21stcenturywire--2020-11-05--US DOJ Seizes 27 Websites Claiming They Are ‘Controlled by Iran’

The US Department of Justice ( DOJ ) announced on Wednesday that it seized 27 online domains , claiming the websites were controlled by Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) .
The DOJ seized the domains under the guise of enforcing US sanctions against Iran and the IRGC .
Wednesday ’ s announcement followed the seizure of 92 domains in October that the DOJ also claimed were operated by Iran .
The DOJ purports that the domains were being used to spread “ Iranian propaganda ” and “ disinformation.
” The DOJ and the FBI work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seizures .
“ Thanks to our ongoing collaboration with Google , Facebook , and Twitter , the FBI was able to disrupt this Iranian propaganda campaign and we will continue to pursue any attempts by foreign actors to spread disinformation in our country , ” FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair said in a statement .
Among the domains seized on Wednesday were four news websites the DOJ seized under the guise of the Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) .
The claim against the websites is that they targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign government .
“ Here , the four domains purported to be independent news outlets , but they were actually operated by or on behalf of the IRGC to target the United States with pro-Iranian propaganda in an attempt to covertly influence the American people to change United States policy concerning Iran and the Middle East , ” the DOJ said .
One of the news sites taken down was the American Herald Tribune ( AHT ) , a website whose editor in chief , Anthony Hall , is based in Canada .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ US government decided that AHT or the other websites are affiliated with Iran .
Investigative journalist Gareth Porter wrote about social media censorship AHT has faced .
Porter ’ s report says the FBI encouraged Facebook , Instagram , and Google to remove or restrict ads on AHT .
In 2018 , AHT ’ s Facebook page was deleted , and the outlets account on Facebook-run Instagram was also removed .
In January of this year , CNN published a story that claimed AHT was founded in Iran .
CNN quoted an unnamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to Porter , FireEye boasts that it has contracts with “ nearly every department in the United States government.
” The official told CNN that FireEye had “ assessed ” with “ moderate confidence ” that the AHT ’ s website was founded in Iran and was “ part of a larger influence operation.
” The term “ moderate confidence ” comes from US intelligence agencies and means there is plenty of room for doubt .
AHT published authors with dissenting views , who often criticized US foreign policy towards Iran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one from FireEye to take these sites down , it sets a dangerous precedent for independent media outlets .
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Antiwar.com reports…
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday that it seized 27 online domains, claiming the websites were controlled by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The DOJ seized the domains under the guise of enforcing US sanctions against Iran and the IRGC.
Wednesday’s announcement followed the seizure of 92 domains in October that the DOJ also claimed were operated by Iran. The DOJ purports that the domains were being used to spread “Iranian propaganda” and “disinformation.”
The DOJ and the FBI work with US tech companies to make these seizures. “Thanks to our ongoing collaboration with Google, Facebook, and Twitter, the FBI was able to disrupt this Iranian propaganda campaign and we will continue to pursue any attempts by foreign actors to spread disinformation in our country,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair said in a statement.
Among the domains seized on Wednesday were four news websites the DOJ seized under the guise of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The claim against the websites is that they targeted US audiences without disclosing ties to a foreign government.
“Here, the four domains purported to be independent news outlets, but they were actually operated by or on behalf of the IRGC to target the United States with pro-Iranian propaganda in an attempt to covertly influence the American people to change United States policy concerning Iran and the Middle East,” the DOJ said.
One of the news sites taken down was the American Herald Tribune (AHT), a website whose editor in chief, Anthony Hall, is based in Canada. It’s not clear how the US government decided that AHT or the other websites are affiliated with Iran.
Investigative journalist Gareth Porter wrote about social media censorship AHT has faced. Porter’s report says the FBI encouraged Facebook, Instagram, and Google to remove or restrict ads on AHT. In 2018, AHT’s Facebook page was deleted, and the outlets account on Facebook-run Instagram was also removed.
In January of this year, CNN published a story that claimed AHT was founded in Iran. CNN quoted an unnamed official from the cyber-security firm FireEye. According to Porter, FireEye boasts that it has contracts with “nearly every department in the United States government.”
The official told CNN that FireEye had “assessed” with “moderate confidence” that the AHT’s website was founded in Iran and was “part of a larger influence operation.” The term “moderate confidence” comes from US intelligence agencies and means there is plenty of room for doubt.
AHT published authors with dissenting views, who often criticized US foreign policy towards Iran. If the DOJ uses shaky assessments like the one from FireEye to take these sites down, it sets a dangerous precedent for independent media outlets.
READ MORE CENSORSHIP NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Censorship Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-05--Michael Bloomberg’s $100M on Biden Campaign in Florida, Ohio, Texas Was a Bust

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , who blew through $ 1 billion of his fortune on a failed Democratic Primary run , squandered another $ 100 million to help Joe Biden win key swing states Florida , Ohio and Texas .
There was just one problem – the whole plan was a gigantic political fantasy and it busted bigly .
These large Republican leaning swing states were flooded with ‘ Bloomberg bucks ’ to help turn out the black and Latino vote for the Biden campaign .
It failed miserably in Florida where the incumbent Donald Trump won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and made significant gains especially among Latino voters , according to a report by NBC News : “ Trump showed up in Florida .
He asked us what our issues are and he addressed them .
He didn ’ t take us for granted , ” said Bertica Cabrera Morris , a longtime Republican strategist and one of the 20 board members of Latinos for Trump .
A real ‘ gut check ’ for the Democrats coming out of this wild 2020 election season : SUPPORT OUR WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A @ @ @

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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who blew through $1 billion of his fortune on a failed Democratic Primary run, squandered another $100 million to help Joe Biden win key swing states Florida, Ohio and Texas. There was just one problem – the whole plan was a gigantic political fantasy and it busted bigly.
These large Republican leaning swing states were flooded with ‘Bloomberg bucks’ to help turn out the black and Latino vote for the Biden campaign. It failed miserably in Florida where the incumbent Donald Trump won the state’s 29 electoral votes and made significant gains especially among Latino voters, according to a report by NBC News:
“Trump showed up in Florida. He asked us what our issues are and he addressed them. He didn’t take us for granted,” said Bertica Cabrera Morris, a longtime Republican strategist and one of the 20 board members of Latinos for Trump.
A real ‘gut check’ for the Democrats coming out of this wild 2020 election season:
The loss of many Black and Latino voters to Donald Trump would be a pretty stunning repudiation of everything the Democratic Party establishment has claimed that it stands for since 2015 — Vincent Bevins (@Vinncent) November 4, 2020
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-06--The Election Result We Know: US Will Continue to Act Above International Law

Is it time to get off the proverbial couch and get on with building an alternative , real world ?
One contradiction about the American presidential election is this : for all the intense media attention and commentary around the world one would expect the result to perhaps portend immense consequence .
The mundane reality , though , is that there will be little of appreciable consequence for US relations with the rest of the world .
The United States will continue to conduct itself as if it is above international law , interfering in other nations ’ affairs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unilaterally using violence and war to enforce its objective when it deems necessary .
Every American president over the past century has engaged in all of these criminal practices .
How could we expect any difference with a change of face in a system dictated to by the same corporate power ?
Only when the system of power fundamentally changes then can we expect to see meaningful change towards the better .
It looks like Democrat contender Joe Biden has won enough votes to gain the White House against incumbent Republican President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American electoral system mean that tallying of votes drags on for several days beyond the official election date on November 3 .
Given the closeness of the race there will also be legal contesting of the results , especially from the Trump campaign which at an early stage has made dubious claims about ballot fraud .
However , as noted above , it hardly matters who finally wins the White House and is inaugurated as the 46th president on January 20 .
Trump ’ s past four years have amply demonstrated that any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been dashed .
Trump was not merely held hostage by a revival in Cold War anti-Russian prejudices among the Washington establishment .
He lent his own personal touch to deteriorating bilateral relations with such policies as undermining arms controls negotiations as well as attacking Russian energy trade with Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline .
For his part , Biden has voiced more vehement antagonism towards Russia than Trump .
There are reasons to be wary of any new White House and how US foreign policy could become marginally even more aggressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bitterly polarized and divisive US domestic politics have become .
This is due to the historic failing of the two-party system which has , over decades , left whole swathes of the population , in particular the majority working class , alienated from the political class .
There is irreparable distrust and distortion among the American populace .
To the point where it would seem impossible for any nominal winner of the election to be able to command a mandate .
A tried and trusted mechanism for galvanizing is to “ unite ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag against some designated foreign enemy .
Given the increasing unwieldy , fractious nature of American society , it is all the more imperative for the US ruling class to impose some level of coherence in order to restore the essential authority of governing power .
With this paramount need to shore up a sense of authority , it can therefore be expected that American foreign policy will become more aggressive and militaristic in the next four years .
So any notion that the presidential election might permit some kind of benign reset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The US ship of state has been on a sped-up course for collision and conflict for many years , if not decades .
Changing a captain figurehead in the bridge is not going to change the baleful course that is determined by the power interests of Big Business , Wall Street and the Pentagon ’ s military-industrial complex in the pursuit of American capitalist profits .
That being said , however , the rest of the world should not let its wariness of Washington ’ s misconduct allow it to become transfixed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The world has changed dramatically from the bygone days of the US as a formidable superpower .
New centers of power have emerged in a multipolar world , in particular the paradigm shift in the global economy to China and Eurasia .
Russia and China are steadily solidifying their strategic economic partnership .
They will and should continue on this path of co-development with other nations , and let Washington stew in its own failures .
In a very real way , the rest of the world should stop paying so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s like watching a “ reality TV show ” which has little consequence except sapping the viewer ’ s energy .
Better to get off the proverbial couch and get on with building an alternative , real world .

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Is it time to get off the proverbial couch and get on with building an alternative, real world?
Editorial
Strategic Culture
One contradiction about the American presidential election is this: for all the intense media attention and commentary around the world one would expect the result to perhaps portend immense consequence. The mundane reality, though, is that there will be little of appreciable consequence for US relations with the rest of the world.
The United States will continue to conduct itself as if it is above international law, interfering in other nations’ affairs, abusing its privileged dollar fiat currency, and unilaterally using violence and war to enforce its objective when it deems necessary.
Every American president over the past century has engaged in all of these criminal practices. How could we expect any difference with a change of face in a system dictated to by the same corporate power? Only when the system of power fundamentally changes then can we expect to see meaningful change towards the better.
It looks like Democrat contender Joe Biden has won enough votes to gain the White House against incumbent Republican President Donald Trump. The idiosyncrasies of the American electoral system mean that tallying of votes drags on for several days beyond the official election date on November 3. Given the closeness of the race there will also be legal contesting of the results, especially from the Trump campaign which at an early stage has made dubious claims about ballot fraud.
However, as noted above, it hardly matters who finally wins the White House and is inaugurated as the 46th president on January 20. Trump’s past four years have amply demonstrated that any hopes for an improvement in US-Russia relations have been dashed. Trump was not merely held hostage by a revival in Cold War anti-Russian prejudices among the Washington establishment. He lent his own personal touch to deteriorating bilateral relations with such policies as undermining arms controls negotiations as well as attacking Russian energy trade with Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline.
For his part, Biden has voiced more vehement antagonism towards Russia than Trump. There are reasons to be wary of any new White House and how US foreign policy could become marginally even more aggressive.
What is patently clear is how bitterly polarized and divisive US domestic politics have become. This is due to the historic failing of the two-party system which has, over decades, left whole swathes of the population, in particular the majority working class, alienated from the political class. There is irreparable distrust and distortion among the American populace. To the point where it would seem impossible for any nominal winner of the election to be able to command a mandate.
A tried and trusted mechanism for galvanizing is to “unite” the people by rallying them around the flag against some designated foreign enemy. Given the increasing unwieldy, fractious nature of American society, it is all the more imperative for the US ruling class to impose some level of coherence in order to restore the essential authority of governing power. With this paramount need to shore up a sense of authority, it can therefore be expected that American foreign policy will become more aggressive and militaristic in the next four years.
So any notion that the presidential election might permit some kind of benign reset in US global relations is woefully misplaced.
The US ship of state has been on a sped-up course for collision and conflict for many years, if not decades. Changing a captain figurehead in the bridge is not going to change the baleful course that is determined by the power interests of Big Business, Wall Street and the Pentagon’s military-industrial complex in the pursuit of American capitalist profits.
That being said, however, the rest of the world should not let its wariness of Washington’s misconduct allow it to become transfixed by America’s flailing global ambitions. The world has changed dramatically from the bygone days of the US as a formidable superpower. New centers of power have emerged in a multipolar world, in particular the paradigm shift in the global economy to China and Eurasia. Russia and China are steadily solidifying their strategic economic partnership. They will and should continue on this path of co-development with other nations, and let Washington stew in its own failures.
In a very real way, the rest of the world should stop paying so much attention to the American spectacle. It’s like watching a “reality TV show” which has little consequence except sapping the viewer’s energy. Better to get off the proverbial couch and get on with building an alternative, real world.
READ MORE 2020 ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2020 Files
Visit our 2020 #ElectionEdge LIVE Blog here
SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM– BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-11-06--UKC News: US Election Madness, UK Lockdown and Great Reset Agenda

The UK government has lowered the iron curtain once again on the people of Britain , imposing a new lockdown @ @ @ @ @ spike in COVID ‘ cases ’ but in reality there is no detectable .
In @ @ @ @ @ is standing firm on his accusations of election fraud in multiple states , as wrangling @ @ @ @ @ close counts in Georgia , Arizona , North Carolina and Pennsylvania .
Meanwhile , the @ @ @ @ @ Democrat Joe Biden as the next President .
Also , governments are now revealing their @ @ @ @ @ supposed ‘ pandemic ’ to implement the Great Reset agenda .
All this and more @ @ @ @ @ Patrick Henningsen with the end of week news round-up .
Watch :

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The UK government has lowered the iron curtain once again on the people of Britain, imposing a new lockdown supposedly because of an alleged spike in COVID ‘cases’ but in reality there is no detectable. In the US, President Trump is standing firm on his accusations of election fraud in multiple states, as wrangling continues over a number of close counts in Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the media have already begun anointing Democrat Joe Biden as the next President. Also, governments are now revealing their totalitarian hand in using the supposed ‘pandemic’ to implement the Great Reset agenda. All this and more.
Co-hosts Mike Robinson and Patrick Henningsen with the end of week news round-up. Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWv26MUzeWs
READ MORE COVID NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire COVID Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-07--DOMINION: The ‘Glitchy’ Voting System That’s Causing Problems in Key Swing States

The voting and tabulation machines made by Dominion Voting Systems are causing problems and raising doubts about the accuracy of 2020 election results in at least two key swing states , Michigan and Georgia , according to multiple reports .
It all started on early Wednesday after election night , when political observers were shocked to see that Antrim County , traditionally a Republican stronghold in the state of Michigan , had the Democrat , Joe Biden , beating Donald Trump by roughly 3,000 votes .
The vote tally , inaccurately counted by Dominion ’ s technology , was later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump for a 2,500 vote advantage in the final results , according to the Detroit Free Press : ( County Clerk Sheryl Guy ) was unclear on whether the apparent errors resulted from a software glitch or human error , but appeared to attribute the problem to a combination of both .
The county uses Dominion Voting Systems equipment and results are manually transported on computer cards from the precincts to county offices , where they are uploaded onto another computer , she said .
Dominion markets themselves as “ a leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , Canada and globally ” and boasts a “ U.S .
Footprint ” that serves “ More Than 40 % of Voters in 28 states plus Puerto Rico , 9 of the Top 20 Counties , 4 of the Top 10 Counties.
” And now it ’ s been reported by Politico that Dominion ’ s voting systems used in the state of Georgia , a state that has not finished counting and currently has Biden with a lead of just under 8,000 votes , had a ‘ glitch ’ that stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – caused by a software update that was uploaded to voting machines the day before the election .
A Georgia Superior Court Judge had to extend voting until 11 p.m. on election night due to the technical problems with the voting systems .
These two recent ‘ glitches ’ in state voting systems have raised suspicions of possible election fraud by technology experts , including former NSA technical director , William Binney :

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The voting and tabulation machines made by Dominion Voting Systems are causing problems and raising doubts about the accuracy of 2020 election results in at least two key swing states, Michigan and Georgia, according to multiple reports.
It all started on early Wednesday after election night, when political observers were shocked to see that Antrim County, traditionally a Republican stronghold in the state of Michigan, had the Democrat, Joe Biden, beating Donald Trump by roughly 3,000 votes.
The vote tally, inaccurately reported while using Dominion’s technology, was later corrected by election officials and eventually swung to Trump for a 2,500 vote advantage in the final results, according to the Detroit Free Press:
(County Clerk Sheryl Guy) was unclear on whether the apparent errors resulted from a software glitch or human error, but appeared to attribute the problem to a combination of both. The county uses Dominion Voting Systems equipment and results are manually transported on computer cards from the precincts to county offices, where they are uploaded onto another computer, she said.
Dominion markets themselves as “a leading industry supplier of election technology across the U.S., Canada and globally” and boasts a “U.S. Footprint” that serves “More Than 40% of Voters in 28 states plus Puerto Rico, 9 of the Top 20 Counties, 4 of the Top 10 Counties.”
Dominion’s U.S. voting footprint. (Image Source: dominionvoting.com)
And now it’s been reported by Politico that Dominion’s voting systems used in the state of Georgia, a state that has not finished counting and currently has Biden with a lead of just under 8,000 votes, had a ‘glitch’ that stopped voting in both Morgan and Spaulding Counties – caused by a software update that was uploaded to voting machines the day before the election.
Marcia Ridley, elections supervisor for Spaulding County, told Politico:
“That is something that they don’t ever do. I’ve never seen them update anything the day before the election.”
A Georgia Superior Court Judge had to extend voting until 11 p.m. on election night due to the technical problems with the voting systems.
These two recent ‘glitches’ in state voting systems have raised suspicions of possible election fraud. Technology experts, including former NSA technical director William Binney, are speaking out:
#ElectionFraud: Understand that #Michigan voting software debacle wasn’t a “glitch” – it was programmed into the software, former NSA technical director William Binney here: https://t.co/6YIUmkKnoK — Patrick Henningsen (@21WIRE) November 7, 2020
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-08--Episode #348 – ‘One Country, Two Presidents’ with guest Mark Crispin Miller

Episode # 348 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on this week , November 8 , 2020 with host Patrick Henningsen , broadcasting LIVE on the Alternate Current Radio Network ( ACR ) … 4pm-7pm UK Time ( Daylight Savings ) | 12pm-3pm EST ( US ) | 9am-12pm PST ( US ) This week the SUNDAY WIRE broadcasts LIVE on ACR with this week ’ s co-hosts Patrick Henningsen and Basil Valentine covering the top stories in the US , Europe and internationally .
Despite proclamations by the media , the dust has not yet settled from the US 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusing to conceded to the Democrat Joe Biden , with Trump pursing election and voter fraud cases in the courts , and Biden already doing his victory laps .
In hour two we ’ ll connect with special guest Mark Crispin Miller to discuss what just happened , whether Trump has a legal route to a remedy , and also how this current debacle compares with Bush vs Gore in 2000 , and what it means going forward for US politics .
Can we ever trust our elections again ?
All this and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AND ALSO BECOME A TEAM MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV *NOTE : THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*

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Episode #348 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on this week, November 8, 2020 with host Patrick Henningsen, broadcasting LIVE on the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR)…
LISTEN LIVE ON THIS PAGE – START TIMES:
4pm-7pm UK Time (Daylight Savings) | 12pm-3pm EST (US) | 9am-12pm PST (US)
This week the SUNDAY WIRE broadcasts LIVE on ACR with this week’s co-hosts Patrick Henningsen and Basil Valentine covering the top stories in the US, Europe and internationally. Despite proclamations by the media, the dust has not yet settled from the US 2020 Presidential Election with the GOP incumbent Trump refusing to conceded to the Democrat Joe Biden, with Trump pursing election and voter fraud cases in the courts, and Biden already doing his victory laps. In hour two we’ll connect with special guest Mark Crispin Miller author of “Fooled Again: Real Case for Election Reform“ and Professor at NYU, to discuss what just happened on Nov 3rd, whether Trump has a legal route to a remedy, and also how this current debacle compares with Bush vs Gore in 2000, and what it means going forward for US politics. Can we ever trust our elections again? All this and much, more. Enjoy the show…
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*NOTE: THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-09--Trump’s Legal Battle: Constitutional vs the Political Arguments Explained

According to Time Magazine , “ Joe Biden won the presidential election on Saturday after the Associated Press called him the winner.
” But can the mainstream media really ‘ call ’ the winner of US elections ?
In the meantime , President Trump has filed roughly 12 lawsuits in both the state and federal courts , with various interventions , including the halting of vote-counting in order to ascertain the legitimacy of late ballots , and to disqualify tranches of possibly illegal ballots .
Lawsuits have been filed in states including ( by not limited to ) Pennsylvania , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all states where Biden ’ s achieved a mysterious and miraculous comeback late in the evening of the election , and where his margin of victory was very slim , and also states where a recount is likely .
“ The Democrats seem to want to vote earlier and earlier , and count later and later , ” said Mark Levin .
In this episode of Life Liberty and Levin , host Mark Levin speaks with guest Ken Starr and Hans von Spakovsky , about the current controversy over ballot counting in key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV

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According to Time Magazine, “Joe Biden won the presidential election on Saturday after the Associated Press called him the winner.” But can the mainstream media really ‘call’ the winner of US elections?
In the meantime, President Trump has filed roughly 12 lawsuits in both the state and federal courts, with various interventions, including the halting of vote-counting in order to ascertain the legitimacy of late ballots, and to disqualify tranches of possibly illegal ballots. Lawsuits have been filed in states including (by not limited to) Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Michigan — all states where Biden’s achieved a mysterious and miraculous comeback late in the evening of the election, and where his margin of victory was very slim, and also states where a recount is likely.
“The Democrats seem to want to vote earlier and earlier, and count later and later,” said Mark Levin.
In this episode of Life Liberty and Levin, host Mark Levin speaks with guest Ken Starr and Hans von Spakovsky, about the current controversy over ballot counting in key swing states. Watch:

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VIDEO: ‘Rebuilding Aleppo’

After 10 years of devastation and instability wrought by western powers waging a brutal proxy war on Syria , one @ @ @ @ @ and cultural jewels , Aleppo , has been quietly rebuilding and restoring itself in the @ @ @ @ @ glory .
This new video report from Aleppo shows a new housing district where schools @ @ @ @ @ , and also its refurbished football which has since restarted league matches – following a @ @ @ @ @ nine year siege by terrorists forces surrounding the city .
This is perhaps the most @ @ @ @ @ long war .
Watch :

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After 10 years of devastation and instability wrought by western powers waging a brutal proxy war on Syria, one the region’s historic and cultural jewels, Aleppo, has been quietly rebuilding and restoring itself in the hopes of rivaling its former glory.
This new video report from Aleppo shows a new housing district where schools and kindergartens is being built, and also its refurbished football which has since restarted league matches – following a four year terrorist occupation and nine year siege by terrorists forces surrounding the city. This is perhaps the most incredible comeback story of this long war. Watch:
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-09--Lockdown UK: Why COVID Restrictions Could Last Until April

IMAGE : UK government propaganda campaign to frighten the public into staying locked indoors has become even more egregious of late .
The UK government continues to careen out of control in dishing out what is becoming an increasingly opaque and authoritarian public health policy , supposedly to ‘ eliminate coronavirus.
’ Today we learned that PM Boris Johnson is now claiming that he felt ‘ bounced into second lockdown by dodgy data , ’ presumably from the government ’ s secretive scientific committee known as SAGE .
According to reports , Johnson felt that he was somehow ‘ pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of misleading data from SAGE .
It ’ s become noticeable in recent months how UK government ’ s lauded science advisors have been trotting out ever-more outlandish predictions of death and doom , including one crazed projection of 4,000 daily deaths from COVID-19 should the government not impose more draconian measures .
The government appears to be in damage control now , with leaks to press designed to make Johnson look like the victim of ‘ bad information ’ from his corporatist science cabal .
“ I think he is concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it … .
He was really , really cross about the leak because at that point a different decision might still have been made , ” remarked one Cabinet Minister to the Daily Mail .
The source added , “ There is also concern that some of the information used to inform the decision now seems to be crumbling … .
In fact the figures seem to be suggesting things were getting better before the lockdown began – we are being shut down for a month when we did not need to be.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ throws into question what the government ’ s true long-term strategy is .
Thus far , the only tangible result of lockdown has been a complete destruction of the British economy , spiraling public and private debt , and massive collateral damage in public health due to the conversion of the country ’ s NHS into what is effectively becoming a ‘ COVID only ’ health service – resulting in a growing number of lockdown deaths .
Meanwhile , the police have threaten heavier ‘ crack downs ’ on alleged lockdown offenders – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an already damaged relationship between law enforcement and the general public .
Is the UK government really going to try and lockdown the population until May ?
If so , on what scientific basis are they taking such harsh totalitarian measures ?
The fear , of course , comes from what officials think will happen next .
We ’ re told that the Prime Minister fears a second wave larger than the first , but we ’ re not really told why .
Decisions are made to tighten restrictions on the basis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not shared with the public .
Perhaps the biggest question is how long this new phase will last .
If we ’ re hunkering down in fear of what happens if we don ’ t , when might it all end ?
And have we already settled down to a very long winter ?
Many of the answers lie with the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies , its name perhaps chosen so it could produce the acronym Sage .
It is fed by modellers , called SPI-M , who produce what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario , or RWC .
In the UK system , government plans around this worst-case basis .
But if the country ends up being run around this scenario , then we enter problems .
There is little scrutiny of the Sage assumptions , because so many of them are unpublished .
Some of its papers are released sporadically .
But some of its major planning is kept secret even from senior members of the government .
The secrecy is odd .
In classic pandemic theory , governments are supposed to keep the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know and don ’ t know .
The risk is that a lack of transparency erodes confidence in ministers , and creates space for misinformation .
The other risk is that if government is relying on modelling , much depends on the accuracy of the modelling .
If it ’ s not scrutinised , mistakes are more likely to go uncorrected .
More fundamentally , if people are being deprived of their liberty , they deserve to know why .
That ’ s why The Spectator is publishing a document which the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of : the ‘ reasonable worst-case scenario ’ for this coming winter .
The document is on our website and makes for grim reading : 85,000 dead from a new Covid wave , about a third more than have died so far .
It envisages 356,000 heading for hospital .
Deaths are expected to peak at a lower rate than the first wave — but what is very different , this time , is the duration .
The second wave is expected to get steadily worse until March .
The Sage document starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a hypothesis , not a prediction .
The clue is in the name : a ‘ worst-case planning scenario ’ is not the most likely outcome .
But as it says , under the UK system , this is the basis on which plans are being made .
The document , published on 30 July , explains why lockdown measures were never properly relaxed .
It also explains why ministers are so worried .
If its forecasts are even half-right , we ’ re not remotely close to the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a near-exhausted enemy , the Brits see a monster ready to strike even harder as soon as normal life resumes .
Which is why there ’ s no rush to resume normal life .
The core Sage assumption is of ‘ a difficult autumn followed by a large winter peak ’ , with the virus doubling every two weeks .
After a month of this , restrictions would be tightened ‘ to reduce non-household contacts to half of their normal pre-March 2020 lockdown levels ’ but schools would remain open .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been pretty much the story to date .
Which makes the next assumption in the Sage plan significant : ‘ These measures are sustained until the end of March 2021.
’ This is a plan to keep the restrictions until April .
Perhaps longer… Continue this story at The Spectator SUPPORT OUR WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV

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IMAGE: UK government propaganda campaign to frighten the public into staying locked indoors has become even more egregious of late.
The UK government continues to careen out of control in dishing out what is becoming an increasingly opaque and authoritarian public health policy, supposedly to ‘eliminate coronavirus.’
Today we learned that PM Boris Johnson is now claiming that he felt ‘bounced into second lockdown by dodgy data,’ presumably from the government’s secretive scientific committee known as SAGE.
According to reports, Johnson felt that he was somehow ‘pushed’ into an unpopular second national lockdown because of misleading data from SAGE.
It’s become noticeable in recent months how UK government’s lauded science advisors have been trotting out ever-more outlandish predictions of death and doom, including one crazed projection of 4,000 daily deaths from COVID-19 should the government not impose more draconian measures.
The government appears to be in damage control now, with leaks to press designed to make Johnson look like the victim of ‘bad information’ from his corporatist science cabal.
“I think he is concerned that he may have been bounced into it …. He was really, really cross about the leak because at that point a different decision might still have been made,” remarked one Cabinet Minister to the Daily Mail.
The source added, “There is also concern that some of the information used to inform the decision now seems to be crumbling …. In fact the figures seem to be suggesting things were getting better before the lockdown began – we are being shut down for a month when we did not need to be.”
Of course, all of this throws into question what the government’s true long-term strategy is. Thus far, the only tangible result of lockdown has been a complete destruction of the British economy, spiraling public and private debt, and massive collateral damage in public health due to the conversion of the country’s NHS into what is effectively becoming a ‘COVID only’ health service – resulting in a growing number of lockdown deaths.
Meanwhile, the police have threaten heavier ‘crack downs’ on alleged lockdown offenders – a trend which will only further erode an already damaged relationship between law enforcement and the general public.
Is the UK government really going to try and lockdown the population until May? If so, on what scientific basis are they taking such harsh totalitarian measures?
Fraser Nelson writes for The Spectator….
The fear, of course, comes from what officials think will happen next. We’re told that the Prime Minister fears a second wave larger than the first, but we’re not really told why. Decisions are made to tighten restrictions on the basis of figures, scenarios and documents that are not shared with the public. Perhaps the biggest question is how long this new phase will last. If we’re hunkering down in fear of what happens if we don’t, when might it all end? And have we already settled down to a very long winter?
Many of the answers lie with the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, its name perhaps chosen so it could produce the acronym Sage. It is fed by modellers, called SPI-M, who produce what’s known as a ‘reasonable worst-case’ scenario, or RWC. In the UK system, government plans around this worst-case basis. But if the country ends up being run around this scenario, then we enter problems. There is little scrutiny of the Sage assumptions, because so many of them are unpublished. Some of its papers are released sporadically. But some of its major planning is kept secret even from senior members of the government.
The secrecy is odd. In classic pandemic theory, governments are supposed to keep the public informed at every stage about what they know and don’t know. The risk is that a lack of transparency erodes confidence in ministers, and creates space for misinformation. The other risk is that if government is relying on modelling, much depends on the accuracy of the modelling. If it’s not scrutinised, mistakes are more likely to go uncorrected. More fundamentally, if people are being deprived of their liberty, they deserve to know why.
That’s why The Spectator is publishing a document which the government has not until now acknowledged the existence of: the ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ for this coming winter. The document is on our website and makes for grim reading: 85,000 dead from a new Covid wave, about a third more than have died so far. It envisages 356,000 heading for hospital. Deaths are expected to peak at a lower rate than the first wave — but what is very different, this time, is the duration. The second wave is expected to get steadily worse until March.
The Sage document starts with an important caveat: it’s a hypothesis, not a prediction. The clue is in the name: a ‘worst-case planning scenario’ is not the most likely outcome. But as it says, under the UK system, this is the basis on which plans are being made. The document, published on 30 July, explains why lockdown measures were never properly relaxed. It also explains why ministers are so worried. If its forecasts are even half-right, we’re not remotely close to the end of the Covid story. While Swedes regard Covid as a near-exhausted enemy, the Brits see a monster ready to strike even harder as soon as normal life resumes. Which is why there’s no rush to resume normal life.
The core Sage assumption is of ‘a difficult autumn followed by a large winter peak’, with the virus doubling every two weeks. After a month of this, restrictions would be tightened ‘to reduce non-household contacts to half of their normal pre-March 2020 lockdown levels’ but schools would remain open. So far, so accurate: this has been pretty much the story to date. Which makes the next assumption in the Sage plan significant: ‘These measures are sustained until the end of March 2021.’ This is a plan to keep the restrictions until April. Perhaps longer…
Continue this story at The Spectator
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-09--Victor Davis Hanson on US Election and Current State of the Union

As the election drama continues to unfold in the United States , and as the establishment aggressively moves to anoint @ @ @ @ @ , the ultimate winners and losers of this election are yet to be decided .
@ @ @ @ @ realignment in its political landscape ?
In this incredibly insightful interview , historian and political @ @ @ @ @ what just happened and what it means going forward – about how pollsters were wrong @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 , and the mainstream corporate media ’ s role in manipulating public perception @ @ @ @ @ how the media have now usurped to American voter and the rule of law in @ @ @ @ @ elections .
Watch : SUPPORT OUR WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV

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As the election drama continues to unfold in the United States, and as the establishment aggressively moves to anoint Joe Biden as the President, the ultimate winners and losers of this election are yet to be decided. Is America witnessing a major realignment in its political landscape?
In this incredibly insightful interview, historian and political commentator Victor Davis Hanson explains what just happened and what it means going forward – about how pollsters were wrong in 2016, and again in 2020, and the mainstream corporate media’s role in manipulating public perception on election night, and how the media have now usurped to American voter and the rule of law in declaring the winner of US elections. Watch:
Visit our 2020 #ElectionEdge LIVE Blog here
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-09--CNN’s Chris Cuomo Rejects Biden Call for ‘Unity’

The corporate mainstream media are clearly scorned .
Following the mainstream media coronation of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Saturday night , CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon appeared to reject Biden ’ s calls to “ unite us here at home.
” Cuomo dismissed Biden ’ s call for unity , and warned that if Democrats and mainstream media that ‘ You should never forget how we got here , ’ and to remain hostile to Republicans and Trump supports then ‘ we could return to the same place very quickly.
’ Cuomo appeared to fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , while dismissing altogether any possibility of the incumbent receiving any remedy in the courts after the election .
CUOMO : They are not abusing any tradition or any norm .
That is all happening on the other side of the ball as it always has .
And as I have reported all along and argued , this is a time where people must be remembered for what they did , what they said , what they did not do , and what they failed to say .
Even tonight on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all these pats on the back in the last couple of days for being a fair broker , even though they come from the right , still explaining away Donald Trump ’ s position towards our democracy as , “ Well , that ’ s the way he is.
” No , there is good , and there is bad , and there is right , and there is wrong .
Not everything is subjective .
And just because somebody decides to do what is wrong doesn ’ t mean it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s about how you match a tie and a handkerchief , not about how you decide to discuss Muslims or our democracy .
And people have to remember how people acted during this time , what they said in the media , in the GOP , and yes , in the Democratic Party as well .
And you should never forget how we got here because we can return to the same place very quickly .
in fact , Donald Trump could run again .
LEMON : In 2024 .
This should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be .
LEMON : It could be .
CUOMO : It could be if Biden makes good on what he said .
He has to hear the people who didn ’ t vote for him .
LEMON : But you have to have cooperation with that .
CUOMO : Absolutely , but that takes us to another place .
People have power .
This election proves that .
For all the money , all the special interests , all the media , all the deception , if people come out , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without question is the American public because they voted and participated in a way that will work for the winners and the losers .
The winners have a mandate and the person they wanted .
The losers have the ear of that same person .

The corporate mainstream media are clearly scorned.
Following the mainstream media coronation of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Saturday night, CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon appeared to reject Biden’s calls to “unite us here at home.”
Cuomo dismissed Biden’s call for unity, and warned that if Democrats and mainstream media that ‘You should never forget how we got here,’ and to remain hostile to Republicans and Trump supports then ‘we could return to the same place very quickly.’
Cuomo appeared to fear another run at the White House by Trump, while dismissing altogether any possibility of the incumbent receiving any remedy in the courts after the election.
Partial transcript provided by Breitbart News:
CUOMO: They are not abusing any tradition or any norm. That is all happening on the other side of the ball as it always has. And as I have reported all along and argued, this is a time where people must be remembered for what they did, what they said, what they did not do, and what they failed to say. Even tonight on our own air, people who were given all these pats on the back in the last couple of days for being a fair broker, even though they come from the right, still explaining away Donald Trump’s position towards our democracy as, “Well, that’s the way he is.”
No, there is good, and there is bad, and there is right, and there is wrong. Not everything is subjective. And just because somebody decides to do what is wrong doesn’t mean it’s a personal style choice. That’s about how you match a tie and a handkerchief, not about how you decide to discuss Muslims or our democracy. And people have to remember how people acted during this time, what they said in the media, in the GOP, and yes, in the Democratic Party as well. And you should never forget how we got here because we can return to the same place very quickly. in fact, Donald Trump could run again.
LEMON: In 2024. This should be an inflection point.
CUOMO: It may be.
LEMON: It could be.
CUOMO: It could be if Biden makes good on what he said. He has to hear the people who didn’t vote for him.
LEMON: But you have to have cooperation with that.
CUOMO: Absolutely, but that takes us to another place. People have power. This election proves that. For all the money, all the special interests, all the media, all the deception, if people come out, they win. The winner of this election without question is the American public because they voted and participated in a way that will work for the winners and the losers. The winners have a mandate and the person they wanted. The losers have the ear of that same person.


21stcenturywire--2020-11-10--State of Texas Refused to Certify Dominion Voting Systems for Its Elections in 2020

NOT ON DOMINION : A popular “ I ’ m so gon na vote ” election yard sign in Austin , TX .
We ’ ve now learned that recently embattled voting technology provider , Dominion Voting Systems , could not get certified by the State of Texas after failing to meet the state ’ s election standards for efficiency , accuracy , and safety from “ fraudulent or unauthorized manipulation ” – according to a report completed by the Office of the Secretary of State .
In the report , signed by Texas Deputy Secretary of State , Jose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data communications experts and voting system examiners found Dominion ’ s “ Democracy Suite 5.5-A ” to be not “ suitable for its intended purpose ” : The examiner reports identified multiple hardware and software issues that preclude the Office of the Texas Secretary of State from determining that the Democracy Suite 5.5-A system satisfies each of the voting-system requirements set forth in the Texas Election Code .
Specifically , the examiner reports raise concerns about whether the Democracy Suite 5.5-A system is suitable for its intended purpose ; operates efficiently and accurately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unauthorized manipulation .
Therefore , the Democracy Suite 5.5-A system and corresponding hardware devices do not meet the standards for certification prescribed by Section 122.001 of the Texas Election Code .
The voting and tabulation machines made by Dominion caused problems and raised doubts about the accuracy of 2020 election results in at least two key swing states , Michigan and Georgia , according to multiple reports .
Antrim County , Michigan , traditionally a Republican stronghold , had the Democrat , Joe Biden , beating Donald Trump by roughly 3,000 votes – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology , and later corrected by election officials , eventually netting Trump a 2,500 vote advantage in the final results .
In Georgia , other ‘ glitches ’ stopped voting in both Morgan and Spaulding Counties – caused by a software update that was uploaded to voting machines the day before the election .
Gwinnett County also experienced delays in reporting voting results due to a ‘ software issue ‘ with machines counting absentee ballots .
Dominion is also facing political scrutiny for its support of Democratic Party aligned organizations , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 and also partnering with it for The DELIAN Project – a transnational voting technology initiative valued at over $ 2 million .
A full breakdown of the voting system examinations conducted by the State of Texas on Dominion software and hardware can be found on the Secretary of State ’ s website .

By
NOT ON DOMINION: A popular “I’m so gonna vote” election yard sign in Austin, TX.
We’ve now learned that recently embattled voting technology provider, Dominion Voting Systems, could not get certified by the State of Texas after failing to meet the state’s election standards for efficiency, accuracy, and safety from “fraudulent or unauthorized manipulation” – according to a report completed by the Office of the Secretary of State.
In the report, signed by Texas Deputy Secretary of State, Jose A. Esparza, the findings of several data communications experts and voting system examiners found Dominion’s “Democracy Suite 5.5-A” to be not “suitable for its intended purpose”:
The examiner reports identified multiple hardware and software issues that preclude the Office of the Texas Secretary of State from determining that the Democracy Suite 5.5-A system satisfies each of the voting-system requirements set forth in the Texas Election Code. Specifically, the examiner reports raise concerns about whether the Democracy Suite 5.5-A system is suitable for its intended purpose; operates efficiently and accurately; and is safe from fraudulent or unauthorized manipulation. Therefore, the Democracy Suite 5.5-A system and corresponding hardware devices do not meet the standards for certification prescribed by Section 122.001 of the Texas Election Code.
The voting and tabulation machines made by Dominion caused problems and raised doubts about the accuracy of 2020 election results in at least two key swing states, Michigan and Georgia, according to multiple reports.
Antrim County, Michigan, traditionally a Republican stronghold, had the Democrat, Joe Biden, beating Donald Trump by roughly 3,000 votes – inaccurately reported while using Dominion’s technology, and later corrected by election officials, eventually netting Trump a 2,500 vote advantage in the final results.
In Georgia, other ‘glitches’ stopped voting in both Morgan and Spaulding Counties – caused by a software update that was uploaded to voting machines the day before the election. Gwinnett County also experienced delays in reporting voting results due to a ‘software issue‘ with machines counting absentee ballots.
Dominion is also facing political scrutiny for its support of Democratic Party aligned organizations, including the Clinton Foundation, donating to it in 2014 and also partnering with it for The DELIAN Project – a transnational voting technology initiative valued at over $2 million.
A full breakdown of the voting system examinations conducted by the State of Texas on Dominion software and hardware can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.
READ MORE 2020 ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2020 Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-10--Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments in Affordable Care Act Dispute – Texas v. California

U.S. Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments today in what ’ s become a highly contentious dispute over the @ @ @ @ @ Obamacare , between groups from both red and blue states in an election year .
@ @ @ @ @ constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act ’ s individual mandate , which was a major @ @ @ @ @ confirmation hearings of new justice Amy Coney Barrett .
Barrett is now seated on the @ @ @ @ @ in this landmark case .
The case is not expected to be decided until at @ @ @ @ @ , but could have an effect on the upcoming U.S. Senate races in Georgia scheduled @ @ @ @ @ 5th .
Live audio of the oral arguments in the case , known as Texas @ @ @ @ @ streamed .
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U.S. Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments today in what’s become a highly contentious dispute over the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, between groups from both red and blue states in an election year.
At issue will be the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, which was a major political flashpoint during the recent confirmation hearings of new justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Barrett is now seated on the court and will hear arguments in this landmark case.
The case is not expected to be decided until at least June of next year, but could have an effect on the upcoming U.S. Senate races in Georgia scheduled for run-off elections on January 5th.
Live audio of the oral arguments in the case, known as Texas v. California, will be streamed. Watch:
Visit our 2020 #ElectionEdge LIVE Blog here
READ MORE 2020 ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2020 Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-10--CDC Data: Lockdowns May Kill as Many as COVID Itself

Few public health officials dare ask the question : has our reaction to the ‘ pandemic ’ turned into an unrivaled self-inflicted national disaster ?
New data from America ’ s Center for Disease Control ( CDC ) seems to suggest that it has .
The story is the name across the Atlantic .
In the UK , the government ’ s own Office for National Statistics has revealed how thousands of new excess deaths have likely occurred in nursing home settings , due to sick patients having been discharged there from hospitals – the very same policy which drove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states like New York .
However , these incidents are only the tip of a much larger iceberg .
For obvious reasons , both government and mainstream media are hesitant to speak about the elephant in the room : lockdown deaths .
In fact , the mere mention of this is met with a wall of obfuscation and official denials .
And the numbers are not trivial either , which is why politicians , their lauded science advisors , public health gurus and their media mavens – all of whom were pushing hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this subject arises .
Three-hundred-fifty years ago , John Graunt attempted to give Londoners an accurate assessment of fatality rates of diseases in the community so people could understand their risk level .
Until COVID-19 , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) fulfilled the same role .
Then the CDC abandoned tradition and sensibility and treated COVID differently than every other disease .
For a death to be considered a COVID death , COVID no longer needed to be the immediate or underlying cause of death .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even if COVID was only a contributing condition .
For example , a certificate that lists dementia as the cause of death but doesn ’ t list a respiratory ailment is likely to be a case of dying with COVID , not from COVID .
Likewise for accidents , heart attacks , strokes , and any other non-respiratory condition .
Singapore , for example , only counts deaths as COVID deaths if they are accompanied by pneumonia .
If the United States followed this criterion , COVID deaths would total about 90,000 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
To disentangle respiratory COVID deaths from other types of COVID deaths requires examining individual death records , which are difficult to obtain .
Fortunately , in May , Florida released data on 1,489 COVID deaths .
About two-thirds of those deaths that listed more than just COVID as a cause also listed a respiratory condition .
Applying this two-thirds estimate to the current official tally of 240,000 U.S. COVID deaths yields a very rough estimate of 160,000 deaths from COVID .
Remarkably , this number represents about half of the approximately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced this year , according to the CDC ’ s latest estimate dated Oct. 3 .
The 300,000 number is determined by subtracting the 2,240,000 fatalities the CDC estimates we would expect to have seen from January to October if 2020 were a typical year from the 2,540,000 deaths we have actually suffered .
This begs the question : What is causing the remaining 140,000 excess deaths ?
Although CDC records are far from comprehensive , they do provide some explanation : So far in 2020 , the CDC data shows there have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths and 12,000 excess diabetes deaths .
The Alzheimer ’ s deaths are particularly heart-wrenching , as these represent people literally dying from loneliness and lack of human interaction .
The excess diabetes deaths could be due to the interruption of normal health-care operations .
There are many other documented and postulated sources of excess deaths , including delayed emergency room visits due to fear of COVID resulting in postponed or skipped treatment for heart attacks , strokes , cancer , and other ailments .
Deaths of despair , such as suicides and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also increased significantly .
Additionally , the CDC recently reported an unprecedented 26.5 percent surge in deaths for adults aged 25–44 , a group for which COVID is no worse than the flu .
In addition , as the 13,000 medical expert authors and signers of the Great Barrington Declaration point out , the deaths and diseases the lockdowns are creating will continue for years… Continue this story at The Federalist SUPPORT OUR WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV

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Few public health officials dare ask the question: has our reaction to the ‘pandemic’ turned into an unrivaled self-inflicted national disaster?
New data from America’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) seems to suggest that it has.
The story is the name across the Atlantic. In the UK, the government’s own Office for National Statistics has revealed how thousands of new excess deaths have likely occurred in nursing home settings, due to sick patients having been discharged there from hospitals – the very same policy which drove the COVID death tolls in severely mismanaged states like New York. However, these incidents are only the tip of a much larger iceberg. For obvious reasons, both government and mainstream media are hesitant to speak about the elephant in the room: lockdown deaths.
In fact, the mere mention of this is met with a wall of obfuscation and official denials.
And the numbers are not trivial either, which is why politicians, their lauded science advisors, public health gurus and their media mavens – all of whom were pushing hard for lockdowns – are collectively terrified whenever this subject arises.
Karl Dierenbach from The Federalist reports…
Three-hundred-fifty years ago, John Graunt attempted to give Londoners an accurate assessment of fatality rates of diseases in the community so people could understand their risk level. Until COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) fulfilled the same role.
Then the CDC abandoned tradition and sensibility and treated COVID differently than every other disease. For a death to be considered a COVID death, COVID no longer needed to be the immediate or underlying cause of death. Now, a death is considered a COVID death even if COVID was only a contributing condition.
For example, a certificate that lists dementia as the cause of death but doesn’t list a respiratory ailment is likely to be a case of dying with COVID, not from COVID. Likewise for accidents, heart attacks, strokes, and any other non-respiratory condition.
Singapore, for example, only counts deaths as COVID deaths if they are accompanied by pneumonia. If the United States followed this criterion, COVID deaths would total about 90,000 and be comparable to a very bad flu season.
To disentangle respiratory COVID deaths from other types of COVID deaths requires examining individual death records, which are difficult to obtain. Fortunately, in May, Florida released data on 1,489 COVID deaths. About two-thirds of those deaths that listed more than just COVID as a cause also listed a respiratory condition.
Applying this two-thirds estimate to the current official tally of 240,000 U.S. COVID deaths yields a very rough estimate of 160,000 deaths from COVID. Remarkably, this number represents about half of the approximately 300,000 excess deaths the United States has experienced this year, according to the CDC’s latest estimate dated Oct. 3. The 300,000 number is determined by subtracting the 2,240,000 fatalities the CDC estimates we would expect to have seen from January to October if 2020 were a typical year from the 2,540,000 deaths we have actually suffered.
This begs the question: What is causing the remaining 140,000 excess deaths?
Although CDC records are far from comprehensive, they do provide some explanation: So far in 2020, the CDC data shows there have been about 32,000 excess Alzheimer’s deaths and 12,000 excess diabetes deaths.
The Alzheimer’s deaths are particularly heart-wrenching, as these represent people literally dying from loneliness and lack of human interaction. The excess diabetes deaths could be due to the interruption of normal health-care operations.
There are many other documented and postulated sources of excess deaths, including delayed emergency room visits due to fear of COVID resulting in postponed or skipped treatment for heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and other ailments. Deaths of despair, such as suicides and drug overdoses, have increased. Violence has also increased significantly. Additionally, the CDC recently reported an unprecedented 26.5 percent surge in deaths for adults aged 25–44, a group for which COVID is no worse than the flu.
In addition, as the 13,000 medical expert authors and signers of the Great Barrington Declaration point out, the deaths and diseases the lockdowns are creating will continue for years…
Continue this story at The Federalist
READ MORE COVID NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire COVID-19 Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-10--Tucker: ‘Let’s Repeal Our National Dishonesty Mandate’

Today , US attorney general William Barr announced he will be allowing prosecutors to probe alleged irregularities in the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ are expected to probe a number of states including Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ said the DOJ intends to pursue “ substantial allegations ” of voter irregularities across the @ @ @ @ @ that all the votes have yet to be counted , the mainstream media have all @ @ @ @ @ they believe is their new ‘ President Elect ’ Joe Biden .
There is also @ @ @ @ @ polling and Silicon Valley partisan tech censorship as ‘ amounting to voter suppression.
’ What @ @ @ @ @ the country ?
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Today, US attorney general William Barr announced he will be allowing prosecutors to probe alleged irregularities in the 2020 US Presidential Election. Inquiries are expected to probe a number of states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia.
Barr said the DOJ intends to pursue “substantial allegations” of voter irregularities across the country.
Despite the fact that all the votes have yet to be counted, the mainstream media have all closed ranks, defending what they believe is their new ‘President Elect’ Joe Biden.
There is also the issue of mainstream fantasy polling and Silicon Valley partisan tech censorship as ‘amounting to voter suppression.’
What does all this mean to the country?
Host Tucker Carlson reacts to 2020 election results, the ramifications. Watch:
Visit our 2020 #ElectionEdge LIVE Blog here
READ MORE 2020 ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2020 Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-10--National Poll: Half of Americans Think Biden is Illegitimate, One Third Say Trump Won

A new poll conducted by Just the News Daily Poll and Scott Rasmussen reveals that less than half of all respondents — a mere 49 % — believe Joe Biden legitimately won the the 2020 US Presidential Election , and 34 % said they believe Trump actually won the election , and a further 16 % remain undecided .
No doubt , these numbers should send shockwaves through the DNC and Biden ’ s newly constructed “ Office of the President Elect.
” Among Democratic voters , only 87 % think that Biden is actually the winner of the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the survey , a whopping 77 % believe that Trump is the legitimate winner .
In addition , roughly one quarter of independent voters also said they believe Trump is the legitimate winner .
Brianna Kraemer from Just the News reports… Rasmussen noted that the survey was conducted from Thursday night until Saturday early afternoon .
“ During the time of this survey , no television network or other news source had formally called the race for Biden , ” he said .
The survey was comprised of 1,200 registered voters and conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
To see poll ’ s cross-demographic tabulations , click here .
To see poll ’ s methodology and sample demographics , click here .
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A new poll conducted by Just the News Daily Poll and Scott Rasmussen reveals that less than half of all respondents — a mere 49% — believe Joe Biden legitimately won the the 2020 US Presidential Election, and 34% said they believe Trump actually won the election, and a further 16% remain undecided.
No doubt, these numbers should send shockwaves through the DNC and Biden’s newly constructed “Office of the President Elect.”
Among Democratic voters, only 87% think that Biden is actually the winner of the 2020 Presidential Election.
Among Republican respondents to the survey, a whopping 77% believe that Trump is the legitimate winner.
In addition, roughly one quarter of independent voters also said they believe Trump is the legitimate winner.
Brianna Kraemer from Just the News reports…
Rasmussen noted that the survey was conducted from Thursday night until Saturday early afternoon.
“During the time of this survey, no television network or other news source had formally called the race for Biden,” he said.
The survey was comprised of 1,200 registered voters and conducted by Scott Rasmussen from Nov. 5-7, 2020.
To see poll’s cross-demographic tabulations, click here.
To see poll’s methodology and sample demographics, click here.
Visit our 2020 #ElectionEdge LIVE Blog here
READ MORE 2020 ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2020 Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-11-11--Introducing The Biden-Harris Paid-For Online Troll Farm

OUT OF INDIA : Taking online trolling and bot farms to a whole new level this election cycle .
Over the years I ’ ve covered elections , color revolutions and wars , and thus have had the unique opportunity to observe firsthand how the online consensus-building and narrative management sphere has evolved .
That said , nothing can quite compare to the bot-fest unleashed this past week by the DNC ’ s Biden-Harris campaign .
In terms of analytics , it dwarfs anything we ’ ve seen previously in terms of speed and scale .
Hyper-partisan online warfare is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This 2020 US Presidential Election has supplied more than a few ugly examples of this .
The biggest one so far has to be Jack Dorsey and Twitter ’ s iron curtain drop on the New York Post , who committed the offense of publishing damning evidence on the Biden family ’ s various overseas enterprises .
The high priests of information in San Francisco claimed the story violated their community standards .
It ’ s obvious that Twitter executives viewed this information as a threat to the Biden campaign and so they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Post ’ s social media account , but they also suspended anyone else who posted the story , including the White House Press Secretary .
As for the rest of the mainstream media , they wouldn ’ t even cover it , and taking their cues from the Biden campaign , they summarily wrote it off a “ Russia disinformation.
” Yes , they did that .
So is this the new normal – allowing a Democrat-oriented corporation to censor important information across its ubiquitous platform during a major election cycle ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s online operation , let ’ s briefly review some of the genealogy of real-world weaponized online political influence operations .
One of the first real-world operations I witnessed was Iran ’ s ‘ Green Revolution , ’ which had an international diaspora element to it , but it was fairly obvious then that a good percentage of the impressive wave of English language tweets and social media posts was being driven by western agencies .
By that time , the US military ’ s information warfare unit was already using an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the current version of Hootsuite , enabling operators to manage hundreds of Twitter accounts simultaneously .
These same efforts were repeated for the Arab Spring , and specifically for the war on Syria , like with Iran , oriented mainly for western and international audiences , and with the expressed purpose of disseminating and managing specific narratives or points of view aligned with the objectives of the Pentagon and US State Department .
There were both western-based cells of activists , and also large boiler rooms too .
The same operation was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ color revolution ’ in the winter of 2013-2014 , and later with the West ’ s prosecution of its war of attrition in the Donbass .
Some of the leaders in this emerging field have been Israeli tech firms who ’ ve demonstrated to their clients an ability to manipulate political opinion and manufacture trends across broad user groups on the major social media platforms .
It ’ s crucial to note that these same covert cyber operations have also been used against western citizens by the Pentagon and its contractors – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counter and suppress any media sources deemed to be either sympathetic to a country like Iran , or any alternative news source reporting factual information ( which Washington doesn ’ t like ) during a live military operation .
Large parts of this same technology are now germane to western political campaigns .
Much was made of Obama ’ s famed digital strategy in 2008 , but the real turbo-charged capability came into its own during the 2016 Presidential Election , and with Ted Cruz ’ s presidential primary campaign arguably running the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to that point .
Among the organizations contracted by Cruz was the notorious Cambridge Analytica .
According to Federal Election Commission ( FEC ) filings his campaign paid at least $ 750,000 to the big data firm who claimed to specialize in “ behavioural microtargeting , ” but in reality Cambridge was really subcontracting out to a myriad of digital firms who performed various tasks .
Presumably one of those was a human troll and bot farm .
Similar digital services were also employed by both the Clinton and Trump campaigns in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been watching the Biden 2020 social media campaign with great interest , but shocked to see very little happening early on , despite the many hundreds of millions of dollars raised .
It really seemed like a hard sell .
Like his campaign in general , Biden ’ s social media operation was a fairly mild affair in comparison to other campaigns .
Rather strangely , it ’ s only really become activated after the election on Nov 3rd .
Aside from their daily hashtag campaigns , the campaign ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in the last 10 days , and it ’ s now engaging in swarming and public mobbing .
I experienced it myself this week after commenting on one of Biden ’ s daily hashtag campaigns called “ Biden Won Day ” ( # BidenWonDay ) , presumably a PR effort to flood Twitter with pro-Biden messaging to counter the growing public skepticism over contested election results .
Within just around 2 minutes of me posting the comment , hundreds of comments poured into the thread , mostly mindless one-liners , stand-alone hashtags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other invectives .
In just 10 minutes there were already over 1,000 comments in the thread .
Within an hour it totaled nearly 2,000 replies .
Just to reiterate , in all the years observing various social media campaigns , I have never seen anything like this .
What was generating this instant waterfall ?
While some of the many thousands of tweets in this thread could very well fall under the banner of human user ( we checked a sample of roughly 50 accounts , and at least half appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was obvious there was some degree of automation , and had all the characteristics of a troll farm .
After a bit of research into the Biden-Harris digital operation , I found a likely answer to my question .
It ’ s no secret to anyone in the digital subcontracting business that India ’ s troll farm industry is the largest in the world .
It boasts a global clientele , and it is also the cheapest , and most decentralized and robust in the world .
This service is available for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ western PR agencies , fashion brands , entertainment companies , and political campaigns .
The more money you have , the more online muscle you can flex .
As it turns out , in 2020 one of this shady industry ’ s biggest and best paying clients has been the Biden-Harris campaign .
As one troll farm operator in India told Newsweek recently , “ We don ’ t pick and choose .
Joe Biden the person is irrelevant to us .
We got a target in August to follow him and engage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The agencies in Delhi who we work with don ’ t tell us any details , and we don ’ t ask.
” With very little popularity online and with the election drawing near , in August the Biden campaign reached out to troll farms in India in order to artificially boost Joe ’ s lack luster Twitter presence , and received an immediate injection of tens of thousands of fake followers which were literally purchased from troll farms located throughout rural India .
On this point , Newsweek added : If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t these the very same practices that federal law enforcement agencies spent the last four years condemning as systemic during the 2016 presidential election ?
Politically , this should have consequences , but the media are hardly interested in advancing the story .
Regardless , it does mean that Joe Biden lied when he made his grandiose announcement in June of 2020 pledging , “ not take part in the spread of disinformation over social media in his campaign for president , including rejecting the use of deep fake videos , synthetic social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponents.
” So much for honesty .
Somewhat ironically ( or not ) , it was during Kamala Harris ’ s failed primary campaign which claimed it was under siege by armies of “ Russian bots.
” Upon closer examination though , her wild claims turned out to be hollow indeed .
Still , her story was dutifully laundered through most mainstream outlets .
During her appearance on The Breakfast Club radio show , Harris was asked point blank if she thought she was being targeted by Russian bots , to which she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know we are.
” The story was so outlandish that even CNN was forced to walk it back after it emerged there was no evidence to support her tale .
She literally made it up .
So much for character .
To buttress the Democratic Party narrative of ‘ foreign interference ’ during this election , partisan journalists at major outlets like the New York Times churned out a steady stream of colorful stories warning of the specter of Russian bots , seemingly laying in waiting to attack the Biden-Harris campaign .
Outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ how-to ’ pediatric online slide shows ( for adults ) supposedly teaching hapless voters how to be vigilant against malicious phantom bots , and how to achieve personal resilience and not be swayed by ‘ disinformation.
’ Of course , these mythical legions of Cozy Bears never materialized , but the narrative was planted by the Democratic Party and the mainstream media , providing a pivot point if they ever need to leverage and re-spin the narrative later .
What was also apparent from the testimony given to Newsweek is that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working for slave wages .
While the US-based digital consultants may be charging thousands per day to the Biden-Harris campaign , it ’ s all but certain that they ’ re paying mere pennies ( Rupees ) when they sub-sub contract-out to overseas troll farms .
Again , additional irony for Kamala Harris being of Indian decent that her campaign is employing slave labor in India to help prop-up its digital facade .
This sordid practice harkens back to December 2019 when it was revealed that Democratic Party financier , billionaire oligarch Micheal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make phone calls for the former New York mayor ’ s failed Presidential campaign .
Again , clever sub-contracting solutions by the campaign ’ s ethically vacant gold-plated PR and digital consultants .
Much was made by Twitter over alleged ‘ foreign meddling ’ by bot accounts on its platform during previous US election cycles , so you ’ d think that Silicon Valley firms would want to clamp-down on any paid-for abuse on their social networks , as it distorts and ruins the normal ebb and flow of communal discourse on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave by the Biden camp further demonstrates that the likes of Twitter and Facebook are only really concerned with either imaginary threats ( “ the Russians !
” ) , or any pro-Trump activity or news which might damage the public messaging of campaigns they are favoring , in this case Joe Biden ’ s .
This completely one-sided approach to censorship and de-platforming is egregious in the extreme , and should be classed as election meddling and interference by Twitter and Facebook .
The Biden campaign are literally purchasing foreign online assets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to both inflate its presence online and also to attack critics , swarm the threads of journalists , and Trump supporters .
Again , these are the very same tactics and online behaviors which Democrats and their media surrogates have been waving the finger of righteous indignation at for the last four years , and which have been used to tie-up the resources of the federal government to probe and investigate ( and finding nothing to substantiate their claims in the end ) this supposed grave threat to our national security .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter and Facebook are now aggressively policing , ‘ fact check ’ road-blocking , and even censoring anyone who dares to question the election results and bestowed legitimacy of “ President Elect ” Joe Biden .
This may be standard fayre in China , but we are meant to be living in a pluralistic society .
Allowing these firms to suppress information and discourse during a historic election is frankly unforgivable , and should prompt a criminal investigation at the federal level .
The truth of matter : hypocritical partisans in the mainstream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Biden-Harris campaign , are doing more damage to trust in democracy and the Fourth Estate than anything Russia could ever dream of , or want to for that matter .
*** Author Patrick Henningsen is an American writer and global affairs analyst and founder of independent news and analysis site 21st Century Wire , and is host of the SUNDAY WIRE weekly radio show broadcast globally over the Alternate Current Radio Network ( ACR ) .
He has written for a number of international publications and has done extensive on-the-ground reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria and Iraq .
See his archive here .
SUPPORT OUR WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV

By
OUT OF INDIA: Taking online trolling and bot farms to a whole new level this election cycle.
Patrick Henningsen
21st Century Wire
Over the years I’ve covered elections, color revolutions and wars, and thus have had the unique opportunity to observe firsthand how the online consensus-building and narrative management sphere has evolved. That said, nothing can quite compare to the bot-fest unleashed this past week by the DNC’s Biden-Harris campaign. In terms of analytics, it dwarfs anything we’ve seen previously in terms of speed and scale.
Hyper-partisan online warfare is now a reality in domestic politics. This 2020 US Presidential Election has supplied more than a few ugly examples of this. The biggest one so far has to be Jack Dorsey and Twitter’s iron curtain drop on the New York Post, who committed the offense of publishing damning evidence on the Biden family’s various overseas enterprises. The high priests of information in San Francisco claimed the story violated their community standards. It’s obvious that Twitter executives viewed this information as a threat to the Biden campaign and so they proceeded to shutdown not just the New York Post’s social media account, but they also suspended anyone else who posted the story, including the White House Press Secretary. As for the rest of the mainstream media, they wouldn’t even cover it, and taking their cues from the Biden campaign, they summarily wrote it off a “Russia disinformation.” Yes, they did that.
So is this the new normal – allowing a Democrat-oriented corporation to censor important information across its ubiquitous platform during a major election cycle?
Before we look at the Biden-Harris campaign’s online operation, let’s briefly review some of the genealogy of real-world weaponized online political influence operations. One of the first real-world operations I witnessed was Iran’s ‘Green Revolution,’ which had an international diaspora element to it, but it was fairly obvious then that a good percentage of the impressive wave of English language tweets and social media posts was being driven by western agencies. By that time, the US military’s information warfare unit was already using an array of new dashboard technologies, similar to the current version of Hootsuite, enabling operators to manage hundreds of Twitter accounts simultaneously. These same efforts were repeated for the Arab Spring, and specifically for the war on Syria, like with Iran, oriented mainly for western and international audiences, and with the expressed purpose of disseminating and managing specific narratives or points of view aligned with the objectives of the Pentagon and US State Department. There were both western-based cells of activists, and also large boiler rooms too. The same operation was harnessed with the Ukraine’s Maidan ‘color revolution’ in the winter of 2013-2014, and later with the West’s prosecution of its war of attrition in the Donbass. Some of the leaders in this emerging field have been Israeli tech firms who’ve demonstrated to their clients an ability to manipulate political opinion and manufacture trends across broad user groups on the major social media platforms. It’s crucial to note that these same covert cyber operations have also been used against western citizens by the Pentagon and its contractors – a “Shadow War” designed to counter and suppress any media sources deemed to be either sympathetic to a country like Iran, or any alternative news source reporting factual information (which Washington doesn’t like) during a live military operation.
Large parts of this same technology are now germane to western political campaigns. Much was made of Obama’s famed digital strategy in 2008, but the real turbo-charged capability came into its own during the 2016 Presidential Election, and with Ted Cruz’s presidential primary campaign arguably running the most incredible campaign spam machine ever seen up to that point. Among the organizations contracted by Cruz was the notorious Cambridge Analytica. According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings his campaign paid at least $750,000 to the big data firm who claimed to specialize in “behavioural microtargeting,” but in reality Cambridge was really subcontracting out to a myriad of digital firms who performed various tasks. Presumably one of those was a human troll and bot farm. Similar digital services were also employed by both the Clinton and Trump campaigns in 2016.
Since the summer, we’ve been watching the Biden 2020 social media campaign with great interest, but shocked to see very little happening early on, despite the many hundreds of millions of dollars raised. It really seemed like a hard sell. Like his campaign in general, Biden’s social media operation was a fairly mild affair in comparison to other campaigns. Rather strangely, it’s only really become activated after the election on Nov 3rd.
Aside from their daily hashtag campaigns, the campaign’s online information warfare effort has really stepped up in the last 10 days, and it’s now engaging in swarming and public mobbing. I experienced it myself this week after commenting on one of Biden’s daily hashtag campaigns called “Biden Won Day” (#BidenWonDay), presumably a PR effort to flood Twitter with pro-Biden messaging to counter the growing public skepticism over contested election results.
"Biden Won Day"? Still, before the votes have been counted? You have to ask yourself why they are trying so hard, and are in such a rush to complete their coronation. I think the answer is obvious – to cover-up the fraud which just took place… https://t.co/dFE7PYFd6c — Patrick Henningsen (@21WIRE) November 10, 2020
Within just around 2 minutes of me posting the comment, hundreds of comments poured into the thread, mostly mindless one-liners, stand-alone hashtags, memes, vile profanity and various other invectives.
In just 10 minutes there were already over 1,000 comments in the thread. Within an hour it totaled nearly 2,000 replies.
Just to reiterate, in all the years observing various social media campaigns, I have never seen anything like this. What was generating this instant waterfall? While some of the many thousands of tweets in this thread could very well fall under the banner of human user (we checked a sample of roughly 50 accounts, and at least half appeared to be not politically active nor US-based), it was obvious there was some degree of automation, and had all the characteristics of a troll farm.
India’s Troll Farms
After a bit of research into the Biden-Harris digital operation, I found a likely answer to my question. It’s no secret to anyone in the digital subcontracting business that India’s troll farm industry is the largest in the world. It boasts a global clientele, and it is also the cheapest, and most decentralized and robust in the world. This service is available for anyone who is willing to pay – western PR agencies, fashion brands, entertainment companies, and political campaigns. The more money you have, the more online muscle you can flex. As it turns out, in 2020 one of this shady industry’s biggest and best paying clients has been the Biden-Harris campaign.
As one troll farm operator in India told Newsweek recently, “We don’t pick and choose. Joe Biden the person is irrelevant to us. We got a target in August to follow him and engage with his tweets, and we did. The agencies in Delhi who we work with don’t tell us any details, and we don’t ask.”
With very little popularity online and with the election drawing near, in August the Biden campaign reached out to troll farms in India in order to artificially boost Joe’s lack luster Twitter presence, and received an immediate injection of tens of thousands of fake followers which were literally purchased from troll farms located throughout rural India. On this point, Newsweek added:
“Within two weeks of Biden selecting Kamala Harris as his running mate on August 12, his Twitter following jumped by 738,595 new followers—a 9.1 percent leap. The number hit 11 million by the third week of October.”
If memory serves me correctly, aren’t these the very same practices that federal law enforcement agencies spent the last four years condemning as systemic during the 2016 presidential election?
Politically, this should have consequences, but the media are hardly interested in advancing the story. Regardless, it does mean that Joe Biden lied when he made his grandiose announcement in June of 2020 pledging, “not take part in the spread of disinformation over social media in his campaign for president, including rejecting the use of deep fake videos, synthetic social media accounts and bot networks to attack opponents.” So much for honesty.
Somewhat ironically (or not), it was during Kamala Harris’s failed primary campaign which claimed it was under siege by armies of “Russian bots.” Upon closer examination though, her wild claims turned out to be hollow indeed. Still, her story was dutifully laundered through most mainstream outlets. During her appearance on The Breakfast Club radio show, Harris was asked point blank if she thought she was being targeted by Russian bots, to which she answered, “Well, we already know we are.” The story was so outlandish that even CNN was forced to walk it back after it emerged there was no evidence to support her tale. She literally made it up. So much for character.
To buttress the Democratic Party narrative of ‘foreign interference’ during this election, partisan journalists at major outlets like the New York Times churned out a steady stream of colorful stories warning of the specter of Russian bots, seemingly laying in waiting to attack the Biden-Harris campaign. Outlets like NYT ran the all-too familiar inane ‘how-to’ pediatric online slide shows (for adults) supposedly teaching hapless voters how to be vigilant against malicious phantom bots, and how to achieve personal resilience and not be swayed by ‘disinformation.’ Of course, these mythical legions of Cozy Bears never materialized, but the narrative was planted by the Democratic Party and the mainstream media, providing a pivot point if they ever need to leverage and re-spin the narrative later.
What was also apparent from the testimony given to Newsweek is that the Biden-Harris troll farms in India are effectively working for slave wages. While the US-based digital consultants may be charging thousands per day to the Biden-Harris campaign, it’s all but certain that they’re paying mere pennies (Rupees) when they sub-sub contract-out to overseas troll farms. Again, additional irony for Kamala Harris being of Indian decent that her campaign is employing slave labor in India to help prop-up its digital facade. This sordid practice harkens back to December 2019 when it was revealed that Democratic Party financier, billionaire oligarch Micheal Bloomberg, was caught using prison labor to make phone calls for the former New York mayor’s failed Presidential campaign. Again, clever sub-contracting solutions by the campaign’s ethically vacant gold-plated PR and digital consultants.
Much was made by Twitter over alleged ‘foreign meddling’ by bot accounts on its platform during previous US election cycles, so you’d think that Silicon Valley firms would want to clamp-down on any paid-for abuse on their social networks, as it distorts and ruins the normal ebb and flow of communal discourse on the platform. This latest fake digital wave by the Biden camp further demonstrates that the likes of Twitter and Facebook are only really concerned with either imaginary threats (“the Russians!”), or any pro-Trump activity or news which might damage the public messaging of campaigns they are favoring, in this case Joe Biden’s. This completely one-sided approach to censorship and de-platforming is egregious in the extreme, and should be classed as election meddling and interference by Twitter and Facebook. The Biden campaign are literally purchasing foreign online assets (users in trolls farms) in order to both inflate its presence online and also to attack critics, swarm the threads of journalists, and Trump supporters.
Again, these are the very same tactics and online behaviors which Democrats and their media surrogates have been waving the finger of righteous indignation at for the last four years, and which have been used to tie-up the resources of the federal government to probe and investigate (and finding nothing to substantiate their claims in the end) this supposed grave threat to our national security.
Most disturbing of all, is that Twitter and Facebook are now aggressively policing, ‘fact check’ road-blocking, and even censoring anyone who dares to question the election results and bestowed legitimacy of “President Elect” Joe Biden. This may be standard fayre in China, but we are meant to be living in a pluralistic society. Allowing these firms to suppress information and discourse during a historic election is frankly unforgivable, and should prompt a criminal investigation at the federal level.
The truth of matter: hypocritical partisans in the mainstream media, Silicon Valley, the DNC and the Biden-Harris campaign, are doing more damage to trust in democracy and the Fourth Estate than anything Russia could ever dream of, or want to for that matter.
***
Author Patrick Henningsen is an American writer and global affairs analyst and founder of independent news and analysis site 21st Century Wire, and is host of the SUNDAY WIRE weekly radio show broadcast globally over the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR). He has written for a number of international publications and has done extensive on-the-ground reporting in the Middle East including work in Syria and Iraq. See his archive here.
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