mintpressnews--2020-03-02--Media Hype Over Coronavirus is Spreading Faster Than the Virus Itself

Fear over Covid-19 , the deadly strain of novel coronavirus , appears to be spreading even faster than the virus itself , as the subject continues to dominate the media .
CNN , for example , has produced nearly 1,200 articles mentioning the outbreak , Fox News over 1,300 .
NBC News has added a coronavirus tab to its homepage , putting it on equal footing as business , world and sports And at the time of writing , two-thirds of the stories on Reuters ’ newswire in the previous hour were on the subject , pushing other topics to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry has been irresponsible clickbait reporting describing the virus as an “ uncontrollable…pandemic ” and the “ end of the world.
” Yet the worldwide focus on the coronavirus has highlighted the deep inequalities in how some maladies are covered and others are simply ignored .
Just over 3,000 people have died after contracting the virus since the first reported case on December 1 .
Over the same time period , a condition like diarrhea typically kills around 550,000 , according to the World Health Organization – something that could easily be remedied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around nine million people die of hunger or hunger-related conditions every year , according to Mercy Corps – an average of one person every three seconds .
Yet these shocking realities that rival the worst predictions of what the coronavirus could bring are ignored as mundane , business-as-usual non-stories by comparison .
Over 800 million people – one in nine – go to bed hungry every night , with 98 percent of those people living in the global south .
Hunger is responsible for nearly half of all deaths of children under five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue , as sixty percent of the world ’ s hungry are female .
If mothers are hungry , it affects their children through potential complications in childbirth , less nutritious milk and less attentive care .
Hunger , especially in childhood , often leads to stunted development , both physical and mental , and increases the risk of chronic illness , meaning that it effectively steals children ’ s futures away from them .
Even new and devastating outbreaks of starvation are frequently ignored – if it is politically expedient to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7.4 million Yemenis need treatment for malnutrition and a further 18 million lack access to safe drinking water .
This comes as a direct consequence of the Western-backed Saudi attack on the country .
Yet because of the U.S. government ’ s position of supporting the Saudis , the humanitarian crisis has largely been ignored in the media .
Even in the United States malnutrition is a serious problem .
37 million Americans struggle with hunger , according to U.S. charity Feeding America , whose research shows that no state in the union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent .
In other words , you wouldn ’ t have to go far to find the problem .
Yet the press and the political class are largely uninterested firstly because the victims of those conditions are universally poor and secondly because they are the direct victims of a system that allocates resources , including the most basic , such as food and shelter , on the ability to pay , rather than on need .
Thus , highlighting them would be an indictment of capitalism itself .
In contrast , the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SARS or bird flu , is a virus that the rich could contract , as it is often transmitted internationally through people traveling on airplanes .
Just as “ dog bites man ” is not a story , but “ man bites dog ” makes the news , the world ’ s poor dying of easily preventable conditions is just an everyday occurrence .
A similar phenomenon sociologists discuss is called the missing white woman syndrome , where richer white people who go missing are given far more press attention than poorer people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization have stressed that there is little cause for panic and there are a number of straightforward precautions that can be taken to combat the spread of the virus .
Those include washing your hands with soap and water a few times per day , maintaining a three-foot distance between you and anyone displaying flu-like symptoms and refraining from touching your face with dirty hands .
Feature photo | European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , left , speaks during a media conference regarding COVID-19 at the Emergency Response Coordination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
Virginia Mayo | 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 .

Fear over Covid-19, the deadly strain of novel coronavirus, appears to be spreading even faster than the virus itself, as the subject continues to dominate the media. CNN, for example, has produced nearly 1,200 articles mentioning the outbreak, Fox News over 1,300. NBC News has added a coronavirus tab to its homepage, putting it on equal footing as business, world and sports And at the time of writing, two-thirds of the stories on Reuters’ newswire in the previous hour were on the subject, pushing other topics to the wayside. Certainly not helping the worry has been irresponsible clickbait reporting describing the virus as an “uncontrollable…pandemic” and the “end of the world.”
Yet the worldwide focus on the coronavirus has highlighted the deep inequalities in how some maladies are covered and others are simply ignored. Just over 3,000 people have died after contracting the virus since the first reported case on December 1. Over the same time period, a condition like diarrhea typically kills around 550,000, according to the World Health Organization – something that could easily be remedied in virtually every case. Meanwhile, around nine million people die of hunger or hunger-related conditions every year, according to Mercy Corps – an average of one person every three seconds. Yet these shocking realities that rival the worst predictions of what the coronavirus could bring are ignored as mundane, business-as-usual non-stories by comparison.
Over 800 million people – one in nine – go to bed hungry every night, with 98 percent of those people living in the global south. Hunger is responsible for nearly half of all deaths of children under five. Starvation should be a key feminist issue, as sixty percent of the world’s hungry are female. If mothers are hungry, it affects their children through potential complications in childbirth, less nutritious milk and less attentive care. Hunger, especially in childhood, often leads to stunted development, both physical and mental, and increases the risk of chronic illness, meaning that it effectively steals children’s futures away from them.
Even new and devastating outbreaks of starvation are frequently ignored – if it is politically expedient to do so. The United Nations estimates that 7.4 million Yemenis need treatment for malnutrition and a further 18 million lack access to safe drinking water. This comes as a direct consequence of the Western-backed Saudi attack on the country. Yet because of the U.S. government’s position of supporting the Saudis, the humanitarian crisis has largely been ignored in the media.
Even in the United States malnutrition is a serious problem. 37 million Americans struggle with hunger, according to U.S. charity Feeding America, whose research shows that no state in the union has a food insecurity rate below seven percent. In other words, you wouldn’t have to go far to find the problem. Yet the press and the political class are largely uninterested firstly because the victims of those conditions are universally poor and secondly because they are the direct victims of a system that allocates resources, including the most basic, such as food and shelter, on the ability to pay, rather than on need. Thus, highlighting them would be an indictment of capitalism itself.
In contrast, the coronavirus, like the overblown media coverage of SARS or bird flu, is a virus that the rich could contract, as it is often transmitted internationally through people traveling on airplanes. Just as “dog bites man” is not a story, but “man bites dog” makes the news, the world’s poor dying of easily preventable conditions is just an everyday occurrence. A similar phenomenon sociologists discuss is called the missing white woman syndrome, where richer white people who go missing are given far more press attention than poorer people of color.
Health experts at the World Health Organization have stressed that there is little cause for panic and there are a number of straightforward precautions that can be taken to combat the spread of the virus. Those include washing your hands with soap and water a few times per day, maintaining a three-foot distance between you and anyone displaying flu-like symptoms and refraining from touching your face with dirty hands.
Feature photo | European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, speaks during a media conference regarding COVID-19 at the Emergency Response Coordination Center in Brussels, March 2, 2020. Virginia Mayo | 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--2020-03-02--In Case of Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak, New York Plans To Use Prison Labor to Dig Mass Graves

Two dozen new cases of Covid-19 , a deadly strain of novel coronavirus , were detected in the United States over the weekend , bringing the total to 42 , with 47 more U.S. nationals infected either in China or aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship .
Included in the 42 is New York City ’ s first case ; the patient in question is currently confined to her Manhattan home .
“ There is no cause for surprise – this was expected .
As I said from the beginning , it was a matter of when , not if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel coronavirus in New York , ” said Governor Andrew Cuomo , who last week called for the state legislature to pass $ 40 million in emergency management funds to confront the outbreak .
Yet even with the extra money , it seems clear that the city would be almost completely unprepared to handle a crisis on the scale that much of the media is hyping it up to be .
A new report by New York Magazine , based upon information from the Center for Disease Control ( CDC ) and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shows the Big Apple would be overwhelmed in the case of a Spanish Flu-like epidemic .
Last week Mayor de Blasio announced he had set aside an extra 1,200 hospital beds in case of need .
But a truly serious outbreak could see as many as 26,300 new patients per day arriving at hospitals .
Furthermore , the city has barely one sixth of the ventilators it would need in that situation , with medical masks also in perilously short supply .
Perhaps the most notable information from the report is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overrun , New York intends to use prison slave labor to dig mass graves : This policy is based on a document authored during Michael Bloomberg ’ s tenure as mayor , one that saw a more authoritarian approach taken to crime and policing .
Bloomberg is currently running for the Democratic presidential nomination .
Yet while the prospect of Harvey Weinstein and other inmates of the infamous prison being forced to come into contact with contaminated corpses might raise some eyebrows , New York prisoners already bury thousands of poor , homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graves containing up to 1,000 bodies on Hart Island , being paid $ 0.50 per hour for their labor .
More than one million people have been interred on the desolated island off limits to the public .
In the past , it has also been used as a quarantine station and a prison .
While the Chinese government has drawn praise for mobilizing its considerable resources , building multiple hospitals in a matter of days to house the infected , and effectively quarantining entire municipalities , the American response has been less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cut the CDC ’ s budget in February , proposed a tax cut in response to the virus .
The majority of American cases are located in the Pacific Northwest , with Washington state governor Jay Inslee , himself a former Democratic presidential candidate , declaring a state of emergency on Saturday .
In the United States , prisoners are leased out across the country to large corporations , who use their artificially cheap labor to reap huge profits .
Everything from McDonald ’ s uniforms to expensive lingerie to car parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have little option but to give their labor for as little as $ 0.12 per hour .
Meanwhile , many firefighters who tackled the California wildfires were actually incarcerated inmates making $ 1 per hour risking their lives .
And while governor of Arkansas , Bill Clinton used prison slave labor in and around his mansion to “ keep costs down.
” The coronavirus started in December in Wuhan , China and has spread to 58 countries , with over 89,000 people infected now confirmed .
As the virus has spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , however , there is opportunity , with the prices of basic medical masks rising by 10,000 percent in Italy as speculators take advantage over public fears .
Yet experts agree that wearing masks is ineffective , instead urging people simply to wash their hands regularly with soap and water and refrain from touching their faces .
Governor Cuomo stressed that “ there is no reason for undue anxiety.
” “ The general risk remains low in New York .
We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
However , if things get out of hand , the dark side of American society will be on display , as the exploitative prison industrial complex will be recruited to fight the virus .
Feature photo | In this May 23 , 2018 photo , each white marker denotes a mass grave of about 150 people on Hart Island in New York .
Seth Wenig | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Two dozen new cases of Covid-19, a deadly strain of novel coronavirus, were detected in the United States over the weekend, bringing the total to 42, with 47 more U.S. nationals infected either in China or aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Included in the 42 is New York City’s first case; the patient in question is currently confined to her Manhattan home.
“There is no cause for surprise – this was expected. As I said from the beginning, it was a matter of when, not if there would be a positive case of novel coronavirus in New York,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo, who last week called for the state legislature to pass $40 million in emergency management funds to confront the outbreak. Yet even with the extra money, it seems clear that the city would be almost completely unprepared to handle a crisis on the scale that much of the media is hyping it up to be.
A new report by New York Magazine, based upon information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and a 2008 New York City pandemic response plan, shows the Big Apple would be overwhelmed in the case of a Spanish Flu-like epidemic. Last week Mayor de Blasio announced he had set aside an extra 1,200 hospital beds in case of need. But a truly serious outbreak could see as many as 26,300 new patients per day arriving at hospitals. Furthermore, the city has barely one sixth of the ventilators it would need in that situation, with medical masks also in perilously short supply.
Perhaps the most notable information from the report is that if the city’s crematoria are overrun, New York intends to use prison slave labor to dig mass graves:
The city has plans to send corpses to Hart Island in the Long Island Sound where, in the late 19th century, yellow-fever patients were quarantined. Prisoners from Rikers Island would be ferried over to do the digging.”
This policy is based on a document authored during Michael Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor, one that saw a more authoritarian approach taken to crime and policing. Bloomberg is currently running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Yet while the prospect of Harvey Weinstein and other inmates of the infamous prison being forced to come into contact with contaminated corpses might raise some eyebrows, New York prisoners already bury thousands of poor, homeless or unidentified people in deep, mass graves containing up to 1,000 bodies on Hart Island, being paid $0.50 per hour for their labor. More than one million people have been interred on the desolated island off limits to the public. In the past, it has also been used as a quarantine station and a prison.
While the Chinese government has drawn praise for mobilizing its considerable resources, building multiple hospitals in a matter of days to house the infected, and effectively quarantining entire municipalities, the American response has been less impressive. President Trump, who attempted to cut the CDC’s budget in February, proposed a tax cut in response to the virus. The majority of American cases are located in the Pacific Northwest, with Washington state governor Jay Inslee, himself a former Democratic presidential candidate, declaring a state of emergency on Saturday.
In the United States, prisoners are leased out across the country to large corporations, who use their artificially cheap labor to reap huge profits. Everything from McDonald’s uniforms to expensive lingerie to car parts to Starbucks cups are manufactured by prisoners, who have little option but to give their labor for as little as $0.12 per hour. Meanwhile, many firefighters who tackled the California wildfires were actually incarcerated inmates making $1 per hour risking their lives. And while governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton used prison slave labor in and around his mansion to “keep costs down.”
The coronavirus started in December in Wuhan, China and has spread to 58 countries, with over 89,000 people infected now confirmed. As the virus has spread, so has anti-Chinese xenophobia. In crisis, however, there is opportunity, with the prices of basic medical masks rising by 10,000 percent in Italy as speculators take advantage over public fears. Yet experts agree that wearing masks is ineffective, instead urging people simply to wash their hands regularly with soap and water and refrain from touching their faces.
Governor Cuomo stressed that “there is no reason for undue anxiety.” “The general risk remains low in New York. We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information as it becomes available,” he said. However, if things get out of hand, the dark side of American society will be on display, as the exploitative prison industrial complex will be recruited to fight the virus.
Feature photo | In this May 23, 2018 photo, each white marker denotes a mass grave of about 150 people on Hart Island in New York. Seth Wenig | 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--2020-03-02--Podcast: Oliver Vargas on US Election Meddling In Bolivia and the Country’s Indigenous Uprising

Welcome to the re-launch of MintCast , the official weekly MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh and Whitney Webb .
MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices , independent researchers and journalists who the establishment would rather silence .
One such voice is independent Bolivian-British journalist Oliver Vargas .
He joins MintCast to discuss his exclusive on the ground coverage of the post-coup crisis in Bolivia , including the country ’ s upcoming elections scheduled to take place on May 3 .
Last November , the democratically-elected government of former Bolivian President Evo Morales was removed in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mexico and then to Argentina .
Morales and his party MAS have since faced persecution , with several political allies and former Morales ministers now imprisoned .
Other former ministers and officials have been forced to seek refuge in the Mexican embassy in the Bolivian capital of La Paz in order to avoid arrest .
In addition to the threats faced by Morales ’ political allies , his supporters have also faced aggression from the far-right post-coup government that has killed scores of unarmed protesters and wounded even more , especially in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite this , Morales ’ successor , Luis Arce , has emerged as the election frontrunner according to recent polls .
Bolivia ’ s so-called “ interim ” president Jeanine Áñe , however , has vowed to “ fight ” to stay in power , a move that has fragmented Bolivia ’ s pro-coup right , which has failed thus far in uniting in their effort to prevent Morales ’ MAS party from retaking power .
This backdrop has led many to worry that Bolivia ’ s upcoming election could be marred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , Morales himself — despite being in exile in Argentina — announced his plans to run for Bolivia ’ s Senate .
Following the announcement of his candidacy , Morales said he received numerous threats from the United States and was recently barred by a Bolivian court from running , a decision that Morales and his allies argue was orchestrated by the Trump administration .
Morales has said he plans to appeal the court ’ s decision .
Oliver Vargas joins us to discuss the latest election news from post-coup Bolivia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
You can join the hundreds of sponsors that 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 .
Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile .
She has contributed to several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EcoWatch , the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire , among others .
She has made several radio and television appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism .

Welcome to the re-launch of MintCast, the official weekly MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh and Whitney Webb. MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices, independent researchers and journalists who the establishment would rather silence.
One such voice is independent Bolivian-British journalist Oliver Vargas. He joins MintCast to discuss his exclusive on the ground coverage of the post-coup crisis in Bolivia, including the country’s upcoming elections scheduled to take place on May 3.
Last November, the democratically-elected government of former Bolivian President Evo Morales was removed in a U.S.-backed coup that forced him to flee to Mexico and then to Argentina. Morales and his party MAS have since faced persecution, with several political allies and former Morales ministers now imprisoned. Other former ministers and officials have been forced to seek refuge in the Mexican embassy in the Bolivian capital of La Paz in order to avoid arrest.
In addition to the threats faced by Morales’ political allies, his supporters have also faced aggression from the far-right post-coup government that has killed scores of unarmed protesters and wounded even more, especially in the early days that followed the coup.
Despite this, Morales’ successor, Luis Arce, has emerged as the election frontrunner according to recent polls. Bolivia’s so-called “interim” president Jeanine Áñe, however, has vowed to “fight” to stay in power, a move that has fragmented Bolivia’s pro-coup right, which has failed thus far in uniting in their effort to prevent Morales’ MAS party from retaking power. This backdrop has led many to worry that Bolivia’s upcoming election could be marred by fraud and manipulation.
Earlier this year, Morales himself — despite being in exile in Argentina — announced his plans to run for Bolivia’s Senate. Following the announcement of his candidacy, Morales said he received numerous threats from the United States and was recently barred by a Bolivian court from running, a decision that Morales and his allies argue was orchestrated by the Trump administration. Morales has said he plans to appeal the court’s decision.
Oliver Vargas joins us to discuss the latest election news from post-coup Bolivia.
This program is 100 percent listener supported! You can join the hundreds of sponsors that 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.
Feature photo | Graphic by Claudio Cabrera
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.
Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile. She has contributed to several independent media outlets including Global Research, EcoWatch, the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire, among others. She has made several radio and television appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism.


mintpressnews--2020-03-02--Imagining Return: Palestinians in Jordan’s Sprawling Refugee Camps Still Yearn for Home

Amman , Jordan — Abna ’ a Gaza ( the Children of Gaza ) is a status given to Palestinian refugees who fled from the Gaza Strip to Jordan in 1967 .
They fled during the 1967 war and consequent Israeli occupation of Gaza .
Today , over five decades later , these Palestinians who originally fled to Gaza from their homes in greater Palestine in 1948 number 150,000 .
They remain mostly in camps , unable to leave , unable to work except for menial labor , with no access to healthcare and with no formal national identity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have always claimed that the refugee problem has nothing to do with them .
They offer all sorts of stories to explain the flight of close to one million Palestinians from their homes and land .
Still , all the obfuscation in the world can not change the fact that Zionist militias forced Palestinians out of Palestine in an attempt to establish a state with a clear – if not an absolute – Jewish majority .
In cities like Tabariya and Safad , in the north , in large stretches of land in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in West Jerusalem , which became the capital city of Israel , the ethnic cleansing was so complete that not even one Palestinian family remained .
Now , over seven decades later , the Palestinian refugee population is estimated at around five million people .
Banned from returning to their lands and homes , they live in squalor in refugee camps that quite often are only a few short miles from their original homes .
Lying in Jordan ’ s rolling northern hills , Jerash is said to be one of the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Much of the ancient ruins are still intact and they are an incredible sight to see .
A few short miles from Jerash , however , lies the Palestinian refugee camp , Gaza Camp .
It is an equally incredible sight to behold but for completely different reasons .
I visited the Gaza Camp for the first time in 2013 and then again in February 2020 and though some small changes were visible .
By and large , the living conditions and the abject poverty remain the same .
Forty thousand people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sits on about a quarter of a square mile .
The camp residents are all Abna ’ a Ghaza , an Arabic phrase meaning the sons of Gaza .
All were turned into refugees in 1948 and sent to resettle in Gaza .
Then , in 1967 , they fled as Israeli forces occupied Gaza and were settled in this camp , where to this day they are forced to live this impossible reality .
During my visit to Gaza Camp , I visited the home of Umm Mohammed .
She lives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her children and grandchildren .
The house is made of cinder block and tin and is freezing cold .
The children run around barefoot and resources are scarce .
The local camp school has six thousand students who attend in two shifts .
The boys and girls take turns , each month switching shifts .
Umm Mohammad hails from a village near the city of Bir-a-Saba in the Naqab Desert .
Today , the city is called Be ’ er Sheva and the desert has been renamed the Negev .
Some say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one million refugees from the city of Bir-a-Saba .
Umm Mohamad was 13 in 1948 when Zionist forces expelled her family .
“ I was 13 , ” she recounted , “ we left on a caravan of camels.
” She went on to tell us that “ the Jews committed a massacre , killing people in their sleep.
” Zochrot means “ remembering ” in Hebrew .
It is also the name of an NGO “ working since 2002 to promote acknowledgment and accountability for the ongoing injustices of the Nakba , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconceptualization of the Return as the imperative redress of the Nakba and a chance for a better life for all the country ’ s inhabitants.
” Zochrot is dedicated to keeping the memories of destroyed Palestinian towns and villages alive by providing information , action on the ground and tours throughout historic Palestine .
Zochrot also operates a website chock full of articles , studies , testimony and a wealth of other valuable information on all issues regarding historic Palestine .
The organization recently launched a campaign called “ Choosing to remember – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli citizens to remember Palestinian refugee issues during the March 2 Israeli elections .
A post made on Zochrot ’ s Facebook page to promote the campaign ( accessible by clicking “ see more ” on the post ’ s caption ) reads in part : Tomorrow , Israel ’ s citizens will vote for the third time within a year .
Once again , the most important and critical issues in our lives here are not part of the agenda or platforms of the Zionist parties .
Recognizing the Nakba , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nakba , is not proposed by any party .
Recognizing the right of return and a practical plan for the return of refugees are not even discussed .
The political system and society in Israel continue to deny and erase these issues.
” We choose to remember the crimes of the Nakba , remind Israeli society of them and make them visibly present everywhere , at every opportunity , and oppose their erasure .
We vote for the return of Palestinian refugees and view this return as an opportunity to liberate ourselves of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli politics.
” As Israel and the United States presented the latest version of a plan to bring Palestinians surrender , known colloquially as the Deal of the Century , the approach of Zochrot presents a real alternative .
In the current political climate , discussing the Palestinian right of return in practical terms while demanding it on all political platforms will create the polarization needed to distance those who seek justice and peace from those who wish to continue to spill innocent blood .
Jordan ’ s Gaza camp is no more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s border with Palestine .
Most , if not all the inhabitants , came from the Naqab .
In other words , these refugees could all be home , in their country and on their land in less than a three-hour drive .
Israel , of course , would never allow that to happen .
Walking through the camp , poverty is rampant .
Small projects lie in various states of completion , donated by various NGOs here and there , one to pave a road , another to refurbish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but think of the four billion dollars the United States gives Israel each year .
Israel is a wealthy country and has no need for foreign aid , yet Palestinians in refugee camps are living in abject poverty .
Yet the U.S. , Germany and other countries constantly contribute to its wealth while ignoring and even perpetuating the poverty inflicted upon Palestinians .
A strong Israeli state has guaranteed that Palestinians remain poor and hopeless .
Imagine reversing the roles .
Imagine what three or four billion dollars per year could do to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a better future for all who live in historic Palestine .
As the Zochrot slogan says , “ Imagine Return.
” Feature photo | A Palestinian man poses in the Gaza Palestinian refugee camp of Jerash in northern Jordan .
Raad Adayleh | AP Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem .
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 .
”

Amman, Jordan — Abna’a Gaza (the Children of Gaza) is a status given to Palestinian refugees who fled from the Gaza Strip to Jordan in 1967. They fled during the 1967 war and consequent Israeli occupation of Gaza. Today, over five decades later, these Palestinians who originally fled to Gaza from their homes in greater Palestine in 1948 number 150,000. They remain mostly in camps, unable to leave, unable to work except for menial labor, with no access to healthcare and with no formal national identity.
The Larger Refugee Issue
Israel and the various other Zionist institutions have always claimed that the refugee problem has nothing to do with them. They offer all sorts of stories to explain the flight of close to one million Palestinians from their homes and land. Still, all the obfuscation in the world cannot change the fact that Zionist militias forced Palestinians out of Palestine in an attempt to establish a state with a clear – if not an absolute – Jewish majority.
In cities like Tabariya and Safad, in the north, in large stretches of land in the Naqab in the south, and in West Jerusalem, which became the capital city of Israel, the ethnic cleansing was so complete that not even one Palestinian family remained.
Now, over seven decades later, the Palestinian refugee population is estimated at around five million people. Banned from returning to their lands and homes, they live in squalor in refugee camps that quite often are only a few short miles from their original homes.
The Gaza Camp
Lying in Jordan’s rolling northern hills, Jerash is said to be one of the best kept ancient Roman cities outside of Italy. Much of the ancient ruins are still intact and they are an incredible sight to see. A few short miles from Jerash, however, lies the Palestinian refugee camp, Gaza Camp. It is an equally incredible sight to behold but for completely different reasons.
I visited the Gaza Camp for the first time in 2013 and then again in February 2020 and though some small changes were visible. By and large, the living conditions and the abject poverty remain the same. Forty thousand people live in this particular camp, which sits on about a quarter of a square mile.
The camp residents are all Abna’a Ghaza, an Arabic phrase meaning the sons of Gaza. All were turned into refugees in 1948 and sent to resettle in Gaza. Then, in 1967, they fled as Israeli forces occupied Gaza and were settled in this camp, where to this day they are forced to live this impossible reality.
During my visit to Gaza Camp, I visited the home of Umm Mohammed. She lives in a small house with several rooms with her children and grandchildren. The house is made of cinder block and tin and is freezing cold. The children run around barefoot and resources are scarce. The local camp school has six thousand students who attend in two shifts. The boys and girls take turns, each month switching shifts.
Umm Mohammad hails from a village near the city of Bir-a-Saba in the Naqab Desert. Today, the city is called Be’er Sheva and the desert has been renamed the Negev. Some say that in Jordan alone there are close to one million refugees from the city of Bir-a-Saba. Umm Mohamad was 13 in 1948 when Zionist forces expelled her family. “I was 13,” she recounted, “we left on a caravan of camels.” She went on to tell us that “the Jews committed a massacre, killing people in their sleep.”
Imagining Return
Zochrot means “remembering” in Hebrew. It is also the name of an NGO “working since 2002 to promote acknowledgment and accountability for the ongoing injustices of the Nakba, the Palestinian catastrophe of 1948 and the reconceptualization of the Return as the imperative redress of the Nakba and a chance for a better life for all the country’s inhabitants.”
Zochrot is dedicated to keeping the memories of destroyed Palestinian towns and villages alive by providing information, action on the ground and tours throughout historic Palestine. Zochrot also operates a website chock full of articles, studies, testimony and a wealth of other valuable information on all issues regarding historic Palestine.
The organization recently launched a campaign called “Choosing to remember – voting for return,” to encourage Israeli citizens to remember Palestinian refugee issues during the March 2 Israeli elections. A post made on Zochrot’s Facebook page to promote the campaign (accessible by clicking “see more” on the post’s caption) reads in part:
Tomorrow, Israel’s citizens will vote for the third time within a year. Once again, the most important and critical issues in our lives here are not part of the agenda or platforms of the Zionist parties. Recognizing the Nakba, including the crimes of 1948 and the ongoing Nakba, is not proposed by any party. Recognizing the right of return and a practical plan for the return of refugees are not even discussed.
The political system and society in Israel continue to deny and erase these issues.” … We choose to remember the crimes of the Nakba, remind Israeli society of them and make them visibly present everywhere, at every opportunity, and oppose their erasure. We vote for the return of Palestinian refugees and view this return as an opportunity to liberate ourselves of the colonialist mindset and practices that define Israeli politics.”
عربى⏬ English מחר, אזרחיות ואזרחי ישראל ילכו למערכת בחירות שלישית תוך שנה ושוב, הנושאים החשובים והמהותיים ביותר לחיינו… Posted by Zochrot / זוכרות / ذاكرات on Sunday, March 1, 2020
As Israel and the United States presented the latest version of a plan to bring Palestinians surrender, known colloquially as the Deal of the Century, the approach of Zochrot presents a real alternative. In the current political climate, discussing the Palestinian right of return in practical terms while demanding it on all political platforms will create the polarization needed to distance those who seek justice and peace from those who wish to continue to spill innocent blood.
Funding Crimes
Jordan’s Gaza camp is no more than an hour’s drive from the country’s border with Palestine. Most, if not all the inhabitants, came from the Naqab. In other words, these refugees could all be home, in their country and on their land in less than a three-hour drive. Israel, of course, would never allow that to happen.
Walking through the camp, poverty is rampant. Small projects lie in various states of completion, donated by various NGOs here and there, one to pave a road, another to refurbish the school. One cannot help but think of the four billion dollars the United States gives Israel each year. Israel is a wealthy country and has no need for foreign aid, yet Palestinians in refugee camps are living in abject poverty. Yet the U.S., Germany and other countries constantly contribute to its wealth while ignoring and even perpetuating the poverty inflicted upon Palestinians.
A strong Israeli state has guaranteed that Palestinians remain poor and hopeless. Imagine reversing the roles. Imagine what three or four billion dollars per year could do to repatriate and compensate Palestinian refugees and ensure a better future for all who live in historic Palestine. As the Zochrot slogan says, “Imagine Return.”
Feature photo | A Palestinian man poses in the Gaza Palestinian refugee camp of Jerash in northern Jordan. Raad Adayleh | AP
Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. 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.”


mintpressnews--2020-03-03--France’s Fingerprints Are All Over Terrorist Groups in Idlib Syria

Mideast Discourse — FRANCE 24 ’ s Wassim Nasr , a specialist in jihadist networks , recently spoke via Skype with French recruiter Omar Omsen , the head of the jihadist group Furkat-al-Ghuraba , an Al Qaeda affiliate in Idlib .
There are numerous French terrorists in Idlib today , fighting to establish an Islamic state out of a small piece of secular Syria .
Their dream is a Sunni utopia on the Turkish border , where they can enjoy the full support of the Turkish President Erdogan , who is the head of the AK party which is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for about 20 years .
Being on the Turkish border affords them the luxury of being fed and clothed by international aid agencies , such as the UN ’ s World Food Programme , and other humanitarian groups who distribute supplies to civilians , and their sons , brothers , husband , or father who are on the Al Qaeda payroll financed by Qatar , and some Arab Gulf monarchies .
The humanitarian groups , including the UN , work as enablers , prolonging the suffering of the innocents by continuing the supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorist ’ s families had been cut off , the terrorists would be forced to flee to Turkey , and eventually Europe , for more of the free benefits offered by “ Mother Merkel ” , referring to German Chancellor Angel Merkel .
The French terrorists were recruited in France , and not online .
The Sevran network , a terrorist recruitment network in Sevran , near Paris , operated from an informal prayer hall , as they targeted young men with a sophisticated mixture of psychological tactics , and according to some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Al Qaeda during the decades in Afghanistan , which is well known for honed skills of hypnosis which existed before the CIA field agents ; but , were used by the CIA in their jihad program to counter the Soviet presence there .
The French jihadist recruiter , Omar Omsen , faked his death in August 2015 , only to reappear months later in a TV interview .
It is unknown how many terrorists have faked their deaths to wipe their identity clean and re-invent themselves later in Europe , or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of terrorists in Syria beginning in 2011 when the CIA began their first office in Adana , Turkey just over the border from Idlib .
French Presidents from Sarkozy , to Hollande , and now Macron have all followed the US ordered ‘ regime-change ’ project in Syria .
In 2017 US President Trump shut-down the CIA program of support to Al Qaeda in Syria .
However , Al Qaeda is fully functioning in Idlib and with very obvious support at the highest levels , such as weapons , ammunition , anti-aircraft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In September 2015 , Syrian President Assad blamed Europe ’ s refugee crisis on West ’ s support for terrorists .
Referring to the viral online photo of a Syrian child washed up on a Turkish beach , he said , He added , “ The West is supporting terrorists since the beginning of this crisis when it said it was ‘ a peaceful uprising ’ – as they called it .
They said later , it is moderate opposition and now they say these ( are ) terrorists like al-Nusra and ISIS.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ affiliate in Syria and is in control of Idlib .
In June 2015 the trial in London of a Swedish man , Bherlin Gildo , accused of terrorism in Syria , collapsed after it became clear British intelligence had been arming the same groups the defendant was charged with supporting .
The prosecution abandoned the case , apparently to avoid embarrassing the intelligence services .
The French intelligence agents were working hand in glove with the US and UK in Syria .
A year into the Syrian rebellion , the US and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arming an opposition they knew to be dominated by extreme sectarian groups ; they were prepared to countenance the creation of some sort of “ Islamic state ” .
The western habit of playing with jihadi groups , which then come back to bite them , goes back at least to the 1980 ’ s war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan , which fostered the original Al Qaeda under CIA tutelage .
The agreement required Turkey to oust terrorists such as Jibhat al-Nusra , and allowed Turkey to set up 12 observation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from unarmed civilians .
However , almost two years after the deal was made , Turkey failed to fulfill its commitments and Moscow openly accused Turkey of aiding the terrorists .
This led to the Syrian Arab Army offensive in Idlib which began in December 2019 to liberate the civilians and clear out all terrorists .
This military operation is ongoing and the Syrians , with help from Russian airpower , have made dramatic advancements .
In January 2020 a Paris courtroom heard cases against French terrorists in Syria , however , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The French news media have dubbed it a “ ghost trial ” .
Antoine Ory , one of the defense lawyers , said : “ In France , in 2020 , we refuse to repatriate the living but we try the dead.
” France has a policy of not taking back its terrorists , even though they have thousands of them in Syria .
The border between Syria and Turkey is a relatively straight line from east to west until it reaches the Orontes river , then it suddenly dips and heads southwards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missing chunk of Syrian land was given to Turkey by France in 1939 to assure Turkey would fight for France against Hitler ’ s Germany in WW2 .
Liwa Iskanderoun to the Syrians is now called Hatay province , it contains the cities of Antakya and Iskenderun , which were previously known as Antioch and Alexandretta .
This area is on the Turkish side of Idlib .
The area in 1939 was a mixture of nationalities , with Turks , Turkmen , Sunni Arabs , Alawites , Armenians , and Greeks .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of Turkey which only speaks Turkish .
Before 2011 , Turkish President Erdogan and Syrian President Assad had a very close relationship and an agreement was signed to build a $ 28 million Syrian-Turkish Friendship Dam on the Orontes River .
Hatay was transformed into a staging-ground for internationals terrorists , including the French , who flooded into Syria to participate in the US-NATO-EU attack on Syria for ‘ regime change , ’ and today the world watches as possible open warfare may be declared .
Feature photo | Anti-government rebels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the village of Neirab , in Idlib province , Syria , Feb. 24 , 2020 .
Ghaith Alsayed | AP Steven Sahouni is an independent Syrian political analyst and writer based in Lebanon ; he has been covering the Syrian crisis since it ’ s onset in 2011 and has published several articles in numerous media outlets .
He is regularly interviewed by US , Canadian and German media .

Mideast Discourse — FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr, a specialist in jihadist networks, recently spoke via Skype with French recruiter Omar Omsen, the head of the jihadist group Furkat-al-Ghuraba, an Al Qaeda affiliate in Idlib.
There are numerous French terrorists in Idlib today, fighting to establish an Islamic state out of a small piece of secular Syria. Their dream is a Sunni utopia on the Turkish border, where they can enjoy the full support of the Turkish President Erdogan, who is the head of the AK party which is a Muslim Brotherhood party which has dominated Turkey for about 20 years.
Being on the Turkish border affords them the luxury of being fed and clothed by international aid agencies, such as the UN’s World Food Programme, and other humanitarian groups who distribute supplies to civilians, and their sons, brothers, husband, or father who are on the Al Qaeda payroll financed by Qatar, and some Arab Gulf monarchies. The humanitarian groups, including the UN, work as enablers, prolonging the suffering of the innocents by continuing the supplies. If the daily needs of the terrorist’s families had been cut off, the terrorists would be forced to flee to Turkey, and eventually Europe, for more of the free benefits offered by “Mother Merkel”, referring to German Chancellor Angel Merkel.
The French terrorists were recruited in France, and not online. The Sevran network, a terrorist recruitment network in Sevran, near Paris, operated from an informal prayer hall, as they targeted young men with a sophisticated mixture of psychological tactics, and according to some, tactics of hypnosis which were acquired by Al Qaeda during the decades in Afghanistan, which is well known for honed skills of hypnosis which existed before the CIA field agents; but, were used by the CIA in their jihad program to counter the Soviet presence there.
The French jihadist recruiter, Omar Omsen, faked his death in August 2015, only to reappear months later in a TV interview. It is unknown how many terrorists have faked their deaths to wipe their identity clean and re-invent themselves later in Europe, or the US.
The French government began their support of terrorists in Syria beginning in 2011 when the CIA began their first office in Adana, Turkey just over the border from Idlib. French Presidents from Sarkozy, to Hollande, and now Macron have all followed the US ordered ‘regime-change’ project in Syria. In 2017 US President Trump shut-down the CIA program of support to Al Qaeda in Syria. However, Al Qaeda is fully functioning in Idlib and with very obvious support at the highest levels, such as weapons, ammunition, anti-aircraft missiles, drones, and paychecks.
Syria’s Moderate Rebels
In September 2015, Syrian President Assad blamed Europe’s refugee crisis on West’s support for terrorists. Referring to the viral online photo of a Syrian child washed up on a Turkish beach, he said,
How can you feel sad at a child’s death in the sea and not feel for the thousands of children who have been killed by the terrorists in Syria? And, also for the elderly, for the woman and men? These European double standards are no longer acceptable.”
He added, “The West is supporting terrorists since the beginning of this crisis when it said it was ‘a peaceful uprising’ – as they called it. They said later, it is moderate opposition and now they say these (are) terrorists like al-Nusra and ISIS.” Jibhat al-Nusra is the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria and is in control of Idlib.
In June 2015 the trial in London of a Swedish man, Bherlin Gildo, accused of terrorism in Syria, collapsed after it became clear British intelligence had been arming the same groups the defendant was charged with supporting. The prosecution abandoned the case, apparently to avoid embarrassing the intelligence services. The French intelligence agents were working hand in glove with the US and UK in Syria.
A year into the Syrian rebellion, the US and its allies weren’t only supporting and arming an opposition they knew to be dominated by extreme sectarian groups; they were prepared to countenance the creation of some sort of “Islamic state”. The western habit of playing with jihadi groups, which then come back to bite them, goes back at least to the 1980’s war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, which fostered the original Al Qaeda under CIA tutelage.
Sochi 2018
The agreement required Turkey to oust terrorists such as Jibhat al-Nusra, and allowed Turkey to set up 12 observation posts in Idlib to separate the terrorists from unarmed civilians. However, almost two years after the deal was made, Turkey failed to fulfill its commitments and Moscow openly accused Turkey of aiding the terrorists. This led to the Syrian Arab Army offensive in Idlib which began in December 2019 to liberate the civilians and clear out all terrorists. This military operation is ongoing and the Syrians, with help from Russian airpower, have made dramatic advancements.
France’s ghost trials
In January 2020 a Paris courtroom heard cases against French terrorists in Syria, however, the majority of the defendants were dead. The French news media have dubbed it a “ghost trial”.
Antoine Ory, one of the defense lawyers, said: “In France, in 2020, we refuse to repatriate the living but we try the dead.” France has a policy of not taking back its terrorists, even though they have thousands of them in Syria.
The staging ground at Hatay
The border between Syria and Turkey is a relatively straight line from east to west until it reaches the Orontes river, then it suddenly dips and heads southwards for about 80 miles. This obvious missing chunk of Syrian land was given to Turkey by France in 1939 to assure Turkey would fight for France against Hitler’s Germany in WW2.
Turkey grabbed the Alexandretta province from French Syria in 1939 after a rigged referendum.
Will UN Security Council condemn this unilateral territorial change?#GolanHeights pic.twitter.com/DrT4ZGBQBl — Emmanuel Navon עמנואל נבון (@emmanuelnavon) March 28, 2019
Liwa Iskanderoun to the Syrians is now called Hatay province, it contains the cities of Antakya and Iskenderun, which were previously known as Antioch and Alexandretta. This area is on the Turkish side of Idlib.
The area in 1939 was a mixture of nationalities, with Turks, Turkmen, Sunni Arabs, Alawites, Armenians, and Greeks. Their descendants today still speak Arabic, unlike the rest of Turkey which only speaks Turkish. Before 2011, Turkish President Erdogan and Syrian President Assad had a very close relationship and an agreement was signed to build a $28 million Syrian-Turkish Friendship Dam on the Orontes River. Hatay was transformed into a staging-ground for internationals terrorists, including the French, who flooded into Syria to participate in the US-NATO-EU attack on Syria for ‘regime change,’ and today the world watches as possible open warfare may be declared.
Feature photo | Anti-government rebels prepare to go to a frontline near the village of Neirab, in Idlib province, Syria, Feb. 24, 2020. Ghaith Alsayed | AP
Steven Sahouni is an independent Syrian political analyst and writer based in Lebanon; he has been covering the Syrian crisis since it’s onset in 2011 and has published several articles in numerous media outlets. He is regularly interviewed by US, Canadian and German media.


mintpressnews--2020-03-04--Feature or Bug? Super Tuesday Plagued by Long Lines, Closed Polling Stations and Systemic Failure

Chaos and gridlock again reigned across much of America as fourteen states chose their candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination yesterday on Super Tuesday .
Many voters were forced to wait in line for up to six hours as understaffed and poorly equipped polling stations were inundated with voters , particularly in Texas and California , the two largest and most influential Super Tuesday states .
In California , electronic voting systems were unable to connect and experienced severe problems , something election integrity activists had warned was bound to happen .
The law dictates that all those in line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast a ballot .
But the technical difficulties meant that many stood in line through the evening for their right to choose .
MOVE Texas , an activist focused on youth voter turnout organized lines at Texas State University in San Marcos , handed out pizza and bottles of water to those still waiting .
While the long lines were enough to discourage many from participating , the Associated Press called California for Bernie Sanders even as many people were still in line , potentially altering the result .
Sanders ’ campaign team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , asking for polls to stay open for an extra two hours , citing “ extreme waiting times ” and glitches with the system .
This plea was rejected by Los Angeles judge Dean Logan .
The gridlock meant that anyone trying to vote after work was likely subject to possibly waiting all night .
“ This was a challenging day for a lot of voters in L.A. County and I certainly apologize for that , ” Logan said .
“ That ’ s something that has to be better.
” Other voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were unable to work out how to use the new electronic voting machines .
Ken Proctor of Northridge , CA , realized too late he and his wife ’ s votes had not counted , as staff had incorrectly told them to take their paper ballots away with them .
“ I think we both were kind of disenfranchised , ” he told the Los Angeles Times .
Some angry voters claimed on social media that if a similar situation occurred in states such as Iran , the U.S. government would have used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ restore democracy.
” Yet Iran did go to the polls last weekend , with authorities extending the closing time of the country ’ s 55,000 polling stations from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. due to a rush of voters .
The U.S. has far fewer polling stations per capita than Iran , and Southern American states have closed over 1,600 in recent years , worsening the problem .
In Arizona , more than 1 in 5 polling locations have been shut down .
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , which saw most African Americans enfranchised for the first time .
In the 1950s , only one in four African Americans were even registered to vote .
The group notes that polling station closures correlate with locations with higher numbers of black and Latino citizens .
Many Democrats expressed their outrage over the problems .
Kaniela Ing , a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives tweeted , “ The line to vote at a Texas university 2.5 hours after the polls closed .
Lots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base ) .
We should be ashamed of a system that allows this to happen.
” Meanwhile , former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich demanded , “ Someone please tell me why voters in Texas and California have to wait in endless lines to vote .
Was it really that hard for voting officials to anticipate these numbers ?
Voting shouldn ’ t be like trying to get into a rock concert or sports event .
It ’ s a right.
” Yet given the shenanigans the party pulled to prevent Sanders from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa fiasco and the fact that the establishment candidate usually wins a low turnout race , perhaps it would be more accurate to see the problems of last night as a feature , not a bug .
Are Democratic officials attempting to subtly suppress voter turnout in order to scupper Sanders ’ electoral bid ?
The Democratic establishment will be very pleased with yesterday ’ s results , where they successfully coalesced around Joe Biden as a “ stop Bernie ” candidate , the former vice-president taking at least nine states , jumping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the delegate race .
However , it was a much worse night for the two other major candidates , Michael Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren .
After spending well over half a billion dollars on advertising and marketing , Bloomberg was able to get only 12 delegates .
He quickly dropped out , endorsing Biden .
Warren , meanwhile , finished a disappointing third in her home state of Massachusetts , picking up only 28 delegates last night , compared to Sanders ’ 328 and Biden ’ s 380 .
Feature photo | Voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at a voting center at Union Station in Los Angeles , March 3 , 2020 .
Ringo H.W .
Chiu | 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 @ @ @ @ @ @

Chaos and gridlock again reigned across much of America as fourteen states chose their candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination yesterday on Super Tuesday. Many voters were forced to wait in line for up to six hours as understaffed and poorly equipped polling stations were inundated with voters, particularly in Texas and California, the two largest and most influential Super Tuesday states.
In California, electronic voting systems were unable to connect and experienced severe problems, something election integrity activists had warned was bound to happen. The law dictates that all those in line by closing time must be allowed to cast a ballot. But the technical difficulties meant that many stood in line through the evening for their right to choose. MOVE Texas, an activist focused on youth voter turnout organized lines at Texas State University in San Marcos, handed out pizza and bottles of water to those still waiting.
While the long lines were enough to discourage many from participating, the Associated Press called California for Bernie Sanders even as many people were still in line, potentially altering the result. Sanders’ campaign team requested an emergency injunction in California yesterday, asking for polls to stay open for an extra two hours, citing “extreme waiting times” and glitches with the system. This plea was rejected by Los Angeles judge Dean Logan. The gridlock meant that anyone trying to vote after work was likely subject to possibly waiting all night. “This was a challenging day for a lot of voters in L.A. County and I certainly apologize for that,” Logan said. “That’s something that has to be better.”
Other voters said they and even election officials themselves were unable to work out how to use the new electronic voting machines. Ken Proctor of Northridge, CA, realized too late he and his wife’s votes had not counted, as staff had incorrectly told them to take their paper ballots away with them. “I think we both were kind of disenfranchised,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
https://twitter.com/RMpodol/status/1235134987323740160
Some angry voters claimed on social media that if a similar situation occurred in states such as Iran, the U.S. government would have used it as a pretext to intervene to “restore democracy.” Yet Iran did go to the polls last weekend, with authorities extending the closing time of the country’s 55,000 polling stations from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. due to a rush of voters.
The U.S. has far fewer polling stations per capita than Iran, and Southern American states have closed over 1,600 in recent years, worsening the problem. In Arizona, more than 1 in 5 polling locations have been shut down. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sees this as a clear attempt to roll back the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which saw most African Americans enfranchised for the first time. In the 1950s, only one in four African Americans were even registered to vote. The group notes that polling station closures correlate with locations with higher numbers of black and Latino citizens.
Many Democrats expressed their outrage over the problems. Kaniela Ing, a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives tweeted, “The line to vote at a Texas university 2.5 hours after the polls closed. Lots of young people of color (Sanders base). We should be ashamed of a system that allows this to happen.” Meanwhile, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich demanded, “Someone please tell me why voters in Texas and California have to wait in endless lines to vote. Was it really that hard for voting officials to anticipate these numbers? Voting shouldn’t be like trying to get into a rock concert or sports event. It’s a right.”
Yet given the shenanigans the party pulled to prevent Sanders from achieving the nomination in 2016, the Iowa fiasco and the fact that the establishment candidate usually wins a low turnout race, perhaps it would be more accurate to see the problems of last night as a feature, not a bug. Are Democratic officials attempting to subtly suppress voter turnout in order to scupper Sanders’ electoral bid?
The Democratic establishment will be very pleased with yesterday’s results, where they successfully coalesced around Joe Biden as a “stop Bernie” candidate, the former vice-president taking at least nine states, jumping him a little ahead of Sanders in the delegate race. However, it was a much worse night for the two other major candidates, Michael Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren. After spending well over half a billion dollars on advertising and marketing, Bloomberg was able to get only 12 delegates. He quickly dropped out, endorsing Biden. Warren, meanwhile, finished a disappointing third in her home state of Massachusetts, picking up only 28 delegates last night, compared to Sanders’ 328 and Biden’s 380.
Feature photo | Voters cast their ballot on the Super Tuesday, at a voting center at Union Station in Los Angeles, March 3, 2020. Ringo H.W. Chiu | 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--2020-03-04--The Dem Establishment Successfully Cinched a Biden Super Tuesday Victory

Former Vice-President Joe Biden built on his victory in South Carolina last week to emerge as the only credible “ stop Bernie ” candidate after Super Tuesday – where voters in 14 states decided on their nominations for president .
While results are still not official , it is clear that the former Delaware senator won the popular vote in at least nine states yesterday , including in Texas , Massachusetts and North Carolina , amassing at least 433 delegates .
Sanders has currently secured 388 , although that number is likely to rise after all of California is counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and drastic political turnarounds in American history , Biden – thought of by many as a yesterday ’ s man – secured a stunning upset victory after a series of key endorsements .
His campaign had been flagging , virtually out of money and without organization or many activists on the ground .
As of Monday , he had spent just $ 1.5 million on TV ads in Super Tuesday states , with aides admitting to CNN their goal was merely to “ remain competitive ; ” a remarkable admission for a presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the establishment wing of the party went into overdrive to find a viable alternative to the Vermont senator .
Both Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out and immediately endorsed him , as did other figures like former Texas congressman Beto O ’ Rourke .
In a matter of mere hours , the Democratic Party higher-ups managed to coalesce around him in a way the Republicans were unable to in 2016 to stop Trump , proving to the world that the party is certainly not incompetent and can organize and carry out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is in their interest to do so .
While the establishment pooled its resources ( and delegates ) in favor of Biden , Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren has refrained from dropping out , let alone endorsing Sanders , thus splitting the progressive vote .
Warren finished a distant third in her home state and secured only 28 delegates yesterday .
In a defeatist message , her campaign managers said they would hold a meeting to “ assess the path forward.
” Biden declared victory in Los Angeles last night , presenting himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a champion of the people : “ Let ’ s get something straight .
Wall Street didn ’ t build this country .
You built this country .
The middle class built this country .
And unions built the middle class , ” he told the crowd .
But his speech was upstaged by anti-dairy industry protestors who stormed the stage .
Earlier in the speech he also confused his wife for his sister .
While it is clear that he will now be the establishment ’ s candidate for better or worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history of making egregious errors in speaking .
Earlier this week at a rally he tried and failed to recite the preamble of the Declaration of Independence .
“ We hold these truths to be self evident .
All men and women created by the…you know , the thing ” he stuttered .
And while he promises the working-class “ cures for cancer , Alzheimer ’ s and diabetes ” under his presidency , he also told his billionaire backers that he believes they are being “ demonized ” and that “ nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were chosen .
“ I need you very badly , ” he told a group of extremely wealthy donors last year .
His policy history and positions , too , might be cause for concern for many voters in the presidential election .
These include advocating for cuts to social services , fighting against abortion rights , and supporting NAFTA , the PATRIOT Act and the attacks on Iraq and Libya .
And while he retains strong support among Southern black voters , he helped write the 1994 Crime Bill and the Anti-Drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and fought for segregation and against integration .
President Trump has already nicknamed him “ Handsy Joe ” in reference to his inappropriate touching of women and girls .
While Sanders supporters will be disappointed with the results , other candidates had even worse nights .
Chief among them was Michael Bloomberg , who spent more than half a billion dollars on his campaign , picking up just 12 delegates , a third of them in American Samoa .
Given his poor performance , that works out to nearly $ 50 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York dropped out today , endorsing Biden for the nomination .
If he is willing to financially aid Biden anything like how he lavishly spent on himself , Sanders will be fighting a seriously uphill battle .
“ It really is a class war we ’ re up against , ” said author and progressive journalist Naomi Klein , who has been traveling with the Sanders team .
Biden has strong support among the wealthy , the elderly and among Southern black voters .
But if he is to win outright and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to address the age gap in voting .
Even in Alabama , where he fared worst , Sanders still comfortably won the vote of those under 30 .
While there is much work to be done , yesterday was a good day for the establishment wing of the Democratic Party .
Next week will see six more states as well as the Democrats Abroad primaries decided .
But Super Tuesday has raised the stakes and set the stage for a battle for the Democratic Party ’ s soul ; one that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neoliberalism with Biden or moves towards a progressive social-democratic model with Sanders .
Feature photo | Joe Biden speaks at a primary election night campaign rally , March 3 , 2020 , in Los Angeles .
Chris Carlson | 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Former Vice-President Joe Biden built on his victory in South Carolina last week to emerge as the only credible “stop Bernie” candidate after Super Tuesday – where voters in 14 states decided on their nominations for president. While results are still not official, it is clear that the former Delaware senator won the popular vote in at least nine states yesterday, including in Texas, Massachusetts and North Carolina, amassing at least 433 delegates. Sanders has currently secured 388, although that number is likely to rise after all of California is counted.
In one of the most remarkable and drastic political turnarounds in American history, Biden – thought of by many as a yesterday’s man – secured a stunning upset victory after a series of key endorsements. His campaign had been flagging, virtually out of money and without organization or many activists on the ground. As of Monday, he had spent just $1.5 million on TV ads in Super Tuesday states, with aides admitting to CNN their goal was merely to “remain competitive;” a remarkable admission for a presidential campaign.
But facing a Sanders nomination, the establishment wing of the party went into overdrive to find a viable alternative to the Vermont senator. Both Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out and immediately endorsed him, as did other figures like former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke. In a matter of mere hours, the Democratic Party higher-ups managed to coalesce around him in a way the Republicans were unable to in 2016 to stop Trump, proving to the world that the party is certainly not incompetent and can organize and carry out operations with military precision when they perceive it is in their interest to do so.
While the establishment pooled its resources (and delegates) in favor of Biden, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren has refrained from dropping out, let alone endorsing Sanders, thus splitting the progressive vote. Warren finished a distant third in her home state and secured only 28 delegates yesterday. In a defeatist message, her campaign managers said they would hold a meeting to “assess the path forward.”
Biden declared victory in Los Angeles last night, presenting himself as an opponent of the wealthy and a champion of the people: “Let’s get something straight. Wall Street didn’t build this country. You built this country. The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class,” he told the crowd. But his speech was upstaged by anti-dairy industry protestors who stormed the stage. Earlier in the speech he also confused his wife for his sister.
Joe Biden calls his wife his sister and his sister his wife pic.twitter.com/h2wuqIs0uI — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 4, 2020
While it is clear that he will now be the establishment’s candidate for better or worse, the former vice-president has a long history of making egregious errors in speaking. Earlier this week at a rally he tried and failed to recite the preamble of the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self evident. All men and women created by the…you know, the thing” he stuttered. And while he promises the working-class “cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes” under his presidency, he also told his billionaire backers that he believes they are being “demonized” and that “nothing would change” about America if he were chosen. “I need you very badly,” he told a group of extremely wealthy donors last year.
First Joe Biden thought “Super Tuesday” was on Thursday. Then, in the same rally, he stumbled through The Preamble of the Declaration and forgot the word ‘equal’. "We hold these truths to be self evident. All men and women created by the, you know, the thing…" What a mess! pic.twitter.com/tYlytgNjrx — Trump War Room – Text EMPOWER to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) March 2, 2020
His policy history and positions, too, might be cause for concern for many voters in the presidential election. These include advocating for cuts to social services, fighting against abortion rights, and supporting NAFTA, the PATRIOT Act and the attacks on Iraq and Libya. And while he retains strong support among Southern black voters, he helped write the 1994 Crime Bill and the Anti-Drug Abuse Bill that exploded the prison population, and fought for segregation and against integration. President Trump has already nicknamed him “Handsy Joe” in reference to his inappropriate touching of women and girls.
While Sanders supporters will be disappointed with the results, other candidates had even worse nights. Chief among them was Michael Bloomberg, who spent more than half a billion dollars on his campaign, picking up just 12 delegates, a third of them in American Samoa. Given his poor performance, that works out to nearly $50 million per delegate. The former Mayor of New York dropped out today, endorsing Biden for the nomination. If he is willing to financially aid Biden anything like how he lavishly spent on himself, Sanders will be fighting a seriously uphill battle.
“It really is a class war we’re up against,” said author and progressive journalist Naomi Klein, who has been traveling with the Sanders team.
The vast majority of this campaign are working class people who are daring to hope for the barest decent things in life. It is this amazing process of raising people’s expectations…What we’re seeing with this establishment pushback, this is not against Bernie Sanders, it is against them. It is against people saying ‘I have a right to healthcare. I have a right to a living wage,’ and it is really sad to see.”
Biden has strong support among the wealthy, the elderly and among Southern black voters. But if he is to win outright and beat Trump in November, he will need to address the age gap in voting. Even in Alabama, where he fared worst, Sanders still comfortably won the vote of those under 30. While there is much work to be done, yesterday was a good day for the establishment wing of the Democratic Party.
Next week will see six more states as well as the Democrats Abroad primaries decided. But Super Tuesday has raised the stakes and set the stage for a battle for the Democratic Party’s soul; one that will decide if it stays the course with neoliberalism with Biden or moves towards a progressive social-democratic model with Sanders.
Feature photo | Joe Biden speaks at a primary election night campaign rally, March 3, 2020, in Los Angeles. Chris Carlson | 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--2020-03-05--Podcast: Kevin Gosztola Discusses the Latest Developments in the Case Against Julian Assange

Welcome to MintCast , the official weekly MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh and Whitney Webb that re-launched in February 2020 .
MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices , independent researchers and journalists who the establishment would rather silence .
One such voice is independent journalist and editor of ShadowProof , Kevin Gosztola .
He joins MintCast to discuss his exclusive on the ground coverage of the Julian Assange extradition hearings taking place in London this past week .
Assange , who was forced to sit in a glass cage far from his defense team during last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United States for alleged violations of the Espionage Act .
The next hearing in the case is set to resume on May 18 .
He stands accused of 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act , an archaic law that dates back to World War I and has increasingly been used to target whistleblowers in the United States .
He also faces one count of violating a computer crime law that the U.S. government asserts is also a charge of espionage .
If convicted on all counts if extradited , Assange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison .
For the past decade , Wikileaks has helped expose a litany of crimes and corruption by the political class supported by both the Republican and Democratic Parties making Assange a target of the deep state and war-profiteering establishment .
This includes publishing the Vault 7 leaks , exposing the CIA ’ s surveillance and intelligence capabilities worldwide , State Department cables — highlighting the war agendas under Hillary Clinton to benefit Israel , DNC emails — revealing how the Hillary Clinton campaign colluded with the DNC to smear and undercut Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election and much more .
And in 2007 , Wikileaks published documents leaked by Army Private Chelsea Manning that detailed evidence of American war crimes that took place during the war in Iraq .
After previously being sentenced to 35 years in prison and spending months in solitary confinement , Manning was resentenced to 18 months in prison last year for refusing to testify against Assange .
In targeting the publisher of journalistic information that acts as a watchdog to those in power and works in the interest of the public , rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights organizations like Amnesty International have warned that this is a grave attack on press freedoms and the charges against Assange should be dropped .
Kevin joins us from London to discuss the recent hearings and the intricacies of Assange ’ s situation , the case against him and the precedent this case sets for journalism and the people ’ s right to know about U.S. empire and corruption .
This program is 100 percent listener supported !
You can join the hundreds of financial sponsors who make this show possible by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 .
Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile .
She has contributed to several independent media outlets including Global Research , EcoWatch , the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire , among others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism .

Welcome to MintCast, the official weekly MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh and Whitney Webb that re-launched in February 2020. MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices, independent researchers and journalists who the establishment would rather silence.
One such voice is independent journalist and editor of ShadowProof, Kevin Gosztola. He joins MintCast to discuss his exclusive on the ground coverage of the Julian Assange extradition hearings taking place in London this past week.
Assange, who was forced to sit in a glass cage far from his defense team during last week’s hearings, faces extradition to the United States for alleged violations of the Espionage Act. The next hearing in the case is set to resume on May 18. He stands accused of 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act, an archaic law that dates back to World War I and has increasingly been used to target whistleblowers in the United States. He also faces one count of violating a computer crime law that the U.S. government asserts is also a charge of espionage. If convicted on all counts if extradited, Assange would face 175 years in a U.S. prison.
For the past decade, Wikileaks has helped expose a litany of crimes and corruption by the political class supported by both the Republican and Democratic Parties making Assange a target of the deep state and war-profiteering establishment. This includes publishing the Vault 7 leaks, exposing the CIA’s surveillance and intelligence capabilities worldwide, State Department cables — highlighting the war agendas under Hillary Clinton to benefit Israel, DNC emails — revealing how the Hillary Clinton campaign colluded with the DNC to smear and undercut Bernie Sanders and his supporters in the 2016 election and much more.
And in 2007, Wikileaks published documents leaked by Army Private Chelsea Manning that detailed evidence of American war crimes that took place during the war in Iraq. After previously being sentenced to 35 years in prison and spending months in solitary confinement, Manning was resentenced to 18 months in prison last year for refusing to testify against Assange.
In targeting the publisher of journalistic information that acts as a watchdog to those in power and works in the interest of the public, rather than those who committed the crimes, human rights organizations like Amnesty International have warned that this is a grave attack on press freedoms and the charges against Assange should be dropped.
Kevin joins us from London to discuss the recent hearings and the intricacies of Assange’s situation, the case against him and the precedent this case sets for journalism and the people’s right to know about U.S. empire and corruption.
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.
Feature photo | Graphic by Claudio Cabrera
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.
Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile. She has contributed to several independent media outlets including Global Research, EcoWatch, the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire, among others. She has made several radio and television appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism.