mintpressnews--2020-10-21--Protests Against Greed and Inequality Are Spreading Like Wildfire Through Latin America

With attention fixed on this week ’ s events in Bolivia , you would be excused for not realizing that much of the rest of the region has for weeks also been ablaze in the flames of protest .
In Costa Rica , the neoliberal coalition government of Carlos Alverado attempted to force through a $ 1.75 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) to deal with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic .
As has been its modus operandi this year , the organization offered the money attached to a host of free-market changes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services , and privatization of state-owned assets , something Alverado was more than happy to do .
Yet the people of Costa Rica clearly did not consent to the measures , launching a weeks-long general strike that paralyzed the country .
Taking to the streets , they shut down dozens of the country ’ s principal transport arteries , fighting with many of the nation ’ s 30,000 strong police force .
The rebellion has resulted in a victory for the protesters , as Alverado announced the cessation of IMF negotiations .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country is today heading into the second day of a national strike , with the country ’ s highly organized teachers ’ union FECODE announcing a 48-hour work stoppage in opposition to conservative president Ivan Duque ’ s plans to reopen schools and other educational institutions with few protective measures , despite a COVID-19 pandemic raging through the country , killing between 100 and 200 people daily .
The teachers join students , trade unions , and a host of other organizations in collective action against Duque ’ s government .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ display .
Indigenous protesters are out in great numbers , demonstrating against the Duque administration ’ s treatment of them .
Others are protesting against the country ’ s appalling human rights record .
Colombia has long been the most dangerous place in the world to be an activist .
Four more indigenous leaders were killed on Monday and Tuesday , with two narrowly escaping death .
Their murders are rumored to be a retaliation for the mobilizations in Bogota , as thousands have traveled to the nation ’ s capital to voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ablaze this time last year , with citizens attempting to force the conservative government of Sebastian Piñera ( the country ’ s richest man ) to concede a vote on the country ’ s outdated , fascist-era constitution .
The initial spark for the nationwide action was a hike in Santiago ’ s subway fares in order to subsidize private transport companies , but soon snowballed into much more .
“ It is an outrage that nearly 30 years since the end of the dictatorship , Chile should still have this Pinochet-era constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Alborada Magazine Pablo Navarette told MintPress last year .
Chile ’ s referendum will take place on Sunday , with opinion polls suggesting that the people will overwhelmingly vote for change .
The country has seen weeks of protest , some turning violent .
Earlier this month , a police officer was filmed throwing a 16-year-old protester off a bridge , where he was left face down in the water with serious injuries .
At the weekend tens of thousands of Chileans gathered in central Santiago to mark the one year anniversary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of change , and to rally support for a “ yes ” vote this Sunday .
They were met with force by the police , the resulting violence forcing the closure of at least 15 metro stations .
Meanwhile , in Haiti , U.S.-backed President Jovenal Moise is facing fresh waves of near-continuous protest , ever since he canceled elections and began ruling by decree .
This weekend saw new demonstrations in the country ’ s capital , Port-au-Prince , blocking roads and calling for Moise ’ s resignation .
Police fired tear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , injuring many .
However , none of these protests have been given much attention at all in the Western press , who prefer to concentrate on demonstrations happening in enemy nations against adversarial governments .
The 2019 protests in Hong Kong , for example , were given over 50 times the amount of coverage in The New York Times and CNN than the far deadlier and longer-lasting Haitian uprising .
Those out on the streets this week will no doubt draw inspiration from the events in Bolivia , where the government of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday at the hands of the grassroots Movement to Socialism ( MAS ) party .
Añez , who came to power in a coup in November , insisted she was merely an “ interim president.
” Despite this , she postponed elections three times , while brutally suppressing organized resistance to her rule .
However , a week-long general strike paralyzed the country in August , forcing Añez to concede to elections in October .
Despite constant intimidation , the MAS won a resounding victory , setting the stage for the return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 has been an extremely turbulent year for the people of Latin America .
While the region has suffered greatly thanks to the coronavirus outbreak , organized protest once again offers hope that a better world is possible .
And with the Bolivian example fresh in their minds , the people might truly believe it is within their grasp .
Feature photo | Fire from a molotov cocktail explodes in front of police as a police vehicle shoots water at protesters who marched against the commemoration of the discovery of the Americas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recovery of ancestral land in Santiago , Chile , Oct. 12 , 2020 .
Esteban Felix | 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 @ @

With attention fixed on this week’s events in Bolivia, you would be excused for not realizing that much of the rest of the region has for weeks also been ablaze in the flames of protest.
In Costa Rica, the neoliberal coalition government of Carlos Alverado attempted to force through a $1.75 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deal with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. As has been its modus operandi this year, the organization offered the money attached to a host of free-market changes, including tax changes, cuts to public services, and privatization of state-owned assets, something Alverado was more than happy to do.
Yet the people of Costa Rica clearly did not consent to the measures, launching a weeks-long general strike that paralyzed the country. Taking to the streets, they shut down dozens of the country’s principal transport arteries, fighting with many of the nation’s 30,000 strong police force.
The rebellion has resulted in a victory for the protesters, as Alverado announced the cessation of IMF negotiations.
Colombia
Meanwhile, a little south in Colombia, the country is today heading into the second day of a national strike, with the country’s highly organized teachers’ union FECODE announcing a 48-hour work stoppage in opposition to conservative president Ivan Duque’s plans to reopen schools and other educational institutions with few protective measures, despite a COVID-19 pandemic raging through the country, killing between 100 and 200 people daily. The teachers join students, trade unions, and a host of other organizations in collective action against Duque’s government.
There is a wide range of grievances on display. Indigenous protesters are out in great numbers, demonstrating against the Duque administration’s treatment of them. Others are protesting against the country’s appalling human rights record. Colombia has long been the most dangerous place in the world to be an activist. Four more indigenous leaders were killed on Monday and Tuesday, with two narrowly escaping death. Their murders are rumored to be a retaliation for the mobilizations in Bogota, as thousands have traveled to the nation’s capital to voice their displeasure.
Chile
Much of Chile was ablaze this time last year, with citizens attempting to force the conservative government of Sebastian Piñera (the country’s richest man) to concede a vote on the country’s outdated, fascist-era constitution. The initial spark for the nationwide action was a hike in Santiago’s subway fares in order to subsidize private transport companies, but soon snowballed into much more. “It is an outrage that nearly 30 years since the end of the dictatorship, Chile should still have this Pinochet-era constitution in place,” founder and co-editor of Alborada Magazine Pablo Navarette told MintPress last year.
Chile’s referendum will take place on Sunday, with opinion polls suggesting that the people will overwhelmingly vote for change. The country has seen weeks of protest, some turning violent. Earlier this month, a police officer was filmed throwing a 16-year-old protester off a bridge, where he was left face down in the water with serious injuries. At the weekend tens of thousands of Chileans gathered in central Santiago to mark the one year anniversary of the protests that began the process of change, and to rally support for a “yes” vote this Sunday. They were met with force by the police, the resulting violence forcing the closure of at least 15 metro stations.
Haiti
Meanwhile, in Haiti, U.S.-backed President Jovenal Moise is facing fresh waves of near-continuous protest, ever since he canceled elections and began ruling by decree. This weekend saw new demonstrations in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, blocking roads and calling for Moise’s resignation. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, injuring many.
However, none of these protests have been given much attention at all in the Western press, who prefer to concentrate on demonstrations happening in enemy nations against adversarial governments. The 2019 protests in Hong Kong, for example, were given over 50 times the amount of coverage in The New York Times and CNN than the far deadlier and longer-lasting Haitian uprising.
Bolivia
Those out on the streets this week will no doubt draw inspiration from the events in Bolivia, where the government of Jeanine Añez suffered a catastrophic electoral defeat on Sunday at the hands of the grassroots Movement to Socialism (MAS) party. Añez, who came to power in a coup in November, insisted she was merely an “interim president.” Despite this, she postponed elections three times, while brutally suppressing organized resistance to her rule. However, a week-long general strike paralyzed the country in August, forcing Añez to concede to elections in October. Despite constant intimidation, the MAS won a resounding victory, setting the stage for the return of democracy to the Andean nation.
2020 has been an extremely turbulent year for the people of Latin America. While the region has suffered greatly thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, organized protest once again offers hope that a better world is possible. And with the Bolivian example fresh in their minds, the people might truly believe it is within their grasp.
Feature photo | Fire from a molotov cocktail explodes in front of police as a police vehicle shoots water at protesters who marched against the commemoration of the discovery of the Americas, organized by Indigenous groups demanding autonomy and the recovery of ancestral land in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 12, 2020. Esteban Felix | 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--2020-10-21--Defense Sectary Visits Hawkish Atlantic Council to Announce US Troop Buildup on Russia Border

The United States was supposed to be sending thousands of troops home from Germany .
But Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced yesterday that they would instead be redeployed eastwards , right on the Russian border in some cases , supposedly to deter “ growing Russian and Chinese threats.
” “ It ’ s common sense , ” the senior Trump administration official said .
“ You don ’ t need to be Napoleon or MacArthur to look at the map and realize that the further east you are , the more reassurance you could provide for those allies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the northeast , it ’ s the Baltic states , Poland , just due east of Germany , or in Bulgaria and Romania in the southeast along the Black Sea.
” Thus , for the U.S. government , the “ frontline ” against an “ aggressive ” Russia includes countries that until recently were a part of the Soviet Union and that sit directly on Russia ’ s border .
In July , Trump announced the impending withdrawal of thousands of U.S. armed forces from Germany ( a country it has militarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Esper was speaking at the Atlantic Council , an influential think tank started as a NATO cutout organization funded by Western governments , Middle Eastern dictatorships , weapons companies like Raytheon , Northrop Grumman , and Boeing , as well many of the world ’ s largest corporations such as Goldman Sachs , BP , and FedEx .
The administration ’ s plan to ramp down the U.S. military presence from 36,000 troops to 24,000 was met with overwhelming hostility in Washington when it was first announced in July ; the Democrat-controlled House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to block funding for any withdrawal .
Both Republican Sen. Mitt Romney and CNN described the idea as Trump ’ s “ gift to Russia , ” while Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez claimed that “ champagne must be flowing freely this evening at the Kremlin.
” Thus , the news of a change of course will likely be greeted warmly in “ resistance ” circles .
Even during a worldwide pandemic that has destroyed the economy , the U.S. government is strong-arming its allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rearming for a potential global war against both Russia and China .
Esper presented the United States as a protector nation , unfairly having to pay for the defense of other countries .
“ To overcome the increasingly complex threats in the 21st century and defend our shared values , there can be no free riders to our common security , ” he said , adding that it was imperative that other states “ share the burden ” and increase their military spending to at least two percent of their gross domestic product @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also expect them to be ready , capable , and willing to deploy when trouble calls .
And we expect them to stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States in confronting Chinese bad behavior and Russian aggression , ” he added .
What is this Chinese and Russian aggression ?
Esper noted an increased Chinese military presence in the South China Sea , where throughout the summer , the U.S. has also been expanding its footprint .
U.S. warships have been patrolling as close as 41 nautical miles from the Chinese coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ukraine ( a country the U.S. is also flooding with weapons ) as justification for the “ defensive ” action of sending thousands of troops mere miles from Russia itself .
Esper also called for a wholescale “ modernization ” of the military and the arms industry , which , he claimed , had too many restrictions on it regarding foreign sales , meaning the West ’ s “ asymmetric advantage ” was at risk .
But , as many have explored previously , “ modernization ” is a favorite political euphemism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new arms race .
Who is the Atlantic Council ?
The Atlantic Council is an increasingly influential body whose board of directors is a who ’ s who of American state power .
From war planners like Henry Kissinger to Bush administration officials like Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell , army generals like David Petraeus and Wesley Clark , and former CIA directors such as Leon Panetta , Michael Chertoff , and Robert Gates , the organization is as close to a representation of the so-called “ deep state ” as is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also been the driving force behind many of the most hawkish RussiaGate stories in recent years , putting out a series of widely cited reports claiming that virtually every political party in Europe not representing the established political center is secretly controlled by Vladimir Putin .
From Labour and UKIP in Britain , Syriza and Golden Dawn in Greece to the Five Star Movement in Italy , all , according to Atlantic Council reports , are the “ Kremlin ’ s Trojan Horses.
” These reports have provided the basis for much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
The Council is also in charge of curating Facebook ’ s news feed , deciding which sources are high quality and newsworthy , and which sources are fake news , and are taken down from the site .
Since around 40 percent of Americans ( and similar numbers across the globe ) get their news from Facebook , the partnership with an organization like the Atlantic Council is as close to worldwide state media censorship as is likely to be achieved in the modern era .
Yet few even know about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of an influence the group has over modern media .
Throughout 2020 , President Trump has used China as a method of deflecting attention away from his own response to the coronavirus pandemic , which , as of October 21 , has claimed the lives of over 226,000 Americans .
Trump has constantly condemned China for its response and labeled COVID-19 as the “ Wuhan China Virus ” or similar .
Democrats have largely decided to attack Trump on the right on the issue , however , with both parties claiming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pocket of Beijing .
As a result , the public ’ s view of China has reached a new low , with only 22 percent of Americans expressing a positive view of the world ’ s most populous state , and 73 percent holding a negative opinion .
Polls are currently not looking good for Trump .
Yet Joe Biden ’ s campaign team has strongly hinted at increased conflict with both Russia and China if their candidate is to win in November , suggesting that , when it comes to foreign policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feature photo | US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper with Atlantic Council CEO Frederick Kempe to discuss alliances and partnership in US national security , October 20 , 2020 in Washington D.C. Marvin Lynchard | DoD 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

The United States was supposed to be sending thousands of troops home from Germany. But Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced yesterday that they would instead be redeployed eastwards, right on the Russian border in some cases, supposedly to deter “growing Russian and Chinese threats.”
“It’s common sense,” the senior Trump administration official said. “You don’t need to be Napoleon or MacArthur to look at the map and realize that the further east you are, the more reassurance you could provide for those allies and partners on the frontlines—whether it’s in the northeast, it’s the Baltic states, Poland, just due east of Germany, or in Bulgaria and Romania in the southeast along the Black Sea.” Thus, for the U.S. government, the “frontline” against an “aggressive” Russia includes countries that until recently were a part of the Soviet Union and that sit directly on Russia’s border. In July, Trump announced the impending withdrawal of thousands of U.S. armed forces from Germany (a country it has militarily occupied since World War Two).
Esper was speaking at the Atlantic Council, an influential think tank started as a NATO cutout organization funded by Western governments, Middle Eastern dictatorships, weapons companies like Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing, as well many of the world’s largest corporations such as Goldman Sachs, BP, and FedEx.
The administration’s plan to ramp down the U.S. military presence from 36,000 troops to 24,000 was met with overwhelming hostility in Washington when it was first announced in July; the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives even included an amendment to its version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to block funding for any withdrawal. Both Republican Sen. Mitt Romney and CNN described the idea as Trump’s “gift to Russia,” while Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez claimed that “champagne must be flowing freely this evening at the Kremlin.” Thus, the news of a change of course will likely be greeted warmly in “resistance” circles.
A new arms race
Even during a worldwide pandemic that has destroyed the economy, the U.S. government is strong-arming its allies, NATO and non-NATO alike, into rearming for a potential global war against both Russia and China. Esper presented the United States as a protector nation, unfairly having to pay for the defense of other countries. “To overcome the increasingly complex threats in the 21st century and defend our shared values, there can be no free riders to our common security,” he said, adding that it was imperative that other states “share the burden” and increase their military spending to at least two percent of their gross domestic product “as the floor.” “We also expect them to be ready, capable, and willing to deploy when trouble calls. And we expect them to stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States in confronting Chinese bad behavior and Russian aggression,” he added.
What is this Chinese and Russian aggression? Esper noted an increased Chinese military presence in the South China Sea, where throughout the summer, the U.S. has also been expanding its footprint. U.S. warships have been patrolling as close as 41 nautical miles from the Chinese coast. He pointed to the Russian presence in Ukraine (a country the U.S. is also flooding with weapons) as justification for the “defensive” action of sending thousands of troops mere miles from Russia itself.
Esper also called for a wholescale “modernization” of the military and the arms industry, which, he claimed, had too many restrictions on it regarding foreign sales, meaning the West’s “asymmetric advantage” was at risk. But, as many have explored previously, “modernization” is a favorite political euphemism used when wanting to discuss or promote a new arms race.
Who is the Atlantic Council?
The Atlantic Council is an increasingly influential body whose board of directors is a who’s who of American state power. From war planners like Henry Kissinger to Bush administration officials like Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, army generals like David Petraeus and Wesley Clark, and former CIA directors such as Leon Panetta, Michael Chertoff, and Robert Gates, the organization is as close to a representation of the so-called “deep state” as is possible to get.
The Council has also been the driving force behind many of the most hawkish RussiaGate stories in recent years, putting out a series of widely cited reports claiming that virtually every political party in Europe not representing the established political center is secretly controlled by Vladimir Putin. From Labour and UKIP in Britain, Syriza and Golden Dawn in Greece to the Five Star Movement in Italy, all, according to Atlantic Council reports, are the “Kremlin’s Trojan Horses.” These reports have provided the basis for much of the most breathless stories regarding Russia since 2016.
The Council is also in charge of curating Facebook’s news feed, deciding which sources are high quality and newsworthy, and which sources are fake news, and are taken down from the site. Since around 40 percent of Americans (and similar numbers across the globe) get their news from Facebook, the partnership with an organization like the Atlantic Council is as close to worldwide state media censorship as is likely to be achieved in the modern era. Yet few even know about this connection at all, nor how much of an influence the group has over modern media.
War drums
Throughout 2020, President Trump has used China as a method of deflecting attention away from his own response to the coronavirus pandemic, which, as of October 21, has claimed the lives of over 226,000 Americans. Trump has constantly condemned China for its response and labeled COVID-19 as the “Wuhan China Virus” or similar.
Democrats have largely decided to attack Trump on the right on the issue, however, with both parties claiming the other’s leader is in the pocket of Beijing. As a result, the public’s view of China has reached a new low, with only 22 percent of Americans expressing a positive view of the world’s most populous state, and 73 percent holding a negative opinion.
Polls are currently not looking good for Trump. Yet Joe Biden’s campaign team has strongly hinted at increased conflict with both Russia and China if their candidate is to win in November, suggesting that, when it comes to foreign policy, war is a bipartisan issue.
Feature photo | US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper with Atlantic Council CEO Frederick Kempe to discuss alliances and partnership in US national security, October 20, 2020 in Washington D.C. Marvin Lynchard | DoD
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--2020-10-21--MintPress Is Going Behind The Headlines

MintPress Is Going Behind The Headlines

I have some exciting news to share : MintPress News is approaching it ’ s 9 year anniversary this December .
As I look back at the past decade of building MintPress as a leading independent news outlet , I can ’ t help but feel gratitude for all of the support you all have given us which made our growth possible .
We couldn ’ t have made it this far without you — so thank you for being a part of this journey .
I ’ m writing this letter to you to not only thank you but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leg of our journey that I hope will exceed decades to come .
MintPress has faced incredible challenges over the 9 years but has always stood strong against the tides of media censorship and bullying at the hands of the establishment for simply doing what we set out to do : challenge official narratives and hold the billionaire class accountable .
There has been a concerted effort to undermine independent journalism in this country by tech giants like Google , Facebook , and Twitter through soft censorship , blacklisting , flagging , throttling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These Silicon Valley giants work with government and corporate media outlets like the Washington Post and Buzzfeed to control what we see , hear , and read .
But we ’ re ramping up our efforts to circumvent corporate censorship and provide our readers with the kind of journalism that empowers ‘ we the people ’ in new creative ways that we hope will unify those that value truth and justice to become stronger than ever before .
Over the years , our reporting has caused us to run afoul of various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate interests and even foreign governments .
These entities wield considerable influence in the media and have come to act as gatekeepers of the news you rely on to make informed decisions , actively seeking out and silencing alternative voices and towing the same official government line that led to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , among other disastrous policies left unchallenged by the powers that be .
That is why as part of our effort to continue reporting on stories you won ’ t find anywhere else , we have teamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new , non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of journalism that dares to challenge official narratives and bucks party lines .
We can no longer trust the executives at Facebook , Google , and other corporations to act as fair brokers of information and therefore have embarked on a multi-pronged approach to bring you the important journalism you have come to rely on .
This means that not only will you be able to enjoy the unique coverage of world events on our website and mobile app , but you will also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of : 4 .
Explainer Videos breaking down the most complex news stories MintPress relies on readers like you to help us power these projects through your financial support .
We can no longer rely on Google ads and are appealing to our readers and supporters to sustain us and help us fulfill this mission to create even more thought-provoking and engaging content that is viewer and reader-funded .
Here ’ s how you can help We have an initial fundraising goal of $ 25,000 that will last 60 days right here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be available to those who join MintPress as a member on our Patreon page including personalized keychains , stickers , reusable shopping bags , stainless steel water bottles ( BPA free ) , and t-shirts with messages promoting peace and government accountability .
We are also partnering up with leaders in journalism and the anti-war movement to help guide us on the next leg of our journey , including a board of advisers : MintPress has been since working tirelessly to expose who the special interest groups are and explain why and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenes to shape policies at home and abroad , including their influence on the ever growing military machine and we hope to take this coverage to the next level with our new advisory board .
MintPress has been tackling issues like war and exploitation not just abroad but what ’ s taking place right here on our streets from Native reservations to Flint to Baltimore to Charlottesville .
These are the kinds of stories the corporate-owned , mainstream media usually sweep under the rug or explain only in terms that benefit powerful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the forefront of exposing the dangers of the national security state , the military-industrial complex , and the corporations that have hijacked our democracy and are destroying the planet .
We ’ ve been highlighting the human costs of war and regime change operations like that in Yemen , Syria , Libya , Sudan and much of the Global South .
We ’ ve been amplifying the voices of those who are usually silenced by the media , like activists for peace and inclusion , government whistleblowers , and third-party presidential candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and the environment .
We ’ re filling the much needed void of honest journalism in this world and it is integral to the future of humanity and the planet we live on .
We also want to thank Odeh Muhawesh for his business advisory help to MintPress over the past 8 years .
Mr. Muhawesh decided that he wants to focus on his businesses and writing his current book-in-progress and as such will no longer provide his services to MintPress .
We wish him the best of luck .
While this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short , daily news briefs , we hope that through your support we can create more thought-provoking content that will create waves , bring about peace , justice and understanding for a better world .
It ’ s only through informative journalism that challenges official narratives and a passion for justice that we can make positive change happen and create a political system that works in the interest of ‘ we the people ’ .
We understand not everyone can donate , but you may know someone who can .
Please share this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other social media networks .
You can also become a monthly sustaining member on our website or through our Patreon page Please also follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Minds , Steemit and Instagram , and subscribe to us on YouTube .
Because of social media algorithms that limit post reach , we rely on you to like + share + comment ( even if one word ) to help our coverage reach the masses .

Dear MintPress readers and friends,
I have some exciting news to share: MintPress News is approaching its 9 year anniversary this December. As I look back at the past decade of building MintPress as a leading independent news outlet, I can’t help but feel gratitude for all of the support you all have given us which made our growth possible. We couldn’t have made it this far without you — so thank you for being a part of this journey.
I’m writing this letter to you to not only thank you but to invite you along on the next leg of our journey that I hope will exceed decades to come. MintPress has faced incredible challenges over the 9 years but has always stood strong against the tides of media censorship and bullying at the hands of the establishment for simply doing what we set out to do: challenge official narratives and hold the billionaire class accountable.
There has been a concerted effort to undermine independent journalism in this country by tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter through soft censorship, blacklisting, flagging, throttling, smear campaigns, and much more. These Silicon Valley giants work with government and corporate media outlets like the Washington Post and Buzzfeed to control what we see, hear, and read. But we’re ramping up our efforts to circumvent corporate censorship and provide our readers with the kind of journalism that empowers ‘we the people’ in new creative ways that we hope will unify those that value truth and justice to become stronger than ever before.
Over the years, our reporting has caused us to run afoul of various special interest groups, political partisans, corporate interests and even foreign governments. These entities wield considerable influence in the media and have come to act as gatekeepers of the news you rely on to make informed decisions, actively seeking out and silencing alternative voices and towing the same official government line that led to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other disastrous policies left unchallenged by the powers that be.
That is why as part of our effort to continue reporting on stories you won’t find anywhere else, we have teamed up with Behind the Headlines, a new, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of journalism that dares to challenge official narratives and bucks party lines.
We can no longer trust the executives at Facebook, Google, and other corporations to act as fair brokers of information and therefore have embarked on a multi-pronged approach to bring you the important journalism you have come to rely on. This means that not only will you be able to enjoy the unique coverage of world events on our website and mobile app, but you will also be able to dig deeper with a new series of :
1. In-depth Video Investigations led by award-winning journalist Dan Cohen
2. Short Documentary features led by me, Mnar Adley
3. Interactive Webinars featuring panel discussions hosted & produced by Mnar Adley
4. Explainer Videos breaking down the most complex news stories
MintPress relies on readers like you to help us power these projects through your financial support. We can no longer rely on Google ads and are appealing to our readers and supporters to sustain us and help us fulfill this mission to create even more thought-provoking and engaging content that is viewer and reader-funded.
Here’s how you can help
We have an initial fundraising goal of $25,000 that will last 60 days right here on Go Fund Me!
Extra gifts will be available to those who join MintPress as a member on our Patreon page including personalized keychains, stickers, reusable shopping bags, stainless steel water bottles (BPA free), and t-shirts with messages promoting peace and government accountability.
We are also partnering up with leaders in journalism and the anti-war movement to help guide us on the next leg of our journey, including a board of advisers:
———————————————————————————————–
John Pilger | World renowned journalist & documentary filmmaker
Abby Martin | Award winning journalist, documentary filmmaker
Mickey Huff | Academic, author & President of the Media Freedom Foundation
Coleen Rowley | FBI whistleblower, Congressional candidate, Antiwar activist
Miko Peled | Author, Israeli human rights activist
Ramzy Baroud | Award-winning author & journalist
Dan Cohen | Award-winning journalist, documentary filmmaker
Alan MacLeod | Ph.D, Author, journalist
Ollie Vargas | Journalist, expert on South American politics
————————————————————————————————-
MintPress has been since working tirelessly to expose who the special interest groups are and explain why and how they are pulling strings behind the scenes to shape policies at home and abroad, including their influence on the ever growing military machine and we hope to take this coverage to the next level with our new advisory board.
MintPress has been tackling issues like war and exploitation not just abroad but what’s taking place right here on our streets from Native reservations to Flint to Baltimore to Charlottesville. These are the kinds of stories the corporate-owned, mainstream media usually sweep under the rug or explain only in terms that benefit powerful, monied interests.
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mintpressnews--2020-10-21--From Assassinations to Sanctions: Emergency Powers and the Rise of the Imperial Presidency

On the eve of the 2020 election , no American president has enjoyed more unrestrained power than Donald J. Trump , who has inherited decades of policies and legislation that have given the American head of state the ability to suspend all constitutional rights and habeas corpus for its own citizens , carry out assassinations , torture prisoners and impose sanctions on sovereign nations , to name just a few of the 120 discretionary emergency “ powers ” the office currently has at its disposal .
Trump has invoked emergency powers , at least , eight times during his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorts of constitutional violations possible .
Depending on which sphere of political power requires a form of executive intervention , the president has a bevy of “ emergency ” options at his disposal beyond the reach of Congress or any other mitigating factors .
His decision to assassinate Iranian general , Qassem Soleimani , was one such example where the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force , also known as the War Powers Act , was cited as a legal justification for the general ’ s murder .
The War Powers Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency power ” dispositions increasingly afforded to the office of the presidency .
A recent article by Andrew Cockburn in Harper ’ s Magazine highlights a little-known set of documents drafted by the Department of Justice ’ s Office of Legal Counsel called presidential emergency action documents or PEADs , which detail the actions a president is unilaterally entitled to take in the event of a declared emergency .
These include all the constitutional violations mentioned above as well as a president ’ s prerogative to “ seize control of the Internet ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept from the American public , but are common knowledge among critical White House staff and other government officials .
According to Cockburn , PEADs have been gradually accumulating over the years as an “ integral part ” of the Continuity of Government or COG program ; an emergency plan hatched deep in the bowels of the post-war state to protect the edifice of power , which established a shadow government and other ’ emergency powers ’ justified by the threat of nuclear annihilation , incessantly propagandized during the Cold War ; the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spring to pave the way for the incremental concentration of power in the executive .
At the end of Stanley Kubrick ’ s “ Dr .
Strangelove or How I Learned to Love the Bomb , ” the crippled Nazi character after whom the movie is named , miraculously regains his ability to walk just as a nuclear conflagration engulfs the world .
Fascism thrives when panic and fear reign supreme , allowing critical circumstances – whether real or manufactured – to justify the evisceration of civil liberties and human rights .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the post-war period has found one ’ emergency ’ after another to drive through policies and legislation that serve its interests .
The office of the president is the logical target for a vast military industrial complex that needs to steer clear of Congressional oversight or public scrutiny in order to maintain control over its hugely profitable and immoral war enterprises .
After the tumultuous 1960s , which exposed many of the darkest secrets of the American national security apparatus and all of its murderous tentacles , the establishment experienced an existential crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put real pressure on the governing elites to answer for their actions and find remedies for patently unequal rights in America .
The anti-war movement , along with the revelations of the Church Committee , Watergate , and the extent to which presidents had used so-called emergency powers to circumvent Congress and the constitution , shed the pretense of democracy .
A futile effort to curb presidential emergency powers by the Special Committee on the Termination of the National Emergency in the early 1970s , which Frank Church co-chaired , was soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( IEEPA ) of 1977 , enabling the president to declare national emergencies based on very broad criteria of “ extraordinary circumstances.
” The IEEPA allows whoever is in the Oval Office to unilaterally and without evidence of wrongdoing , impose sanctions on entire countries or single individuals .
The law has since been used as the framework for other emergency authorization protocols , such as the legal device used by the U.S. Treasury ’ s Office of Foreign Assets Control to freeze any American ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was this piece of legislation that George W. Bush used as a basis for Executive Order 13224 , which blocked the assets of terrorist organizations .
These same powers were enhanced in provisions of the Patriot Act , itself another piece of ’ emergency ’ legislation .
Bush was the first president to actually implement the shadow government proscribed in the COG procedures after September 11 , 2001 .
There are currently more than 30 active declared “ emergencies , ” many of which go back decades .
In the opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Special Committee on the Termination of the National Emergency , the authors conceded that “ a majority of Americans alive today have lived all of their lives under emergency rule.
” This sobering conclusion is far more relevant today , almost 40 years later , when each subsequent administration has done its part to expand the president ’ s authority .
None more so than Barack Obama , who dramatically expanded presidential emergency powers with two executive orders in 2012 , which decreed almost monarchical powers over the whole of U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like food and water , the authority to force citizens to “ fulfill labor requirements for the purposes of national defense ” and the takeover of private communications networks by DHS .
All of these and more powers are currently in the hands of Donald Trump , whose style may rub some people the wrong way .
But , they won ’ t be rescinded by the next administration .
Indeed , now that the office of the presidency is a de facto dictatorship , style is really all that ’ s left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points to a supporter as Trump speaks at a campaign rally , Oct. 19 , 2020 , in Tucson , Ariz. Ross D. Franklin | AP

On the eve of the 2020 election, no American president has enjoyed more unrestrained power than Donald J. Trump, who has inherited decades of policies and legislation that have given the American head of state the ability to suspend all constitutional rights and habeas corpus for its own citizens, carry out assassinations, torture prisoners and impose sanctions on sovereign nations, to name just a few of the 120 discretionary emergency “powers” the office currently has at its disposal.
Trump has invoked emergency powers, at least, eight times during his administration. Simply declaring an emergency makes all sorts of constitutional violations possible. Depending on which sphere of political power requires a form of executive intervention, the president has a bevy of “emergency” options at his disposal beyond the reach of Congress or any other mitigating factors. His decision to assassinate Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, was one such example where the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, also known as the War Powers Act, was cited as a legal justification for the general’s murder.
The War Powers Act is but one of many legal “emergency power” dispositions increasingly afforded to the office of the presidency. A recent article by Andrew Cockburn in Harper’s Magazine highlights a little-known set of documents drafted by the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel called presidential emergency action documents or PEADs, which detail the actions a president is unilaterally entitled to take in the event of a declared emergency. These include all the constitutional violations mentioned above as well as a president’s prerogative to “seize control of the Internet” among other measures.
PEADs have been kept from the American public, but are common knowledge among critical White House staff and other government officials. According to Cockburn, PEADs have been gradually accumulating over the years as an “integral part” of the Continuity of Government or COG program; an emergency plan hatched deep in the bowels of the post-war state to protect the edifice of power, which established a shadow government and other ’emergency powers’ justified by the threat of nuclear annihilation, incessantly propagandized during the Cold War; the ultimate emergency from which all others would spring to pave the way for the incremental concentration of power in the executive.
Mein Führer, I can walk!
At the end of Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Love the Bomb,” the crippled Nazi character after whom the movie is named, miraculously regains his ability to walk just as a nuclear conflagration engulfs the world. Fascism thrives when panic and fear reign supreme, allowing critical circumstances – whether real or manufactured – to justify the evisceration of civil liberties and human rights.
The American national security state that developed in the post-war period has found one ’emergency’ after another to drive through policies and legislation that serve its interests. The office of the president is the logical target for a vast military industrial complex that needs to steer clear of Congressional oversight or public scrutiny in order to maintain control over its hugely profitable and immoral war enterprises.
After the tumultuous 1960s, which exposed many of the darkest secrets of the American national security apparatus and all of its murderous tentacles, the establishment experienced an existential crisis as powerful, grassroots social movements emerged to put real pressure on the governing elites to answer for their actions and find remedies for patently unequal rights in America. The anti-war movement, along with the revelations of the Church Committee, Watergate, and the extent to which presidents had used so-called emergency powers to circumvent Congress and the constitution, shed the pretense of democracy.
A futile effort to curb presidential emergency powers by the Special Committee on the Termination of the National Emergency in the early 1970s, which Frank Church co-chaired, was soon followed by an expansion of these powers in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, enabling the president to declare national emergencies based on very broad criteria of “extraordinary circumstances.”
The style council
The IEEPA allows whoever is in the Oval Office to unilaterally and without evidence of wrongdoing, impose sanctions on entire countries or single individuals. The law has since been used as the framework for other emergency authorization protocols, such as the legal device used by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to freeze any American’s bank account without any meaningful explanation.
It was this piece of legislation that George W. Bush used as a basis for Executive Order 13224, which blocked the assets of terrorist organizations. These same powers were enhanced in provisions of the Patriot Act, itself another piece of ’emergency’ legislation. Bush was the first president to actually implement the shadow government proscribed in the COG procedures after September 11, 2001.
There are currently more than 30 active declared “emergencies,” many of which go back decades. In the opening paragraph of the report issued by Church’s Special Committee on the Termination of the National Emergency, the authors conceded that “a majority of Americans alive today have lived all of their lives under emergency rule.” This sobering conclusion is far more relevant today, almost 40 years later, when each subsequent administration has done its part to expand the president’s authority. None more so than Barack Obama, who dramatically expanded presidential emergency powers with two executive orders in 2012, which decreed almost monarchical powers over the whole of U.S energy and transportation infrastructure, domestic resources like food and water, the authority to force citizens to “fulfill labor requirements for the purposes of national defense” and the takeover of private communications networks by DHS.
All of these and more powers are currently in the hands of Donald Trump, whose style may rub some people the wrong way. But, they won’t be rescinded by the next administration. Indeed, now that the office of the presidency is a de facto dictatorship, style is really all that’s left.
Feature photo | President Donald Trump points to a supporter as Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Oct. 19, 2020, in Tucson, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-10-21--Don’t Vote for a Psychopath: Tyranny at the Hands of a Psychopathic Government

Politicians are more likely than people in the general population to be sociopaths .
“ I think you would find no expert in the field of sociopathy/psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder who would dispute this… That a small minority of human beings literally have no conscience was and is a bitter pill for our society to swallow — but it does explain a great many things , shamelessly deceitful political behavior being one.
” —Dr .
Martha Stout , clinical psychologist and former instructor at Harvard Medical School Twenty years ago , a newspaper headline asked the question : “ What ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a psychopath ?
” The answer , then and now , remains the same : None .
There is no difference between psychopaths and politicians .
Nor is there much of a difference between the havoc wreaked on innocent lives by uncaring , unfeeling , selfish , irresponsible , parasitic criminals and elected officials who lie to their constituents , trade political favors for campaign contributions , turn a blind eye to the wishes of the electorate , cheat taxpayers out of hard-earned dollars , favor the corporate elite , entrench the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the impact their thoughtless actions and hastily passed legislation might have on defenseless citizens .
Psychopaths and politicians both have a tendency to be selfish , callous , remorseless users of others , irresponsible , pathological liars , glib , con artists , lacking in remorse and shallow .
Charismatic politicians , like criminal psychopaths , exhibit a failure to accept responsibility for their actions , have a high sense of self-worth , are chronically unstable , have socially deviant lifestyles , need constant stimulation , have parasitic lifestyles and possess unrealistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether you ’ re talking about Democrats or Republicans .
Political psychopaths are all largely cut from the same pathological cloth , brimming with seemingly easy charm and boasting calculating minds .
Such leaders eventually create pathocracies : totalitarian societies bent on power , control , and destruction of both freedom in general and those who exercise their freedoms .
Once psychopaths gain power , the result is usually some form of totalitarian government or a pathocracy .
“ At that point , the government operates against the interests of its own people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author James G. Long notes .
“ We are currently witnessing deliberate polarizations of American citizens , illegal actions , and massive and needless acquisition of debt .
This is typical of psychopathic systems , and very similar things happened in the Soviet Union as it overextended and collapsed.
” In other words , electing a psychopath to public office is tantamount to national hara-kiri , the ritualized act of self-annihilation , self-destruction and suicide .
It signals the demise of democratic government and lays the groundwork for a totalitarian regime that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inhuman .
Incredibly , despite clear evidence of the damage that has already been inflicted on our nation and its citizens by a psychopathic government , voters continue to elect psychopaths to positions of power and influence .
Indeed , a study from Southern Methodist University found that Washington , DC—our nation ’ s capital and the seat of power for our so-called representatives—ranks highest on the list of regions that are populated by psychopaths .
According to investigative journalist Zack Beauchamp , “ In 2012 , a group of psychologists evaluated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using ‘ psychopathy trait estimates derived from personality data completed by historical experts on each president.
’ They found that presidents tended to have the psychopath ’ s characteristic fearlessness and low anxiety levels — traits that appear to help Presidents , but also might cause them to make reckless decisions that hurt other people ’ s lives.
” The willingness to prioritize power above all else , including the welfare of their fellow human beings , ruthlessness , callousness and an utter lack of conscience are among the defining traits of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer sees us as human beings with dignity and worth but as things to be manipulated , maneuvered , mined for data , manhandled by police , conned into believing it has our best interests at heart , mistreated , jailed if we dare step out of line , and then punished unjustly without remorse—all the while refusing to own up to its failings—we are no longer operating under a constitutional republic .
Instead , what we are experiencing is a pathocracy : tyranny at the hands of a psychopathic government , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own people except for favoring certain groups.
” Worse , psychopathology is not confined to those in high positions of government .
It can spread like a virus among the populace .
As an academic study into pathocracy concluded , “ [ T ] yranny does not flourish because perpetuators are helpless and ignorant of their actions .
It flourishes because they actively identify with those who promote vicious acts as virtuous.
” People don ’ t simply line up and salute .
It is through one ’ s own personal identification with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order that they become agents of good or evil .
Much depends on how leaders “ cultivate a sense of identification with their followers , ” says Professor Alex Haslam .
“ I mean one pretty obvious thing is that leaders talk about ‘ we ’ rather than ‘ I , ’ and actually what leadership is about is cultivating this sense of shared identity about ‘ we-ness ’ and then getting people to want to act in terms of that ‘ we-ness , ’ to promote our collective interests .
.
.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ word that has increased in the inaugural addresses over the last century .
.
.
and the other one is ‘ America.
’ ” The goal of the modern corporate state is obvious : to promote , cultivate , and embed a sense of shared identification among its citizens .
To this end , “ we the people ” have become “ we the police state.
” We are fast becoming slaves in thrall to a faceless , nameless , bureaucratic totalitarian government machine that relentlessly erodes our freedoms through countless laws , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to such regimes depends on the strength of opinions in the minds of those who choose to fight back .
What this means is that we the citizenry must be very careful that we are not manipulated into marching in lockstep with an oppressive regime .
Writing for ThinkProgress , Beauchamp suggests that “ one of the best cures to bad leaders may very well be political democracy.
” But what does this really mean in practical terms ?
It means holding politicians accountable for their actions and the actions of their staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : through investigative journalism ( what used to be referred to as the Fourth Estate ) that enlightens and informs , through whistleblower complaints that expose corruption , through lawsuits that challenge misconduct , and through protests and mass political action that remind the powers-that-be that “ we the people ” are the ones that call the shots .
Remember , education precedes action .
Citizens need to the do the hard work of educating themselves about what the government is doing and how to hold it accountable .
Don ’ t allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chamber that is restricted to views with which you agree .
Expose yourself to multiple media sources , independent and mainstream , and think for yourself .
For that matter , no matter what your political leanings might be , don ’ t allow your partisan bias to trump the principles that serve as the basis for our constitutional republic .
As Beauchamp notes , “ A system that actually holds people accountable to the broader conscience of society may be one of the best ways to keep conscienceless people in check.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot box to become our only means of pushing back against the police state , the battle is already lost .
Resistance will require a citizenry willing to be active at the local level .
Yet as I point out in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , if you wait to act until the SWAT team is crashing through your door , until your name is placed on a terror watch list , until you are reported for such outlawed activities as collecting rainwater or letting your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be too late .
This much I know : we are not faceless numbers .
We are not cogs in the machine .
We are not slaves .
We are human beings , and for the moment , we have the opportunity to remain free—that is , if we tirelessly advocate for our rights and resist at every turn attempts by the government to place us in chains .
The Founders understood that our freedoms do not flow from the government .
They were not given to us only to be taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are inherently ours .
In the same way , the government ’ s appointed purpose is not to threaten or undermine our freedoms , but to safeguard them .
Until we can get back to this way of thinking , until we can remind our fellow Americans what it really means to be free , and until we can stand firm in the face of threats to our freedoms , we will continue to be treated like slaves in thrall to a bureaucratic police state run by political psychopaths .
Constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founder and president of The Rutherford Institute .
His new book Battlefield America : The War on the American People ( SelectBooks , 2015 ) is available online at www.amazon.com .
Whitehead can be contacted at johnw @ rutherford.org .

Politicians are more likely than people in the general population to be sociopaths. “I think you would find no expert in the field of sociopathy/psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder who would dispute this… That a small minority of human beings literally have no conscience was and is a bitter pill for our society to swallow — but it does explain a great many things, shamelessly deceitful political behavior being one.”—Dr. Martha Stout, clinical psychologist and former instructor at Harvard Medical School
Twenty years ago, a newspaper headline asked the question: “What’s the difference between a politician and a psychopath?”
The answer, then and now, remains the same: None.
There is no difference between psychopaths and politicians.
Nor is there much of a difference between the havoc wreaked on innocent lives by uncaring, unfeeling, selfish, irresponsible, parasitic criminals and elected officials who lie to their constituents, trade political favors for campaign contributions, turn a blind eye to the wishes of the electorate, cheat taxpayers out of hard-earned dollars, favor the corporate elite, entrench the military industrial complex, and spare little thought for the impact their thoughtless actions and hastily passed legislation might have on defenseless citizens.
Psychopaths and politicians both have a tendency to be selfish, callous, remorseless users of others, irresponsible, pathological liars, glib, con artists, lacking in remorse and shallow.
Charismatic politicians, like criminal psychopaths, exhibit a failure to accept responsibility for their actions, have a high sense of self-worth, are chronically unstable, have socially deviant lifestyles, need constant stimulation, have parasitic lifestyles and possess unrealistic goals.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about Democrats or Republicans.
Political psychopaths are all largely cut from the same pathological cloth, brimming with seemingly easy charm and boasting calculating minds. Such leaders eventually create pathocracies: totalitarian societies bent on power, control, and destruction of both freedom in general and those who exercise their freedoms.
Once psychopaths gain power, the result is usually some form of totalitarian government or a pathocracy. “At that point, the government operates against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups,” author James G. Long notes. “We are currently witnessing deliberate polarizations of American citizens, illegal actions, and massive and needless acquisition of debt. This is typical of psychopathic systems, and very similar things happened in the Soviet Union as it overextended and collapsed.”
In other words, electing a psychopath to public office is tantamount to national hara-kiri, the ritualized act of self-annihilation, self-destruction and suicide. It signals the demise of democratic government and lays the groundwork for a totalitarian regime that is legalistic, militaristic, inflexible, intolerant and inhuman.
Incredibly, despite clear evidence of the damage that has already been inflicted on our nation and its citizens by a psychopathic government, voters continue to elect psychopaths to positions of power and influence.
Indeed, a study from Southern Methodist University found that Washington, DC—our nation’s capital and the seat of power for our so-called representatives—ranks highest on the list of regions that are populated by psychopaths.
According to investigative journalist Zack Beauchamp, “In 2012, a group of psychologists evaluated every President from Washington to Bush II using ‘psychopathy trait estimates derived from personality data completed by historical experts on each president.’ They found that presidents tended to have the psychopath’s characteristic fearlessness and low anxiety levels — traits that appear to help Presidents, but also might cause them to make reckless decisions that hurt other people’s lives.”
The willingness to prioritize power above all else, including the welfare of their fellow human beings, ruthlessness, callousness and an utter lack of conscience are among the defining traits of the sociopath.
When our own government no longer sees us as human beings with dignity and worth but as things to be manipulated, maneuvered, mined for data, manhandled by police, conned into believing it has our best interests at heart, mistreated, jailed if we dare step out of line, and then punished unjustly without remorse—all the while refusing to own up to its failings—we are no longer operating under a constitutional republic.
Instead, what we are experiencing is a pathocracy: tyranny at the hands of a psychopathic government, which “operates against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups.”
Worse, psychopathology is not confined to those in high positions of government. It can spread like a virus among the populace. As an academic study into pathocracy concluded, “[T]yranny does not flourish because perpetuators are helpless and ignorant of their actions. It flourishes because they actively identify with those who promote vicious acts as virtuous.”
People don’t simply line up and salute. It is through one’s own personal identification with a given leader, party or social order that they become agents of good or evil.
Much depends on how leaders “cultivate a sense of identification with their followers,” says Professor Alex Haslam. “I mean one pretty obvious thing is that leaders talk about ‘we’ rather than ‘I,’ and actually what leadership is about is cultivating this sense of shared identity about ‘we-ness’ and then getting people to want to act in terms of that ‘we-ness,’ to promote our collective interests. . . . [We] is the single word that has increased in the inaugural addresses over the last century . . . and the other one is ‘America.’”
The goal of the modern corporate state is obvious: to promote, cultivate, and embed a sense of shared identification among its citizens. To this end, “we the people” have become “we the police state.”
We are fast becoming slaves in thrall to a faceless, nameless, bureaucratic totalitarian government machine that relentlessly erodes our freedoms through countless laws, statutes, and prohibitions.
Any resistance to such regimes depends on the strength of opinions in the minds of those who choose to fight back. What this means is that we the citizenry must be very careful that we are not manipulated into marching in lockstep with an oppressive regime.
Writing for ThinkProgress, Beauchamp suggests that “one of the best cures to bad leaders may very well be political democracy.”
But what does this really mean in practical terms?
It means holding politicians accountable for their actions and the actions of their staff using every available means at our disposal: through investigative journalism (what used to be referred to as the Fourth Estate) that enlightens and informs, through whistleblower complaints that expose corruption, through lawsuits that challenge misconduct, and through protests and mass political action that remind the powers-that-be that “we the people” are the ones that call the shots.
Remember, education precedes action. Citizens need to the do the hard work of educating themselves about what the government is doing and how to hold it accountable. Don’t allow yourselves to exist exclusively in an echo chamber that is restricted to views with which you agree. Expose yourself to multiple media sources, independent and mainstream, and think for yourself.
For that matter, no matter what your political leanings might be, don’t allow your partisan bias to trump the principles that serve as the basis for our constitutional republic. As Beauchamp notes, “A system that actually holds people accountable to the broader conscience of society may be one of the best ways to keep conscienceless people in check.”
That said, if we allow the ballot box to become our only means of pushing back against the police state, the battle is already lost.
Resistance will require a citizenry willing to be active at the local level.
Yet as I point out in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, if you wait to act until the SWAT team is crashing through your door, until your name is placed on a terror watch list, until you are reported for such outlawed activities as collecting rainwater or letting your children play outside unsupervised, then it will be too late.
This much I know: we are not faceless numbers.
We are not cogs in the machine.
We are not slaves.
We are human beings, and for the moment, we have the opportunity to remain free—that is, if we tirelessly advocate for our rights and resist at every turn attempts by the government to place us in chains.
The Founders understood that our freedoms do not flow from the government. They were not given to us only to be taken away by the will of the State. They are inherently ours. In the same way, the government’s appointed purpose is not to threaten or undermine our freedoms, but to safeguard them.
Until we can get back to this way of thinking, until we can remind our fellow Americans what it really means to be free, and until we can stand firm in the face of threats to our freedoms, we will continue to be treated like slaves in thrall to a bureaucratic police state run by political psychopaths.
Feature photo | Editing by MintPress | Artist Unknown
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. His new book Battlefield America: The War on the American People (SelectBooks, 2015) is available online at www.amazon.com. Whitehead can be contacted at [email protected].


mintpressnews--2020-10-23--Report: Facebook “Complicit” in Role as “World’s Engine for Anti-Muslim Violence”

Facebook has been described as “ the world ’ s engine for anti-Muslim violence ” in a new report on Islamophobia .
Entitled “ Complicit : the human cost of facebook ’ s disregard for Muslim life , ” the report was written by Muslim Advocates and the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism and details how in nine countries studied , Facebook has played a leading role in facilitating anti-Muslim violence by providing a platform for Islamophobic groups to organize and refusing to stop them when their activities are brought to its attention .
The countries studied were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany , Myanmar , New Zealand , Sri Lanka , Sweden and Hungary .
Part of the problem , according to the report ’ s authors , is the company ’ s own attitude towards Islam .
“ In country after country , anti-Muslim staff at Facebook support anti-Muslim regimes , amplify anti-Muslim rhetoric , and enable anti-Muslim violence , ” said Farhana Khera , executive director of Muslim Advocates .
“ This groundbreaking report shows that there are no excuses for this ; it ’ s simply willful disregard for the well-being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Facebook has been warned at every level — by individuals , NGOs , international institutions and by the victims themselves .
These are not simple mistakes or oversights , this is complicity.
” “ For far too long , Facebook has been complicit in allowing anti-Muslim hate and violence to thrive and grow , ” added Heidi Beirich , executive vice president of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism .
“ There are real consequences to their actions—namely the loss of Muslim lives across the globe.
” In 2015 , Facebook CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s calls for an outright Muslim ban in the United States .
“ I can only imagine the fear Muslims feel that they will be persecuted for the actions of others .
As the leader of Facebook… we will fight to protect your rights and create a peaceful and safe environment for you , ” he wrote .
Yet when Trump used the platform again the next year to organize for exactly such a ban , Zuckerberg refused to remove the content , despite accepting that it broke Facebook ’ s own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown that Zuckerberg ’ s platform is a haven for far-right , racist and violently Islamophobic groups and organizations around the world .
One found that Islamophobia was a lynchpin tying together other forms of organized hatred , a gateway prejudice towards other forms of hate .
Yet when confronted with the reality of the situation , the social media giant ’ s response has been slow to non-existent .
Partially as a result of apathy on the part of online companies to curb the racist rhetoric , Islamophobia has become normalized in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate John McCain defending his opponent Barack Obama from the “ charge ” of being a Muslim by saying that he was actually a “ decent family man , ” implying that there was a dichotomy between those two things , to the casual Islamophobia of “ liberal ” talk show hosts like Bill Maher .
This has led to a situation where the president of the United States feels comfortable implementing what amounts to a ban on Muslims entering the country .
Facebook has played their part in this , allowing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public groups with names like “ Veterans Against Islamic Filth , ” “ Purge Worldwide ( The Cure for the Islamic disease in your country ) ” and “ Americans Against Mosques , ” many of which are filled with active duty soldiers and police officers .
And while Trump ’ s own speech has been protected , prominent Muslim politicians have been attacked and threatened .
Reps. Ilhan Omar ( D-MN ) and Rashida Tlaib ( D—MI ) were targeted by an international fake news campaign on Facebook that spread dangerous Islamophobic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was charged with threatening to kill Omar to continue to post racist and violent content on its platform , originally taking no action , even after police intervened and arrested him ( he is currently serving a 12-month prison sentence ) .
Of course , Islamophobic content is not only limited to Facebook ; an academic study published by the Social Science Research Council found that fully half the posts on Twitter mentioning Omar ’ s name contained some form of hate speech directed at her .
While conservatives often claim their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in reality , their views dominate Facebook , with notoriously Islamophobic individuals like Ben Shapiro or websites like Breitbart vastly outperforming mainstream news outlets such as CNN or The New York Times .
It is well documented that Shapiro and his site The Daily Wire are in constant breach of a number of Facebook ’ s rules on false advertising and coordinated posting .
Yet Zuckerberg allows him to get away with it , perhaps because he appears to have a growing friendship with Shapiro , having met with him a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how his ilk are being silenced ( despite being by far the most shared figure on the platform ) .
Needless to say , alternative left-wing media have not been granted any audiences with the multi-billionaire tech businessman .
Indeed , Facebook admitted that they specifically redesigned their algorithm to disadvantage left-wing news sites .
A second country the report studied was India , Facebook ’ s largest and most lucrative market .
Facebook has signed a number of lucrative deals with the Modi government , and Zuckerberg appears to be a fan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met and even introduced his parents to him before he was even prime minister .
350 million Indians use Facebook , and 400 million use its subsidiary messaging client WhatsApp .
India is currently ruled by the far-right Hindu nationalist BJP government .
Its leader , Narendra Modi , first came to global attention in 2002 when , as Chief Minister of Gujarat state , he oversaw a massive Islamophobic pogrom that led to over 2,000 deaths and 200,000 Muslims being driven from their homes .
As prime minister , Modi has continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a new national registration council , which redefines Indian citizenship and has been used to strip it from two million people in northeast India , the majority of whom are Muslims .
The coronavirus pandemic has slowed progress on the BJP ’ s network of detention centers , not unlike those on the U.S./Mexico border , to house the population of newly illegal Indians .
But other members of Modi ’ s party have expressed a desire to go further ; in February , Modi ’ s minister of animal husbandry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mistake not fully ethnically cleansing the entire subcontinent of Muslims at the time of its independence in 1947 .
Islamophobic content is rife on Indian Facebook and WhatsApp , where the BJP and its paramilitary groups use the platforms to spread communal hatred .
Last October , a report from nonprofit organization Avaaz accused Facebook of having become a “ megaphone for hate ” against Muslims in northeastern India , facilitating the state ’ s violence against the Muslim population .
According to Avaaz , Facebook refused to rein in a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as criminals , rapists , terrorists and dogs , in shockingly similar rhetoric used before the commencement of the genocide against the Rohingya Muslims in nearby Myanmar .
Ultimately , the report alleges , Zuckerberg ’ s inaction to curb hate speech against Muslims comes down to economics .
“ Facebook has no regard for the lives of Muslims .
For Facebook , jeopardizing the safety and security of Muslims is just the cost of doing business , ” it concludes .
“ The only reason to allow dangerous hate content from anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political figures with reach and influence , is because it ’ s profitable.
” Feature photo | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies remotely during a House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust on Capitol Hill , July 29 , 2020 , in Washington .
Mandel Ngan | Pool via 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Facebook has been described as “the world’s engine for anti-Muslim violence” in a new report on Islamophobia. Entitled “Complicit: the human cost of facebook’s disregard for Muslim life,” the report was written by Muslim Advocates and the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism and details how in nine countries studied, Facebook has played a leading role in facilitating anti-Muslim violence by providing a platform for Islamophobic groups to organize and refusing to stop them when their activities are brought to its attention. The countries studied were the United States, India, China, Germany, Myanmar, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Hungary.
Part of the problem, according to the report’s authors, is the company’s own attitude towards Islam. “In country after country, anti-Muslim staff at Facebook support anti-Muslim regimes, amplify anti-Muslim rhetoric, and enable anti-Muslim violence,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates. “This groundbreaking report shows that there are no excuses for this; it’s simply willful disregard for the well-being of people simply because they are Muslim. Facebook has been warned at every level — by individuals, NGOs, international institutions and by the victims themselves. These are not simple mistakes or oversights, this is complicity.”
“For far too long, Facebook has been complicit in allowing anti-Muslim hate and violence to thrive and grow,” added Heidi Beirich, executive vice president of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “There are real consequences to their actions—namely the loss of Muslim lives across the globe.”
The United States
In 2015, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended Muslims from Donald Trump’s calls for an outright Muslim ban in the United States. “I can only imagine the fear Muslims feel that they will be persecuted for the actions of others. As the leader of Facebook… we will fight to protect your rights and create a peaceful and safe environment for you,” he wrote. Yet when Trump used the platform again the next year to organize for exactly such a ban, Zuckerberg refused to remove the content, despite accepting that it broke Facebook’s own hate speech laws.
Studies have also shown that Zuckerberg’s platform is a haven for far-right, racist and violently Islamophobic groups and organizations around the world. One found that Islamophobia was a lynchpin tying together other forms of organized hatred, a gateway prejudice towards other forms of hate. Yet when confronted with the reality of the situation, the social media giant’s response has been slow to non-existent.
Partially as a result of apathy on the part of online companies to curb the racist rhetoric, Islamophobia has become normalized in the United States, from Republican presidential candidate John McCain defending his opponent Barack Obama from the “charge” of being a Muslim by saying that he was actually a “decent family man,” implying that there was a dichotomy between those two things, to the casual Islamophobia of “liberal” talk show hosts like Bill Maher. This has led to a situation where the president of the United States feels comfortable implementing what amounts to a ban on Muslims entering the country.
Facebook has played their part in this, allowing the flourishing of a myriad of private and public groups with names like “Veterans Against Islamic Filth,” “Purge Worldwide (The Cure for the Islamic disease in your country)” and “Americans Against Mosques,” many of which are filled with active duty soldiers and police officers.
And while Trump’s own speech has been protected, prominent Muslim politicians have been attacked and threatened. Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D—MI) were targeted by an international fake news campaign on Facebook that spread dangerous Islamophobic sentiment. Facebook even allowed a man who was charged with threatening to kill Omar to continue to post racist and violent content on its platform, originally taking no action, even after police intervened and arrested him (he is currently serving a 12-month prison sentence). Of course, Islamophobic content is not only limited to Facebook; an academic study published by the Social Science Research Council found that fully half the posts on Twitter mentioning Omar’s name contained some form of hate speech directed at her.
While conservatives often claim their speech is being suppressed on the platform, in reality, their views dominate Facebook, with notoriously Islamophobic individuals like Ben Shapiro or websites like Breitbart vastly outperforming mainstream news outlets such as CNN or The New York Times. It is well documented that Shapiro and his site The Daily Wire are in constant breach of a number of Facebook’s rules on false advertising and coordinated posting. Yet Zuckerberg allows him to get away with it, perhaps because he appears to have a growing friendship with Shapiro, having met with him a number of times to hear his grievances about how his ilk are being silenced (despite being by far the most shared figure on the platform). Needless to say, alternative left-wing media have not been granted any audiences with the multi-billionaire tech businessman. Indeed, Facebook admitted that they specifically redesigned their algorithm to disadvantage left-wing news sites.
India
A second country the report studied was India, Facebook’s largest and most lucrative market. Facebook has signed a number of lucrative deals with the Modi government, and Zuckerberg appears to be a fan of the far-right Hindu nationalist, having met and even introduced his parents to him before he was even prime minister.
350 million Indians use Facebook, and 400 million use its subsidiary messaging client WhatsApp. India is currently ruled by the far-right Hindu nationalist BJP government. Its leader, Narendra Modi, first came to global attention in 2002 when, as Chief Minister of Gujarat state, he oversaw a massive Islamophobic pogrom that led to over 2,000 deaths and 200,000 Muslims being driven from their homes.
As prime minister, Modi has continued to push a strongly anti-Muslim agenda, including a new national registration council, which redefines Indian citizenship and has been used to strip it from two million people in northeast India, the majority of whom are Muslims. The coronavirus pandemic has slowed progress on the BJP’s network of detention centers, not unlike those on the U.S./Mexico border, to house the population of newly illegal Indians. But other members of Modi’s party have expressed a desire to go further; in February, Modi’s minister of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries declared that India made a mistake not fully ethnically cleansing the entire subcontinent of Muslims at the time of its independence in 1947.
Islamophobic content is rife on Indian Facebook and WhatsApp, where the BJP and its paramilitary groups use the platforms to spread communal hatred. Last October, a report from nonprofit organization Avaaz accused Facebook of having become a “megaphone for hate” against Muslims in northeastern India, facilitating the state’s violence against the Muslim population. According to Avaaz, Facebook refused to rein in a “tsunami” of hate speech depicting Muslims as criminals, rapists, terrorists and dogs, in shockingly similar rhetoric used before the commencement of the genocide against the Rohingya Muslims in nearby Myanmar.
Ultimately, the report alleges, Zuckerberg’s inaction to curb hate speech against Muslims comes down to economics. “Facebook has no regard for the lives of Muslims. For Facebook, jeopardizing the safety and security of Muslims is just the cost of doing business,” it concludes. “The only reason to allow dangerous hate content from anyone to stay up, and especially from political figures with reach and influence, is because it’s profitable.”
Feature photo | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies remotely during a House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust on Capitol Hill, July 29, 2020, in Washington. Mandel Ngan | Pool via 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.