veteranstoday--2020-06-13--We need more historical statues, not fewer

[ Editor ’ s note : It is a truism that those who ignore history ’ s mistakes are doomed to repeat them , therefore it is never a good thing when a movement tries to erase a part of history , regardless of any current racial or law enforcement issues .
Ian ] We need more historical statues , not fewer The destruction of statues and banning symbols obliterates evidence of histories that societies must learn from There is a disturbing and ironic trend underway across the Western world : Prominent physical manifestations of dark historical pasts – pasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget – are being demolished .
Case in point is in Bristol , the UK .
The 19th-century statue of 18th-century local philanthropist Edward Colston – whose money was earned from the murderous cross-Atlantic slave trade – was torn down by a mob and hurled into the harbor .
The action took place amid a wave of global revulsion about the deaths of black Americans at the hands of police .
High emotions and considerable self-righteousness imbued the event , and the media piled on .
That is a plus .
Many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject of the statue , and his role in the city ’ s past .
And I don ’ t think anyone has suggested that the statue had any great artistic merit .
But viewed from the longer term , we should question what has been achieved .
AT Premium Should we expunge history or reinterpret it ?
Is it sensible to erase evidence of oppressors and oppressions from local spaces ?
Should activists eradicate physical manifestations of the fact that many of today ’ s prosperities were built on a foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only about Colston .
A trend is forming .
Statues of other problematic historical figures including Confederate President Jefferson Davis and explorer Christopher Columbus are now being vandalized or smashed .
Other statues , such as those of naval hero Horatio Nelson and colonist Cecil Rhodes are being targeted .
These recent acts have been foreshadowed by a range of ongoing developments that include the whitewashing of social media platforms and the banning of historical symbols .
Art , meaning , context In an age when history is poorly taught – if at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their impressions of the past from popular culture , notably , film and TV , statues are high-visibility , everyday reminders of history .
Of course , there is the problem of aggrandizement .
These kinds of statues were originally designed to glorify subjects including slave owners , colonialists , etc .
But let us be grown up .
Statues are inanimate .
They only have the meanings that we give them .
Beliefs , cultures and contexts change over time .
Our attitudes toward slavery today are diametrically opposed to what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
We should not make the “ Hollywood error ” of judging yesterday by the standards and moralities of today .
If we remove these symbols from our presents , we lose an important reminder of our pasts .
There was a time when slavery was widespread across the entire world .
There was a time when black Africans were considered to be lesser humans by white Europeans .
There was a time when a slave trader could be considered a “ good man.
” These things are important to know .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ came from and things we might not like to be reminded of .
But they also tell us how far we have come .
So the issue is context .
Why not simply add appropriately 21st-century signage , or other artistic or informational addenda , to troublesome 19th-century statuary ?
The great media whitewash But before we consider that , let us recognize that the issue of whitewashing unsavory pasts extends far beyond statuary .
There are actions and calls underway for multiple historical images , symbols and works to be eradicated from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several social media platforms ban historical images that include Nazi symbols .
Certainly , SS runes and Swastika symbols are leveraged by unsavory Far Rightists .
But does that mean that their reproduction in appropriate historical contexts – for example in a contemporary film clip or in a specialist online discussion group – must be banned ?
ATF This is literal censorship of history .
And while neo-Nazis do , indeed , exist , to suppose they make up the bulk of those studying and discussing World War II is absurd .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In no less an organ than Harvard journal The Crimson , a Korean student wrote of his shock to see a photograph of a Japanese “ rising sun ” flag on campus .
However , the image was not being waved by a rabid Japanese nationalist – it was on a flyer for a class on Japanese imperial history .
In other words , the symbol appeared in a critical , not a laudatory context .
Apparently , the writer could not grasp this .
Would he prefer that the dark side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , be made invisible ?
I am pretty sure his answer would be “ no.
” By that logic , statues that represent dark pasts should be maintained – in an appropriate manner – rather than eradicated .
The censorial scattergun If you don ’ t like that statue of a Confederate general – or perhaps more germanely , the cause he served – do you really want to destroy it and efface a symbol of oppression ?
This is not just about the past .
Yes , the statue recalls history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attitudes .
That is critical , for it relates directly to today ’ s racism and discrimination .
And for those who back the destruction of statuary , what is the standard , exactly ?
Should statues of , for example , of US President George Washington be removed because he was a slave owner ?
Should statues of UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill be defaced because he was in power during the 1943 Bengal famine ?
The point is that both these men – while far from being perfect – also did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly emotive clime , there is the risk of babies being thrown out with bath water .
For on thing , many of these statues , unlike Colston ’ s , have real artistic merit as public monuments .
More importantly , if we take a simplistic “ black-and-white ” view of historical figures and fail to recognize duality , we are on a perilous and slippery slope .
Not only will the statues of many – perhaps most – famed figures , nationally and internationally , face the sledgehammer .
By the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture should be effaced .
Should we demolish the Egyptian pyramids because they were raised by slaves ?
Should we ban Wagner ’ s music and Dickens ’ literature because of their anti-semitism ?
Should we cease to watch the classic Gone with the Wind because it was produced at a time when “ Jim Crow ” views of the Confederacy existed ?
On the latter point , HBO apparently thinks “ yes.
” It has withdrawn it from its offerings .
Given that even North Korea permits the film , this looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these are broad questions .
Let us return to the more manageable issue of statues .
More statues , not fewer Even when it comes to the statues of figures wherein the “ good-bad ” balance tilts , in 21st-century sensibilities , toward the “ bad , ” there is a strong argument for keeping them in situ .
That argument is this : Leverage them as informational assets .
The obvious way to do this is through better and more extensive signage .
But much more can be done .
Rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smash ’ em !
” approach , a positive solution would be to emplace counter artworks in the same space .
This approach is visible on Wall Street , where “ Fearless Girl ” faces off against the area ’ s iconic bull .
Near Confederate statues , for example , artworks representing oppressed slaves or black Union soldiers could be added to locales to offer competing frames of reference .
A program of “ counter statues ” offers the advantage of being constructive , rather than destructive , at a time when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it offers modern artists – most particularly , minority artists – the chance to stamp their presence upon civic spaces .
Moreover , this approach offers the public a broader narrative and locus for debate that would be obviated by the simple obliteration of artifacts .
Granted , there is the issue of space .
If it is impossible to add a competing artwork in the locality , surely it is better to remove original statues and cluster them together in a park , gallery or museum ?
If this is done , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enhanced with new , creative and educational add-ons – from new signage to “ counter statues ” – to illustrate their broad , and often troubling , contexts .
This constructive-not destructive approach paints a fuller portrait of the past , and its ramifications in the present .
Villains and victims But it is critical not to simply memorialize victims while removing oppressors .
It is critical to have both , for history is the study of humanity .
To learn from it , one must strive to comprehend motivating factors .
Moreover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims in public spaces , the oppressors – and yes , their descendents – are let off the hook .
This point requires a nuanced understanding .
It will almost certainly be overlooked by the more excitable firebrands in these heady days , as they stalk public spaces with block and tackle in hand , scoping out their next target .
But can Western societies , with their traditions of freedom of speech and thought , not recognize that acknowledging history is not the same as approving of it ?
Granted , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguably , be considered reasonable if “ warts-and-all ” history was widely and competently taught in national curricula .
But it is not , and will probably never be .
So , to return to the issue of our day – defacing and destruction – what are we left with ?
When a statue is torn from its plinth and hurled into a harbor , we lose something that teaches us about past happenings and present contexts .
What do we gain ?
Beyond short-term exuberance – nothing .
Andrew Salmon is Asia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also an award-winning historian .

[Editor’s note: It is a truism that those who ignore history’s mistakes are doomed to repeat them, therefore it is never a good thing when a movement tries to erase a part of history, regardless of any current racial or law enforcement issues. Ian]
_________
Asia Times
We need more historical statues, not fewer
The destruction of statues and banning symbols obliterates evidence of histories that societies must learn from
by Andrew Salmon June 12, 2020
There is a disturbing and ironic trend underway across the Western world: Prominent physical manifestations of dark historical pasts – pasts that publics are being urged never to forget – are being demolished.
Case in point is in Bristol, the UK. The 19th-century statue of 18th-century local philanthropist Edward Colston – whose money was earned from the murderous cross-Atlantic slave trade – was torn down by a mob and hurled into the harbor.
The action took place amid a wave of global revulsion about the deaths of black Americans at the hands of police. High emotions and considerable self-righteousness imbued the event, and the media piled on.
That is a plus. Many people learned things they did not know about the subject of the statue, and his role in the city’s past. And I don’t think anyone has suggested that the statue had any great artistic merit.
But viewed from the longer term, we should question what has been achieved.
AT Premium
Should we expunge history or reinterpret it? Is it sensible to erase evidence of oppressors and oppressions from local spaces? Should activists eradicate physical manifestations of the fact that many of today’s prosperities were built on a foundation of past ills?
This is not only about Colston. A trend is forming.
Statues of other problematic historical figures including Confederate President Jefferson Davis and explorer Christopher Columbus are now being vandalized or smashed. Other statues, such as those of naval hero Horatio Nelson and colonist Cecil Rhodes are being targeted.
These recent acts have been foreshadowed by a range of ongoing developments that include the whitewashing of social media platforms and the banning of historical symbols.
Art, meaning, context
Public statuary plays an important informational role.
In an age when history is poorly taught – if at all – and when many people get their impressions of the past from popular culture, notably, film and TV, statues are high-visibility, everyday reminders of history.
Of course, there is the problem of aggrandizement. These kinds of statues were originally designed to glorify subjects including slave owners, colonialists, etc.
But let us be grown up. Statues are inanimate. They only have the meanings that we give them. Beliefs, cultures and contexts change over time. Our attitudes toward slavery today are diametrically opposed to what they were in the statue subject’s day.
We should not make the “Hollywood error” of judging yesterday by the standards and moralities of today. If we remove these symbols from our presents, we lose an important reminder of our pasts.
There was a time when slavery was widespread across the entire world. There was a time when black Africans were considered to be lesser humans by white Europeans. There was a time when a slave trader could be considered a “good man.”
These things are important to know. They tell us much about where we came from and things we might not like to be reminded of. But they also tell us how far we have come.
So the issue is context. Why not simply add appropriately 21st-century signage, or other artistic or informational addenda, to troublesome 19th-century statuary?
The great media whitewash
But before we consider that, let us recognize that the issue of whitewashing unsavory pasts extends far beyond statuary. There are actions and calls underway for multiple historical images, symbols and works to be eradicated from media.
Take World War II. Several social media platforms ban historical images that include Nazi symbols.
Certainly, SS runes and Swastika symbols are leveraged by unsavory Far Rightists. But does that mean that their reproduction in appropriate historical contexts – for example in a contemporary film clip or in a specialist online discussion group – must be banned?
ATF
This is literal censorship of history. And while neo-Nazis do, indeed, exist, to suppose they make up the bulk of those studying and discussing World War II is absurd.
Yet, this censorial sensibility is infiltrating academia. In no less an organ than Harvard journal The Crimson, a Korean student wrote of his shock to see a photograph of a Japanese “rising sun” flag on campus.
However, the image was not being waved by a rabid Japanese nationalist – it was on a flyer for a class on Japanese imperial history. In other words, the symbol appeared in a critical, not a laudatory context. Apparently, the writer could not grasp this. Would he prefer that the dark side of Japanese imperialism, and related symbols, be made invisible?
I am pretty sure his answer would be “no.” By that logic, statues that represent dark pasts should be maintained – in an appropriate manner – rather than eradicated.
The censorial scattergun
If you don’t like that statue of a Confederate general – or perhaps more germanely, the cause he served – do you really want to destroy it and efface a symbol of oppression?
This is not just about the past. Yes, the statue recalls history, but also speaks to subsequent historiography and attitudes. That is critical, for it relates directly to today’s racism and discrimination.
And for those who back the destruction of statuary, what is the standard, exactly?
Should statues of, for example, of US President George Washington be removed because he was a slave owner? Should statues of UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill be defaced because he was in power during the 1943 Bengal famine?
The point is that both these men – while far from being perfect – also did much good. In our current, highly emotive clime, there is the risk of babies being thrown out with bath water.
For on thing, many of these statues, unlike Colston’s, have real artistic merit as public monuments.
More importantly, if we take a simplistic “black-and-white” view of historical figures and fail to recognize duality, we are on a perilous and slippery slope. Not only will the statues of many – perhaps most – famed figures, nationally and internationally, face the sledgehammer. By the same logic, massive chunks of global culture should be effaced.
Should we demolish the Egyptian pyramids because they were raised by slaves? Should we ban Wagner’s music and Dickens’ literature because of their anti-semitism? Should we cease to watch the classic Gone with the Wind because it was produced at a time when “Jim Crow” views of the Confederacy existed?
On the latter point, HBO apparently thinks “yes.” It has withdrawn it from its offerings. Given that even North Korea permits the film, this looks to be a hysterical over-reaction.
However, these are broad questions. Let us return to the more manageable issue of statues.
More statues, not fewer
Even when it comes to the statues of figures wherein the “good-bad” balance tilts, in 21st-century sensibilities, toward the “bad,” there is a strong argument for keeping them in situ.
That argument is this: Leverage them as informational assets.
The obvious way to do this is through better and more extensive signage. But much more can be done. Rather than the “Deface ’em. Smash ’em!” approach, a positive solution would be to emplace counter artworks in the same space.
This approach is visible on Wall Street, where “Fearless Girl” faces off against the area’s iconic bull. Near Confederate statues, for example, artworks representing oppressed slaves or black Union soldiers could be added to locales to offer competing frames of reference.
A program of “counter statues” offers the advantage of being constructive, rather than destructive, at a time when local spending needs a boost. And it offers modern artists – most particularly, minority artists – the chance to stamp their presence upon civic spaces.
Moreover, this approach offers the public a broader narrative and locus for debate that would be obviated by the simple obliteration of artifacts.
Granted, there is the issue of space. If it is impossible to add a competing artwork in the locality, surely it is better to remove original statues and cluster them together in a park, gallery or museum?
If this is done, these historical or historiographical symbols can be enhanced with new, creative and educational add-ons – from new signage to “counter statues” – to illustrate their broad, and often troubling, contexts.
This constructive-not destructive approach paints a fuller portrait of the past, and its ramifications in the present.
Villains and victims
But it is critical not to simply memorialize victims while removing oppressors. It is critical to have both, for history is the study of humanity. To learn from it, one must strive to comprehend motivating factors.
Moreover, if the focus is only on victims in public spaces, the oppressors – and yes, their descendents – are let off the hook.
This point requires a nuanced understanding. It will almost certainly be overlooked by the more excitable firebrands in these heady days, as they stalk public spaces with block and tackle in hand, scoping out their next target.
But can Western societies, with their traditions of freedom of speech and thought, not recognize that acknowledging history is not the same as approving of it?
Granted, the destruction of ethically troublesome statuary could, arguably, be considered reasonable if “warts-and-all” history was widely and competently taught in national curricula. But it is not, and will probably never be.
So, to return to the issue of our day – defacing and destruction – what are we left with?
When a statue is torn from its plinth and hurled into a harbor, we lose something that teaches us about past happenings and present contexts.
What do we gain? Beyond short-term exuberance – nothing.
Andrew Salmon is Asia Times’ Northeast Asia editor. He is also an award-winning historian.


veteranstoday--2020-06-12--Masses of Americans Dying… Trump Doesn’t Give a Toss….

[ Editor ’ s note : If you voted for Trump , you are an accomplice in this genocide .
I hope you feel proud of yourselves .
Ian ] _________ Mother Jones The Coronavirus Is Still Killing Thousands of Americans Every Week , But Trump Isn ’ t Very Interested He would rather fight imaginary threats .
In the past week , the coronavirus has killed more than 5,000 Americans .
Yet during this stretch , Donald Trump has said nothing about these lost souls .
And since the gruesome 100,000 mark was hit at the end of last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic only a few times .
Once to note this milestone , once to blame China for this “ bad ‘ gift , ’ ” once to vaguely claim there was “ good news ” coming on a vaccine , and once to hail the National Guard .
Over the same period , he has tweeted relentlessly about his tough-guy approach to the wide-ranging Black Lives Matter protests , and he has used Twitter repeatedly to assail political enemies ( the NFL commissioner , retired General James Mattis , Joe Biden , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Obamagate ” scandal , and to spread the bogus conspiracy theory that an elderly man assaulted by a Buffalo cop during a protest was an Antifa provocateur trying to disrupt police communications with a “ scanner.
” In fact , Trump has tweeted more about Antifa , the left-wing street activists , than the pandemic , depicting this unorganized band as an existential threat to the United States .
How many Americans have been killed by Antifa ?
None .
Coronavirus is still claiming nearly one thousand lives a day .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what ’ s on his mind , he barely thinks about the pandemic and the horrific toll that it continues to take .
When last week he visited a plant in Maine that manufactures swabs for coronavirus tests—a plant that happens to be in a congressional district he won in the 2016 election—Trump spoke for 30 minutes without mentioning the victims of COVID-19 .
Instead , he touted the recent encouraging economic news and declared , “ Open the state.
” He referenced the coronavirus crisis— ” this horrible plague ” —in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s record on testing , and he blamed China for the pandemic .
But he said nothing about the need to stay vigilant regarding masks , social distancing , and other countermeasures .
( Trump even toured the plant without wearing a mask , and the swabs he watched being made in a sterile environment were later thrown out . )
He said nothing about coronavirus remaining a serious threat to the United States .
Trump has essentially shoved the pandemic aside .
Been there , done that .
Time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues and worsens in parts of the country .
Puerto Rico and fourteen states—Alaska , Arizona , Arkansas , California , Florida , Kentucky , New Mexico , North Carolina , Mississippi , Oregon , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas and Utah—just experienced their highest weekly average of coronavirus cases .
And the total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States this week topped 2 million .
Recently , the public learned that Trump doesn ’ t want to be bothered by steady meetings on the pandemic .
Dr. Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leader of the White House coronavirus task force , said that his meetings with Trump “ have been dramatically decreased.
” He told the AP that he had not spoken to Trump in two weeks .
He also noted that task force meetings , which used to happen daily , “ have not occurred as often lately.
” The news service reported that the task force “ now has a smaller portfolio as the federal priority shifts to helping states safely reopen and the race for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate auspices of ‘ Operation Warp Speed.
’ ” In an interview taped for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization ’ s annual conference this week , Fauci said of the pandemic , “ When is it going to end ?
We ’ re still at the beginning of it.
” In another sign that the Trump White House is moving the pandemic from the top of its to-do list , the coronavirus testing czar is leaving his position .
Admiral Brett Giroir announced he will soon be “ demobilized ” from overseeing coronavirus testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old job at the Department of Health and Human Services .
The administration said there were no plans to replace him .
With protests against police violence and social inequities spreading across the land , Trump has pivoted .
In his address to the nation on June 1—prior to his Bible-holding stunt at St. John ’ s Church—Trump said nothing about the pandemic .
Nothing about the Americans who are dying each day .
And when he marched across Lafayette Park—after security forces had violently cleared away peaceful protesters—and awkwardly posed in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his large posse ( with the exception of Ivanka Trump ) wore no masks and did not engage in social distancing .
He refuses to set an example for how citizens can keep COVID-19 at bay .
The White House even compelled reporters at a Trump press briefing to sit closer to one another than the customary six feet .
Trump has not called on the country to be steadfast in its response to the killer virus .
He has even not championed his administration ’ s own guidelines for reopening .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And governors and other local officials have largely been left to their own devices in determining what to do .
Trump has talked little about preparing for coming coronavirus spikes that are widely expected by public health officials .
As he did at the start of the crisis , he has downplayed this chilling prospect .
Another profound crisis is now capturing the nation ’ s attention .
But that ’ s all the more reason why the president of the United States should keep the country also focused on the public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans each week and that may roar back in the months ahead .
Public health experts have raised concern that the protests could lead to a spread of the virus .
Yet it ’ s obvious why Trump can not help Americans in this way .
Caring about the public ’ s health doesn ’ t coincide with his political agenda—and his own pathologies .
He is a man driven by the need for enemies and by the pursuit of revenge .
A virus doesn ’ t easily fit into his psychologically warped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast coronavirus as the “ invisible enemy ” that he would smite .
But that soundbite fell flat , and Trump didn ’ t have the attention span to develop a truly effective set of policies to neutralize this unseen foe .
It is much better for his political narrative if the number one enemy can be be looters , anarchists , Antifa , thugs , and the like .
These are heads he can crack ( or order to be cracked ) .
These are tangible bad guys ( even if imaginary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressing threat to voters .
Best of all , he can act like a law-and-order strongman and vow to crush them .
And it certainly is easier to declare victory against a made-up foe than a true threat like a killer virus that keeps replicating .
Trump has tried to change the channel .
Coronavirus ?
Nothing to see .
But the protesters !
Mr. and Mrs. America , that ’ s the real danger you and your families face .
As for those Americans who remain at risk due to the pandemic—a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color—Trump has nothing to say to them .
His own political needs come first .
When Gov .
Roy Cooper of North Carolina raised questions about holding a full-blown GOP convention in Charlotte in August , Trump huffed that if he could not have a large-scale event in a packed arena , then he would hold it elsewhere .
“ I don ’ t want to be sitting in a place that ’ s 50 percent empty , ” Trump told Cooper , a Democrat , during a phone conversation .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trump said on the call .
Now the Republican National Committee is considering moving the prime-time parts of the convention to Jacksonville , Florida .
Moreover , the Trump campaign announced this week that it will start staging big rallies with Trump next week .
The message Trump is sending : his show is more important than the health and safety of even his own supporters .
Trump is only engaged by those political battles he can concoct and shape .
And he can ’ t do that with this pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not that interested in the deaths of thousands of Americans .
So Trump is putting aside those lives to pursue a course that he believes will save what he most cares about : his own political life .

[Editor’s note: If you voted for Trump, you are an accomplice in this genocide. I hope you feel proud of yourselves. Ian]
_________
Mother Jones
The Coronavirus Is Still Killing Thousands of Americans Every Week, But Trump Isn’t Very Interested
by David Corn
He would rather fight imaginary threats.
In the past week, the coronavirus has killed more than 5,000 Americans. Yet during this stretch, Donald Trump has said nothing about these lost souls. And since the gruesome 100,000 mark was hit at the end of last month, Trump has tweeted about the pandemic only a few times.
Once to note this milestone, once to blame China for this “bad ‘gift,’” once to vaguely claim there was “good news” coming on a vaccine, and once to hail the National Guard.
Over the same period, he has tweeted relentlessly about his tough-guy approach to the wide-ranging Black Lives Matter protests, and he has used Twitter repeatedly to assail political enemies (the NFL commissioner, retired General James Mattis, Joe Biden, the media), to fuel his phony “Obamagate” scandal, and to spread the bogus conspiracy theory that an elderly man assaulted by a Buffalo cop during a protest was an Antifa provocateur trying to disrupt police communications with a “scanner.”
In fact, Trump has tweeted more about Antifa, the left-wing street activists, than the pandemic, depicting this unorganized band as an existential threat to the United States. How many Americans have been killed by Antifa? None. Coronavirus is still claiming nearly one thousand lives a day.
If Trump’s tweets are an indication of what’s on his mind, he barely thinks about the pandemic and the horrific toll that it continues to take. When last week he visited a plant in Maine that manufactures swabs for coronavirus tests—a plant that happens to be in a congressional district he won in the 2016 election—Trump spoke for 30 minutes without mentioning the victims of COVID-19.
Instead, he touted the recent encouraging economic news and declared, “Open the state.” He referenced the coronavirus crisis—”this horrible plague”—in his usual fashion: he defended his administration’s record on testing, and he blamed China for the pandemic.
But he said nothing about the need to stay vigilant regarding masks, social distancing, and other countermeasures. (Trump even toured the plant without wearing a mask, and the swabs he watched being made in a sterile environment were later thrown out.) He said nothing about coronavirus remaining a serious threat to the United States.
Trump has essentially shoved the pandemic aside. Been there, done that. Time to move on. Even though the crisis continues and worsens in parts of the country. Puerto Rico and fourteen states—Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah—just experienced their highest weekly average of coronavirus cases. And the total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States this week topped 2 million.
Recently, the public learned that Trump doesn’t want to be bothered by steady meetings on the pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leader of the White House coronavirus task force, said that his meetings with Trump “have been dramatically decreased.”
He told the AP that he had not spoken to Trump in two weeks. He also noted that task force meetings, which used to happen daily, “have not occurred as often lately.” The news service reported that the task force “now has a smaller portfolio as the federal priority shifts to helping states safely reopen and the race for a vaccine has been put under the separate auspices of ‘Operation Warp Speed.’”
In an interview taped for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s annual conference this week, Fauci said of the pandemic, “When is it going to end? We’re still at the beginning of it.”
In another sign that the Trump White House is moving the pandemic from the top of its to-do list, the coronavirus testing czar is leaving his position. Admiral Brett Giroir announced he will soon be “demobilized” from overseeing coronavirus testing at FEMA and head back to his old job at the Department of Health and Human Services. The administration said there were no plans to replace him.
With protests against police violence and social inequities spreading across the land, Trump has pivoted. In his address to the nation on June 1—prior to his Bible-holding stunt at St. John’s Church—Trump said nothing about the pandemic. Nothing about the Americans who are dying each day.
And when he marched across Lafayette Park—after security forces had violently cleared away peaceful protesters—and awkwardly posed in front of the historic church, he and his large posse (with the exception of Ivanka Trump) wore no masks and did not engage in social distancing. He refuses to set an example for how citizens can keep COVID-19 at bay. The White House even compelled reporters at a Trump press briefing to sit closer to one another than the customary six feet.
Trump has not called on the country to be steadfast in its response to the killer virus. He has even not championed his administration’s own guidelines for reopening. There still is no national testing strategy. And governors and other local officials have largely been left to their own devices in determining what to do. Trump has talked little about preparing for coming coronavirus spikes that are widely expected by public health officials. As he did at the start of the crisis, he has downplayed this chilling prospect.
Another profound crisis is now capturing the nation’s attention. But that’s all the more reason why the president of the United States should keep the country also focused on the public health threat that is still claiming thousands of Americans each week and that may roar back in the months ahead. Public health experts have raised concern that the protests could lead to a spread of the virus.
Yet it’s obvious why Trump cannot help Americans in this way. Caring about the public’s health doesn’t coincide with his political agenda—and his own pathologies. He is a man driven by the need for enemies and by the pursuit of revenge. A virus doesn’t easily fit into his psychologically warped world view.
He did endeavor to cast coronavirus as the “invisible enemy” that he would smite. But that soundbite fell flat, and Trump didn’t have the attention span to develop a truly effective set of policies to neutralize this unseen foe. It is much better for his political narrative if the number one enemy can be be looters, anarchists, Antifa, thugs, and the like.
These are heads he can crack (or order to be cracked). These are tangible bad guys (even if imaginary) he can depict as the most pressing threat to voters. Best of all, he can act like a law-and-order strongman and vow to crush them. And it certainly is easier to declare victory against a made-up foe than a true threat like a killer virus that keeps replicating. Trump has tried to change the channel. Coronavirus? Nothing to see. But the protesters! Mr. and Mrs. America, that’s the real danger you and your families face.
As for those Americans who remain at risk due to the pandemic—a disproportionate number of whom are within communities of color—Trump has nothing to say to them. His own political needs come first.
When Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina raised questions about holding a full-blown GOP convention in Charlotte in August, Trump huffed that if he could not have a large-scale event in a packed arena, then he would hold it elsewhere. “I don’t want to be sitting in a place that’s 50 percent empty,” Trump told Cooper, a Democrat, during a phone conversation. “We can’t do social distancing,” Trump said on the call.
Now the Republican National Committee is considering moving the prime-time parts of the convention to Jacksonville, Florida. Moreover, the Trump campaign announced this week that it will start staging big rallies with Trump next week. The message Trump is sending: his show is more important than the health and safety of even his own supporters.
Trump is only engaged by those political battles he can concoct and shape. And he can’t do that with this pandemic. Consequently, he’s just not that interested in the deaths of thousands of Americans. So Trump is putting aside those lives to pursue a course that he believes will save what he most cares about: his own political life.


veteranstoday--2020-06-12--Hero of Ohio Lockdown Resigns After Jew Hating Threats from Trumpster Thugs

Her home was surrounded by neo-Nazi anti-lockdown thugs with AK 47s and anti-Semitic smears .
As the nation faces a resurgence of COVID 19 and begins the inexorable move toward 325,000 deaths , those who did their jobs with honor and decency will , increasingly , become targets of GOP election year desperation .
Guardian : Ohio doctor won widespread praise for her assessments of the pandemic , but also faced lawsuits and protests for pushing for lockdown orders Dr Amy Acton , the health director who helped Ohio ’ s Republican governor earn glowing reviews for his pandemic response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backlash over her role in the state ’ s lockdown measures .
Acton has been a high-profile figure in Ohio ’ s early and aggressive fight against the coronavirus , transcending the confines of the laboratory to appear daily on television screens during Governor Mike DeWine ’ s updates and issuing his administration ’ s health orders .
“ It ’ s true not all heroes wear capes , ” DeWine said at the news briefing at which he made the announcement .
“ Some of them do , in fact , wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hero ’ s white coat is embossed with the name Dr Amy Acton.
” While Acton won widespread praise for her steady and detailed assessments of the pandemic , she also faced harsh and sometimes ugly pushback for her orders that contributed to the closing of businesses and kept people home for weeks .
That backlash included lawsuits , a legislative effort to strip her of authority , and protests outside her suburban Columbus home that included some people carrying guns .
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Dr Amy Acton, the health director who helped Ohio’s Republican governor earn glowing reviews for his pandemic response, has resigned after facing an intense backlash over her role in the state’s lockdown measures.
Acton has been a high-profile figure in Ohio’s early and aggressive fight against the coronavirus, transcending the confines of the laboratory to appear daily on television screens during Governor Mike DeWine’s updates and issuing his administration’s health orders.
“It’s true not all heroes wear capes,” DeWine said at the news briefing at which he made the announcement. “Some of them do, in fact, wear a white coat, and this particular hero’s white coat is embossed with the name Dr Amy Acton.”
While Acton won widespread praise for her steady and detailed assessments of the pandemic, she also faced harsh and sometimes ugly pushback for her orders that contributed to the closing of businesses and kept people home for weeks. That backlash included lawsuits, a legislative effort to strip her of authority, and protests outside her suburban Columbus home that included some people carrying guns. Read more…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/12/dr-amy-acton-resigns-after-helping-lead-ohio-aggressive-fight-against-coronavirus


veteranstoday--2020-06-12--Israel taught ‘knee-on-neck’ terror tactic to US police: Analyst

USA Today just published an article about the history of police brutality against black people in the United States , going back to pre-United States colonial times .
The headline cites the 400-year history of anti-black racism in the United States .
It talks about the slave patrols that were basically vigilante squads that enforced slavery and tried to catch runaway slaves and those who helped them .
And then after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery similar groups like the Ku Klux Klan sprang up , and often got assistance from police departments and the establishment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ And even today , we have sort of an army of occupation situation in which African American neighborhoods are patrolled by white officers for the most part , who don ’ t live there , but live far away , in many cases not even in the city .
And they act like an army of occupation .
And of course , Israel has stepped in to train American police officers because they ’ re experts at creating an army of occupation to terrorize the local people .
So , I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this USA Today article has left out , because I think it ’ s interesting that there ’ s a taboo against certain aspects of this story being told .
I just mentioned the Israelis being at the forefront of training American police in terror tactics today .
They trained many Twin Cities officers and may very well bear some of the responsibility for the death of George Floyd , since one of the things that they taught them was the knee on the neck thing which actually the Israelis developed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then they started teaching it to American officers , and that ’ s how it got into the United States .
But we never talk about that in the mainstream media or the universities .
Anybody who brings it up here in the United States gets shot down by the immensely powerful Jewish Zionist lobby .
Another taboo , a similar one , is against talking about the fact that Jews , wealthy Jews not ordinary Jews , but the richest Jews , were massively overrepresented in the slave trade .
The place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the series published by the Nation of Islam , actually the NOI research group is what it ’ s called , on the Secret History of Blacks and Jews .
This is a terrific book ( and banned by Amazon ) .
It uses the very best historical methodology .
And , of course , one can debate the conclusions .
But it ’ s a very solid scholarly book and yet it ’ s been banned from Amazon and no one ’ s allowed to talk about this because extremely rich Jews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s version of the people who ran the slave trade , control our media and our banking system and have immense power , but we can ’ t talk about that .
And another thing that we can ’ t talk about today is the fact that part of the reason that there is this occupying army kind of dynamic between white cops and African American neighborhoods is because African Americans have a crime rate that ’ s about seven times higher than all other ethnicities , and it ’ s even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s a terrible breakdown of the family unit in black communities .
And that ’ s actually been created by the very liberal progressive forces who are telling you this official discourse as published in USA Today about the history of racism and mistreatment of black people .
They ( the “ liberal progressives ” ) mistreated the black people the worst of anybody , because they have been waging a war on black religion and the black family ever since the 1950s and 1960s .
They ’ re trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a naturally religious community .
They ’ ve destroyed the black family today .
Two-thirds of black children are born outside of wedlock .
That ’ s why the crime rate is seven times higher among blacks than among any other ethnicity in the United States .
But you ’ re not allowed to talk about that either .
So , frankly , the solution to this would be to have the Nation of Islam and similar religious-based groups enforce family values and law enforcement in black communities and get the racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities .
Until that happens I ’ m afraid this problem is probably going to just continue .
Kevin Barrett is an American author , journalist and radio host with a Ph.D. in Islamic and Arabic Studies .
He has been studying the events of 9/11 since late 2003 .
He recorded this article for Press TV website .

By Kevin Barrett, VT Editor for Press TV
USA Today just published an article about the history of police brutality against black people in the United States, going back to pre-United States colonial times. The headline cites the 400-year history of anti-black racism in the United States. It talks about the slave patrols that were basically vigilante squads that enforced slavery and tried to catch runaway slaves and those who helped them. And then after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery similar groups like the Ku Klux Klan sprang up, and often got assistance from police departments and the establishment.
This history runs through 400 years. And even today, we have sort of an army of occupation situation in which African American neighborhoods are patrolled by white officers for the most part, who don’t live there, but live far away, in many cases not even in the city. And they act like an army of occupation. And of course, Israel has stepped in to train American police officers because they’re experts at creating an army of occupation to terrorize the local people.
So, I’d like to highlight some of the things that this USA Today article has left out, because I think it’s interesting that there’s a taboo against certain aspects of this story being told. I just mentioned the Israelis being at the forefront of training American police in terror tactics today. They trained many Twin Cities officers and may very well bear some of the responsibility for the death of George Floyd, since one of the things that they taught them was the knee on the neck thing which actually the Israelis developed in Palestine, in 2004-2005 or so. Then they started teaching it to American officers, and that’s how it got into the United States. But we never talk about that in the mainstream media or the universities. Anybody who brings it up here in the United States gets shot down by the immensely powerful Jewish Zionist lobby.
Another taboo, a similar one, is against talking about the fact that Jews, wealthy Jews not ordinary Jews, but the richest Jews, were massively overrepresented in the slave trade. The place to go to learn about this is the series published by the Nation of Islam, actually the NOI research group is what it’s called, on the Secret History of Blacks and Jews. This is a terrific book (and banned by Amazon). It uses the very best historical methodology. And, of course, one can debate the conclusions. But it’s a very solid scholarly book and yet it’s been banned from Amazon and no one’s allowed to talk about this because extremely rich Jews, the same descendants, basically today’s version of the people who ran the slave trade, control our media and our banking system and have immense power, but we can’t talk about that.
And another thing that we can’t talk about today is the fact that part of the reason that there is this occupying army kind of dynamic between white cops and African American neighborhoods is because African Americans have a crime rate that’s about seven times higher than all other ethnicities, and it’s even when you adjust for income.
So there’s a terrible breakdown of the family unit in black communities. And that’s actually been created by the very liberal progressive forces who are telling you this official discourse as published in USA Today about the history of racism and mistreatment of black people. They (the “liberal progressives”) mistreated the black people the worst of anybody, because they have been waging a war on black religion and the black family ever since the 1950s and 1960s. They’re trying to impose secularism on the black community which is a naturally religious community.
They’ve destroyed the black family today. Two-thirds of black children are born outside of wedlock. That’s why the crime rate is seven times higher among blacks than among any other ethnicity in the United States. But you’re not allowed to talk about that either. So, frankly, the solution to this would be to have the Nation of Islam and similar religious-based groups enforce family values and law enforcement in black communities and get the racist white officers the heck out of those communities. Until that happens I’m afraid this problem is probably going to just continue.
Kevin Barrett is an American author, journalist and radio host with a Ph.D. in Islamic and Arabic Studies. He has been studying the events of 9/11 since late 2003. He recorded this article for Press TV website.


veteranstoday--2020-06-12--#UNRIG Video (27:53) Hanne Herland on Her New Book New Left Tyranny, the Collapse of the West, and D

#UNRIG Video (27:53) Hanne Herland on Her New Book New Left Tyranny, the Collapse of the West, and Donald Trump

Robert David Steele is the conceptualizer of integrated election reform ( # UNRIG ) and the integration of holistic analytics @ @ @ @ @ and Open Source Everything Engineering ( OSEE ) such that we can achieve a prosperous @ @ @ @ @ % the cost of the failed Western economic model burdened by banks and lawyers.A former @ @ @ @ @ the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity , he is today the Chief Enabling Officer ( CeO @ @ @ @ @ , a 501c3 and now also CeO of Open Source Everything ( OSE Inc. ) @ @ @ @ @ with non-fiction reading , posting over 2,000 reviews across 98 categories ; his hobbies include @ @ @ @ @ to his blog at PhiBetaIota.net Subscribe free to videos at # UNRIG @ YouTube

Robert David Steele is the conceptualizer of integrated election reform (#UNRIG) and the integration of holistic analytics, true cost economics, and Open Source Everything Engineering (OSEE) such that we can achieve a prosperous world at peace at 10-20% the cost of the failed Western economic model burdened by banks and lawyers.
A former US spy and co-founder of the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity, he is today the Chief Enabling Officer (CeO) of Earth Intelligence Network, a 501c3, and now also CeO of Open Source Everything (OSE Inc.). He continues his education with non-fiction reading, posting over 2,000 reviews across 98 categories; his hobbies include off-shore sailing and racketball.


veteranstoday--2020-06-12--Anti-Muslim Nationalism Continues Unabated in India

Although since Narendar Modi , the leader of the ruling party BJP became Indian prime minister in 2014 , he started implementing ideology of Hindutva ( Hindu Nationalism ) , especially by persecuting the Indian Muslims , yet during his second tenure ; Modi government accelerated the completion of the agenda , particularly targeting the Muslims .
Indian extremist rulers ’ various moves such as abrogation of the special status of the Jummu and Kashmir to turn Muslim majority into minority in the Occupied Kashmir ( IOK ) , continued lockdown in the IOK , martyrdom of thousands of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ map to bifurcate the Kashmir region into two union territories and introduction of new domicile law to further alter demographic and geographic status of the IOK against the majority of Kashmiris are notable .
Reports suggest that besides lack of medical treatment and food , hundreds of the Muslims have already been died in the Indian Held Kashmir due to the continued lockdown and deployment of larger number of security forces who have stopped journalist ’ s entry in that region .
So , now more people might have also been died due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , encouraged by the fanatic Premier Modi , Hindu extremist outfits such as BJP , RSS VHP , Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena , including other similar parties , have been promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism against the Indian Muslims .
In this regard , in the aftermath of the Indian elections 2019 , news reports have highlighted different cases in which especially Muslims were violently targeted by the radical Hindus .
In this respect , RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stated on October 8 , 2019 : “ Bharat is Hindu Rashtra and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the guise of coronavirus , India has started the undeclared war against the Indian Muslims .
Besides , the Indian Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 ( CAA ) further exposed the Modi-led government ’ s fanatic policies .
The CAA coupled with the National Register of Citizens ( NRC ) is mainly against the Muslim immigrants especially from Pakistan , Bangladesh and Afghanistan .
It strips 200 million Indian Muslims of their citizenship .
Since December 15 , 2019 , daily mass protests , even by the moderate Hindus have been taking place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NRC , which resulted into killing of more than 200 persons and injuring 800-mostly Muslims by the police and extremist Hindus .
But , Modi-led regime has not withdrawn the CAA/NRC .
Since February 23 , this year when clashes started in New Delhi between protesters for and against the citizenship law , Hindu zealots of RSS and BJP have burnt properties of Muslims , including their vehicles and mosques and compelled them to leave the areas .
It is mentionable that Indian rulers have been imposing various kinds of restrictions on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase their hardships .
Top officials of the Modi ’ s government and the health ministry claimed that Muslims are spreading this virus .
Availing this opportunity , Hindu extremists have set off a series of assaults against Muslims across the country .
In this connection , Al Jazeera and The New York Times reported : “ Muslims have been beaten up , nearly lynched , run out of their neighborhoods or attacked in mosques…Hindu extremists are scapegoating the country ’ s entire Muslim population for deliberately spreading the virus through “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hindu coronavirus patients…In what many are calling a case of “ apartheid ” during a global pandemic…made separate wards for Hindu and Muslim patients .
It is a decision of the government ” .
As part of anti-Muslim nationalism , Indian fundamentalist rulers accused the Tablighi Jamaat of spreading coronavirus through their congregations , held in India , while since the remote past , their preachers have been holding congregations so as to why this deadly virus did not emerge .
In this context , Indian news website “ The Print.in.
” pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push Indian Muslims out of informal sector jobs…What Muslims are effectively facing now is a new form of concerted , deliberate economic marginalisation through blatant lies linking the community to the virus…Having been largely shut out of the formal sector , many Muslims depend on the informal sector and self-employment for their livelihood ” .
Under the title “ It Was Already Dangerous to Be Muslim in India .
Then Came the Coronavirus ” , Billy Perrigo elaborated in the Time magazine : “ The Islamophobic hashtags began circulating shortly after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities had linked dozens of cases of COVID-19 to a Muslim missionary group that held its annual conference in Delhi…Coronavirus fears and religious tension were already at a fever pitch in India Videos [ Indian fake news on social media ] falsely claiming…Islamophobia has been transposed onto the coronavirus issue….Since March 28 , tweets with the hashtag # CoronaJihad have appeared nearly 300,000 times…Hindu nationalists left 36 Muslims dead in Delhi…at a time when the Muslim minority—200 million people in a nation of 1.3 billion—feels increasingly targeted by the ruling Hindu nationalists…One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India for quite a long time has been the idea that Muslims themselves are a kind of infection in the body politic…the coronavirus is just one more opportunity to cast the Muslim as dangerous.
” Notably , following the secret instructions of the Modi ’ s government ’ s top officials , doctors are not paying attention to the Muslims patients , affected by this virus .
Meanwhile , Indian MP Tejasvi Surya ’ s remarks against Arab women further exposed the anti-Muslims policy of the BJP .
In this respect , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet he had posted in 2015 with an objectionable comment about Arab women , indicating , “ 95 per cent Arab women never had orgasms in the last few hundred years ” The tweet was highlighted by various prominent citizens of Arab nations .
Among the first to call out Surya was Dubai-based businesswoman Noora AlGhurair , who said she “ pitied his upbringing that has taught him to disrespect women ” .
She also warned him against “ travelling to Arab lands if he is ever bestowed a foreign ministry ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other prominent Arab Twitter handles , some of whom tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
The tweet had earlier been circulated on social media when Surya contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 .
In the recent past , Surya ’ s five-year-old tweet resurfaced at a time when influential thinkers and members of the UAE royal family are fearlessly reacting to the growing Islamophobia in the country and other Arab countries after the outbreak of coronavirus .
According to the Gulf News , “ India ’ s carefully cultivated Gulf policy has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past fortnight , with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation [ OIC ] , the Kuwaiti government , a UAE royal princess , and the Arab intelligentsia decrying hate speeches by Indian nationals accusing the Tablighi Jamaat of deliberately exacerbating the coronavirus pandemic as well as a crude tweet by a BJP MP on the sexual impulses of Arab women… several Indian nationals are being caught and punished for inciting religious intolerance and spewing hate against Muslims ” .
Particularly , Al Jazeera wrote in the recent past : “ Did those who commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and violate their rights think that Muslims will remain silent about these crimes and do not move politically , legally and economically against them ?
a statement by the general secretariat of the Kuwait Council of Ministers said…Earlier , on April 18 [ 2020 ] , the OIC had issued a statement , urging India to take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia in the country…people in the Gulf countries felt outraged over the way Indian Muslims were being blamed for the coronavirus pandemic….About 8.5 million Indians live and work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them Hindus .
In the past month , at least six Hindus working in the Gulf region have lost their jobs charged for their social media posts [ Against the Muslims ] …The level of hubris of the Hindutva fascists shocked people throughout the world , changing previously held opinions…Princess Hend al-Qassimi , a member of the UAE royal family , warned openly racist and discriminatory Indians in the Gulf that they will be fined and made to leave the country…there has been an unprecedented surge in Arabs openly criticising the growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gulf region turned to social media to highlight what they describe as “ ill treatment ” of Muslims…Many of them are decrying the killing of Muslims without reason , while others have said the assault by the RSS–the BJP ’ s parent body–on Muslims is unacceptable and have labelled it a “ terrorist ” group that should be banned in the Gulf… a civil campaign had been started to highlight the malicious propaganda by BJP and the RSS against Muslims and to decrease business relations with India .
Kuwait has appealed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tackle anti-Muslim sentiment in the country ” .
It is noteworthy that COVID-19 which has affected the entire world , does not see race , religion , colour , caste , creed , language or borders before targeting any country .
In Pakistan , the number of coronavirus-deaths has reached the figure of 2,200 , whereas the number of persons , affected by the virus is110 , 000 .
But , Islamabad did not blame India in this regard .
But , under the guise of Coronavirus , India ’ s undeclared war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regrettable that Modi-led BJP , VHP and RSS , including other Hindu extremist parties are leading the racist Hindutva supremacists against the Muslims in the occupied Kashmir and across India .
In fact , it is primary part of Modi ’ s belief system to persecute the Indian Muslims .
Nevertheless , India ’ s anti-Muslim bigotry has been internationalized .
Indian biased rulers have politicised the COVID-19 epidemic by accusing the Indian Muslims and thus , created a big divide .
Hence , coronavirus may die , but the virus of communal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is over .
Nonetheless , despite the criticism at home and abroad , anti-Muslim nationalism continues unabated in India .
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book : US vs Islamic Militants , Invisible Balance of Power : Dangerous Shift in International Relations

By Sajjad Shaukat for VT
Although since Narendar Modi, the leader of the ruling party BJP became Indian prime minister in 2014, he started implementing ideology of Hindutva (Hindu Nationalism), especially by persecuting the Indian Muslims, yet during his second tenure; Modi government accelerated the completion of the agenda, particularly targeting the Muslims. Indian extremist rulers’ various moves such as abrogation of the special status of the Jummu and Kashmir to turn Muslim majority into minority in the Occupied Kashmir (IOK), continued lockdown in the IOK, martyrdom of thousands of the Kashmiris there, issuance of a notorious map to bifurcate the Kashmir region into two union territories and introduction of new domicile law to further alter demographic and geographic status of the IOK against the majority of Kashmiris are notable.
Reports suggest that besides lack of medical treatment and food, hundreds of the Muslims have already been died in the Indian Held Kashmir due to the continued lockdown and deployment of larger number of security forces who have stopped journalist’s entry in that region. So, now more people might have also been died due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In fact, encouraged by the fanatic Premier Modi, Hindu extremist outfits such as BJP, RSS VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena, including other similar parties, have been promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism against the Indian Muslims.
In this regard, in the aftermath of the Indian elections 2019, news reports have highlighted different cases in which especially Muslims were violently targeted by the radical Hindus. In this respect, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stated on October 8, 2019: “Bharat is Hindu Rashtra and all Bharatiyas are Hindus.”
While, under the guise of coronavirus, India has started the undeclared war against the Indian Muslims.
Besides, the Indian Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) further exposed the Modi-led government’s fanatic policies. The CAA coupled with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is mainly against the Muslim immigrants especially from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It strips 200 million Indian Muslims of their citizenship.
Since December 15, 2019, daily mass protests, even by the moderate Hindus have been taking place across India against the CAA and the NRC, which resulted into killing of more than 200 persons and injuring 800-mostly Muslims by the police and extremist Hindus. But, Modi-led regime has not withdrawn the CAA/NRC. Since February 23, this year when clashes started in New Delhi between protesters for and against the citizenship law, Hindu zealots of RSS and BJP have burnt properties of Muslims, including their vehicles and mosques and compelled them to leave the areas.
It is mentionable that Indian rulers have been imposing various kinds of restrictions on the Muslims; coronavirus provided them another pretext to increase their hardships. Top officials of the Modi’s government and the health ministry claimed that Muslims are spreading this virus. Availing this opportunity, Hindu extremists have set off a series of assaults against Muslims across the country.
In this connection, Al Jazeera and The New York Times reported: “Muslims have been beaten up, nearly lynched, run out of their neighborhoods or attacked in mosques…Hindu extremists are scapegoating the country’s entire Muslim population for deliberately spreading the virus through “corona jihad Indian hospitals segregates Muslim and Hindu coronavirus patients…In what many are calling a case of “apartheid” during a global pandemic…made separate wards for Hindu and Muslim patients. It is a decision of the government”.
As part of anti-Muslim nationalism, Indian fundamentalist rulers accused the Tablighi Jamaat of spreading coronavirus through their congregations, held in India, while since the remote past, their preachers have been holding congregations so as to why this deadly virus did not emerge.
In this context, Indian news website “The Print.in.” pointed out: “Covid is an excuse to push Indian Muslims out of informal sector jobs…What Muslims are effectively facing now is a new form of concerted, deliberate economic marginalisation through blatant lies linking the community to the virus…Having been largely shut out of the formal sector, many Muslims depend on the informal sector and self-employment for their livelihood”.
Under the title “It Was Already Dangerous to Be Muslim in India. Then Came the Coronavirus”, Billy Perrigo elaborated in the Time magazine: “The Islamophobic hashtags began circulating shortly after the news broke in late March. Indian authorities had linked dozens of cases of COVID-19 to a Muslim missionary group that held its annual conference in Delhi…Coronavirus fears and religious tension were already at a fever pitch in India Videos [Indian fake news on social media] falsely claiming…Islamophobia has been transposed onto the coronavirus issue….Since March 28, tweets with the hashtag #CoronaJihad have appeared nearly 300,000 times…Hindu nationalists left 36 Muslims dead in Delhi…at a time when the Muslim minority—200 million people in a nation of 1.3 billion—feels increasingly targeted by the ruling Hindu nationalists…One of the key features of anti-Muslim sentiment in India for quite a long time has been the idea that Muslims themselves are a kind of infection in the body politic…the coronavirus is just one more opportunity to cast the Muslim as dangerous.”
Notably, following the secret instructions of the Modi’s government’s top officials, doctors are not paying attention to the Muslims patients, affected by this virus.
Meanwhile, Indian MP Tejasvi Surya’s remarks against Arab women further exposed the anti-Muslims policy of the BJP. In this respect, his remarks have landed in a row for a tweet he had posted in 2015 with an objectionable comment about Arab women, indicating, “95 per cent Arab women never had orgasms in the last few hundred years” The tweet was highlighted by various prominent citizens of Arab nations. Among the first to call out Surya was Dubai-based businesswoman Noora AlGhurair, who said she “pitied his upbringing that has taught him to disrespect women”. She also warned him against “travelling to Arab lands if he is ever bestowed a foreign ministry”.
It was soon picked up by other prominent Arab Twitter handles, some of whom tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The tweet had earlier been circulated on social media when Surya contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.
In the recent past, Surya’s five-year-old tweet resurfaced at a time when influential thinkers and members of the UAE royal family are fearlessly reacting to the growing Islamophobia in the country and other Arab countries after the outbreak of coronavirus.
According to the Gulf News, “India’s carefully cultivated Gulf policy has been at risk of unraveling over the past fortnight, with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation [OIC], the Kuwaiti government, a UAE royal princess, and the Arab intelligentsia decrying hate speeches by Indian nationals accusing the Tablighi Jamaat of deliberately exacerbating the coronavirus pandemic as well as a crude tweet by a BJP MP on the sexual impulses of Arab women… several Indian nationals are being caught and punished for inciting religious intolerance and spewing hate against Muslims”.
Particularly, Al Jazeera wrote in the recent past: “Did those who commit crimes against humanity against Muslims in India and violate their rights think that Muslims will remain silent about these crimes and do not move politically, legally and economically against them? a statement by the general secretariat of the Kuwait Council of Ministers said…Earlier, on April 18 [2020], the OIC had issued a statement, urging India to take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia in the country…people in the Gulf countries felt outraged over the way Indian Muslims were being blamed for the coronavirus pandemic….About 8.5 million Indians live and work in Gulf countries, a significant number of them Hindus. In the past month, at least six Hindus working in the Gulf region have lost their jobs charged for their social media posts [Against the Muslims]…The level of hubris of the Hindutva fascists shocked people throughout the world, changing previously held opinions…Princess Hend al-Qassimi, a member of the UAE royal family, warned openly racist and discriminatory Indians in the Gulf that they will be fined and made to leave the country…there has been an unprecedented surge in Arabs openly criticising the growing anti-Muslim rhetoric in India…several prominent activists in the Gulf region turned to social media to highlight what they describe as “ill treatment” of Muslims…Many of them are decrying the killing of Muslims without reason, while others have said the assault by the RSS–the BJP’s parent body–on Muslims is unacceptable and have labelled it a “terrorist” group that should be banned in the Gulf… a civil campaign had been started to highlight the malicious propaganda by BJP and the RSS against Muslims and to decrease business relations with India. Kuwait has appealed to the OIC to intervene in India to tackle anti-Muslim sentiment in the country”.
It is noteworthy that COVID-19 which has affected the entire world, does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or borders before targeting any country.
In Pakistan, the number of coronavirus-deaths has reached the figure of 2,200, whereas the number of persons, affected by the virus is110, 000. But, Islamabad did not blame India in this regard. But, under the guise of Coronavirus, India’s undeclared war against the Muslims continues.
It is regrettable that Modi-led BJP, VHP and RSS, including other Hindu extremist parties are leading the racist Hindutva supremacists against the Muslims in the occupied Kashmir and across India. In fact, it is primary part of Modi’s belief system to persecute the Indian Muslims.
Nevertheless, India’s anti-Muslim bigotry has been internationalized. Indian biased rulers have politicised the COVID-19 epidemic by accusing the Indian Muslims and thus, created a big divide. Hence, coronavirus may die, but the virus of communal disharmony will be hard to kill when this is over.
Nonetheless, despite the criticism at home and abroad, anti-Muslim nationalism continues unabated in India.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com


veteranstoday--2020-06-12--Blockbuster: Barr Orders FBI on ‘Nazi Rampage,’ Threatening Protesters, Families, Social Media Frien

Blockbuster: Barr Orders FBI on ‘Nazi Rampage,’ Threatening Protesters, Families, Social Media Friends…Everyone

“ On June 4 , agents turned up unannounced at Katy ’ s work , pulling her off the job and into a large truck in the gravel parking lot to question her about her connections to the upcoming rally and to AntiFa — the loose anti-fascist movement recently labeled as a terrorist organization by President Donald Trump .
Katy had never heard of them.
” Editor ’ s note : The analogies with Nazi Germany , often made by one side or the other politically , have finally come home to roost .
The GOP and Barr are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Zionist apocalypse cult .
Past this , we get something else , a great resurgence of communism around the world , very much in Russia and Israel ( understandable ) but elsewhere as well and these communists have replaced Lenin with Donald Trump .
As to why , is it because he is destroying capitalism by murdering the United States , now “ scheduled ” to suffer the 325,000 COVID deaths that VT predicted in March with 250,000 to be a Christmas present by Trump to the American people ?
In 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a race war in order to declare martial law and deploy the massive Bush 43 bloated Zionist bureaucracy in Washington against what is left of the decent and literate American people .
Now we see operatives sent out around the country , funded by the MEGA billionaires who back Trump ’ s every move , communists to a one , planning to shut down the election .
As things go , this will be a fight and the loyalty Trump and Barr looked for from the military is gone , they are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump only has the police and the Steve Bannon fake antifa militias his Gladiator Schools are arming and training right now .
any run-ins with the cops before .
I ’ ve never been to jail and have no criminal record , so when the FBI showed up to my workplace , it scared the piss out of me , ” says Katy , a 22-year-old who works for a custodial services company in Cookeville , a small college town in middle Tennessee .
“ I really thought I was going to lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrifying.
” Moved by the video of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , Katy — who requested she only be identified by her first name — and a friend had created a Facebook event for a Black Lives Matter rally in Cookeville ’ s public square on Saturday , June 6 .
She soon connected with several other Cookeville locals who wanted to help with planning the event , and enthusiasm grew as word of the rally spread .
“ I ’ ve never organized a rally before , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I didn ’ t expect a lot of people to show up , but overnight 600 people had RSVP ’ d on Facebook.
” Counter-protesters organized their own Facebook group , Protect Cookeville Against Looters , which quickly swelled to over 1,000 members .
Some of the members of this group determined that Katy was the main organizer of the upcoming rally and began posting her personal information and making violent threats .
“ The event for the rally had been up for about four days when we started getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was too much .
I was overwhelmed.
” Katy eventually backed out of the rally — and a group of local high school students took over planning — but she had already gotten the attention of the FBI ’ s Joint Terrorism Task Force , or JTTF , a federally coordinated network of local law enforcement officers who work under the direction of the FBI to gather intelligence about terrorist threats .

“On June 4, agents turned up unannounced at Katy’s work, pulling her off the job and into a large truck in the gravel parking lot to question her about her connections to the upcoming rally and to AntiFa — the loose anti-fascist movement recently labeled as a terrorist organization by President Donald Trump. Katy had never heard of them.”
Editor’s note: The analogies with Nazi Germany, often made by one side or the other politically, have finally come home to roost. The GOP and Barr are very much Nazis, albeit fanatic members of a Zionist apocalypse cult.
Past this, we get something else, a great resurgence of communism around the world, very much in Russia and Israel (understandable) but elsewhere as well and these communists have replaced Lenin with Donald Trump.
As to why, is it because he is destroying capitalism by murdering the United States, now “scheduled” to suffer the 325,000 COVID deaths that VT predicted in March with 250,000 to be a Christmas present by Trump to the American people?
In 2016 we also predicted that Trump would stage a race war in order to declare martial law and deploy the massive Bush 43 bloated Zionist bureaucracy in Washington against what is left of the decent and literate American people.
Now we see operatives sent out around the country, funded by the MEGA billionaires who back Trump’s every move, communists to a one, planning to shut down the election.
As things go, this will be a fight and the loyalty Trump and Barr looked for from the military is gone, they are in Biden’s pocket already. Now Trump only has the police and the Steve Bannon fake antifa militias his Gladiator Schools are arming and training right now.
Intercept: “I’VE NEVER HAD any run-ins with the cops before. I’ve never been to jail and have no criminal record, so when the FBI showed up to my workplace, it scared the piss out of me,” says Katy, a 22-year-old who works for a custodial services company in Cookeville, a small college town in middle Tennessee. “I really thought I was going to lose my job. The whole experience was terrifying.”
Moved by the video of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Katy — who requested she only be identified by her first name — and a friend had created a Facebook event for a Black Lives Matter rally in Cookeville’s public square on Saturday, June 6. She soon connected with several other Cookeville locals who wanted to help with planning the event, and enthusiasm grew as word of the rally spread.
“I’ve never organized a rally before, I was just winging it,” Katy said. “I didn’t expect a lot of people to show up, but overnight 600 people had RSVP’d on Facebook.”
Counter-protesters organized their own Facebook group, Protect Cookeville Against Looters, which quickly swelled to over 1,000 members. Some of the members of this group determined that Katy was the main organizer of the upcoming rally and began posting her personal information and making violent threats.
“The event for the rally had been up for about four days when we started getting death threats,” Katy said. “It was too much. I was overwhelmed.”
Katy eventually backed out of the rally — and a group of local high school students took over planning — but she had already gotten the attention of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, or JTTF, a federally coordinated network of local law enforcement officers who work under the direction of the FBI to gather intelligence about terrorist threats.
Read Full Article on TheIntercept.com


veteranstoday--2020-06-12--An Undeserved Free Ride too Long:  Melania Blackmailed Trump into New Prenup, Refused to Move into W

An Undeserved Free Ride too Long:  Melania Blackmailed Trump into New Prenup, Refused to Move into White House

“ She is … much more like him than it appears , ” Jordan adds .
Comfortable with racist attacks on the Obama ’ s , an avid “ birther , ” our current first lady has pretended she is above her husband ’ s indiscretions…and now it seems they are twins .
Daily Beast/Washington Post : Remember back in 2017 when , after her husband ’ s inauguration , Melania Trump stayed behind in New York City , supposedly so that their son , Barron , could finish the school year uninterrupted ?
The mythmaking , Jordan writes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to correct reporters who cited her age incorrectly , always younger than she was .
Despite saying she wouldn ’ t get plastic surgery , three photographers who worked with her said they ’ ve seen the scars .
She attended a highly competitive architecture program at the University of Ljubljana , but did not graduate , though she claimed in sworn testimony to have a bachelor ’ s degree .
From the WaPo : “ There ’ s also little evidence to suggest her claims of being able to speak four or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Photographers and others who have worked with her over the years — including native speakers of Italian , French , and German — told me that they never heard her use more than a few words of those languages , ’ Jordan writes .
Reporting in the book suggests she only speaks English and Slovene fluently .
Meeting Trump accelerated that mythmaking , as he introduced her around the city as a “ supermodel ” when that was not true .
Jordan found little evidence even of the story of how they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club during Fashion Week in 1998 with a more famous model but was fixated on Melania , who refused to give him her phone number .
Multiple sources , including a German modeling agent she was working for that year , told Jordan that they had heard Melania was already dating Trump before the timeline they laid out.
” Well , according to a new book , the first lady used that delay in her arrival as leverage to help her negotiate better financial terms in her prenuptial agreement with the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her new book , The Art of Her Deal : The Untold Story of Melania Trump , that the new first lady was upset about campaign revelations regarding Trump ’ s alleged sexual indiscretions and the notorious “ grab them by the pussy ” Access Hollywood tape .
Jordan writes that Melania delayed her arrival at the White House to give her time to cool off and “ to amend her financial arrangement with Trump—what Melania referred to as ‘ taking care of Barron .
’ ”

“She is … much more like him than it appears,” Jordan adds.
…education, immigration story, languages, plastic surgeries…everything…totally made up
Comfortable with racist attacks on the Obama’s, an avid “birther,” our current first lady has pretended she is above her husband’s indiscretions…and now it seems they are twins.
Daily Beast/Washington Post: Remember back in 2017 when, after her husband’s inauguration, Melania Trump stayed behind in New York City, supposedly so that their son, Barron, could finish the school year uninterrupted?
The mythmaking, Jordan writes, began early, when she would fail to correct reporters who cited her age incorrectly, always younger than she was. Despite saying she wouldn’t get plastic surgery, three photographers who worked with her said they’ve seen the scars.
She attended a highly competitive architecture program at the University of Ljubljana, but did not graduate, though she claimed in sworn testimony to have a bachelor’s degree. From the WaPo:
“There’s also little evidence to suggest her claims of being able to speak four or five languages fluently are true.
‘“Photographers and others who have worked with her over the years — including native speakers of Italian, French, and German — told me that they never heard her use more than a few words of those languages,’ Jordan writes. Reporting in the book suggests she only speaks English and Slovene fluently.
Meeting Trump accelerated that mythmaking, as he introduced her around the city as a “supermodel” when that was not true. Jordan found little evidence even of the story of how they met — he saw her at a club during Fashion Week in 1998 with a more famous model but was fixated on Melania, who refused to give him her phone number. Multiple sources, including a German modeling agent she was working for that year, told Jordan that they had heard Melania was already dating Trump before the timeline they laid out.”
Well, according to a new book, the first lady used that delay in her arrival as leverage to help her negotiate better financial terms in her prenuptial agreement with the president.
The real Melania:
Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan writes in her new book, The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump, that the new first lady was upset about campaign revelations regarding Trump’s alleged sexual indiscretions and the notorious “grab them by the pussy”
Access Hollywood tape. Jordan writes that Melania delayed her arrival at the White House to give her time to cool off and “to amend her financial arrangement with Trump—what Melania referred to as ‘taking care of Barron.’”
Source: DailyBeast.com