy in 2012. Somin saw DACA as legal under the guise of the federal government deciding what crimes are worth pursuing and what aren’t due to the leviathan of federal law. The Trump Administration sees the decision to revoke DACA as legal because it’s enforcing the leviathan of federal law.
Both arguments make sense; however, the federal government needs to play by the rules regardless of the circumstances. Not doing so only allows the executive to hoard more and more power for itself. We don’t live under an elected monarchy with elected “advisers” in Congress.
The solution to this is simple: Congress…do your job. Perhaps it’s also time to reconsider the plethora of laws on the books and start revoking them, as well, if they have nothing to do with life, liberty, or property.


bonginoreport--2020-06-22--Joe Biden Calls on Facebook to Interfere in Elections

This post is authored by Mitch Nemeth It was not long ago that we heard about how nefarious actors and foreign adversaries used social media platforms to allegedly sway elections and voters .
For nearly four years , critics have derided Russian influence by associating an uptick in the number of “ bots ” or “ trolls ” with efforts to promote misinformation .
Now , those same critics are pushing for political interference from the exact same social media platforms , especially Facebook which according to Harvard Law School ’ s Yochai Benkler , “ has become so central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essentially immune to market signals.
” • None Promote “ authoritative and trustworthy sources of election information , rather than the rants of bad actors and conspiracy theorists.
” • None “ Prevent political candidates and PACs from using paid advertising to spread lies and misinformation.
” • None Create clear rules “ applied universally , with no exceptions for the President – that prohibit threats and lies about how to participate in the election.
” These requests are not unusual from progressive politicians .
On the surface , we all agree that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in democratic elections .
After all , a good education and being well-rounded are key to playing your part .
The problem with Biden ’ s request is that it places a burden on Facebook and other social media platforms that does not exist under the law while violating a core tenet of private property rights , namely the ability to operate as one chooses .
Facebook has already taken precautionary measures since the 2016 Presidential Election .
It has a dedicated section of its website that spells out its commitment to securing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s precautions include : 1 ) removing content that violates their Community Standards 2 ) partnering with independent third-party fact checkers 3 ) reducing the distribution of content that is labeled as false by third-party fact checkers 4 ) removing content that mentions incorrect voting information or dissuades individuals from voting 5 ) sending users voter registration and election reminders ahead of election day .
What does the Law Require ?
Social media platforms are regulated under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , other digital content regulations , and under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Deceptive Acts or Practices authority .
However , they are not regulated by the Federal Election Committee ( FEC ) .
Legislators could enact rules that require these platforms to abide by specific guidelines given their far-reaching political implications .
However , the constitutionality of those regulations would be in question .
The First Amendment provides that government shall not infringe on the freedom of speech or freedom of the press .
The Bill of Rights bars government intrusions , not private intrusions .
If the government were to cede some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entities that may in fact make these platforms liable under the “ state action ” doctrine .
Under the Supreme Court ’ s 2019 ruling in Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck , the court held “ that a private entity may be a state actor if it functions in a capacity ‘ traditionally exclusively reserved to the State.
’ ” Social media platform regulation of political speech under FEC rules could be viewed by a court as qualifying the platform as a “ state actor ” thus ensuring that these platforms must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Interestingly enough , Biden is not calling for government rules to regulate political speech on content .
Why is that ?
Biden ’ s staff understands that this type of regulation is likely unconstitutional .
Instead , he calls on Facebook to act “ to improve American democracy rather than as a tool to spread disinformation.
” These moral calls to be advocates of democracy fail to confront the reality : Facebook and other social media platforms are not “ arbiters of truth.
” The platforms can point users to authoritative sources and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of truth are more trust-worthy than others ?
Platforms like Google ’ s search engine also place an emphasis on providing users results based on authoritative sources and other factors .
Strangely enough , Biden is not calling for similar election integrity regulations for Internet search engines like Google , even though evidence exists that Google ’ s search engine manipulation could sway elections more significantly than Facebook ’ s tools .
At the end of the day , much of the progressive scorn for promoting misinformation is political .
The fact of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do have enormous influence over public discussion and dialogue .
According to a 2014 article at The Atlantic , “ the 2000 presidential election…could have been altered by a Facebook election button.
” The author cites a Facebook study , which found that a Facebook “ I ’ m a Voter ” button could shape “ who actually voted to a significant degree.
” As Harvard Law Professor Jonathan Zittrain writes , “ none of these businesses actually promises neutrality in its proprietary algorithms , whatever that would mean in practical terms.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of social media tools and you encounter scenarios where the President of the United States credits social media for his successful Presidential election .
He also conceded that his Twitter allows him to bypass what he describes as the “ fake media out there.
” Social media platforms are tools that can be manipulated for political ends but they are not , in fact , political actors nor should they become political actors or nontraditional election regulators .
Progressive calls for aggressive content filtering are best left to the legislative process , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whereas conservative calls for limiting censorship are best addressed by ensuring that market competition promotes the values of free speech .
The weaponization of social media platforms , which have been characterized by the Supreme Court as “ perhaps the most powerful mechanisms available to a private citizen , ” for political ends is the byproduct of an overly politicized environment .

This post is authored by Mitch Nemeth
It was not long ago that we heard about how nefarious actors and foreign adversaries used social media platforms to allegedly sway elections and voters. For nearly four years, critics have derided Russian influence by associating an uptick in the number of “bots” or “trolls” with efforts to promote misinformation. Now, those same critics are pushing for political interference from the exact same social media platforms, especially Facebook which according to Harvard Law School’s Yochai Benkler, “has become so central to how people communicate…that it’s essentially immune to market signals.”
Joe Biden recently called on Facebook to:
Promote “authoritative and trustworthy sources of election information, rather than the rants of bad actors and conspiracy theorists.” “Promptly remove false, viral information” “Prevent political candidates and PACs from using paid advertising to spread lies and misinformation.” Create clear rules “applied universally, with no exceptions for the President – that prohibit threats and lies about how to participate in the election.”
These requests are not unusual from progressive politicians. On the surface, we all agree that voters should be well-informed prior to participating in democratic elections. After all, a good education and being well-rounded are key to playing your part. The problem with Biden’s request is that it places a burden on Facebook and other social media platforms that does not exist under the law while violating a core tenet of private property rights, namely the ability to operate as one chooses.
Facebook has already taken precautionary measures since the 2016 Presidential Election. It has a dedicated section of its website that spells out its commitment to securing its platform and providing transparency. Facebook’s precautions include: 1) removing content that violates their Community Standards 2) partnering with independent third-party fact checkers 3) reducing the distribution of content that is labeled as false by third-party fact checkers 4) removing content that mentions incorrect voting information or dissuades individuals from voting 5) sending users voter registration and election reminders ahead of election day.
What does the Law Require?
Social media platforms are regulated under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, other digital content regulations, and under the Federal Trade Commission’s Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices authority. However, they are not regulated by the Federal Election Committee (FEC). Legislators could enact rules that require these platforms to abide by specific guidelines given their far-reaching political implications. However, the constitutionality of those regulations would be in question.
The First Amendment provides that government shall not infringe on the freedom of speech or freedom of the press. The Bill of Rights bars government intrusions, not private intrusions. If the government were to cede some of its election integrity regulation to these private entities that may in fact make these platforms liable under the “state action” doctrine. Under the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling in Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck, the court held “that a private entity may be a state actor if it functions in a capacity ‘traditionally exclusively reserved to the State.’”
Social media platform regulation of political speech under FEC rules could be viewed by a court as qualifying the platform as a “state actor” thus ensuring that these platforms must abide by the Bill of Rights. Interestingly enough, Biden is not calling for government rules to regulate political speech on content. Why is that?
Biden’s staff understands that this type of regulation is likely unconstitutional. Instead, he calls on Facebook to act “to improve American democracy rather than as a tool to spread disinformation.” These moral calls to be advocates of democracy fail to confront the reality: Facebook and other social media platforms are not “arbiters of truth.” The platforms can point users to authoritative sources and fact-checkers, but who decides what sources of truth are more trust-worthy than others?
Platforms like Google’s search engine also place an emphasis on providing users results based on authoritative sources and other factors. Strangely enough, Biden is not calling for similar election integrity regulations for Internet search engines like Google, even though evidence exists that Google’s search engine manipulation could sway elections more significantly than Facebook’s tools. At the end of the day, much of the progressive scorn for promoting misinformation is political.
Politicians View Social Media Platforms as an Electoral Boon
The fact of the matter is that social media platforms do have enormous influence over public discussion and dialogue. According to a 2014 article at The Atlantic, “the 2000 presidential election…could have been altered by a Facebook election button.” The author cites a Facebook study, which found that a Facebook “I’m a Voter” button could shape “who actually voted to a significant degree.”
As Harvard Law Professor Jonathan Zittrain writes, “none of these businesses actually promises neutrality in its proprietary algorithms, whatever that would mean in practical terms.” Combine this capability with the successful usage of social media tools and you encounter scenarios where the President of the United States credits social media for his successful Presidential election. He also conceded that his Twitter allows him to bypass what he describes as the “fake media out there.”
Social media platforms are tools that can be manipulated for political ends but they are not, in fact, political actors nor should they become political actors or nontraditional election regulators. Progressive calls for aggressive content filtering are best left to the legislative process, although they violate our tradition of free speech, whereas conservative calls for limiting censorship are best addressed by ensuring that market competition promotes the values of free speech. The weaponization of social media platforms, which have been characterized by the Supreme Court as “perhaps the most powerful mechanisms available to a private citizen,” for political ends is the byproduct of an overly politicized environment.


bonginoreport--2020-06-23--Russia Erects New Statues of Stalin

Russia Erects New Statues of Stalin

The radiant golden domes of the newly constructed Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces loom high over Moscow ’ s Patriot Park .
Also known as the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ , the cathedral was originally scheduled for completion in time for a Victory Day parade on May 9 .
It was to have been a big celebration , in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Russia ’ s triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II .
Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis , the parade and the cathedral ’ s inauguration were delayed until June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorrow marking the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union and the launch of the Great Patriotic War .
Get The Times of Israel 's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up But even prior to its official dedication , the massive structure honoring both Christ ’ s resurrection and Russia ’ s routing of the Nazis in the Great Patriotic War ( Russian link ) had turned into a source of controversy .
By April ’ s end , photos of the cathedral ’ s interior were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featured not only saints and ancient Russian war heroes , but also some familiar faces from the 20th and 21st centuries .
Along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu , one can easily spot Joseph Stalin , the brutal Soviet leader who killed millions of his own citizens during a sadistic era of repression .
Stalin , a would-be priest who once studied in religious seminary in Tiflis ( now Tbilisi , Georgia ) , was a determined enemy of the church and religion in general .
In 1931 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christ the Savior , a majestic Moscow fixture whose construction took 40 years and was initiated by Tsar Alexander I .
It was turned into a swimming pool in 1958 by Nikita Khrushchev , and finally rebuilt between 1995 and 2000 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union .
In 1932 , Stalin launched a ruthless campaign for the eradication of religion .
In 1937 , the Great Purge , orchestrated by Stalin and executed by his loyalists , took the lives of millions of Russian , Ukrainian , Jewish , Tatar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and children , along with many others , including clergy .
Many Russian Christian leaders were signatories to a letter to the Bishop of Moscow protesting Stalin ’ s inclusion in the cathedral mural due to his crimes , but for some time the decision was defended by both the Russian Orthodox Church and the military .
By mid-May the images of both Putin and Stalin had disappeared from the mosaics .
Some segments of the Russian public approved of the move , while many others expressed outrage .
At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entities — the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and South Ossetia — changed the names of their respective capitals , Donetsk and Tskhinvali , to Stalino and Stalinir .
A May 2020 conference entitled “ Reading Stalin , ” whose participants described Stalin as a great political and military leader , garnered nearly half-a-million views on YouTube in just a few days , and a new statue of Stalin was unveiled near the city of Kirov .
Despite Stalin being one of the darkest figures in Russian history , according to a 2018 poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age 24 had never heard of the atrocities committed under his regime .
So why is he currently trending among millions of Russians ?
And equally troubling : Why is the Kremlin promoting his image today , and how will this propaganda continue to affect and shape modern Russia ?
During the years of the perestroika from 1985 to 1991 , when I was growing up in Moscow , it seemed that not a day went by without the release of a new memoir , interview or book about the repression , hunger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beings under Stalin .
It felt like everyone had read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyin ’ s “ The Gulag Archipelago ” and the painful memoirs of Lev Razgon .
Suddenly , things hardly whispered about for decades sprang to life .
It became safe to speak about relatives who disappeared during the horrible purges of 1937 , when people were arrested in the dead of night so as to avoid witnesses .
After interrogations , torture , and speedy trials , some were executed , while others were sent to gulags — notorious forced labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other remote areas .
As the flow of this information increased , statues of Lenin and Stalin were toppled and broken , and people began to talk , reopening old wounds and reaching for forbidden memories .
This is how I learned about the fate of my own grandfather Constantin , my father ’ s father , who was arrested in 1937 and executed in 1938 , as well as the “ Doctors ’ Plot ” of 1951 to 1953 .
The latter was a vicious , anti-Semitic campaign in which thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Victoria — were accused of plotting to poison Stalin .
They lost their jobs and were preparing to be sent to Siberia , until a few weeks after Stalin ’ s death the new Soviet leadership declared the plot a fabrication .
My family ’ s story is shared by thousands , even millions , of other Soviet families .
It is not unique — and this is what makes it even more terrifying .
Three decades after the perestroika , everything has changed .
That era ’ s heroes are now seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what was left of the Soviet empire , while Stalin ’ s legacy regains its old popularity .
According to a 2019 poll conducted by Russia ’ s nonprofit Levada center , a record 70 percent of Russians approved of Stalin ’ s role in Soviet and Russian history .
In 2016 , that number stood at 54 % .
“ By 2010 we already felt the influence of pro-Stalinists on our society , and we sort of understood what was going on , ” said Irina Sherbakova , a Russian historian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights organization Memorial , which has been following the rise of Stalinism in Russia for years .
“ One of the participants in some discussions that we held was a girl whose grandfather was once forcefully exiled by Stalin from Lithuania to Siberia , ” Sherbakova said .
“ She mentioned that in her opinion , Stalin was an ‘ effective manager.
’ This was at a time when Putin used to speak a lot about the need for a strong state with an effective manager — and Stalin quickly became a symbol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose authority was unlimited.
” There has been talk of strong figures since the time of Russian president Boris Yeltsin , Sherbakova said , but even Peter the Great or Ivan the Terrible didn ’ t resonate like Stalin .
This is because Stalin is able to represent strong anti-Western and anti-liberal sentiments without alienating older people who , frustrated by economic decline and corruption , still support a left wing Leninist ideology , she said .
“ Even the church adopted Stalin as a ‘ powerful state ’ symbol , hence the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the icons that bear his image as if he were a saint , ” Sherbakova said .
Each year on October 29 , the official day commemorating the victims of Soviet repression , members of Sherbakova ’ s Memorial organization gather near Lyubyanka — the imposing building in Moscow that once served as KGB headquarters — and read names of the victims out loud .
“ We need to gather permits from 12 different offices , and each year it becomes more and more difficult , but we come back there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were starved , tortured , incarcerated , and murdered , ” said Sherbakova .
The poignant ceremony draws a growing crowd each year .
At the same time , more and more flowers appear every day by Stalin ’ s grave near the Kremlin walls .
“ I have a theory about this kind of Stalinism – when people wear t-shirts with Stalin ’ s image and say that under his rule we were a great empire , ” Olga Bychkova , an influential Russian journalist and host on the Echo of Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel .
“ I believe that it ’ s not necessarily real fascination with Stalinism , but rather a dissatisfaction with today ’ s reality , ” Bychkova said .
Conditions in Russia are currently dire , she said , and people are close to despair — but their dissatisfaction with the status quo can ’ t be addressed by the authorities , who support Putin unconditionally .
“ In a way , infatuation with Stalin is a sublimation of this dissatisfaction , ” Bychkova said .
“ There is no plan today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future .
So they fantasize about the mythological Stalin , whom they deem to be a just leader , who rightly punished the bad guys.
” Her own family barely survived an encounter with this “ justice.
” “ My family had no warm feelings for Stalin , ” Bychkova said .
“ My grandfather Matvei Glikshtein was a military doctor .
He was recruited and sent to war in 1939 during the war with Finland , participated in the liberation of Bucharest and Budapest , and returned home only in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murdered by the Nazis in the city of Rostov in 1942.
” Bychkova said that during the Doctors ’ Plot in 1952 , all of her family ’ s friends were fired from their jobs and some were arrested .
Despite her grandfather ’ s medals and wartime bravery , he was also fired and never regained his former status .
Bychkova ’ s great-uncle was arrested in 1937 for telling a joke about Stalin .
The family still doesn ’ t know what the joke was , she said .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after Stalin ’ s death .
It was there at the camps that he met his wife , who was sent to the gulags at age 17 .
“ There are not enough words to describe what they did to her there , ” Bychkova said .
What they don ’ t know still hurts them The 2018 poll by the VCIOM public opinion research center that found that nearly half of young Russians had never heard of Stalin ’ s purges , can partly explain the late despot ’ s growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a relative who lived through that terrible time ; many never learned about the repression , intentional starvation of peasants , persecution of prisoners of war who were arrested for “ being spies ” when they returned home after the end of WWII , horrific anti-Semitic campaigns , and the regime of fear that ruled the country for so long .
By 2010 many Russian universities were using a textbook that excused the Soviet repression as a “ necessary measure ” and included a false quote attributed to Winston Churchill : “ Stalin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it armed with a nuclear weapon.
” After a public outcry this book was removed from the curriculum , but many others depicting Stalin as an “ effective manager ” with some anger issues remained .
“ My daughter went to school in the 2000s and her textbooks claimed that the victory in WWII was achieved only due to Stalin ’ s talent and stamina .
The kids who read those textbooks are now 25 or 30 today , and if no one told them better , that ’ s the knowledge they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed .
“ There is a problem with how they teach history .
If the narrative is ‘ reforms that coincided with repressions , ’ there is a problem , ” she said .
If textbooks used in schools and universities imply that the atrocities perpetrated by Stalin paled in comparison to such achievements as creating “ the most beautiful metro in the world , ” and victory in the Great Patriotic War , how will young Russians be able to learn about their country ’ s dark past , especially in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Facts are still under wraps and even the official numbers of gulag prisoners and people who were summarily executed are unavailable .
Some historians believe that 5.5 million Soviet citizens went through the conveyor belt of speedy trials , gulags , and executions ; others claim that if one were to include all those forcibly deported and exiled , starved to death , interned in psychiatric hospitals , and maimed , that number would be closer to a stunning 100 million people .
In Facebook groups such as “ Reading Stalin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these numbers .
In thousands of posts , Stalin is portrayed as a strong and just leader who often intervened on behalf of the “ common people ” and even saved them from injustice .
In one such post ( link in Russian ) the author describes how Stalin stepped in to help the starving peasants after receiving a complaint from renowned writer Mikhail Sholokhov .
This is historical revisionism mixed with longing for a mythical , strong-but-just brother-leader who wasn ’ t corrupt like the current leadership .
A simple web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrific details described by Sholokhov — babies who died from the cold , people blamed for hiding flour and forced to die of hunger , and the brutal policies spearheaded by Stalin that led to all this suffering .
Perhaps it was exactly this sort of curiosity that drove Russian YouTube star Yuri Dud to explore the connection between Stalin , repression , and gulags .
In his powerful 2019 documentary , “ Kolyma : The Birthplace of Our Fear , ” Dud says : “ I wanted to understand — where does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from ?
Why are they convinced that acts of courage , no matter how small , are bound to be punished ?
” The documentary was viewed by millions on YouTube and was soon at the center of a vivid discussion on Russia ’ s past .
Dud ’ s generation might know little , but they want to know more , said Sergei Bondarenko , a historian at Memorial who researches the circumstances of arrests and executions during the Stalinist repression of the 1930s .
“ What we witness today is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a label out of Stalin .
Dud ’ s generation , very young people , naturally protest against authority — any authority .
If this symbol is fed to them , they want to know why and what he ’ s all about .
That ’ s why this documentary was born , ” said Bondarenko .
Another recent series , “ Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes , ” aired on the state-run Channel 1 , tells the story of uprooted Tatar woman who was exiled to Siberia .
It also puts Stalin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added more fuel to an already heated discussion .
In the 30 years since I left Russia , many things have changed .
Old , forgotten symbols were resurrected from the ashes of once-powerful forces .
Today I wonder : Will Stalin , the brutal dictator who built a sophisticated machine of death , torture , and forced labor to promote his nationalist agenda , be normalized and accepted by the Russian people and establishment ?
Sherbakova doesn ’ t believe so .
“ [ The authorities ] can not go on like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer real ideology , because in order to mobilize people one needs power and faith , and we have none today .
They also can not recreate Stalin ’ s system of repression — again , due to lack of massive support and faith .
I believe that the surge of Stalin ’ s appeal is past us already , ” she said .
Perhaps .
While working on this feature , I asked my Facebook friends to send me their personal accounts from Stalin ’ s time .
Within an hour I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details about arrests and gulags , fearing for loved ones , and broken lives and families .
For the sake of all of Stalin ’ s victims and their families , for the sake of my own grandfather — who will forever remain a 40-year-old and whose grave is unknown — I do hope that Sherbakova is right .
I fervently hope that nostalgia for the “ glorious past ” and the narrative of an “ efficient manager ” will not be able to silence the truth .
Former MK Ksenia Svetlova is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute for Policy and Strategy and Mitvim Institute .
She contributes regularly to Zman Yisrael , The Times of Israel and Al-Monitor .

The radiant golden domes of the newly constructed Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces loom high over Moscow’s Patriot Park.
Also known as the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, the cathedral was originally scheduled for completion in time for a Victory Day parade on May 9. It was to have been a big celebration, in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Russia’s triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the parade and the cathedral’s inauguration were delayed until June 22 — a day of memory and sorrow marking the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union and the launch of the Great Patriotic War.
But even prior to its official dedication, the massive structure honoring both Christ’s resurrection and Russia’s routing of the Nazis in the Great Patriotic War (Russian link) had turned into a source of controversy.
By April’s end, photos of the cathedral’s interior were leaked to the press. Its mosaics featured not only saints and ancient Russian war heroes, but also some familiar faces from the 20th and 21st centuries. Along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, one can easily spot Joseph Stalin, the brutal Soviet leader who killed millions of his own citizens during a sadistic era of repression.
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Stalin, a would-be priest who once studied in religious seminary in Tiflis (now Tbilisi, Georgia), was a determined enemy of the church and religion in general.
In 1931, Stalin ordered demolished the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, a majestic Moscow fixture whose construction took 40 years and was initiated by Tsar Alexander I. It was turned into a swimming pool in 1958 by Nikita Khrushchev, and finally rebuilt between 1995 and 2000 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
In 1932, Stalin launched a ruthless campaign for the eradication of religion. In 1937, the Great Purge, orchestrated by Stalin and executed by his loyalists, took the lives of millions of Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish, Tatar, Latvian, and Estonian men, women, and children, along with many others, including clergy.
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Many Russian Christian leaders were signatories to a letter to the Bishop of Moscow protesting Stalin’s inclusion in the cathedral mural due to his crimes, but for some time the decision was defended by both the Russian Orthodox Church and the military.
By mid-May the images of both Putin and Stalin had disappeared from the mosaics. Some segments of the Russian public approved of the move, while many others expressed outrage. At the same time, the capitals of two pro-Russian entities — the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and South Ossetia — changed the names of their respective capitals, Donetsk and Tskhinvali, to Stalino and Stalinir.
A May 2020 conference entitled “Reading Stalin,” whose participants described Stalin as a great political and military leader, garnered nearly half-a-million views on YouTube in just a few days, and a new statue of Stalin was unveiled near the city of Kirov.
# Наверное, всем уже известно, что в Кировской области в честь 75-летия Победы был открыт памятник Сталину. Однако… Posted by Евгений Иванов on Thursday, May 28, 2020
Despite Stalin being one of the darkest figures in Russian history, according to a 2018 poll, half of Russian youth up to age 24 had never heard of the atrocities committed under his regime. So why is he currently trending among millions of Russians?
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And equally troubling: Why is the Kremlin promoting his image today, and how will this propaganda continue to affect and shape modern Russia?
Brutal tyrant or ‘effective manager’?
During the years of the perestroika from 1985 to 1991, when I was growing up in Moscow, it seemed that not a day went by without the release of a new memoir, interview or book about the repression, hunger, torture, and extermination of human beings under Stalin.
It felt like everyone had read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyin’s “The Gulag Archipelago” and the painful memoirs of Lev Razgon. Suddenly, things hardly whispered about for decades sprang to life. It became safe to speak about relatives who disappeared during the horrible purges of 1937, when people were arrested in the dead of night so as to avoid witnesses. After interrogations, torture, and speedy trials, some were executed, while others were sent to gulags — notorious forced labor camps in the Urals, Siberia, and other remote areas.
As the flow of this information increased, statues of Lenin and Stalin were toppled and broken, and people began to talk, reopening old wounds and reaching for forbidden memories.
This is how I learned about the fate of my own grandfather Constantin, my father’s father, who was arrested in 1937 and executed in 1938, as well as the “Doctors’ Plot” of 1951 to 1953. The latter was a vicious, anti-Semitic campaign in which thousands of Jewish doctors — including my grandmother Victoria — were accused of plotting to poison Stalin. They lost their jobs and were preparing to be sent to Siberia, until a few weeks after Stalin’s death the new Soviet leadership declared the plot a fabrication.
My family’s story is shared by thousands, even millions, of other Soviet families. It is not unique — and this is what makes it even more terrifying.
Three decades after the perestroika, everything has changed. That era’s heroes are now seen as naive intellectuals or opportunists who destroyed what was left of the Soviet empire, while Stalin’s legacy regains its old popularity.
My family’s story is shared by thousands, even millions, of other Soviet families
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According to a 2019 poll conducted by Russia’s nonprofit Levada center, a record 70 percent of Russians approved of Stalin’s role in Soviet and Russian history. In 2016, that number stood at 54%.
“By 2010 we already felt the influence of pro-Stalinists on our society, and we sort of understood what was going on,” said Irina Sherbakova, a Russian historian, author, and founding member of human rights organization Memorial, which has been following the rise of Stalinism in Russia for years.
“One of the participants in some discussions that we held was a girl whose grandfather was once forcefully exiled by Stalin from Lithuania to Siberia,” Sherbakova said. “She mentioned that in her opinion, Stalin was an ‘effective manager.’ This was at a time when Putin used to speak a lot about the need for a strong state with an effective manager — and Stalin quickly became a symbol of such a state, a leader whose authority was unlimited.”
There has been talk of strong figures since the time of Russian president Boris Yeltsin, Sherbakova said, but even Peter the Great or Ivan the Terrible didn’t resonate like Stalin. This is because Stalin is able to represent strong anti-Western and anti-liberal sentiments without alienating older people who, frustrated by economic decline and corruption, still support a left wing Leninist ideology, she said.
Stalin is able to represent strong anti-Western and anti-liberal sentiments without alienating older people
“Even the church adopted Stalin as a ‘powerful state’ symbol, hence the decision to include him in the cathedral, and the icons that bear his image as if he were a saint,” Sherbakova said.
Each year on October 29, the official day commemorating the victims of Soviet repression, members of Sherbakova’s Memorial organization gather near Lyubyanka — the imposing building in Moscow that once served as KGB headquarters — and read names of the victims out loud.
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“We need to gather permits from 12 different offices, and each year it becomes more and more difficult, but we come back there and read the names of those who were starved, tortured, incarcerated, and murdered,” said Sherbakova.
The poignant ceremony draws a growing crowd each year. At the same time, more and more flowers appear every day by Stalin’s grave near the Kremlin walls.
A different spin
“I have a theory about this kind of Stalinism – when people wear t-shirts with Stalin’s image and say that under his rule we were a great empire,” Olga Bychkova, an influential Russian journalist and host on the Echo of Moscow radio station, told The Times of Israel.
“I believe that it’s not necessarily real fascination with Stalinism, but rather a dissatisfaction with today’s reality,” Bychkova said.
Conditions in Russia are currently dire, she said, and people are close to despair — but their dissatisfaction with the status quo can’t be addressed by the authorities, who support Putin unconditionally.
Infatuation with Stalin is a sublimation of this dissatisfaction
“In a way, infatuation with Stalin is a sublimation of this dissatisfaction,” Bychkova said. “There is no plan today, and nothing better awaits people in the future. So they fantasize about the mythological Stalin, whom they deem to be a just leader, who rightly punished the bad guys.”
Her own family barely survived an encounter with this “justice.”
“My family had no warm feelings for Stalin,” Bychkova said. “My grandfather Matvei Glikshtein was a military doctor. He was recruited and sent to war in 1939 during the war with Finland, participated in the liberation of Bucharest and Budapest, and returned home only in May, 1945. His whole family was murdered by the Nazis in the city of Rostov in 1942.”
Bychkova said that during the Doctors’ Plot in 1952, all of her family’s friends were fired from their jobs and some were arrested. Despite her grandfather’s medals and wartime bravery, he was also fired and never regained his former status.
Bychkova’s great-uncle was arrested in 1937 for telling a joke about Stalin. The family still doesn’t know what the joke was, she said. He was only released from the camps in 1953, after Stalin’s death. It was there at the camps that he met his wife, who was sent to the gulags at age 17.
“There are not enough words to describe what they did to her there,” Bychkova said.
What they don’t know still hurts them
The 2018 poll by the VCIOM public opinion research center that found that nearly half of young Russians had never heard of Stalin’s purges, can partly explain the late despot’s growing approval rate.
Some had never met a relative who lived through that terrible time; many never learned about the repression, intentional starvation of peasants, persecution of prisoners of war who were arrested for “being spies” when they returned home after the end of WWII, horrific anti-Semitic campaigns, and the regime of fear that ruled the country for so long.
By 2010 many Russian universities were using a textbook that excused the Soviet repression as a “necessary measure” and included a false quote attributed to Winston Churchill: “Stalin received Russia with a plow and left it armed with a nuclear weapon.”
After a public outcry this book was removed from the curriculum, but many others depicting Stalin as an “effective manager” with some anger issues remained.
“My daughter went to school in the 2000s and her textbooks claimed that the victory in WWII was achieved only due to Stalin’s talent and stamina. The kids who read those textbooks are now 25 or 30 today, and if no one told them better, that’s the knowledge they have,” said Bychkova.
Sherbakova agreed. “There is a problem with how they teach history. If the narrative is ‘reforms that coincided with repressions,’ there is a problem,” she said.
If textbooks used in schools and universities imply that the atrocities perpetrated by Stalin paled in comparison to such achievements as creating “the most beautiful metro in the world,” and victory in the Great Patriotic War, how will young Russians be able to learn about their country’s dark past, especially in an age of fake news and alternative facts?
Facts are still under wraps and even the official numbers of gulag prisoners and people who were summarily executed are unavailable.
Some historians believe that 5.5 million Soviet citizens went through the conveyor belt of speedy trials, gulags, and executions; others claim that if one were to include all those forcibly deported and exiled, starved to death, interned in psychiatric hospitals, and maimed, that number would be closer to a stunning 100 million people.
In Facebook groups such as “Reading Stalin,” however, there are no trace of these numbers. In thousands of posts, Stalin is portrayed as a strong and just leader who often intervened on behalf of the “common people” and even saved them from injustice.
In one such post (link in Russian) the author describes how Stalin stepped in to help the starving peasants after receiving a complaint from renowned writer Mikhail Sholokhov.
This is historical revisionism mixed with longing for a mythical, strong-but-just brother-leader who wasn’t corrupt like the current leadership
This is historical revisionism mixed with longing for a mythical, strong-but-just brother-leader who wasn’t corrupt like the current leadership. A simple web search will lead the reader to the horrific details described by Sholokhov — babies who died from the cold, people blamed for hiding flour and forced to die of hunger, and the brutal policies spearheaded by Stalin that led to all this suffering.
Perhaps it was exactly this sort of curiosity that drove Russian YouTube star Yuri Dud to explore the connection between Stalin, repression, and gulags. In his powerful 2019 documentary, “Kolyma: The Birthplace of Our Fear,” Dud says: “I wanted to understand — where does the older generation’s fear come from? Why are they convinced that acts of courage, no matter how small, are bound to be punished?”
The documentary was viewed by millions on YouTube and was soon at the center of a vivid discussion on Russia’s past.
Steps to bridge knowledge gap
Dud’s generation might know little, but they want to know more, said Sergei Bondarenko, a historian at Memorial who researches the circumstances of arrests and executions during the Stalinist repression of the 1930s.
“What we witness today is an attempt to normalize this past and to make a label out of Stalin. Dud’s generation, very young people, naturally protest against authority — any authority. If this symbol is fed to them, they want to know why and what he’s all about. That’s why this documentary was born,” said Bondarenko.
Another recent series, “Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes,” aired on the state-run Channel 1, tells the story of uprooted Tatar woman who was exiled to Siberia. It also puts Stalin’s brutality on display and has added more fuel to an already heated discussion.
Normalized brutality?
In the 30 years since I left Russia, many things have changed. Old, forgotten symbols were resurrected from the ashes of once-powerful forces. Today I wonder: Will Stalin, the brutal dictator who built a sophisticated machine of death, torture, and forced labor to promote his nationalist agenda, be normalized and accepted by the Russian people and establishment?
Sherbakova doesn’t believe so. “[The authorities] cannot go on like this for long. They cannot offer real ideology, because in order to mobilize people one needs power and faith, and we have none today. They also cannot recreate Stalin’s system of repression — again, due to lack of massive support and faith. I believe that the surge of Stalin’s appeal is past us already,” she said.
Perhaps. While working on this feature, I asked my Facebook friends to send me their personal accounts from Stalin’s time. Within an hour I received hundreds of stories that included chilling details about arrests and gulags, fearing for loved ones, and broken lives and families.
For the sake of all of Stalin’s victims and their families, for the sake of my own grandfather — who will forever remain a 40-year-old and whose grave is unknown — I do hope that Sherbakova is right. I fervently hope that nostalgia for the “glorious past” and the narrative of an “efficient manager” will not be able to silence the truth.
Former MK Ksenia Svetlova is a journalist and an analyst at the Institute for Policy and Strategy and Mitvim Institute. She contributes regularly to Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel and Al-Monitor.


bonginoreport--2020-06-23--North Korea Will Drop 12 Million Propaganda Leaflets on South

South Korea on Monday urged North Korea to halt plans to drop propaganda leaflets across the rival countries ’ border – the latest episode in increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula .
North Korea says it ’ s already set to drop 12 million leaflets in what would be the largest such psychological campaign against its southern rival , according to the Associated Press .
The leaflets will purportedly be transported by 3,000 balloons and other methods .
Tensions escalated in recent weeks when North Korea said it would disconnect inter-country communication channels , apparently over South Korea civilians dropping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Korea escalated matters last week by blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office on the border .
North Korea also will take other steps toward nullifying 2018 deals to ease tensions at the border .
“ Our plan of distributing the leaflets against the enemy is an eruption of the unquenchable anger of all the people and the whole society , ” the North ’ s official Korean Central News Agency said .
“ The time for retaliatory punishment is drawing near.
” South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo told lawmakers Monday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korean leafleting depends on what delivery equipment the North would use , the wire service also reported .

South Korea on Monday urged North Korea to halt plans to drop propaganda leaflets across the rival countries’ border – the latest episode in increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea says it’s already set to drop 12 million leaflets in what would be the largest such psychological campaign against its southern rival, according to the Associated Press.
The leaflets will purportedly be transported by 3,000 balloons and other methods.
Tensions escalated in recent weeks when North Korea said it would disconnect inter-country communication channels, apparently over South Korea civilians dropping their own leaflets across the border.
North Korea escalated matters last week by blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office on the border.
North Korea also will take other steps toward nullifying 2018 deals to ease tensions at the border.
“Our plan of distributing the leaflets against the enemy is an eruption of the unquenchable anger of all the people and the whole society,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said. “The time for retaliatory punishment is drawing near.”
South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo told lawmakers Monday that how his military respoånds to potential North Korean leafleting depends on what delivery equipment the North would use, the wire service also reported.