therealnews--2020-09-21--US sanctions in Syria are killing people, even if Trump never killed Assad

On Tuesday , Sept.15 , President Donald Trump confirmed longstanding reports that he had at one point in 2017 put forth a plan to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad .
Then-Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis was at the time vehemently opposed to the plan .
According to The Hill , ” The president ’ s disclosure that an assassination operation was discussed came as part of a lengthy diatribe against Mattis , but it confirmed a piece of reporting from 2018 that Trump disputed at the time.
” The reporting in 2018 came from Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in the White House .
But ever since this news broke of Trump confirming the 2018 reports , the mainstream media has been awash with headlines heralding Mattis and others as protecting against President Trump ’ s Syrian assassination plan .
The U.S. mainstream media ’ s analysis of this story , along with U.S. policy in Syria generally , begins and ends with praise of Gen. Mattis .
But the American press has failed to use this opportunity to draw attention to the long-standing and disastrous impacts of U.S. policy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilian impacts of sanctions .
Since 2011 , Assad and other senior Syrian officials have faced harsh U.S. sanctions .
However , as of mid-June , Trump enacted new sanctions applicable to a sweeping array of the Syrian populace .
That includes any Syrian or non-Syrian who aids or does business with the Assad government , or with any entity related to it .
This may , on its face , seem like a constructive policy move considering that Assad and his regime are responsible for the killing thousands of Syrians , over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , according to a press release published on Friday , Sept. 18 , reported on by Human Rights Watch and other media outlets , the government of the Netherlands has decided to use UN Torture Convention in an attempt to hold the Assad regime accountable for the widespread human rights abuses in Syrian prisons .
This action could ultimately help bring a case against the Syrian government in the International Criminal Court .
The problem with the U.S. sanctions on Assad , though , is that they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while destroying the lives of Syrian civilians .
This is according to a new co-written article by Joshua Landis and Steven Simon titled “ The Pointless Cruelty of Trump ’ s New Syria Sanctions.
” We spoke with Landis about the real and lasting impacts of the Trump administration ’ s new sanctions on Syria prior to the news breaking about Trump confirming he had at one point planned to assassinate the Syrian president .
The following is the transcript of an interview with Landis , director of the Center for Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , conducted on Aug. 21 by TRNN producers Andrew Corkery and Steve Horn .
The interview was edited for length and consistency .
Andrew Corkery : Joshua , thank you so much for coming on to discuss the issues involving Syria .
Given what you outlined in your recent article , could you describe the human cost and societal toll of these draconian new sanctions that the United States has put on the state of Syria ?
Joshua Landis : Yes , the last batch of sanctions are devastating , because not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the electric industry , the construction industry .
They are designed , as they ’ re stated , to stop any rebuilding of Syria and reconstruction of Syria in its tracks .
And they apply secondary sanctions .
That means that any Lebanese , Turk , Jordanian , or anybody in the world who gets involved in trying to do these things that could be for purely humanitarian reasons can be sanctioned .
And their bank accounts are frozen .
You know , terrible things can happen to them .
So it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sanctions .
And it ’ s going to mean that Syria remains in the dark because most Syrians only get a few hours of electricity a day .
Schools , half the schools in Syria , are either badly damaged or destroyed .
They ’ re trying to rebuild them and send kids back to school .
It ’ s going to keep people illiterate .
There ’ s not going to be electricity in schools and reconstruction of houses and we know how many houses have been destroyed and how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : six to seven million internally .
And about the same number of people have been forced out of their homes for some period of time and need to rebuild .
I ’ ve been trying to send money to a friend of mine who lives in Deir ez-Zur , Syria .
Deir ez-Zur Syria is along the Euphrates , it ’ s devastated .
He was a refugee four times because he fled from Deir ez-Zur to Raqqa .
When the rebels took over Deir ez-Zur , then ISIS took over Deir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then he had to go to Damascus .
And his family was devastated by this because his income was gone .
They live terribly .
This is an impossible situation .
And this policy is meant to hurt people in Syria .
So there ’ ll be a general uprising against the Assad regime .
And that is the stupidest policy you can imagine .
Because Assad just won a nine year civil war in which half a million people were killed .
He ’ s not going to be thrown out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets .
There ’ s no more opposition left .
They ’ ve either given up their guns [ or ] they ’ ve been defeated by America like ISIS was , which was the biggest chunk of the opposition .
Then there ’ s other groups like the Al Qaeda group that now runs the area of Idlib , Syria , along with a bunch of other militias , but they ’ re nothing compared to what the opposition used to be .
And America abandoned the Syrian opposition , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not going to be an uprising against Assad today .
That policy is not going to work .
So , all it does is destroy the lives of millions of Syrians .
Corkery : It seems like that to some observers of the region and the American public more generally do not view these new sanctions with the same kind of visceral reaction to violent warfare that would be brought on by the presence of U.S. troops .
Could you explain how these sanctions still thrust upon the Syrian people a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I ’ m just going to jump in for a second .
There are historical parallels to be drawn here too because the U.S. for years has had a policy of imposing sanctions on countries all over the world .
For example in the 1970s , then-President Richard Nixon ordered the CIA to “ make the economy scream ” in the country of Chile .
Then later on under the Reagan [ and ] George H.W .
Bush sanctions policies in Latin America in the 1980s economically destroyed a number of countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1990s , there was a sanctions campaign against Iraq , under the Clinton administration , where there was a famous interview on 60 Minutes of then-U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright , where she said that the sanctions that killed half a million Iraqi children “ were worth it.
” So given that historical context , do you see any parallels between sanctions campaigns of previous administrations and these new sanctions on Syria ?
Landis : Absolutely .
Look you know , everybody in Washington , when you say this , they all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is a devastating Syria , but they say , “ Well , it ’ s better than dropping bombs.
” And that ’ s the constant refrain you hear from policymakers in Washington .
And , you know , you might agree with that , although I think about the economic impacts , I think that if you killed , you know , 100 Syrians by dropping bombs on them , it will probably be not as bad as the effect of starving hundreds of thousands of Syrians in this way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t go to schools .
How do schools run electricity ?
You have to have a generator and that takes up lots of petroleum and we have sanctioned any trade on petroleum .
We ’ re doing everything we can to keep them from getting any energy .
So they can ’ t run their electric plants and they can ’ t , you know , they can ’ t get their economy running again .
And I know the Albright interview .
She had to say that because it ’ s her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phrase that ’ s been connected to her name ever since .
You know , she was being honest .
And that ’ s the fact of American policy .
Everybody knows it .
But , you know , they think it ’ s virtue signaling to your partners is what it is , if they ’ re showing the Syrian opposition , and they ’ re showing the world , “ We won ’ t stand for Assad .
We ’ re going to punish him.
” U.S. Secretary of State John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Hillary Rodham Clinton , Colin L. Powell and Madeleine Albright , attends a reception celebrating the completion of the U.S .
Diplomacy Center at the U.S. Department of State in Washington , D.C. on January 10 , 2017 ; Photo Credit : U.S. Department of State .
But of course , you ’ re not punishing Assad .
Assad is going to eat three square meals a day , even if you have to fly it in from Paris .
He is going to live very well and so are the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the poor that don ’ t have guns that are not going to get the food .
It ’ s not the rich .
And , and this policy is , I can ’ t say enough bad things about it , but it ’ s just not good .
It ’ s not good for America .
It ’ s not good for Syrians .
Corkery : To go to a point you brought up in your article , it seems as though this effort by the United States to put these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a geopolitical power play to blunt the Russian and Iranian power brokering ability for any agreement that would in theory lead to the end of the Syrian War and or any potential partition of Syria .
So basically , fostering these new violent sanctions on the Syrian people America attempts to make the political and economic costs of Russia and Iran ’ s continued support of Syrian President Assad absolutely unbearable .
Would you agree with that statement , and if not , why ?
If so , would you expand on that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this situation a bit ?
Landis : Well , you know , let ’ s say we get away from the stated goals of the sanctions .
Which are promoting democracy , getting a political transition going in Syria , and fulfilling UN resolutions about a political process .
These are the stated goals .
But once the special envoy to Syria , James Jeffrey , lets down his guard , as he did at a think tank function the other day , he said , “ Look , my job is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quagmire in Syria .
What does that mean ?
That means to make Syria into a poverty stricken nation , so that Russia and Iran , its two major backers , have to pour money into it and it becomes a millstone around their necks .
And that ’ s , you know , I assume that is sort of the unalloyed justification that many people in Washington would put for it .
You know , you help your friends , Israel and Saudi Arabia and you hurt your enemies , Russia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. is doing .
And if the Syrian people are going to starve in the meantime , that ’ s the problem of their rulers , and their rulers can always leave if they don ’ t like it .
But it ’ s heartless because the rulers aren ’ t going to leave .
We know that .
And , and in a sense , we ’ re setting ourselves up to play a game of chicken with Assad , or with the Iranian government , and or all the governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s gon na blink first when they see Syrians starving .
And we call these governments heartless , no-good tyrants and so forth .
And we expect them to blink ?
Of course we don ’ t .
We ’ re just trying to make the price higher for our enemies , Russia and Iran .
Russian President Vladimir Putin ( l ) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ( r ) in 2018 ; Photo Credit : President of the Russian Federation And you know , the whole world looks at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s why we just got completely humiliated in the UN , by European nations who would not do snapback sanctions on Iran .
Because they see it as heartless .
They see it as counterproductive and it ’ s going to send more waves of refugees right into Europe .
It ’ s not good for anybody .
And it ’ s not good for the United States , that ’ s for sure .
Because if we do crush these countries , let ’ s say we get Iran to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a civil war , because that ’ s the real likelihood of our successful U.S. policy , which is to promote civil war in these countries once they really begin to starve .
And that ’ s what happened to Libya .
That ’ s what ’ s happened in Syria .
That ’ s what ’ s happened in Yemen .
That ’ s what ’ s happened in Afghanistan .
That ’ s what ’ s happened in Iraq .
Why do we expect a democratic government to take over ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ done this five times already .
So you know , if you are really honest with yourself , we are promoting civil wars , that ’ s what U.S. policy is doing .

On Tuesday, Sept.15, President Donald Trump confirmed longstanding reports that he had at one point in 2017 put forth a plan to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Then-Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis was at the time vehemently opposed to the plan.
According to The Hill, ”The president’s disclosure that an assassination operation was discussed came as part of a lengthy diatribe against Mattis, but it confirmed a piece of reporting from 2018 that Trump disputed at the time.” The reporting in 2018 came from Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward and his then newly released book Fear: Trump in the White House.
Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it https://t.co/zilnEaq468 pic.twitter.com/5UBvrHkiWn — The Hill (@thehill) September 15, 2020
But ever since this news broke of Trump confirming the 2018 reports, the mainstream media has been awash with headlines heralding Mattis and others as protecting against President Trump’s Syrian assassination plan. The U.S. mainstream media’s analysis of this story, along with U.S. policy in Syria generally, begins and ends with praise of Gen. Mattis.
But the American press has failed to use this opportunity to draw attention to the long-standing and disastrous impacts of U.S. policy in Syria under successive administrations—in particular, the civilian impacts of sanctions.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad; Photo Credit: President of the Russian Federation
Since 2011, Assad and other senior Syrian officials have faced harsh U.S. sanctions. However, as of mid-June, Trump enacted new sanctions applicable to a sweeping array of the Syrian populace. That includes any Syrian or non-Syrian who aids or does business with the Assad government, or with any entity related to it.
This may, on its face, seem like a constructive policy move considering that Assad and his regime are responsible for the killing thousands of Syrians, over 14,000 of whom were tortured to death.
In fact, according to a press release published on Friday, Sept. 18, reported on by Human Rights Watch and other media outlets, the government of the Netherlands has decided to use UN Torture Convention in an attempt to hold the Assad regime accountable for the widespread human rights abuses in Syrian prisons. This action could ultimately help bring a case against the Syrian government in the International Criminal Court.
BREAKING: The Netherlands decides to use the Torture Convention to demand justice for the widespread brutality documented in Syria’s prisons in an action that could ultimately trigger a case at the the world’s highest court. https://t.co/mrLKlWehkH pic.twitter.com/vf0Xgi1eFI — Balkees Jarrah (@balkeesjarrah) September 18, 2020
The problem with the U.S. sanctions on Assad, though, is that they don’t actually impact him or his leadership directly, while destroying the lives of Syrian civilians. This is according to a new co-written article by Joshua Landis and Steven Simon titled “The Pointless Cruelty of Trump’s New Syria Sanctions.”
“The notion that sanctions work is a pitiless illusion. The fact is those with guns eat first, and competing with Assad over who can hurt Syrian peasants more is a losing game for Washington.”https://t.co/WIdVOiBUPn — Foreign Affairs (@ForeignAffairs) August 17, 2020
We spoke with Landis about the real and lasting impacts of the Trump administration’s new sanctions on Syria prior to the news breaking about Trump confirming he had at one point planned to assassinate the Syrian president.
The following is the transcript of an interview with Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, conducted on Aug. 21 by TRNN producers Andrew Corkery and Steve Horn. The interview was edited for length and consistency.
INTERVIEW:
Andrew Corkery: Joshua, thank you so much for coming on to discuss the issues involving Syria. Given what you outlined in your recent article, could you describe the human cost and societal toll of these draconian new sanctions that the United States has put on the state of Syria?
Joshua Landis: Yes, the last batch of sanctions are devastating, because not only do they target certain industries, like the electric industry, the construction industry. They are designed, as they’re stated, to stop any rebuilding of Syria and reconstruction of Syria in its tracks. And they apply secondary sanctions.
That means that any Lebanese, Turk, Jordanian, or anybody in the world who gets involved in trying to do these things that could be for purely humanitarian reasons can be sanctioned. And their bank accounts are frozen. You know, terrible things can happen to them. So it’s really been a devastating new round of sanctions.
And it’s going to mean that Syria remains in the dark because most Syrians only get a few hours of electricity a day. Schools, half the schools in Syria, are either badly damaged or destroyed. They’re trying to rebuild them and send kids back to school. It’s going to keep people illiterate. There’s not going to be electricity in schools and reconstruction of houses and we know how many houses have been destroyed and how many Syrians have been driven into external flight: six to seven million internally. And about the same number of people have been forced out of their homes for some period of time and need to rebuild.
I’ve been trying to send money to a friend of mine who lives in Deir ez-Zur, Syria. Deir ez-Zur Syria is along the Euphrates, it’s devastated. He was a refugee four times because he fled from Deir ez-Zur to Raqqa. When the rebels took over Deir ez-Zur, then ISIS took over Deir ez-Zur, he went to Aleppo, and then he had to go to Damascus. And his family was devastated by this because his income was gone. They live terribly. This is an impossible situation.
And this policy is meant to hurt people in Syria. So there’ll be a general uprising against the Assad regime. And that is the stupidest policy you can imagine. Because Assad just won a nine year civil war in which half a million people were killed. He’s not going to be thrown out of power by some people demonstrating in the streets. There’s no more opposition left. They’ve either given up their guns [or] they’ve been defeated by America like ISIS was, which was the biggest chunk of the opposition. Then there’s other groups like the Al Qaeda group that now runs the area of Idlib, Syria, along with a bunch of other militias, but they’re nothing compared to what the opposition used to be.
And America abandoned the Syrian opposition, for better or for worse, and there’s not going to be an uprising against Assad today. That policy is not going to work. So, all it does is destroy the lives of millions of Syrians.
Corkery: It seems like that to some observers of the region and the American public more generally do not view these new sanctions with the same kind of visceral reaction to violent warfare that would be brought on by the presence of U.S. troops. Could you explain how these sanctions still thrust upon the Syrian people a systemic level of violence?
Steve Horn: I’m just going to jump in for a second. There are historical parallels to be drawn here too because the U.S. for years has had a policy of imposing sanctions on countries all over the world. For example in the 1970s, then-President Richard Nixon ordered the CIA to “make the economy scream” in the country of Chile.
Then later on under the Reagan [and] George H.W. Bush sanctions policies in Latin America in the 1980s economically destroyed a number of countries, including Nicaragua. Then in the 1990s, there was a sanctions campaign against Iraq, under the Clinton administration, where there was a famous interview on 60 Minutes of then-U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, where she said that the sanctions that killed half a million Iraqi children “were worth it.”
So given that historical context, do you see any parallels between sanctions campaigns of previous administrations and these new sanctions on Syria?
Landis: Absolutely. Look you know, everybody in Washington, when you say this, they all nod their heads. They know that this is a devastating Syria, but they say, “Well, it’s better than dropping bombs.” And that’s the constant refrain you hear from policymakers in Washington.
And, you know, you might agree with that, although I think about the economic impacts, I think that if you killed, you know, 100 Syrians by dropping bombs on them, it will probably be not as bad as the effect of starving hundreds of thousands of Syrians in this way, denying them electricity. They can’t go to schools. How do schools run electricity? You have to have a generator and that takes up lots of petroleum and we have sanctioned any trade on petroleum. We’re doing everything we can to keep them from getting any energy. So they can’t run their electric plants and they can’t, you know, they can’t get their economy running again.
And I know the Albright interview. She had to say that because it’s her policy. But that is the one phrase that’s been connected to her name ever since. You know, she was being honest. And that’s the fact of American policy. Everybody knows it. But, you know, they think it’s virtue signaling to your partners is what it is, if they’re showing the Syrian opposition, and they’re showing the world, “We won’t stand for Assad. We’re going to punish him.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, flanked by former Secretaries of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Colin L. Powell and Madeleine Albright, attends a reception celebrating the completion of the U.S. Diplomacy Center at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on January 10, 2017; Photo Credit: U.S. Department of State.
But of course, you’re not punishing Assad. Assad is going to eat three square meals a day, even if you have to fly it in from Paris. He is going to live very well and so are the people around him. And it’s the poor that don’t have guns that are not going to get the food. It’s not the rich. And, and this policy is, I can’t say enough bad things about it, but it’s just not good. It’s not good for America. It’s not good for Syrians.
Corkery: To go to a point you brought up in your article, it seems as though this effort by the United States to put these sanctions on Syria is in large part a geopolitical power play to blunt the Russian and Iranian power brokering ability for any agreement that would in theory lead to the end of the Syrian War and or any potential partition of Syria. So basically, fostering these new violent sanctions on the Syrian people America attempts to make the political and economic costs of Russia and Iran’s continued support of Syrian President Assad absolutely unbearable. Would you agree with that statement, and if not, why? If so, would you expand on that analysis by talking about the geopolitics of this situation a bit?
Landis: Well, you know, let’s say we get away from the stated goals of the sanctions. Which are promoting democracy, getting a political transition going in Syria, and fulfilling UN resolutions about a political process. These are the stated goals.
But once the special envoy to Syria, James Jeffrey, lets down his guard, as he did at a think tank function the other day, he said, “Look, my job is to create a quagmire in Syria” A quagmire in Syria.
What does that mean? That means to make Syria into a poverty stricken nation, so that Russia and Iran, its two major backers, have to pour money into it and it becomes a millstone around their necks. And that’s, you know, I assume that is sort of the unalloyed justification that many people in Washington would put for it. You know, you help your friends, Israel and Saudi Arabia and you hurt your enemies, Russia and Iran. And that’s what the U.S. is doing. And if the Syrian people are going to starve in the meantime, that’s the problem of their rulers, and their rulers can always leave if they don’t like it.
But it’s heartless because the rulers aren’t going to leave. We know that. And, and in a sense, we’re setting ourselves up to play a game of chicken with Assad, or with the Iranian government, and or all the governments we have sanctions against to see who’s gonna blink first when they see Syrians starving. And we call these governments heartless, no-good tyrants and so forth. And we expect them to blink? Of course we don’t. We’re just trying to make the price higher for our enemies, Russia and Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (l) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (r) in 2018; Photo Credit: President of the Russian Federation
And you know, the whole world looks at this as a destructive policy. That’s why we just got completely humiliated in the UN, by European nations who would not do snapback sanctions on Iran. Because they see it as heartless. They see it as counterproductive and it’s going to send more waves of refugees right into Europe.
It’s not good for anybody. And it’s not good for the United States, that’s for sure. Because if we do crush these countries, let’s say we get Iran to have a major revolt and it breaks out in a civil war, because that’s the real likelihood of our successful U.S. policy, which is to promote civil war in these countries once they really begin to starve. And that’s what happened to Libya. That’s what’s happened in Syria. That’s what’s happened in Yemen. That’s what’s happened in Afghanistan. That’s what’s happened in Iraq.
Why do we expect a democratic government to take over? I mean, we’ve only done this five times already. So you know, if you are really honest with yourself, we are promoting civil wars, that’s what U.S. policy is doing.
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therealnews--2020-09-21--Amy McGrath raised millions after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Is it all wasted?

After the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he would ensure that any nominee of President Donald Trump would be given a floor vote in the Senate .
In response to this announcement and general anxiety about the future of the Supreme Court , Democrats around the country began donating to Senate races in an effort to remove McConnell as majority leader .
By the morning after Ginsburg ’ s death , Democrats had raised nearly $ 31 million for races around the country .
They raised another $ 70.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many prominent Democrats , Lincoln Project Republicans , and celebrities requested that people donate directly to McConnell ’ s opponent in Kentucky , Amy McGrath .
However , political pundits quickly pointed out that donations to this race would likely not make much difference in the outcome because McGrath is losing , and the problems with her campaign are not related to her lack of money .
In addition , there are many races where the Democrat has raised less money and is closer in the polls .
But this did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to McGrath ’ s fighter pilot image , despite the fact that McGrath has described herself as wanting to help President Trump “ drain the swamp.
” In McGrath ’ s last campaign finance report she had raised over $ 46 million , almost $ 10 million more than McConnell .
Even with this huge amount of money , McGrath trails McConnell by 12 % , 53-41 with only 34 % of Kentucky voters having a favorable view of McGrath .
McGrath has been dogged throughout her campaign by complaints from Kentuckians that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to donors outside the state , and their idea of what a Democrat in Kentucky should look like , rather than the actual needs of voters .
McGrath has raised 96.7 % of her campaign money outside of Kentucky , with the top three sources of donations being New York City , Los Angeles , and Washington , D.C .
Similar complaints also were made regarding her 2018 losing campaign for Kentucky ’ s 6th Congressional District , a seat many at the time thought was winnable .
Tom Sexton , a resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the leftist podcast The Trillbilly Worker ’ s Party , expressed frustration with this fundraising first strategy .
“ [ S ] he ’ s being used principally as a fundraising vehicle rather than a serious contender , by Chuck Schumer ’ s own admission he knew she would not be a very strong candidate to beat McConnell , but he knew she could raise a bunch of money mostly from people outside that state , ” said Sexton .
Sexton says he saw a disastrous outreach attempt by McGrath when her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lung disease left them feeling duped by McGrath into appearing in campaign literature .
He believes this speaks to the problem that McGrath has in general of not connecting to Kentucky voters throughout the state : “ McGrath lacks any vision for how we can make people ’ s material conditions better in one of the nation ’ s poorest states .
It ’ s just paying lip service to more tepid , incrementalist reforms that excite nobody .
So all they have to run on is ‘ I ’ m not Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to get it done.
” Tia Kurtsinger-Edison , a teacher and activist with the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression , feels that McGrath has ignored voters and is depending on the Black community to carry her to large margins in Louisville .
“ I have been trained on how to campaign .
One must knock on every door and have one on one conversations especially with the folks [ whose ] votes that are crucial .
I still have not even seen a commercial that shows that , ” Kurtsinger-Edison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time and I truly feel that she assumes Black folks will show up at the polls and vote straight-line .
I guess she has not been paying attention in [ the ] last elections because Black people are not giving their votes out anymore for free.
” McGrath has also alienated many in Kentucky by being slow to respond to the Breonna Taylor shooting and the protests taking place in response .
Her primary opponent , progressive Charles Booker , was very engaged in these protests .
His “ from the hood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young activists by connecting the struggles of poor white working class Kentuckians in Appalachia and poor Black working class people in the West End of Louisville .
Because of this enthusiasm , and despite outspending Booker nearly 3 to 1 , McGrath only managed to defeat Booker in the primary by 2 % .
Jenny Bencomo Suárez , a community organizer who was involved in Booker ’ s campaign , is frustrated about McGrath ’ s lack of engagement with the movement .
“ Much of McGrath ’ s outreach with folks working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after she was called out for not having shown up to any of the protests during the uprisings .
Booker was out with us in the streets , he even got tear gassed as well .
McGrath wouldn ’ t ever stand with Kentuckians like that .
Not many folks are really aware of any kind of connections she ’ s built with folks doing that work , ” said Bencomo Suárez .
Several Black women involved in the Booker campaign have worked with McGrath primarily as a means of harm reduction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have heard from these women that their voices are not being heard in the campaign , particularly in regards to issues of race .
“ I commend their work to trying to reform McGrath however despite the outreach done , primarily towards community leaders , McGrath has failed to inspire anyone , ultimately no one really trusts her , ” said Bencomo Suárez .
Kurtsinger-Edison is equally frustrated with the McGrath campaign ’ s failure to work with the people who have been on the ground .
Activists have occupied “ Injustice Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have hosted a variety of elected officials and politicians , including Booker , Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer , and Kentucky State Representative Attica Scott .
McGrath has yet to visit .
“ All the money in the world will not win you an election if you can not go to marginalized communities and tell them I hear you and I am here to help , ” she said .
Sexton said it seems like Democrats are donating to McGrath primarily because it is the easiest way to feel like they are doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues that impact Kentuckians .
“ Amy McGrath already has an insane war chest and she ’ s trailing by double digits six weeks out , ” said Sexton , “ But I ’ m sure that won ’ t curb the influx of cash to her , because for those California liberals donating to her , it has more to do with just not wanting to do anything , so giving money is the easiest way to buy yourself on to the right side of history ( in their minds ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expresses frustration with the amount of money being collected for McGrath in the wake of Ginsburg ’ s death .
“ I think it ’ s peak liberalism to be giving money to McGrath .
Electoral politics doesn ’ t get the goods , organizing does .
In the middle of a global pandemic with mass unemployment and [ an ] uprising with international implications , the last thing people should [ be ] giving their dollars to is a white woman who already has millions of dollars for her campaign , ” @ @ @ @

After the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he would ensure that any nominee of President Donald Trump would be given a floor vote in the Senate. In response to this announcement and general anxiety about the future of the Supreme Court, Democrats around the country began donating to Senate races in an effort to remove McConnell as majority leader. By the morning after Ginsburg’s death, Democrats had raised nearly $31 million for races around the country. They raised another $70.6 million over the rest of the weekend.
Many prominent Democrats, Lincoln Project Republicans, and celebrities requested that people donate directly to McConnell’s opponent in Kentucky, Amy McGrath. However, political pundits quickly pointed out that donations to this race would likely not make much difference in the outcome because McGrath is losing, and the problems with her campaign are not related to her lack of money. In addition, there are many races where the Democrat has raised less money and is closer in the polls. But this did not dissuade many liberals who have been drawn to McGrath’s fighter pilot image, despite the fact that McGrath has described herself as wanting to help President Trump “drain the swamp.”
In McGrath’s last campaign finance report she had raised over $46 million, almost $10 million more than McConnell. Even with this huge amount of money, McGrath trails McConnell by 12%, 53-41 with only 34% of Kentucky voters having a favorable view of McGrath.
McGrath has been dogged throughout her campaign by complaints from Kentuckians that she has been more focused on appealing to donors outside the state, and their idea of what a Democrat in Kentucky should look like, rather than the actual needs of voters. McGrath has raised 96.7% of her campaign money outside of Kentucky, with the top three sources of donations being New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Similar complaints also were made regarding her 2018 losing campaign for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, a seat many at the time thought was winnable.
Tom Sexton, a resident of Whitesburg and Lexington Kentucky and co-host of the leftist podcast The Trillbilly Worker’s Party, expressed frustration with this fundraising first strategy.
“[S]he’s being used principally as a fundraising vehicle rather than a serious contender, by Chuck Schumer’s own admission he knew she would not be a very strong candidate to beat McConnell, but he knew she could raise a bunch of money mostly from people outside that state,” said Sexton.
Sexton says he saw a disastrous outreach attempt by McGrath when her visit with two coal miners with black lung disease left them feeling duped by McGrath into appearing in campaign literature. He believes this speaks to the problem that McGrath has in general of not connecting to Kentucky voters throughout the state:
“McGrath lacks any vision for how we can make people’s material conditions better in one of the nation’s poorest states. It’s just paying lip service to more tepid, incrementalist reforms that excite nobody. So all they have to run on is ‘I’m not Mitch McConnell’ and that’s not going to get it done.”
Tia Kurtsinger-Edison, a teacher and activist with the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, feels that McGrath has ignored voters and is depending on the Black community to carry her to large margins in Louisville.
“I have been trained on how to campaign. One must knock on every door and have one on one conversations especially with the folks [whose] votes that are crucial. I still have not even seen a commercial that shows that,” Kurtsinger-Edison said. “She is running out of time and I truly feel that she assumes Black folks will show up at the polls and vote straight-line. I guess she has not been paying attention in [the] last elections because Black people are not giving their votes out anymore for free.”
McGrath has also alienated many in Kentucky by being slow to respond to the Breonna Taylor shooting and the protests taking place in response. Her primary opponent, progressive Charles Booker, was very engaged in these protests. His “from the hood to the holler” campaign mobilized many young activists by connecting the struggles of poor white working class Kentuckians in Appalachia and poor Black working class people in the West End of Louisville. Because of this enthusiasm, and despite outspending Booker nearly 3 to 1, McGrath only managed to defeat Booker in the primary by 2%.
McGrath has also alienated many in Kentucky by being slow to respond to the Breonna Taylor shooting and the protests taking place in response.
Jenny Bencomo Suárez, a community organizer who was involved in Booker’s campaign, is frustrated about McGrath’s lack of engagement with the movement.
“Much of McGrath’s outreach with folks working on police reform has largely been performative after she was called out for not having shown up to any of the protests during the uprisings. Booker was out with us in the streets, he even got tear gassed as well. McGrath wouldn’t ever stand with Kentuckians like that. Not many folks are really aware of any kind of connections she’s built with folks doing that work,” said Bencomo Suárez.
Several Black women involved in the Booker campaign have worked with McGrath primarily as a means of harm reduction. However, both Kurtsinger-Edison and Bencomo Suárez have heard from these women that their voices are not being heard in the campaign, particularly in regards to issues of race.
“I commend their work to trying to reform McGrath however despite the outreach done, primarily towards community leaders, McGrath has failed to inspire anyone, ultimately no one really trusts her,” said Bencomo Suárez.
Kurtsinger-Edison is equally frustrated with the McGrath campaign’s failure to work with the people who have been on the ground. Activists have occupied “Injustice Square” in Louisville for over 100 days and have hosted a variety of elected officials and politicians, including Booker, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, and Kentucky State Representative Attica Scott. McGrath has yet to visit.
“All the money in the world will not win you an election if you can not go to marginalized communities and tell them I hear you and I am here to help,” she said.
Sexton said it seems like Democrats are donating to McGrath primarily because it is the easiest way to feel like they are doing something without actually having to engage with issues that impact Kentuckians.
“Amy McGrath already has an insane war chest and she’s trailing by double digits six weeks out,” said Sexton, “But I’m sure that won’t curb the influx of cash to her, because for those California liberals donating to her, it has more to do with just not wanting to do anything, so giving money is the easiest way to buy yourself on to the right side of history (in their minds),” said Sexton.
Bencomo Suárez also expresses frustration with the amount of money being collected for McGrath in the wake of Ginsburg’s death.
“I think it’s peak liberalism to be giving money to McGrath. Electoral politics doesn’t get the goods, organizing does. In the middle of a global pandemic with mass unemployment and [an] uprising with international implications, the last thing people should [be] giving their dollars to is a white woman who already has millions of dollars for her campaign,” said Bencomo Suárez.
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therealnews--2020-09-21--Legendary whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg testifies at Assange extradition hearing

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Marc Steiner is the host of "The Marc Steiner Show" on TRNN. He is a Peabody Award-winning journalist who has spent his life working on social justice issues. He walked his first picket line at age 13, and at age 16 became the youngest person in Maryland arrested at a civil rights protest during the Freedom Rides through Cambridge. As part of the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968, Marc helped organize poor white communities with the Young Patriots, the white Appalachian counterpart to the Black Panthers. Early in his career he counseled at-risk youth in therapeutic settings and founded a theater program in the Maryland State prison system. He also taught theater for 10 years at the Baltimore School for the Arts. From 1993-2018 Marc's signature “Marc Steiner Show” aired on Baltimore’s public radio airwaves, both WYPR—which Marc co-founded—and Morgan State University’s WEAA.
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therealnews--2020-11-16--The American government’s campaign to criminalize BLM

Visual Producer Raised in southern New Jersey outside Philadelphia , and now residing in Baltimore Maryland , Andrew Corkery works as a Visual Producer / Editor/ Researcher for the Real News Network .
Prior to that he worked for nearly four years as Video Editor for CBS 3 Eyewitness News , and an Investigative Journalist for Spirit News both in Philadelphia .
He graduated from Rider University in Lawrenceville , New Jersey in May of 2014 with a Bachelor 's degree in Digital Media .
While in college Andrew completed a media education and co op work program at CAPA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video editor for COAST , a digital strategy and brand film content production company .
Andrew maintains a relentlessly keen interest in all things geopolitics in almost every corner of the globe .
He has since applied this passion and interest to his creative and investigative work as a producer , editor , journalist and videographer .
One of his most impactful pieces focused on a story outlining how to combat Islamophobia in communities across the world , articulating the differences between Radical Islamists and the vast majority of people who follow Islam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuance , both in politics and religion more broadly .
That Story , `` Islam in the Riverwards : PART 1 AND 2 , '' along with `` Being Black in Bridesburg '' , a story highlighting the impacts and legacy of racial injustice in a largely white community within Philadelphia , were both published in Spirit News and later featured in write ups from The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Magazine .
With Andrew 's career expanding experience of living and working abroad in mind , he recognizes the importance of staying connected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew 's work can always be found in uncovering the expansive impact of global events and political issues , while relating them to people 's everyday lives , through the mediums of online video , film and writing .
Finally , Andrew is currently the Lead Singer and Member Manager of a successful original alternative rock band called Shadowplay , based in Mt .
Laurel , NJ , founded in 2008 at Lenape High School .
The band has since performed over 200 shows , including performances at such festivals as SXSW , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guns , Weitz and The Parlor Mob .

Visual Producer (former)
Raised in southern New Jersey outside Philadelphia, and now residing in Baltimore Maryland, Andrew Corkery worked as a Visual Producer / Editor/ Researcher for the Real News Network. Prior to that he worked for nearly four years as Video Editor for CBS 3 Eyewitness News, and an Investigative Journalist for Spirit News both in Philadelphia. He graduated from Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey in May of 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in Digital Media. While in college Andrew completed a media education and co op work program at CAPA London, working as a researcher and video editor for COAST, a digital strategy and brand film content production company.
Andrew maintains a relentlessly keen interest in all things geopolitics in almost every corner of the globe. He has since applied this passion and interest to his creative and investigative work as a producer, editor, journalist and videographer. One of his most impactful pieces focused on a story outlining how to combat Islamophobia in communities across the world, articulating the differences between Radical Islamists and the vast majority of people who follow Islam, while showing the many layers of nuance, both in politics and religion more broadly. That Story, "Islam in the Riverwards: PART 1 AND 2," along with "Being Black in Bridesburg", a story highlighting the impacts and legacy of racial injustice in a largely white community within Philadelphia, were both published in Spirit News and later featured in write ups from The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Magazine.
With Andrew's career expanding experience of living and working abroad in mind, he recognizes the importance of staying connected to the world. The cornerstones of Andrew's work can always be found in uncovering the expansive impact of global events and political issues, while relating them to people's everyday lives, through the mediums of online video, film and writing. Finally, Andrew is currently the Lead Singer and Member Manager of a successful original alternative rock band called Shadowplay, based in Mt. Laurel, NJ, founded in 2008 at Lenape High School. The band has since performed over 200 shows, including performances at such festivals as SXSW, and opening up for bands like Tracy Guns, Weitz and The Parlor Mob.


therealnews--2020-11-16--Florida ‘rights of nature’ amendment protects ecosystems and the right to clean water

Steve Horn is a San Diego-based climate reporter and producer .
He was also a reporter on a part-time basis @ @ @ @ @ , San Marcos , and the San Diego North County region—from mid-2018 until early 2020 @ @ @ @ @ reporter , his work has appeared in The Guardian , Al Jazeera America , The @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin Watch , and other publications .
He worked from 2011-2018 for the climate news @ @ @ @ @ which investigates climate change disinformation and the fossil fuel industry influence campaigns .
His stories @ @ @ @ @ in a U.S. Senate report and mention in outlets such as The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg Businessweek , Mexico ’ s La Jornada , and The Colbert Report .
In @ @ @ @ @ is a competitive distance runner , with a personal best time in the marathon of @ @ @ @ @ .
He also has served on the film screening committee for the Heartland Film Festival @ @ @ @ @ the screening committee for the San Diego International Film Festival .

Steve Horn is a San Diego-based climate reporter and producer. He was also a reporter on a part-time basis for The Coast News—covering Escondido, San Marcos, and the San Diego North County region—from mid-2018 until early 2020.
Also a freelance investigative reporter, his work has appeared in The Guardian, Al Jazeera America, The Intercept, Vice News, Wisconsin Watch, and other publications. He worked from 2011-2018 for the climate news website DeSmog.com, a publication which investigates climate change disinformation and the fossil fuel industry influence campaigns.
His stories and research have received citation in a U.S. Senate report and mention in outlets such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, Mexico’s La Jornada, and The Colbert Report.
In his free time, Steve is a competitive distance runner, with a personal best time in the marathon of 2:43:04 and a 4:43 mile. He also has served on the film screening committee for the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis and serves on the screening committee for the San Diego International Film Festival.