mintpressnews--2020-07-01--Israel Defense Ministry Launches COVID-19 Voice Test for Americans

The Israeli Ministry of Defense has launched a project to analyze people ’ s voices and breathing patterns using artificial intelligence ( AI ) in order to determine if they have COVID-19 .
The software allegedly listens for detectable “ signs of distress , ” ostensibly from the respiratory effects of the virus .
A May 27 report in the Jerusalem Post stated that the research was already being conducted at several hospitals in Israel , where confirmed COVID-19 patients were asked to provide voice samples to be compared to those of a control group from the general population .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June .
However , the study has now been expanded beyond Israel ’ s borders .
Over one million voice recordings are currently being collected in the United States through a mobile app developed by Massachusetts-based Vocalis Health , under the auspices of the Israeli government .
While growth in the biomarker sector is strong , the applications of voice biomarker technology lean heavily towards surveillance and language parsing , as opposed to diagnostic applications , which are virtually non-existent at the moment .
Vocal biometric data has already been making its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least two years .
Thousands of police departments across the United States , for instance , use a voice-recognition technology called “ Dragon Law Enforcement ” developed by Nuance Communications .
This same company has established a strong presence in the healthcare sector as well .
In 2018 , Nuance partnered with the healthcare software giant , Epic Systems , which is said to hold two-thirds of medical records in the U.S. , and its Dragon Medical speech recognition software is used by half a million clinicians throughout the country .
Epic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several companies lurching into the freshly-minted Coronavirus tech marketplace along with at least 150 Israeli startups that began working on ideas relating to COVID-19 back in 2019 – many under the guise of healthcare .
But , their value as a medical diagnostic tool looks certain to be outweighed by its broader applications in burgeoning pre-crime law enforcement technologies that are now proliferating across the United States and the world .
Founded just weeks after U.S. intelligence agencies alerted the Israeli government about the threat posed by the novel coronavirus in November 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merger of two Israeli tech companies , Beyond Verbal and Healthymize .
Israeli life sciences venture fund Amoon raised the initial $ 9 million capital for the new company , which focuses on developing artificial intelligence and voice analysis applications for the health sector .
Vocalis Health CEO , Tal Wenderow , said he decided to make a $ 1.1 billion exit from his medical robotics company , Corindus in 2019 and pursue opportunities in “ health , voice , and AI ” after realizing “ the untapped sense of the human body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good opportunity.
” The “ COVID-19 Voice Study ” initiated by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and actualized by Vocalis Health will seek 100,000 volunteers to conduct the research which is slated for completion by December 1 with an anticipated product release by the beginning of 2021 .
Vocalis Health ’ s AI-enabled research of the voice recordings in order to “ triage , screen and monitor COVID-19 virus ” will utilize a platform developed by NeuroLex Laboratories , Inc , called the Voiceome Study – the “ world ’ s largest clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health traits ” according to their Indiegogo campaign .
Eventually , Vocalis intends to use “ this technology as a population health screening tool that could be applied to vast quantities of data collected from call centers or devices ” .
NeuroLex founder and CEO , Jim Schwoebel claims voice biomarker technology is analogous to genetic code and can “ use machine learning models on speech features to infer health conditions.
” While voice biomarkers have been used to aid in the diagnosis of neurological disorders , such as Alzheimer ’ s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which may manifest in voice patterns , the scientific validity of these being of any use in diagnosing specific viral infections is still an open question .
Along with finger tapping speed , sleep movements and walking , it is one of the forms of digital biomarkers under investigation in this nascent area of scientific inquiry and , as NeuroLex ’ s Chief Medical Officer , Dr. Hosseini Ghomi noted in 2019 , “ the field of digital biomarkers is still very fragmented because there are no standards for voice recording or an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health used to bootstrap its app , Voiceome , also received funding from a venture capital firm with strong ties to Israel and the IDF through one of its partners , David Gussarsky , a former head of software development teams for the Israel Defense Forces and former IDF special ops commander , Tal Morgenstern .
The ubiquitous presence of Israeli defense interests versus health in this endeavor raises questions about the ultimate goal behind it .
Multiple difficulties are posed by the very literature and disclosures published on the COVID-19 Voice Study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most salient red flags is the consent form offered volunteers , which makes no mention of COVID-19 as one of the “ medical and behavioral health conditions ” they seek to identify .
It does , however , name the neurological conditions NeuroLex designed its algorithms to detect .
But , even these are completely undermined by Jim Schwoebel , himself , in the “ Risk and Challenges ” portion of the Indiegogo campaign where he reminds us of that if the proposed project doesn ’ t work , Voiceome “ can still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on machine learning models for medical questionnaires like PHQ-9 , a depression scoring model and UPDRS , a rating scale for Parkinson ’ s disease .
The “ product , ” which will eventually result from the study in January of 2021 according to their development timeline , is supposed to “ alert about early symptoms and monitoring at home by only using a smart phone , ” notifying authorities who can then implement the requisite measures based on unproven technology .

The Israeli Ministry of Defense has launched a project to analyze people’s voices and breathing patterns using artificial intelligence (AI) in order to determine if they have COVID-19. The software allegedly listens for detectable “signs of distress,” ostensibly from the respiratory effects of the virus. A May 27 report in the Jerusalem Post stated that the research was already being conducted at several hospitals in Israel, where confirmed COVID-19 patients were asked to provide voice samples to be compared to those of a control group from the general population.
Results from the research were expected sometime in June. However, the study has now been expanded beyond Israel’s borders. Over one million voice recordings are currently being collected in the United States through a mobile app developed by Massachusetts-based Vocalis Health, under the auspices of the Israeli government.
While growth in the biomarker sector is strong, the applications of voice biomarker technology lean heavily towards surveillance and language parsing, as opposed to diagnostic applications, which are virtually non-existent at the moment. Vocal biometric data has already been making its way into American law enforcement for at least two years.
Thousands of police departments across the United States, for instance, use a voice-recognition technology called “Dragon Law Enforcement” developed by Nuance Communications. This same company has established a strong presence in the healthcare sector as well. In 2018, Nuance partnered with the healthcare software giant, Epic Systems, which is said to hold two-thirds of medical records in the U.S., and its Dragon Medical speech recognition software is used by half a million clinicians throughout the country.
Epic and Nuance Communications are only a few of several companies lurching into the freshly-minted Coronavirus tech marketplace along with at least 150 Israeli startups that began working on ideas relating to COVID-19 back in 2019 – many under the guise of healthcare. But, their value as a medical diagnostic tool looks certain to be outweighed by its broader applications in burgeoning pre-crime law enforcement technologies that are now proliferating across the United States and the world.
Unproven Science
Founded just weeks after U.S. intelligence agencies alerted the Israeli government about the threat posed by the novel coronavirus in November 2019, the company was formed from the merger of two Israeli tech companies, Beyond Verbal and Healthymize. Israeli life sciences venture fund Amoon raised the initial $9 million capital for the new company, which focuses on developing artificial intelligence and voice analysis applications for the health sector.
Vocalis Health CEO, Tal Wenderow, said he decided to make a $1.1 billion exit from his medical robotics company, Corindus in 2019 and pursue opportunities in “health, voice, and AI” after realizing “the untapped sense of the human body” presented him with “a very good opportunity.” The “COVID-19 Voice Study” initiated by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and actualized by Vocalis Health will seek 100,000 volunteers to conduct the research which is slated for completion by December 1 with an anticipated product release by the beginning of 2021.
Vocalis Health’s AI-enabled research of the voice recordings in order to “triage, screen and monitor COVID-19 virus” will utilize a platform developed by NeuroLex Laboratories, Inc, called the Voiceome Study – the “world’s largest clinical study to collect voice information labeled with health traits” according to their Indiegogo campaign. Eventually, Vocalis intends to use “this technology as a population health screening tool that could be applied to vast quantities of data collected from call centers or devices”.
NeuroLex founder and CEO, Jim Schwoebel claims voice biomarker technology is analogous to genetic code and can “use machine learning models on speech features to infer health conditions.” While voice biomarkers have been used to aid in the diagnosis of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and others, which may manifest in voice patterns, the scientific validity of these being of any use in diagnosing specific viral infections is still an open question. Along with finger tapping speed, sleep movements and walking, it is one of the forms of digital biomarkers under investigation in this nascent area of scientific inquiry and, as NeuroLex’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hosseini Ghomi noted in 2019, “the field of digital biomarkers is still very fragmented because there are no standards for voice recording or an organizing force.”
A Dubious Proposition
The platform that Vocalis Health used to bootstrap its app, Voiceome, also received funding from a venture capital firm with strong ties to Israel and the IDF through one of its partners, David Gussarsky, a former head of software development teams for the Israel Defense Forces and former IDF special ops commander, Tal Morgenstern. The ubiquitous presence of Israeli defense interests versus health in this endeavor raises questions about the ultimate goal behind it.
Multiple difficulties are posed by the very literature and disclosures published on the COVID-19 Voice Study’s own site. Among the most salient red flags is the consent form offered volunteers, which makes no mention of COVID-19 as one of the “medical and behavioral health conditions” they seek to identify. It does, however, name the neurological conditions NeuroLex designed its algorithms to detect. But, even these are completely undermined by Jim Schwoebel, himself, in the “Risk and Challenges” portion of the Indiegogo campaign where he reminds us of that if the proposed project doesn’t work, Voiceome “can still provide […] relevant reports” on machine learning models for medical questionnaires like PHQ-9, a depression scoring model and UPDRS, a rating scale for Parkinson’s disease.
The “product,” which will eventually result from the study in January of 2021 according to their development timeline, is supposed to “alert about early symptoms and monitoring at home by only using a smart phone,” notifying authorities who can then implement the requisite measures based on unproven technology.
Feature photo | Israeli medical personnel wearing protective gear checks identifications before a government COVID-19 test in Bnei Brak, Israel, March 31, 2020. Ariel Schalit | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-01--Public Outcry Follows Gilead Decision to Charge $3000 for COVID Drug that Costs Pennies to Produce

California-based pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences has announced that a five-day course of its antiviral drug Remdesivir — shown in tests to effectively fight COVID-19 — will cost $ 3,120 to Americans with health insurance and $ 2,340 to those on Medicaid .
Yet research published in April calculated that the drug could be produced at a profit for as little as $ 0.93 per day .
The study , led by Dr. Andrew Hill from the Department of Translational Medicine , University of Liverpool , U.K. , and published in the Journal of Virus Eradication , found that a five-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for less than the cost of a Subway sandwich .
So cheap is the drug that the saline solution and the syringe needed to administer it would be more costly .
MintPress spoke with Dr. Hill , who was dismayed by the company ’ s announcement .
We are in a health emergency .
We can ’ t have a situation right now where people are unable to access medicine because the prices are too high .
Remdesivir is a drug that has had its development costs paid for , in large part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministries of health in China , the WHO , and the U.S. government .
So why should a company be making money in the middle of a pandemic by selling a drug which has largely been developed independently of them ?
” he said .
News of the decision led to an explosion of public anger .
“ As Gilead charges $ 3,120 for its COVID drug , Remdesivir , remember that the drug was developed with a $ 70,000,000 grant from the federal government paid for by American taxpayers .
Once again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the people ’ s dime , ” wrote former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich .
“ This isn ’ t healthcare .
It ’ s extortion , ” appeared to be the overwhelming sentiment on social media .
Gilead itself , however , seemed not to share this sentiment .
Indeed , its press release on the subject positioned its decision as a selfless and magnanimous gesture of corporate philanthropy .
“ We approached this with the aim of helping as many patients as possible , as quickly as possible and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its CEO , Daniel O ’ Day , adding that , “ under normal circumstances ” the company would have charged the public $ 12,000 per patient .
Remdesivir is an intravenous antiviral drug that has been used to fight other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS and has shown some effectiveness against Ebola .
Although far from a miracle treatment , studies have concluded that it aids recovery , reducing the average hospital visit for COVID-19 patients from 15 days to 11 days when compared to a placebo .
Like with everything coronavirus-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In late April , the WHO accidentally leaked a Chinese study that suggested Remdesivir may not be as effective as Gilead claims it to be .
Nevertheless , the Trump administration has now bought up the entire world ’ s stock of the drug , effectively confiscating it and shutting out every other country from the medicine .
“ I ’ ve been working in medicine for 32 years and I have never seen anything like it .
I ’ ve never seen a country be that brazen .
We have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taste of the future .
They ’ ve tried to also do this with advanced orders of vaccines .
Imagine if we had a 100 percent effective vaccine and it only went to Americans , ” Dr. Hill told MintPress .
At the moment people don ’ t quite understand the gravity of the decision that the American government has made .
This is a worldwide epidemic and we have got to remember that the clinical trials of Remdesivir were not just conducted in the United States ; they were conducted around European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk to take part in an experimental drug trial , and the gratitude we get as other countries after our people were involved in these studies is to be shut out of the future supply of the drug ?
!
… It is simply ethically unacceptable .
I think there are serious questions to be answered .
This is a new low ground , unfortunately , ” he added .
Gilead has been under considerable public scrutiny of late .
The company , which announced profits of $ 5.4 billion last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 billion since the pandemic began .
In December , MintPress reported that it was being sued , accused of deliberately holding back a lifesaving HIV drug to extend the profitability of their previous , inferior one .
With shades of the Remdesivir announcement , the drug is sold in Australia for $ 8 per month , but the company charges Americans around $ 2,000 for the same dosage .
“ Gilead has a long history of profiteering , ” said Dr. Hill .
“ Its CEO is a billionaire and has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their intellectual property in Ireland they avoided $ 10 billion in taxes in 2016 and they sell drugs for between 100 and 1,000 times the cost of production .
And nobody is stopping them .
I think this is a taste of things to come if we don ’ t have better controls on the pharmaceutical industry ’ s excesses.
” As of Wednesday morning , there have been 2.73 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States , the six worst days for the virus in terms of infections all occurring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ | A lab tech displays a package of the Remdesivir at the Eva Pharma Facility in Cairo , Egypt June 29 , 2020 .
Amr Abdallah | Reuters Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and The Canary .

California-based pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences has announced that a five-day course of its antiviral drug Remdesivir — shown in tests to effectively fight COVID-19 — will cost $3,120 to Americans with health insurance and $2,340 to those on Medicaid. Yet research published in April calculated that the drug could be produced at a profit for as little as $0.93 per day.
The study, led by Dr. Andrew Hill from the Department of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, U.K., and published in the Journal of Virus Eradication, found that a five-day course of lifesaving Remdesivir could be mass-produced for less than the cost of a Subway sandwich. So cheap is the drug that the saline solution and the syringe needed to administer it would be more costly. MintPress spoke with Dr. Hill, who was dismayed by the company’s announcement.
We are in a health emergency. We can’t have a situation right now where people are unable to access medicine because the prices are too high. Remdesivir is a drug that has had its development costs paid for, in large part, by independent donors like governments and ministries of health in China, the WHO, and the U.S. government. So why should a company be making money in the middle of a pandemic by selling a drug which has largely been developed independently of them?” he said.
It will cost $3120 for people with private insurance in the US. Gilead is now worth 101 Billion dollars. That’s a 30% increase since the pandemic. Welcome to the American dream https://t.co/OuCkLrrTme — Lexi Alexander (@Lexialex) July 1, 2020
News of the decision led to an explosion of public anger. “As Gilead charges $3,120 for its COVID drug, Remdesivir, remember that the drug was developed with a $70,000,000 grant from the federal government paid for by American taxpayers. Once again, Big Pharma is set to profit on the people’s dime,” wrote former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. “This isn’t healthcare. It’s extortion,” appeared to be the overwhelming sentiment on social media.
Gilead itself, however, seemed not to share this sentiment. Indeed, its press release on the subject positioned its decision as a selfless and magnanimous gesture of corporate philanthropy. “We approached this with the aim of helping as many patients as possible, as quickly as possible and in the most responsible way,” said its CEO, Daniel O’Day, adding that, “under normal circumstances” the company would have charged the public $12,000 per patient.
“A new low”
Remdesivir is an intravenous antiviral drug that has been used to fight other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS and has shown some effectiveness against Ebola. Although far from a miracle treatment, studies have concluded that it aids recovery, reducing the average hospital visit for COVID-19 patients from 15 days to 11 days when compared to a placebo. Like with everything coronavirus-related, there is no absolute scientific consensus. In late April, the WHO accidentally leaked a Chinese study that suggested Remdesivir may not be as effective as Gilead claims it to be. Nevertheless, the Trump administration has now bought up the entire world’s stock of the drug, effectively confiscating it and shutting out every other country from the medicine.
“I’ve been working in medicine for 32 years and I have never seen anything like it. I’ve never seen a country be that brazen. We have to work together. This could be a taste of the future. They’ve tried to also do this with advanced orders of vaccines. Imagine if we had a 100 percent effective vaccine and it only went to Americans,” Dr. Hill told MintPress.
At the moment people don’t quite understand the gravity of the decision that the American government has made. This is a worldwide epidemic and we have got to remember that the clinical trials of Remdesivir were not just conducted in the United States; they were conducted around European and Chinese centers. Patients put themselves at risk to take part in an experimental drug trial, and the gratitude we get as other countries after our people were involved in these studies is to be shut out of the future supply of the drug?!… It is simply ethically unacceptable. I think there are serious questions to be answered. This is a new low ground, unfortunately,” he added.
https://twitter.com/leahmcelrath/status/1277821241496408071
Gilead has been under considerable public scrutiny of late. The company, which announced profits of $5.4 billion last year, has increased its value by $15 billion since the pandemic began. In December, MintPress reported that it was being sued, accused of deliberately holding back a lifesaving HIV drug to extend the profitability of their previous, inferior one. With shades of the Remdesivir announcement, the drug is sold in Australia for $8 per month, but the company charges Americans around $2,000 for the same dosage. “Gilead has a long history of profiteering,” said Dr. Hill. “Its CEO is a billionaire and has been accused of tax avoidance; by keeping their intellectual property in Ireland they avoided $10 billion in taxes in 2016 and they sell drugs for between 100 and 1,000 times the cost of production. And nobody is stopping them. I think this is a taste of things to come if we don’t have better controls on the pharmaceutical industry’s excesses.”
As of Wednesday morning, there have been 2.73 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, the six worst days for the virus in terms of infections all occurring in the previous week.
Feature photo | A lab tech displays a package of the Remdesivir at the Eva Pharma Facility in Cairo, Egypt June 29, 2020. Amr Abdallah | Reuters
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-07-02--Lee Camp: How the Media Used the Bounty Scandal to Stop the ‘Threat’ of Peace in Afghanistan

This is not a column defending Donald Trump .
Across my career , I have said more positive words about the scolex family of intestinal tapeworms than I have said about Donald Trump .
( Scolex have been shown to read more . )
No , this is a column about context .
When The New York Times reports anonymous sources from the intelligence community say Russia paid Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers , context is very important .
Some of that context is that Mike Pompeo said , “ I was the CIA director – We lied , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had entire training courses.
” So we know for certain that U.S. intelligence agencies lie to you and me .
We saw it with WMD , and we might be seeing it again now .
But that ’ s not the context I ’ m referring to .
We could talk about the context of the fact that the Taliban does not need to be paid to kill American soldiers because their entire goal for the past twenty years has been to kill American soldiers .
Paying them a bounty would be like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twenty bucks to sleep with your wife .
But that ’ s not the context I ’ m referring to .
We could talk about the fact that the U.S. has been funding the Taliban for years !
Yes , we fund them , sometimes arm them , and then fight them .
This is barely a secret .
So for all intents and purposes , the U.S. does the same thing our corporate media is now accusing Russia of doing ( with no proof ) .
But that ’ s not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No , the context I ’ m referring to is how our military industrial complex ( with the help of our ruling elite and our corporate media ) have stopped Trump from pushing us toward the brink of peace .
…Yes , the brink of peace .
Now , I ’ m not implying Trump is some kind of hippy peacenik .
( He would look atrocious with no bra and flowers in his hair . )
No , the military under Trump has dropped more bombs than under Obama , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bombs than ever before .
However , in certain areas of the world , Trump has threatened to create peace .
Sure , he ’ s doing it for his own ego and because he thinks his base wants it , but whatever the reason , he has put forward plans or policies that go against the military industrial complex and the establishment war-hawks ( which is 95 percent of the establishment ) .
And each time this has happened , he is quickly thwarted , usually with hilarious propaganda .
( Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apparently believable to people at The New York Times and former CIA intern Anderson Cooper . )
I know four things for sure in life .
Paper beats rock .
Rock beats scissors .
Scissors beat paper .
And propaganda beats peace .
All one has to do is look at a calendar .
Trump has essentially threatened to create peace or pull U.S. troops out of a war zone in three countries – North Korea , Afghanistan , and Syria .
Let ’ s start with Syria .
April 4 , 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria .
This can not be allowed because it goes against the U.S. imperial plan .
So what happens within days of Trump ’ s order ?
What are the odds that within days of Trump telling the Pentagon to withdraw , Bashar al-Assad decides to use the one weapon that will guarantee American forces continue attacking him ?
Assad may not be a chess player , but I also don ’ t think he ate that many paint chips as a kid .
And sure enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve now heard from four whistleblowers at the Organization for The Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) saying the so-called chemical attack didn ’ t happen .
( Notice that the number “ four ” is even bigger than the numbers “ one , ” “ two , ” and “ three.
” ) But establishment propaganda beats peace any day and twice on Sunday .
The false story succeeded in keeping America entrenched in Syria .
Let ’ s move on to North Korea .
As you surely know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace with the hermetic country .
Simply saying he would attempt such a thing sent weapons contractor stocks tumbling—one of the many reasons peace had to be stopped .
The summit fails , and reports begin emerging that Mike Pompeo and John Bolton succeeded in napalming any progress .
From The Nation , “ There were reports from South Korea that the presence at the talks of John Bolton , Trump ’ s aggressively hawkish national-security adviser , helped torpedo the talks.
“ But just destroying the peace talks wasn ’ t enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , solid propaganda to reassert the idea that Kim Jung Un was a dastardly bloodthirsty dictator .
March 30 , 2019 : The New York Times reports North Korea executed and purged their top nuclear negotiators .
Yes , apparently Kim Jung Un must ’ ve fed his top diplomats to his top alligators .
Then , two months later we learn… June 4 , 2019 : The fate of the North Korean negotiator “ executed ” after the failed summit “ grows murkier ” with new reports that he ’ s still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his being alive does indeed make the report that he ’ s dead “ murkier.
” Within the next day or two it becomes quite clear the diplomat is very much in the land of the living .
But the propaganda put forward by The New York Times and many other outlets has already done its job .
Far more people saw the reports that the man had been murdered than saw the later retraction .
And to this day , the Times has not removed the initial article saying he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to be , to warrant an online deletion ?
Dead versus alive is a pretty binary designation .
And now we get to the outrage du jour , and it ’ s a bombshell !
May 26 , 2020 : Pentagon commanders begin drawing up options for an early Afghanistan troop withdrawal , following Trump ’ s request .
June 16 , 2020 : “ President Donald Trump confirmed in public for the first time his administration ’ s plans to cut the U.S. military troop presence in Germany from its current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force of 25,000.
” – ForeignPolicy.com June 26 , 2020 : The New York Times reports Russia paid the Taliban to attack U.S. troops .
( According to anonymous sources from an intelligence community that proudly admits they lie to us all the time , sometimes just to amuse themselves . )
So when this story first came out , I thought , “ You know , Trump has been stopped from withdrawing troops in the past by ridiculous propaganda that seems to land like a giant turd right after he announces his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happened in the days preceding this jaw-dropping story.
” So just days after Trump goes against the military industrial complex and against the ruling establishment by announcing he ’ ll be withdrawing about a third of our troops from Germany , and just weeks after announcing an early withdrawal from Afghanistan , a seemingly mind-blowing story drops about Russia paying the Taliban to kill American troops .
This serves to remind everyone what a threat Russia is ( so we better put more troops in Germany ! )
and serves to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian-funded Taliban ! )
.
Look , I ’ m not saying Trump is a hero or a great guy or even a man who wants peace .
I ’ m not even saying he ’ s a man .
He very well may be a giant blood-sucking leech in a human skin suit .
( A poorly tailored human skin suit . )
All I ’ m saying is the timing doesn ’ t add up .
Either these landmark stories that destroy every chance of peace are false ( in fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three of them are false ) , or peace has exceedingly , ridiculously , laughably bad timing .
Feature photo | Abdullah Abdullah , right , President Ashraf Ghani ’ s fellow leader under a recently signed power-sharing agreement , holds a meeting with U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad aimed at resuscitating a U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed in February , at the presidential palace , in Kabul , Afghanistan , May 20 , 2020. Credit | Sapidar Palace via AP Lee Camp is an American stand-up comedian , writer , actor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekly comedy news TV show “ Redacted Tonight With Lee Camp ” on RT America .
He is a former comedy writer for the Onion and the Huffington Post and has been a touring stand-up comic for 20 years .
This article was published with special permission from the author .
It originally appeared at Consortium News .

This is not a column defending Donald Trump.
Across my career, I have said more positive words about the scolex family of intestinal tapeworms than I have said about Donald Trump. (Scolex have been shown to read more.)
No, this is a column about context. When The New York Times reports anonymous sources from the intelligence community say Russia paid Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers, context is very important.
Some of that context is that Mike Pompeo said, “I was the CIA director – We lied, we cheated, we stole. We had entire training courses.” So we know for certain that U.S. intelligence agencies lie to you and me. We saw it with WMD, and we might be seeing it again now.
But that’s not the context I’m referring to.
We could talk about the context of the fact that the Taliban does not need to be paid to kill American soldiers because their entire goal for the past twenty years has been to kill American soldiers. Paying them a bounty would be like offering the guy sleeping with your wife twenty bucks to sleep with your wife.
But that’s not the context I’m referring to.
We could talk about the fact that the U.S. has been funding the Taliban for years! Yes, we fund them, sometimes arm them, and then fight them. This is barely a secret. So for all intents and purposes, the U.S. does the same thing our corporate media is now accusing Russia of doing (with no proof).
But that’s not the context I’m referring to.
No, the context I’m referring to is how our military industrial complex (with the help of our ruling elite and our corporate media) have stopped Trump from pushing us toward the brink of peace. …Yes, the brink of peace.
Now, I’m not implying Trump is some kind of hippy peacenik. (He would look atrocious with no bra and flowers in his hair.) No, the military under Trump has dropped more bombs than under Obama, and that’s impressive since Obama dropped more bombs than ever before.
However, in certain areas of the world, Trump has threatened to create peace. Sure, he’s doing it for his own ego and because he thinks his base wants it, but whatever the reason, he has put forward plans or policies that go against the military industrial complex and the establishment war-hawks (which is 95 percent of the establishment).
And each time this has happened, he is quickly thwarted, usually with hilarious propaganda. (Well, hilarious to you and me. Apparently believable to people at The New York Times and former CIA intern Anderson Cooper.)
I know four things for sure in life. Paper beats rock. Rock beats scissors. Scissors beat paper. And propaganda beats peace. All one has to do is look at a calendar.
Trump has essentially threatened to create peace or pull U.S. troops out of a war zone in three countries – North Korea, Afghanistan, and Syria. Let’s start with Syria.
April 4, 2018: President Trump orders the Pentagon to plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.
This cannot be allowed because it goes against the U.S. imperial plan. So what happens within days of Trump’s order?
April 7, 2018: Reports surface of a major chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria.
What are the odds that within days of Trump telling the Pentagon to withdraw, Bashar al-Assad decides to use the one weapon that will guarantee American forces continue attacking him? Assad may not be a chess player, but I also don’t think he ate that many paint chips as a kid. And sure enough, over the past two years we’ve now heard from four whistleblowers at the Organization for The Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) saying the so-called chemical attack didn’t happen. (Notice that the number “four” is even bigger than the numbers “one,” “two,” and “three.”)
But establishment propaganda beats peace any day and twice on Sunday. The false story succeeded in keeping America entrenched in Syria.
The DPRK
Let’s move on to North Korea. As you surely know, Donald Trump “threatened” to create peace with the hermetic country. Simply saying he would attempt such a thing sent weapons contractor stocks tumbling—one of the many reasons peace had to be stopped.
Feb 27, 2019: Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un meet in Vietnam.
The summit fails, and reports begin emerging that Mike Pompeo and John Bolton succeeded in napalming any progress.
March 15, 2019: Pompeo and Bolton deny derailing North Korea nuclear talks.
From The Nation, “There were reports from South Korea that the presence at the talks of John Bolton, Trump’s aggressively hawkish national-security adviser, helped torpedo the talks.“
But just destroying the peace talks wasn’t enough. The American people needed some good, solid propaganda to reassert the idea that Kim Jung Un was a dastardly bloodthirsty dictator.
March 30, 2019: The New York Times reports North Korea executed and purged their top nuclear negotiators.
Yes, apparently Kim Jung Un must’ve fed his top diplomats to his top alligators. Then, two months later we learn…
June 4, 2019: The fate of the North Korean negotiator “executed” after the failed summit “grows murkier” with new reports that he’s still alive.
One would have to say that his being alive does indeed make the report that he’s dead “murkier.” Within the next day or two it becomes quite clear the diplomat is very much in the land of the living. But the propaganda put forward by The New York Times and many other outlets has already done its job.
Far more people saw the reports that the man had been murdered than saw the later retraction. And to this day, the Times has not removed the initial article saying he was executed. Exactly how wrong does propaganda have to be, to warrant an online deletion? Dead versus alive is a pretty binary designation.
And now we get to the outrage du jour, and it’s a bombshell!
Bounties!
May 26, 2020: Pentagon commanders begin drawing up options for an early Afghanistan troop withdrawal, following Trump’s request.
June 16, 2020: “President Donald Trump confirmed in public for the first time his administration’s plans to cut the U.S. military troop presence in Germany from its current level of roughly 35,000 to a reduced force of 25,000.” – ForeignPolicy.com
June 26, 2020: The New York Times reports Russia paid the Taliban to attack U.S. troops. (According to anonymous sources from an intelligence community that proudly admits they lie to us all the time, sometimes just to amuse themselves.)
So when this story first came out, I thought, “You know, Trump has been stopped from withdrawing troops in the past by ridiculous propaganda that seems to land like a giant turd right after he announces his intentions. Maybe I’ll check what happened in the days preceding this jaw-dropping story.”
So just days after Trump goes against the military industrial complex and against the ruling establishment by announcing he’ll be withdrawing about a third of our troops from Germany, and just weeks after announcing an early withdrawal from Afghanistan, a seemingly mind-blowing story drops about Russia paying the Taliban to kill American troops.
This serves to remind everyone what a threat Russia is (so we better put more troops in Germany!) and serves to keep us in Afghanistan (because screw those Russian-funded Taliban!).
Look, I’m not saying Trump is a hero or a great guy or even a man who wants peace. I’m not even saying he’s a man. He very well may be a giant blood-sucking leech in a human skin suit. (A poorly tailored human skin suit.)
All I’m saying is the timing doesn’t add up. Either these landmark stories that destroy every chance of peace are false (in fact we’ve already proven two out of three of them are false), or peace has exceedingly, ridiculously, laughably bad timing.
Feature photo | Abdullah Abdullah, right, President Ashraf Ghani’s fellow leader under a recently signed power-sharing agreement, holds a meeting with U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad aimed at resuscitating a U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed in February, at the presidential palace, in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 20, 2020. Credit | Sapidar Palace via AP
Lee Camp is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and activist. Camp is the host of the weekly comedy news TV show “Redacted Tonight With Lee Camp” on RT America. He is a former comedy writer for the Onion and the Huffington Post and has been a touring stand-up comic for 20 years.
This article was published with special permission from the author. It originally appeared at Consortium News.


mintpressnews--2020-07-03--Podcast Panel: Israeli Annexation Could Turn the West Bank Into a Gaza-Style Open Air Prison

Welcome to MintCast , the official MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh .
MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices , independent researchers and journalists the establishment would rather silence .
In this episode , we are joined by Dr. Ramzy Baroud , Robert Inkalesh and Miko Peled to discuss the so-called “ Deal of the Century , ” a plan promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump together with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , as Israel ’ s annexation plans for the Jordan Valley located in the Palestinian West Bank , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestine and the broader region .
Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a Palestinian-American journalist , media consultant , author , columnist , and editor of Palestine Chronicle .
He is a former Managing Editor of Middle East Eye and former Deputy Managing Editor of Al Jazeera online .
He has authored five books and a contributor to many others , the latest of which is “ These Chains Will Be Broken : Palestinian Stories of Struggles and Defiance in Israeli Prisons.
” Miko Peled is an Israeli-American human rights activist .
He is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Son .
Journey of an Israeli in Palestine , ” and “ Injustice , the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.
” Robert Inkalesh is a journalist , writer and political analyst who has lived in and reported from the occupied Palestinian West Bank .
His latest documentary film , “ Steal Of The Century ’ Trump ’ s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe , ” premiered in June and can be viewed for free on YouTube .
The Netanyahu-led Israeli government was expected to initiate its plan to annex as much as 35 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley earlier this week , formally declaring it part of Israel along guidelines laid out in President Trump and his son in law Jared Kushner ’ s so-called “ Deal of the Century.
” After international criticism and even caution from some members of the U.S. Congress , a delay in the plan has been announced .
Nonetheless , critics fear that Israel will begin annexing Palestinian land soon .
Israel ’ s annexation of the region would put the over 70,000 Palestinians under full Israeli authority , giving the Israeli military control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and all imports and exports , forcing residents to endure apartheid-like conditions experienced by those living in Gaza .
The plan would also cut out a part of the West Bank , allowing Israel to encircle the region militarily and control all Palestinian access to the outside world similar to the apartheid-like policies it carries out in Gaza .
Not only does Trump ’ s so-called Deal of the Century hand de facto control to the Israeli military over all Palestinian movement , but it also opens up the doors to over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinian land and prevents the two million Palestinian refugees who have the legal grounds to return to their land from ever doing so .
The move is nothing short of territorial conquest and military occupation as defined by the United Nations Charter and the annexation is illegal under International Law .
Indeed , the United Nations ’ High Commissioner on Human Rights , Michelle Bachelet , has declared Israel ’ s annexation plans both “ illegal ” and “ disastrous.
” This will , without a doubt , create another preventable man-made humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will fuel the military-industrial complex and stimulate profits off of the theft of indigenous land and blood of indigenous people .
If the plan is not stopped , the West Bank could very well become a sprawling open-air prison and ghetto similar to Gaza .
Despite the international opposition , Israel enjoys full support from the United States , the world ’ s only superpower , and plans to complete the annexation before Trump ’ s reelection run in November .
This program is 100 percent listener supported !
You can join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this show possible by becoming a member on our Patreon page .
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes , Spotify and SoundCloud .
Please leave us a review and share this segment .
Mnar Muhawesh is founder , CEO and editor in chief of MintPress News , and is also a regular speaker on responsible journalism , sexism , neoconservativism within the media and journalism start-ups .

Welcome to MintCast, the official MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh. MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices, independent researchers and journalists the establishment would rather silence.
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ramzy Baroud, Robert Inkalesh and Miko Peled to discuss the so-called “Deal of the Century,” a plan promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump together with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as Israel’s annexation plans for the Jordan Valley located in the Palestinian West Bank, and the implications of the so-called deal for Palestine and the broader region.
Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a Palestinian-American journalist, media consultant, author, columnist, and editor of Palestine Chronicle. He is a former Managing Editor of Middle East Eye and former Deputy Managing Editor of Al Jazeera online. He has authored five books and a contributor to many others, the latest of which is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggles and Defiance in Israeli Prisons.”
Miko Peled is an Israeli-American human rights activist. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
Robert Inkalesh is a journalist, writer and political analyst who has lived in and reported from the occupied Palestinian West Bank. His latest documentary film, “Steal Of The Century’ Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe,” premiered in June and can be viewed for free on YouTube.
The Netanyahu-led Israeli government was expected to initiate its plan to annex as much as 35 percent of the West Bank in the Jordan Valley earlier this week, formally declaring it part of Israel along guidelines laid out in President Trump and his son in law Jared Kushner’s so-called “Deal of the Century.” After international criticism and even caution from some members of the U.S. Congress, a delay in the plan has been announced. Nonetheless, critics fear that Israel will begin annexing Palestinian land soon.
Israel’s annexation of the region would put the over 70,000 Palestinians under full Israeli authority, giving the Israeli military control over all movement, agriculture, water, and all imports and exports, forcing residents to endure apartheid-like conditions experienced by those living in Gaza.
The plan would also cut out a part of the West Bank, allowing Israel to encircle the region militarily and control all Palestinian access to the outside world similar to the apartheid-like policies it carries out in Gaza. Not only does Trump’s so-called Deal of the Century hand de facto control to the Israeli military over all Palestinian movement, but it also opens up the doors to over 100,000 illegal Jewish only colonies on indigenous Palestinian land and prevents the two million Palestinian refugees who have the legal grounds to return to their land from ever doing so.
The move is nothing short of territorial conquest and military occupation as defined by the United Nations Charter and the annexation is illegal under International Law. Indeed, the United Nations’ High Commissioner on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has declared Israel’s annexation plans both “illegal” and “disastrous.” This will, without a doubt, create another preventable man-made humanitarian disaster at the hands of Western powers that will fuel the military-industrial complex and stimulate profits off of the theft of indigenous land and blood of indigenous people. If the plan is not stopped, the West Bank could very well become a sprawling open-air prison and ghetto similar to Gaza.
Despite the international opposition, Israel enjoys full support from the United States, the world’s only superpower, and plans to complete the annexation before Trump’s reelection run in November.
This program is 100 percent listener supported! You can join the hundreds of financial sponsors who make this show possible by becoming a member on our Patreon page.
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud. Please leave us a review and share this segment.
Mnar Muhawesh is founder, CEO and editor in chief of MintPress News, and is also a regular speaker on responsible journalism, sexism, neoconservativism within the media and journalism start-ups.


mintpressnews--2020-07-06--Guaido Representative Threatens FBI Investigation Into Journalists Exposing Her Dealings

Vanessa Neumann , the U.K. ambassador of self-declared President of Venezuela , Juan Guaidó , claims that she is working closely with the FBI in an investigation exposing a “ transnational criminal network ” of journalists , including John McEvoy , Pablo Navarette , independent outlet Venezuelanalysis and former MintPress News contributor Camila Escalante .
From the Twitter account of her communications firm , Asymmetrica , Neumann said that the four sources were involved in a “ criminal conspiracy ” supporting Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez .
“ There is a price on your head ” she informed them , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guys.
” Neumann was tweeting from an organizational account because earlier she tweeted “ death to Maduro !
” from her personal account .
After serious pushback online she claimed she had been hacked , she also claimed that “ disseminating false information , ” by which she appears to mean commenting on or retweeting her “ death to Maduro ” outburst , is a crime that the FBI is looking into .
MintPress spoke with McEvoy today , who seemed baffled by the affair , saying : Using documents obtained under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigative journalist , had recently revealed how Neumann was secretly meeting with the U.K. government to coordinate the overthrow of Maduro and discuss a “ reconstruction ” plan that promoted the interests of British corporations in a Guaidó-led Venezuela , adding fuel to speculation that this is an attempt to silence journalists .
The United Kingdom is one of the key supporters of Guaidó , who proclaimed himself president of Venezuela in January 2019 , despite never standing for the position .
He maintains he is the legitimate head of state despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognizing him as such .
His own political party , ironically named Popular Will , expelled him in January .
Last week a U.K. court rejected President Maduro ’ s attempts to access his country ’ s $ 1 billion gold reserves held in the Bank of England on the grounds that Guaidó was the legitimate ruler of Venezuela , a decision compared to modern piracy by many .
It was also revealed that Donald Trump used at least $ 601 million of confiscated Venezuelan money to build his border wall with Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington as well .
On July 3 , Venezuela ’ s Independence Day , the State Department announced that it “ remains committed to supporting Venezuela ’ s peaceful , democratic transition and free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections.
” Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released an almost identical statement : “ On this Venezuelan Independence Day , my thoughts are with Venezuelans who continue to work tirelessly for the cause of democracy .
It ’ s time for free and fair elections so that the Venezuelan people can turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maduro regime , ” he wrote .
Guaidó was a guest of honor at Trump ’ s State of the Union address in February , where he received a standing ovation from Democrats and Republicans alike .
A May poll of Venezuelans found only 4.1 percent believed Guaidó was capable of governing the country .
The U.S. and U.K. have not managed to convince the international community to recognize Guaidó , nor to overthrow the Maduro administration , despite many attempts .
The two countries have supported at least six separate coup attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which have failed .
In May , a group of mercenaries led by ex-Green Berets attempted an amphibious invasion of the country , intending to shoot their way to the presidential palace .
However , the highly trained , well-armed fighters were immediately overpowered by a handful of disgruntled members of the House of Socialist Fishermen collective in the sleepy coastal village of Chuao , the event being christened the “ Bay of Piglets ” fiasco by the New Yorker .
Leaked documents show that Guaidó had agreed that the mercenaries were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , after the coup , they were to become leaders in his private death squad , suppressing any dissent to his rule .
In joining the coup , the mercenaries were attempting to collect a $ 15 million bounty the U.S. government had placed on Maduro ’ s head , the soldiers believing they had Washington ’ s approval to do so .
It is in this context that McEvoy found Neumann ’ s choice of words so distasteful .
“ To say that there is a ‘ price on your head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real price that the U.S. , in collaboration with the Venezuelan opposition , has put on the heads of Venezuelan officials , ” he told MintPress .
“ It seems that no amount of scandals , crises , and violent acts can dissuade these organizations from associating with the Venezuelan opposition .
The next time Neumann feels the urge to take to Twitter to attack U.K.- and Latin America-based journalists , I would advise her to refrain , and avoid embarrassing herself any further.
” Few people seem to believe Neumann .
Indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even strong critics of the Maduro administration who applauded the U.S. sanctions .
“ Let me see if I understand .
As part of a struggle against an undemocratic government that uses false accusations and judicial harassment against its opponents , Juan Guaidó ’ s ambassador to the U.K. Vanessa Neumann is not trying to weaponize the FBI to harass and intimidate her critics ?
” asked David Smilde of the Washington Office on Latin America .
Seeing as her claims appear to be backfiring , perhaps the best course of action would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
It would be in keeping with the bluff-heavy Guaidó playbook .
Feature photo | Vanessa Neumann is pictured with disgraced Trump advisor John Bolton in Aug , 2019 .
Photo | @ vanessaneumann Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Vanessa Neumann, the U.K. ambassador of self-declared President of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, claims that she is working closely with the FBI in an investigation exposing a “transnational criminal network” of journalists, including John McEvoy, Pablo Navarette, independent outlet Venezuelanalysis and former MintPress News contributor Camila Escalante.
From the Twitter account of her communications firm, Asymmetrica, Neumann said that the four sources were involved in a “criminal conspiracy” supporting Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez. “There is a price on your head” she informed them, “welcome to the rule of law, guys.”
Extraordinary and unacceptable threats by a woman of unknown diplomatic status against a British journalist on British soil. Juan Guaido’s overseas team very unhappy with those pursuing Freedom of Information requests – but why? ‘Democratic opposition’ meh pic.twitter.com/frIW7VqVVS — Julia Buxton (@BuxtonJulia) July 6, 2020
Neumann was tweeting from an organizational account because earlier she tweeted “death to Maduro!” from her personal account. After serious pushback online she claimed she had been hacked, she also claimed that “disseminating false information,” by which she appears to mean commenting on or retweeting her “death to Maduro” outburst, is a crime that the FBI is looking into.
MintPress spoke with McEvoy today, who seemed baffled by the affair, saying:
The accusations made against myself and other journalists by Asymmetrica, owned by Juan Guaidó’s UK representative Vanessa Neumann, are at once serious and laughable. Without basis, Neumann has accused various journalists of forming part of a ‘transnational crime network’ and ‘hacking’ her Twitter account, adding that there is a ‘price on your head’. This is no way for anybody, let alone a ‘diplomat’, to behave – and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office should now seriously reconsider its recognition of her in the UK.”
Using documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, McEvoy, an investigative journalist, had recently revealed how Neumann was secretly meeting with the U.K. government to coordinate the overthrow of Maduro and discuss a “reconstruction” plan that promoted the interests of British corporations in a Guaidó-led Venezuela, adding fuel to speculation that this is an attempt to silence journalists.
Days after she called for the death of Venezuelan President @NicolasMaduro, Guaidó shadow puppet @vanessaneumann threatens a journalist’s life bc he exposed her plot to loot Venezuela What is she smoking? Imperialist elitism is a helluva drug https://t.co/sR7pAloEDQ — Anya Parampil (@anyaparampil) July 5, 2020
Juan Guaidó’s tenuous claim to power
The United Kingdom is one of the key supporters of Guaidó, who proclaimed himself president of Venezuela in January 2019, despite never standing for the position. He maintains he is the legitimate head of state despite only 3 percent of the Venezuelan population recognizing him as such. In January, he parted ways with the ironically-named Popular Will party. Last week a U.K. court rejected President Maduro’s attempts to access his country’s $1 billion gold reserves held in the Bank of England on the grounds that Guaidó was the legitimate ruler of Venezuela, a decision compared to modern piracy by many. It was also revealed that Donald Trump used at least $601 million of confiscated Venezuelan money to build his border wall with Mexico.
There is bipartisan support for Guaidó in Washington as well. On July 3, Venezuela’s Independence Day, the State Department announced that it “remains committed to supporting Venezuela’s peaceful, democratic transition and free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections.” Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released an almost identical statement: “On this Venezuelan Independence Day, my thoughts are with Venezuelans who continue to work tirelessly for the cause of democracy. It’s time for free and fair elections so that the Venezuelan people can turn the page on the corrupt and repressive Maduro regime,” he wrote. Guaidó was a guest of honor at Trump’s State of the Union address in February, where he received a standing ovation from Democrats and Republicans alike. A May poll of Venezuelans found only 4.1 percent believed Guaidó was capable of governing the country.
The U.S. and U.K. have not managed to convince the international community to recognize Guaidó, nor to overthrow the Maduro administration, despite many attempts. The two countries have supported at least six separate coup attempts by Guaidó since January 2019, all of which have failed. In May, a group of mercenaries led by ex-Green Berets attempted an amphibious invasion of the country, intending to shoot their way to the presidential palace. However, the highly trained, well-armed fighters were immediately overpowered by a handful of disgruntled members of the House of Socialist Fishermen collective in the sleepy coastal village of Chuao, the event being christened the “Bay of Piglets” fiasco by the New Yorker. Leaked documents show that Guaidó had agreed that the mercenaries were allowed to kill anyone they pleased and that, after the coup, they were to become leaders in his private death squad, suppressing any dissent to his rule. In joining the coup, the mercenaries were attempting to collect a $15 million bounty the U.S. government had placed on Maduro’s head, the soldiers believing they had Washington’s approval to do so.
It is in this context that McEvoy found Neumann’s choice of words so distasteful. “To say that there is a ‘price on your head’ is especially sinister given the very real price that the U.S., in collaboration with the Venezuelan opposition, has put on the heads of Venezuelan officials,” he told MintPress. “It seems that no amount of scandals, crises, and violent acts can dissuade these organizations from associating with the Venezuelan opposition. The next time Neumann feels the urge to take to Twitter to attack U.K.- and Latin America-based journalists, I would advise her to refrain, and avoid embarrassing herself any further.”
Few people seem to believe Neumann. Indeed, her attacks have shocked and alienated even strong critics of the Maduro administration who applauded the U.S. sanctions. “Let me see if I understand. As part of a struggle against an undemocratic government that uses false accusations and judicial harassment against its opponents, Juan Guaidó’s ambassador to the U.K. Vanessa Neumann is not trying to weaponize the FBI to harass and intimidate her critics?” asked David Smilde of the Washington Office on Latin America. Seeing as her claims appear to be backfiring, perhaps the best course of action would be to claim her account was hacked again. It would be in keeping with the bluff-heavy Guaidó playbook.
Editor’s note | A previous version of this article stated that Juan Guaidó was expelled from the Popular Will party, the wording has been changed to reflect the fact that Guaidó resigned from the party. We regret the error.
Feature photo | Vanessa Neumann is pictured with disgraced Trump advisor John Bolton in Aug, 2019. Photo | @vanessaneumann
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-07-06--Fire-Engulfed California Short on Firefighters as Prison “Slaves” Under COVID-19 Lockdown

It is the height of California ’ s dangerous forest fire season .
But despite blazes currently raging , the state ’ s fire department is dangerously understaffed .
That is because many firefighters today are not the burly full time professionals of another era , but underpaid convict laborers risking their lives for pennies .
Almost 40 percent of California ’ s firefighters are prisoners .
But the state ’ s penitentiaries are themselves ablaze with COVID-19 outbreaks , leading to widespread lockdowns in what has become a routine for American ’ s dealing with competing crises .
Jails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission of the coronavirus .
At the notorious San Quentin State Prison just north of San Francisco , there are nearly 1,400 active cases .
Meanwhile , the state has announced the deaths from COVID-19 of 16 inmates at the California Institute for Men in Chino , San Bernardino County .
In response to the crisis , prison authorities have enacted strict lockdowns , including at CCC Susanville , the home of the wildfire training program , where there are 224 confirmed active cases of the virus .
This is severely hampering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with the fire department tackling blazes , around 2,200 in the front line , and 900 in support roles .
Only those with the least serious convictions are considered .
Prisoners are paid between $ 2.90 and $ 5.12 per day ( less than the average income of a sweatshop laborer in Nicaragua ) , plus $ 1 per hour of hazard pay during active emergency situations like the deadly fires that engulfed the state late last year .
They work alongside full-time firefighters making an average of $ 91,000 per year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do the harder , less desirable , or more dangerous tasks , leading to multiple deaths in recent years .
This has led to widespread condemnation of the practice as akin to “ modern slavery , ” especially because inmates are effectively barred from even applying to the fire department once their sentences are over .
In order to become a firefighter , an emergency medical technician license is required , something that is all but impossible to achieve with a criminal record .
Despite this , prisoners still “ volunteer ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the alternative : more time locked up .
The practice is a perfectly neoliberal solution to the growing threat of climate change .
The 2019-2020 winter was among the driest on record , with much of Northern California seeing no rain whatsoever in February , leading to forest fires far earlier than usual .
Instead of wholesale changes in energy production or consumption , or a great increase in professional firefighters , the state has opted to use extremely cheap prison labor to tackle the inevitable blazes .
The measure allows for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budgets , while also acting as a check on wage and working condition demands from public unions , as the threat of being replaced by someone who is effectively a slave , increases .
There are currently two active fires in Morgan Hill , just south of San Jose .
Local officials announced that around 1,750 acres had been burned in total , with local evacuations starting Sunday afternoon .
While the Fire Department said they were making good progress tackling the problem , the low humidity and gusty winds made conditions ripe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a separate fire burning at least 1,100 acres of land in Santa Clarita , just north of Los Angeles , with approximately 400 firefighters , including at least some prison laborers , attempting to confront the inferno .
Meanwhile , after extinguishing a large fire in Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe , the Fire Department is currently reopening roads and assessing the damage caused .
Thus , due to the state ’ s overreliance on what is effectively coerced labor , it is unable to adequately combat a perennial foe due .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus is exposing the limitations of the current system we live under .
Fighting fire with prison labor , it transpires , does not work during a pandemic .
Today the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 3 million in the United States , including 264,832 in California .
Feature photo | Inmate firefighters , left , battle the Quail Fire burning near Winters , California , on Sunday , June 7 , 2020 .
Noah Berger | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

It is the height of California’s dangerous forest fire season. But despite blazes currently raging, the state’s fire department is dangerously understaffed. That is because many firefighters today are not the burly full time professionals of another era, but underpaid convict laborers risking their lives for pennies. Almost 40 percent of California’s firefighters are prisoners. But the state’s penitentiaries are themselves ablaze with COVID-19 outbreaks, leading to widespread lockdowns in what has become a routine for American’s dealing with competing crises.
Jails have been among the deadliest hotspots for transmission of the coronavirus. At the notorious San Quentin State Prison just north of San Francisco, there are nearly 1,400 active cases. Meanwhile, the state has announced the deaths from COVID-19 of 16 inmates at the California Institute for Men in Chino, San Bernardino County. In response to the crisis, prison authorities have enacted strict lockdowns, including at CCC Susanville, the home of the wildfire training program, where there are 224 confirmed active cases of the virus.
This is severely hampering the fight against wildfires. Approximately 3,100 inmates work with the fire department tackling blazes, around 2,200 in the front line, and 900 in support roles. Only those with the least serious convictions are considered. Prisoners are paid between $2.90 and $5.12 per day (less than the average income of a sweatshop laborer in Nicaragua), plus $1 per hour of hazard pay during active emergency situations like the deadly fires that engulfed the state late last year. They work alongside full-time firefighters making an average of $91,000 per year before overtime pay and bonuses but tend to do the harder, less desirable, or more dangerous tasks, leading to multiple deaths in recent years. This has led to widespread condemnation of the practice as akin to “modern slavery,” especially because inmates are effectively barred from even applying to the fire department once their sentences are over. In order to become a firefighter, an emergency medical technician license is required, something that is all but impossible to achieve with a criminal record. Despite this, prisoners still “volunteer” as the work is far more fulfilling than the alternative: more time locked up.
The practice is a perfectly neoliberal solution to the growing threat of climate change. The 2019-2020 winter was among the driest on record, with much of Northern California seeing no rain whatsoever in February, leading to forest fires far earlier than usual. Instead of wholesale changes in energy production or consumption, or a great increase in professional firefighters, the state has opted to use extremely cheap prison labor to tackle the inevitable blazes. The measure allows for the government to continue cutting public service budgets, while also acting as a check on wage and working condition demands from public unions, as the threat of being replaced by someone who is effectively a slave, increases.
There are currently two active fires in Morgan Hill, just south of San Jose. Local officials announced that around 1,750 acres had been burned in total, with local evacuations starting Sunday afternoon. While the Fire Department said they were making good progress tackling the problem, the low humidity and gusty winds made conditions ripe for more wildfires.
https://twitter.com/Sudheer_reddy_d/status/1279930882954936325
#SoledadFire LACoFD LAFD ANF 3rd alarm brush response, 150 acres potential 500+ moving quickly NE, request for Heavy tankers, 14 frwy closed both directions. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/vAtE3bjd42 — Kevin Takumi (@KevinTakumi) July 5, 2020
The conditions caused a separate fire burning at least 1,100 acres of land in Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles, with approximately 400 firefighters, including at least some prison laborers, attempting to confront the inferno. Meanwhile, after extinguishing a large fire in Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe, the Fire Department is currently reopening roads and assessing the damage caused.
Thus, due to the state’s overreliance on what is effectively coerced labor, it is unable to adequately combat a perennial foe due. Like with the dysfunctional health system, the coronavirus is exposing the limitations of the current system we live under. Fighting fire with prison labor, it transpires, does not work during a pandemic.
Today the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 3 million in the United States, including 264,832 in California.
Feature photo | Inmate firefighters, left, battle the Quail Fire burning near Winters, California, on Sunday, June 7, 2020. Noah Berger | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-07-07--The Merging of US and Israeli National Security States is Accelerating Amid COVID-19

A two-pronged initiative by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Homeland Security is set to substantially increase Israel ’ s already significant role in America ’ s digital health , artificial intelligence ( AI ) , critical health infrastructure , as well as law enforcement , public and border protection and other key sectors .
Citing “ health challenges ” posed by COVID-19 , the U.S.-Israel Business Initiative ( USIBI ) , a venture of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , is advancing a new eight-point policy framework to facilitate a “ more robust bilateral collaboration ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ potential ” of technologies emerging out of Israel relating to telehealth , robotic diagnostics and AI-powered applications in healthcare .
In a recent article , investigative reporter Whitney Webb uncovered the deep Israeli military roots of virtually every “ health ” tech startup to emerge in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and their extensive relationships with the U.S. government at both the federal and state level .
Regarding the policy framework , Webb stated that it was likely “ part of a broader effort aimed at using the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies , particularly in the “ digital health ” sector , into the U.S. technology ecosystem .
Many , if not the vast majority , of these companies ” , she continued , “ were either founded by ex-members of Israeli intelligence or military intelligence , but also serve as contractors to Israel ’ s government or its military.
” The policy paper issued by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was developed by a “ working group ” of unnamed “ leading global companies , investors , scientists , academics , and medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer lists their members on their website , archived pages from 2017 show large multinationals like Procter & Gamble , GE , and Caterpillar on the membership rolls , along with the Las Vega Sands Corporation , owned by Sheldon Adelson – the single biggest donor in all of U.S. politics , and TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries , Ltd. ; an American-Israeli generic drug manufacturer that was sued last year by 44 U.S. states for orchestrating a price-fixing scheme with 19 other companies .
TEVA recently pulled out of settlement talks with the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration will not pursue further charges against them in the midst of the pandemic given that TEVA is among the companies making the President ’ s most hyped COVID-19 remedy , hydroxychloroquine .
The mystery behind their currently unpublished member list might be explained by what Webb described as “ a policy that has been acknowledged by Israel ’ s government where intelligence operations are spun off into private entities and merged into large multinational corporations , specifically in the U.S. , with the ultimate goal of ensuring cyber supremacy for Israel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and popularity of the non-violent Boycott , Divestment , and Sanctions movement in the United States.
” First on the list of USIBI ’ s policy recommendations is the creation of a fund to support research and development for “ technologies with commercial application in the health sector ” modeled on the U.S.-Israel Energy Center of Excellence , which foments similar public-private partnerships in the energy sector .
Second on the list is strengthening the relationship between Israel ’ s Ministry of Health and its U.S. counterpart , HHS , and satellite organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and BARDA .
Three of the eight points focus on intellectual property protections for Israeli biologics , artificial intelligence and their implementation in a new “ U.S.-Israel Digital Trade Agreement ” which will “ foster open access to government-generated public data ” and “ promote government-to-government collaboration on cybersecurity issues.
” The proposed framework also calls for the establishment of a “ Health Attaché ” at Israel ’ s U.S. embassy and vice versa to “ ensure continuity in government efforts ” surrounding the policy recommendations .
The Department of Homeland Security has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for collaboration between the U.S. and Israel .
In a press release from June 23 , 2020 , the Under Secretary for Science and Technology William N. Bryan , officially renewed the five-year-old program with a special focus on “ the toughest challenges facing our missions today.
” These include : combating cybercrime , securing critical infrastructure and public facilities , safe and secure cities , and unmanned aerial systems among others .
The call for proposals was outlined in a joint initiative between the U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development ( BIRD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Public Security ( MOPS ) , funded by DHS to “ fulfill critical homeland security needs in both countries.
” MOPS oversees Israel ’ s border police and prison system , while the BIRD foundation has been promoting ” cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies ” since 1977 and receives 50 percent of its funding from DHS ’ Science and Technology program .
Proposals are due in September and will be awarded in December of this year .
The implications for the average American citizen are far-reaching .
As Webb explains , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by these Israeli companies use AI or “ digital solutions ” require the accumulation of vast amounts of private medical and demographic data ; data which is then shared with these foreign companies and their partners and clients , representing a clear threat to privacy.
” But , privacy is hardly the only concern .
“ Many of these companies that are now marketing these “ healthcare ” solutions , ” says Webb , “ were previously contractors for the IDF and used surveillance and predictive policing on Palestinians in occupied Palestine.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues , “ have been rebranded as health surveillance and as helping to predict future outbreaks of coronavirus , despite there being no data or case studies to show that such technological solutions have been effective .
in fact , some of these programs , when piloted in Israel , were found to actually hamper the ability of Israeli physicians to respond to the pandemic.
” The dovetailing interests between the U.S. national security state and Israel are nothing new .
Since its founding in 1948 to the present , American support of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been virtually unwavering and has served an Atlanticist agenda in the region and beyond .
But the level of interdependence in areas of technology and security has grown exponentially over the last two decades , in particular .
The burgeoning presence of Israeli security firms in the U.S. should be of special concern given the murderous treatment it extends to Palestinians in the Gaza and the West Bank , not to mention the draconian policies embedded in its own domestic policies .
Artificial intelligence , in particular , is being peppered over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several institutions , including the U.S.-Israel organization known as Start-up Nation Central , have partnered with Israel ’ s government to specifically market Israeli AI-based “ healthcare ” companies to foreign countries , ” according to Webb .
“ Israel , ” she states , “ promotes itself as a world leader in AI , and part of this has to do with the extreme patronage of Israel ’ s government , intelligence-linked VC firms , and wealthy Zionists into this field .
However , the greatest contributor of all has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Israel ’ s national security state that produce AI algorithms , either for the military and intelligence , that are then repurposed and commercialized through these start-ups and start-up accelerators .
“ Many of those algorithms , ” she elaborated , “ such as those produced by the IDF ’ s Unit 8200 , are heavily subsidized by the $ 3.8 billion a year that Israel ’ s military receives in aid from the United States .
Using the coronavirus crisis is a major selling point and has helped launch a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply into our lives , with the field of healthcare being just one example.
” Feature photo | An Israeli man is tested by a healthcare worker for coronavirus at a drive-thru testing center in Tel Aviv , July 6 , 2020 .
Sebastian Scheiner | AP

A two-pronged initiative by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Homeland Security is set to substantially increase Israel’s already significant role in America’s digital health, artificial intelligence (AI), critical health infrastructure, as well as law enforcement, public and border protection and other key sectors.
Citing “health challenges” posed by COVID-19, the U.S.-Israel Business Initiative (USIBI), a venture of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is advancing a new eight-point policy framework to facilitate a “more robust bilateral collaboration” between Israeli and American companies to realize the “potential” of technologies emerging out of Israel relating to telehealth, robotic diagnostics and AI-powered applications in healthcare.
In a recent article, investigative reporter Whitney Webb uncovered the deep Israeli military roots of virtually every “health” tech startup to emerge in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and their extensive relationships with the U.S. government at both the federal and state level. Regarding the policy framework, Webb stated that it was likely “part of a broader effort aimed at using the coronavirus crisis to facilitate the integration of Israeli tech companies, particularly in the “digital health” sector, into the U.S. technology ecosystem. Many, if not the vast majority, of these companies”, she continued, “were either founded by ex-members of Israeli intelligence or military intelligence, but also serve as contractors to Israel’s government or its military.”
The policy paper issued by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was developed by a “working group” of unnamed “leading global companies, investors, scientists, academics, and medical experts”. While the USIBI no longer lists their members on their website, archived pages from 2017 show large multinationals like Procter & Gamble, GE, and Caterpillar on the membership rolls, along with the Las Vega Sands Corporation, owned by Sheldon Adelson – the single biggest donor in all of U.S. politics, and TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd.; an American-Israeli generic drug manufacturer that was sued last year by 44 U.S. states for orchestrating a price-fixing scheme with 19 other companies. TEVA recently pulled out of settlement talks with the Department of Justice, betting that the Trump administration will not pursue further charges against them in the midst of the pandemic given that TEVA is among the companies making the President’s most hyped COVID-19 remedy, hydroxychloroquine.
Cui Bono?
The mystery behind their currently unpublished member list might be explained by what Webb described as “a policy that has been acknowledged by Israel’s government where intelligence operations are spun off into private entities and merged into large multinational corporations, specifically in the U.S., with the ultimate goal of ensuring cyber supremacy for Israel’s high-tech startups and mitigating the successes and popularity of the non-violent Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement in the United States.”
First on the list of USIBI’s policy recommendations is the creation of a fund to support research and development for “technologies with commercial application in the health sector” modeled on the U.S.-Israel Energy Center of Excellence, which foments similar public-private partnerships in the energy sector.
Second on the list is strengthening the relationship between Israel’s Ministry of Health and its U.S. counterpart, HHS, and satellite organizations, such as the NIH, CDC and BARDA. Three of the eight points focus on intellectual property protections for Israeli biologics, artificial intelligence and their implementation in a new “U.S.-Israel Digital Trade Agreement” which will “foster open access to government-generated public data” and “promote government-to-government collaboration on cybersecurity issues.”
The proposed framework also calls for the establishment of a “Health Attaché” at Israel’s U.S. embassy and vice versa to “ensure continuity in government efforts” surrounding the policy recommendations.
The Department of Homeland Security has likewise issued its own “solicitation” for collaboration between the U.S. and Israel. In a press release from June 23, 2020, the Under Secretary for Science and Technology William N. Bryan, officially renewed the five-year-old program with a special focus on “the toughest challenges facing our missions today.” These include: combating cybercrime, securing critical infrastructure and public facilities, safe and secure cities, and unmanned aerial systems among others.
Diversification
The call for proposals was outlined in a joint initiative between the U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation and Israel’s Ministry of Public Security (MOPS), funded by DHS to “fulfill critical homeland security needs in both countries.” MOPS oversees Israel’s border police and prison system, while the BIRD foundation has been promoting” cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies” since 1977 and receives 50 percent of its funding from DHS’ Science and Technology program. Proposals are due in September and will be awarded in December of this year.
The implications for the average American citizen are far-reaching. As Webb explains, “these health “solutions” offered by these Israeli companies use AI or “digital solutions” require the accumulation of vast amounts of private medical and demographic data; data which is then shared with these foreign companies and their partners and clients, representing a clear threat to privacy.”
But, privacy is hardly the only concern. “Many of these companies that are now marketing these “healthcare” solutions,” says Webb, “were previously contractors for the IDF and used surveillance and predictive policing on Palestinians in occupied Palestine.”
“Those same algorithms,” she continues, “have been rebranded as health surveillance and as helping to predict future outbreaks of coronavirus, despite there being no data or case studies to show that such technological solutions have been effective. in fact, some of these programs, when piloted in Israel, were found to actually hamper the ability of Israeli physicians to respond to the pandemic.”
The dovetailing interests between the U.S. national security state and Israel are nothing new. Since its founding in 1948 to the present, American support of the Middle East’s apartheid state has been virtually unwavering and has served an Atlanticist agenda in the region and beyond.
But the level of interdependence in areas of technology and security has grown exponentially over the last two decades, in particular. The burgeoning presence of Israeli security firms in the U.S. should be of special concern given the murderous treatment it extends to Palestinians in the Gaza and the West Bank, not to mention the draconian policies embedded in its own domestic policies.
Artificial intelligence, in particular, is being peppered over practically Israeli tech startup initiatives as “several institutions, including the U.S.-Israel organization known as Start-up Nation Central, have partnered with Israel’s government to specifically market Israeli AI-based “healthcare” companies to foreign countries,” according to Webb. “Israel,” she states, “promotes itself as a world leader in AI, and part of this has to do with the extreme patronage of Israel’s government, intelligence-linked VC firms, and wealthy Zionists into this field. However, the greatest contributor of all has been the blurring of the line between the aspects of Israel’s national security state that produce AI algorithms, either for the military and intelligence, that are then repurposed and commercialized through these start-ups and start-up accelerators.
“Many of those algorithms,” she elaborated, “such as those produced by the IDF’s Unit 8200, are heavily subsidized by the $3.8 billion a year that Israel’s military receives in aid from the United States. Using the coronavirus crisis is a major selling point and has helped launch a major push towards worldwide integration of AI more deeply into our lives, with the field of healthcare being just one example.”
Feature photo | An Israeli man is tested by a healthcare worker for coronavirus at a drive-thru testing center in Tel Aviv, July 6, 2020. Sebastian Scheiner | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.