thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-27--Mentally Replace Everything Before “U.S. Intelligence Says” With “Blah Blah We’re Probably Lying”

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
`` Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill Troops , U.S. Intelligence Says '' , blares the latest viral headline from The New York Times .
NYT 's unnamed sources allege that the GRU `` secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops '' , and that the Trump administration has known this for months .
To be clear , this is journalistic malpractice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence claims with no proof are just publishing CIA press releases disguised as news .
They 're just telling you to believe what sociopathic intelligence agencies want you to believe under the false guise of impartial and responsible reporting .
This practice has become ubiquitous throughout mainstream news publications , but that does n't make it any less immoral .
Whenever one sees a news headline ending in `` US Intelligence Says '' , one should always mentally replace everything that comes before it with `` Blah blah blah we 're probably lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the only correct response to unproven anonymous claims about a rival government by intelligence agencies from the US or its allies is to assume that they are lying until you are provided with a mountain of independently verifiable evidence to the contrary .
The US has far too extensive a record of lying about these things for any other response to ever be justified as rational , and its intelligence agencies consistently play a foundational role in those lies .
Voices outside the mainstream narrative control matrix have been calling these accusations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in credibility , and not reflective of anything other than fair play even if true .
`` Same old story : alleged intelligence ops IMPOSSIBLE to verify , leaked to the press which reports them quoting ANONYMOUS officials , '' tweeted journalist Stefania Maurizi .
`` So we are to simply believe the same intelligence orgs that paid bounties to bring innocent prisoners to Guantanamo , lied about torture in Afghanistan , and lied about premises for war from WMD in Iraq to the Gulf of Tonkin 'attack ' ?
All this and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyst Jeffrey Kaye .
`` It 's totally outrageous for Russia to support the Taliban against Americans in Afghanistan .
Of course , it 's totally fine for the U.S. to support jihadi rebels against Russians in Syria , jihadi rebels who openly said the Taliban is their hero , '' tweeted author and analyst Max Abrams .
On the flip side all the McResistance pundits have been speaking of this baseless allegation as a horrific event that is known to have happened , with Rachel Maddow going so far as to describe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` scalps '' of American soldiers in Afghanistan .
This is an interesting choice of words considering that offering bounties for scalps is in fact one of the many horrific things the US government did in furthering its colonialist ambitions , which , unlike the New York Times allegation , is known to have actually happened .
It is true as many have been pointing out that it would be fair play for Russia to fund violent opposition the the US in Afghanistan , seeing as that 's exactly what the US and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its allies in Syria , and did to the Soviets in Afghanistan via Operation Cyclone .
It is also true that the US military has no business in Afghanistan anyway and any violence inflicted upon US troops abroad is the fault of the military expansionists who put them there ; the US military has no place outside its own easily-defended borders and the assumption that it is normal for a government to circle the planet with military bases is a faulty premise .
But before even getting into such arguments , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its burden of proof that this has even happened .
That burden is far from met .
It is literally the US intelligence community 's job to lie to you .
The New York Times has an extensive history of pushing for new wars at every opportunity , including the unforgivable Iraq invasion which killed a million people based on lies .
A mountain of proof is required before such claims should be seriously considered , and we are very , very far from that .
I will repeat myself : it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lie to you .
I will repeat myself again : it is the US intelligence community 's job to lie to you .
Do n't treat these CIA press releases with anything but contempt .

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
Caitlin Johnstone
(The below story published on the lying, warmongering New York Times on 26 June 2020)
"Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill Troops, U.S. Intelligence Says", blares the latest viral headline from The New York Times. NYT's unnamed sources allege that the GRU "secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops", and that the Trump administration has known this for months.
To be clear, this is journalistic malpractice. Mainstream media outlets which publish anonymous intelligence claims with no proof are just publishing CIA press releases disguised as news. They're just telling you to believe what sociopathic intelligence agencies want you to believe under the false guise of impartial and responsible reporting. This practice has become ubiquitous throughout mainstream news publications, but that doesn't make it any less immoral.
Whenever one sees a news headline ending in "US Intelligence Says", one should always mentally replace everything that comes before it with "Blah blah blah we're probably lying". In a post-Iraq invasion world, the only correct response to unproven anonymous claims about a rival government by intelligence agencies from the US or its allies is to assume that they are lying until you are provided with a mountain of independently verifiable evidence to the contrary. The US has far too extensive a record of lying about these things for any other response to ever be justified as rational, and its intelligence agencies consistently play a foundational role in those lies.
Voices outside the mainstream narrative control matrix have been calling these accusations what they are: baseless, lacking in credibility, and not reflective of anything other than fair play even if true.
"Same old story: alleged intelligence ops IMPOSSIBLE to verify, leaked to the press which reports them quoting ANONYMOUS officials," tweeted journalist Stefania Maurizi.
"So we are to simply believe the same intelligence orgs that paid bounties to bring innocent prisoners to Guantanamo, lied about torture in Afghanistan, and lied about premises for war from WMD in Iraq to the Gulf of Tonkin 'attack'? All this and no proof?" tweeted author and analyst Jeffrey Kaye.
"It's totally outrageous for Russia to support the Taliban against Americans in Afghanistan. Of course, it's totally fine for the U.S. to support jihadi rebels against Russians in Syria, jihadi rebels who openly said the Taliban is their hero," tweeted author and analyst Max Abrams.
On the flip side all the McResistance pundits have been speaking of this baseless allegation as a horrific event that is known to have happened, with Rachel Maddow going so far as to describe it as Putin offering bounties for the "scalps" of American soldiers in Afghanistan. This is an interesting choice of words considering that offering bounties for scalps is in fact one of the many horrific things the US government did in furthering its colonialist ambitions, which, unlike the New York Times allegation, is known to have actually happened.
I can only speculate, but my guess for what this thinly sourced NYT story is really about: keeping the Russiagate scam alive & undermining prospects of US-Russia diplomacy. And the usual stenographers are receiving it as expected: pic.twitter.com/HUrGGDVBo3 — Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) June 27, 2020
It is true as many have been pointing out that it would be fair play for Russia to fund violent opposition the the US in Afghanistan, seeing as that's exactly what the US and its allies have been doing to Russia and its allies in Syria, and did to the Soviets in Afghanistan via Operation Cyclone. It is also true that the US military has no business in Afghanistan anyway and any violence inflicted upon US troops abroad is the fault of the military expansionists who put them there; the US military has no place outside its own easily-defended borders and the assumption that it is normal for a government to circle the planet with military bases is a faulty premise.
But before even getting into such arguments, the other side of the debate must meet its burden of proof that this has even happened. That burden is far from met. It is literally the US intelligence community's job to lie to you. The New York Times has an extensive history of pushing for new wars at every opportunity, including the unforgivable Iraq invasion which killed a million people based on lies. A mountain of proof is required before such claims should be seriously considered, and we are very, very far from that.
I will repeat myself: it is the US intelligence community's job to lie to you. I will repeat myself again: it is the US intelligence community's job to lie to you. Don't treat these CIA press releases with anything but contempt.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-28--Uprising On Main Street

Uprising On Main Street

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown recently wrote that “ defund the police ” is an ill-advised slogan that will hurt Democrats come November , as though the ongoing mass mobilizations around police brutality weren ’ t fueled by popular rage at the failure of voting or anything else to offer a path to change .
“ [ If ] you take away people ’ s feelings of personal safety , ” warned Brown , “ you lose voters.
” Ah , feelings !
A better word would be illusions .
The people for whom the police are a constant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal safety to lose , and they are in a position to burn the country to the ground , as recent events have shown .
If they strike the match , all the King ’ s horses and all the King ’ s men will not be able to put “ personal safety ” together again .
Could this alarming prospect be the reason for so much bizarre behavior from those who have long enjoyed the illusion of physical security ?
Like white protesters in Houston kneeling and praying to black residents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white police officers in Cary , North Carolina washing the feet of black pastors .
Like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer kneeling down dressed in African kente cloth scarves .
Like self-flagellating white people all over the country allegedly sickened by a legacy of slavery they know little about , expressing boundless revulsion over their skin color and earnestly demonstrating their utter unfitness to be or do anything .
As convincing as their apparent uselessness is , where is the intended benefit ?
On the other hand , the Black Lives Matter advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blacks sounds good but lacks clear meaning .
Which black people are whites supposed to make themselves allies of ?
Barack Obama , who recently helped torpedo a promising social democratic revival that could have put real $ 20 bills in the pockets of the George Floyds of this world , sparing them the horror of fatal police stops over petty or imaginary offenses triggered by poverty ?
Candace Owens , who dismisses Floyd as a common criminal and drug addict entirely unworthy of our sympathy ?
The Congressional Black Caucus , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars in aid to plundering corporations , thus guaranteeing increased suffering for a large majority of African Americans , who had little enough to start with and now must somehow survive with capital consolidating its already massive holdings in the midst of economic collapse and galloping pandemic ?
In short , not all blacks are worthy of support , and many whites are so crippled by self-accusation that they are incapable of providing any .
Dilemmas like these should make it clear that solving our racial nightmare will demand more than hashtags and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help everyone is broad popular understanding of the problem .
African-Americans are endangered by police , not because of anything they have done , but because of slavery , which was never entirely abolished .
The 13th Amendment declares slavery prohibited “ except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted , ” which allows it to continue under the aegis of the criminal justice system .
The state , as opposed to the individual capitalist , has the authority to perpetuate the slave codes , which criminalize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As a result , our prisons are jammed with black prisoners , many of whom are dispatched to the chain gang , a form of exploitation that proved a boon to rapid industrial development in the late 19th century , and has been enjoying a revival in the era of the “ war on drugs.
” Any mention of slavery tends to evoke defensive and dismissive responses from white people , most commonly that slavery is ancient history and hardly an American invention .
But in fact slavery was only abolished a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , and was succeeded by Jim Crow , which viciously perpetuated something very much like slavery for another century .
And the informal apartheid that exists to this day achieves the same effect as legal segregation did under Jim Crow .
Even lynching has not been entirely done away with , as the George Floyd killing attests .
The only notable difference between Floyd ’ s murder and the ritual executions of thousands of African Americans during the Jim Crow era was the people on the sidewalk calling out for mercy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the murderer on .
As for slavery in other lands , it carries with it no implications for Americans , and it is Americans we are talking about .
In any case , why the constant attempt to evade moral responsibility for slavery ?
If your child stood accused of burning down the school cafeteria , would you really try to complain that she was being singled out unfairly , since arson has existed all over the world since forever ?
Probably not .
Discussions of slavery naturally raise the related topic of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely owed .
After all , the industrial revolution was based on cotton , which was produced primarily by slave labor in the United States .
Wealth accrued not just to the planter aristocracy of the old South , but also to textile manufacturers in the North and Great Britain , among other commercial and financial beneficiaries forming the core of modern capitalism .
As for the slaves , they were not given their “ forty acres and a mule ” upon their ( partial ) liberation , which carried severely destructive consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present day .
We can no longer accept refusals to discuss redistribution of the wealth from rich to poor on the grounds that we can ’ t “ just throw money ” at problems .
Aren ’ t we doing precisely that right now to shore up capital markets ?
And aren ’ t they crashing anyway ?
It was always ridiculous to claim that the best way to help the poor was to throw money at the rich , but in the midst of an outright depression it ’ s frankly suicidal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can not confront systemic racism without reversing the gift of trillions of dollars of unearned wealth showered on large corporations in response to the coronavirus crisis .
That money should go to areas of popular need , not narrow centers of private greed .
Only then can consumption rise , jobs return , and a modicum of justice reign .
What are we waiting for ?
Equally absurd is the racist ideology underpinning slavery , which posited that Africans needed white guidance to advance on their journey from savagery to civilization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold of even the most “ enlightened ” minds .
Thomas Jefferson , for example , a child of the Enlightenment and author of the Declaration of Independence , dismissed Indians as `` savages '' and patronizingly saw blacks as almost equal to whites .
They had tolerable memories , he thought , but lacked sufficient intellect to understand Euclid , and were entirely bereft of imagination in his view .
Interestingly , brown women attracted Jefferson more than white women , but he was terrified at the prospect of losing racial purity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when blacks would be shipped to the Caribbean or returned to Africa , leaving the U.S. “ without blot or mixture.
” Elite thought didn ’ t improve over the next century .
At the turn of the 20th century anthropologists placed African Americans somewhere between the great apes and the hominids on the evolutionary scale .
Biologists reported that their average brain weight was less than that of Caucasians , and substantially less than that of English-speaking Protestants .
Psychologists claimed they were possessed of a primal sexuality and prone to irrationality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of intimacy .
Criminologists and eugenicists warned of their allegedly innate brutality and hyper-fertility .
Race experts believed they had no mental or physical energy , lacked volition , and worked as little as possible , preferring indolence and sunshine to developing civilized artifacts like architecture or literature .
One of the most important books published in 1900 was entitled , “ The Mystery Solved : The Negro a Beast.
” Doctors predicted they would die out from disease and perversion .
Today , we see the persistence of such prejudicial attitudes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are believed to reside in their history or culture , rather than in their very nature .
But such explanations “ might as well be called genetic , ” writes educator Jonathan Kozol , based as they are on presumptions of degradation “ imprinted on black people.
” Those who continue to disdain them “ see a slipshod , deviant nature – violence , lassitude , a reckless sexuality , a feverish need to over-reproduce ” as being what they unavoidably are .
But in fact this is not at all what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society believes them to be .
That society , now riven by tribal warfare and in a state of accelerating collapse , will not survive if racism is not rooted out once and for all .
Fortunately , there are signs of a general awakening to this fact .
The popular uprising that greeted the murder of George Floyd has been of unprecedented scope and breadth .
Protests more than 100,000 strong broke out in dozens of U.S. cities , with parallel solidarity demonstrations around the world .
Unlike police brutality protests of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large number of whites , as well as Hispanics , African Americans , Asian Americans , and people of all ages , along with a large swath of the middle class .
A coalition this broad can not be ignored , especially its central demand : an end to the militarized American police state , which means a change in the very structure of the capitalist state in the United States .
For the first time in a long time popular forces have seized the initiative and ruling elites are forced to @ @ @

Michael Smith
“It really doesn’t matter who gets into office it’s all going to come down to the response of the people.”
—Black Panther Aaron Dixon
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown recently wrote that “defund the police” is an ill-advised slogan that will hurt Democrats come November, as though the ongoing mass mobilizations around police brutality weren’t fueled by popular rage at the failure of voting or anything else to offer a path to change. “[If] you take away people’s feelings of personal safety,” warned Brown, “you lose voters.” Ah, feelings! A better word would be illusions. The people for whom the police are a constant predatory menace don’t have any personal safety to lose, and they are in a position to burn the country to the ground, as recent events have shown. If they strike the match, all the King’s horses and all the King’s men will not be able to put “personal safety” together again.
Could this alarming prospect be the reason for so much bizarre behavior from those who have long enjoyed the illusion of physical security? Like white protesters in Houston kneeling and praying to black residents to be forgiven their racial sins. Like white police officers in Cary, North Carolina washing the feet of black pastors. Like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer kneeling down dressed in African kente cloth scarves. Like self-flagellating white people all over the country allegedly sickened by a legacy of slavery they know little about, expressing boundless revulsion over their skin color and earnestly demonstrating their utter unfitness to be or do anything. As convincing as their apparent uselessness is, where is the intended benefit?
On the other hand, the Black Lives Matter advice that whites become “allies” of blacks sounds good but lacks clear meaning. Which black people are whites supposed to make themselves allies of? Barack Obama, who recently helped torpedo a promising social democratic revival that could have put real $20 bills in the pockets of the George Floyds of this world, sparing them the horror of fatal police stops over petty or imaginary offenses triggered by poverty? Candace Owens, who dismisses Floyd as a common criminal and drug addict entirely unworthy of our sympathy? The Congressional Black Caucus, which recently voted unanimously to award trillions of dollars in aid to plundering corporations, thus guaranteeing increased suffering for a large majority of African Americans, who had little enough to start with and now must somehow survive with capital consolidating its already massive holdings in the midst of economic collapse and galloping pandemic?
In short, not all blacks are worthy of support, and many whites are so crippled by self-accusation that they are incapable of providing any. Dilemmas like these should make it clear that solving our racial nightmare will demand more than hashtags and sound bites.
One thing that would help everyone is broad popular understanding of the problem. African-Americans are endangered by police, not because of anything they have done, but because of slavery, which was never entirely abolished. The 13th Amendment declares slavery prohibited “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,” which allows it to continue under the aegis of the criminal justice system. The state, as opposed to the individual capitalist, has the authority to perpetuate the slave codes, which criminalize black life and masquerade as impartial justice. As a result, our prisons are jammed with black prisoners, many of whom are dispatched to the chain gang, a form of exploitation that proved a boon to rapid industrial development in the late 19th century, and has been enjoying a revival in the era of the “war on drugs.”
Any mention of slavery tends to evoke defensive and dismissive responses from white people, most commonly that slavery is ancient history and hardly an American invention. But in fact slavery was only abolished a century-and-a-half ago, not long in historical time, and was succeeded by Jim Crow, which viciously perpetuated something very much like slavery for another century. And the informal apartheid that exists to this day achieves the same effect as legal segregation did under Jim Crow. Even lynching has not been entirely done away with, as the George Floyd killing attests. The only notable difference between Floyd’s murder and the ritual executions of thousands of African Americans during the Jim Crow era was the people on the sidewalk calling out for mercy: during segregation they would have been cheering the murderer on.
As for slavery in other lands, it carries with it no implications for Americans, and it is Americans we are talking about. In any case, why the constant attempt to evade moral responsibility for slavery? If your child stood accused of burning down the school cafeteria, would you really try to complain that she was being singled out unfairly, since arson has existed all over the world since forever? Probably not.
Discussions of slavery naturally raise the related topic of reparations, some form of which is definitely owed. After all, the industrial revolution was based on cotton, which was produced primarily by slave labor in the United States. Wealth accrued not just to the planter aristocracy of the old South, but also to textile manufacturers in the North and Great Britain, among other commercial and financial beneficiaries forming the core of modern capitalism. As for the slaves, they were not given their “forty acres and a mule” upon their (partial) liberation, which carried severely destructive consequences for the entire society down to the present day.
We can no longer accept refusals to discuss redistribution of the wealth from rich to poor on the grounds that we can’t “just throw money” at problems. Aren’t we doing precisely that right now to shore up capital markets? And aren’t they crashing anyway? It was always ridiculous to claim that the best way to help the poor was to throw money at the rich, but in the midst of an outright depression it’s frankly suicidal. To make a long story short, we cannot confront systemic racism without reversing the gift of trillions of dollars of unearned wealth showered on large corporations in response to the coronavirus crisis. That money should go to areas of popular need, not narrow centers of private greed. Only then can consumption rise, jobs return, and a modicum of justice reign. What are we waiting for?
Equally absurd is the racist ideology underpinning slavery, which posited that Africans needed white guidance to advance on their journey from savagery to civilization. This and other perverse notions took hold of even the most “enlightened” minds. Thomas Jefferson, for example, a child of the Enlightenment and author of the Declaration of Independence, dismissed Indians as "savages" and patronizingly saw blacks as almost equal to whites. They had tolerable memories, he thought, but lacked sufficient intellect to understand Euclid, and were entirely bereft of imagination in his view. Interestingly, brown women attracted Jefferson more than white women, but he was terrified at the prospect of losing racial purity, and looked forward to the day when blacks would be shipped to the Caribbean or returned to Africa, leaving the U.S. “without blot or mixture.”
Elite thought didn’t improve over the next century. At the turn of the 20th century anthropologists placed African Americans somewhere between the great apes and the hominids on the evolutionary scale. Biologists reported that their average brain weight was less than that of Caucasians, and substantially less than that of English-speaking Protestants. Psychologists claimed they were possessed of a primal sexuality and prone to irrationality, especially under stress or in situations of intimacy. Criminologists and eugenicists warned of their allegedly innate brutality and hyper-fertility. Race experts believed they had no mental or physical energy, lacked volition, and worked as little as possible, preferring indolence and sunshine to developing civilized artifacts like architecture or literature. One of the most important books published in 1900 was entitled, “The Mystery Solved: The Negro a Beast.”
Doctors predicted they would die out from disease and perversion.
Today, we see the persistence of such prejudicial attitudes, though now the alleged deficiencies of African Americans are believed to reside in their history or culture, rather than in their very nature. But such explanations “might as well be called genetic,” writes educator Jonathan Kozol, based as they are on presumptions of degradation “imprinted on black people.” Those who continue to disdain them “see a slipshod, deviant nature – violence, lassitude, a reckless sexuality, a feverish need to over-reproduce” as being what they unavoidably are.
But in fact this is not at all what they are, but what a racist society believes them to be. That society, now riven by tribal warfare and in a state of accelerating collapse, will not survive if racism is not rooted out once and for all.
Fortunately, there are signs of a general awakening to this fact. The popular uprising that greeted the murder of George Floyd has been of unprecedented scope and breadth. Protests more than 100,000 strong broke out in dozens of U.S. cities, with parallel solidarity demonstrations around the world. Unlike police brutality protests of the 1960s, recent demonstrations have included a large number of whites, as well as Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, and people of all ages, along with a large swath of the middle class. A coalition this broad cannot be ignored, especially its central demand: an end to the militarized American police state, which means a change in the very structure of the capitalist state in the United States.
For the first time in a long time popular forces have seized the initiative and ruling elites are forced to play defense.
Michael K Smith and Frank Scott are the editors of are the editors of legalienate.blogspot.com . Michael K. Smith has published three books, "The Greatest Story Never Told - A People's History of the American Empire, 1945-1999," "Portraits of Empire," and "The Madness of King George. His fourth book, "Rise to Empire," is forthcoming. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Humanities. He has lived in Central America, Mexico, and Japan. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Source: http://legalienate.blogspot.com/2020/06/uprising-on-main-street.html
Sources:
On racist views of African Americans at the turn of the 20th century, see Noel J. Kent – America In 1900, (M. E. Sharpe, 2000); also Willard B. Gatewood, Black Americans and the White Man’s Burden, 1898-1903, (University of Illinois, 1975) On recent racist stereotypes see Jonathan Kozol, Savage Inequalities, (Harper, 1991) p. 192
On Thomas Jefferson's views of Africans, see Eduardo Galeano, Memory of Fire, Vol. 2. (Pantheon, 1987) p. 48 On Jefferson's "without blot or mixture" comment, see Noam Chomsky, "Year 501 - The Conquest Continues," (South End, 1993) p, 22 On possible electoral consequences of protesters' rhetoric, see Willie Brown, "'Defund the police' is bad policy, terrible politics," San Francisco Chronicle, June 13, 2020 On recent bizarre behavior from white people, see Matt Taibbi, "The American Press is Destroying Itself," June 12, 2020 https://taibbi.substack.com/p/the-news-media-is-destroying-itself On the economic roots and benefits of slavery see George Yancy and Noam Chomsky, "Noam Chomsky on the Roots of American Racism," March 18, 2015 https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/noam-chomsky-on-the-roots-of-american-racism/
On the Aaron Dixon quote, see Yoav Litvin, "Living the Panther Dream - An Interview with Black Panther Party Veteran Member Aaron Dixon," Counterpunch, June 19, 2020
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thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-28--Yes, Defund the Cops – And Put Them Under Community Control

ommunity control of the police means empowering the people to shape and oversee the mechanisms of their own security and end forever the armed occupation of our communities by hostile forces .
Never in the modern history of the United States has an insurgent , Black-led movement been viewed favorably by such large majorities of whites .
According to the latest New York Times/Siena College Poll , a combined total of 61 percent of whites give “ very favorable ” ( 37 percent ) or “ somewhat favorable ” ( 24 percent ) ratings to the “ Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results of a Pew Research Center poll released earlier this month that shows a combined 60 percent of whites either “ strongly support ” ( 31 percent ) or “ somewhat support ” ( 30 percent ) Black Lives Matter .
In historical contrast , during his lifetime Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never garnered higher than 45 percent positive ratings in the Gallup Poll .
That high point was reached in 1965 , the year the Voting Rights Act was passed .
An equal percentage of the public , amounting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King negatively .
Ninety-five percent of Blacks had a positive opinion of MLK .
By 1966 , however , Dr. King ’ s Gallup negative rating was 63 percent , and a Harris poll showed him at nearly 75 percent disapproval by 1968 , the year he was assassinated .
The same New York Times poll that shows 60 percent of whites feeling positively about the Black Lives Matter movement also confirms that Donald Trump still commands the support of a bare majority of white Americans – which would mean that a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also view Black Lives Matter positively .
I ’ ll leave it to white social psychologists to interpret those crazy numbers .
Possibly the most useful Times data shows nearly 70 percent of whites under 45 believe “ the killing of George Floyd was part of a broader pattern of excessive police violence toward African-Americans rather than an isolated incident , ” Eighty-seven percent of Blacks of all ages and 74 percent of Hispanics agree .
The least useful NYT poll data shows that Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump by 14 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what kind of change is desired by Americans of any race , age or educational level – only that growing numbers would choose Biden over Trump under the two corporate party electoral system .
But Biden is a proud architect of the mass Black incarceration regime and rejects virtually all of the demands associated with the “ Black Lives Matter movement , ” most emphatically including “ defunding of the police .
” On criminal justice , both Biden and Trump oppose the aspirations of two-thirds of the U.S. public – just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans that support Medicare for All and a Green New Deal .
“ Biden is a proud architect of the mass Black incarceration regime.
” Despite the breathtaking size , intensity and multi-racial character of this month ’ s protests , and the record-breaking popularity of the insurgent movement , the corporate electoral duopoly – not the loathsome persona of Donald Trump , but the Democrat-Republican tag-team -- remains the greatest impediment to social transformation .
They are the institutional enemy .
That most emphatically includes the Black political class , virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steady deterioration of the Black economic condition , managed much of the local workings of the Mass Black Incarceration State , and supported a U.S.war machine that has slaughtered millions of non-whites in the two generations since Dr. King called this country “ the greatest purveyor of violence in the world , today.
” The bigger the Congressional Black Caucus gets ( it now stands at 50 full-voting members in the House ) , the more servile to party corporate leadership it becomes .
By wide margins , the Black Caucus has opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent “ nay , ” in 2014 ) ; supported elevating the police to a “ protected class ” and making assault on police a federal “ hate ” crime ( 75 percent , in 2018 ) ; and voted to further empower the FBI to spy on citizens ( two-thirds of the Black Caucus , in 2020 ) .
Nearly half the Black members of Congress supported the bombing of Libya and NATO ’ s invasion of Africa in 2011 , and the vast bulk of them have signed off on every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama and Trump .
In short , the Black Caucus is a bulwark of systemic racism and U.S. imperial warfare .
Not one serving Black congressperson has raised a peep about the ongoing slaughter in the Democratic Republic of Congo , where more than six million have died under four U.S. presidents .
“ The Black Caucus is a bulwark of systemic racism and U.S. imperial warfare.
” The biggest luminaries of the Black Caucus , including “ Auntie ” Maxine Waters , of California , South Carolina ’ s James Clyburn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Greg Meeks , were until recently rallying around New York Democratic incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel to beat back progressive Black challenger Jamaal Bowman , a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement .
The Black Caucus has slavishly followed every directive of House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi since she ordered them to refrain from holding hearings on Katrina , in 2005 .
They are collaborators in the duopoly ’ s greatest crimes against Black America , and the world .
The “ street power ” that has been so dramatically manifested over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately wasted if organizers put forward demands that leave the levers of power in the hands of local Democrats , of whatever color .
The demand to defund the police is unassailable , in principle .
However , if in practice it devolves to endless and debilitating dickering with local legislatures over funding that will inevitably be cut across the board due to collapsing tax rolls , no lasting transformation will be achieved , and the movement will splinter and fade .
That ’ s why we at BAR support community control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s power to shape and oversee the mechanisms of their own security and end forever the armed occupation of our communities by hostile forces .
“ The demand to defund the police is unassailable , in principle.
’ Chicago has the most developed movement in the nation for community control of the police .
Spearheaded by the recently re-founded National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression , led by Frank Chapman , the Alliance turned a 60,000-strong list of anti-police protesters into a force that has changed the political complexion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 members are now co-sponsors of the Civilian Police Accountability Council ( CPAC ) .
But Chicago ’ s newly elected Black mayor , Lori Lightfoot , opposes community control and defunding the police , ostensibly because defunding would lead to disproportionate lay-offs of minority officers .
Frank Chapman explains that community control of the police empowers the people to create whatever security mechanisms they see fit .
It ’ s not a question of defunding the police versus making them accountable to the people : “ All of the reforms being called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police – reforms that directly affect the current existence of the police as outside occupiers of our communities -- are embedded in CPAC , ” said Chapman .
“ CPAC is the way to ensuring these demands are met .
CPAC puts the power of reform in the hands of communities through directly elected representatives .
That ’ s community control .
With community control , we decide the if , when , and how of policing – up to and including abolition .
With community control , we can defund , demilitarize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existence .
Communities can reimagine a world without police – but not without the power to do so themselves .
We ’ ve heard nothing from our elected leadership about this broad demand to reconceive public safety , except for the 19 alderpersons who support CPAC.
” “ We decide the if , when , and how of policing.
” Lori Lightfoot is a guardian of white oligarchic power in Chicago , an exemplar of the melanin-over-substance politics practiced by the Black Misleadership Class – the same craven crowd that , in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Sixties must shift from the “ streets ” to the “ suites.
” In urban America , some of the oligarchs ’ most dependable servants are Black , and nearly all are Democrats .
Their strategy will be to entangle proponents of defunding the police in endless fights over whether dwindling tax dollars will go to police or social programs , while ensuring that the community controls neither .
In the process , movements are demobilized and a portion of those activists that remain are “ captured ” – joining the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to oblivion , the movement must be clear that victory is measured in Power to the People .
Demand community control , not only of the police , but of education , housing , health care and all the other services that civilized societies require .
Beat the oligarchs in the streets – and ultimately , take their suites and put them at service to the people .
.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford @ BlackAgendaReport.com Please join the conversation on Black Agenda Report 's Facebook page at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment by emailing us at comments @ blackagend

C ommunity control of the police means empowering the people to shape and oversee the mechanisms of their own security and end forever the armed occupation of our communities by hostile forces.
Never in the modern history of the United States has an insurgent, Black-led movement been viewed favorably by such large majorities of whites. According to the latest New York Times/Siena College Poll, a combined total of 61 percent of whites give “very favorable” (37 percent) or “somewhat favorable” (24 percent) ratings to the “Black Lives Matter movement.” Those numbers match almost exactly the results of a Pew Research Center poll released earlier this month that shows a combined 60 percent of whites either “strongly support” (31 percent) or “somewhat support” (30 percent) Black Lives Matter.
In historical contrast, during his lifetime Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never garnered higher than 45 percent positive ratings in the Gallup Poll . That high point was reached in 1965, the year the Voting Rights Act was passed. An equal percentage of the public, amounting to a majority of whites, viewed Dr. King negatively. Ninety-five percent of Blacks had a positive opinion of MLK. By 1966, however, Dr. King’s Gallup negative rating was 63 percent, and a Harris poll showed him at nearly 75 percent disapproval by 1968, the year he was assassinated.
“King’s high point was reached in 1965.”
The same New York Times poll that shows 60 percent of whites feeling positively about the Black Lives Matter movement also confirms that Donald Trump still commands the support of a bare majority of white Americans – which would mean that a small but significant slice of white Trump supporters also view Black Lives Matter positively. I’ll leave it to white social psychologists to interpret those crazy numbers.
Possibly the most useful Times data shows nearly 70 percent of whites under 45 believe “the killing of George Floyd was part of a broader pattern of excessive police violence toward African-Americans rather than an isolated incident,” Eighty-seven percent of Blacks of all ages and 74 percent of Hispanics agree .
The least useful NYT poll data shows that Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump by 14 points. This number tells us nothing about what kind of change is desired by Americans of any race, age or educational level – only that growing numbers would choose Biden over Trump under the two corporate party electoral system. But Biden is a proud architect of the mass Black incarceration regime and rejects virtually all of the demands associated with the “Black Lives Matter movement,” most emphatically including “defunding of the police .” On criminal justice, both Biden and Trump oppose the aspirations of two-thirds of the U.S. public – just as they stand in opposition to the two-thirds of Americans that support Medicare for All and a Green New Deal.
“Biden is a proud architect of the mass Black incarceration regime.”
Despite the breathtaking size, intensity and multi-racial character of this month’s protests, and the record-breaking popularity of the insurgent movement, the corporate electoral duopoly – not the loathsome persona of Donald Trump, but the Democrat-Republican tag-team-- remains the greatest impediment to social transformation. They are the institutional enemy. That most emphatically includes the Black political class, virtually all Democrats, who have overseen the steady deterioration of the Black economic condition, managed much of the local workings of the Mass Black Incarceration State, and supported a U.S.war machine that has slaughtered millions of non-whites in the two generations since Dr. King called this country “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world, today.”
The bigger the Congressional Black Caucus gets (it now stands at 50 full-voting members in the House), the more servile to party corporate leadership it becomes. By wide margins, the Black Caucus has opposed ending militarization of the police (80 percent “nay,” in 2014); supported elevating the police to a “protected class” and making assault on police a federal “hate” crime (75 percent, in 2018); and voted to further empower the FBI to spy on citizens (two-thirds of the Black Caucus, in 2020). Nearly half the Black members of Congress supported the bombing of Libya and NATO’s invasion of Africa in 2011, and the vast bulk of them have signed off on every escalating war budget put forward by Presidents Obama and Trump. In short, the Black Caucus is a bulwark of systemic racism and U.S. imperial warfare. Not one serving Black congressperson has raised a peep about the ongoing slaughter in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than six million have died under four U.S. presidents.
“The Black Caucus is a bulwark of systemic racism and U.S. imperial warfare.”
The biggest luminaries of the Black Caucus, including “Auntie” Maxine Waters, of California, South Carolina’s James Clyburn, and New York’s Hakeem Jeffries and Greg Meeks, were until recently rallying around New York Democratic incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel to beat back progressive Black challenger Jamaal Bowman , a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Caucus has slavishly followed every directive of House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi since she ordered them to refrain from holding hearings on Katrina, in 2005. They are collaborators in the duopoly’s greatest crimes against Black America, and the world.
The “street power” that has been so dramatically manifested over the past month will be dissipated and ultimately wasted if organizers put forward demands that leave the levers of power in the hands of local Democrats, of whatever color. The demand to defund the police is unassailable, in principle. However, if in practice it devolves to endless and debilitating dickering with local legislatures over funding that will inevitably be cut across the board due to collapsing tax rolls, no lasting transformation will be achieved, and the movement will splinter and fade. That’s why we at BAR support community control of the police – the institutionalization of grassroots people’s power to shape and oversee the mechanisms of their own security and end forever the armed occupation of our communities by hostile forces.
“The demand to defund the police is unassailable, in principle.’
Chicago has the most developed movement in the nation for community control of the police. Spearheaded by the recently re-founded National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, led by Frank Chapman, the Alliance turned a 60,000-strong list of anti-police protesters into a force that has changed the political complexion of the city council, 19 of whose 50 members are now co-sponsors of the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC). But Chicago’s newly elected Black mayor, Lori Lightfoot, opposes community control and defunding the police, ostensibly because defunding would lead to disproportionate lay-offs of minority officers.
Frank Chapman explains that community control of the police empowers the people to create whatever security mechanisms they see fit. It’s not a question of defunding the police versus making them accountable to the people:
“All of the reforms being called for, including abolishing and defunding the police – reforms that directly affect the current existence of the police as outside occupiers of our communities -- are embedded in CPAC,” said Chapman. “CPAC is the way to ensuring these demands are met. CPAC puts the power of reform in the hands of communities through directly elected representatives. That’s community control. With community control, we decide the if, when, and how of policing – up to and including abolition. With community control, we can defund, demilitarize, and regulate the police out of existence. Communities can reimagine a world without police – but not without the power to do so themselves. We’ve heard nothing from our elected leadership about this broad demand to reconceive public safety, except for the 19 alderpersons who support CPAC.”
“We decide the if, when, and how of policing.”
Lori Lightfoot is a guardian of white oligarchic power in Chicago, an exemplar of the melanin-over-substance politics practiced by the Black Misleadership Class – the same craven crowd that, in their formative years, preached that the movement of the Sixties must shift from the “streets” to the “suites.” In urban America, some of the oligarchs’ most dependable servants are Black, and nearly all are Democrats. Their strategy will be to entangle proponents of defunding the police in endless fights over whether dwindling tax dollars will go to police or social programs, while ensuring that the community controls neither. In the process, movements are demobilized and a portion of those activists that remain are “captured” – joining the Democratic clubhouse.
To avoid this path to oblivion, the movement must be clear that victory is measured in Power to the People. Demand community control, not only of the police, but of education, housing, health care and all the other services that civilized societies require. Beat the oligarchs in the streets – and ultimately, take their suites and put them at service to the people.
. BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com
COMMENTS?
Please join the conversation on Black Agenda Report's Facebook page at http://facebook.com/blackagendareport
Or, you can comment by emailing us at comments@blackagend


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-28--WHY IS THIS ONGOING AMERICAN “REVOLUTION” BOUND TO FAIL?

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

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


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-28--SOME ITALIAN THINKERS ARE NOW RESISTING LIES ABOUT THE SOVIET UNION AND WWII

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
Lying about world history is one of the main weapons of the Western imperialists , through which they are managing to maintain their control of the world .
European and North American countries are inventing and spreading a twisted narrative about almost all essential historic events , be they colonialism , crusades , or genocides committed by the Western expansionism in all corners of the globe .
One of the vilest fabrications has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soviet Union , a country that emerged from the ruins of the civil war fueled by the European , North American , and Japanese imperialist interests .
Foreign armies and local violent gangs were destroying countless cities and villages , robbing , raping , and murdering local people .
But determined acts to restore order and elevate the Soviet Union from its knees , dramatically improving lives of tens of millions , was termed in a derogatory way as “ Stalinism ” .
The label of brutality was soon skillfully attached to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( for the Soviets ) , or what is also known as the Second World War .
The West miscalculated , hoping that Nazi Germany would easily destroy the Soviet Union , and with it , the most determined Communist revolution on earth .
But Germany had , obviously , much bigger goals .
While brutalizing Soviet lands , it also began committing crimes against humanity all over Europe , doing precisely what it used to do in its African colonies , decades earlier , which was , basically , exterminating entire nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first hesitated to intervene ( some of its most powerful individuals like Henry Ford were openly cooperating with the German Nazis ) , the European nations basically collapsed like the houses of cards .
Then , unthinkable took place : indignant , injured but powerful , enormous the Soviet Union stood up , raised , literally from ashes .
Kursk and Stalingrad fought as no cities ever fought before , and neither did Leningrad , withstanding 900 years of blockade .
There , surrender was not an option : people preferred to eat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as fascist boots were not allowed to step on the pavement of their stunningly beautiful city .
In Leningrad , almost all men were dead before the siege was lifted .
Women went to the front , including my grandmother , and they , almost with bare hands repelled the mightiest army on earth .
They did it for their city .
And for the entire world .
They fought for humanity , as Russia did so many times in the past , and they won , at a tremendous cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilians , men , women , and children .
Then , Soviet divisions rolled Eastwards , liberating Auschwitz , Prague , planting the red Soviet flag on top of Reichstag in Berlin .
The world was saved , liberated .
By Soviet people and Soviet steel .
The end of a monstrous war !
Entire Soviet cities in ruins .
Villages burned to ashes .
But new war , a Cold War , a true war against colonialism , for the liberation of Africa and Asia was already beginning !
And the internationalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such narrative could never be allowed to circulate in the West , in its colonies and client states !
Stalin , Soviet Union , anti-colonialist struggle – all had to be smeared , dragged through the dirt !
That smearing campaign first against the Soviet Union and then against Russia was conducted all over Europe , and it gained tremendous proportions .
Mass media has been spreading lies , and so were schools and universities .
The foulest manipulations were those belittling decisive role of the USSR in the victory against Nazi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skillfully and harmfully re-wrote the entire history of the Soviet Union , portraying it in the most nihilist and depressing ways , totally omitting tremendous successes of the first Communist country , as well as its heroic role in the fight against the global Western colonialism and imperialism .
Since the end of WWII , Italy has been in the center of the ideological battle , at least when it comes to Europe .
With its powerful Communist Party , almost all great Italian thinkers and artists were either members or at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who used to fight fascism were clearly part of the Left .
Would it not be for the brutal interference in Italy ’ s domestic politics by the U.S. and U.K. , the Italian Communist Party would have easily won the elections , democratically , right during the post-war period .
Relations between the Italian and Soviet/Russian people were always excellent : both nations inspired and influenced each other , greatly , particularly when it comes to arts and ideology .
However , like in the rest of Europe , the mainstream media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polemicists and their local counterparts , had a huge impact and eventually damaged great ties and understanding between two nations .
Especially after destructions of the Soviet Union , Italian Left began experiencing a long period of profound crises and confusion .
Anti-Soviet and anti-Russian propaganda started finding fertile ground even in such historical bastions of the Italian Left like Bologna .
With the arrival of the 5 Star Movement and the radical , traditional Left-wing fractions concealed inside it , the millions of Italian citizens began waking up from their ideological lethargy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legendary Sapienza University in Rome , shoulder to shoulder with professor Luciano Vasapollo , a great thinker and former political prisoner .
I was impressed by young Italian filmmakers , returning to Rome from Donbas , arranging countless political happenings in support of Russia .
Rome was boiling .
People forgotten by history were resurfacing , while the young generation was joining them .
My friend Alessandro Bianchi and his increasingly powerful magazine , L ’ Antidiplomatico , were bravely standing by Venezuela and Cuba , but also by Russia and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italians understand what happened during WWII .
It is a tragedy , real tragedy… ” And then , recently , L ’ Antidiplomatico informed me that it will be publishing , in order to celebrate the April 25 and May 9 anniversaries , an essential book put together by the Soviet Information Bureau , by the academics , with notes and inside information by Joseph Stalin .
It was fired right after the end of WWII : “ Falsifiers of History .
Historic Information.
” ( In Russian : “ Fal ’ sifikatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Italian , the book will be called “ Contro la falsificazione della storia ieri e oggi ” ( Fabrizio Poggi : `` Against the Falsification of History Yesterday and Today '' ) .
The powerful editorial work of Mr. Poggi is unveiling the truth , and counter-attacking the Western Anti-Soviet propaganda .
Throughout this work , “ The Anglo-American claims about the alleged Berlin-Moscow union against the ‘ western democracies ’ and a `` secret pact between the USSR and Hitler to divide all of Eastern Europe '' were clearly dismantled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly used today in virtually all Western countries is exposed here , step by step .
“ The translation presented here is preceded by an introduction , edited by Poggi himself , which mentions the main issues of the period before the Second World War : Polish-German relations , the role of France and Great Britain and their relations with the USSR , Munich Conference , etc.
, all used by Western propagandists to advance the theory of `` equal responsibility '' of Nazi Germany and the USSR for the outbreak of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bianchi about the main purpose of launching the book in Italy , and he answered without hesitation : “ To defeat the anti-Soviet propaganda and also propaganda related to the Second World War.
” In many ways , Fabrizio Poggi ’ s `` Against the Falsification of History Yesterday and Today '' ) , is not just a book .
It is a movement , which will consist of discussions , lectures , interviews .
Top Italian intellectuals will , no doubt , participate .
Many essential topics will be revisited .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a new chapter in cooperation between the Italian and Russian thinkers and progressive leaders , in their common struggle for a better world !
[ First published by NEO – New Eastern Outlook – a journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences ]

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
Andre Vltchek
Lying about world history is one of the main weapons of the Western imperialists, through which they are managing to maintain their control of the world.
European and North American countries are inventing and spreading a twisted narrative about almost all essential historic events, be they colonialism, crusades, or genocides committed by the Western expansionism in all corners of the globe.
One of the vilest fabrications has been those which were unleashed against the young Soviet Union, a country that emerged from the ruins of the civil war fueled by the European, North American, and Japanese imperialist interests. Foreign armies and local violent gangs were destroying countless cities and villages, robbing, raping, and murdering local people. But determined acts to restore order and elevate the Soviet Union from its knees, dramatically improving lives of tens of millions, was termed in a derogatory way as “Stalinism”. The label of brutality was soon skillfully attached to it.
Next came the Great Patriotic War (for the Soviets), or what is also known as the Second World War.
The West miscalculated, hoping that Nazi Germany would easily destroy the Soviet Union, and with it, the most determined Communist revolution on earth.
But Germany had, obviously, much bigger goals. While brutalizing Soviet lands, it also began committing crimes against humanity all over Europe, doing precisely what it used to do in its African colonies, decades earlier, which was, basically, exterminating entire nations and races.
While the United States first hesitated to intervene (some of its most powerful individuals like Henry Ford were openly cooperating with the German Nazis), the European nations basically collapsed like the houses of cards.
Then, unthinkable took place: indignant, injured but powerful, enormous the Soviet Union stood up, raised, literally from ashes. Kursk and Stalingrad fought as no cities ever fought before, and neither did Leningrad, withstanding 900 years of blockade. There, surrender was not an option: people preferred to eat glue and plywood, fighting hunger, as long as fascist boots were not allowed to step on the pavement of their stunningly beautiful city.
In Leningrad, almost all men were dead before the siege was lifted. Women went to the front, including my grandmother, and they, almost with bare hands repelled the mightiest army on earth.
They did it for their city. And for the entire world. They fought for humanity, as Russia did so many times in the past, and they won, at a tremendous cost of more than 25 million soldiers, civilians, men, women, and children.
Then, Soviet divisions rolled Eastwards, liberating Auschwitz, Prague, planting the red Soviet flag on top of Reichstag in Berlin.
The world was saved, liberated. By Soviet people and Soviet steel.
The end of a monstrous war! Entire Soviet cities in ruins. Villages burned to ashes.
But new war, a Cold War, a true war against colonialism, for the liberation of Africa and Asia was already beginning! And the internationalist war against racism and slavery.
No, such narrative could never be allowed to circulate in the West, in its colonies and client states! Stalin, Soviet Union, anti-colonialist struggle – all had to be smeared, dragged through the dirt!
*
That smearing campaign first against the Soviet Union and then against Russia was conducted all over Europe, and it gained tremendous proportions.
Mass media has been spreading lies, and so were schools and universities.
The foulest manipulations were those belittling decisive role of the USSR in the victory against Nazi Germany. But Western propaganda outlets also skillfully and harmfully re-wrote the entire history of the Soviet Union, portraying it in the most nihilist and depressing ways, totally omitting tremendous successes of the first Communist country, as well as its heroic role in the fight against the global Western colonialism and imperialism.
*
Since the end of WWII, Italy has been in the center of the ideological battle, at least when it comes to Europe.
With its powerful Communist Party, almost all great Italian thinkers and artists were either members or at least closely affiliated with the Left. Partisans who used to fight fascism were clearly part of the Left.
Would it not be for the brutal interference in Italy’s domestic politics by the U.S. and U.K., the Italian Communist Party would have easily won the elections, democratically, right during the post-war period.
Relations between the Italian and Soviet/Russian people were always excellent: both nations inspired and influenced each other, greatly, particularly when it comes to arts and ideology.
However, like in the rest of Europe, the mainstream media, the propaganda injected by the Anglo-Saxon polemicists and their local counterparts, had a huge impact and eventually damaged great ties and understanding between two nations.
Especially after destructions of the Soviet Union, Italian Left began experiencing a long period of profound crises and confusion.
Anti-Soviet and anti-Russian propaganda started finding fertile ground even in such historical bastions of the Italian Left like Bologna.
With the arrival of the 5 Star Movement and the radical, traditional Left-wing fractions concealed inside it, the millions of Italian citizens began waking up from their ideological lethargy.
I witnessed it when speaking at the legendary Sapienza University in Rome, shoulder to shoulder with professor Luciano Vasapollo, a great thinker and former political prisoner.
I was impressed by young Italian filmmakers, returning to Rome from Donbas, arranging countless political happenings in support of Russia.
Rome was boiling. People forgotten by history were resurfacing, while the young generation was joining them. My friend Alessandro Bianchi and his increasingly powerful magazine, L’Antidiplomatico, were bravely standing by Venezuela and Cuba, but also by Russia and China.
Still, Mr. Bianchi kept repeating:
“These days, very few Italians understand what happened during WWII. It is a tragedy, real tragedy…”
And then, recently, L’Antidiplomatico informed me that it will be publishing, in order to celebrate the April 25 and May 9 anniversaries, an essential book put together by the Soviet Information Bureau, by the academics, with notes and inside information by Joseph Stalin. It was fired right after the end of WWII: “Falsifiers of History. Historic Information.” (In Russian: “Fal’sifikatory istorii. Istoriceskaja spravka.”)
Now in Italian, the book will be called “Contro la falsificazione della storia ieri e oggi” (Fabrizio Poggi: "Against the Falsification of History Yesterday and Today").
The powerful editorial work of Mr. Poggi is unveiling the truth, and counter-attacking the Western Anti-Soviet propaganda.
Throughout this work, “The Anglo-American claims about the alleged Berlin-Moscow union against the ‘western democracies’ and a "secret pact between the USSR and Hitler to divide all of Eastern Europe" were clearly dismantled. The falsity of the rhetoric which is repeatedly used today in virtually all Western countries is exposed here, step by step.
Ale Bianchi, the publisher, explains:
“The translation presented here is preceded by an introduction, edited by Poggi himself, which mentions the main issues of the period before the Second World War: Polish-German relations, the role of France and Great Britain and their relations with the USSR, Munich Conference, etc., all used by Western propagandists to advance the theory of "equal responsibility" of Nazi Germany and the USSR for the outbreak of the Second World War.”
I asked Mr. Bianchi about the main purpose of launching the book in Italy, and he answered without hesitation:
“To defeat the anti-Soviet propaganda and also propaganda related to the Second World War.”
*
In many ways, Fabrizio Poggi’s "Against the Falsification of History Yesterday and Today"), is not just a book. It is a movement, which will consist of discussions, lectures, interviews.
Top Italian intellectuals will, no doubt, participate. Many essential topics will be revisited. The truth will be revealed.
This could be a new chapter in cooperation between the Italian and Russian thinkers and progressive leaders, in their common struggle for a better world!
*
[First published by NEO – New Eastern Outlook – a journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences]