thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-07-28--Lawless State: Go Ask Donald, Joe, and Barack

A commendable and eloquent piece by Paul Street , as usual , with the following caveats : Despite his scrupulous mention of the Democrats ' perfidy and complicity , he sounds awfully close to a straight never trumped tirade .
Second , he uses some witnesses of dubious intellectual integrity , such as Yale history prof Tim Snyder , infamous ( in knowing quarters ) for his imperialist-supporting hatchet job on Joe Stalin—as if the world needed one moe anti-Stalins screed .
Lastly , and this is a bit surprising given Street 's perspicacity , the author is disingenuous in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November originates with Trump and his legion of clueless followers .
The real danger stems from the extreme centrist corporatist liberals , the Democrats , allied with the country 's intelligence mob and probably many in the MIC , the people constantly pushing Trump from the right toward ever more war and rising tensions with Russia , China and any nation standing in the way of US imperialism .
Let us not forget it is this crowd that has spent the last 3.5 years engineering and fielding all sorts of psyops against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russiagate , an undeniable conspiracy designed to topple Trump from his presidential perch .
Such peccadilloes aside , this article packs a hefty amount of valuable information and talking points.—PG A commendable and eloquent piece by Paul Street , as usual , with the following caveats : Despite his scrupulous mention of the Democrats ' perfidy and complicity , he sounds awfully close to a straight never trumped tirade .
Second , he uses some witnesses of dubious intellectual integrity , such as Yale history prof Tim Snyder , infamous ( in knowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Joe Stalin—as if the world needed one moe anti-Stalins screed .
Lastly , and this is a bit surprising given Street 's perspicacity , the author is disingenuous in suggesting the risk of an actual coup in November originates with Trump and his legion of clueless followers .
The real danger stems from the extreme centrist corporatist liberals , the Democrats , allied with the country 's intelligence mob and probably many in the MIC , the people constantly pushing Trump from the right toward ever more war and rising tensions with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the way of US imperialism .
Let us not forget it is this crowd that has spent the last 3.5 years engineering and fielding all sorts of psyops against Trump , the most notable hoax being Russiagate , an undeniable conspiracy designed to topple Trump from his presidential perch .
Such peccadilloes aside , this article packs a hefty amount of valuable information and talking points.—PG oor Chris Wallace .
The FOX News host looked frightened two Sundays ago as he sat across from the Orwellian Frankenstein his network did so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The lethal and indecent beast Donald Trump – a man who makes on average 16 false statements per day – told Wallace that a Joe Biden presidency would mark the triumph of “ the radical left .
The same type ideology that took over Venezuela , one of the richest countries in the world.
” What an interesting observation from the president .
Joe Biden is a right-wing corporate Democrat who helped lead the charge for the invasion of Iraq .
He says he would veto Medicare for All .
He childes Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overthrow Venezuela ’ s democratically elected socialist government .
Wallace winced a bit when Tail-gunner Trump insanely accused American schoolteachers of “ teaching our children…to hate their own country ” and inculcating a “ radical left destructive ideology ” ( where do I apply for one of those teaching jobs ? )
.
Is that why Trump is trying to order teachers back to schools that are completely ill-equipped to make them , their students , and other school personnel safe during an historic pandemic ?
Wallace gazed in barely concealed horror while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ be on the ground crying for mommy ” if the former Vice President had to sit through a media interview .
“ He ’ ll say , ‘ Mommy , mommy , please take me home.
’ ” It was a shocking comment on different levels , including the racist callousness it suggested .
As is well known , George Floyd called for his mother from the ground of a Minneapolis street as the racist white police officer Derek Chauvin knee-choked him to death last May .
Things got really White ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned to the Trump virus , also known as COVID-19 .
During his arch-Orwellian Wallace interview , Trump called Dr. Anthony Fauci “ a little bit of an alarmist ” for warning about the coronavirus pandemic last winter and spring .
Yes , Fauci really should have toned it down back before more than 140,000 Americans died from COVID-19 .
There was no reason for him to go all Paul Revere about the nasty little virus .
America First : “ The Best Mortality Rate in the World ” The most darkly hallucinogenic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latter claimed that the United States had the “ best ” COVID-19 mortality rate in the world .
It was a bravura performance , with Trump holding up a chart handed to him by his Bad Barbie press secretary , Kayliegh McEnanny : Wallace : Sir , we have the seventh highest mortality rate in the world .
Our mortality rate is higher than Brazil , it ’ s higher than Russia and the European Union has us on a travel ban .
Trump : …when you talk about mortality rates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think we have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world .
Wallace : That ’ s not true , sir .
We , we , we have a — we had 900 deaths on a single day… Trump : We will take a look… Wallace : You , you can check it out Trump : Can you please get me the mortality rate ?
Kayleigh ’ s right here .
I heard we have one of the lowest , maybe the lowest mortality rate anywhere in the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Because I heard we had the best mortality rate .
Trump , after his ( McE ) nanny handed him a sheet containing a chart showing nothing like what he claimed : Number , number one low mortality rate…I hope you show the scenario because it shows what fake news is all about .
Ok , go ahead .
Trump : You said we had the worst mortality rate in the world — Wallace : I said you had — Trump : — and we have the best .
Fatherland News had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers from Johns Hopkins University which charted the mortality rate for 20 countries hit by the virus .
The US ranked 7th better than the United Kingdom but worse than Brazil and Russia.
” “ Right Probably More Than Anyone Else ” “ Because , ” Trump said about the pandemic , “ I ’ ve been right probably more than anybody else.
” Oh , indeed : don ’ t be fooled by his clear public record of having denied the seriousness of the COVID-19 crisis , predicting its imminent disappearance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommending quack cures , holding rallies without proper public health measures , and claiming that the virus is “ harmless ” in 99 % of cases .
That ’ s all just fake history .
With the U.S. home to a twentieth of the world ’ s population but more than a quarter of the world ’ s COVID-19 cases ( “ America First ” ! )
thanks to Trump ’ s obscene failure to mount a reasonable and coordinated public health response , King Covid said this to Wallace about how America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direction : “ We are the envy of the world.
” I was unthinkable that Wallace might have stated the obvious truth : “ We ” are the laughingstock of the world right now .
“ I think the economy is expanding and growing beautifully , ” Trump told Wallace .
More glorious truth-inversion : unemployment has reached Great Depression levels in major U.S. cities .
The national jobless rate stands higher than at any time in six decades , near the end of the Great Depression .
An increase in job-loss is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Virus this summer .
Tens of millions are now slated to lose unemployment benefits , a nice fit for lost employment-based health insurance and the threat of eviction as federal protections expire .
“ Beautiful.
” “ I ’ ll Keep You in Suspense ” As if all this wasn ’ t a sufficiently rough ride down Orwell ’ s dark corridors , Trump refused to answer in the affirmative when Wallace asked him if the president would honor the outcome of the 2020 election were Biden to win .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump said.
” I ’ ll keep you in suspense .
OK ?
” Translation : the Trumpenstein will not accept the outcome of an election that does not go his way .
He ’ ll count on William Barr , the bikers , cops , soldiers and other “ tough guys ” to join him in trying to veto a count that doesn ’ t go his way .
Or else , well , you know , “ civil war.
” Prior to this , Trump told Wallace that “ mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” There is no basis whatsoever for the claim .
Poor Chris Wallace .
The Trump acid tab he and his Merry Band of Fatherland News pranksters took has yielded one Hell of a long , strange , and really , really bad trip .
Shooting Portlanders in the Head for “ Law and Order ” All this turning upside down of truth by the Orange Rabbit is a critical part of the fascist Trump project – a project that has taken on more than just a “ performative ” tone in Portland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has sent more than a hundred paramilitary agents from the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on anti-racist social justice protesters who have undertaken nightly Black Lives Matter demonstrations since the lynching of George Floyd .
Code-named “ Operation Diligent Valor , ” the federal deployment resembles U.S. military operations abroad .
The federal gendarmes , many suspected to be mercenaries on contract from Erik Prince ( a close Trump fascist ally and the head of the former notorious global mercenary firm Blackwater ) , have swept up protesters into unmarked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and beaten reporters .
One DHS agent nearly killed a young protester by shooting him in the head with a lethal “ impact munition ” while the victim had his hands raised .
Also shot in the head and sent to an emergency room by Trump ’ s DHS Black-shirts was Maureen Healy , chair of the history department at Lewis & Clark University and a specialist in the rise of German fascism .
While recovering from her injuries , Dr. Healy wrote the following : “ I wanted to , and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to speak .
Federal troops have been sent to my city to extinguish these peaceful protests…In addition to being a Portland resident , I am also a historian .
My field is Modern European History , with specialization in the history of Germany and Eastern Europe .
I teach my students about the rise of fascism in Europe .
By professional training and long years of teaching , I am knowledgeable about the historical slide by which seemingly vibrant democracies succumbed to authoritarian rule .
Militarized federal troops are shooting indiscriminately into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are on that slide.
” “ It dawned on me when I was in the ER and had a chance to catch my breath ( post tear gas ) : my government did this to me .
My own government .
I was not shot by a random person in the street .
A federal law enforcement officer pulled a trigger that sent an impact munition into my head.
” The federal gendarmes in Portland , their presence and conduct opposed by elected Portland and Oregon officials , have fueled rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worn military camouflage uniforms that say “ police ” but don ’ t clearly indicate what agency they come from .
Legal observers and activists report difficulty discerning the difference between the federal troops and private right-wing militia units .
This is no small concern .
As Yale historian Timothy Snyder said on MSDNC two nights ago : “ In a rule-of-law state , which is what we should be , you can tell the police from the civilians .
When the police don ’ t identify themselves , when the police don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police act as if they ’ re above the law , then you ’ ve moved clearly into an authoritarian direction .
It ’ s the dark fantasy both in life and in literature of authoritarianism and totalitarianism that someone who you can ’ t identify arrests you and takes you away in the middle of the night…This is something we would should be attending to.
” Indications are that the federal Black-shirts sent to Portland are with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and were sent up from southern U.S. border .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the liberal imperialist Rachel Maddow : “ [ Empires ’ authoritarian ] violence [ against their own citizens ] starts at the borderland .
People [ gendarmes ] can become accustomed to violence at the border .
And then what an authoritarian regime does is it brings those people [ gendarmes ] back into the cities and uses them against protesters in the cities .
People who are trained to think of Others as ‘ not like us , ’ as aliens , as foreigners are then told ‘ oh , well there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also not like us.
” Sensing correctly that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) operatives are also set for deployment against homeland protesters , Snyder made a comparable point about how migrant concentration camps ( properly identified as such by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ) provide “ lawless ” breeding grounds for authoritarian repression within authoritarian states : “ A similar aspect here is the detention centers .
We have this huge network of detention centers , which are basically lawless zones .
Another historical pattern [ in the development of authoritarian states ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawless zones such as detention centers or concentration camps are then released into cities later on and they behave the same way .
They behave the way they ’ ve been trained.
” The domestic paramilitaries and mercenaries in Portland have strayed beyond their ostensible legal mission of protecting federal facilities .
According to a July 25th New York Times report : “ After flooding the streets around the federal courthouse in Portland with tear gas during Friday ’ s early morning hours , dozens of federal officers in camouflage and tactical gear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the building .
Then , as one protester blared a soundtrack of ‘ The Imperial March , ’ the officers started advancing .
Through the acrid haze , they continued to fire flash grenades and welt-inducing marble-size balls filled with caustic chemicals .
They moved down Main Street and continued up the hill , where one of the agents announced over a loudspeaker : ‘ This is an unlawful assembly.
’ ” “ By the time the security forces halted their advance , the federal courthouse they had been sent to protect was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them… .
as agents with batons and riot gear range deep into the streets of a city whose leadership has made it clear they are not welcome.
” Oregon ’ s Democratic Senator Ron Wyden called Trump ’ s federal thugs an “ occupying army.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls them “ storm troopers , ” accurately enough .
Maybe Pelosi should stop leading House of Representatives votes to give the fascist maniac Trump all the military , surveillance , and repressive funds and powers he wants .
Undeterred by the criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutionally dubious deployment of federal troops by claiming absurdly that Portland ’ s “ radical Left ” mayor was “ going to lose Portland.
” “ A Surge of Federal Law Enforcement ” to Humiliate “ Radical ” Cities and ( Not ) Quell Violence But Portland is just a dress rehearsal for a federal fascist crackdown on what Trump calls “ failed cities run by liberal Democrats.
” Last Wednesday , Trump announced the expansion of “ Operation Legend , ” which he described ( in words he could never write and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge of federal law enforcement into American communities plagued by violent crime.
” Trump claimed he would “ immediately surge federal law enforcement to Chicago .
The FBI , ATF , DEA , U.S .
Marshals Service , and Homeland Security will together be sending hundreds of skilled law enforcement officers to Chicago to help drive down violent crime.
” By the next day , Trump was threatening to send as many as 75,000 federal agents into American cities to quell crime.
” The two-thirds nonwhite city of Chicago has long served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order ” whipping boy .
He has been threatening Chicago with federal occupation throughout and indeed since before his presidency .
The ostensible purpose of this “ surge ” is to stop the epidemic of shootings plaguing inner city neighborhoods across the U.S .
In reality , the inner-city bloodshed reflects a deadly combination : the misery of the nation ’ s urban Black communities , deeply exacerbated by the Trump virus ( COVID-19 ) , and the widespread availability of guns , enabled by Trump ’ s allies in the Republican Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious effort to end violence in the ghettos of Chicago and other American cities would involve curbing weapons and flooding disadvantaged neighborhoods with social and public health relief , not armed repression .
Trump is now also targeting Milwaukee , a savagely race-segregated city that is hosting the 2020 “ Democratic National Convention ” ( such as it is the COVID-19 era ) .
This is a transparent Nixon-inspired bit to create havoc analogous to the “ riots ” ( caused by the police ) that shook the 1968 Democratic National Convention in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets of Chicago helped fuel Richard Nixon ’ s ugly , racist , and successful “ law and order ” campaign that year .
What Trump really hopes to accomplish with his real and threatened homeland paramilitary deployments is to score points with his white Amerikaner “ heartland ” base and far-right bankrollers .
The fascist , white-nationalist playbook he is operating from designates him as the Chosen One – the “ strong leader ” ready to humiliate and discipline the “ radical left ” and “ liberal ” elites atop largely Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Others have supposedly been granted too much freedom .
At the same time , the images of urban confrontation and chaos he is cultivating are campaign commercial gold as far as Trump is concerned , with his good Nixonian friend Roger Stone whispering in his ear .
He is already using urban disorder ( significantly of his own making ) in his ads – this while telling “ suburban housewives ” that the Democrats want to send angry Black and brown mobs out to destroy peaceful white suburbs .
( “ They want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insanely claims . )
A Trump campaign commercial shows an older white suburban woman looking at terrifying television images of urban violence and listening to Sean Hannity falsely claim that Joe Biden wants to “ defund the police ” while a mysterious dark invader breaks into her house and presumably murders her .
As National Public Radio notes : “ President Trump has a message for suburban voters .
And it ’ s not a subtle one .
‘ They want to destroy our suburbs , ’ Trump recently warned in a call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all their lives to get into a community , and now they ’ re going to watch it go to hell , ’ he said from the South Lawn of the White House….Trump has been issuing increasingly dire and outlandish warnings about what Democrats will do to the suburbs .
He warns suburbanites will face rising crime and falling home values if they elect Joe Biden .
The message : Be afraid , be very afraid.
” As Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley has argued , the demonization and fear of great multicultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent and recurrent theme in fascist politics .
“ Time to Say the F-Word ” – Hello ?
When it comes to the coronavirus , Trump is like “ well it ’ s up to the states.
” When it comes to repressing Black people and others in the nation ’ s cities , Trump is like “ ask me to flood your streets with federal agents of fascist repression.
” “ It ’ s time , ” Mehdi Hasan said the other night on MSNBC , to say “ the F-word , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Really ?
That time came years ago , as Hasan is certainly too smart not to know .
Hell , even the authoritarian imperialist Barack Obama , a leading immigrant deporter and detainer who acted to crush the popular Occupy Wall Street rebellion when he wasn ’ t busy bailing out parasitic financial institutions and blowing up North Africa , knew that Trump was a fascist .
“ Tim , remember , ” Obama told Tim Kaine in October of 2016 , this is no time to be a purist .
You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the White House.
” That was just a private comment , however .
Publicly , Obama had a rather different Rose Garden message for the American people the day after “ the fascist ” ( Obama ’ s own accurate description ! )
Trump won : “ Now , everybody is sad when their side loses an election .
But the day after , we have to remember that we ’ re actually all on one team .
This is an intramural scrimmage .
We ’ re not Democrats first .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Americans first .
We ’ re patriots first .
We all want what ’ s best for this country .
That ’ s what I heard in Mr. Trump ’ s remarks last night .
That ’ s what I heard when I spoke to him directly .
And I was heartened by that….The point , though , is , is that we all go forward , with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens—because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy…And that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this incredible journey that we ’ re on as Americans will go on .
And I am looking forward to doing everything that I can to make sure that the next President is successful in that.
” Speaking of Democrats , presidential elections , and authoritarian elites who say patently false shit , let us turn briefly to Joe Biden , the doddering , dollar-drenched and , by the way , racist Democratic Party presidential nominee .
Last week , Biden called Trump America ’ s “ first racist president.
” That actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left American historians ( including the present author ) shaking their heads in speechless dismay .
Among the previous racists to hold the presidency ( the two best candidates for exception are James Garfield and the objective white-supremacist Obama ) , Biden neglected Woodrow Wilson .
Wilson was close to the leading professional racist Thomas Dixon , author of The Clansman : A Historical Romance of Ku Klux Klan ( 1905 ) and The Lost Cause of the Confederacy .
Dixon ’ s Clansman was the basis for the virulently white-nationalist movie Birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Wilson proudly showed at the White House .
Wilson promoted Jim Crow segregation within and beyond the federal government .
Do we really need to mention the numerous vicious slaveowners who “ served ” as U.S. president from the birth of the republic through the 1850s – and Andrew Johnson , who was impeached because of his stubborn racist determination to let Confederate leaders off the hook for launching a Civil War in an effort to ensure the survival of Black chattel slavery ?
Seriously ?
Hey Joe , how about Teddy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fascist has anything on the “ Bull Moose ’ s ” massive book The Winning of the West when it comes to heralding white supremacist violence .
“ The settler and pioneer , ” the nation ’ s 26th president wrote , “ have at bottom had justice on their side ; this great continent could not have been kept as nothing but a game preserve for squalid savages….The most ultimately righteous of all wars is a war with savages , though it is apt to be also the most terrible and inhuman.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ continent ’ s original civilizations to be part of Teutonic Saxons ’ long and noble crusade to master inferior races .
“ Let the sentimentalist say what they will , ” Roosevelt wrote , “ the man who puts the soil to use must of right dispossess the man who does not , ” with “ put the soil to use ” understood to mean enclosing the earthly commons , fencing it off as private property and exploiting natural resources and human labor power .
“ American and Indian , Boer and Zulu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Maori , – in each case the victor , ” The Winning of the West instructed , “ horrible though many of his deeds are , has laid deep the foundations for the future greatness of a mighty people.
” “ It is of incalculable importance , ” Roosevelt opined , “ that America , Australia , and Siberia should pass out of the hands of their red , black , and yellow aboriginal owners , and become the heritage of the dominant world races…The world would have halted had it not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lands ; but the victories of Moslem over Christian have always proved a curse in the end .
Nothing but sheer evil has come from the victories of Turk and Tartar.
” Don ’ t expect Biden ’ s good friend Obama to correct Joe on Wilson .
Obama is one of the militant racist Wilson ’ s biggest fans .
Released just as he prepared to announce his presidential candidacy in late 2006 , the deeply conservative Obama ’ s widely read 2006 book The Audacity of Hope praised the Wilson for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s interest to encourage the self-determination of all peoples [ emphasis added ] and provide the world a legal framework that could help avoid future conflicts.
” Too bad the Wilson administration ’ s extreme racism found expression in the brutal U.S. invasions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic .
As Noam Chomsky noted , “ Wilson ’ s troops murdered , destroyed , reinstituted virtual slavery and demolished the constitutional system in Haiti.
” These actions followed in accord with Wilson Secretary of State Robert Lansing ’ s belief that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity for political organization ” and possessed “ an inherent tendency to revert to savagery and to cast aside the shackles of civilization which are irksome to their physical nature.
” ( Obama ’ s presidency followed nicely in accord with the Orwellian whitewashing of American History that was richly evident in in campaign speeches and publications . )
Obama has yet to issue any apologies to Black America for his promotion of the supposed greatness of Woodrow Wilson .
The right wing corporate Democratic Joe Biden campaign recently released a campaign video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Biden and his onetime boss Obama at the former president ’ s headquarters in Washington D.C .
Neither Biden nor Obama mentioned Trump ’ s name once as they expressed carefully worded disdain for “ this guy ’ s ” ( Trump ’ s ) open refusal to take responsibility for the COVID-19 crisis .
Biden and Obama are properly revolted by “ this guy ’ s ” ( umm , Trump ’ s ? )
attempt to throw millions of Americans off health insurance in the middle of a pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama administration ’ s supposed desire to have included a health insurance “ public option ” in Obamacare ( a truly disingenuous claim ) .
Obama , whose Department of Homeland Security acted to crush the overdue Occupy Wall Street rebellion , further insults viewers by claiming that his tepid blue-ribbon “ 21st Century Policing Task Force ” represented some kind of progressive , anti-racist response to racist police brutality in the U.S .
It did not .
Obama tries to tap the suburban electorate ’ s concerns about the anti-expertise sociopath Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ empathy ” and “ pay [ ing ] attention to science.
” “ It all starts with being able to relate , ” Obama says : “ If you can sit down with a family and see your own family in them…then you ’ re going to work hard for them .
And that ’ s what ’ s always what ’ s motivated you to get into public service.
” Obama also praised Biden for a “ willingness to listen and learn.
” Gee , I wonder if the supposed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about democracy to repudiate and apologize for his promise earlier this year to veto Medicare for All if it comes to his desk as president .
Medicare for All is backed by seven in ten Americans .
Democracy means among other things the rule of the majority based on the principle of one-person , one vote .
“ Empathy ” ?
Does anyone remember when “ lunch-bucket ” ( corporate ) Biden said he said he had “ no empathy ” for Millennials ’ struggle to get by in the savagely unequal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over his many years of abject service to the Lords of Capital in the U.S. Senate .
“ The younger generation now tells me how tough things are—give me a break , ” said Biden , while speaking to Patt Morrison of the Los Angeles Times in 2018 .
“ No , no , I have no empathy for it , give me a break.
” So what if Millennials face an epic , even catastrophic diminution of opportunity , wealth , income , and security compared to the Baby Boomers with whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lunch bucket Joe ” helped shrink the American Dream for young people with the neoliberal policies and politics he helped advance ?
What a bastard .
F-Joe .
“ It all starts with being able to relate.
” What a joke .
Thanks , Obama – thanks for Joe “ Much of the [ Obama-Biden ] video , ” the liberal Huffington Postreported , “ contras [ ed ] President Donald Trump ’ s failure to contain the COVID-19 crisis with what Biden would do instead , as well as other areas where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or empathy.
” The report was accurate but left out the remarkable extent to which Obama and the Biden team went to avoid any direct reference either to Trump by name or to the virulent white-nationalist neo-fascism he represented .
It was surreal to watch the painfully tepid and passive-aggressive faux-resistance Obama-Biden video on July 24th as Trump threatened to send out 75,000 federal agents to repress urban Americans – this as federal unemployment benefits run out and a federal ban on evictions expired amidst the onset of a second Great Depression .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ permanent political class ’ s longstanding practice of blowing mind-melting smoke up the corporate-managed citizenry-qua-electorate ’ s ass .
It isn ’ t just Republican white ( and orange ) knights who get up on the chessboard and talks backwards .
But you knew that .
While Biden and Obama dance around the nation ’ s descent into fascism and refuse to mention Trump by name in a posh Washington bunker , citizens are rising up against authoritarian white-nationalist terrorism in Portland .

A commendable and eloquent piece by Paul Street, as usual, with the following caveats: Despite his scrupulous mention of the Democrats' perfidy and complicity, he sounds awfully close to a straight never trumper tirade. Second, he uses some witnesses of dubious intellectual integrity, such as Yale history prof Tim Snyder, infamous (in knowing quarters) for his imperialist-supporting hatchet job on Joe Stalin—as if the world needed one more anti-Stalinist screed. Lastly, and this is a bit surprising given Street's perspicacity, the author is disingenuous in suggesting the risk of an actual coup in November originating with Trump and his legion of clueless followers. The real danger stems from the extreme centrist corporatist liberals, the Democrats, allied with the country's intelligence mob and probably many in the MIC, the people constantly pushing Trump from the right toward ever more war and rising tensions with Russia, China and any nation standing in the way of US imperialism. Let us not forget it is this crowd that has spent the last 3.5 years engineering and fielding all sorts of psyops against Trump, the most notable hoax being Russiagate, an undeniable conspiracy designed to topple Trump from his presidential perch. Such peccadilloes aside, this article packs a hefty amount of valuable information and talking points.—PG
A commendable and eloquent piece by Paul Street, as usual, with the following caveats: Despite his scrupulous mention of the Democrats' perfidy and complicity, he sounds awfully close to a straight never trumper tirade. Second, he uses some witnesses of dubious intellectual integrity, such as Yale history prof Tim Snyder, infamous (in knowing quarters) for his imperialist-supporting hatchet job on Joe Stalin—as if the world needed one more anti-Stalinist screed. Lastly, and this is a bit surprising given Street's perspicacity, the author is disingenuous in suggesting the risk of an actual coup in November originating with Trump and his legion of clueless followers. The real danger stems from the extreme centrist corporatist liberals, the Democrats, allied with the country's intelligence mob and probably many in the MIC, the people constantly pushing Trump from the right toward ever more war and rising tensions with Russia, China and any nation standing in the way of US imperialism. Let us not forget it is this crowd that has spent the last 3.5 years engineering and fielding all sorts of psyops against Trump, the most notable hoax being Russiagate, an undeniable conspiracy designed to topple Trump from his presidential perch. Such peccadilloes aside, this article packs a hefty amount of valuable information and talking points.—PG
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go
And you’ve just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low Go ask Alice, I think she’ll know When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen’s off with her head
Remember what the Dormouse said
Feed your head, feed your head – Jefferson Airplane, “White Rabbit” (1967)
The Orange Knight is Talking Backwards
P
oor Chris Wallace. The FOX News host looked frightened two Sundays ago as he sat across from the Orwellian Frankenstein his network did so much to let loose upon the world.
Marxist Joe Biden and His Red Schoolteachers
The lethal and indecent beast Donald Trump – a man who makes on average 16 false statements per day – told Wallace that a Joe Biden presidency would mark the triumph of “the radical left. The same type ideology that took over Venezuela, one of the richest countries in the world.”
What an interesting observation from the president. Joe Biden is a right-wing corporate Democrat who helped lead the charge for the invasion of Iraq. He says he would veto Medicare for All. He childes Trump for not properly conducting a coup to overthrow Venezuela’s democratically elected socialist government.
Wallace winced a bit when Tail-gunner Trump insanely accused American schoolteachers of “teaching our children…to hate their own country” and inculcating a “radical left destructive ideology” (where do I apply for one of those teaching jobs?).
Is that why Trump is trying to order teachers back to schools that are completely ill-equipped to make them, their students, and other school personnel safe during an historic pandemic?
“Crying for Mommy”
Wallace gazed in barely concealed horror while the tangerine sadist said that Biden would “be on the ground crying for mommy” if the former Vice President had to sit through a media interview. “He’ll say, ‘Mommy, mommy, please take me home.’”
It was a shocking comment on different levels, including the racist callousness it suggested. As is well known, George Floyd called for his mother from the ground of a Minneapolis street as the racist white police officer Derek Chauvin knee-choked him to death last May.
“A Bit of an Alarmist”
Things got really White (or orange) Rabbit-like when the topic turned to the Trump virus, also known as COVID-19. During his arch-Orwellian Wallace interview, Trump called Dr. Anthony Fauci “a little bit of an alarmist” for warning about the coronavirus pandemic last winter and spring.
Yes, Fauci really should have toned it down back before more than 140,000 Americans died from COVID-19. There was no reason for him to go all Paul Revere about the nasty little virus.
America First: “The Best Mortality Rate in the World”
The most darkly hallucinogenic moment in the Wallace-Trump dialogue came when the latter claimed that the United States had the “best” COVID-19 mortality rate in the world. It was a bravura performance, with Trump holding up a chart handed to him by his Bad Barbie press secretary, Kayliegh McEnanny:
Wallace: Sir, we have the seventh highest mortality rate in the world. Our mortality rate is higher than Brazil, it’s higher than Russia and the European Union has us on a travel ban.
Trump: …when you talk about mortality rates, I think it’s the opposite. I think we have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world.
Wallace: That’s not true, sir. We, we, we have a — we had 900 deaths on a single day…
Trump: We will take a look…
Wallace: … just this week…
Trump: Ready?
Wallace: You, you can check it out
Trump: Can you please get me the mortality rate? Kayleigh’s right here. I heard we have one of the lowest, maybe the lowest mortality rate anywhere in the world.
Do you have the numbers, please? Because I heard we had the best mortality rate.
Trump, after his (McE)nanny handed him a sheet containing a chart showing nothing like what he claimed: Number, number one low mortality rate…I hope you show the scenario because it shows what fake news is all about. Ok, go ahead.
Wallace: — put our stats on —
Trump: You said we had the worst mortality rate in the world —
Wallace: I said you had —
Trump: — and we have the best.
Fatherland News had to explain that “we went with numbers from Johns Hopkins University which charted the mortality rate for 20 countries hit by the virus. The US ranked 7th better than the United Kingdom but worse than Brazil and Russia.”
“Right Probably More Than Anyone Else”
“Because,” Trump said about the pandemic, “I’ve been right probably more than anybody else.” Oh, indeed: don’t be fooled by his clear public record of having denied the seriousness of the COVID-19 crisis, predicting its imminent disappearance, calling it a “hoax,” recommending quack cures, holding rallies without proper public health measures, and claiming that the virus is “harmless” in 99% of cases. That’s all just fake history.
“The Envy of the World”
With the U.S. home to a twentieth of the world’s population but more than a quarter of the world’s COVID-19 cases (“America First”!) thanks to Trump’s obscene failure to mount a reasonable and coordinated public health response, King Covid said this to Wallace about how America has handled the pandemic under his wise direction: “We are the envy of the world.”
Can I get a “You Betchya”?
Trumpie, you’re doing a heckuva job.
I was unthinkable that Wallace might have stated the obvious truth: “We” are the laughingstock of the world right now.
“Beautiful” Economy
“I think the economy is expanding and growing beautifully,” Trump told Wallace. More glorious truth-inversion: unemployment has reached Great Depression levels in major U.S. cities. The national jobless rate stands higher than at any time in six decades, near the end of the Great Depression. An increase in job-loss is likely thanks to the take-off of the Trump Virus this summer. Tens of millions are now slated to lose unemployment benefits, a nice fit for lost employment-based health insurance and the threat of eviction as federal protections expire. “Beautiful.”
“I’ll Keep You in Suspense”
As if all this wasn’t a sufficiently rough ride down Orwell’s dark corridors, Trump refused to answer in the affirmative when Wallace asked him if the president would honor the outcome of the 2020 election were Biden to win. “I will tell you at the time,” Trump said.” I’ll keep you in suspense. OK?”
Translation: the Trumpenstein will not accept the outcome of an election that does not go his way. He’ll count on William Barr, the bikers, cops, soldiers and other “tough guys” to join him in trying to veto a count that doesn’t go his way. Or else, well, you know, “civil war.”
Prior to this, Trump told Wallace that “mail-in voting is going to rig the election.” There is no basis whatsoever for the claim.
Poor Chris Wallace. The Trump acid tab he and his Merry Band of Fatherland News pranksters took has yielded one Hell of a long, strange, and really, really bad trip.
Beyond Performative Fascism
Shooting Portlanders in the Head for “Law and Order”
All this turning upside down of truth by the Orange Rabbit is a critical part of the fascist Trump project – a project that has taken on more than just a “performative” tone in Portland, Oregon. That’s where Trump has sent more than a hundred paramilitary agents from the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on anti-racist social justice protesters who have undertaken nightly Black Lives Matter demonstrations since the lynching of George Floyd. Code-named “Operation Diligent Valor,” the federal deployment resembles U.S. military operations abroad. The federal gendarmes, many suspected to be mercenaries on contract from Erik Prince (a close Trump fascist ally and the head of the former notorious global mercenary firm Blackwater), have swept up protesters into unmarked cars and vans, teargassed crowds, and beaten reporters. One DHS agent nearly killed a young protester by shooting him in the head with a lethal “impact munition” while the victim had his hands raised.
Also shot in the head and sent to an emergency room by Trump’s DHS Black-shirts was Maureen Healy, chair of the history department at Lewis & Clark University and a specialist in the rise of German fascism. While recovering from her injuries, Dr. Healy wrote the following:
“I wanted to, and will continue to, exercise my First Amendment right to speak. Federal troops have been sent to my city to extinguish these peaceful protests…In addition to being a Portland resident, I am also a historian. My field is Modern European History, with specialization in the history of Germany and Eastern Europe. I teach my students about the rise of fascism in Europe. By professional training and long years of teaching, I am knowledgeable about the historical slide by which seemingly vibrant democracies succumbed to authoritarian rule. Militarized federal troops are shooting indiscriminately into crowds of ordinary people in our country. We are on that slide.”
“It dawned on me when I was in the ER and had a chance to catch my breath (post tear gas): my government did this to me. My own government. I was not shot by a random person in the street. A federal law enforcement officer pulled a trigger that sent an impact munition into my head.”
Making the “Homeland” a “Lawless Zone”
The federal gendarmes in Portland, their presence and conduct opposed by elected Portland and Oregon officials, have fueled rather than dampened civil unrest. They have worn military camouflage uniforms that say “police” but don’t clearly indicate what agency they come from. Legal observers and activists report difficulty discerning the difference between the federal troops and private right-wing militia units. This is no small concern. As Yale historian Timothy Snyder said on MSDNC two nights ago:
“In a rule-of-law state, which is what we should be, you can tell the police from the civilians. When the police don’t identify themselves, when the police don’t wear insignia, when the police act as if they’re above the law, then you’ve moved clearly into an authoritarian direction. It’s the dark fantasy both in life and in literature of authoritarianism and totalitarianism that someone who you can’t identify arrests you and takes you away in the middle of the night…This is something we would should be attending to.”
Indications are that the federal Black-shirts sent to Portland are with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and were sent up from southern U.S. border. That makes sense. As Snyder explained to the liberal imperialist Rachel Maddow:
“[Empires’ authoritarian] violence [against their own citizens] starts at the borderland. People [gendarmes] can become accustomed to violence at the border. And then what an authoritarian regime does is it brings those people [gendarmes] back into the cities and uses them against protesters in the cities. People who are trained to think of Others as ‘not like us,’ as aliens, as foreigners are then told ‘oh, well there happen to be people inland who are also not like us.”
Sensing correctly that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operatives are also set for deployment against homeland protesters, Snyder made a comparable point about how migrant concentration camps (properly identified as such by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) provide “lawless” breeding grounds for authoritarian repression within authoritarian states:
“A similar aspect here is the detention centers. We have this huge network of detention centers, which are basically lawless zones. Another historical pattern [in the development of authoritarian states] is that people who are trained in lawless zones such as detention centers or concentration camps are then released into cities later on and they behave the same way. They behave the way they’ve been trained.”
Mission Creep
The domestic paramilitaries and mercenaries in Portland have strayed beyond their ostensible legal mission of protecting federal facilities. According to a July 25th New York Times report:
“After flooding the streets around the federal courthouse in Portland with tear gas during Friday’s early morning hours, dozens of federal officers in camouflage and tactical gear stood in formation around the front of the building. Then, as one protester blared a soundtrack of ‘The Imperial March,’ the officers started advancing. Through the acrid haze, they continued to fire flash grenades and welt-inducing marble-size balls filled with caustic chemicals. They moved down Main Street and continued up the hill, where one of the agents announced over a loudspeaker: ‘This is an unlawful assembly.’”
“By the time the security forces halted their advance, the federal courthouse they had been sent to protect was out of sight — two blocks behind them…. as agents with batons and riot gear range deep into the streets of a city whose leadership has made it clear they are not welcome.”
Oregon’s Democratic Senator Ron Wyden called Trump’s federal thugs an “occupying army.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls them “storm troopers,” accurately enough.
Maybe Pelosi should stop leading House of Representatives votes to give the fascist maniac Trump all the military, surveillance, and repressive funds and powers he wants.
Undeterred by the criticism, Trump has justified his provocative, constitutionally dubious deployment of federal troops by claiming absurdly that Portland’s “radical Left” mayor was “going to lose Portland.”
“A Surge of Federal Law Enforcement” to Humiliate “Radical” Cities and (Not) Quell Violence
But Portland is just a dress rehearsal for a federal fascist crackdown on what Trump calls “failed cities run by liberal Democrats.” Last Wednesday, Trump announced the expansion of “Operation Legend,” which he described (in words he could never write and could barely read) as “a surge of federal law enforcement into American communities plagued by violent crime.” Trump claimed he would “immediately surge federal law enforcement to Chicago. The FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security will together be sending hundreds of skilled law enforcement officers to Chicago to help drive down violent crime.” By the next day, Trump was threatening to send as many as 75,000 federal agents into American cities to quell crime.”
The two-thirds nonwhite city of Chicago has long served as Trump’s top “law and order” whipping boy. He has been threatening Chicago with federal occupation throughout and indeed since before his presidency.
The ostensible purpose of this “surge” is to stop the epidemic of shootings plaguing inner city neighborhoods across the U.S. In reality, the inner-city bloodshed reflects a deadly combination: the misery of the nation’s urban Black communities, deeply exacerbated by the Trump virus (COVID-19), and the widespread availability of guns, enabled by Trump’s allies in the Republican Party and the National Rifle Association. A serious effort to end violence in the ghettos of Chicago and other American cities would involve curbing weapons and flooding disadvantaged neighborhoods with social and public health relief, not armed repression.
Trump is now also targeting Milwaukee, a savagely race-segregated city that is hosting the 2020 “Democratic National Convention” (such as it is the COVID-19 era). This is a transparent Nixon-inspired bit to create havoc analogous to the “riots” (caused by the police) that shook the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Images of chaos from the streets of Chicago helped fuel Richard Nixon’s ugly, racist, and successful “law and order” campaign that year.
“Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid”
What Trump really hopes to accomplish with his real and threatened homeland paramilitary deployments is to score points with his white Amerikaner “heartland” base and far-right bankrollers. The fascist, white-nationalist playbook he is operating from designates him as the Chosen One – the “strong leader” ready to humiliate and discipline the “radical left” and “liberal” elites atop largely Black and brown cities where supposedly unworthy non-white Others have supposedly been granted too much freedom.
At the same time, the images of urban confrontation and chaos he is cultivating are campaign commercial gold as far as Trump is concerned, with his good Nixonian friend Roger Stone whispering in his ear. He is already using urban disorder (significantly of his own making) in his ads – this while telling “suburban housewives” that the Democrats want to send angry Black and brown mobs out to destroy peaceful white suburbs. (“They want to abolish the suburbs,” Trump insanely claims.) A Trump campaign commercial shows an older white suburban woman looking at terrifying television images of urban violence and listening to Sean Hannity falsely claim that Joe Biden wants to “defund the police” while a mysterious dark invader breaks into her house and presumably murders her. As National Public Radio notes:
“President Trump has a message for suburban voters. And it’s not a subtle one. ‘They want to destroy our suburbs,’ Trump recently warned in a call with supporters. ‘People have worked all their lives to get into a community, and now they’re going to watch it go to hell,’ he said from the South Lawn of the White House….Trump has been issuing increasingly dire and outlandish warnings about what Democrats will do to the suburbs. He warns suburbanites will face rising crime and falling home values if they elect Joe Biden. The message: Be afraid, be very afraid.”
As Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley has argued, the demonization and fear of great multicultural cities full of darker-skinned others is a consistent and recurrent theme in fascist politics.
“Time to Say the F-Word” – Hello?
When it comes to the coronavirus, Trump is like “well it’s up to the states.” When it comes to repressing Black people and others in the nation’s cities, Trump is like “ask me to flood your streets with federal agents of fascist repression.”
“It’s time,” Mehdi Hasan said the other night on MSNBC, to say “the F-word, fascism” in regard to Trump.
Really? That time came years ago, as Hasan is certainly too smart not to know.
Hell, even the authoritarian imperialist Barack Obama, a leading immigrant deporter and detainer who acted to crush the popular Occupy Wall Street rebellion when he wasn’t busy bailing out parasitic financial institutions and blowing up North Africa, knew that Trump was a fascist.
“Tim, remember,” Obama told Tim Kaine in October of 2016, this is no time to be a purist. You’ve got to keep a fascist out of the White House.”
That was just a private comment, however. Publicly, Obama had a rather different Rose Garden message for the American people the day after “the fascist” (Obama’s own accurate description!) Trump won:
“Now, everybody is sad when their side loses an election. But the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. We’re not Democrats first. We’re not Republicans first. We are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country. That’s what I heard in Mr. Trump’s remarks last night. That’s what I heard when I spoke to him directly. And I was heartened by that….The point, though, is, is that we all go forward, with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens—because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy…And that’s why I’m confident that this incredible journey that we’re on as Americans will go on. And I am looking forward to doing everything that I can to make sure that the next President is successful in that.”
Obama knew better, privately.
“America’s First Racist President”
Speaking of Democrats, presidential elections, and authoritarian elites who say patently false shit, let us turn briefly to Joe Biden, the doddering, dollar-drenched and, by the way, racist Democratic Party presidential nominee. Last week, Biden called Trump America’s “first racist president.” That actually happened. Biden’s absurd comment left American historians (including the present author) shaking their heads in speechless dismay. Among the previous racists to hold the presidency (the two best candidates for exception are James Garfield and the objective white-supremacist Obama), Biden neglected Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was close to the leading professional racist Thomas Dixon, author of The Clansman: A Historical Romance of Ku Klux Klan (1905) and The Lost Cause of the Confederacy. Dixon’s Clansman was the basis for the virulently white-nationalist movie Birth of a Nation (1915), which Wilson proudly showed at the White House. Wilson promoted Jim Crow segregation within and beyond the federal government.
Do we really need to mention the numerous vicious slaveowners who “served” as U.S. president from the birth of the republic through the 1850s – and Andrew Johnson, who was impeached because of his stubborn racist determination to let Confederate leaders off the hook for launching a Civil War in an effort to ensure the survival of Black chattel slavery? Seriously?
Hey Joe, how about Teddy Roosevelt? No 20th or 21st century fascist has anything on the “Bull Moose’s” massive book The Winning of the West when it comes to heralding white supremacist violence. “The settler and pioneer,” the nation’s 26th president wrote, “have at bottom had justice on their side; this great continent could not have been kept as nothing but a game preserve for squalid savages….The most ultimately righteous of all wars is a war with savages, though it is apt to be also the most terrible and inhuman.”
Roosevelt considered the destruction of the continent’s original civilizations to be part of Teutonic Saxons’ long and noble crusade to master inferior races. “Let the sentimentalist say what they will,” Roosevelt wrote, “the man who puts the soil to use must of right dispossess the man who does not,” with “put the soil to use” understood to mean enclosing the earthly commons, fencing it off as private property and exploiting natural resources and human labor power. “American and Indian, Boer and Zulu, Cossack and Tartar, New Zealander and Maori, – in each case the victor,” The Winning of the West instructed, “horrible though many of his deeds are, has laid deep the foundations for the future greatness of a mighty people.”
“It is of incalculable importance,” Roosevelt opined, “that America, Australia, and Siberia should pass out of the hands of their red, black, and yellow aboriginal owners, and become the heritage of the dominant world races…The world would have halted had it not been for the Teutonic conquests in alien lands; but the victories of Moslem over Christian have always proved a curse in the end. Nothing but sheer evil has come from the victories of Turk and Tartar.”
No racism there.
“The Self-Determination of All Peoples”
Don’t expect Biden’s good friend Obama to correct Joe on Wilson. Obama is one of the militant racist Wilson’s biggest fans. Released just as he prepared to announce his presidential candidacy in late 2006, the deeply conservative Obama’s widely read 2006 book The Audacity of Hope praised the Wilson for seeing that “it was in America’s interest to encourage the self-determination of all peoples [emphasis added] and provide the world a legal framework that could help avoid future conflicts.” Too bad the Wilson administration’s extreme racism found expression in the brutal U.S. invasions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. As Noam Chomsky noted, “Wilson’s troops murdered, destroyed, reinstituted virtual slavery and demolished the constitutional system in Haiti.” These actions followed in accord with Wilson Secretary of State Robert Lansing’s belief that “the African race are devoid of any capacity for political organization” and possessed “an inherent tendency to revert to savagery and to cast aside the shackles of civilization which are irksome to their physical nature.” (Obama’s presidency followed nicely in accord with the Orwellian whitewashing of American History that was richly evident in in campaign speeches and publications.)
Obama has yet to issue any apologies to Black America for his promotion of the supposed greatness of Woodrow Wilson.
“A Conversation”: Joe “No Empathy” Biden and Obama Don’t Like “This Guy”
The right wing corporate Democratic Joe Biden campaign recently released a campaign video featuring a 15-minute, socially distanced conversation between Biden and his onetime boss Obama at the former president’s headquarters in Washington D.C. Neither Biden nor Obama mentioned Trump’s name once as they expressed carefully worded disdain for “this guy’s” (Trump’s) open refusal to take responsibility for the COVID-19 crisis. Biden and Obama are properly revolted by “this guy’s” (umm, Trump’s?) attempt to throw millions of Americans off health insurance in the middle of a pandemic.
The conversation includes deceptive boasts about the Obama administration’s supposed desire to have included a health insurance “public option” in Obamacare (a truly disingenuous claim). Obama, whose Department of Homeland Security acted to crush the overdue Occupy Wall Street rebellion, further insults viewers by claiming that his tepid blue-ribbon “21st Century Policing Task Force” represented some kind of progressive, anti-racist response to racist police brutality in the U.S. It did not.
Obama tries to tap the suburban electorate’s concerns about the anti-expertise sociopath Trump by identifying Biden with the values of “empathy” and “pay[ing] attention to science.” “It all starts with being able to relate,” Obama says: “If you can sit down with a family and see your own family in them…then you’re going to work hard for them. And that’s what’s always what’s motivated you to get into public service.” Obama also praised Biden for a “willingness to listen and learn.”
Gee, I wonder if the supposed “democracy” supporter Biden will learn enough about democracy to repudiate and apologize for his promise earlier this year to veto Medicare for All if it comes to his desk as president. Medicare for All is backed by seven in ten Americans. Democracy means among other things the rule of the majority based on the principle of one-person, one vote.
“Empathy”? Does anyone remember when “lunch-bucket” (corporate) Biden said he said he had “no empathy” for Millennials’ struggle to get by in the savagely unequal and insecure precariat economy that he helped create over his many years of abject service to the Lords of Capital in the U.S. Senate. “The younger generation now tells me how tough things are—give me a break,” said Biden, while speaking to Patt Morrison of the Los Angeles Times in 2018. “No, no, I have no empathy for it, give me a break.”
So what if Millennials face an epic, even catastrophic diminution of opportunity, wealth, income, and security compared to the Baby Boomers with whom Biden identifies? Who cares if “lunch bucket Joe” helped shrink the American Dream for young people with the neoliberal policies and politics he helped advance?
What a bastard. F-Joe. “It all starts with being able to relate.” What a joke. Thanks, Obama – thanks for Joe
“Much of the [Obama-Biden] video,” the liberal Huffington Postreported, “contras[ed] President Donald Trump’s failure to contain the COVID-19 crisis with what Biden would do instead, as well as other areas where Trump has failed to demonstrate any leadership or empathy.” The report was accurate but left out the remarkable extent to which Obama and the Biden team went to avoid any direct reference either to Trump by name or to the virulent white-nationalist neo-fascism he represented.
It was surreal to watch the painfully tepid and passive-aggressive faux-resistance Obama-Biden video on July 24th as Trump threatened to send out 75,000 federal agents to repress urban Americans – this as federal unemployment benefits run out and a federal ban on evictions expired amidst the onset of a second Great Depression.
The GOP has no monopoly on the permanent political class’s longstanding practice of blowing mind-melting smoke up the corporate-managed citizenry-qua-electorate’s ass.
It isn’t just Republican white (and orange) knights who get up on the chessboard and talks backwards.
But you knew that.
While Biden and Obama dance around the nation’s descent into fascism and refuse to mention Trump by name in a posh Washington bunker, citizens are rising up against authoritarian white-nationalist terrorism in Portland.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-07-28--Elon Musk’s Latest Antics Are Enough to Radicalize Most Decent People.

His tweets serve as a pretty clear indication of the failures of the American system , and the sort of person he is .
I ’ m a big believer in the idea that every billionaire is a policy failure , and it ’ s certainly safe to say that after his recent spiral on Twitter , Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has certainly not proven himself to be an exception .
He has has had a considerable amount to say about the events of the past few months , and in doing so managed to indicate a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undoubtedly his politics in the process .
As ridiculous as his antics have been , whether it be threatening to move his Tesla plant after unwanted new Covid regulations or endorsing Kanye West ’ s bid for the Presidency , one comment in particular that Mr. Musk made stood out considerably as arguably the most revolting , transparent , and enraging statement from someone with his position that I have ever come across .
After unsurprisingly making it known that he does no support the idea of another stimulus package and that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best interest of the people , twitter user Armani responded with : Elon ’ s nine word reply remarkably managed to embody everything I and countless others find so fundamentally enraging about the end-stage capitalist American empire , with a simple : After reading those words , immediately what struck me was the absolute nerve .
I began imaging what it must be like to have the audacity to feel not only so entitled , but arrogant , uncaring , and inarguably sociopathic in his position of privilege that he feels comfortable bragging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official in another country by their military for his own enrichment as though he had done nothing more than take the last candy bar .
Even for a man like him , the boldness of those words shocked me , especially considering this wasn ’ t the first time Elon Musk had been attributed to the coup in Bolivia .
Back in February , Muave Bolivia wrote in a piece translated by CodePink that : “ In this deleted tweet , Doria Medina tagged Elon Musk and suggested that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an electric car factory in Brazil .
Medina then proposed “ to do a joint Brazilian-Bolivian project in which we can supply the batteries for these cars with lithium from Uyuni.
” However , once the issue blew up on social media , Doria Medina , who had threatened to privatize a company a day in Bolivia when he was a government minister , eliminated the tweet and replaced it with one in which he attempted to clarify that this time he “ would not privatize ” public Bolivian companies .
Doria Medina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the de facto president of Bolivia , Jeanine Añez , is a businessman who has been accused of amassing his fortune through the sale of the country ’ s natural resources and the privatization and divestment of State companies .
The claim that Elon Musk intruded into Bolivian politics has gained steam insofar as there are justified suspicions that lithium , a key resource for the manufacturing of Tesla ’ s car batteries , can be obtained without paying for the share that would correspond to the Bolivian people .
Instead , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the direct benefit of the country ’ s decisionmakers , such as Doria Medina , for example , who has a track record of privatizations and happens to be the nation ’ s vice-president .
To give more context , it is necessary to mention three key facts .
The first is that Bolivia has one of the biggest reserves of easy-to-extract lithium in the world .
The second is that lithium is the raw material for lithium batteries , which is the main energy storing mechanism that makes electric cars work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest manufacturer of electric cars in the world.
” Mr. Musk can insist that his lithium comes from Australia , as he did immediately following his tweet , all he wants .
I , and I ’ m sure countless others , aren ’ t buying it .
That was an admission of guilt in an erratic , spur of the moment , heated twitter keyboard incident and should be treated as such .
There is no such thing as a billionaire who got where he is purely out of hard work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments are such a brutal reminder of that reality it almost feels like a slap in the face .
It takes cruelty , narcissism , and an unapologetic willingness to crush anyone or anything that stands in your way , even if it costs lives , democracy , and stability for an entire nation of people .
Frankly , Musk ’ s candid and spiteful admission of the lengths he was willing to go for his own personal , already unimaginable wealth should be enough to radicalize anyone , and serve as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cruelty of capitalism and the American empire.. Perhaps the most devastating aspect to all of it is the fact that it doesn ’ t even serve as nearly as much of a reflection on him personally as it does on the system that allowed it to happen , because he certainly isn ’ t alone in his endless pursuit of profit .
Let 's not forget that in the midst of an ever-worsening global pandemic , Amazon under the leadership of founder and CEO Jeff Bezos ended the measly two dollar an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its workers , all while their labor has put Bezos in prime position to become the worlds first trillionaire by 2026 .
So long as these people and their unmitigated greed continue to be able to operate under a system that by definition incentivizes their greed , there is no such thing as a just and equal society .
Not only is their theft of resources and labor negatively impacting the lives of the American people , there is no denying the global spread of their endless greed .
For the sake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States but the global community and frankly our planet as well , it ’ s time to take action .
The class warfare only intensifies , and it ’ s time for people to realize the infinite power they have with their labor .
Fight back where it hurts most : the pocket book .

Lauren Martinchek
His tweets serve as a pretty clear indication of the failures of the American system, and the sort of person he is.
I’m a big believer in the idea that every billionaire is a policy failure, and it’s certainly safe to say that after his recent spiral on Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has certainly not proven himself to be an exception. He has has had a considerable amount to say about the events of the past few months, and in doing so managed to indicate a lot about himself, his worldview, and undoubtedly his politics in the process. As ridiculous as his antics have been, whether it be threatening to move his Tesla plant after unwanted new Covid regulations or endorsing Kanye West’s bid for the Presidency, one comment in particular that Mr. Musk made stood out considerably as arguably the most revolting, transparent, and enraging statement from someone with his position that I have ever come across.
After unsurprisingly making it known that he does no support the idea of another stimulus package and that he feels it’s not in the best interest of the people, twitter user Armani responded with:
“You know what wasnt in the best interest of people? the U.S. government organizing a coup against Evo Morales in Bolivia so you could obtain the lithium there.”
Elon’s nine word reply remarkably managed to embody everything I and countless others find so fundamentally enraging about the end-stage capitalist American empire, with a simple:
“We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.”
After reading those words, immediately what struck me was the absolute nerve. I began imaging what it must be like to have the audacity to feel not only so entitled, but arrogant, uncaring, and inarguably sociopathic in his position of privilege that he feels comfortable bragging about the ousting of a democratically elected official in another country by their military for his own enrichment as though he had done nothing more than take the last candy bar. Even for a man like him, the boldness of those words shocked me, especially considering this wasn’t the first time Elon Musk had been attributed to the coup in Bolivia.
Back in February, Muave Bolivia wrote in a piece translated by CodePink that:
“In this deleted tweet, Doria Medina tagged Elon Musk and suggested that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is attempting to convince Musk to open an electric car factory in Brazil. Medina then proposed “to do a joint Brazilian-Bolivian project in which we can supply the batteries for these cars with lithium from Uyuni.” However, once the issue blew up on social media, Doria Medina, who had threatened to privatize a company a day in Bolivia when he was a government minister, eliminated the tweet and replaced it with one in which he attempted to clarify that this time he “would not privatize” public Bolivian companies. Doria Medina, who is the running mate of the de facto president of Bolivia, Jeanine Añez, is a businessman who has been accused of amassing his fortune through the sale of the country’s natural resources and the privatization and divestment of State companies. The claim that Elon Musk intruded into Bolivian politics has gained steam insofar as there are justified suspicions that lithium, a key resource for the manufacturing of Tesla’s car batteries, can be obtained without paying for the share that would correspond to the Bolivian people. Instead, it could be sold at cut rate prices for the direct benefit of the country’s decisionmakers, such as Doria Medina, for example, who has a track record of privatizations and happens to be the nation’s vice-president. To give more context, it is necessary to mention three key facts. The first is that Bolivia has one of the biggest reserves of easy-to-extract lithium in the world. The second is that lithium is the raw material for lithium batteries, which is the main energy storing mechanism that makes electric cars work. The third is that Tesla is the biggest manufacturer of electric cars in the world.”
Mr. Musk can insist that his lithium comes from Australia, as he did immediately following his tweet, all he wants. I, and I’m sure countless others, aren’t buying it. That was an admission of guilt in an erratic, spur of the moment, heated twitter keyboard incident and should be treated as such.
There is no such thing as a billionaire who got where he is purely out of hard work and perseverance , and Musk’s comments are such a brutal reminder of that reality it almost feels like a slap in the face. It takes cruelty, narcissism, and an unapologetic willingness to crush anyone or anything that stands in your way, even if it costs lives, democracy, and stability for an entire nation of people. Frankly, Musk’s candid and spiteful admission of the lengths he was willing to go for his own personal, already unimaginable wealth should be enough to radicalize anyone, and serve as a sharp reminder of the global scope of the cruelty of capitalism and the American empire..
Perhaps the most devastating aspect to all of it is the fact that it doesn’t even serve as nearly as much of a reflection on him personally as it does on the system that allowed it to happen, because he certainly isn’t alone in his endless pursuit of profit. Let's not forget that in the midst of an ever-worsening global pandemic, Amazon under the leadership of founder and CEO Jeff Bezos ended the measly two dollar an hour hazard pay and other emergency measures for its workers, all while their labor has put Bezos in prime position to become the worlds first trillionaire by 2026.
So long as these people and their unmitigated greed continue to be able to operate under a system that by definition incentivizes their greed, there is no such thing as a just and equal society. Not only is their theft of resources and labor negatively impacting the lives of the American people, there is no denying the global spread of their endless greed. For the sake of not only the people of the United States but the global community and frankly our planet as well, it’s time to take action. The class warfare only intensifies, and it’s time for people to realize the infinite power they have with their labor. Fight back where it hurts most: the pocket book.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-07-28--Imperialism in Your Face: Tycoon Elon Musk Confesses to Lithium Coup in Bolivia

he CEO of the U.S.-based Telsa car manufacturer has admitted to involvement in what President Morales has referred to as @ @ @ @ @ '' We will coup whoever we want !
Deal with it.
” was Elon Musk @ @ @ @ @ accusation on twitter that the U.S. government organized a coup against President Evo Morales , @ @ @ @ @ Bolivia ’ s lithium .
Foreign plunder of Bolivia ’ s lithium , in a @ @ @ @ @ s largest known reserves , is widely believed to be among the main motives behind @ @ @ @ @ coup .
Lithium , a critical component of the batteries used in Tesla vehicles , @ @ @ @ @ of the world ’ s most important natural resources as manufacturers seek to obtain it @ @ @ @ @ electric cars , computers , and industrial equipment .

By teleSUR
T
he CEO of the U.S.-based Telsa car manufacturer has admitted to involvement in what President Morales has referred to as a “Lithium Coup.”
"We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.” was Elon Musk’s response to an accusation on twitter that the U.S. government organized a coup against President Evo Morales, so that Musk could obtain Bolivia’s lithium.
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2020 "We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.”--
Foreign plunder of Bolivia’s lithium, in a country with the world’s largest known reserves, is widely believed to be among the main motives behind the November 10, 2019 coup.
Lithium, a critical component of the batteries used in Tesla vehicles, is set to become one of the world’s most important natural resources as manufacturers seek to obtain it for use in batteries for electric cars, computers, and industrial equipment.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-07-29--Worries About Foreign ‘Hacking’ of Vaccine Research Place Corporate Profits Ahead of Public Health

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
Like the sociopathic imperialist system it defends with its filthy lies , the US media is also immensely evil .
recent spate of reports in US media features US officials accusing Official Enemies Russia and China of “ stealing ” the US ’ s coronavirus vaccine research data .
To accuse another party of “ stealing ” something , of course , is to imply unjust deprivation .
If my wallet is stolen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or its contents , while someone else does .
Does it make sense to describe the alleged actions of Russian and Chinese hackers as a form of “ theft ” ?
If so , what kind of “ theft ” is it ?
The New York Times ’ report , “ Russia Is Trying to Steal Virus Vaccine Data , Western Nations Say ” ( 7/16/20 ) , levied the accusations of US , British and Canadian governments that “ the Kremlin ” is “ opening a new front in its spy battles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contain the pandemic.
” The Times story , by national security reporter Julian Barnes , takes it for granted that individual countries around the world are engaged in a ruthless struggle to gain geopolitical advantage by being the first to develop an effective vaccine .
That ignores projects like the Inclusive Vaccine Alliance , formed by the German , French , Dutch and Italian governments to speed up development of a vaccine through joint research and investments .
The Chinese government , for its part , has declared that its vaccine will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and has repeatedly insisted on the necessity of “ solidarity and cooperation , ” in addition to actively cooperating with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations ( People ’ s Daily , 7/10/20 ) .
The day after the Times published these accusations , the Russian government revealed that it had already sealed a deal with AstraZeneca and Oxford University for Russian manufacturing of the potential British vaccine ( one of the leading contenders ) , and claimed that it didn ’ t need to “ steal ” state secrets because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 7/17/20 ) .
The Times report undermined its own headline when it admitted : In other words , even if these allegations were true , Western governments have not been deprived of their research .
The Times fully admits that this alleged hacking would not harm US public health , but only the profits of US pharmaceutical companies : The Times also acknowledged that : Despite these acknowledgments , the Times nevertheless echoed the certitude of “ American experts , ” and anonymous government and intelligence officials , about Russian culpability and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the Russian espionage ” signals “ a new kind of competition between Moscow and Washington akin to Cold War spies stealing technological secrets during the space race generations ago.
” Without providing any evidence , anonymous sources assert that Cozy Bear , an alleged Russian cyberespionage group “ controlled by Russia ’ s elite SVR intelligence agency ” is trying to “ exploit the chaos created by the coronavirus pandemic.
” Despite the Times admitting that US government officials “ would not identify victims of the hackings , ” the paper speculated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks appeared to be Oxford University in Britain and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.
” Note that these are the same groups with whom the Russian government has already announced a deal to manufacture their potential vaccine .
Days later , the New York Times ( 7/21/20 ) produced another dubious report , “ US Accuses Hackers of Trying to Steal Coronavirus Vaccine Data for China , ” which focused on a Justice Department indictment against suspects Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi , for “ targeting vaccine development ” on behalf of Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Barnes , described the pair as a “ blended threat who sometimes worked on behalf of China ’ s spy services and sometimes to enrich themselves.
” Neither the Times , nor the US government officials it cites as sources , establish a direct link between the suspects and Chinese intelligence agencies .
Instead , the only indirect evidence provided is the kind of hacking the duo allegedly performed : According to the Times , Americans should care about this story because China ’ s alleged “ covert activity could potentially set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ openly admitted that the pair are “ unlikely to be brought to trial , ” where evidence is supposed to be presented in order to convict them of the accusations levied against them by the Justice Department , and that no evidence has been presented on whether these hackers actually “ stole ” any information , or whether they actually did set back US vaccine research efforts with their alleged activity : Despite the lack of evidence establishing the Chinese government ’ s guilt or impact , the Times treats speculation by US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese government ’ s wrongdoing , when the report concludes with : But focusing too much on whether or not Russian and Chinese hackers actually did try to hack US coronavirus vaccine research would be missing the point .
Corporate media reports accuse China of stealing “ American ” intellectual property , even though the vast majority of Americans don ’ t own any , and would likely benefit from China not respecting the intellectual property of corporations like Microsoft and Pfizer ( FAIR.org , 5/23/18 , 8/27/19 ) .
Why anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of US corporations to profit off a coronavirus vaccine—as opposed to getting an effective vaccine as soon as possible , no matter where the source is—is never explained in these reports .
As epidemiologists , US academics and FAIR ( 4/2/20 ; CounterSpin , 5/9/20 ) have pointed out before , the optimal way to develop a coronavirus vaccine on the pace and scale required to combat the pandemic is through international cooperation and open research , which would both minimize risk and maximize efficiency .
Current Affairs ’ s Nathan J. Robinson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hysteria over alleged enemy hacking is one of “ the most egregious examples ” of “ nationalistic bias leading to moral imbecility ” : What ’ s incredible is that nowhere in the stories is anybody quoted questioning the logic of viewing vaccine development as a “ competition.
” Nobody explains why researchers are keeping their research secret rather than sharing it as widely as possible .
There is no discussion of how this constitutes a totally bizarre way to combat a global pandemic , which should not be a “ race to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first so that it can force everyone else to pay up if they want to save their people ’ s lives.
” … Let ’ s have some moral honesty : The competitive approach is evil .
It is criminal that any country is keeping vaccine information secret from other countries in the first place .
That is mass murder .
One should expect corporate media outlets like the Times to equate corporate interests with the US national interest .
By spinning the intellectual property of large US corporations as something that must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be shared , US media are failing to inform their audiences about how corporations are delaying the development of a vaccine—and causing unnecessary deaths .
WE DO N'T BELIEVE IN BEING RESPECTFUL TO HYPOCRITES AND SCUMBAGS , LIKE THE EDITORS AND TOP REPORTERS AT HE NY TIMES , WHO KNOW VERY WELL WHAT THEY ARE DOING .
BUT , FOR WHAT IS WORTH , FOLLOW FAIR 'S SUGGESTION , AND PHRASE YOUR MESSAGE ANY WAY YOU LIKE .
ACTION ALERT : You can send a message to the New York Times at letters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Please remember that respectful communication is the most effective .
Feel free to leave a copy of your communication in the comments thread .

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
JOSHUA CHO
Like the sociopathic imperialist system it defends with its filthy lies, the US media is also immensely evil.
A
recent spate of reports in US media features US officials accusing Official Enemies Russia and China of “stealing” the US’s coronavirus vaccine research data. To accuse another party of “stealing” something, of course, is to imply unjust deprivation. If my wallet is stolen, it means I no longer possess it or its contents, while someone else does. Does it make sense to describe the alleged actions of Russian and Chinese hackers as a form of “theft”? If so, what kind of “theft” is it?
The New York Times’ report, “Russia Is Trying to Steal Virus Vaccine Data, Western Nations Say” (7/16/20), levied the accusations of US, British and Canadian governments that “the Kremlin” is “opening a new front in its spy battles with the West amid the worldwide competition to contain the pandemic.”
The Times story, by national security reporter Julian Barnes, takes it for granted that individual countries around the world are engaged in a ruthless struggle to gain geopolitical advantage by being the first to develop an effective vaccine. That ignores projects like the Inclusive Vaccine Alliance, formed by the German, French, Dutch and Italian governments to speed up development of a vaccine through joint research and investments. The Chinese government, for its part, has declared that its vaccine will be a “global public good,” and has repeatedly insisted on the necessity of “solidarity and cooperation,” in addition to actively cooperating with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (People’s Daily, 7/10/20).
The day after the Times published these accusations, the Russian government revealed that it had already sealed a deal with AstraZeneca and Oxford University for Russian manufacturing of the potential British vaccine (one of the leading contenders), and claimed that it didn’t need to “steal” state secrets because it would be given to them (Reuters, 7/17/20).
The Times report undermined its own headline when it admitted:
American intelligence officials said the Russians were aiming to steal research to develop their own vaccine more quickly, not to sabotage other countries’ efforts. There was likely little immediate damage to global public health, cybersecurity experts said.
In other words, even if these allegations were true, Western governments have not been deprived of their research. The Times fully admits that this alleged hacking would not harm US public health, but only the profits of US pharmaceutical companies:
Private firms are more at risk than the public, said Mike Chapple, a former National Security Agency computer scientist who teaches cybersecurity at the University of Notre Dame. “The potential harm here is limited to commercial harm, to companies that are devoting a lot of their own resources into developing a vaccine in hopes it will be financially rewarding down the road,” he said.
The Times also acknowledged that:
The accusations against Russia were also the latest example of an increasing willingness in recent months by the United States and its closest intelligence allies to publicly accuse foreign adversaries of breaches and cyberattacks…. Attributing such attacks, however, is imprecise, an ambiguity that Moscow takes advantage of in denying responsibility, as it did Thursday.
Despite these acknowledgments, the Times nevertheless echoed the certitude of “American experts,” and anonymous government and intelligence officials, about Russian culpability and motives. The Times simply asserted that “the Russian espionage” signals “a new kind of competition between Moscow and Washington akin to Cold War spies stealing technological secrets during the space race generations ago.” Without providing any evidence, anonymous sources assert that Cozy Bear, an alleged Russian cyberespionage group “controlled by Russia’s elite SVR intelligence agency” is trying to “exploit the chaos created by the coronavirus pandemic.”
Despite the Times admitting that US government officials “would not identify victims of the hackings,” the paper speculated that the “primary target of the attacks appeared to be Oxford University in Britain and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.” Note that these are the same groups with whom the Russian government has already announced a deal to manufacture their potential vaccine.
Days later, the New York Times (7/21/20) produced another dubious report, “US Accuses Hackers of Trying to Steal Coronavirus Vaccine Data for China,” which focused on a Justice Department indictment against suspects Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi, for “targeting vaccine development” on behalf of Chinese intelligence. The Times story, also by Barnes, described the pair as a “blended threat who sometimes worked on behalf of China’s spy services and sometimes to enrich themselves.” Neither the Times, nor the US government officials it cites as sources, establish a direct link between the suspects and Chinese intelligence agencies. Instead, the only indirect evidence provided is the kind of hacking the duo allegedly performed:
“You can see by the variety of the hacks that they did how they were being directed by the government,” Mr. Demers said at a news conference at the Justice Department. “Extorting someone for cryptocurrency is not something that the government is usually interested in, nor are criminal hackers usually interested in human rights activists and clergymen.”
According to the Times, Americans should care about this story because China’s alleged “covert activity could potentially set back vaccine research efforts.” The Times openly admitted that the pair are “unlikely to be brought to trial,” where evidence is supposed to be presented in order to convict them of the accusations levied against them by the Justice Department, and that no evidence has been presented on whether these hackers actually “stole” any information, or whether they actually did set back US vaccine research efforts with their alleged activity:
The indictment, which was filed in the Eastern District of Washington, did not say that the hackers successfully stole information or research on the vaccine…. Mr. Demers said an attempted breach could slow down research because it must be secured, but researchers also must make sure their data has not been corrupted or altered by the intruders. The government officials did not say they had evidence that such manipulation had occurred, however.
Despite the lack of evidence establishing the Chinese government’s guilt or impact, the Times treats speculation by US government officials as “evidence” of the Chinese government’s wrongdoing, when the report concludes with:
“This indictment reveals yet again that Chairman Xi leads an army of hackers that steal and attempt to steal—every single day, in almost every country and industry,” Mr. Sasse said, referring to President Xi Jinping of China.
But focusing too much on whether or not Russian and Chinese hackers actually did try to hack US coronavirus vaccine research would be missing the point. Corporate media reports accuse China of stealing “American” intellectual property, even though the vast majority of Americans don’t own any, and would likely benefit from China not respecting the intellectual property of corporations like Microsoft and Pfizer (FAIR.org, 5/23/18, 8/27/19). Why anyone should care more about the potential inability of US corporations to profit off a coronavirus vaccine—as opposed to getting an effective vaccine as soon as possible, no matter where the source is—is never explained in these reports.
As epidemiologists, US academics and FAIR (4/2/20; CounterSpin, 5/9/20) have pointed out before, the optimal way to develop a coronavirus vaccine on the pace and scale required to combat the pandemic is through international cooperation and open research, which would both minimize risk and maximize efficiency. Current Affairs’s Nathan J. Robinson (7/17/20) noted that corporate media hysteria over alleged enemy hacking is one of “the most egregious examples” of “nationalistic bias leading to moral imbecility”:
What’s incredible is that nowhere in the stories is anybody quoted questioning the logic of viewing vaccine development as a “competition.” Nobody explains why researchers are keeping their research secret rather than sharing it as widely as possible. There is no discussion of how this constitutes a totally bizarre way to combat a global pandemic, which should not be a “race to see which country can find a vaccine first so that it can force everyone else to pay up if they want to save their people’s lives.”… Let’s have some moral honesty: The competitive approach is evil. It is criminal that any country is keeping vaccine information secret from other countries in the first place. That is mass murder.
One should expect corporate media outlets like the Times to equate corporate interests with the US national interest. By spinning the intellectual property of large US corporations as something that must be safeguarded rather than something that should be shared, US media are failing to inform their audiences about how corporations are delaying the development of a vaccine—and causing unnecessary deaths.
WE DON'T BELIEVE IN BEING RESPECTFUL TO HYPOCRITES AND SCUMBAGS, LIKE THE EDITORS AND TOP REPORTERS AT HE NY TIMES, WHO KNOW VERY WELL WHAT THEY ARE DOING. BUT, FOR WHAT IS WORTH, FOLLOW FAIR'S SUGGESTION, AND PHRASE YOUR MESSAGE ANY WAY YOU LIKE.
ACTION ALERT: You can send a message to the New York Times at letters@nytimes.com (Twitter:@NYTimes). Please remember that respectful communication is the most effective. Feel free to leave a copy of your communication in the comments thread.