mintpressnews--2020-05-20--Biden: Criticism of Israel Is Not Anti-Semitism, Unless It Comes From the Left

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held an online fundraiser yesterday with around 550 people organized by former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Emory University professor Deborah Lipstadt .
Much of the discussion revolved around the role of Israel and around the growing tide of anti-Israeli sentiment on American college campuses .
“ Criticism of Israel ’ s policy is not anti-Semitism , ” Biden said , “ But too often that criticism from the left morphs into anti-semitism , ” pointing the finger in one direction specifically .
“ We have to condemn it , and I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he added .
Asked about Trump ’ s decision to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem the former vice-president reconfirmed that , if elected , he would not move it back .
“ My commitment to Israel is absolutely unshakeable , ” he assured his prospective donors .
On this point , there is little disagreement .
Described as “ Israel ’ s man in Washington ” by his biographer Branko Marcetic and “ the best friend of Israel in the administration ” by Senate Minority Leader Chuck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his adult life campaigning on Israel ’ s behalf in the halls of power .
This included lobbying for trade deals and debt forgiveness , defending the country internationally , participating in AIPAC membership drives , often undermining President Obama ’ s statements on the country .
In recent years , Israel is increasingly losing the support of young people , including young Jewish Americans , with campaigns like the Boycott Divestments and Sanctions ( BDS ) movement having gained momentum .
As a result , 28 states have already mandated loyalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlawing criticism of the country .
And in December , President Trump passed legislation criminalizing BDS or any criticism of the Israeli government on college campuses and in other public institutions .
Any organization that does not take sufficient action against those campaigning against Israel ’ s policies is subject to losing all government funding .
In February , journalist Abby Martin sued the state of Georgia over what she saw as blatantly unconstitutional laws .
Ironically , anti-semitic attacks are on the rise in the United States , with a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years .
However , the perpetrators of such crimes tend to come from the political right , where support for the Israeli government is strongest .
Trump himself has a very long history of anti-semitic outbursts ; in December he gave a speech at the Israeli American Council National Summit where he told the crowd “ A lot of you are in the real estate business because I know you very well .
You ’ re brutal killers , not nice people at all .
But you have to vote for me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insinuating his Jewish audience cared about nothing but their own wealth .
CNN noted his comments drew applause and cheers from the audience , something that suggests many Israeli lobbyists care more about promoting their government ’ s agenda than keeping Jews safe .
Israeli politics have moved further to the right in recent times , to the point where even former Prime Minister Ehud Barak has described the country ’ s orientation as overtly fascist .
A 2016 poll found that half of all Israelis favor an immediate ethnic cleansing of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s political forces came to a unique power sharing compromise , where Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz would share the office of Prime Minister , breaking a year of political deadlock .
Aggregate polling shows Biden still maintains a lead over Trump for the November election .
However , that lead continues to shrink , to the point where some have Trump holding on to power .
Amidst the world ’ s most severe coronavirus outbreak by total numbers , it is unclear under what circumstances the election will take place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenger or the incumbent .
Biden has been dogged by new sexual assault allegations from a former staffer , Tara Reade .
Surveys show a majority of Americans , including a majority of independent voters , believe Reade .
Although outwardly presenting a progressive veneer on his policies , the former vice-president has taken pains to reassure wealthy donors that “ nothing would fundamentally change ” under his leadership , and largely shunned the left of his party , refusing to even consider Bernie Sanders as a running mate .
His latest pronouncements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to improve this relationship .
Feature photo | Joe Biden addresses the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee ( AIPAC ) , the largest Israel lobby in the United States , 2013 Policy Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington .
Susan Walsh | 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held an online fundraiser yesterday with around 550 people organized by former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Emory University professor Deborah Lipstadt. Much of the discussion revolved around the role of Israel and around the growing tide of anti-Israeli sentiment on American college campuses. “Criticism of Israel’s policy is not anti-Semitism,” Biden said, “But too often that criticism from the left morphs into anti-semitism,” pointing the finger in one direction specifically. “We have to condemn it, and I’ve gotten in trouble for doing so,” he added. Asked about Trump’s decision to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem the former vice-president reconfirmed that, if elected, he would not move it back. “My commitment to Israel is absolutely unshakeable,” he assured his prospective donors.
On this point, there is little disagreement. Described as “Israel’s man in Washington” by his biographer Branko Marcetic and “the best friend of Israel in the administration” by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the 77-year-old has spent most of his adult life campaigning on Israel’s behalf in the halls of power. This included lobbying for trade deals and debt forgiveness, defending the country internationally, participating in AIPAC membership drives, often undermining President Obama’s statements on the country.
Real anti-Semitism on the rise
In recent years, Israel is increasingly losing the support of young people, including young Jewish Americans, with campaigns like the Boycott Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement having gained momentum. As a result, 28 states have already mandated loyalty pledges to Israel as a means of outlawing criticism of the country. And in December, President Trump passed legislation criminalizing BDS or any criticism of the Israeli government on college campuses and in other public institutions. Any organization that does not take sufficient action against those campaigning against Israel’s policies is subject to losing all government funding. In February, journalist Abby Martin sued the state of Georgia over what she saw as blatantly unconstitutional laws.
Ironically, anti-semitic attacks are on the rise in the United States, with a number of high-profile terrorist attacks against Jewish organizations in recent years. However, the perpetrators of such crimes tend to come from the political right, where support for the Israeli government is strongest. Trump himself has a very long history of anti-semitic outbursts; in December he gave a speech at the Israeli American Council National Summit where he told the crowd “A lot of you are in the real estate business because I know you very well. You’re brutal killers, not nice people at all. But you have to vote for me, you have no choice,” insinuating his Jewish audience cared about nothing but their own wealth. CNN noted his comments drew applause and cheers from the audience, something that suggests many Israeli lobbyists care more about promoting their government’s agenda than keeping Jews safe.
Israeli politics have moved further to the right in recent times, to the point where even former Prime Minister Ehud Barak has described the country’s orientation as overtly fascist. A 2016 poll found that half of all Israelis favor an immediate ethnic cleansing of all Arabs from Israel. On Sunday the country’s political forces came to a unique power sharing compromise, where Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz would share the office of Prime Minister, breaking a year of political deadlock.
Aggregate polling shows Biden still maintains a lead over Trump for the November election. However, that lead continues to shrink, to the point where some have Trump holding on to power. Amidst the world’s most severe coronavirus outbreak by total numbers, it is unclear under what circumstances the election will take place and if the terms will suit the challenger or the incumbent. Biden has been dogged by new sexual assault allegations from a former staffer, Tara Reade. Surveys show a majority of Americans, including a majority of independent voters, believe Reade. Although outwardly presenting a progressive veneer on his policies, the former vice-president has taken pains to reassure wealthy donors that “nothing would fundamentally change” under his leadership, and largely shunned the left of his party, refusing to even consider Bernie Sanders as a running mate. His latest pronouncements on anti-semitism and the left is unlikely to improve this relationship.
Feature photo | Joe Biden addresses the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest Israel lobby in the United States, 2013 Policy Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington. Susan Walsh | 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--2020-05-21--Why Israel Fears the Nakba: How Memory Became Palestine’s Greatest Weapon

On May 15 , thousands of Palestinians in Occupied Palestine and throughout the ‘ shatat ’ , or diaspora , participated in the commemoration of Nakba Day , the one event that unites all Palestinians , regardless of their political differences or backgrounds .
For years , social media has added a whole new stratum to this process of commemoration .
# Nakba72 , along with # NakbaDay and # Nakba , have all trended on Twitter for days .
Facebook was inundated with countless stories , videos , images , and statements , written by Palestinians , or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The dominant Nakba narrative remains – 72 years following the destruction of historic Palestine at the hands of Zionist militias – an opportunity to reassert the centrality of the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees .
Over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes in Palestine in 1947-48 .
The surviving refugees and their descendants are now estimated at over five million .
As thousands of Palestinians rallied on the streets and as the Nakba hashtag was generating massive interest on social media , US Secretary of State , Mike Pompeo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss the seemingly imminent Israeli government annexation , or theft , of nearly 30 % of the occupied Palestinian West Bank .
“ The Israeli government will decide on the matter , on exactly when and how to do it , ” Pompeo said in an interview with Israeli radio , Kan Bet , the Jerusalem Post reported .
Clearly , the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu has American blessing to further its colonization of occupied Palestine , to entrench its existing Apartheid regime , and to act as if the Palestinians simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Pompeo ’ s visit to Israel are a stark representation of Palestine ’ s political reality today .
Considering the massive US political sway , why do Palestinians then insist on making demands which , according to the pervading realpolitik of the so-called Palestinian-Israeli conflict , seem unattainable ?
Since the start of the peace process in Oslo in the early 1990s , the Palestinian leadership has engaged with Israel and its western benefactors in a useless political exercise that has , ultimately , worsened an already terrible situation .
After over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pieces of what remained of historic Palestine , Israel and the US are now plotting the endgame , while demonizing the very Palestinian leaders that participated in their joint and futile political charade .
Strangely , the rise and demise of the so-called ‘ peace process ’ did not seem to affect the collective narrative of the Palestinian people , who still see the Nakba , not the Israeli occupation of 1967 , and certainly not the Oslo accords , as the core point in their struggle against Israeli colonialism .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent from Oslo and its many misgivings .
For Palestinians , memory is an active process .
It is not a docile , passive mechanism of grief and self-pity that can easily be manipulated , but a generator of new meanings .
In their seminal book “ Nakba : Palestine , 1948 , and the Claims of Memory ” , Ahmad Sa ’ di and Lila Abu-Lughod wrote that “ Palestinian memory is , at its heart , political.
” This means that the powerful and emotive commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act , and , even if partly unconscious , a people ’ s retort and rejection of Donald Trump ’ s ‘ Deal of the Century ’ , of Pompeo ’ s politicking , and of Netanyahu ’ s annexation drive .
Despite the numerous unilateral measures taken by Israel to determine the fate of the Palestinian people , the blind and unconditional US support of Israel , and the unmitigated failure of the Palestinian Authority to mount any meaningful resistance , Palestinians continue to remember their history and understand their reality based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , Palestinians have been accused of being unrealistic , of “ never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity , ” and even of extremism , for simply insisting on their historical rights in Palestine , as enshrined in international law .
These critical voices are either supporters of Israel , or simply unable to understand how Palestinian memory factors in shaping the politics of ordinary people , independent of the quisling Palestinian leadership or the seemingly impossible-to-overturn status quo .
True , both trajectories , that of the stifling political reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in constant divergence , with little or no overlapping .
However , a closer look is revealing : the more belligerent Israel becomes , the more stubbornly Palestinians hold on to their past .
There is a reason for this .
Occupied , oppressed and refugee camps-confined Palestinians have little control over many of the realities that directly impact their lives .
There is little that a refugee from Gaza can do to dissuade Pompeo from assigning the West Bank to Israel , or a Palestinian refugee from Ein El-Helweh in Lebanon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the long-delayed Right of Return .
But there is a single element that Palestinians , regardless of where they are , can indeed control : their collective memory , which remains the main motivator of their legendary steadfastness .
Hannah Arendt wrote in 1951 that totalitarianism is a system that , among other things , forbids grief and remembrance , in an attempt to sever the individual ’ s or group ’ s relation to the continuous past .
For decades , Israel has done just that , in a desperate attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that they are only left with a single option , the self-defeating peace process .
In March 2011 , the Israeli parliament introduced the ‘ Nakba Law ’ , which authorized the Israeli Finance Ministry to carry out financial measures against any institution that commemorates Nakba Day .
Israel is afraid of Palestinian memory , since it is the only facet of its war against the Palestinian people that it can not fully control ; the more Israel labors to erase the collective memory of the Palestinian people , the more Palestinians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes and to the title deed of their land back in their lost homeland .
There can never be a just peace in Palestine until the priorities of the Palestinian people – their memories , and their aspirations – become the foundation of any political process between the Israelis and the Palestinians .
Everything that operates outside this paradigm is null and void , for it will never herald peace or instill true justice .
This is why Palestinians remember ; for , over the years , their memory has proven to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A man holds a Palestinian flag in front of Israeli police during a protest marking the 72nd anniversary “ nakba , ” or catastrophe — the uprooting and murder of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during Israel ’ s 1948 creation , near the Jewish-only colony of Rahalim , Nablus , May 15 , 2020 .
Majdi Mohammed | AP Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle .
He is the author of five books .
His latest is “ These Chains Will Be Broken : Palestinian Stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( Clarity Press , Atlanta ) .
Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs ( CIGA ) , Istanbul Zaim University ( IZU ) .
His website is www.ramzybaroud.net

On May 15, thousands of Palestinians in Occupied Palestine and throughout the ‘shatat’, or diaspora, participated in the commemoration of Nakba Day, the one event that unites all Palestinians, regardless of their political differences or backgrounds.
For years, social media has added a whole new stratum to this process of commemoration. #Nakba72, along with #NakbaDay and #Nakba, have all trended on Twitter for days. Facebook was inundated with countless stories, videos, images, and statements, written by Palestinians, or in global support of the Palestinian people.
The dominant Nakba narrative remains – 72 years following the destruction of historic Palestine at the hands of Zionist militias – an opportunity to reassert the centrality of the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees. Over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes in Palestine in 1947-48. The surviving refugees and their descendants are now estimated at over five million.
As thousands of Palestinians rallied on the streets and as the Nakba hashtag was generating massive interest on social media, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, paid an eight-hour visit to Israel to discuss the seemingly imminent Israeli government annexation, or theft, of nearly 30% of the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
“The Israeli government will decide on the matter, on exactly when and how to do it,” Pompeo said in an interview with Israeli radio, Kan Bet, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Clearly, the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu has American blessing to further its colonization of occupied Palestine, to entrench its existing Apartheid regime, and to act as if the Palestinians simply do not exist.
The Nakba commemoration and Pompeo’s visit to Israel are a stark representation of Palestine’s political reality today.
Considering the massive US political sway, why do Palestinians then insist on making demands which, according to the pervading realpolitik of the so-called Palestinian-Israeli conflict, seem unattainable?
Since the start of the peace process in Oslo in the early 1990s, the Palestinian leadership has engaged with Israel and its western benefactors in a useless political exercise that has, ultimately, worsened an already terrible situation. After over 25 years of haggling over bits and pieces of what remained of historic Palestine, Israel and the US are now plotting the endgame, while demonizing the very Palestinian leaders that participated in their joint and futile political charade.
Strangely, the rise and demise of the so-called ‘peace process’ did not seem to affect the collective narrative of the Palestinian people, who still see the Nakba, not the Israeli occupation of 1967, and certainly not the Oslo accords, as the core point in their struggle against Israeli colonialism.
This is because the collective Palestinian memory remains completely independent from Oslo and its many misgivings. For Palestinians, memory is an active process. It is not a docile, passive mechanism of grief and self-pity that can easily be manipulated, but a generator of new meanings.
In their seminal book “Nakba: Palestine, 1948, and the Claims of Memory”, Ahmad Sa’di and Lila Abu-Lughod wrote that “Palestinian memory is, at its heart, political.”
This means that the powerful and emotive commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of the Nakba is essentially a collective political act, and, even if partly unconscious, a people’s retort and rejection of Donald Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’, of Pompeo’s politicking, and of Netanyahu’s annexation drive.
Despite the numerous unilateral measures taken by Israel to determine the fate of the Palestinian people, the blind and unconditional US support of Israel, and the unmitigated failure of the Palestinian Authority to mount any meaningful resistance, Palestinians continue to remember their history and understand their reality based on their own priorities.
For many years, Palestinians have been accused of being unrealistic, of “never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity,” and even of extremism, for simply insisting on their historical rights in Palestine, as enshrined in international law.
These critical voices are either supporters of Israel, or simply unable to understand how Palestinian memory factors in shaping the politics of ordinary people, independent of the quisling Palestinian leadership or the seemingly impossible-to-overturn status quo. True, both trajectories, that of the stifling political reality and people’s priorities seem to be in constant divergence, with little or no overlapping.
However, a closer look is revealing: the more belligerent Israel becomes, the more stubbornly Palestinians hold on to their past. There is a reason for this.
Occupied, oppressed and refugee camps-confined Palestinians have little control over many of the realities that directly impact their lives. There is little that a refugee from Gaza can do to dissuade Pompeo from assigning the West Bank to Israel, or a Palestinian refugee from Ein El-Helweh in Lebanon to compel the international community to enforce the long-delayed Right of Return.
But there is a single element that Palestinians, regardless of where they are, can indeed control: their collective memory, which remains the main motivator of their legendary steadfastness.
Hannah Arendt wrote in 1951 that totalitarianism is a system that, among other things, forbids grief and remembrance, in an attempt to sever the individual’s or group’s relation to the continuous past.
For decades, Israel has done just that, in a desperate attempt to stifle the memory of the Palestinians, so that they are only left with a single option, the self-defeating peace process.
In March 2011, the Israeli parliament introduced the ‘Nakba Law’, which authorized the Israeli Finance Ministry to carry out financial measures against any institution that commemorates Nakba Day.
Israel is afraid of Palestinian memory, since it is the only facet of its war against the Palestinian people that it cannot fully control; the more Israel labors to erase the collective memory of the Palestinian people, the more Palestinians hold tighter to the keys of their homes and to the title deed of their land back in their lost homeland.
There can never be a just peace in Palestine until the priorities of the Palestinian people – their memories, and their aspirations – become the foundation of any political process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Everything that operates outside this paradigm is null and void, for it will never herald peace or instill true justice. This is why Palestinians remember; for, over the years, their memory has proven to be their greatest weapon.
Feature photo | A man holds a Palestinian flag in front of Israeli police during a protest marking the 72nd anniversary “nakba,” or catastrophe — the uprooting and murder of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during Israel’s 1948 creation, near the Jewish-only colony of Rahalim, Nablus, May 15, 2020. Majdi Mohammed | AP
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Istanbul Zaim University (IZU). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net


mintpressnews--2020-05-21--COVID-19: The Slippery Slope to Despotism is Paved with Lockdowns, Raids and Forced Vaccinations

You have no rights .
That ’ s the lesson the government wants us to learn from this COVID-19 business .
Well , the government is wrong .
For years now , the powers-that-be—those politicians and bureaucrats who think like tyrants and act like petty dictators regardless of what party they belong to—have attempted to brainwash us into believing that we have no right to think for ourselves , make decisions about our health , protect our homes and families and businesses , act in our best interests , demand accountability and transparency from government , or generally operate as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own lives .
We have every right , and you know why ?
Because we were born free .
As the Declaration of Independence states , we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights—to life , liberty , property and the pursuit of happiness—that no government can take away from us .
Unfortunately , that hasn ’ t stopped the government from constantly trying to usurp our freedoms at every turn .
Indeed , the nature of government is such that it invariably oversteps its limits , abuses its authority , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this COVID-19 crisis , for example .
What started out as an apparent effort to prevent a novel coronavirus from sickening the nation ( and the world ) has become yet another means by which world governments ( including our own ) can expand their powers , abuse their authority , and further oppress their constituents .
Until now , the police state has been more circumspect in its power grabs , but this latest state of emergency has brought the beast out of the shadows .
We are on a slippery slope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are traveling is paved with lockdowns , SWAT team raids , mass surveillance and forced vaccinations .
It is littered with the debris of our First and Fourth Amendment freedoms .
This is what we have to look forward to in the months and years to come unless we can find some way to regain control over our runaway government .
The government has made no secret of its plans .
Just follow the money trail , and you ’ ll get a sense of what ’ s in store : more militarized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more surveillance , more lockdowns , more strong-armed tactics aimed at suppressing dissent and forcing us to comply with the government ’ s dictates .
It ’ s chilling to think about , but it ’ s not surprising .
Remember that Pentagon training video created by the Army for U.S. Special Operations Command ?
The one that anticipates the future domestic political and social problems the government is grooming its armed forces to solve through the use of martial law ?
The chilling five-minute training video , obtained by The Intercept through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , paints a dystopian picture of the future bedeviled by “ criminal networks , ” “ substandard infrastructure , ” “ religious and ethnic tensions , ” “ impoverishment , slums , ” “ open landfills , over-burdened sewers , ” a “ growing mass of unemployed , ” and an urban landscape in which the prosperous economic elite must be protected from the impoverishment of the have nots .
But here ’ s the kicker : what they ’ re really talking about is martial law , packaged as a well-meaning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security .
This COVID-19 crisis is pushing us that much closer to that dystopian vision becoming a present-day reality .
For starters , let ’ s talk about the COVID-19 stormtroopers , SWAT team raids and ongoing flare-ups of police brutality .
With millions of dollars in stimulus funds being directed towards policing agencies across the country , the federal government plans to fight this COVID-19 virus with riot gear , gas masks , ballistic helmets , drones , and hi-tech surveillance technology .
Indeed , although crime rates have fallen dramatically in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s been no relief from the brutality and violence of the American police state .
While the majority of the country has been social distancing under varying degrees of lockdowns , it ’ s been business as usual for the nation ’ s SWAT teams and police trained to shoot first and ask questions later .
In Kentucky , plain-clothed cops in unmarked cars used a battering ram to break down Breonna Taylor ’ s door and carry out a no-knock raid on her home after midnight .
Fearing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technician and her boyfriend—who had been in bed at the time of the invasion—called 911 and prepared to defend themselves .
Taylor ’ s boyfriend shot one of the intruders—later identified as police—in the leg .
Police fired at least 20 shots into the apartment and a neighboring home , killing Taylor .
The drug dealer who was the target of the late-night raid lived 10 miles away and had already been arrested prior to the raid on Taylor ’ s home .
In Illinois , police opened fire in a subway station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resisted their attempts to tackle and arrest him for violating a city ordinance by passing between two cars of a moving train .
Ariel Roman , a short-order cook , claimed he was suffering from an anxiety attack when he was “ harassed , chased , tackled , pepper-sprayed , tasered and shot twice ” by police .
In Maryland , police dispatched on a nuisance call to break up a crowd of neighborhood kids ( half of them teenagers , and the other half youngsters around 4 and 5 years old ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened fire on a 29-year-old man seen exiting his car with a gun .
An eyewitness claimed , “ the officer pointed a flashlight and his gun at the group immediately and began chasing and shooting a minute or two after getting out of the patrol car.
” Police reportedly shot the man after he threw down his gun and ran in the opposite direction .
In Virginia , more than 80 local , state , and federal police agents risked spreading COVID-19 to “ a highly vulnerable population ” when they raided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an effort to crack down on six individuals suspected of selling , on average , $ 20 to $ 100 worth of drugs .
In Texas , a SWAT team backed up with a military tank Armored Personnel Carrier raided Big Daddy Zane ’ s Bar whose owner and patrons were staging a peaceful First and Second Amendment protest of the governor ’ s shutdown orders .
Police have even been called out to shut down churches , schools and public parks and beaches that have been found “ in violation ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s talk of mobilizing the military to deliver forced vaccinations , mass surveillance in order to carry out contact tracing , and heavy fines and jail time for those who dare to venture out without a mask , congregate in worship without the government ’ s blessing , or re-open their businesses without the government ’ s say-so .
There are rumblings that the Transportation Security Administration ( TSA ) will start thermal screenings to monitor passengers ’ temperatures in coming weeks .
This is in addition to the virtual strip searches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security .
Restaurants in parts of the country are being tasked with keeping daily logs of phone numbers , emails , and arrival times for everybody who participates in dine-services , with no mention of how long such records will be kept on file , with whom they will be shared , and under what circumstances .
With the help of Google and Nest cameras , hospitals are morphing into real-time surveillance centers with round-the-clock surveillance cameras monitoring traffic in patients ’ rooms .
Forget patient privacy , however .
Google has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
And then rounding out the power-grabs , the Senate just voted to give police access to web browsing data without a warrant , which would dramatically expand the government ’ s Patriot Act surveillance powers .
The Senate also voted to give Attorney General William Barr the ability to look through the web browsing history of any American — including journalists , politicians , and political rivals — without a warrant , just by saying it is relevant to an investigation .
If enacted , privacy experts warn that the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by potentially preventing the media from exposing abuses of power or acting as a watchdog against political leaders .
If we haven ’ t already crossed over , we ’ re skating dangerously close to that line that keeps us on the functioning side of a constitutional republic .
It won ’ t take much to push us over that edge into a full-blown banana republic .
In many ways , this is just more of the same heavy-handed tactics we ’ ve been seeing in recent years but with one major difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invested government officials ( and those who view their lives as more valuable than ours ) with a sanctimonious , self-righteous , arrogant , Big Brother Knows Best approach to top-down governing , and the fall-out can be seen far and wide .
It ’ s an ugly , self-serving mindset that views the needs , lives and rights of “ we the people ” as insignificant when compared to those in power .
That ’ s how someone who should know better such as Alan Dershowitz , a former Harvard law professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in freedom , endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights , and living in a country birthed out of a revolutionary struggle for individual liberty—have no rights to economic freedom , to bodily integrity , or to refuse to comply with a government order with which they disagree .
According to Dershowitz , who has become little more than a legal apologist for the power elite , “ You have no right not to be vaccinated , you have no right not to wear a mask , you have no right to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be vaccinated , the state has the power to literally take you to a doctor ’ s office and plunge a needle into your arm.
” Dershowitz is wrong : while the courts may increasingly defer to the government ’ s brand of Nanny State authoritarianism , we still have rights .
The government may try to abridge those rights , it may refuse to recognize them , it may even attempt to declare martial law and nullify them , but it can not litigate , legislate or forcefully eradicate them out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve been largely passive participants in this experiment in self-governance .
Our inaction and inattention has left us at the mercy of power-hungry politicians , corrupt corporations and brutal , government-funded militias .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , these ongoing violations of our rights—this attitude by the government that we have no rights—this tyrannical movement that is overtaking our constitutional republic and gaining in momentum and power by the minute—this incessant auction block in which government officials appointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to the highest bidder—all of these betrayals scream for a response .
To quote the great Rod Serling : Feature photo | A New York Police officer clears a train at the Coney Island Stillwell Avenue Terminal , May 5 , 2020 , in the Brooklyn borough of New York .
Frank Franklin II | AP 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

You have no rights. That’s the lesson the government wants us to learn from this COVID-19 business. Well, the government is wrong.
For years now, the powers-that-be—those politicians and bureaucrats who think like tyrants and act like petty dictators regardless of what party they belong to—have attempted to brainwash us into believing that we have no right to think for ourselves, make decisions about our health, protect our homes and families and businesses, act in our best interests, demand accountability and transparency from government, or generally operate as if we are in control of our own lives.
We have every right, and you know why? Because we were born free.
As the Declaration of Independence states, we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights—to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness—that no government can take away from us.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped the government from constantly trying to usurp our freedoms at every turn. Indeed, the nature of government is such that it invariably oversteps its limits, abuses its authority, and flexes its totalitarian muscles.
Take this COVID-19 crisis, for example.
What started out as an apparent effort to prevent a novel coronavirus from sickening the nation (and the world) has become yet another means by which world governments (including our own) can expand their powers, abuse their authority, and further oppress their constituents.
Until now, the police state has been more circumspect in its power grabs, but this latest state of emergency has brought the beast out of the shadows.
We are on a slippery slope to outright despotism.
This road we are traveling is paved with lockdowns, SWAT team raids, mass surveillance and forced vaccinations. It is littered with the debris of our First and Fourth Amendment freedoms.
This is what we have to look forward to in the months and years to come unless we can find some way to regain control over our runaway government.
The government has made no secret of its plans.
Just follow the money trail, and you’ll get a sense of what’s in store: more militarized police, more SWAT team raids, more surveillance, more lockdowns, more strong-armed tactics aimed at suppressing dissent and forcing us to comply with the government’s dictates.
It’s chilling to think about, but it’s not surprising.
We’ve been warned.
Remember that Pentagon training video created by the Army for U.S. Special Operations Command? The one that anticipates the future domestic political and social problems the government is grooming its armed forces to solve through the use of martial law?
The chilling five-minute training video, obtained by The Intercept through a FOIA request and made available online, paints a dystopian picture of the future bedeviled by “criminal networks,” “substandard infrastructure,” “religious and ethnic tensions,” “impoverishment, slums,” “open landfills, over-burdened sewers,” a “growing mass of unemployed,” and an urban landscape in which the prosperous economic elite must be protected from the impoverishment of the have nots.
But here’s the kicker: what they’re really talking about is martial law, packaged as a well-meaning and overriding concern for the nation’s security.
This COVID-19 crisis is pushing us that much closer to that dystopian vision becoming a present-day reality.
For starters, let’s talk about the COVID-19 stormtroopers, SWAT team raids and ongoing flare-ups of police brutality.
With millions of dollars in stimulus funds being directed towards policing agencies across the country, the federal government plans to fight this COVID-19 virus with riot gear, gas masks, ballistic helmets, drones, and hi-tech surveillance technology.
Indeed, although crime rates have fallen dramatically in the midst of this global COVID-19 lockdown, there’s been no relief from the brutality and violence of the American police state.
While the majority of the country has been social distancing under varying degrees of lockdowns, it’s been business as usual for the nation’s SWAT teams and police trained to shoot first and ask questions later.
In Kentucky, plain-clothed cops in unmarked cars used a battering ram to break down Breonna Taylor’s door and carry out a no-knock raid on her home after midnight. Fearing a home invasion, the 26-year-old emergency medical technician and her boyfriend—who had been in bed at the time of the invasion—called 911 and prepared to defend themselves. Taylor’s boyfriend shot one of the intruders—later identified as police—in the leg. Police fired at least 20 shots into the apartment and a neighboring home, killing Taylor. The drug dealer who was the target of the late-night raid lived 10 miles away and had already been arrested prior to the raid on Taylor’s home.
In Illinois, police opened fire in a subway station, shooting a 33-year-old man who allegedly resisted their attempts to tackle and arrest him for violating a city ordinance by passing between two cars of a moving train. Ariel Roman, a short-order cook, claimed he was suffering from an anxiety attack when he was “harassed, chased, tackled, pepper-sprayed, tasered and shot twice” by police.
In Maryland, police dispatched on a nuisance call to break up a crowd of neighborhood kids (half of them teenagers, and the other half youngsters around 4 and 5 years old) gathered in an apartment complex parking lot opened fire on a 29-year-old man seen exiting his car with a gun. An eyewitness claimed, “the officer pointed a flashlight and his gun at the group immediately and began chasing and shooting a minute or two after getting out of the patrol car.” Police reportedly shot the man after he threw down his gun and ran in the opposite direction.
In Virginia, more than 80 local, state, and federal police agents risked spreading COVID-19 to “a highly vulnerable population” when they raided a low income, public housing community in an effort to crack down on six individuals suspected of selling, on average, $20 to $100 worth of drugs.
In Texas, a SWAT team backed up with a military tank Armored Personnel Carrier raided Big Daddy Zane’s Bar whose owner and patrons were staging a peaceful First and Second Amendment protest of the governor’s shutdown orders.
Police have even been called out to shut down churches, schools and public parks and beaches that have been found “in violation” of various lockdown orders.
Now there’s talk of mobilizing the military to deliver forced vaccinations, mass surveillance in order to carry out contact tracing, and heavy fines and jail time for those who dare to venture out without a mask, congregate in worship without the government’s blessing, or re-open their businesses without the government’s say-so.
There are rumblings that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will start thermal screenings to monitor passengers’ temperatures in coming weeks. This is in addition to the virtual strip searches that have become routine aspects of airport security.
Restaurants in parts of the country are being tasked with keeping daily logs of phone numbers, emails, and arrival times for everybody who participates in dine-services, with no mention of how long such records will be kept on file, with whom they will be shared, and under what circumstances.
With the help of Google and Nest cameras, hospitals are morphing into real-time surveillance centers with round-the-clock surveillance cameras monitoring traffic in patients’ rooms. Forget patient privacy, however. Google has a track record of sharing surveillance footage with police.
And then rounding out the power-grabs, the Senate just voted to give police access to web browsing data without a warrant, which would dramatically expand the government’s Patriot Act surveillance powers. The Senate also voted to give Attorney General William Barr the ability to look through the web browsing history of any American — including journalists, politicians, and political rivals — without a warrant, just by saying it is relevant to an investigation. If enacted, privacy experts warn that the new provisions threaten to undermine the free press by potentially preventing the media from exposing abuses of power or acting as a watchdog against political leaders.
If we haven’t already crossed over, we’re skating dangerously close to that line that keeps us on the functioning side of a constitutional republic. It won’t take much to push us over that edge into a full-blown banana republic.
In many ways, this is just more of the same heavy-handed tactics we’ve been seeing in recent years but with one major difference: this COVID-19 state of emergency has invested government officials (and those who view their lives as more valuable than ours) with a sanctimonious, self-righteous, arrogant, Big Brother Knows Best approach to top-down governing, and the fall-out can be seen far and wide.
It’s an ugly, self-serving mindset that views the needs, lives and rights of “we the people” as insignificant when compared to those in power.
That’s how someone who should know better such as Alan Dershowitz, a former Harvard law professor, can suggest that a free people—born in freedom, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, and living in a country birthed out of a revolutionary struggle for individual liberty—have no rights to economic freedom, to bodily integrity, or to refuse to comply with a government order with which they disagree.
According to Dershowitz, who has become little more than a legal apologist for the power elite, “You have no right not to be vaccinated, you have no right not to wear a mask, you have no right to open up your business… And if you refuse to be vaccinated, the state has the power to literally take you to a doctor’s office and plunge a needle into your arm.”
Dershowitz is wrong: while the courts may increasingly defer to the government’s brand of Nanny State authoritarianism, we still have rights.
The government may try to abridge those rights, it may refuse to recognize them, it may even attempt to declare martial law and nullify them, but it cannot litigate, legislate or forcefully eradicate them out of existence.
Up to now, we’ve been largely passive participants in this experiment in self-governance. Our inaction and inattention has left us at the mercy of power-hungry politicians, corrupt corporations and brutal, government-funded militias.
Wake up, America.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, these ongoing violations of our rights—this attitude by the government that we have no rights—this tyrannical movement that is overtaking our constitutional republic and gaining in momentum and power by the minute—this incessant auction block in which government officials appointed to represent our best interests keep selling us out to the highest bidder—all of these betrayals scream for a response.
To quote the great Rod Serling:
If we don’t listen to that scream—and if we don’t respond to it—we may well wind up sitting amidst our own rubble, looking for the truck that hit us—or the bomb that pulverized us. Get the license number of whatever it was that destroyed the dream. And I think we will find that the vehicle was registered in our own name.”
Feature photo | A New York Police officer clears a train at the Coney Island Stillwell Avenue Terminal, May 5, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Frank Franklin II | AP
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--2020-05-21--Podcast: Aaron Mate Debunks RussiaGate and Discusses How Liberals Came to Love Bush-Era Neocons

Welcome to MintCast , the official MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh .
MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices , independent researchers and journalists the establishment would rather silence .
In this episode , we are joined by Aaron Mate — investigative journalist , contributor to The Nation and host of “ Pushback ” on The Grayzone .
Mate has spent the last four years covering the mainstream media and U.S. intelligence claim that Russia hacked the U.S. elections in 2016 .
Most recently , Mate revealed a bombshell that Crowdstrike , the firm behind the accusation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , admitted to Congress that it had no direct evidence that Russia actually stole the emails or infiltrated DNC servers .
Thanks in part to the global pandemic that has been dominating headlines , the revelation was not picked up by corporate media , the same corporate media , that for the past four years , worked diligently to convince the American public that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections to help Donald Trump .
The mass hysteria caused by Russiagate since 2016 caused so much paranoia that the American public became convinced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American political system .
However , very little evidence was presented to the back that claim .
In fact , the most famous claim published by the New York Times and the Associated Press in 2017 was that “ all intelligence agencies agree Russia hacked our elections.
” These same news organizations would later retract that claim yet they still continued to peddle that narrative .
For another two years , U.S. political and media voices continued to promote the narrative that President Donald Trump conspired with the Kremlin and that Special Counsel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probe which was released last year .
Mate wrote in The Nation that , In the process , they overlooked countervailing evidence and diverted anti-Trump energies into fervent speculation and prolonged anticipation .
So long as Mueller was on the case , it was possible to believe that “ The Walls Are Closing In ” on the traitor/puppet/asset in the White House .
The long-awaited completion of Mueller ’ s probe , and the release of his redacted report , reveals this narrative—and the expectations it fueled—to be unfounded.
” Most recently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicate close contacts between Israel and the Trump campaign and that the Mueller investigation found evidence of Israeli involvement , but largely redacted it.
” This was largely ignored by the same outlets peddling Russiagate .
Mate argues , “ the real Russiagate scandal is the damage it has done to our democratic system and media.
” Aaron Mate joins us to explore all of this and how four years of Russiagate propaganda has been the gift that keeps on giving for both the Trump administration and the Democratic Party , gift that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cold War propaganda and taught them to love Bush-era neocons and a murky intelligence community mired in 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 .
Mnar Muhawesh is founder , CEO and editor in chief of MintPress News , and is also a regular speaker on responsible journalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and journalism start-ups .

Welcome to MintCast, the official MintPress News podcast hosted by Mnar Muhawesh. MintCast is an interview podcast featuring dissenting voices, independent researchers and journalists the establishment would rather silence.
In this episode, we are joined by Aaron Mate — investigative journalist, contributor to The Nation and host of “Pushback” on The Grayzone. Mate has spent the last four years covering the mainstream media and U.S. intelligence claim that Russia hacked the U.S. elections in 2016.
Most recently, Mate revealed a bombshell that Crowdstrike, the firm behind the accusation that Russia hacked and stole DNC emails, admitted to Congress that it had no direct evidence that Russia actually stole the emails or infiltrated DNC servers.
Thanks in part to the global pandemic that has been dominating headlines, the revelation was not picked up by corporate media, the same corporate media, that for the past four years, worked diligently to convince the American public that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections to help Donald Trump.
The mass hysteria caused by Russiagate since 2016 caused so much paranoia that the American public became convinced that Russia was corrupting and manipulating the American political system. However, very little evidence was presented to the back that claim. In fact, the most famous claim published by the New York Times and the Associated Press in 2017 was that “all intelligence agencies agree Russia hacked our elections.” These same news organizations would later retract that claim yet they still continued to peddle that narrative.
For another two years, U.S. political and media voices continued to promote the narrative that President Donald Trump conspired with the Kremlin and that Special Counsel Robert Mueller would prove it through his probe which was released last year.
Mate wrote in The Nation that,
In the process, they overlooked countervailing evidence and diverted anti-Trump energies into fervent speculation and prolonged anticipation. So long as Mueller was on the case, it was possible to believe that “The Walls Are Closing In” on the traitor/puppet/asset in the White House. The long-awaited completion of Mueller’s probe, and the release of his redacted report, reveals this narrative—and the expectations it fueled—to be unfounded.”
Most recently, however, previously sealed FBI documents “indicate close contacts between Israel and the Trump campaign and that the Mueller investigation found evidence of Israeli involvement, but largely redacted it.” This was largely ignored by the same outlets peddling Russiagate.
Mate argues, “the real Russiagate scandal is the damage it has done to our democratic system and media.”
Aaron Mate joins us to explore all of this and how four years of Russiagate propaganda has been the gift that keeps on giving for both the Trump administration and the Democratic Party, gift that pushed progressives to the right by promoting Cold War propaganda and taught them to love Bush-era neocons and a murky intelligence community mired in 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.
Mnar Muhawesh is founder, CEO and editor in chief of MintPress News, and is also a regular speaker on responsible journalism, sexism, neoconservativism within the media and journalism start-ups.


mintpressnews--2020-05-23--Wayback Machine Latest Victim of Big Tech Consolidation and Censorship

In what is turning out to be something of a latter-day dot com bust , many small to medium-sized tech startups are teetering on the edge of oblivion as the deliberate economic shutdown eats away at their capitalization and opens the door for the biggest fish in the tech space and others to pick the ripest fruit from the tech start up tree .
As opposed to the original , this start up bust is accompanied by a very precise view of market opportunities for interested buyers and investors , brought on by an equally deliberate reshaping of workplace conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Microsoft to “ aggregate capabilities ” in “ cloud computing , collaboration , access management , and other business continuity tools that saw a surge in demand during regional lockdowns.
” The ride-share behemoth , Uber , for example , is reportedly in talks to acquire Grubhub and expand its food-delivery operations , while Microsoft just completed its purchase of robotic automation company , Softomotive .
One global research and advisory firm that focuses on IT and finance has even put out a guide “ on how tech startups can best prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” revealing that just 13 companies accounted for a full 60 percent of the $ 150 billion raised by tech startups between March and April .
Signs that yet another massive wave of consolidation in the technology sector is on the horizon and is already raising concerns throughout the industry , but the fact that it is occurring in tandem with a larger push by outfits like Twitter , Facebook and other huge tech players to stifle freedom of online expression and association should make us pay closer attention to the dynamics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilitating conversation , Twitter unveiled changes to the reply feature that ostensibly gives users more control , but in reality , it broadens the ability to censor content .
The new format , still in testing mode , will allow users to select who can and can not reply to their tweets .
This , of course , presents a serious problem from the vantage point of free flowing interaction and gives even more power to the most popular accounts to stifle undesirable feedback , leaving their viewpoints publicly unchallenged .
Another seemingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the announcement made by popular podcaster Joe Rogan on his move to Spotify .
The comedian and UFC commentator ’ s immensely popular podcast has been freely available on YouTube and other platforms since its inception , but his multi-million-dollar exclusive licensing deal with the music platform will further cloister content behind a single outfit and likely diminish its reach and propagation .
Perhaps the most concerning , however , are the changes taking place at one of the most important research tools on the Internet and , up to now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Wayback Machine .
In the campy 1970s futuristic movie “ Rollerball , ” starring a young James Caan as a superstar athlete at the twilight of his celebrated career , there is a curious scene in which his character , Jonathan E , visits an archive where the entire knowledge base of humanity is stored .
The man in charge of the quantum computer-like machine mentions , in passing , that due to some unknown glitch , the records containing the whole of the thirteenth century have been lost .
Such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to becoming a real possibility as more and more of humanity ’ s knowledge is accumulated in massive digital repositories .
The danger is not only in the outright loss of stored data as a result of technical malfunctions but also in the greater ability to execute historical revisionism and misrepresenting facts to future generations .
Wikipedia – a widely consulted online encyclopedia – is already guilty of this .
But , now the Wayback Internet archive is trending down this slippery slope with its recently implemented labeling of snapshot results as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Elliot Leavy , warns in an article addressing the changes at the Wayback Machine site , “ if we continue to censor the past , attaching intent to some but not to others , we will be unable to evaluate anything at all.
” Indeed , the new measures instituted at the behest of MIT ’ s Technology Review over worries of COVID-19 hoaxes do not bode well for the survival of historical accuracy and a discerning populace .
The promise of the internet as an “ information superhighway ” modeled around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before our very eyes , as the measures are taken to curb the COVID-19 pandemic are being used to restrict unfettered knowledge .
Together with the swift consolidation of tech companies that own the means to distribute and create the platforms we are obliged to use , we might soon find ourselves feeling like Jonathan E did when he realized that his once greatest supporters and benefactors were only looking to push him out the door and find a more pliable and less curious superstar .
Feature photo | The homepage of Internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sharaf Maksumov | Shuttershock

In what is turning out to be something of a latter-day dot com bust, many small to medium-sized tech startups are teetering on the edge of oblivion as the deliberate economic shutdown eats away at their capitalization and opens the door for the biggest fish in the tech space and others to pick the ripest fruit from the tech start up tree.
As opposed to the original, this start up bust is accompanied by a very precise view of market opportunities for interested buyers and investors, brought on by an equally deliberate reshaping of workplace conditions and societal interactions which are driving companies like Microsoft to “aggregate capabilities” in “cloud computing, collaboration, access management, and other business continuity tools that saw a surge in demand during regional lockdowns.”
The ride-share behemoth, Uber, for example, is reportedly in talks to acquire Grubhub and expand its food-delivery operations, while Microsoft just completed its purchase of robotic automation company, Softomotive. One global research and advisory firm that focuses on IT and finance has even put out a guide “on how tech startups can best prepare for being acquired by a larger company,” revealing that just 13 companies accounted for a full 60 percent of the $150 billion raised by tech startups between March and April.
Signs that yet another massive wave of consolidation in the technology sector is on the horizon and is already raising concerns throughout the industry, but the fact that it is occurring in tandem with a larger push by outfits like Twitter, Facebook and other huge tech players to stifle freedom of online expression and association should make us pay closer attention to the dynamics at play.
Censorship creep
Under the guise of facilitating conversation, Twitter unveiled changes to the reply feature that ostensibly gives users more control, but in reality, it broadens the ability to censor content. The new format, still in testing mode, will allow users to select who can and cannot reply to their tweets. This, of course, presents a serious problem from the vantage point of free flowing interaction and gives even more power to the most popular accounts to stifle undesirable feedback, leaving their viewpoints publicly unchallenged.
Another seemingly innocuous development in the last few days was the announcement made by popular podcaster Joe Rogan on his move to Spotify. The comedian and UFC commentator’s immensely popular podcast has been freely available on YouTube and other platforms since its inception, but his multi-million-dollar exclusive licensing deal with the music platform will further cloister content behind a single outfit and likely diminish its reach and propagation.
Perhaps the most concerning, however, are the changes taking place at one of the most important research tools on the Internet and, up to now, a venerable tool for online transparency: The Wayback Machine.
Misplaced century
In the campy 1970s futuristic movie “Rollerball,” starring a young James Caan as a superstar athlete at the twilight of his celebrated career, there is a curious scene in which his character, Jonathan E, visits an archive where the entire knowledge base of humanity is stored. The man in charge of the quantum computer-like machine mentions, in passing, that due to some unknown glitch, the records containing the whole of the thirteenth century have been lost.
Such a predicament is, no doubt, much closer to becoming a real possibility as more and more of humanity’s knowledge is accumulated in massive digital repositories. The danger is not only in the outright loss of stored data as a result of technical malfunctions but also in the greater ability to execute historical revisionism and misrepresenting facts to future generations. Wikipedia – a widely consulted online encyclopedia – is already guilty of this. But, now the Wayback Internet archive is trending down this slippery slope with its recently implemented labeling of snapshot results as potential disinformation.
As a former editor, Elliot Leavy, warns in an article addressing the changes at the Wayback Machine site, “if we continue to censor the past, attaching intent to some but not to others, we will be unable to evaluate anything at all.” Indeed, the new measures instituted at the behest of MIT’s Technology Review over worries of COVID-19 hoaxes do not bode well for the survival of historical accuracy and a discerning populace.
The promise of the internet as an “information superhighway” modeled around democratized access to information is quickly eroding before our very eyes, as the measures are taken to curb the COVID-19 pandemic are being used to restrict unfettered knowledge. Together with the swift consolidation of tech companies that own the means to distribute and create the platforms we are obliged to use, we might soon find ourselves feeling like Jonathan E did when he realized that his once greatest supporters and benefactors were only looking to push him out the door and find a more pliable and less curious superstar.
Feature photo | The homepage of Internet Archive is displayed on a PC. Sharaf Maksumov | Shuttershock
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-05-23--US Senate Quietly Approves $38 Billion for Israel Amid Historic Economic Downturn

Menifee , CA ( IAK ) — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee quietly passed a bill yesterday to give Israel a minimum of $ 38 billion over the next ten years despite the ongoing devastation to the U.S. economy caused by the coronavirus .
The bill – S.3176 – will now go before the full Senate .
Since the legislation has already been passed by the House of Representatives , if the Senate passes the bill , it will then go to the president to be signed into law .
The bill was passed by the committee under two unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
First , Senate Committee Chairman Jim Risch ( R-Idaho ) refused to allow a live stream of the meeting , despite the fact that the Senate Rules panel had recommended that extra efforts be taken to ensure public transparency while the Capitol is closed to the public and the presence of reporters is severely limited .
The Senate ’ s Press Gallery Standing Committee of Correspondents had objected strongly to Risch ’ s decision .
Second , the bill was passed without being named , debated , or even discussed , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest such aid package in U.S. history .
There has been no mention of the bill by most media in the United States .
The massive package is particularly noteworthy in light of the current devastation to the American taxpayers who will be footing the bill – over $ 10 million per day .
In recent months approximately 30 million Americans have lost jobs , 100,000 small businesses have already closed forever , and over seven million are at risk of doing so .
The bill was voted on as part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on “ en bloc ” ( all together ) .
After Senator Kaine said he didn ’ t know what the list contained , Risch responded : “ I ’ m not trying to pull anything here… this was circulated among the staff.
” Risch then rapidly listed the numbers but did not give the titles .
There was then a voice vote and the motion passed unanimously .
Democratic members of the committee had voiced strong objections to blocking a live stream of the meeting because of a different agenda item .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Menendez ( D-NJ ) released a video of the meeting .
None , however , voiced any concern for giving a massive aid package to a country widely documented as a major violator of human rights .
Neither did any Democrats on the committee object to requiring American taxpayers to give Israel what amounts to over $ 7,000 per minute when many Americans are suffering catastrophic financial difficulties .
Democratic committee members Menendez , Ben Cardin , Cory Booker , and Chris Coons , like many of the Republican members , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of AIPAC and the Israel lobby and receiving pro-Israel campaign donations .
Many of the members are co-sponsors of the bill .
The bill , entitled “ United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2020 , ” expands and sets into law a memorandum of understanding agreement signed by the Obama administration with Israel in 2016 .
This agreement is nonbinding and not required by law .
It also set the $ 38 billion as a ceiling .
The legislation just passed by the committee would make this disbursal legally required , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the $ 38 billion a floor rather than a ceiling .
In other words , the amount of money could legally go even higher .
Given the power of the pro-Israel lobby , combined with the fact that U.S. media are not informing Americans of this use of their tax money , the likelihood is that U.S. money to Israel will go up in the future – possibly even this year . )
Most Americans say they feel the U.S. is giving Israel too much money .
Israel has received more U.S. tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average , about 7,000 times more per capita than others around the world .
The Council for the National Interest has posted a petition against this year ’ s installment , $ 3.8 billion .
So far , it has been signed by close to 2,000 people .
Feature photo | Sen. James Risch , R-Idaho , right , listens to an aide before the start of a hearing with Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Capitol Hill in Washington , June 13 , 2017 .
Jacquelyn Martin | AP Alison Weir is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Against Our Better Judgment : The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel is an Amazon best-seller and has been called a “ must-read for all Americans.
” Learn more about it here .

Menifee, CA (IAK) — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee quietly passed a bill yesterday to give Israel a minimum of $38 billion over the next ten years despite the ongoing devastation to the U.S. economy caused by the coronavirus.
The bill – S.3176 – will now go before the full Senate. Since the legislation has already been passed by the House of Representatives, if the Senate passes the bill, it will then go to the president to be signed into law.
The bill was passed by the committee under two unusual circumstances and with almost no public awareness.
First, Senate Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) refused to allow a live stream of the meeting, despite the fact that the Senate Rules panel had recommended that extra efforts be taken to ensure public transparency while the Capitol is closed to the public and the presence of reporters is severely limited. The Senate’s Press Gallery Standing Committee of Correspondents had objected strongly to Risch’s decision.
Second, the bill was passed without being named, debated, or even discussed, even though it would set into law the largest such aid package in U.S. history. There has been no mention of the bill by most media in the United States.
The massive package is particularly noteworthy in light of the current devastation to the American taxpayers who will be footing the bill – over $10 million per day. In recent months approximately 30 million Americans have lost jobs, 100,000 small businesses have already closed forever, and over seven million are at risk of doing so.
The bill was voted on as part of a package of 15 bills that were voted on “en bloc” (all together).
After Senator Kaine said he didn’t know what the list contained, Risch responded: “I’m not trying to pull anything here… this was circulated among the staff.”
Risch then rapidly listed the numbers but did not give the titles. There was then a voice vote and the motion passed unanimously.
Democratic members of the committee had voiced strong objections to blocking a live stream of the meeting because of a different agenda item. After the meeting, Committee Ranking Member Robert Menendez (D-NJ) released a video of the meeting.
None, however, voiced any concern for giving a massive aid package to a country widely documented as a major violator of human rights.
Neither did any Democrats on the committee object to requiring American taxpayers to give Israel what amounts to over $7,000 per minute when many Americans are suffering catastrophic financial difficulties.
Democratic committee members Menendez, Ben Cardin, Cory Booker, and Chris Coons, like many of the Republican members, are particularly known for being under the influence of AIPAC and the Israel lobby and receiving pro-Israel campaign donations. Many of the members are co-sponsors of the bill.
The bill, entitled “United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2020,” expands and sets into law a memorandum of understanding agreement signed by the Obama administration with Israel in 2016. This agreement is nonbinding and not required by law. It also set the $38 billion as a ceiling.
The legislation just passed by the committee would make this disbursal legally required, and, in addition, it would make the $38 billion a floor rather than a ceiling. In other words, the amount of money could legally go even higher.
Given the power of the pro-Israel lobby, combined with the fact that U.S. media are not informing Americans of this use of their tax money, the likelihood is that U.S. money to Israel will go up in the future – possibly even this year.)
Most Americans say they feel the U.S. is giving Israel too much money. Israel has received more U.S. tax money than any other country – on average, about 7,000 times more per capita than others around the world.
The Council for the National Interest has posted a petition against this year’s installment, $3.8 billion. So far, it has been signed by close to 2,000 people.
Feature photo | Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, right, listens to an aide before the start of a hearing with Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 13, 2017. Jacquelyn Martin | AP
Alison Weir is an author and activist. Her book, Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel is an Amazon best-seller and has been called a “must-read for all Americans.” Learn more about it here.


mintpressnews--2020-05-22--North Dakota Governor Delivers Testing Ground for Mass Tracking Tech

College football is deeply ingrained in popular American culture and represents one of the most important mechanisms to foment social cohesion in the country .
Owing to the close ties between the government and military and America ’ s institutions of higher learning , often through research grants and recruitment programs , it will come as no surprise that the amateur , albeit massively profitable sport would be used as a testing ground for a surveillance tracking app developed more than six years ago by a Microsoft engineer .
Tim Brookings , a principal engineer at the software giant and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called “ Bison Tracker ” to follow the movements of thousands of football fans across the country over the course of North Dakota State ’ s 2013 perfect 15-0 season , on route to their third consecutive Division 1 national championship .
The app , which was made available on both Android and Apple devices , was billed as a way to build comradery among fans by letting each other “ know where they are tailgating or where they are sitting in any stadium.
“ Fast forward to 2020 when former colleague of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Dakota , Doug Burgum , launched a public-private partnership with ProudCrowd and the North Dakota DOH ( NDDoH ) to develop a free mobile app based on the popular fan-tracking app to “ help slow the spread of COVID-19 ” called Care 19 .
The new app will rely on the “ Exposure Notification API ” technology developed by Apple and Google in a “ landmark partnership ” announced in April .
In a statement issued on May 20 from Bismarck , Governor Burgum rolled out the smartphone application , underscoring his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states in the nation to utilize ” the technology .
The Care 19 app will assign random ID numbers and “ anonymously cache ” people ’ s locations 24 hours a day .
Users will be “ encouraged ” to divulge the nature of their daily activities , distinguishing work and grocery shopping and “ given the opportunity to consent to provide their information ” .
The app will use Bluetooth proximity tracking technology to determine how close people are to one another and also time their presence at any particular location , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ten minutes in one place and flag anyone lingering in a certain spot over 15 minutes as being at “ high risk ” for contracting the virus .
Care 19 is one of several apps using the Apple/Google API that is being deployed in different states like North Dakota , Alabama , and South Carolina , as well as 22 countries worldwide .
Alabama ’ s governor , Kay Ivey , tweeted about her State ’ s health department ’ s deal with Apple and Google yesterday .
Not everyone is jumping on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although some states , like Massachusetts , are taking an in-person tracking approach , a majority of U.S. states are yet to commit to any specific tracking or tracing method as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides .
However , many states are developing their own separate solutions also in partnership with Microsoft , such as Washington ’ s “ CovidSafe.
“ Notably , the UK ’ s NHS is reportedly opting to develop their own tracking software independently of the Apple/Google API .
The move has come under criticism for looking to work under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some argue is more vulnerable to hacking .
Apple has released a somewhat comprehensive list of guidelines designed to quell fears of privacy concerns , but it is unclear how strictly these will be followed or if Google – Apple ’ s partner in the human tracking venture – has released any similar guidelines .
A recent “ error ” by UK outsourcing company Serco , which has been working with the UK and several countries in Europe and Asia on COVID-19 tracking and tracing programs resulted in the accidental sharing of nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in scope , the slip up only buttresses the general perception of how easy it is to breach digital databases .
North Dakota Governor Burgum ’ s relationship with Microsoft founder Bill Gates dates back many years and the billionaire tech entrepreneur was one of Burgum ’ s biggest donors in his 2016 run for the state ’ s highest office , contributing over $ 100,000 to his campaign coffers .
In addition , Burgum sold his Fargo-based software company Great Plains Software to Gates in 2001 for $ 1.1 Billion .
Burgum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very data-driven man , ” seems to be uniquely positioned to profit at some point from the prevailing COVID-19 hysteria , given the revolving-door nature of politics in America today and his deep ties to a tech industry that is currently so involved in coming up with novel ways to surveil Americans .
Perhaps it might not be a bad idea to keep a close eye on the governor , himself , and his friends .
Feature photo | The Care19 app is seen on a cell phone screen , May 22 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Care19 , a contact tracing app is being pushed by the governors of North Dakota and South Dakota as a tool to trace exposure to the coronavirus .
Stephen Groves | AP

College football is deeply ingrained in popular American culture and represents one of the most important mechanisms to foment social cohesion in the country. Owing to the close ties between the government and military and America’s institutions of higher learning, often through research grants and recruitment programs, it will come as no surprise that the amateur, albeit massively profitable sport would be used as a testing ground for a surveillance tracking app developed more than six years ago by a Microsoft engineer.
Tim Brookings, a principal engineer at the software giant and CEO of ProudCrowd, created an app called “Bison Tracker” to follow the movements of thousands of football fans across the country over the course of North Dakota State’s 2013 perfect 15-0 season, on route to their third consecutive Division 1 national championship. The app, which was made available on both Android and Apple devices, was billed as a way to build comradery among fans by letting each other “know where they are tailgating or where they are sitting in any stadium.“
Fast forward to 2020 when former colleague of Brookings at Microsoft and now governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum, launched a public-private partnership with ProudCrowd and the North Dakota DOH (NDDoH) to develop a free mobile app based on the popular fan-tracking app to “help slow the spread of COVID-19” called Care 19. The new app will rely on the “Exposure Notification API” technology developed by Apple and Google in a “landmark partnership” announced in April.
Spies R Us
In a statement issued on May 20 from Bismarck, Governor Burgum rolled out the smartphone application, underscoring his excitement “to be among the first states in the nation to utilize” the technology. The Care 19 app will assign random ID numbers and “anonymously cache” people’s locations 24 hours a day. Users will be “encouraged” to divulge the nature of their daily activities, distinguishing work and grocery shopping and “given the opportunity to consent to provide their information”.
The app will use Bluetooth proximity tracking technology to determine how close people are to one another and also time their presence at any particular location, storing a user’s information after ten minutes in one place and flag anyone lingering in a certain spot over 15 minutes as being at “high risk” for contracting the virus.
Care 19 is one of several apps using the Apple/Google API that is being deployed in different states like North Dakota, Alabama, and South Carolina, as well as 22 countries worldwide. Alabama’s governor, Kay Ivey, tweeted about her State’s health department’s deal with Apple and Google yesterday.
This week @ALPublicHealth inked a deal with @Apple & @Google, to use their contact tracing app to track those who may have been exposed to #COVID19 using Bluetooth signals. We’re proud AL has the opportunity to be 1 of the first 3 states to utilize this resource. #TogetherAL 3/6 — Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) May 21, 2020
Privacy Concerns
Not everyone is jumping on board with the app-based tracking system and although some states, like Massachusetts, are taking an in-person tracking approach, a majority of U.S. states are yet to commit to any specific tracking or tracing method as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. However, many states are developing their own separate solutions also in partnership with Microsoft, such as Washington’s “CovidSafe.“
Notably, the UK’s NHS is reportedly opting to develop their own tracking software independently of the Apple/Google API. The move has come under criticism for looking to work under a more centralized data-collection system, which some argue is more vulnerable to hacking. Apple has released a somewhat comprehensive list of guidelines designed to quell fears of privacy concerns, but it is unclear how strictly these will be followed or if Google – Apple’s partner in the human tracking venture – has released any similar guidelines.
A recent “error” by UK outsourcing company Serco, which has been working with the UK and several countries in Europe and Asia on COVID-19 tracking and tracing programs resulted in the accidental sharing of nearly 300 email addresses. While seemingly minor in scope, the slip up only buttresses the general perception of how easy it is to breach digital databases.
Conflicts of Interest
North Dakota Governor Burgum’s relationship with Microsoft founder Bill Gates dates back many years and the billionaire tech entrepreneur was one of Burgum’s biggest donors in his 2016 run for the state’s highest office, contributing over $100,000 to his campaign coffers. In addition, Burgum sold his Fargo-based software company Great Plains Software to Gates in 2001 for $1.1 Billion.
Burgum, who is described as a “very data-driven man,” seems to be uniquely positioned to profit at some point from the prevailing COVID-19 hysteria, given the revolving-door nature of politics in America today and his deep ties to a tech industry that is currently so involved in coming up with novel ways to surveil Americans. Perhaps it might not be a bad idea to keep a close eye on the governor, himself, and his friends.
Feature photo | The Care19 app is seen on a cell phone screen, May 22, 2020, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Care19, a contact tracing app is being pushed by the governors of North Dakota and South Dakota as a tool to trace exposure to the coronavirus. Stephen Groves | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.