veteranstoday--2020-06-27--NEO-Vltchek: Why is the Ongoing American ‘Revolution’ Bound to Fail?

Observed from outer space , the United States is in a revolutionary turmoil .
Fires are burning , thousands of people are confronting police and other security forces .
There are barricades , banners , posters , and there is rage .
Rage is well justified .
Grievances run deep , through the veins of a confused and socially insecure population , in both cities and the countryside .
Minorities feel and actually are oppressed .
Indeed they have been disgracefully oppressed , since the birth of the country , over two centuries ago ( see my latest report carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some correct words uttered and written ; many appropriate sentiments are expressed .
And yet , and yet… It looks like a revolution , it feels like a revolution , but it is not a revolution .
It definitely is not !
Why ?
An expert on Communist China , a man who spent many years living and writing books about the most populous country on Earth , Jeff Brown , recently voiced something that immediately caught my attention .
He described , accurately , on his China Rising Radio Sinoland , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , United States : “ Protests in the USA , land of Marlboro Man will come to nothing because there is no solidarity , no vision , nor guiding ideology to unite the people in the common struggle against the 1 % .
Just ask the Black Panthers and Mao Zedong.
” This is precisely when ‘ guiding ideology ’ is desperately needed !
But it is nowhere to be found .
For years and decades , the US ( and European ) elites and their mass media , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have been systematically de-politicizing the brains of their citizens .
Pornography , consumerism , and sitcoms instead of deep , philosophical books and films .
Massive – often booze and sex-oriented – travel , instead of roaming the world in search of knowledge , answers , while building bridges between different cultures ( even between those of victims and victimizers ) .
Citizens in the Western countries were told that the ideologies , particularly the left ones , became “ something that belongs to the past , ” “ something heavy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool.
’ Western masses accepted it easily , without realizing that without the left-wing ideologies , there can be no change , no revolution , and no organized opposition to the regime , which has been plundering the world for several hundreds of years .
They were told that Democrats are representing left-wing , and Republicans , right-wing .
Deep inside , many felt it is rubbish .
There is only one right-wing political party in the US – Democrat-Republican one .
But it was better for the great majority just to ignore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flow .
It went so far that most of the people in North America and Europe reached the point when they were not even able to commit themselves to almost anything , anymore , from the Communist movements to marriages and relationships .
I recently described this occurrence in my book “ Revolutionary Optimism , Western Nihilism.
” There are many explanations for this .
One of them : regime created society built on extreme individualism , selfishness , and shallow perception of the world .
To organize , to commit , actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and definitely great dedicated effort to learn ( about the world , a person , or a movement ) and to work hard for a better world .
It is not easy to become a revolutionary when one is positioned on a couch , or a gym , or while banging for hours every day into a smartphone .
The results are sad .
Anarchism , consisting of countless fragmented approaches , is increasingly popular , but it will definitely not change the country .
When leaders of the ‘ revolutionary commune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists and asked about their goals , they could not answer .
These were , undoubtfully , people with good intentions , outraged by racism , and by the killing of innocent people .
But do they have plans , strategy , an organization to overthrow the system which is literally choking billions of lives on all continents ?
Definitely not !
On June 11 , 2020 , RT filed a report about the situation in Seattle : “ A few different organizations have different demands , and no one speaks for everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get together , ” Simone clarified , implying that the much-discussed list of “ demands ” that have circulated for the past few days don ’ t represent the wishes of the entire community .
However , there are a few lines of commonality running through the settlement .
“ Everyone ’ s upset .
We all came here in unity , just over the fact that cops need accountability , ” he said , declaring that his decision to join the demonstration was about “ trying to send a message and get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re here – let ’ s get the dialogue going , ” Simone continued , unwilling to commit to taking over other precincts , expanding the Zone , or any of the ambitious demands made by others in the group.
” Russian Bolsheviks had it clear , and the same could be said about their followers .
Before the 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution , they spent years and decades educating people all over their vast country .
Some of the greatest thinkers and writers , including novelist Maxim Gorky and poet Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project.
” Even simple peasants were easily grasping the reality of their dismal existence while getting inspired by some of the greatest minds of their nation .
If not for the Cold War and West ’ s brutal interference , the Soviet Union would survive and thrive until this day .
The same could be said about the great revolutionary struggles of China , Vietnam , Laos , Cuba , Venezuela , where hundreds of millions of tremendous works of philosophy , fiction and poetry have been distributed , for free , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood and got inspired by them .
In China , in the 1930s , the entire so-called “ Shanghai School of Cinema ” was born , a true socialist-realism movement that helped to educate the Chinese public about the state in which it was forced to exist .
Big and successful revolutions were constructed and then supported by the educated urban and rural poor , who were awaken and consequently outraged by their position in the society .
Unfortunately , the rebellion in the United States is strategically shallow .
There are no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , no extraordinary educators .
Without any doubt , there are clear reasons for rage and resistance .
Racism is one tremendous one .
And , there are other ones : US society , in general , is tired as it is depressed .
As it is confused .
The country is robbing , literally looting the entire Planet .
It tortures people in various countries .
Rainforests are burning in Indonesia , Brazil , and Congo to satisfy demands for more palm oil and other raw materials .
US citizens are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sun does .
They entertain themselves , often living frivolous , empty lives .
And yet , almost no one seems to be happy there ; no one satisfied .
People know something went essentially wrong , but they are not sure precisely what it is .
Or , who should really be blamed ?
There is an acute lack of solidarity .
And everything is happening impromptu .
Are the ‘ members of the majority ’ in the US truly kneeling because they are in unison with the oppressed minorities and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ trying to save their own skin , ” and at the end , keep the status quo intact , as has happened in Australia and their basically insincere “ We Are Sorry !
” 2008 movement ?
There no strong “ front , ” there is no revolutionary program .
It appears that the country is not ready , not prepared , for a huge job of re-defining itself .
Insecurity is due to the lack of free medical care , education , and subsidized housing .
Most of the people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least partially , due to overconsumption of intellectual and emotional junk .
There is plenty of fundamentalist religions , but almost no discussion about how to improve life in this world .
Segregated , atomized , and otherwise , fragmented society seems to be unable to give birth to a truly compassionate , egalitarian national project .
Many US citizens see themselves as “ victims.
” Ethnic minorities definitely are .
Are the others , too ?
Who is the victim , and who is the perpetrator ?
On which side of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compliant and , by global comparison , heavily indulged in overconsumption ?
So far , there is no open discussion on this topic .
In fact , it is being avoided by all means .
There seems to be at least some consensus that 1 % of the richest is to blame , as well as the entire corporate and political system , and also banks .
But what about the majority ; those individuals who keep voting the system , those who are making sure to ignore imperialism , racism , inequality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly now , but they are not .
The very uncomfortable questions they are .
But without asking them , without searching for honest answers , there is no way forward , and no true revolution possible .
The neo-liberal system created entire nations that can not think independently and creatively .
US is definitely one of them .
People were bombarded with propaganda slogans that they are free , enjoying liberties .
But when the day to act arrived , there has been nothing substantial in terms of new , revolutionary ideas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could inspire the nation and the world .
The outrage over the brutal police killing propelled millions of people to the streets .
The mood has been truly rebellious , revolutionary , geared for big changes .
But then , nothing !
Revolution is being postponed .
Opportunities lost .
Postpone by how many years ?
The truth is – there are no shortcuts .
Those who sincerely want to change the United States will have to follow the revolutionary formula from other countries .
The formula is mainly based on education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work for the country and the world , called “ internationalism.
” Unless the US comes up with an absolutely new strategy , formula , but right now , frankly , it seems to be extremely far from coming up with it !
[ First published by NEO – New Eastern Outlook – a journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences ] Andre Vltchek is a philosopher , novelist , filmmaker and investigative journalist .
He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries .
Six of his latest books are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China Belt and Road Initiative ” , “ China and Ecological Civilization ” with John B. Cobb , Jr. , “ Revolutionary Optimism , Western Nihilism ” , a revolutionary novel “ Aurora ” and a bestselling work of political non-fiction : “ Exposing Lies Of The Empire ” .
View his other books here .
Watch Rwanda Gambit , his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky “ On Western Terrorism ” .
Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and Latin America , and continues to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached through his website , his and his Patreon

By Andre Vltchek for VT
Observed from outer space, the United States is in a revolutionary turmoil. Fires are burning, thousands of people are confronting police and other security forces. There are barricades, banners, posters, and there is rage.
Rage is well justified. Grievances run deep, through the veins of a confused and socially insecure population, in both cities and the countryside. Minorities feel and actually are oppressed. Indeed they have been disgracefully oppressed, since the birth of the country, over two centuries ago (see my latest report carried by this magazine).
There are some correct words uttered and written; many appropriate sentiments are expressed.
And yet, and yet… It looks like a revolution, it feels like a revolution, but it is not a revolution. It definitely is not! Why?
*
An expert on Communist China, a man who spent many years living and writing books about the most populous country on Earth, Jeff Brown, recently voiced something that immediately caught my attention. He described, accurately, on his China Rising Radio Sinoland, what has been taking place in his native country, United States:
“Protests in the USA, land of Marlboro Man will come to nothing because there is no solidarity, no vision, nor guiding ideology to unite the people in the common struggle against the 1%. Just ask the Black Panthers and Mao Zedong.”
This is precisely when ‘guiding ideology’ is desperately needed! But it is nowhere to be found.
For years and decades, the US (and European) elites and their mass media, as well as their educational plus ‘entertainment’ outlets, have been systematically de-politicizing the brains of their citizens. Pornography, consumerism, and sitcoms instead of deep, philosophical books and films. Massive – often booze and sex-oriented – travel, instead of roaming the world in search of knowledge, answers, while building bridges between different cultures (even between those of victims and victimizers).
Results are increasingly evident.
Citizens in the Western countries were told that the ideologies, particularly the left ones, became “something that belongs to the past,” “something heavy,” unattractive, and definitely not ‘cool.’ Western masses accepted it easily, without realizing that without the left-wing ideologies, there can be no change, no revolution, and no organized opposition to the regime, which has been plundering the world for several hundreds of years.
They were told that Democrats are representing left-wing, and Republicans, right-wing. Deep inside, many felt it is rubbish. There is only one right-wing political party in the US – Democrat-Republican one. But it was better for the great majority just to ignore its own instincts and swim with the flow.
*
It went so far that most of the people in North America and Europe reached the point when they were not even able to commit themselves to almost anything, anymore, from the Communist movements to marriages and relationships. I recently described this occurrence in my book “Revolutionary Optimism, Western Nihilism.”
There are many explanations for this. One of them: regime created society built on extreme individualism, selfishness, and shallow perception of the world. To organize, to commit, actually requires at least some discipline, effort, and definitely great dedicated effort to learn (about the world, a person, or a movement) and to work hard for a better world. It is not easy to become a revolutionary when one is positioned on a couch, or a gym, or while banging for hours every day into a smartphone.
The results are sad. Anarchism, consisting of countless fragmented approaches, is increasingly popular, but it will definitely not change the country.
When leaders of the ‘revolutionary commune’ in Seattle were approached by sympathetic journalists and asked about their goals, they could not answer. These were, undoubtfully, people with good intentions, outraged by racism, and by the killing of innocent people. But do they have plans, strategy, an organization to overthrow the system which is literally choking billions of lives on all continents? Definitely not!
On June 11, 2020, RT filed a report about the situation in Seattle:
“A few different organizations have different demands, and no one speaks for everyone, but everyone’s trying to get together,” Simone clarified, implying that the much-discussed list of “demands” that have circulated for the past few days don’t represent the wishes of the entire community. However, there are a few lines of commonality running through the settlement.
“Everyone’s upset. We all came here in unity, just over the fact that cops need accountability,” he said, declaring that his decision to join the demonstration was about “trying to send a message and get accountability held.”
“Now we’re here – let’s get the dialogue going,” Simone continued, unwilling to commit to taking over other precincts, expanding the Zone, or any of the ambitious demands made by others in the group.”
*
Russian Bolsheviks had it clear, and the same could be said about their followers. Before the 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution, they spent years and decades educating people all over their vast country. Some of the greatest thinkers and writers, including novelist Maxim Gorky and poet Vladimir Mayakovski, were participating in the “project.” Even simple peasants were easily grasping the reality of their dismal existence while getting inspired by some of the greatest minds of their nation. If not for the Cold War and West’s brutal interference, the Soviet Union would survive and thrive until this day.
The same could be said about the great revolutionary struggles of China, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, Venezuela, where hundreds of millions of tremendous works of philosophy, fiction and poetry have been distributed, for free, to both peasants and workers, who easily understood and got inspired by them. In China, in the 1930s, the entire so-called “Shanghai School of Cinema” was born, a true socialist-realism movement that helped to educate the Chinese public about the state in which it was forced to exist.
Big and successful revolutions were constructed and then supported by the educated urban and rural poor, who were awaken and consequently outraged by their position in the society.
*
Unfortunately, the rebellion in the United States is strategically shallow. There are no great leaders, no cultural figures leading it, no extraordinary educators.
Without any doubt, there are clear reasons for rage and resistance. Racism is one tremendous one.
And, there are other ones: US society, in general, is tired as it is depressed. As it is confused. The country is robbing, literally looting the entire Planet. It tortures people in various countries. Rainforests are burning in Indonesia, Brazil, and Congo to satisfy demands for more palm oil and other raw materials. US citizens are consuming as no other nation under the sun does. They entertain themselves, often living frivolous, empty lives. And yet, almost no one seems to be happy there; no one satisfied.
People know something went essentially wrong, but they are not sure precisely what it is. Or, who should really be blamed?
There is an acute lack of solidarity. And everything is happening impromptu.
Are the ‘members of the majority’ in the US truly kneeling because they are in unison with the oppressed minorities and the brutalized non-Western world? Or are they “trying to save their own skin,” and at the end, keep the status quo intact, as has happened in Australia and their basically insincere “We Are Sorry!” 2008 movement?
There no strong “front,” there is no revolutionary program.
It appears that the country is not ready, not prepared, for a huge job of re-defining itself.
Insecurity is due to the lack of free medical care, education, and subsidized housing. Most of the people are in debt. Depression is, at least partially, due to overconsumption of intellectual and emotional junk. There is plenty of fundamentalist religions, but almost no discussion about how to improve life in this world.
Segregated, atomized, and otherwise, fragmented society seems to be unable to give birth to a truly compassionate, egalitarian national project.
Many US citizens see themselves as “victims.” Ethnic minorities definitely are. Are the others, too? Who is the victim, and who is the perpetrator? On which side of the scales sits a regular middle-class family, compliant and, by global comparison, heavily indulged in overconsumption? So far, there is no open discussion on this topic. In fact, it is being avoided by all means.
There seems to be at least some consensus that 1% of the richest is to blame, as well as the entire corporate and political system, and also banks. But what about the majority; those individuals who keep voting the system, those who are making sure to ignore imperialism, racism, inequality?
Many questions should be asked, particularly now, but they are not. The very uncomfortable questions they are.
But without asking them, without searching for honest answers, there is no way forward, and no true revolution possible.
The neo-liberal system created entire nations that cannot think independently and creatively. US is definitely one of them. People were bombarded with propaganda slogans that they are free, enjoying liberties. But when the day to act arrived, there has been nothing substantial in terms of new, revolutionary ideas. Just one enormous void. Nothing that could inspire the nation and the world.
The outrage over the brutal police killing propelled millions of people to the streets. The mood has been truly rebellious, revolutionary, geared for big changes.
But then, nothing!
Revolution is being postponed. Opportunities lost. Postpone by how many years?
The truth is – there are no shortcuts. Those who sincerely want to change the United States will have to follow the revolutionary formula from other countries. The formula is mainly based on education, knowledge, and determined, selfless work for the country and the world, called “internationalism.”
Unless the US comes up with an absolutely new strategy, formula, but right now, frankly, it seems to be extremely far from coming up with it!
[First published by NEO – New Eastern Outlook – a journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences]


veteranstoday--2020-06-27--Daily Caller, Heartland Institute, American Spectator, Washington Times and other Right Wing outlets

Daily Caller, Heartland Institute, American Spectator, Washington Times and other Right Wing outlets cited in fake Bitcoin payola scam

When federal prosecutors charged Jack Abramoff on Thursday with an illicit conspiracy to promote a cryptocurrency , they alleged that the disgraced lobbyist hired writers to help him with his scheme .
The indictment did not name names .
But new court documents point squarely to an employee of The Daily Caller and other conservative media outlets .
Abramoff , who served almost four years in prison for his wide-ranging Washington influence peddling schemes , found himself in legal hot water again this week for his attempts to promote AML Bitcoin , a supposedly “ anti-money laundering ” cryptocurrency created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of his duties , Abramoff handled promotion for AML Bitcoin and—according to the indictment—secretly arranged payments for writers at several websites to promote the digital coin and its capabilities .
“ Abramoff recruited and paid writers to publish and disseminate , under those writers ’ names , written articles touting AML Bitcoin specifically , as well as to tout the idea of a cryptocurrency that would be fully compliant with [ anti-money-laundering ] and [ know-your-customer ] laws and regulations , ” the Abramoff indictment reads .
“ These articles were published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on well-known news and financial websites .
The recruited writers did not disclose in the published piece that they had been paid by Abramoff or AML Bitcoin to disseminate in the information in the article.
” In a related complaint filed against Andrade and his company , NAC Foundation , SEC attorneys alleged that Abramoff arranged for the publication of articles and even secretly wrote some of them himself , in a bid to exaggerate AML Bitcoin ’ s technical abilities and fool investors .
That complaint also provided some clear breadcrumbs leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the outlets that ran with material paid for by Abramoff and his associates .
As part of their plans to promote AML Bitcoin , Abramoff and Andrade had allegedly cooked up what prosecutors call a “ false rejection plan ” to claim that the NFL and NBC had refused to air a Super Bowl ad for the coin that mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un .

When federal prosecutors charged Jack Abramoff on Thursday with an illicit conspiracy to promote a cryptocurrency, they alleged that the disgraced lobbyist hired writers to help him with his scheme. The indictment did not name names. But new court documents point squarely to an employee of The Daily Caller and other conservative media outlets.
Abramoff, who served almost four years in prison for his wide-ranging Washington influence peddling schemes, found himself in legal hot water again this week for his attempts to promote AML Bitcoin, a supposedly “anti-money laundering” cryptocurrency created by Texan businessman Marcus Andrade.
As part of his duties, Abramoff handled promotion for AML Bitcoin and—according to the indictment—secretly arranged payments for writers at several websites to promote the digital coin and its capabilities.
“Abramoff recruited and paid writers to publish and disseminate, under those writers’ names, written articles touting AML Bitcoin specifically, as well as to tout the idea of a cryptocurrency that would be fully compliant with [anti-money-laundering] and [know-your-customer] laws and regulations,” the Abramoff indictment reads. “These articles were published as opinion editorials or ‘op-eds’ on well-known news and financial websites. The recruited writers did not disclose in the published piece that they had been paid by Abramoff or AML Bitcoin to disseminate in the information in the article.”
In a related complaint filed against Andrade and his company, NAC Foundation, SEC attorneys alleged that Abramoff arranged for the publication of articles and even secretly wrote some of them himself, in a bid to exaggerate AML Bitcoin’s technical abilities and fool investors. That complaint also provided some clear breadcrumbs leading back to the Daily Caller as being among the outlets that ran with material paid for by Abramoff and his associates.
As part of their plans to promote AML Bitcoin, Abramoff and Andrade had allegedly cooked up what prosecutors call a “false rejection plan” to claim that the NFL and NBC had refused to air a Super Bowl ad for the coin that mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-point-to-daily-caller-writer-as-part-of-jack-abramoff-payola-scheme?ref=home?ref=home


veteranstoday--2020-06-27--Black Hole Collides With Mysterious Object

Roughly 780 million years ago and a correspondingly distant 780 million light-years away , a strange stellar object was devoured by a black hole 23 times more massive than the sun .
The strange object defies categorization , being more massive than any known collapsed star and less massive than any black hole ever detected , reports Dennis Overbye for the New York Times .
This places the misfit , still 2.6 times the mass of the sun , squarely in what ’ s called the “ mass gap , ” reports Rafi Letzter for Live Science .
Collapsed stars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out at 2.14 times the mass of the sun and their generally accepted theoretical upper limit is 2.5 solar masses , according to the Times .
Black holes on the other hand don ’ t seem to come smaller than five solar masses .
Part of the significance of this mass gap is that neutron stars and black holes each represent possible outcomes for dying high-mass stars .
The deaths of such stars entail brilliant supernovae that are punctuated in a transformation of the star ’ s remaining hyper-dense core into either a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote Jason Daley for Smithsonian in 2019 .
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Distant Black Hole Collides With a Mysterious Object
by Alex Fox/Smithsonianmag.com
Roughly 780 million years ago and a correspondingly distant 780 million light-years away, a strange stellar object was devoured by a black hole 23 times more massive than the sun. The strange object defies categorization, being more massive than any known collapsed star and less massive than any black hole ever detected, reports Dennis Overbye for the New York Times.
This places the misfit, still 2.6 times the mass of the sun, squarely in what’s called the “mass gap,” reports Rafi Letzter for Live Science. Collapsed stars, called neutron stars, have topped out at 2.14 times the mass of the sun and their generally accepted theoretical upper limit is 2.5 solar masses, according to the Times. Black holes on the other hand don’t seem to come smaller than five solar masses.
Part of the significance of this mass gap is that neutron stars and black holes each represent possible outcomes for dying high-mass stars. The deaths of such stars entail brilliant supernovae that are punctuated in a transformation of the star’s remaining hyper-dense core into either a neutron star or a black hole, wrote Jason Daley for Smithsonian in 2019. ….read more:


veteranstoday--2020-06-27--Is COVID-19 Keeping You Away From Your Doctor?

Health Editor ’ s Note : With the medical safety restrictions placed on the world during this time of pandemic , the more usual diseases and disorders are often going undiagnosed and untreated .
People have been forced to delay important treatments for cancer , heart disease , diabetes , mental health care , etc .
either because those offering the services were unable to deal with face to face issues or because of the patient ’ s fear of contracting COVID-19 at a healthcare facility .
Most healthcare facilities have very adequate and safe routines to ensure the safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , make an appointment if you need to be treated , follow the safety rules and make sure you take care of yourself .
Just because coronavirus has arrived and seems to be in no hurry to leave , does not mean that you can ignore your health .
Seek treatment and stay as healthy as you can possibly be .
People have died by avoiding seeking diagnosis and treatment .
People have died and are at risk to die from issues other than COVID-19 .
Your life is still moving forward…Carol As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge in other health conditions looms The Covid-19 crisis has washed across the United States like a tidal wave .
And experts say it has set the stage for dangerous ripple effects , with Americans suffering from a decline in conditions they are failing to have treated because of the pandemic .
“ There ’ s a huge , massive wave coming up behind us , because people have delayed vital care in terms of cancer , diabetes , and heart disease , ” said Garth Graham , vice president of community health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual Milken Institute conference this week .
The same underlying health conditions , he added , can exacerbate the severity of Covid-19 — particularly if left unchecked .
Graham was joined on the panel by other health leaders who echoed his concerns — and emphasized the importance of people staying in close contact with their physicians .
“ People are ignoring serious things like chest pain and appendicitis that can be treated early and safely , ” said Susan Bailey , president of the American Medical Association .
“ It ’ s important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health providers open — even in the Covid era.
” Telemedicine , in which patients can remotely communicate with their doctors , has expanded substantially during the pandemic .
... .read more :

Health Editor’s Note: With the medical safety restrictions placed on the world during this time of pandemic, the more usual diseases and disorders are often going undiagnosed and untreated. People have been forced to delay important treatments for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mental health care, etc. either because those offering the services were unable to deal with face to face issues or because of the patient’s fear of contracting COVID-19 at a healthcare facility.
Most healthcare facilities have very adequate and safe routines to ensure the safely of patients. Call your healthcare provider, make an appointment if you need to be treated, follow the safety rules and make sure you take care of yourself. Just because coronavirus has arrived and seems to be in no hurry to leave, does not mean that you can ignore your health. Seek treatment and stay as healthy as you can possibly be. People have died by avoiding seeking diagnosis and treatment. People have died and are at risk to die from issues other than COVID-19. Your life is still moving forward…Carol
As wave of Covid-19 cases crashes, a surge in other health conditions looms
by Meghana Keshavan/STAT News
The Covid-19 crisis has washed across the United States like a tidal wave. And experts say it has set the stage for dangerous ripple effects, with Americans suffering from a decline in conditions they are failing to have treated because of the pandemic. “There’s a huge, massive wave coming up behind us, because people have delayed vital care in terms of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease,” said Garth Graham, vice president of community health at CVS Health, speaking at a virtual Milken Institute conference this week. The same underlying health conditions, he added, can exacerbate the severity of Covid-19 — particularly if left unchecked. Graham was joined on the panel by other health leaders who echoed his concerns — and emphasized the importance of people staying in close contact with their physicians. “People are ignoring serious things like chest pain and appendicitis that can be treated early and safely,” said Susan Bailey, president of the American Medical Association. “It’s important to keep the lines of communication with health providers open — even in the Covid era.” Telemedicine, in which patients can remotely communicate with their doctors, has expanded substantially during the pandemic. ....read more:
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator. She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues. Carol’s Archives 2009-2013


veteranstoday--2020-06-26--Coronavirus Pandemic Data: United States

Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus , Ohio and received her diploma as a registered @ @ @ @ @ Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature @ @ @ @ @ of Toledo , College of Nursing , and received a Master ’ s of Nursing @ @ @ @ @ has traveled extensively , is a photographer , and writes on medical issues .
Carol @ @ @ @ @ Katherine , and Stephen – two daughters-in-law ; Suzy and Katie – two granddaughters ; @ @ @ @ @ – and one grandson , Alexander Paul .
She also shares her life with husband @ @ @ @ @ , and two rescue pups .

Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator.
She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues.


veteranstoday--2020-06-26--NC Lt. Gov. May Sue Governor Over Coronavirus Response

NC lieutenant governor warns he may sue governor over coronavirus response North Carolina Lt. Gov .
Dan Forest said in a letter Thursday to Gov .
Roy Cooper that he intends to sue him over his executive orders issued during the coronavirus pandemic .
Forest , a Republican , alleges that Cooper , a Democrat , issued a series of orders without seeking input from the Council of State , a group of 10 lawmakers that includes the secretary of state and attorney general .
“ The Emergency Management Act requires that you seek and receive concurrence from the Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expansive statewide emergency powers of the Governor , ” Forest wrote .
Forest said Cooper consulted the council before issuing a March 17 order prohibiting restaurants from operating dine-in service and proceeded with the mandate anyway after the lawmakers voiced objections .
Cooper has not consulted with the council before issuing a slew of executive orders since then , Forest said .
The most recent mandate came Wednesday when Cooper ordered the wearing of masks in public and extended the second phase of his planned reopening of the state ’ s economy through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , saying “ we don ’ t want to go backward.
” The measure comes as the virus has made a resurgence in several states , erasing months of progress .
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NC lieutenant governor warns he may sue governor over coronavirus response
by Louis Casiano/Fox News
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest said in a letter Thursday to Gov. Roy Cooper that he intends to sue him over his executive orders issued during the coronavirus pandemic.
Forest, a Republican, alleges that Cooper, a Democrat, issued a series of orders without seeking input from the Council of State, a group of 10 lawmakers that includes the secretary of state and attorney general.
“The Emergency Management Act requires that you seek and receive concurrence from the Council of State prior to exercising the most expansive statewide emergency powers of the Governor,” Forest wrote.
Forest said Cooper consulted the council before issuing a March 17 order prohibiting restaurants from operating dine-in service and proceeded with the mandate anyway after the lawmakers voiced objections. Cooper has not consulted with the council before issuing a slew of executive orders since then, Forest said.
The most recent mandate came Wednesday when Cooper ordered the wearing of masks in public and extended the second phase of his planned reopening of the state’s economy through July 17.
Cooper defended the mask order Wednesday, saying “we don’t want to go backward.” The measure comes as the virus has made a resurgence in several states, erasing months of progress.
Read More:


Math is racist!

As Jim W. Dean would have put it , you can ’ t make this stuff up .
We are living in an age where virtually everything can be construed as racism , including mathematics , which we all know is a universal language and which is based on logical and rational patterns .
Rochelle Gutierrez is a math education instructor at the University of Illinois .
Back in 2017 , she promiscuously argued that mathematics “ operates as whiteness ” and is therefore racist .
“ Who gets credit for doing and developing mathematics , who is capable in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the mathematical community is generally viewed as White , ” she said .
[ 1 ] You ain ’ t seen nothing yet .
She moved on to say : “ Are we really that smart just because we do mathematics ?
” [ 2 ] Why the red herring ?
Who ’ s is arguing that ?
You see , Gutierrez can not seriously defend the position that mathematics perpetuates whiteness , and therefore she has to resort to straw man and completely irrelevant subjects in order to distract readers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one is not viewed as mathematical , there will always be a sense of inferiority that can be summoned , ” [ 3 ] she added .
Well , why doesn ’ t she apply the same principle in sports ?
Would any coach in the NFL or the NBA or soccer or baseball or even WNBA even remotely listen to her nonsense ?
Gutierrez then posited a statement that turned out to be self-destruct : “ Things can not be known objectively ; they must be known subjectively.
” [ 4 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known objectively , then the statement that “ things can not be known objectively ” can not be known objectively and is therefore intellectually worthless .
In other words , Gutierrez ’ s entire ideological substratum falls apart with little mental exercise .
The sad thing is that Gutierrez is not some drunken sailor out there who is just tired of living .
She has a B.A .
from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago .
Her dissertation title ?
Beyond Tracking : How the Beliefs , Practices , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Influence Student Advancement .
In any event , Gutierrez wants to keep minority students under her rule and dictatorship .
She wants to manipulate naïve students so that they can not think through serious issues .
She also wants to influence the math curriculum in Washington .
[ 5 ] Unfortunately , this ideology is spreading around the world .
A student of mine cracked me up at the end of this semester by writing “ Black lives matter ” at the bottom of his pre-calculus exam .
He was somewhat shocked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this mumbo jumbo .
As a final note , I wonder what people like Fern Hunt , Mark Dean , Elbert Frank Cox , Katherine Johnson , Valerie Thomas , Lonnie Johnson , Annie Easley , Mae Carol Jemison , Christina Eubanks-Turner , Candice Renee Price , Dionne Price , Chelsea Walton , Talithia Williams , Ulrica Wilson , Edray Herber Goins , Rudy Horne , among countless others , would think of this woman ’ s pernicious ideology .
From 1872 and all the way to 1955 , students at Dunbar High @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
• [ 5 ] This “ math is racist ” ideology is making its rounds in Washington .
“ Is math racist ?
New course outlines prompt conversations about identity , race in Seattle classrooms , ” Seattle Times , October 15 , 2019 ; Elise Takahama , “ Is math racist ?
New course outlines prompt conversations about identity , race in Seattle classrooms , ” Chicago Tribune , October 10 , 2019 .

As Jim W. Dean would have put it, you can’t make this stuff up. We are living in an age where virtually everything can be construed as racism, including mathematics, which we all know is a universal language and which is based on logical and rational patterns.
Rochelle Gutierrez is a math education instructor at the University of Illinois. Back in 2017, she promiscuously argued that mathematics “operates as whiteness” and is therefore racist. “Who gets credit for doing and developing mathematics, who is capable in mathematics, and who is seen as part of the mathematical community is generally viewed as White,” she said.[1]
You ain’t seen nothing yet. She moved on to say: “Are we really that smart just because we do mathematics?”[2] Why the red herring? Who’s is arguing that? You see, Gutierrez cannot seriously defend the position that mathematics perpetuates whiteness, and therefore she has to resort to straw man and completely irrelevant subjects in order to distract readers from her main thesis.
“If one is not viewed as mathematical, there will always be a sense of inferiority that can be summoned,”[3] she added. Well, why doesn’t she apply the same principle in sports? Would any coach in the NFL or the NBA or soccer or baseball or even WNBA even remotely listen to her nonsense?
Gutierrez then posited a statement that turned out to be self-destruct: “Things cannot be known objectively; they must be known subjectively.”[4] Well, if things cannot be known objectively, then the statement that “things cannot be known objectively” cannot be known objectively and is therefore intellectually worthless. In other words, Gutierrez’s entire ideological substratum falls apart with little mental exercise.
The sad thing is that Gutierrez is not some drunken sailor out there who is just tired of living. She has a B.A. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Her dissertation title? Beyond Tracking: How the Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures of High School Mathematics Departments Influence Student Advancement.
In any event, Gutierrez wants to keep minority students under her rule and dictatorship. She wants to manipulate naïve students so that they cannot think through serious issues. She also wants to influence the math curriculum in Washington.[5] Unfortunately, this ideology is spreading around the world. A student of mine cracked me up at the end of this semester by writing “Black lives matter” at the bottom of his pre-calculus exam. He was somewhat shocked to realize that I don’t buy this mumbo jumbo.
As a final note, I wonder what people like Fern Hunt, Mark Dean, Elbert Frank Cox, Katherine Johnson, Valerie Thomas, Lonnie Johnson, Annie Easley, Mae Carol Jemison, Christina Eubanks-Turner, Candice Renee Price, Dionne Price, Chelsea Walton, Talithia Williams, Ulrica Wilson, Edray Herber Goins, Rudy Horne, among countless others, would think of this woman’s pernicious ideology.
From 1872 and all the way to 1955, students at Dunbar High School would have told Gutierrez to shut up.


veteranstoday--2020-06-26--Trump Asks Supreme Court to Strike Down Obamacare Despite Ongoing Pandemic and Recession

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to wipe out Obamacare , arguing that the individual mandate is unconstitutional and that the rest of the law must be struck down with it .
The late-night brief , filed Thursday in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic , carries major implications for the presidential election .
If the justices agree , it would cost an estimated 20 million Americans their insurance coverage and nullify protections for pre-existing conditions .
The Trump administration ’ s brief comes as the U.S. has recorded more than 120,000 deaths from COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Wednesday , the nation hit a new record for the highest daily total of new infections reported with more than 45,500 .
For the roughly 25 million people out of work and collecting jobless benefits , the ACA ’ s marketplaces and Medicaid expansion provide avenues to gain subsidized health insurance with consumer protections .
Trump campaigned in 2016 on repealing the ACA but fell just short in Congress in 2017 .
His legal position is consistent with his determination to undo President Barack Obama ’ s achievements .
White House spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the pandemic does not change the arguments of those opposed to the health care law , calling it ….read more :

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to strike down Obamacare amid pandemic, recession
by Sahil Kapur/NBC news
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to wipe out Obamacare, arguing that the individual mandate is unconstitutional and that the rest of the law must be struck down with it.
The late-night brief, filed Thursday in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, carries major implications for the presidential election. If the justices agree, it would cost an estimated 20 million Americans their insurance coverage and nullify protections for pre-existing conditions.
The Trump administration’s brief comes as the U.S. has recorded more than 120,000 deaths from COVID-19, with nearly 2.5 million confirmed cases. On Wednesday, the nation hit a new record for the highest daily total of new infections reported with more than 45,500. For the roughly 25 million people out of work and collecting jobless benefits, the ACA’s marketplaces and Medicaid expansion provide avenues to gain subsidized health insurance with consumer protections. Trump campaigned in 2016 on repealing the ACA but fell just short in Congress in 2017. His legal position is consistent with his determination to undo President Barack Obama’s achievements. White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement Friday that the pandemic does not change the arguments of those opposed to the health care law, calling it ….read more:
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator. She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues. Carol’s Archives 2009-2013


veteranstoday--2020-06-27--American Taliban: Is Smashing Historic Heritage a Meritorious Act?

In March 2001 , in the mountains northwest of Kabul , the Taliban blew up two colossal statues of Gautama Buddha .
The act was almost universally condemned .
But the Taliban ’ s justification of historic vandalism makes at least as much sense as those offered by today ’ s American Taliban , who are on a nationwide rampage of statue-destruction .
Here in Madison , Wisconsin , confused protesters just destroyed two statues honoring causes they presumably support .
One honored Hans Christian Heg , “ a Norwegian immigrant , activist and abolitionist who led an anti-slave catcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Colonel for the Union army in the Civil War .
He was killed in the Battle of Chickamauga in north Georgia in 1863.
” The other was Miss Forward , an American version of the French goddess of liberty Marianne , symbolizing progressive causes in general and women ’ s rights in particular .
Do the vandals hate anti-slavery martyrs , women ’ s rights , and progressive causes ?
Probably not—unless the hooligans were egged on by Pepe-the-Frog worshipping Proud Boys in black masks posing as Antifa…which , come to think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of monumental proportions .
But I ’ m not sure today ’ s obscurantist left-wing lunatics need pro-Confederacy infiltrators to trick them into doing stupid things .
They seem quite capable of self-directed idiocy .
The current frenzy of iconoclasm pretends to be secular , not religious .
But that is a specious distinction .
Myths , rituals , contagious emotions , collective behaviors , articles of faith , criteria for in-group out-group distinctions—such are the components of religion , and “ secular ” people are by and large just as religious as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t realize it until they have taken Religious Studies 101 .
And even then , they may need a couple of anthropology and social psychology courses before it really sinks in .
Once they realize that their secular progressivist worldview is in fact a religion , not just “ the way things are , ” they face a choice : Double down , retreat into nihilism , or find a better religion .
A good guide to this dilemma from a doubled-down secular-progressivist viewpoint is Ernst Gellner ’ s Postmodernism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that anyone who fully faces the problem will likely either embrace postmodernist nihilism or Islam , but that the correct if least obvious choice is Gellner ’ s own scientistic spin on secularism .
Be that as it may , I think we can agree that frenzies of iconoclasm are inherently religious .
So let ’ s compare the religious justifications for the Taliban ’ s destruction of the Buddha statues with the equally religious justification of the American Taliban ’ s destruction of historic landmarks .
The Taliban based its iconoclasm on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first monotheist , and celebrates his courageous smashing of pagan idols , which nearly led to his execution as a heretic .
( Abraham ’ s would-be executioners did their best to burn him alive , but God bestowed a miracle : The fire became cool and peaceful rather than fatal . )
Late in the Prophet Muhammad ’ s career , after the practically bloodless conquest of pagan Mecca , the Last Prophet repeated Abraham ’ s act , smashing the idols that had defaced the world ’ s primordial sanctuary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iconoclasm , like Christian and Jewish iconoclasm , must be viewed in the context of monotheism ’ s struggle with pagan communities whose central rites always involved making sacrifices—ultimately human sacrifices—to their small-g gods .
Though some pagan communities gradually substituted animal sacrifices , the anthropological evidence strongly suggests that all pagan sacrifices were originally human sacrifices .
During the period of the emergence of monotheism , it was normal , indeed normative and often religiously required , for parents to sacrifice their children by burning them to death inside a statue of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survives today at Bohemian Grove , where the official story holds that children are only symbolically sacrificed to Moloch in the cremation-of-care ritual .
Whistleblowers and conspiracy theorists , for their part , claim children are raped , abused , and sacrificed at the Grove in activities that make Jeffrey Epstein ’ s Mossad blackmail schemes look tame and wholesome by comparison .
Likewise , in pagan Mecca , female children were routinely sacrificed by being buried alive .
Such killings were condoned by the gods who supposedly inhabited the pagan idols in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacrifices there .
Pagans believed that killing someone or something in front of a statue somehow nourished the god inside , who would reciprocally bestow worldly wealth , power , and/or pleasure upon the person performing the sacrifice .
Today human sacrifice to these gods-with-a-small-g is still practiced , albeit covertly , in West Africa , North Africa , Latin America , and elsewhere , possibly including Bohemian Grove .
( While doing Ph.D. research in Morocco I heard credible accounts of satanic sorcerers sacrificing children to deities in order to learn where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Studies said similar sacrifices are even more widespread and universally acknowledged in Ivory Coast and other West African nations ; and one of my former University of Wisconsin colleagues , Neil Whitehead , died mysteriously after researching similar practices in Latin America . )
René Girard famously argued that universal monotheism , especially Christianity , tends to end such sacrificial rites by fostering identification with victims .
Whether or not you think Girard was on to something—and I definitely do—it ’ s easy to see why so many monotheists , including Muslims , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general , and statue-worship in particular .
So the Taliban might explain their destruction of the Buddha statues as follows : “ We believe the statue-worshippers of old were evil , benighted practitioners of a peculiar institution and evil custom , namely human sacrifice .
Though we realize that most people of this era who revere Buddha statues do not practice human sacrifice , any more than Americans who revere Robert E. Lee statues practice slavery , we think it is important to eliminate remaining vestiges of pro-pagan symbolism .
After all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and undisguised forms all over the world .
By allowing idolatrous statues , we tacitly approve of these atrocities.
” Would the Taliban be right ?
The answer hinges on one ’ s degree of openness to , and tolerance of , viewpoints other than one ’ s own .
Someone who accepts the Taliban ’ s condemnation of idolatry , without regard for other people ’ s perspectives , would agree that the destruction of the Buddha statues made perfect sense .
On the other hand , those of us who see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and who try to honor the Other ’ s worldview by entertaining it and giving it a chance and only suppressing it forcibly as an absolute last resort , must argue that the loss of historical , cultural , and artistic heritage entailed by the destruction of the Buddha statues outweighed the benefits of suppressing whatever vestigial idolatry still inhered in those colossal graven images .
The above also applies to the destruction of American statues by left-wing rioters .
Their secular-progressivist faith , with its Manichean mythos of the Confederacy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Good , demands that monuments to pure evil be abolished .
Such fundamentalist fervor denies the legitimacy , nay the very existence , of viewpoints other than its own .
That some might see the Civil War as primarily about the right of secession rather than slavery simply does not compute to people who unconsciously use their fervent if not hysterical emotions as a Procrustean bed on which reality itself may be stretched into the most self-serving shape .
Likewise the idea that a statue can commemorate historical or cultural heritage , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serving as nothing more than a focus of worship or veneration , seems as foreign to the American Taliban as to their Afghan equivalent .
Since 9/11 , Americans have been indoctrinated into believing that Muslims tend to be intolerant fundamentalists .
But if we compare the global Muslim community ’ s reaction to the destruction of the Buddha statues to Americans ’ reaction to the current rampage by secular-progressivist vandals , Muslims win the tolerance battle hands down .
Most Muslims worldwide opposed the Taliban ’ s act .
Indeed , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities pronounced against the vandalism , to no avail .
Even Mullah Omar wavered , finally deciding to blow up the statues less out of religious fanaticism than as an explosive middle finger to the neo-imperialists who he felt were mistreating his country .
But in today ’ s America , where secular liberal progressivism is no longer a religion of tolerance , it is hard to find mainstream authorities clamoring for the protection of their own national heritage .
Still less are they clamoring for free and fearless speech about these and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strange times when a US president feels the need to issue an executive order demanding that laws against destroying pubic monuments be enforced , when the only mainstream television personality who agrees is a marginalized outlier , and when a perfectly reasonable article like this can only be published at a shadowbanned alternative website .

By Kevin Barrett, VT Editor, for Unz Review
In March 2001, in the mountains northwest of Kabul, the Taliban blew up two colossal statues of Gautama Buddha. The act was almost universally condemned. But the Taliban’s justification of historic vandalism makes at least as much sense as those offered by today’s American Taliban, who are on a nationwide rampage of statue-destruction.
Here in Madison, Wisconsin, confused protesters just destroyed two statues honoring causes they presumably support. One honored Hans Christian Heg, “a Norwegian immigrant, activist and abolitionist who led an anti-slave catcher militia helping slaves escape before serving as a Colonel for the Union army in the Civil War. He was killed in the Battle of Chickamauga in north Georgia in 1863.” The other was Miss Forward, an American version of the French goddess of liberty Marianne, symbolizing progressive causes in general and women’s rights in particular.
Do the vandals hate anti-slavery martyrs, women’s rights, and progressive causes? Probably not—unless the hooligans were egged on by Pepe-the-Frog worshipping Proud Boys in black masks posing as Antifa…which, come to think of it, would be a prank of monumental proportions. But I’m not sure today’s obscurantist left-wing lunatics need pro-Confederacy infiltrators to trick them into doing stupid things. They seem quite capable of self-directed idiocy.
The current frenzy of iconoclasm pretends to be secular, not religious. But that is a specious distinction. Myths, rituals, contagious emotions, collective behaviors, articles of faith, criteria for in-group out-group distinctions—such are the components of religion, and “secular” people are by and large just as religious as “religious” people. They just don’t realize it until they have taken Religious Studies 101. And even then, they may need a couple of anthropology and social psychology courses before it really sinks in. Once they realize that their secular progressivist worldview is in fact a religion, not just “the way things are,” they face a choice: Double down, retreat into nihilism, or find a better religion. A good guide to this dilemma from a doubled-down secular-progressivist viewpoint is Ernst Gellner’s Postmodernism, Reason, and Religion. Gellner argues that anyone who fully faces the problem will likely either embrace postmodernist nihilism or Islam, but that the correct if least obvious choice is Gellner’s own scientistic spin on secularism.
Be that as it may, I think we can agree that frenzies of iconoclasm are inherently religious. So let’s compare the religious justifications for the Taliban’s destruction of the Buddha statues with the equally religious justification of the American Taliban’s destruction of historic landmarks.
The Taliban based its iconoclasm on Islamic scripture, which considers Abraham the first monotheist, and celebrates his courageous smashing of pagan idols, which nearly led to his execution as a heretic. (Abraham’s would-be executioners did their best to burn him alive, but God bestowed a miracle: The fire became cool and peaceful rather than fatal.) Late in the Prophet Muhammad’s career, after the practically bloodless conquest of pagan Mecca, the Last Prophet repeated Abraham’s act, smashing the idols that had defaced the world’s primordial sanctuary of the one and only God.
Islamic iconoclasm, like Christian and Jewish iconoclasm, must be viewed in the context of monotheism’s struggle with pagan communities whose central rites always involved making sacrifices—ultimately human sacrifices—to their small-g gods. Though some pagan communities gradually substituted animal sacrifices, the anthropological evidence strongly suggests that all pagan sacrifices were originally human sacrifices. During the period of the emergence of monotheism, it was normal, indeed normative and often religiously required, for parents to sacrifice their children by burning them to death inside a statue of a hungry pagan god. The rite survives today at Bohemian Grove, where the official story holds that children are only symbolically sacrificed to Moloch in the cremation-of-care ritual. Whistleblowers and conspiracy theorists, for their part, claim children are raped, abused, and sacrificed at the Grove in activities that make Jeffrey Epstein’s Mossad blackmail schemes look tame and wholesome by comparison.
Likewise, in pagan Mecca, female children were routinely sacrificed by being buried alive. Such killings were condoned by the gods who supposedly inhabited the pagan idols in the Kaaba, and who also received sacrifices there. Pagans believed that killing someone or something in front of a statue somehow nourished the god inside, who would reciprocally bestow worldly wealth, power, and/or pleasure upon the person performing the sacrifice. Today human sacrifice to these gods-with-a-small-g is still practiced, albeit covertly, in West Africa, North Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere, possibly including Bohemian Grove. (While doing Ph.D. research in Morocco I heard credible accounts of satanic sorcerers sacrificing children to deities in order to learn where treasure was buried; colleagues in African Studies said similar sacrifices are even more widespread and universally acknowledged in Ivory Coast and other West African nations; and one of my former University of Wisconsin colleagues, Neil Whitehead, died mysteriously after researching similar practices in Latin America.)
René Girard famously argued that universal monotheism, especially Christianity, tends to end such sacrificial rites by fostering identification with victims. Whether or not you think Girard was on to something—and I definitely do—it’s easy to see why so many monotheists, including Muslims, take a dim view of idolatry in general, and statue-worship in particular.
So the Taliban might explain their destruction of the Buddha statues as follows: “We believe the statue-worshippers of old were evil, benighted practitioners of a peculiar institution and evil custom, namely human sacrifice. Though we realize that most people of this era who revere Buddha statues do not practice human sacrifice, any more than Americans who revere Robert E. Lee statues practice slavery, we think it is important to eliminate remaining vestiges of pro-pagan symbolism. After all, pagan sacrifice continues today in both disguised and undisguised forms all over the world. By allowing idolatrous statues, we tacitly approve of these atrocities.”
Would the Taliban be right? The answer hinges on one’s degree of openness to, and tolerance of, viewpoints other than one’s own. Someone who accepts the Taliban’s condemnation of idolatry, without regard for other people’s perspectives, would agree that the destruction of the Buddha statues made perfect sense. On the other hand, those of us who see the world as an inherently pluralistic place, and who try to honor the Other’s worldview by entertaining it and giving it a chance and only suppressing it forcibly as an absolute last resort, must argue that the loss of historical, cultural, and artistic heritage entailed by the destruction of the Buddha statues outweighed the benefits of suppressing whatever vestigial idolatry still inhered in those colossal graven images.
The above also applies to the destruction of American statues by left-wing rioters. Their secular-progressivist faith, with its Manichean mythos of the Confederacy of Absolute Evil versus the Union of Victorious Good, demands that monuments to pure evil be abolished. Such fundamentalist fervor denies the legitimacy, nay the very existence, of viewpoints other than its own. That some might see the Civil War as primarily about the right of secession rather than slavery simply does not compute to people who unconsciously use their fervent if not hysterical emotions as a Procrustean bed on which reality itself may be stretched into the most self-serving shape. Likewise the idea that a statue can commemorate historical or cultural heritage, and itself constitute artistic heritage, rather than serving as nothing more than a focus of worship or veneration, seems as foreign to the American Taliban as to their Afghan equivalent.
Since 9/11, Americans have been indoctrinated into believing that Muslims tend to be intolerant fundamentalists. But if we compare the global Muslim community’s reaction to the destruction of the Buddha statues to Americans’ reaction to the current rampage by secular-progressivist vandals, Muslims win the tolerance battle hands down. Most Muslims worldwide opposed the Taliban’s act. Indeed, the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar among other Muslim authorities pronounced against the vandalism, to no avail. Even Mullah Omar wavered, finally deciding to blow up the statues less out of religious fanaticism than as an explosive middle finger to the neo-imperialists who he felt were mistreating his country.
But in today’s America, where secular liberal progressivism is no longer a religion of tolerance, it is hard to find mainstream authorities clamoring for the protection of their own national heritage. Still less are they clamoring for free and fearless speech about these and other matters. We are living in strange times when a US president feels the need to issue an executive order demanding that laws against destroying pubic monuments be enforced, when the only mainstream television personality who agrees is a marginalized outlier, and when a perfectly reasonable article like this can only be published at a shadowbanned alternative website.


veteranstoday--2020-06-27--Caught! Florida Governor Ordered COVID Deaths ‘Deleted’ and Faked Numbers while State Faces Massive

Caught! Florida Governor Ordered COVID Deaths ‘Deleted’ and Faked Numbers while State Faces Massive Pandemic Backfire

Guardian : Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis ’ s faltering response to soaring new coronavirus numbers in his state is descending into acrimony , after an accusation his administration is “ cooking the books ” in an effort to hide the true impact of the devastating pandemic .
The situation in Florida is part of a widespread surge of infections across broad swathes of the US , especially in states – often run by Republicans – which have rushed to reopen their economies .
So far this month , Florida has seen confirmed cases more than double from 56,000 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on seven of the last 13 days .
Meanwhile , the number of deaths among Florida residents has climbed to almost 3,400 .
Rebekah Jones , who says she was fired from her job in charge of the state ’ s official Covid-19 database in May for refusing to manipulate its figures , claimed on social media to have evidence that employees at Florida ’ s department of health “ have been instructed this week to change the numbers and begin slowly deleting deaths and cases so it looks like Florida is improving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 , like they ’ ve ‘ made it over the hump ’ .
” “ They ’ re only reporting all these cases now so they can restrict reporting next week to make everyone think it ’ s over , ” she said .

Guardian: Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s faltering response to soaring new coronavirus numbers in his state is descending into acrimony, after an accusation his administration is “cooking the books” in an effort to hide the true impact of the devastating pandemic.
Here was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a month ago puffing out his chest about 'successfully' ignoring public health experts. pic.twitter.com/f2epgxe4lI
Do you see what's happening? #Florida is spiking under DeSantis. Republicans are panicking. Texas is slowly turning. Putin is displeased. Pence is worthless. People are dying. #TrumpIsLosing #EndTheNightmare pic.twitter.com/yjyGtDrsZi
https://twitter.com/GeoRebekah/status/1275539491034402821?s=20
The claim from the state’s former leading Covid-19 data scientist comes as Florida smashed its own one-day record for new cases of the disease on Friday with 8,942, after two successive days above 5,000 – by far the highest figures since the pandemic began. BREAKING 3 OF 3 I've independently verified they've deleted at least 1200 cases in the last week.They're only reporting all these cases now so they can restrict reporting next week to make everyone think it's over. I've had two DOH employees in different offices confirm — Rebekah Jones aka #Insubordinate #scientist (@GeoRebekah) June 23, 2020
The situation in Florida is part of a widespread surge of infections across broad swathes of the US, especially in states – often run by Republicans – which have rushed to reopen their economies.
Sean Hannity on May 20: "Florida got it right, Texas got it right … the mob and the media, by the way, you own Governor DeSantis a huge apology" pic.twitter.com/7Ce58CdQtm — Madeline Peltz (@peltzmadeline) June 26, 2020
So far this month, Florida has seen confirmed cases more than double from 56,000 to above 114,000, and set daily records on seven of the last 13 days. Meanwhile, the number of deaths among Florida residents has climbed to almost 3,400.
9,000 new infections today. 29,000 new infections in the last seven days. This is a catastrophic failure, Governor DeSantis. You have betrayed the people of Florida. You will be held accountable.https://t.co/1tbqb1pdwO — Rep. Donna E. Shalala (@RepShalala) June 26, 2020
Rebekah Jones, who says she was fired from her job in charge of the state’s official Covid-19 database in May for refusing to manipulate its figures, claimed on social media to have evidence that employees at Florida’s department of health “have been instructed this week to change the numbers and begin slowly deleting deaths and cases so it looks like Florida is improving next week in the lead-up to July 4, like they’ve ‘made it over the hump’.”
Ron DeSantis didn’t fail Florida because he’s a stupid person. He failed Florida because he is Trump’s little bitch. He refused to listen to science and now we are going to become the next COVID-19 epicenter. #DeSantisFailedFlorida — Mrs. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) June 24, 2020
“They’re only reporting all these cases now so they can restrict reporting next week to make everyone think it’s over,” she said.
Florida is now testing across the board at a 9% positive rate, Orlando International Airport employees tested positive at 50% rate. Meanwhile Governor DeSantis doubles down & says “no way we will lockdown again.” #Floridacoronavirus Save yourself & your family, vote blue Nov. pic.twitter.com/CNCgJdrOD4 — JDP (@petee224) June 17, 2020


veteranstoday--2020-06-27--Kosovan President Puts off Trump Visit Due to Genocide Charges by KSC

RT/Moscow : Of the many criticisms I ’ ve made over the years of international tribunals , the most painful is surely the human cost of the terrible slowness with which they operate .
Unfortunately , there are many examples of trials at international tribunals that drag on for so long that they violate the right to the ‘ prompt ’ appearance before a judge and to a trial ‘ within a reasonable time ’ outlined as basic rights in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 .
I ’ ve often quoted the case of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genocide of 1994 , Augustin Ndindiliyimana , who was arrested in 2000 but acquitted of all charges in 2014 .
That meant an innocent man spent 14 years of his life in prison – time that he ’ ll never get back .
During and after the bombing of Yugoslavia , I drew attention to NATO ’ s war propaganda , which wildly exaggerated and misrepresented atrocities committed by Serb forces against Albanians in Kosovo .
I also drew attention to atrocities committed by the KLA , which NATO propaganda never mentioned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wrote that the KLA was “ a brutal drugs-running terrorist force which is even now carrying out ethnic cleansing by attacking and killing Serbs , Gypsies , Jews , Muslims and ‘ disloyal ’ Albanians.
” As someone who strongly and vocally opposed the NATO attack on Yugoslavia in 1999 , which was justified in the name of ‘ human rights , ’ and as one of the last Western journalists to have met and interviewed the former Yugoslav president , Slobodan Milosevic , in his cell in The Hague , before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he died in custody , it could be expected that I would welcome this announcement .
A sad illustration of this general truth came on June 24 , when it was announced that an obscure international court had indicted the serving president of Kosovo , Hashim Thaci , for murder and war crimes committed in 1998–1999 , when he was commander-in-chief of the Kosovo Liberation Army ( KLA ) .
Mine was a nearly lone voice crying in the wilderness .
In June 1999 , Kosovo was occupied by NATO forces , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the KLA commanders , whom the USA and other Western countries had armed to fight the Serbs , became the new political leaders of the province .
Thaci had been wooed by State Department officials such as James Rubin , the then spokesman , who , after June 1999 , swaggered around Pristina with him , wearing the same gangster uniform of black leather jacket , T-shirt and sunglasses .
He later wowed Washington – a famous picture shows the dashing and tall Thaci kissing the then Secretary of State , Madeleine Albright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the British commander of NATO forces , General Sir Mike Jackson , the French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner , and the American supreme commander of NATO , Wesley Clark .
Less than ten years later , when , in 2008 , again with Western support , Kosovo proclaimed its independence from Serbia – an independence recognized by all but five EU states and , of course , by the USA – Hashim Thaci became prime minister and then president .
He has been in power since then .
It was not until 2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe detailed some of the more gruesome allegations against Thaci and his gang .
The worst was that Serbs had been murdered for their vital organs , which were harvested from the corpses to be sold .
This report led to the creation of a small special tribunal in The Hague , which has now issued the indictment against Thaci .
Unfortunately , the indictment is not yet public , so we have to guess what crimes are in it , but the court ’ s press statement speaks of “ nearly 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement has been that Hashim Thaci has withdrawn from a meeting at the White House , where he was due to discuss a land swap with the Serbian president , Aleksandar Vucic .
The Trump administration had been very keen to broker a deal between the two countries , and this has now suffered a major setback .
It is a textbook case of how , far from promoting peace , the obsessive search for ‘ justice ’ can often be an obstacle to it .
ALSO ON RT.COMKosovo ‘ president ’ cancels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump-sponsored talks still onPersonally , I believe Thaci is guilty , and that Serbia has been the victim of a terrible injustice .
But a prosecution now , even if successful , will not undo the catastrophic physical , economic and political damage done by NATO ’ s crazed bombing of that small country back in 1999 , any more than the acquittal of Ndindiliyimana gave him back the lost years of his life .
Indeed , to ‘ rectify ’ that injustice now , 20 years after the events , is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ title of my book on the Milosevic trial – a travesty .
It would be like glossing over the original injustice and pretending it had been absolved .
Serbia has lost 20 years , like an innocent man sent to prison .
Justice is the award to each person of his due .
It requires the power of the state to be administered : criminals must be punished by force .
International justice is the same : it can exist only if force is used to apply it .
But as Prince Metternich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Vienna , Friedrich von Gentz , wrote , “ It is impossible to accept that a state can voluntarily submit to a sentence by a superior court .
Just as within a state violence often has to be applied to execute law , so in conflicts between peoples it would be necessary to implement judicial decisions by punitive measures .
But a punitive measure against a state is nothing other than war.
” ALSO ON RT.COMUK out , Albania in : Is EU ‘ compensating ’ for Brexit by expanding into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat ’ ?

Mine was a nearly lone voice crying in the wilderness. In June 1999, Kosovo was occupied by NATO forces, after Yugoslavia was bombed into submission, and the KLA commanders, whom the USA and other Western countries had armed to fight the Serbs, became the new political leaders of the province.
Thaci had been wooed by State Department officials such as James Rubin, the then spokesman, who, after June 1999, swaggered around Pristina with him, wearing the same gangster uniform of black leather jacket, T-shirt and sunglasses. He later wowed Washington – a famous picture shows the dashing and tall Thaci kissing the then Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. He was also photographed fraternizing with the British commander of NATO forces, General Sir Mike Jackson, the French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, and the American supreme commander of NATO, Wesley Clark.
Less than ten years later, when, in 2008, again with Western support, Kosovo proclaimed its independence from Serbia – an independence recognized by all but five EU states and, of course, by the USA – Hashim Thaci became prime minister and then president. He has been in power since then.
It was not until 2011 that a report by the Council of Europe detailed some of the more gruesome allegations against Thaci and his gang. The worst was that Serbs had been murdered for their vital organs, which were harvested from the corpses to be sold.
This report led to the creation of a small special tribunal in The Hague, which has now issued the indictment against Thaci. Unfortunately, the indictment is not yet public, so we have to guess what crimes are in it, but the court’s press statement speaks of “nearly 100 murders.”
The immediate effect of this announcement has been that Hashim Thaci has withdrawn from a meeting at the White House, where he was due to discuss a land swap with the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic. The Trump administration had been very keen to broker a deal between the two countries, and this has now suffered a major setback. It is a textbook case of how, far from promoting peace, the obsessive search for ‘justice’ can often be an obstacle to it.
ALSO ON RT.COMKosovo ‘president’ cancels US trip after war crimes indictment but Trump-sponsored talks still onPersonally, I believe Thaci is guilty, and that Serbia has been the victim of a terrible injustice. But a prosecution now, even if successful, will not undo the catastrophic physical, economic and political damage done by NATO’s crazed bombing of that small country back in 1999, any more than the acquittal of Ndindiliyimana gave him back the lost years of his life.
Indeed, to ‘rectify’ that injustice now, 20 years after the events, is not justice but instead – to quote the title of my book on the Milosevic trial – a travesty. It would be like glossing over the original injustice and pretending it had been absolved. Serbia has lost 20 years, like an innocent man sent to prison.
Justice is the award to each person of his due. It requires the power of the state to be administered: criminals must be punished by force. International justice is the same: it can exist only if force is used to apply it.
But as Prince Metternich’s secretary at the 1814 Congress of Vienna, Friedrich von Gentz, wrote, “It is impossible to accept that a state can voluntarily submit to a sentence by a superior court. Just as within a state violence often has to be applied to execute law, so in conflicts between peoples it would be necessary to implement judicial decisions by punitive measures. But a punitive measure against a state is nothing other than war.”
ALSO ON RT.COMUK out, Albania in: Is EU ‘compensating’ for Brexit by expanding into the Balkans or countering an imaginary ‘Russian threat’?
So, just as NATO sought to punish Serbia by force, thereby, in fact, committing a gross injustice, so Thaci’s conviction could occur only if the court wielded police or military power in Kosovo. Thaci and his supporters will resist any attempt to arrest him, so the issue, like all such ultimate political questions, can only be settled by violence. The violence might perhaps be justified if the cause is just. But violence is the opposite of peace. ‘International justice’ is a chimera that excites people’s passions, encourages them to commit violence or wage war, and that should be abandoned. ATTENTION READERS We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion. Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.


veteranstoday--2020-06-28--Neurological and Psychiatric Complications May Come With Coronavirus Infection

New study finds troubling signs of “ brain complications ” in severe COVID-19 cases A new coronavirus study out of the United Kingdom found troubling signs of brain complications in patients with severe COVID-19 .
“ The patients survived , but they survived with residual effects of having had the nervous system affected by this virus , ” Dr. Bob Lahita told CBSN anchors Vladimir Duthiers and Anne-Marie Green on Friday .
The most commonly reported complication was stroke , occurring in 62 % of the patients .
Of the 77 reported stroke cases in the study , 57 were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brain , nine were caused by a brain hemorrhage and one patient ’ s stroke was caused by “ inflammation in the blood vessels of the brain.
” The majority of the strokes occurred in patients age 60 or older .
About a third of patients in the study experienced “ an altered mental state such as brain inflammation , psychosis and dementia-like symptoms , ” including signs of confusion or changes in behavior .
“ Altered mental status is common in patients admitted to hospital with severe infection , ” the study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ READERS Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity .
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New study finds troubling signs of “brain complications” in severe COVID-19 cases
by Elizabeth Elkind/CBS News
A new coronavirus study out of the United Kingdom found troubling signs of brain complications in patients with severe COVID-19.
severe cases coronavirus The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, looked at 153 patients who were hospitalized withof the disease, and found that 125 of them experienced a range of neurological and psychiatric complications that may be linked to the
“The patients survived, but they survived with residual effects of having had the nervous system affected by this virus,” Dr. Bob Lahita told CBSN anchors Vladimir Duthiers and Anne-Marie Green on Friday.
The most commonly reported complication was stroke, occurring in 62% of the patients. Of the 77 reported stroke cases in the study, 57 were caused by a blood clot in the brain, nine were caused by a brain hemorrhage and one patient’s stroke was caused by “inflammation in the blood vessels of the brain.” The majority of the strokes occurred in patients age 60 or older.
About a third of patients in the study experienced “an altered mental state such as brain inflammation, psychosis and dementia-like symptoms,” including signs of confusion or changes in behavior.
“Altered mental status is common in patients admitted to hospital with severe infection,” the study notes, but ….read more:


veteranstoday--2020-06-28--Trump protects Corporate tax cheats to keep their stock prices higher

‘ Unacceptable threat ’ and ‘ provocation ’ : European nations fume after US pulls out of talks on global digital tax [ Editor ’ s Note : The US pulled out of the digital tax talks with Europe when they were at the 11th hour .
Gosh , might it have something to do with Trump ’ s election year worries ?
Internet giants like Google and Facebook have avoided taxation by parking their profits in tax havens , where Ireland is the most popular rabbit hole .
The company revenues are structured to pass all the profits to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a low tax or no tax country .
In this way , the countries where digital profits are generated get screwed out of any possible tax revenue , and the US corporations usually have our government defending their approach , as higher profits push up net worth and stock valuation in the stock market .
Participating politicians are remembered during reelection campaigns , which is the legal way to pay bribes .
Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin gave up the ghost when stating that the US would pick up talks “ later in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
Trump wants the stock market as high as possible so he can take credit for that , and for good reason .
Sitting presidents have almost always been reelected during good economic periods .
Remembering “ It ’ s the economy , stupid.
” The other countries wanted to wrap up the talks , as all are seeking additional revenues to deal with the Covid economic damage , so they can plan their budgets better to revive their economies , which would be good for everyone to get trade going and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we see Trump viewing his own reelection as being at the top of his to do list .
Despite the lockdown on Bolton ’ s book , we will still have the leaks on the juicy parts coming out piecemeal to stretch the story out longer… Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > European nations have blasted Washington ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major overhaul to the taxing of digital giants , which currently move profits into low-tax havens from the places where those profits are actually made .
The plan to impose ‘ digital taxes ’ on companies like Google and Facebook has been championed by the UK , France , Spain and Italy .
Paris , Rome and London have already put in place national laws on how such taxation would be effected .
Talks on the issue have been held under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose jurisdiction some of the biggest digital companies reside , threw the talks into disarray last week after pulling out of negotiations .
US Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin informed his European counterparts about the decision in a letter , media reports revealed on Wednesday .
“ Attempting to rush such difficult negotiations is a distraction from far more important matters , ” Mnuchin was cited by Financial Times as having written .
“ This is a time when governments around the world should focus their attention on dealing with the economic issues resulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message snapped back on Thursday , saying the US was acting unacceptably .
“ This letter is a provocation .
It ’ s a provocation towards all the partners at the OECD when we were centimetres away from a deal on the taxation of digital giants , ” said French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in an interview on France Inter radio .
The organization has 37 member states , but the talks involve nearly 140 countries .
Spanish Finance Minister Maria Jesus Montero said the four European nations will not “ accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
“ We are not legislating to damage the interest of other countries , ” she told Cadena SER radio .
“ We are legislating so that our tax system is orderly , fair and adapted to current circumstances.
” In the letter , Mnuchin said the US was going to resume talks sometime later in the year and said Washington would respond “ with appropriate commensurate measures ” if other nations try to collect digital taxes .
European nations agreed to freeze the collection while the OECD talks are underway .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on French-made goods like champagne as it was preparing to implement its digital tax last year .
Earlier this month it announced a probe into countries wishing to “ unfairly ” collect taxes from digital giants , saying punitive action against them may be taken .
The proposed reform would impose a global minimum corporate tax rate to prevent the shift of profits to tax havens like Ireland , and would award nations some right to tax profits generated under their jurisdiction .
The US indicated it may accept the former proposal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

‘Unacceptable threat’ and ‘provocation’: European nations fume after US pulls out of talks on global digital tax
…from Russia Today, Moscow
[ Editor’s Note: The US pulled out of the digital tax talks with Europe when they were at the 11th hour. Gosh, might it have something to do with Trump’s election year worries?
Internet giants like Google and Facebook have avoided taxation by parking their profits in tax havens, where Ireland is the most popular rabbit hole. The company revenues are structured to pass all the profits to a “home office corporation” incorporated in a low tax or no tax country.
In this way, the countries where digital profits are generated get screwed out of any possible tax revenue, and the US corporations usually have our government defending their approach, as higher profits push up net worth and stock valuation in the stock market. Participating politicians are remembered during reelection campaigns, which is the legal way to pay bribes.
Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin gave up the ghost when stating that the US would pick up talks “later in the year”, meaning after the election.
Trump wants the stock market as high as possible so he can take credit for that, and for good reason. Sitting presidents have almost always been reelected during good economic periods. Remembering “It’s the economy, stupid.”
The other countries wanted to wrap up the talks, as all are seeking additional revenues to deal with the Covid economic damage, so they can plan their budgets better to revive their economies, which would be good for everyone to get trade going and paychecks flowing again.
Once again, we see Trump viewing his own reelection as being at the top of his to do list. Despite the lockdown on Bolton’s book, we will still have the leaks on the juicy parts coming out piecemeal to stretch the story out longer… Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
– First published … June 18, 2020 –
European nations have blasted Washington’s decision to pull out of talks on a major overhaul to the taxing of digital giants, which currently move profits into low-tax havens from the places where those profits are actually made.
–


veteranstoday--2020-06-28--FFWN: Roger Waters Apologizes for Telling the Truth

Dr. Kevin Barrett , a Ph.D. Arabist-Islamologist , is one of America ’ s best-known critics of the War on @ @ @ @ @ JIHAD RADIO ; a hard driving weekly radio show funded by listener donations at Patreon.com @ @ @ @ @ ( FFWN ) ; a audio-video show produced by Tony Hall , Allan Reese , @ @ @ @ @ is funded through FundRazr He also has appeared many times on Fox , CNN , @ @ @ @ @ , and has inspired feature stories and op-eds in the New York Times , the @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Tribune , and other leading publications.Dr .
Barrett has taught at colleges and universities @ @ @ @ @ , and Wisconsin ; where he ran for Congress in 2008 .
He currently works @ @ @ @ @ author , and talk radio host .

Dr. Kevin Barrett, a Ph.D. Arabist-Islamologist is one of America’s best-known critics of the War on Terror.
He is the host of TRUTH JIHAD RADIO; a hard-driving weekly radio show funded by listener subscriptions at Substack and the weekly news roundup FALSE FLAG WEEKLY NEWS (FFWN).
He also has appeared many times on Fox, CNN, PBS, and other broadcast outlets, and has inspired feature stories and op-eds in the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, the Chicago Tribune, and other leading publications.
Dr. Barrett has taught at colleges and universities in San Francisco, Paris, and Wisconsin; where he ran for Congress in 2008. He currently works as a nonprofit organizer, author, and talk radio host.
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