thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-14--Beware the hijacking of U.S. protests into a ‘Color Revolution’

he May 25th killing of George Floyd , an unarmed African-American man , at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis , Minnesota shocked the world and set off mass protests against racism and police brutality in dozens of cities from the mid-western United States to the European Union , all in the midst of a global pandemic .
In the Twin Cities , what began as spontaneous , peaceful demonstrations against the local police quickly transformed into vandalism , arson and looting after the use of rubber bullets and chemical irritants by law enforcement against the protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots was likely the work of apparent agent provocateurs among the marchers .
Within days , the unrest had spread to cities across the country including the nation ’ s capital , with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to invoke the slavery-era Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy the military and National Guard on American soil , federal powers not used since the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King case .
The debate over the catalyst for the uprising into its period of lawlessness has drawn a range of theories .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the proximity of numerous protest sites have spurred rumors of sabotage by everything from white supremacist groups to “ Antifa ” to law enforcement itself .
Predictably , liberal hawks such as Susan Rice , the former National Security Advisor in the Obama administration , made ludicrous assertions suggesting “ Russian agents ” were behind the unrest , a continuation of the narrative that the Kremlin has been behind inflaming racial tensions in the U.S. that began during the 2016 election .
While Democrats like Rice and Senator Kamala Harris of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Civil Rights movement of Moscow exploiting racial divisions in the U.S. , Trump and the GOP have similarly resurrected the ‘ outside agitators ’ myth attributed to segregationists of the same era .
Hypocritically , many of those claiming to be in support of the protests have denounced the latter theory while endorsing the former , when both equally show contempt for the legitimate grievances of the demonstrators and deny their agency .
However , both false notions overlook the more likely hidden factors at play attempting to hijack the movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original Antifa movement in the 1930s Weimar Republic was part of the Communist Party of Germany ( KPD ) , the current manifestation in the U.S. has a synonymous association with black bloc anarchism ( even inverting the colors of the original red and black flag ) , though it is really made up of a variety of amateurish political tendencies .
Believe it or not , there could be a kernel of truth in accusations coming mostly from the political right as to the possible role of the notorious liberal billionaire investor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Open Society Foundation ( OSF ) .
Ironically , if any of the right-wing figures of whom Soros is a favorite target were aware of his instrumental role in the fall of communism staging the various CIA-backed protest movements in Eastern Europe that toppled socialist governments , he would likely not be such a subject of their derision .
The Hungarian business magnate ’ s institute , like other NGOs involved in U.S. regime change operations such as the National Endowment for Democracy ( NED ) , is largely a front for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. adversaries , the spy agency ’ s preferred modus operandi since the exposure of its illicit activities in previous decades by the Rockefeller Commission and Church Committee in the 1970s .
In the post-Soviet world , nations across Central Asia , Eastern Europe , the Middle East and beyond have become well acquainted with the political disruptions of the international financier and his network .
In particular , governments that have leaned toward warm relations with Moscow during the incumbency of President Vladimir Putin have found themselves the victims of his machinations @

T
he May 25th killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota shocked the world and set off mass protests against racism and police brutality in dozens of cities from the mid-western United States to the European Union, all in the midst of a global pandemic. In the Twin Cities, what began as spontaneous, peaceful demonstrations against the local police quickly transformed into vandalism, arson and looting after the use of rubber bullets and chemical irritants by law enforcement against the protesters, while the initial incitement for the riots was likely the work of apparent agent provocateurs among the marchers. Within days, the unrest had spread to cities across the country including the nation’s capital, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to invoke the slavery-era Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy the military and National Guard on American soil, federal powers not used since the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King case.
The debate over the catalyst for the uprising into its period of lawlessness has drawn a range of theories. The suspicious placement of pallets of bricks in the proximity of numerous protest sites have spurred rumors of sabotage by everything from white supremacist groups to “Antifa” to law enforcement itself. Predictably, liberal hawks such as Susan Rice, the former National Security Advisor in the Obama administration, made ludicrous assertions suggesting “Russian agents” were behind the unrest, a continuation of the narrative that the Kremlin has been behind inflaming racial tensions in the U.S. that began during the 2016 election. While Democrats like Rice and Senator Kamala Harris of California have revived an old trope dating back to the Civil Rights movement of Moscow exploiting racial divisions in the U.S., Trump and the GOP have similarly resurrected the ‘outside agitators’ myth attributed to segregationists of the same era. Hypocritically, many of those claiming to be in support of the protests have denounced the latter theory while endorsing the former, when both equally show contempt for the legitimate grievances of the demonstrators and deny their agency. However, both false notions overlook the more likely hidden factors at play attempting to hijack the movement for its own purposes.
While the original Antifa movement in the 1930s Weimar Republic was part of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), the current manifestation in the U.S. has a synonymous association with black bloc anarchism (even inverting the colors of the original red and black flag), though it is really made up of a variety of amateurish political tendencies.
Believe it or not, there could be a kernel of truth in accusations coming mostly from the political right as to the possible role of the notorious liberal billionaire investor and “philanthropist” George Soros and his Open Society Foundation (OSF). Ironically, if any of the right-wing figures of whom Soros is a favorite target were aware of his instrumental role in the fall of communism staging the various CIA-backed protest movements in Eastern Europe that toppled socialist governments, he would likely not be such a subject of their derision. The Hungarian business magnate’s institute, like other NGOs involved in U.S. regime change operations such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), is largely a front for the CIA to shield itself while destabilizing U.S. adversaries, the spy agency’s preferred modus operandi since the exposure of its illicit activities in previous decades by the Rockefeller Commission and Church Committee in the 1970s. In the post-Soviet world, nations across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and beyond have become well acquainted with the political disruptions of the international financier and his network. In particular, governments that have leaned toward warm relations with Moscow during the incumbency of President Vladimir Putin have found themselves the victims of his machinations.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-14--Playing Catch-Up: Hypersonic Strike Systems Of United States

The triggering reason is most likely the failure of US , French , and British stand-off weapons used against Syria , specifically against targets covered by modern air defenses .
Russian and even Soviet-era surface-to-air gun and missile systems racked up an impressive tally of successful interceptions of Tomahawk cruise missiles that still represent the most important component of the US stand-off weapon arsenal .
Even the supposedly stealthy cruise missiles like France ’ s SCALP-EG , Great Britain ’ s Storm Shadow , and the US JASSM-ER proved to have low survivability against modern defenses .
Israel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that rule , as they too had to rely on saturation attacks or , more likely , striking targets that were outside the integrated air defense bubble .
Compounding the problem was the absence of sub-strategic ballistic missiles , with the exception of the short-ranged US Army TACMS which , while a formidable weapon , is too slow to evade interception by tactical anti-ballistic systems .
Nor were “ hard kill ” defenses the only weapons that proved effective against the array of NATO ’ s air- and sea-launched cruise missiles .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is evidence suggesting “ soft kill ” electronic warfare measures were quite effective at countering a wide variety of stand-off munitions as well .
Collectively , these experiences have shaken US and NATO confidence in their chosen technological approach that emphasized stealth for every aerial vehicle in their arsenals , including manned and unmanned platforms as well as missiles .
Yet even though stealthy cruise missiles such as the JASSM and its anti-ship version , the LRASM , might be successful at avoiding targeting by long-range radar-guided weapons , the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detectable by infrared imaging sensors at closer ranges .
The remarkable information campaign waged by NATO countries against the Pantsir-S short-range air defense system is a reflection of its effectiveness as a missile , bomb , and drone-killer .
Whereas the US military establishment embraced stealth as a “ silver bullet ” technological solution to all manner of tactical and even strategic problems , Russia ’ s approach was more measured .
While the studies that have led to this conclusion probably will remain classified for a long period of time , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that since avoiding detection can not be guaranteed , the best way to deal with missile defenses is to decrease exposure time by making the missiles ever-faster .
This trend was already evident during the Cold War , when NATO settled for subsonic anti-ship missiles such as the Exocet , Harpoon , Penguin , Otomat , and ultimately the Tomahawk which had both anti-ship and land-attack applications , which relied on stealth of sorts in the form of flying at extremely low altitudes .
The USSR , on the other hand , already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major investment in highly supersonic air- , surface- and submarine-launched missiles .
By 1980s , Soviet weapons were increasingly employing air-breathing ramjet propulsion which pushed their speeds ever-closer to the hypersonic realm .
NATO ’ s use of ramjet propulsion during that time was limited to surface-to-air missiles such as the British Sea Dart and US Talos , while its cruise missiles were almost exclusively jet-powered .
Russia ’ s evolutionary development of these technologies has led both to systems already in service , such as the Oniks and Kalibr cruise missiles ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employing a highly supersonic terminal stage ) .
These are to be soon joined by the Tsirkon , a genuinely hypersonic cruise missile , the Avangard ICBM maneuvering re-entry vehicle and the Kinzhal aeroballistic missile derived from the Iskander INF-threshold 500km range ballistic missile .
US interest in conventional hypervelocity strike weapons is not exactly new .
The George W. Bush administration initiated the Prompt Global Strike program which made its first appearance in the 2001 Nuclear Posture Review , shortly before the US withdrawal from the ABM Treaty .
Nevertheless , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention and budgets away from strategic weapons and towards counterinsurgency , therefore while the interest in these weapons was never abandoned , it was nowhere near the top of US defense priorities .
Not even the rapid deterioration of Russia-NATO relations in 2014 and later years led to visibly greater interest in these weapons .
The Trump Administration ’ s two rounds of cruise missile strikes against Syria , however , appear to have had that effect .
As a result , every service of the US military is interested in the development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would provide with hypervelocity strike capabilities .
With the exception of Avangard , every Russian system mentioned has a similar US system under some stage of development .
The Precision Strike Missile ( PrSM ) is quite literally the US equivalent of the Iskander , possessed of similar range and capabilities .
There are two versions of the weapon being developed , one by Lockheed-Martin which conducted the first test launch in 2019 , and another by Raytheon which appears to be behind schedule .
While the weapon is intended to be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TACMS uses , the missile itself has considerably greater range of just under 500 km , though it is widely assumed it is going to be extended to 700km .
The original official 500km range requirement was placed when the INF Treaty was still in force , but since that treaty ’ s demise was already being planned by the White House , it is rather likely the two competitors were informed that actual desired range was greater than the specified one .
The Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon ( LRHW ) picks up where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the missile designs using the Common Hypersonic Glide Body ( C-HGB ) developed by Sandia National Laborary .
C-HGB is an Avangard-like though smaller maneuvering hypersonic vehicle that has been tested at speeds of up to Mach 8 and ranges in excess of 6,000km as part of the Army Hypersonic Weapon program that has since been folded into this and other projects .
Operational LRHW range will depend on the kinematics of the carrier .
However , since the START I treaty defines an ICBM as a missile with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance comparable to the AHW , it would be a de-facto road-mobile ICBM .
While it is planned as a delivery vehicle for conventional payloads , nothing prevents it from carrying nuclear warheads .
LRHW and other long-range surface-launched hypersonic weapons may be the reason the United States has shown no interest in extending New START treaty which uses the same definitions and which is set to expire in 2021 .
The US Army hopes to have the first LRHW battery in service in 2023 , though that date is likely to slip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
The Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Global Strike ( IRCPS ) is the US Navy ’ s equivalent of the LRHW in the sense that it uses C-HGB .
However , unlike the missiles mentioned earlier , it does not appear to have a custom-designed launch vehicle but will instead use repurposed Trident SLBMs , most likely the intermediate-range Trident I .
One point which speaks in favor of Trident I is that its smaller size makes it compatible with the Virginia Block III attack submarines “ Virginia Payload Tubes ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are large enough to accept a single Trident I-based IRCPS .
So here too we see a deliberate blurring of the line separating strategic and non-strategic weapons .
Since the C-HGB can be used as a nuclear delivery vehicle , it would transform the US Navy ’ s future attack submarines with suitable launch tubes into ballistic missile submarines .
Unlike LRHW and IRCPS , the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon ( ARRW ) does not use the C-HGB .
That weapon was supposed to be the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon ( HCSW ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ web site , alongside ARRW , IRCPS , and LRHW , but which was rejected in favor of ARRW , a smaller vehicle with a different , smaller glide body .
The USAF chose ARRW over HCSW because the smaller size would enable B-52s and B-1s to carry larger numbers of these missiles , and even permit F-15 fighters to act as carriers .
Since all of these weapons have ranges bordering or possibly even exceeding the strategic armaments ’ range threshold of 5,500 km and moreover could have nuclear variants , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the exception of the PrSM , their capabilities go well beyond the need to launch battlefield strikes or to target key rear-area facilities .
These missiles ’ capabilities in some respects even exceed those of Cold War-era IRBMs like the Pershing II .
Indeed , even when carrying conventional payloads , their high velocity turns them into very effective “ bunker-busters ” capable of threatening ICBM launch silos and underground command centers .
This makes them ideal first-strike weapons , used against leadership and weapons sites , with the target country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited by US anti-ballistic missile defenses which are being developed in parallel with hypersonic strike capabilities , and the still-untouched US nuclear arsenal .

Up to You.
^3000US citizens have no real political representation.
We don't live in a democracy. And our freedom is disappearing fast.
I don't want to be ruled by hypocrites, whores, and war criminals.
What about you? Time to push back against the corporate oligarchy.
And its multitude of minions and lackeys.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-14--Col. William Astore (ret.) takes a look at the police and military in America

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
The Police , the Military , and the Ethos of Violence • Police are a nation within a nation ( “ the thin blue line ” ) , with their own flag , their own uniforms , their own code of conduct , maybe even their own laws .
How do we get them to rejoin America ?
How do we get them to recall they 're citizens and public servants first ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency under Trump , serve themselves first .
They all want the same thing : MORE .
More money , more authority , more power .
And they all tend toward more violence .
And because racism is systemic , much of that violence is aimed at blacks , but it 's aimed at anyone considered to be fringe or in the way .
• We need an entirely new mindset or ethos in this country , but the police , the military , the Congress , the president are all jealous of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best they can .
Their main tactic will be to slow roll changes while scaring us with talk of all the `` enemies '' we face .
Thus we already see Trump hyping China as a threat while claiming that Biden wants to `` defund '' the military -- a shameless and ridiculous lie .
Meanwhile , Biden is against defunding the police and proudly took ownership of the crime bill that created much of the problem .
• We used to have a Department of War to which citizen-soldiers were drafted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to which warriors and warfighters volunteer .
There 's a lot of meaning in this terminology .
• Even as the police and military are government agencies , publicly funded , they are instruments of capitalism .
They protect and expand property for the elites .
They are enforcers of prevailing paradigms .
• It amazes me how cheaply one can buy a Washington politician .
You can buy access for a few thousand , or tens of thousands , and get them to dance to your tune for a few million .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone can be bought or sold , often on the cheap .
• Does n't it seem like Washington foreign policy is dropping bombs , selling bombs , killing people , or making a killing , i.e .
profiteering ?
• America always need a `` peer enemy , '' and , when necessary , we 'll invent one .
America is # 1 at making enemies -- maybe that should be our national motto .
• Too often nowadays , `` diversity '' is all about surface or `` optics . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ select a black woman as his running mate , irrespective of her views .
Thus we hear the names of Susan Rice and Kamala Harris being mentioned , both mainstream Democrats , both servants of the national security state , pliable and predictable .
But you never hear the name of Nina Turner , who was national co-chair of Bernie Sanders 's campaign .
She 's an outspoken black progressive , and that 's not the `` diversity '' Joe Biden and the DNC seek .
Or what about Tulsi Gabbard , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , extensive military experience , lots of appeal to independent-minded voters .
But she 's an opponent of forever wars and the military-industrial-congressional complex , and that 's `` diversity '' that can not be tolerated .
So we 're most likely to see a `` diverse '' ticket of Biden-Harris or Biden-Rice , just like Hillary-Tim Kaine , i.e .
no progressive views can or will be heard .
• One secret of Trump 's appeal : He makes even dumb people feel smart .
After all , even his most stalwart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Trump suggested it could be used for internal `` cleansing '' to avoid Covid-19 .
Bonus comment : Can you believe that those who worked to suppress protests in Washington , D.C. compared their `` stand '' to the Alamo and the Super Bowl ?
Talk about Trump-level hyperbole !
Here 's the relevant passage from the New York Times : On Tuesday , during a conference call with commanders on the situation in Washington , General Ryan , the task force commander , likened the defense of Lafayette Square to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the huge protests on Saturday to the “ Super Bowl.
” Puke if you must

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
William J. Astore
BRACING VIEWS
Police are a nation within a nation (“the thin blue line”), with their own flag, their own uniforms, their own code of conduct, maybe even their own laws. How do we get them to rejoin America? How do we get them to recall they're citizens and public servants first? Our systems of authority, including the presidency under Trump, serve themselves first. They all want the same thing: MORE. More money, more authority, more power. And they all tend toward more violence. And because racism is systemic, much of that violence is aimed at blacks, but it's aimed at anyone considered to be fringe or in the way. We need an entirely new mindset or ethos in this country, but the police, the military, the Congress, the president are all jealous of their power, and will resist as best they can. Their main tactic will be to slow roll changes while scaring us with talk of all the "enemies" we face. Thus we already see Trump hyping China as a threat while claiming that Biden wants to "defund" the military -- a shameless and ridiculous lie. Meanwhile, Biden is against defunding the police and proudly took ownership of the crime bill that created much of the problem. We used to have a Department of War to which citizen-soldiers were drafted. Now we have a Department of Defense to which warriors and warfighters volunteer. There's a lot of meaning in this terminology. Even as the police and military are government agencies, publicly funded, they are instruments of capitalism. They protect and expand property for the elites. They are enforcers of prevailing paradigms. It amazes me how cheaply one can buy a Washington politician. You can buy access for a few thousand, or tens of thousands, and get them to dance to your tune for a few million. This is capitalism, where everything and everyone can be bought or sold, often on the cheap. Doesn't it seem like Washington foreign policy is dropping bombs, selling bombs, killing people, or making a killing, i.e. profiteering? America always need a "peer enemy," and, when necessary, we'll invent one. America is #1 at making enemies -- maybe that should be our national motto. Too often nowadays, "diversity" is all about surface or "optics." Thus the call for Joe Biden to select a black woman as his running mate, irrespective of her views. Thus we hear the names of Susan Rice and Kamala Harris being mentioned, both mainstream Democrats, both servants of the national security state, pliable and predictable. But you never hear the name of Nina Turner, who was national co-chair of Bernie Sanders's campaign. She's an outspoken black progressive, and that's not the "diversity" Joe Biden and the DNC seek. Or what about Tulsi Gabbard, who has endorsed Biden? Woman of color, extensive military experience, lots of appeal to independent-minded voters. But she's an opponent of forever wars and the military-industrial-congressional complex, and that's "diversity" that cannot be tolerated. So we're most likely to see a "diverse" ticket of Biden-Harris or Biden-Rice, just like Hillary-Tim Kaine, i.e. no progressive views can or will be heard. One secret of Trump's appeal: He makes even dumb people feel smart. After all, even his most stalwart supporters didn't drink or inject bleach after Trump suggested it could be used for internal "cleansing" to avoid Covid-19.
Bonus comment: Can you believe that those who worked to suppress protests in Washington, D.C. compared their "stand" to the Alamo and the Super Bowl? Talk about Trump-level hyperbole! Here's the relevant passage from the New York Times:
On Tuesday, during a conference call with commanders on the situation in Washington, General Ryan, the task force commander, likened the defense of Lafayette Square to the “Alamo” and his troops’ response to the huge protests on Saturday to the “Super Bowl.”
Mission accomplished! What's on your mind, readers?
William J. Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF), has taught at the Air Force Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School. He currently teaches at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. He is regular contributor to TomDispatch and also the author of Hindenburg: Icon of German Militarism (Potomac, 2005). , a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF), has taught at the Air Force Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School. He currently teaches at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. He is regular contributor to TomDispatch and also the author of Hindenburg: Icon of German Militarism (Potomac, 2005).
Puke if you must
This bloodsoaked monster is probably the most evil person on planet earth https://t.co/nGq2H1EPHt — Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) April 9, 2020


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-14--Greenwald: The Abrupt, Radical Reversal in How Public Health Experts Now Speak About the Coronavirus

Greenwald: The Abrupt, Radical Reversal in How Public Health Experts Now Speak About the Coronavirus and Mass Gatherings

Watch today ’ s SYSTEM UPDATE on this topic on The Intercept ’ s YouTube channel , with guest Adam Gaffney of the Harvard Medical School , or on the player below .
That was the pandemic which we were told by public health experts since February was so grave — the worst public health threat since the 1918 Spanish Flu — that we could not go outside for any reason , even if it meant a collapse in the global economy , tens or hundreds of millions of people suffering from unemployment , the permanent shuttering of small businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the separation of people from their loved ones and communities , including barring them from visiting dying spouses and parents and children in the hospital or even attending an outdoor burial .
So dogmatic was the dictate that we all stay at home that any attempt to question or even balance it — by , for instance , arguing that the harms of the virus had to be weighed against the suffering from an economic shutdown and a global depression — was deemed immoral .
Those who questioned state-mandated lockdown and stay-at-home orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually protest against them , were condemned as sociopaths who were willing to sacrifice the lives of old people for economic prosperity or the trivial , troglodyte desire to go to Applebees .
Oftentimes those protesting lockdowns were vilified as white nationalists or at least driven by white racialist sentiments ( sometimes they were that , but often they were not ) .
People who left their homes for any reason other than officially approved “ essential ” functions were — no matter how careful they were — publicly shamed if not fined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and celebrated for dressing up as the Grim Reaper to shame people for being at even deserted beaches in the sun with ample social distancing .
One particularly creepy video from a police department in the United Kingdom used drone footage to castigate and denounce people who did things like walk on nature trails or go for family drives : In sum , all decent people , by definition , accepted and submitted to the imperative of self-isolating and staying at home .
No harms from that isolation — whether economic , social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health — justified opposing or even questioning that decree .
Not just our own health but the lives of others , the social good , concern over the well-being of nurses and doctors , and ongoing respect for science and medicine mandated that we acquiesce to this framework .
everything changed .
Well , not everything : there ’ s still no cure for COVID-19 , nor any treatment , nor any vaccine against contracting the coronavirus .
It is still just as lethal as it was in February and still as contagious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , the infection curve has not plateaued but instead continues to increase .
On Monday , the Los Angeles Times warned that “ in the last two days , Los Angeles County officials announced 81 new coronavirus-related deaths , the highest total reported over a weekend in more than a month.
” Meanwhile : Texas reported over 2,500 new coronavirus cases Wednesday—the highest reported in a single day by far since the pandemic started—as the number of Texans currently admitted to hospitals for coronavirus climbed to a new record for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which had one of the fastest and most aggressive reopening timelines in the nation , has seen a surge in infections about two weeks after Memorial Day .
So nothing has really changed regarding the epidemiology , infectiousness or lethality of the disease .
If anything , it has become somewhat more alarming as evidence mounts that many people who manage to survive the virus will be debilitated with long-term damage to vital organs and other parts of their body .
What has changed — dramatically , radically and abruptly — is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even public officials about the virus .
Beginning roughly two weeks ago , we all watched as mass stay-at-home orders and self-isolation gave way to massive street protests , where tens or hundreds of thousands of people gathered together in the U.S. and around the world , often one on top of the other , chanting , yelling and singing : a virtual laboratory for what we had spent four months hearing was exactly what one must not do in the middle of this pandemic .
And yet , in very stark contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts of prior protests or out-of-the-home activities of any kind , virtually no prominent experts have denounced any of this on the ground that it will spread the coronavirus and ultimately kill more people ( even though that is highly likely to happen ) .
To the contrary , many infectious disease experts have done the exact opposite : they have endorsed and encouraged these mass street protests , claiming not that their support for them is grounded in their political values but in their health and scientific judgment .
As the journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstanding Guardian op-ed on this question , headlined “ We often accuse the right of distorting science .
But the left changed the coronavirus narrative overnight ” : This feels like gaslighting .
Less than two weeks ago , the enlightened position in both Europe and America was to exercise nothing less than extreme caution .
Many of us went much further , taking to social media to castigate others for insufficient social distancing or neglecting to wear masks or daring to believe they could maintain some semblance of a normal life during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the state of Georgia moved to end its lockdown , the Atlantic ran an article with the headline “ Georgia ’ s Experiment in Human Sacrifice ” .
Two weeks ago we shamed people for being in the street ; today we shame them for not being in the street .
Examples of this are too abundant to list here ( today ’ s SYSTEM UPDATE episode covers many of them ) .
New Jersey ’ s Gov .
Phil Murphy condemned anti-lockdown protests just last month , righteously announcing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s quarantine policies ; then last week , after George Floyd ’ s killing , Murphy praised the massive anti-police-brutality protests in his state without even attempting to reconcile that with his prior stay-at-home messaging ; then , last week while he praised these protests , he extended his “ public health emergency ” order for 30 more days out of fear of what he called “ a new outbreak of # COVID19″ — and he did all of this while maintaining his “ STAY AT HOME ” banner on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he issued all of these conflicting directives .
BUT IT IS the public health experts whose 180-degree reversal is most stark , and — given the unique importance of maintaining trust in their apolitical scientific expertise during a global pandemic — most damaging .
The epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo proclaimed last week that “ we should always evaluate the risks and benefits of efforts to control the virus ” — exactly the risk-benefit calculus that has been declared off-limits since February .
With that license to balance arrogated unto herself , Dr. Nuzzo concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health risks of not protesting to demand an end to systemic racism greatly exceed the harms of the virus.
” In other words , if you care about public health , you should not remain at home out of fear of contracting or transmitting the coronavirus but do the opposite : leave your home to participate in these protests .
The former Director of the CDC and New York City Health Commissioner Tom Frieden similarly pronounced that “ the threat to Covid control from protesting outside is tiny ” — tiny !
!
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid control created when governments act in ways that lose community trust.
” Prior to the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department and the resulting outbreak of mass street protests , did you hear any respected , mainstream health expert minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission in that way ?
I most certainly did not .
“ People can protest peacefully AND work together to stop Covid , ” he added .
Prior to George Floyd ’ s killing , were you aware that one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by leaving one ’ s house to join mass street protests ?
That letter , which made headlines in media outlets around the world , acknowledges that 1 ) these massive protests are likely to spread the coronavirus and result in deaths from COVID-19 ; 2 ) those harms from new infections are likely to fall disproportionately on African American and Latino citizens ; and 3 ) the use of preventative measures such as social distancing and masks is very difficult to maintain at such protests .
In other words , these protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minority citizens — are virtually certain to result in the deaths , perhaps in large numbers , of the very people they are designed to protect .
In their open letter , these health experts nonetheless decree that support for these protests is mandated as a matter of public health and scientific expertise , while imperiously insisting that other protests should still be scorned and prohibited : On April 30 , heavily armed and predominantly white protesters entered the State Capitol building in Lansing , Michigan , protesting stay-home orders and calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 .
Infectious disease physicians and public health officials publicly condemned these actions and privately mourned the widening rift between leaders in science and a subset of the communities that they serve .
As of May 30 , we are witnessing continuing demonstrations in response to ongoing , pervasive , and lethal institutional racism set off by the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , among many other Black lives taken by police .
A public health response to these demonstrations is also warranted , but this message must be wholly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resisting stay-home orders .
Infectious disease and public health narratives adjacent to demonstrations against racism must be consciously anti-racist , and infectious disease experts must be clear and consistent in prioritizing an anti-racist message… .
[ A ] s public health advocates , we do not condemn these gatherings as risky for COVID-19 transmission .
We support them as vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of Black people in the United States .
We can show that support by facilitating safest protesting practices without detracting from demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This should not be confused with a permissive stance on all gatherings , particularly protests against stay-home orders .
Those actions not only oppose public health interventions , but are also rooted in white nationalism and run contrary to respect for Black lives .
How is it remotely within the scope of the expertise of epidemiologists to pick and choose which political protests should be permitted and/or encouraged and which ones banned and/or denounced ?
Those are plainly political judgments , not scientific ones , and the shoddy , glaring conflation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an abuse , of public health credentials .
For scientists to purport to dictate which citizens can and can not safely choose to leave their house — based not on health judgments but on their political ideology — is repressive , and certain to erode the credibility of their profession .
Yet this is exactly what they are doing : explicitly and shamelessly .
As Williams wrote : “ But this virus – for which we may never even find a vaccine – knows and respects none of this socio-political context .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emotional or ethical – only mathematical.
” I ’ ve been a vocal supporter of these protests from their start , including their occasional use of civil disobedience and targeted property damage .
My views of the protests ( as distinct from the some of the repressive debate-denying tactics that have sprouted up around them ) have not changed ; I remain an enthusiastic supporter on the ground that we simply can not tolerate any longer an unaccountable , paramilitarized police force that kills with impunity , especially when aimed disproportionately at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should not tolerate , and what the scientific community can not permit if it is to retain its credibility , is the abuse and manipulation of health expertise for political ends .
One of two things is true ; either 1 ) these protests will lead to a significant spike in coronavirus infections and deaths , in which case public health experts should reconcile that outcome with how they could have encouraged and endorsed them ; or 2 ) it will not lead to such a spike , in which case it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , draconian lockdowns — which caused great suffering and deprivation around the world — were excessive , misguided and unwarranted .
At the very least , it is vital that we have the same health and legal standards apply to all citizens and all political ideologies when it comes to the right to leave one ’ s home , protest or engage in other legal activities .
And at least as importantly , we need to understand whether public health experts were too restrictive in their advocated measures at the start of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or somehow can reconcile the radical shift in their posture on scientific rather than political grounds .
Today ’ s SYSTEM UPDATE , which debuts at 4:00 p.m .
ET on The Intercept ’ s YouTube channel , is devoted to an exploration of these issues .
I ’ m joined by Adam Gaffney , a critical care physician and pulmonary specialist at Harvard Medical School , who disagreed with my critique on Twitter and then graciously accepted the invitation to examine these issues on the show .
The discussion provides , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the questions raised by the change in how we think about the pandemic and its relationship to mass gatherings .


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-14--I Reckon We Can Win This Thing

I Reckon We Can Win This Thing

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
That seems to be the trend here currently .
Things don ’ t appear to necessarily be getting better or worse at this point in time , they ’ re just accelerating .
It ’ s all moving faster and faster .
Major news events are getting closer and closer together , people are becoming more and more aware of more and more important dynamics they were previously asleep to , political movements are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many analysts never expected to see in their lifetime , and America ’ s previous revolutionary figurehead Bernie Sanders has been left in the dust wagging his finger at protesters not to push for the total dismantling of the police state .
For whatever reason , the inertia seems to be falling away from our species , for both our healthy impulses and our unhealthy ones .
Recent events like these protests and the Covid-19 outbreak have seen more and more consciousness drawn to the need for robust social safety nets and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds the US-centralized empire together , but we ’ re also seeing mountains of new police assaults and new police killings , pre-planned authoritarian measures being pushed for , a sudden increase in internet censorship and narrative management , and possibly even a lynching .
It ’ s getting harder and harder to understand what ’ s happening .
My news feed is full of people arguing about whether the American left has lost its mind and whether groupthink in journalism is out of control , my social media notifications are a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a shadowy cabal being behind these protests and what they ’ re trying to achieve , and people are either being honest about the fact that they don ’ t know where this is all going or they ’ re dishonestly pretending that they do .
We seem to be getting closer and closer to a point of narrative white noise , where conventional means of understanding the world just aren ’ t holding up anymore .
I don ’ t know where we ’ re headed , and I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what I do know : ~ Things are changing , and these changes appear to be happening at an accelerating rate .
~ Changes away from old patterns tend to make people feel psychologically uncomfortable .
Everyone should definitely be prioritizing their psychological well being at this point in history , because I ’ m pretty sure it ’ s only going to get more unusual and confusing from here on out .
~ The most distinctive feature of the last four years has been expanding consciousness .
Expanding consciousness of media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government corruption , of the excessive amount of power wielded by the US presidency and the absurd esteem people used to have for that position , of the abuse of immigrants , of police militarization , of unhealed racial wounds , etc .
This is encouraging , because you can ’ t fix something you haven ’ t made conscious .
This is true of our own unresolved psychological issues , and it ’ s true of our unresolved collective issues as well .
The first step toward a healthy world is expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a lot of inner work I started experiencing these strange energetic expulsions in the form of dry heaves , coughing and burping which quickly freed me from my old psychological conditioning patterns and began moving me into a much healthier way of functioning .
I had no idea what was happening and couldn ’ t find anything about this strange phenomenon in any psychological or spiritual literature , or even anyone talking about it online , but now I see it talked about on Netflix specials and there ’ s online chatter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with my husband , he started doing it too .
What is this phenomenon ?
How common is it in our species ?
Where is it taking us ?
I don ’ t know , and neither does science , but I know from my own experience that it is definitely a thing .
This is just one of many hidden potentials our species has that our forecasts simply haven ’ t accounted for .
~ If we are unpatterning , and if our unpatterning is occurring at an accelerating rate , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a certain point it can occur so rapidly and to such an extent that the old power structures simply won ’ t be able to keep up with it .
These would be the same power structures which have been psychologically brutalizing our species with a constant barrage of propaganda to keep us consenting to a system which robs ordinary people of their basic needs while waging endless wars and giving more and more wealth and power to nationless oligarchs .
We may be headed toward a point where they simply can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just be what it looks like when a species which quickly evolved the capacity for abstract thought begins making the necessary adaptations to survive in a world that can no longer accommodate its self-destructive tendencies .
Not because we thought it would be a good idea in our clumsy thinky brains , but because nature itself is steering us there .
All in all , I reckon we can win this thing .
Not the anti-policing protests necessarily ; I don ’ t quite know what will happen with those in the long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Winning it all .
Actually getting out from underneath the bastards and beginning to function as a healthy organism on this planet .
It certainly appears that something inside us has ignited which wants to disrupt our trajectory toward armageddon .
Doesn ’ t mean we ’ ll succeed , but I absolutely do believe we have the potential to move into a healthy relationship with our minds , with each other , and with our ecosystem .
At least the forces of nature that we are made of seem to think @ @

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
Caitlin Johnstone
Everything keeps accelerating.
That seems to be the trend here currently. Things don’t appear to necessarily be getting better or worse at this point in time, they’re just accelerating.
It’s all moving faster and faster. Major news events are getting closer and closer together, people are becoming more and more aware of more and more important dynamics they were previously asleep to, political movements are suddenly picking up steam in a way many analysts never expected to see in their lifetime, and America’s previous revolutionary figurehead Bernie Sanders has been left in the dust wagging his finger at protesters not to push for the total dismantling of the police state.
“Bernie Sanders broke from progressives...calls to defund the police, saying instead that the country needs ‘well-trained, well-educated, and well-paid professionals in police departments.’” Translation: Sanders wants to put MORE FUNDING into THE POLICE
https://t.co/LDHqoSREF6 — L E F T, PhD ⚫ (@LeftSentThis) June 10, 2020
For whatever reason, the inertia seems to be falling away from our species, for both our healthy impulses and our unhealthy ones. Recent events like these protests and the Covid-19 outbreak have seen more and more consciousness drawn to the need for robust social safety nets and the corrupt nature of the police state which holds the US-centralized empire together, but we’re also seeing mountains of new police assaults and new police killings, pre-planned authoritarian measures being pushed for, a sudden increase in internet censorship and narrative management, and possibly even a lynching.
It’s getting harder and harder to understand what’s happening. My news feed is full of people arguing about whether the American left has lost its mind and whether groupthink in journalism is out of control, my social media notifications are a whole hodgepodge of contradictory and generally illogical theories about a shadowy cabal being behind these protests and what they’re trying to achieve, and people are either being honest about the fact that they don’t know where this is all going or they’re dishonestly pretending that they do. We seem to be getting closer and closer to a point of narrative white noise, where conventional means of understanding the world just aren’t holding up anymore.
I don’t know where we’re headed, and I don’t pretend to know. Here’s what I do know:
~ Things are changing, and these changes appear to be happening at an accelerating rate.
~ Changes away from old patterns tend to make people feel psychologically uncomfortable. Everyone should definitely be prioritizing their psychological well being at this point in history, because I’m pretty sure it’s only going to get more unusual and confusing from here on out.
~ The most distinctive feature of the last four years has been expanding consciousness. Expanding consciousness of media corruption, of DNC corruption, of government corruption, of the excessive amount of power wielded by the US presidency and the absurd esteem people used to have for that position, of the abuse of immigrants, of police militarization, of unhealed racial wounds, etc. This is encouraging, because you can’t fix something you haven’t made conscious. This is true of our own unresolved psychological issues, and it’s true of our unresolved collective issues as well. The first step toward a healthy world is expanded consciousness.
~ About twelve years ago after a lot of inner work I started experiencing these strange energetic expulsions in the form of dry heaves, coughing and burping which quickly freed me from my old psychological conditioning patterns and began moving me into a much healthier way of functioning. I had no idea what was happening and couldn’t find anything about this strange phenomenon in any psychological or spiritual literature, or even anyone talking about it online, but now I see it talked about on Netflix specials and there’s online chatter about it everywhere. When I got with my husband, he started doing it too. What is this phenomenon? How common is it in our species? Where is it taking us? I don’t know, and neither does science, but I know from my own experience that it is definitely a thing. This is just one of many hidden potentials our species has that our forecasts simply haven’t accounted for.
~ If we are unpatterning, and if our unpatterning is occurring at an accelerating rate, then it is reasonable to believe that at a certain point it can occur so rapidly and to such an extent that the old power structures simply won’t be able to keep up with it. These would be the same power structures which have been psychologically brutalizing our species with a constant barrage of propaganda to keep us consenting to a system which robs ordinary people of their basic needs while waging endless wars and giving more and more wealth and power to nationless oligarchs. We may be headed toward a point where they simply cannot do that anymore.
~ This might just be what it looks like when a species which quickly evolved the capacity for abstract thought begins making the necessary adaptations to survive in a world that can no longer accommodate its self-destructive tendencies. Not because we thought it would be a good idea in our clumsy thinky brains, but because nature itself is steering us there.
All in all, I reckon we can win this thing. Not the anti-policing protests necessarily; I don’t quite know what will happen with those in the long run. I mean the whole thing. Winning it all. Actually getting out from underneath the bastards and beginning to function as a healthy organism on this planet.
It certainly appears that something inside us has ignited which wants to disrupt our trajectory toward armageddon. Doesn’t mean we’ll succeed, but I absolutely do believe we have the potential to move into a healthy relationship with our minds, with each other, and with our ecosystem. At least the forces of nature that we are made of seem to think so.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-15--Bigotry, Racism and Capitalist Class Privilege

^5000The mainstream imperialist media lie CONSTANTLY .
Literally 24/7 .
And it 's getting worse .
All of them do @ @ @ @ @ , the newspapers , the movies .
The internet .
No exceptions .
The corporate @ @ @ @ @ totalitarian .
CBS does it .
NBC does it .
ABC does it .
CNN @ @ @ @ @ it .
NPR does it .
And of course the NYTimes and WaPo do it @ @ @ @ @ '' voices telling you the same lies .
Enough to convince anyone .


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-15--The Killing Of Rayshard Brooks Shows How Police “Reform” Is A Joke

black man named Rayshard Brooks was recently killed by an Atlanta police officer who shot him in the back while he was attempting to run away .
Video footage from the police bodycam and a nearby witness makes it clear that Brooks resisted arrest after failing a breathalyzer test when police approached him sleeping in his car at a Wendy ’ s parking lot , punching an officer and taking a taser the police had attempted to use on him before trying to flee the scene .
Video footage from the parking lot makes it clear that Brooks was running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run , pointed the taser at police behind him , at which point he was shot twice in the back by an officer named Garrett Rolfe .
There is no rational defense of this shooting .
If someone is running away from you with a short-range weapon , it is literally impossible for them to pose an imminent threat to you .
Just allowing Brooks to run out of the range of the taser , as he was already trying to do , would have nullified any potential threat to either of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would have been literally impossible for Brooks to tase them while continuing to run in the direction he was running .
This indisputable and self-evident fact hasn ’ t stopped people from bleating moronic police apologia in my social media notifications since the shooting occurred .
• They claim Brooks could have tased an officer and taken his gun ( again , let Brooks take himself out of taser range and there ’ s exactly zero risk of this happening ) .
• They claim they couldn ’ t just let a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police weapon ( it ’ s a taser ; you can buy them at Walmart .
What ’ s he going to do ?
Go on a mass tasing rampage ? )
.
• They claim the cop had to execute Brooks because he posed a “ danger to society ” ( it is not a cop ’ s job to act as judge , jury and executioner in determining whether someone poses a general threat to society ; that ’ s what the courts are for ) .
• They claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever you get ( believing , because they are authority-worshipping bootlickers , that a cop being punched is worse than a civilian being killed by gunfire ) .
• They claim if you don ’ t follow police instructions then of course you ’ re at risk of being killed ( yes , police doing inexcusably brutal things is the problem that people are trying to address here ) .
Even leaving aside any debate about policing as it exists in America today , there was absolutely no excuse for Rolfe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ information .
They had his car .
They knew where he lives .
They could have followed him in their car and called for backup .
They could have gone in with backup to arrest him later .
But Rolfe decided to kill .
After watching all these protests against police brutality raging throughout his country since the murder of George Floyd , after being confronted with with all the public outrage about police killing black men day after day in news headline after news headline , after his society forced him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in it , Garrett Rolfe still decided to kill .
After all that , he watched a black man running away from him , posing no threat to him whatsoever , and he decided to kill .
The fact that cops are so thoroughly inoculated against public demand that they change their behavior makes a complete farce of the decoy police “ reform ” agenda that establishment narrative managers have been actively trying to corral the current protest movement into to kill their support for police abolishment .
There ’ s a feud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest movement right now between those who wish to abolish , defund , dismantle , and/or disarm the police , and those who want to “ reform ” or “ transform ” the police .
The former are actually pushing for a revolutionary change which actually pushes back against abusive power structures and calls for the creation of a radically different social paradigm , while the latter wants to keep policing institutions in their irredeemably corrupt state and add more funding for “ de-escalation ” training seminars where grown adults are told not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Training seminars which , it turns out , Officer Garrett Rolfe had just completed .
“ According to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council , Rolfe had recently received use of force training , ” reports Atlanta news outlet AJC .
“ On April 24 , he took a nine-hour course on de-escalation options , his record shows .
And on Jan. 9 , Rolfe was trained on the use of deadly force at the DeKalb County police academy.
” And yet you ’ ve got fauxgressive establishment narrative managers like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling calls to defund the police “ distracting ” .
I wrote the other day that “ if these protests end it won ’ t be because tyrants in the Republican Party like Donald Trump and Tom Cotton succeeded in making the case for beating them into silence with the US military .
It will be because liberal manipulators succeeded in co-opting and stagnating its momentum.
” This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about .
People who claim these protests are the result of some kind of psyop often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being supported by establishment liberals , mainstream media , and giant corporations , but this misses a very important distinction in the dynamic that is at play here .
While it is true that these institutions have been expressing general support for the demonstrations and the idea that black lives matter , what absolutely none of them have been doing is supporting the defunding or abolishment of America ’ s police force .
None of the empire ’ s ruling elites support this .
The reason you are seeing manipulation and attempts at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is exactly what ’ s happening .
But it isn ’ t what ’ s driving the enthusiasm behind the demonstrations .
Rather , you are seeing an attempted hijacking of an actual revolutionary agenda that actually challenges actual power institutions ( including increasingly common attempts to manipulate the narrative by claiming demands to defund and abolish are actually just calls for reform ) .
The widespread call to abolish America ’ s police state , an integral part of the glue which holds the US-centralized empire together , is revolutionary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s as interesting and exciting as seeing a mainstream call to end US imperialism , and it is just as threatening to establishment power structures .
The call for “ reform ” , in contrast , is just more milquetoast , Obamaesque fauxgressive verbiage designed to stagnate a real revolutionary change movement .
It is as interesting and as threatening to establishment power structures as saying the US should push regime change in Syria rather than Iran .
Police abolishment advocates are pushing for something which would require the complete reconfiguration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the prison industrial complex and the war on drugs are ended and what we think of as policing can for example be mostly replaced by something more akin to social work .
Police “ reform ” proponents are advancing a decoy agenda which people have been distracted by for generations while the police force has become increasingly militarized behind a veil of meaningless verbiage about community outreach and training programs .
It ’ s textbook liberal manipulation used to steer the revolutionary zeitgeist into an impotent conceptual tar pit for another few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As I explained a while back in my article “ How To Tell Real News From Useless Narrative Fluff “ , you can tell what ’ s really going on by watching where the money is going , where the weapons are going , where the resources are going and where the people are going .
You can see in these demands for dismantling the police state a bunch of people moving around demanding to drastically change all four of these things , and you can see from the liberal narrative managers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four things from actually changing .
And if they win out , you will be able to watch the people , police , weapons and resources continue moving in more or less the exact same way they ’ ve been moving .
They ’ re trying to replace a real revolutionary impulse with useless narrative fluff .
They have learned that it is much easier to neuter such impulses with empty agreement and a bunch of insubstantial words than to tell them no and stomp them down .
Hopefully , the people have @ @ @ @

A
black man named Rayshard Brooks was recently killed by an Atlanta police officer who shot him in the back while he was attempting to run away.
Video footage from the police bodycam and a nearby witness makes it clear that Brooks resisted arrest after failing a breathalyzer test when police approached him sleeping in his car at a Wendy’s parking lot, punching an officer and taking a taser the police had attempted to use on him before trying to flee the scene. Video footage from the parking lot makes it clear that Brooks was running away, and, without ceasing to run, pointed the taser at police behind him, at which point he was shot twice in the back by an officer named Garrett Rolfe.
New video released by the GBI shows the moment #Atlanta police shot and killed #RayshardBrooks in the parking lot of a Wendy’s. Police say Rayshard Brooks grabbed a taser and pointed it at police before an officer fired shots. pic.twitter.com/8DEeOdtyqF — Courtney Bryant (@CourtneyDBryant) June 13, 2020
There is no rational defense of this shooting. If someone is running away from you with a short-range weapon, it is literally impossible for them to pose an imminent threat to you. Just allowing Brooks to run out of the range of the taser, as he was already trying to do, would have nullified any potential threat to either of the two officers on the scene, because it would have been literally impossible for Brooks to tase them while continuing to run in the direction he was running.
This indisputable and self-evident fact hasn’t stopped people from bleating moronic police apologia in my social media notifications since the shooting occurred.
They claim Brooks could have tased an officer and taken his gun (again, let Brooks take himself out of taser range and there’s exactly zero risk of this happening).
They claim they couldn’t just let a “dangerous” criminal run around with a police weapon (it’s a taser; you can buy them at Walmart. What’s he going to do? Go on a mass tasing rampage?).
They claim the cop had to execute Brooks because he posed a “danger to society” (it is not a cop’s job to act as judge, jury and executioner in determining whether someone poses a general threat to society; that’s what the courts are for).
They claim if you punch a cop you deserve whatever you get (believing, because they are authority-worshipping bootlickers, that a cop being punched is worse than a civilian being killed by gunfire).
They claim if you don’t follow police instructions then of course you’re at risk of being killed (yes, police doing inexcusably brutal things is the problem that people are trying to address here).
Even leaving aside any debate about policing as it exists in America today, there was absolutely no excuse for Rolfe’s behavior. They had all of Brooks’ information. They had his car. They knew where he lives. They could have followed him in their car and called for backup. They could have gone in with backup to arrest him later.
But Rolfe decided to kill. After watching all these protests against police brutality raging throughout his country since the murder of George Floyd, after being confronted with with all the public outrage about police killing black men day after day in news headline after news headline, after his society forced him to contemplate police violence and his role in it, Garrett Rolfe still decided to kill. After all that, he watched a black man running away from him, posing no threat to him whatsoever, and he decided to kill.
The fact that cops are so thoroughly inoculated against public demand that they change their behavior makes a complete farce of the decoy police “reform” agenda that establishment narrative managers have been actively trying to corral the current protest movement into to kill their support for police abolishment.
Let me pick up on what @staceyabrams just said. #DefundThePolice slogan is being used to divide us. She called for transformation of police, that's much stronger than just reform but not distracting like defunding. #TransformThePolice is appealing to most people & sounds strong. — Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) June 14, 2020
There’s a feud going on in America’s new protest movement right now between those who wish to abolish, defund, dismantle, and/or disarm the police, and those who want to “reform” or “transform” the police. The former are actually pushing for a revolutionary change which actually pushes back against abusive power structures and calls for the creation of a radically different social paradigm, while the latter wants to keep policing institutions in their irredeemably corrupt state and add more funding for “de-escalation” training seminars where grown adults are told not to commit gratuitous acts of violence.
Training seminars which, it turns out, Officer Garrett Rolfe had just completed.
“According to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, Rolfe had recently received use of force training,” reports Atlanta news outlet AJC. “On April 24, he took a nine-hour course on de-escalation options, his record shows. And on Jan. 9, Rolfe was trained on the use of deadly force at the DeKalb County police academy.”
And yet you’ve got fauxgressive establishment narrative managers like Cenk Uygur promoting the reform agenda and calling calls to defund the police “distracting”.
I wrote the other day that “if these protests end it won’t be because tyrants in the Republican Party like Donald Trump and Tom Cotton succeeded in making the case for beating them into silence with the US military. It will be because liberal manipulators succeeded in co-opting and stagnating its momentum.” This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about.
.@NYGovCuomo suggests protesters pack it up, in light of new reforms: "People are still out protesting. You don’t need to protest. You won. You won. You accomplished your goal. Society says, you’re right. The police need systemic reform.” — Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 13, 2020
People who claim these protests are the result of some kind of psyop often cite the fact that they’re being supported by establishment liberals, mainstream media, and giant corporations, but this misses a very important distinction in the dynamic that is at play here. While it is true that these institutions have been expressing general support for the demonstrations and the idea that black lives matter, what absolutely none of them have been doing is supporting the defunding or abolishment of America’s police force. None of the empire’s ruling elites support this.
The reason you are seeing manipulation and attempts at co-option in this new movement is because that is exactly what’s happening. But it isn’t what’s driving the enthusiasm behind the demonstrations. Rather, you are seeing an attempted hijacking of an actual revolutionary agenda that actually challenges actual power institutions (including increasingly common attempts to manipulate the narrative by claiming demands to defund and abolish are actually just calls for reform).
The widespread call to abolish America’s police state, an integral part of the glue which holds the US-centralized empire together, is revolutionary. It is not an exaggeration to say it’s as interesting and exciting as seeing a mainstream call to end US imperialism, and it is just as threatening to establishment power structures. The call for “reform”, in contrast, is just more milquetoast, Obamaesque fauxgressive verbiage designed to stagnate a real revolutionary change movement. It is as interesting and as threatening to establishment power structures as saying the US should push regime change in Syria rather than Iran.
Police abolishment advocates are pushing for something which would require the complete reconfiguration of power in society to accomplish, where the prison industrial complex and the war on drugs are ended and what we think of as policing can for example be mostly replaced by something more akin to social work. Police “reform” proponents are advancing a decoy agenda which people have been distracted by for generations while the police force has become increasingly militarized behind a veil of meaningless verbiage about community outreach and training programs.
It's not just that Biden doesn't want to defund the police, per his spox, its that he believes cops just don't have enough resources for reform. Would be laughable if it wasn't so dire. https://t.co/3lbnjQOBML pic.twitter.com/yCKf2iwQP9 — austin walker (@austin_walker) June 8, 2020 This is where the real revolutionary energy is at in America right now, so it’s no wonder establishment manipulators are doing everything they can to co-opt it into something innocuous which won’t disturb actual power structures in the slightest. Obama made a whole political career out of telling leftwardly inclined Americans that they’re getting what they want without actually giving it to them, and now we’ve got Democratic Party princeling Andrew Cuomo telling New York protesters “You don’t need to protest. You won. You won. You accomplished your goal. Society says, you’re right. The police need systemic reform.”
It’s textbook liberal manipulation used to steer the revolutionary zeitgeist into an impotent conceptual tar pit for another few years while the prison bars are reinforced.
As I explained a while back in my article “How To Tell Real News From Useless Narrative Fluff“, you can tell what’s really going on by watching where the money is going, where the weapons are going, where the resources are going and where the people are going. You can see in these demands for dismantling the police state a bunch of people moving around demanding to drastically change all four of these things, and you can see from the liberal narrative managers an agenda to prevent any of those four things from actually changing. And if they win out, you will be able to watch the people, police, weapons and resources continue moving in more or less the exact same way they’ve been moving.
They’re trying to replace a real revolutionary impulse with useless narrative fluff. They have learned that it is much easier to neuter such impulses with empty agreement and a bunch of insubstantial words than to tell them no and stomp them down. Hopefully, the people have learned this too.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-15--Chile’s Health Minister Resigns as Pandemic Hits Hard


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-15--FROM REBELLION TO REVOLUTION

FROM REBELLION TO REVOLUTION

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
he Floyd rebellion is changing the world before our very eyes .
What type of change and to what degree it will shift the balance of forces between rulers and ruled , haves and the have-nots remains to be seen .
What is clear is that there is an active and open political contest to shape the outcome .
For the moment , the right wing and the Republicans have been relatively sidelined in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it stands is between the liberals and Democrats on the one hand and the radical mass that has taken the streets all over the country and the world , which is increasingly examining and advancing critical left demands emerging from anarchist , communist , revolutionary nationalist , and socialist analytical and organizing traditions , such as police and prison abolition , economic democracy , and decolonization .
This debate is being played out in the streets , in mainstream media , and through social media .
Following trends in all of these venues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats have gained some significant ground in the narrative war , the war of position , on several points .
One critical point is making distinctions between “ good protestors ” and “ bad protestors ” .
The dominance of this narrative will have consequences , negative consequences .
Some of these negative consequences include : ( 1 ) narrowing the focus of the rebellion , ( 2 ) reasserting the myths of “ democratic ” reform and capitalist correction that only reinforce the perpetuation of the system , and ( 3 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potentialities of the current rebellion .
The net effect of the positional gains of the liberals is that the rebellion is showing some clear signs of being defused , such as the serious policing of the movement on the streets that is occurring in many places .
This is starting to isolate the left in many critical ways and put it and its proposals on the defensive .
This is best expressed in the hardcore efforts to water down the abolitionist demand of “ defunding ” and “ abolishing ” the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The aim of the liberals and the Democratic party is to redirect this mass movement towards electoral politics , particularly the 2020 elections , and a limited set of cosmetic corrections and reforms .
Where the liberals and Democrats appear to have made the most significant advance is narrowing the scope of the rebellion in the mainstream media .
If you believe them , this is fundamentally just about reforming the police and the articulation of an obscure iteration of the “ Black Lives Matter ” demand framework .
This downplays the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capitalism , heteropatriarchy , and settler-colonialism that have been on clear display .
Without addressing this it is hard to make sense of the removal of all the statues and symbols edifying settler-colonialism and enslavement , or the targeted acts of redistribution that have occurred , and the forced dismantling of the institutions of repression , exploitation , and gentrification .
Their reasoning should be obvious .
The liberals and Democrats do not support revolution .
They have no interest in dismantling the systems of oppression that confine humanity .
Their interest is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing capitalist system .
To this end , they are willing to bend a few things , as long as it doesn ’ t fundamentally break or alter the social relations that shape society , particularly who owns and controls the means of production .
The distorted “ Black Lives Matter ” framework they are pushing is about trying to shore up their electoral base for the 2020 elections , particularly amongst Blacks and Latinos , who they have to rely upon to have any chance of winning .
Thus they can support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dismantle the institution and its social function as absurd .
On the demand of “ defunding the police ” or “ abolishing the police , ” it must be noted that this question is being raised in the absence of a revolution — which the current moment is not , not yet anyway .
Most of the responses are being cast in this light as well : “ What will happen to communities without police ?
” This question assumes that capitalist relations of production and social reproduction will continue to exist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Neither capital nor the state have been dismantled or destroyed , and few are proposing this possibility ( i.e .
revolution ) or preparing for it in the present moment .
If the fundamental social relations don ’ t change , then this reform could only serve as a temporary appeasement measure , which the operatives of the state would quickly attack and undermine .
They would turn it into a fiasco to create a negative example to dissuade folks from thinking that an alternative is possible .
In any case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can take away .
And if you don ’ t think that this is the case , there are several historic and ongoing examples of how the capitalist and imperialist system has successfully twisted limited efforts to break out of the system and turned them into propaganda tools through various means of strangulation and negation to create the impression that there is no alternative .
This is how they use the examples of Haiti , Cuba , and now Venezuela , Chiapas , Rojava , etc.
, as whipping posts .
To be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolition should be raised to heighten the contradictions .
But , it must be accompanied by the call for revolution , and the organizing effort to dismantle the entire system .
Short of accomplishing that , the empire will strike back .
Of that there is no doubt .
Again , the consequences of this narrowness should not be downplayed .
State agencies all over the country are waiting for the rebellion to subside so they can hunt down thousands of young partisans and put them in jail in the name of justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history should be instructive .
Following the Los Angeles rebellion of 1992 , the Los Angeles police and sheriff departments hunted down and arrested over 15,000 people who were captured on footage breaking the so-called “ rules.
” So , if they succeed , it will be the effective negation of the rebellion .
We on the left — anarchists , communists , indigenous sovereigntists , revolutionary nationalists , and socialists — have to resist the elevation of the liberal and Democratic party narratives and positions .
We have to assert a counter-narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards transforming the Floyd rebellion into something potentially transformative .
This must include upholding autonomous action ( with principle ) , the diversity of tactics , the sanctity of life over property and profits , and the building and execution of instruments of dual power to transform social relations and the balance of forces .
And let it be known that should we fail , the left will be the first victims of the targeted execution of the state ’ s hammer , which is here and will advance whether we like it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are confronting in this contest of power , the alternative of revolution yet remains .
A pathway to revolution does currently exist .
In my view it rests with the advance of a strategy anchored by the further politicization of the mutual aid , food sovereignty , cooperative economics , community production , self-defense , people ’ s assemblies , and general strike motions that already existed and that emerged in embryonic form in the midst of the pandemic .
This could be harnessed through democratic efforts to federate these initiatives on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dual power .
Cooperation Jackson and the People ’ s Strike coalition we ’ ve been working to build with various organizations and allies are working to advance a program of this character to interject left counter-narratives into the mass movement .
One of the central things we are proposing as our next contribution to the movement is the call for mass People ’ s Assemblies .
Building on experiences from the Occupy movement , Assemblies have started spontaneously developing in New York city , Oakland , Portland , and Seattle .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need more .
The People ’ s Strike is calling for Assemblies to be held everywhere , and in particular calling for a first strike national day of action on July 1st .
What we have been proposing , and will offer in this process , is that we organize and build towards the execution of a general strike .
The beginning of a general strike under current conditions starts with People ’ s Assemblies in the streets debating and voting on having a general strike .
This is how a largely street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dual power that could radically transform society .
Puke if you must

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
Tactics & Strategies
T
he Floyd rebellion is changing the world before our very eyes. What type of change and to what degree it will shift the balance of forces between rulers and ruled, haves and the have-nots remains to be seen. What is clear is that there is an active and open political contest to shape the outcome. For the moment, the right wing and the Republicans have been relatively sidelined in this debate. The real contest as it stands is between the liberals and Democrats on the one hand and the radical mass that has taken the streets all over the country and the world, which is increasingly examining and advancing critical left demands emerging from anarchist, communist, revolutionary nationalist, and socialist analytical and organizing traditions, such as police and prison abolition, economic democracy, and decolonization. This debate is being played out in the streets, in mainstream media, and through social media.
Following trends in all of these venues, it appears that the liberals and Democrats have gained some significant ground in the narrative war, the war of position, on several points. One critical point is making distinctions between “good protestors” and “bad protestors”. The dominance of this narrative will have consequences, negative consequences. Some of these negative consequences include: (1) narrowing the focus of the rebellion, (2) reasserting the myths of “democratic” reform and capitalist correction that only reinforce the perpetuation of the system, and (3) limiting the scope of the revolutionary possibilities and potentialities of the current rebellion.
The net effect of the positional gains of the liberals is that the rebellion is showing some clear signs of being defused, such as the serious policing of the movement on the streets that is occurring in many places. This is starting to isolate the left in many critical ways and put it and its proposals on the defensive. This is best expressed in the hardcore efforts to water down the abolitionist demand of “defunding” and “abolishing” the police, to which we will return shortly. The aim of the liberals and the Democratic party is to redirect this mass movement towards electoral politics, particularly the 2020 elections, and a limited set of cosmetic corrections and reforms.
Where the liberals and Democrats appear to have made the most significant advance is narrowing the scope of the rebellion in the mainstream media. If you believe them, this is fundamentally just about reforming the police and the articulation of an obscure iteration of the “Black Lives Matter” demand framework. This downplays the clear calls to eradicate white supremacy, capitalism, heteropatriarchy, and settler-colonialism that have been on clear display. Without addressing this it is hard to make sense of the removal of all the statues and symbols edifying settler-colonialism and enslavement, or the targeted acts of redistribution that have occurred, and the forced dismantling of the institutions of repression, exploitation, and gentrification. Their reasoning should be obvious. The liberals and Democrats do not support revolution. They have no interest in dismantling the systems of oppression that confine humanity. Their interest is doing what is necessary to preserve the existing capitalist system. To this end, they are willing to bend a few things, as long as it doesn’t fundamentally break or alter the social relations that shape society, particularly who owns and controls the means of production. The distorted “Black Lives Matter” framework they are pushing is about trying to shore up their electoral base for the 2020 elections, particularly amongst Blacks and Latinos, who they have to rely upon to have any chance of winning. Thus they can support police reform, while condemning the effort to dismantle the institution and its social function as absurd.
On the demand of “defunding the police” or “abolishing the police,” it must be noted that this question is being raised in the absence of a revolution — which the current moment is not, not yet anyway. Most of the responses are being cast in this light as well: “What will happen to communities without police?” This question assumes that capitalist relations of production and social reproduction will continue to exist — i.e., the same ole shit. Neither capital nor the state have been dismantled or destroyed, and few are proposing this possibility (i.e. revolution) or preparing for it in the present moment. If the fundamental social relations don’t change, then this reform could only serve as a temporary appeasement measure, which the operatives of the state would quickly attack and undermine. They would turn it into a fiasco to create a negative example to dissuade folks from thinking that an alternative is possible. In any case, anything the ruling class giveth, it can take away.
And if you don’t think that this is the case, there are several historic and ongoing examples of how the capitalist and imperialist system has successfully twisted limited efforts to break out of the system and turned them into propaganda tools through various means of strangulation and negation to create the impression that there is no alternative. This is how they use the examples of Haiti, Cuba, and now Venezuela, Chiapas, Rojava, etc., as whipping posts.
To be clear, I think the demand for abolition should be raised to heighten the contradictions. But, it must be accompanied by the call for revolution, and the organizing effort to dismantle the entire system. Short of accomplishing that, the empire will strike back. Of that there is no doubt.
Again, the consequences of this narrowness should not be downplayed. State agencies all over the country are waiting for the rebellion to subside so they can hunt down thousands of young partisans and put them in jail in the name of justice and restoring law and order. This history should be instructive. Following the Los Angeles rebellion of 1992, the Los Angeles police and sheriff departments hunted down and arrested over 15,000 people who were captured on footage breaking the so-called “rules.” So, if they succeed, it will be the effective negation of the rebellion.
We on the left — anarchists, communists, indigenous sovereigntists, revolutionary nationalists, and socialists — have to resist the elevation of the liberal and Democratic party narratives and positions. We have to assert a counter-narrative in all arenas — one that aims towards transforming the Floyd rebellion into something potentially transformative. This must include upholding autonomous action (with principle), the diversity of tactics, the sanctity of life over property and profits, and the building and execution of instruments of dual power to transform social relations and the balance of forces. And let it be known that should we fail, the left will be the first victims of the targeted execution of the state’s hammer, which is here and will advance whether we like it or not.
Despite the challenges we are confronting in this contest of power, the alternative of revolution yet remains. A pathway to revolution does currently exist. In my view it rests with the advance of a strategy anchored by the further politicization of the mutual aid, food sovereignty, cooperative economics, community production, self-defense, people’s assemblies, and general strike motions that already existed and that emerged in embryonic form in the midst of the pandemic. This could be harnessed through democratic efforts to federate these initiatives on a mass level to lay the foundations of dual power.
Cooperation Jackson and the People’s Strike coalition we’ve been working to build with various organizations and allies are working to advance a program of this character to interject left counter-narratives into the mass movement. One of the central things we are proposing as our next contribution to the movement is the call for mass People’s Assemblies. Building on experiences from the Occupy movement, Assemblies have started spontaneously developing in New York city, Oakland, Portland, and Seattle. These are groundbreaking developments. But, we need more. The People’s Strike is calling for Assemblies to be held everywhere, and in particular calling for a first strike national day of action on July 1st. What we have been proposing, and will offer in this process, is that we organize and build towards the execution of a general strike. The beginning of a general strike under current conditions starts with People’s Assemblies in the streets debating and voting on having a general strike. This is how a largely street protest movement can blossom into an instrument of dual power that could radically transform society.
Unite and Fight, Build the General Strike!
Kali Akuno is the cofounder and executive director of Cooperation Jackson, and coeditor of Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Black Self-Determination in Jackson, MS.
Puke if you must
This bloodsoaked monster is probably the most evil person on planet earth https://t.co/nGq2H1EPHt — Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) April 9, 2020


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-15--Uncovering the Greenwood Massacre, nearly a century later

HISTORICAL FACTS The following information comes from the 2001 Race Riot Commission Report : Black Tulsans had every reason to believe that Dick Rowland would be lynched after his arrest .
His charges were later dismissed and highly suspect from the start .
They had cause to believe that his personal safety , like the defense of themselves and their community , depended on them alone .
As hostile groups gathered and their confrontation worsened , municipal and county authorities failed to take actions to calm or contain the situation .
At the eruption of violence , civil officials selected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and some of them participants in that violence , and made those men their agents as deputies .
In that capacity , deputies did not stem the violence but added to it , often through overt acts that were themselves illegal .
Public officials provided fire arms and ammunition to individuals , again all of them white .
Units of the Oklahoma National Guard participated in the mass arrests of all or nearly all of Greenwood ’ s residents .
They removed them to other parts of the city , and detained them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district , people stole , damaged , or destroyed personal property left behind in homes and businesses .
People , some of them agents of government , also deliberately burned or otherwise destroyed homes credibly estimated to have numbered 1,256 , along with virtually every other structure — including churches , schools , businesses , even a hospital and library — in the Greenwood district .
Despite duties to preserve order and to protect property , no government at any level offered adequate resistance , if any at all , to what amounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although the exact total can never be determined , credible evidence makes it probable that many people , likely numbering between 100-300 , were killed during the massacre .
Not one of these criminal acts was then or ever has been prosecuted or punished by government at any level : municipal , county , state , or federal .
Even after the restoration of order it was official policy to release a black detainee only upon the application of a white person , and then only if that white person agreed to accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior .
As private citizens , many whites in Tulsa and neighboring communities did extend invaluable assistance to the massacre ’ s victims , and the relief efforts of the American Red Cross in particular provided a model of human behavior at its best .
Although city and county government bore much of the cost for Red Cross relief , neither contributed substantially to Greenwood ’ s rebuilding , in fact , municipal authorities acted initially to impede rebuilding .
Despite being numerically at a disadvantage , black Tulsans fought valiantly to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their community .
But in the end , the city ’ s African-American population was simply outnumbered by the white invaders In the end , the restoration of Greenwood after its systematic destruction was left to the victims of that destruction .
While Tulsa officials turned away some offers of outside aid , a number of individual white Tulsans provided assistance to the city ’ s now virtually homeless black population .
But it was the American Red Cross , which remained in Tulsa for months following the massacre , that provided the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the compassionate director of the Red Cross relief , kept a history of the event .
What ’ s in a Name ?
Riot vs. Massacre In recent years there has been ongoing discussion about what to call the event that happened in 1921 .
Historically , it has been called the Tulsa Race Riot .
Some say it was given that name at the time for insurance purposes .
Designating it a riot prevented insurance companies from having to pay benefits to the people of Greenwood whose homes and businesses were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time for any large-scale clash between different racial or ethnic groups to be categorized a race riot .
What do YOU think ?
Definition of RIOT : a tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons assembled together and acting with common intent .
Definition of MASSACRE : the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty .

HISTORICAL FACTS
The following information comes from the 2001 Race Riot Commission Report:
Black Tulsans had every reason to believe that Dick Rowland would be lynched after his arrest. His charges were later dismissed and highly suspect from the start. They had cause to believe that his personal safety, like the defense of themselves and their community, depended on them alone. As hostile groups gathered and their confrontation worsened, municipal and county authorities failed to take actions to calm or contain the situation.
At the eruption of violence, civil officials selected many men, all of them white and some of them participants in that violence, and made those men their agents as deputies. In that capacity, deputies did not stem the violence but added to it, often through overt acts that were themselves illegal. Public officials provided fire arms and ammunition to individuals, again all of them white. Units of the Oklahoma National Guard participated in the mass arrests of all or nearly all of Greenwood’s residents.
They removed them to other parts of the city, and detained them in holding centers. Entering the Greenwood district, people stole, damaged, or destroyed personal property left behind in homes and businesses. People, some of them agents of government, also deliberately burned or otherwise destroyed homes credibly estimated to have numbered 1,256, along with virtually every other structure — including churches, schools, businesses, even a hospital and library — in the Greenwood district. Despite duties to preserve order and to protect property, no government at any level offered adequate resistance, if any at all, to what amounted to the destruction of the Greenwood neighborhood Although the exact total can never be determined, credible evidence makes it probable that many people, likely numbering between 100-300, were killed during the massacre.
Not one of these criminal acts was then or ever has been prosecuted or punished by government at any level: municipal, county, state, or federal. Even after the restoration of order it was official policy to release a black detainee only upon the application of a white person, and then only if that white person agreed to accept responsibility for that detainee’s subsequent behavior. As private citizens, many whites in Tulsa and neighboring communities did extend invaluable assistance to the massacre’s victims, and the relief efforts of the American Red Cross in particular provided a model of human behavior at its best. Although city and county government bore much of the cost for Red Cross relief, neither contributed substantially to Greenwood’s rebuilding, in fact, municipal authorities acted initially to impede rebuilding.
Despite being numerically at a disadvantage, black Tulsans fought valiantly to protect their homes, their businesses, and their community. But in the end, the city’s African-American population was simply outnumbered by the white invaders In the end, the restoration of Greenwood after its systematic destruction was left to the victims of that destruction. While Tulsa officials turned away some offers of outside aid, a number of individual white Tulsans provided assistance to the city’s now virtually homeless black population. But it was the American Red Cross, which remained in Tulsa for months following the massacre, that provided the most sustained relief effort. Maurice Willows, the compassionate director of the Red Cross relief, kept a history of the event.
What’s in a Name? Riot vs. Massacre
In recent years there has been ongoing discussion about what to call the event that happened in 1921. Historically, it has been called the Tulsa Race Riot. Some say it was given that name at the time for insurance purposes. Designating it a riot prevented insurance companies from having to pay benefits to the people of Greenwood whose homes and businesses were destroyed. It also was common at the time for any large-scale clash between different racial or ethnic groups to be categorized a race riot.
What do YOU think?
Definition of RIOT: a tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons assembled together and acting with common intent. Definition of MASSACRE: the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty.