mintpressnews--2020-07-16--Lee Camp: The Life-Saving COVID-19 Drugs You’ve Never Heard Of (and Why)

The American profit-based healthcare system impacts us in more ways than just our gargantuan bill at the excretion end of an emergency room visit .
Right now , our lovable idiotic inhumane healthcare system is acting as a hurdle to the manufacture and procurement of the right drugs to treat Covid-19 .
One of the drugs currently trumpeted as our savior is Remdesivir .
Despite sounding like the name of a Hobbit in Middle Earth , some reports from the corporate media make it sound like the drug will thrust us face-first into a fresh world of happiness — water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with strangers .
A world where when someone sneezes , we don ’ t dive under our desk with an adult diaper strapped on our face as a makeshift mask .
There ’ s only one problem .
The big pharma company that owns Remdesivir , Gilead , has already made clear their plans to profiteer from this pandemic .
As The LA Times put it – Drugmaker Gillead says it ’ s doing you a favor by setting the price for its pending COVID-19 treatment , Remdesivir , at more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,000 for private insurers.
” How does the CEO of Gilead , Daniel O ’ Day , justify this disgusting price point ?
He claims they ’ re under-pricing Remdesivir .
He said , “ In normal circumstances , we would price a medicine according to the value it provides .
…Earlier hospital discharge would result in hospital savings of approximately $ 12,000 per patient.
” The value it provides ?
?
So , if a doctor saves someone ’ s life with heart surgery , then that guy owes the doctor the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life ?
Millions of dollars ?
Maybe he should become the surgeon ’ s butler or wet nurse .
Saying something should cost even close to the value it provides ranks up there as one of the stupidest arguments ever spoken .
( Second only to when the people at Mountain Dew argued that human beings would love a Doritos-flavored soft drink named “ Dewitos.
” ) So , for a dude taking Viagra who can now get it up , he owes the makers of Viagra – what ?
– sex with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owe them 300 orgasms ?
Or perhaps he owes them the child he ’ s able to produce while taking the pills .
( “ Dear Cialis Folks , I ’ m emailing to ask for a mailing address to send you my 2-year-old , Robbie .
Fair is fair .
I want to give you the value of your goods .
Just be careful – he bites a lot .
And he ’ s already totally racist .
Not sure how he picked that up so young.
” ) But there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price-gouging shenanigans .
They didn ’ t create Remdesivir .
We did .
You and me .
Public Citizen revealed that Gilead raked in over $ 70 million from taxpayers .
Plus , federal scientists ran the team that found out Remdesivir also worked against Coronaviruses .
And , “ The National Institutes of Health ran the trial that led to Remdesivir ’ s emergency use authorization , and public funding is supporting clinical trials around the world today.
” You and I paid for the creation and research behind Remdesivir .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pockets of Gilead ’ s preposterously rich CEO and its board .
Most countries realize this .
Most countries don ’ t behave this way .
Most countries have some tiny modicum of respect for the lives of their citizens .
…America is not most countries .
Back to the LA Times , “ Nearly all other developed countries limit how much pharmaceutical companies can charge for prescription meds .
…The U.S. doesn ’ t operate like that .
We allow drug companies to charge as much as they please… ” Perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landing a man on Mars ( in a pair of Jimmy Choo heels ) are the reason 42 percent of new cancer patients have their entire life savings wiped out within two years .
The average amount drained from a patient is nearly $ 100,000 , and the entire medical costs for U.S. cancer patients per year is $ 80 billion .
Why ever change a system that piles such bulbous mountains of cash in the vaults of those running the show ?
Apparently most other national governments don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As to why not , one can only guess .
But this story gets crazier .
Not only is Remdesivir way over-priced , we ’ re not even sure it does much .
Some studies show it achieves almost nothing .
Meanwhile , according to the Intercept – [ A ] nother Covid-19 treatment has quietly been shown to be more effective .
…A three-drug regimen offered a greater reduction in the time it took patients to recover than Remdesivir did .
…People who took the combination of interferon beta-1b , lopinavir-ritonavir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days as opposed to 12 days for those who didn ’ t take it.
” However , I have yet to hear of a mad rush to hoard those drugs .
Why is that ?
Probably because those drugs don ’ t have colossal marketing campaigns that would make Coca-Cola blush .
In fact there appears to be no marketing campaign whatsoever for the more effective drugs .
To figure out why that is , one simply must follow the money .
[ E ] ach of the three drugs in the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under patent , which means that no company stands to profit significantly from its use.
” Must cut-throat late-stage capitalism always be so predictable ?
Only the ridiculously profitable drugs are worth hyping .
Only the money makers deserve 80,000 commercials telling every consumer to irrationally demand them .
The cheap drugs that simply – save lives – those are garbage .
What ’ s the point of saving a life if you can ’ t make a bundle from it ?
I ’ ve always said , “ A life saved without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is a life lost.
” I don ’ t know that this last part needs saying , but I ’ m going to do it anyway .
When a society has a system built on profit , run by sociopaths , based on the manipulation of lizard-brain impulses , then it will always end up in a race to the bottom .
With unfettered capitalism we inevitably find ourselves with the worst drugs , priced at the highest amounts , hoarded by those who need them the least .
… Unless we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those are cheaper than ever .
If you feel this column is important , please share it .
Feature photo | A lab technician works at the Eva Pharma facility in Cairo , Egypt , July 12 , 2020 , where Remdesivir is being produced .
Nariman El-Mofty | AP Lee Camp is the host of the hit comedy news show “ Redacted Tonight.
” His new book “ Bullet Points and Punch Lines ” is available at LeeCampBook.com and his standup comedy special can be streamed for free at LeeCampAmerican.com .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the author .
It originally appeared at Consortium News .

The American profit-based healthcare system impacts us in more ways than just our gargantuan bill at the excretion end of an emergency room visit. Right now, our lovable idiotic inhumane healthcare system is acting as a hurdle to the manufacture and procurement of the right drugs to treat Covid-19.
One of the drugs currently trumpeted as our savior is Remdesivir. Despite sounding like the name of a Hobbit in Middle Earth, some reports from the corporate media make it sound like the drug will thrust us face-first into a fresh world of happiness — water parks and restaurants and random no-holds-barred make-outs with strangers. A world where when someone sneezes, we don’t dive under our desk with an adult diaper strapped on our face as a makeshift mask.
There’s only one problem. The big pharma company that owns Remdesivir, Gilead, has already made clear their plans to profiteer from this pandemic. As The LA Times put it –
Drugmaker Gillead says it’s doing you a favor by setting the price for its pending COVID-19 treatment, Remdesivir, at more than $2,000 for government agencies and over $3,000 for private insurers.”
How does the CEO of Gilead, Daniel O’Day, justify this disgusting price point? He claims they’re under-pricing Remdesivir. He said, “In normal circumstances, we would price a medicine according to the value it provides. …Earlier hospital discharge would result in hospital savings of approximately $12,000 per patient.”
The value it provides?? So, if a doctor saves someone’s life with heart surgery, then that guy owes the doctor the entire worth of the rest of his life? Millions of dollars? Maybe he should become the surgeon’s butler or wet nurse.
Saying something should cost even close to the value it provides ranks up there as one of the stupidest arguments ever spoken. (Second only to when the people at Mountain Dew argued that human beings would love a Doritos-flavored soft drink named “Dewitos.”) So, for a dude taking Viagra who can now get it up, he owes the makers of Viagra – what? – sex with his wife? Or does he just owe them 300 orgasms? Or perhaps he owes them the child he’s able to produce while taking the pills. (“Dear Cialis Folks, I’m emailing to ask for a mailing address to send you my 2-year-old, Robbie. Fair is fair. I want to give you the value of your goods. Just be careful – he bites a lot. And he’s already totally racist. Not sure how he picked that up so young.”)
But there’s another catch to Gilead’s price-gouging shenanigans. They didn’t create Remdesivir. We did. You and me.
Public Citizen revealed that Gilead raked in over $70 million from taxpayers. Plus, federal scientists ran the team that found out Remdesivir also worked against Coronaviruses. And, “The National Institutes of Health ran the trial that led to Remdesivir’s emergency use authorization, and public funding is supporting clinical trials around the world today.”
You and I paid for the creation and research behind Remdesivir. There is absolutely no reason we should fill the pockets of Gilead’s preposterously rich CEO and its board. Most countries realize this. Most countries don’t behave this way. Most countries have some tiny modicum of respect for the lives of their citizens. …America is not most countries.
Back to the LA Times, “Nearly all other developed countries limit how much pharmaceutical companies can charge for prescription meds. …The U.S. doesn’t operate like that. We allow drug companies to charge as much as they please…”
Perhaps prescription meds that cost the same as landing a man on Mars (in a pair of Jimmy Choo heels) are the reason 42 percent of new cancer patients have their entire life savings wiped out within two years. The average amount drained from a patient is nearly $100,000, and the entire medical costs for U.S. cancer patients per year is $80 billion. Why ever change a system that piles such bulbous mountains of cash in the vaults of those running the show?
Apparently most other national governments don’t want to ruin the lives of every cancer survivor. As to why not, one can only guess.
But this story gets crazier. Not only is Remdesivir way over-priced, we’re not even sure it does much. Some studies show it achieves almost nothing. Meanwhile, according to the Intercept –
[A]nother Covid-19 treatment has quietly been shown to be more effective. …A three-drug regimen offered a greater reduction in the time it took patients to recover than Remdesivir did. …People who took the combination of interferon beta-1b, lopinavir-ritonavir, and ribavirin got better in seven days as opposed to 12 days for those who didn’t take it.”
However, I have yet to hear of a mad rush to hoard those drugs. Why is that? Probably because those drugs don’t have colossal marketing campaigns that would make Coca-Cola blush. In fact there appears to be no marketing campaign whatsoever for the more effective drugs. To figure out why that is, one simply must follow the money.
[E]ach of the three drugs in the new combination is generic, or no longer under patent, which means that no company stands to profit significantly from its use.”
Must cut-throat late-stage capitalism always be so predictable?
Only the ridiculously profitable drugs are worth hyping. Only the money makers deserve 80,000 commercials telling every consumer to irrationally demand them. The cheap drugs that simply – save lives – those are garbage. What’s the point of saving a life if you can’t make a bundle from it? I’ve always said, “A life saved without extracting a shitload of money from it, is a life lost.”
I don’t know that this last part needs saying, but I’m going to do it anyway. When a society has a system built on profit, run by sociopaths, based on the manipulation of lizard-brain impulses, then it will always end up in a race to the bottom. With unfettered capitalism we inevitably find ourselves with the worst drugs, priced at the highest amounts, hoarded by those who need them the least.
… Unless we’re talking about recreational illegal drugs. Those are cheaper than ever.
If you feel this column is important, please share it.
Feature photo | A lab technician works at the Eva Pharma facility in Cairo, Egypt, July 12, 2020, where Remdesivir is being produced. Nariman El-Mofty | AP
Lee Camp is the host of the hit comedy news show “Redacted Tonight.” His new book “Bullet Points and Punch Lines” is available at LeeCampBook.com and his standup comedy special can be streamed for free at LeeCampAmerican.com.
This article was published with special permission from the author. It originally appeared at Consortium News.


mintpressnews--2020-07-16--Good News from Washington: AIPAC, Israel Losing to Progressive Democrats

While the US administration of President Donald Trump remains adamant in its support for Israel , the traditional democratic leadership continues to employ underhanded language , the kind of ‘ strategic ambiguity ’ that offers full support to Israel and nothing but lip service to Palestine and peace .
Trump ’ s policies on Israel and Palestine have been damaging , culminating in the outrageously unfair ‘ Deal of the Century ’ , and his administration remains largely committed to the trend of growing affinity between the Republican establishment and the Israeli right-wing camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ represented in the presumptive Democratic challenger in the upcoming November election , Joe Biden , are still those of a bygone era when the Democrats ’ unconditional love for Israel equaled that of Republicans .
It is safe to say that those days are drawing to an end , for successive opinion polls are reaffirming the changing political landscape in Washington .
Once upon a time , America ’ s political elite , whose politics diverged on many issues , wholeheartedly agreed on one single foreign policy matter : their country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel .
In those days , the influential pro-Israel lobby group , the American Israel Public Affairs Committee ( AIPAC ) ruled the roost , reigning supreme in the US Congress and , almost single-handedly , decided on the fate of Congressmen and women based on their support , or lack thereof , of Israel .
While it is too early to proclaim that ‘ those days are over , ’ judging by the vastly changing political discourse on Palestine and Israel , the many opinion polls , and the electoral successes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections , one is compelled to say that AIPAC ’ s tight grip on US foreign policy is finally loosening .
Such a statement may seem premature considering the current administration ’ s unparalleled bias towards Israel – the illegal US embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem , the dismissal of the ‘ Right of Return ’ for Palestinian Refugees , and the administration ’ s support of the Israeli plan to illegally annex parts of the West Bank , and so on .
However , a distinction must be made between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the increasingly isolated clique of politicians , and the general mood of a country that , despite numerous infringements on democracy in recent years , is still , somewhat democratic .
On June 25 , a whopping number of nearly 200 Democratic House members , including some of the most staunch supporters of Israel , called , in a letter , on Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to scrap their plan to illegally annex nearly 30 percent of the West Bank .
“ We express our deep concern with the stated intention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of West Bank territory , and we urge your government to reconsider plans to do so , ” the letter said , in part .
While the wording of the letter was far from being dubbed ‘ threatening ’ , the fact that it was signed by stalwart Israeli allies , such as Florida Congressman , Ted Deutch and Illinois Congressman , Brad Schneider , speaks volumes about the shifting discourse on Israel among the center and even conservative corners of the Democratic Party .
Among the signers were also prominent figures in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wasserman Schultz and House Majority Leader , Steny Hoyer .
Equally important , is that the influence of the younger and more progressive generation of Democratic politicians continues to push the boundaries of the party ’ s discourse on Israel , thanks to the tireless work of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her colleagues .
Along with a dozen Democratic lawmakers , Ocasio-Cortez issued another letter on June 30 , this time addressed to US Secretary of State , Mike Pompeo .
Unlike the first letter , the second one was assertive and markedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue down this path ( of annexation ) , we will work to ensure non-recognition of annexed territories as well as pursue legislation that conditions the $ 3.8 billion in US military funding to Israel to ensure US taxpayers are not supporting annexation in any way , ” the letter read , in part .
Imagine if this exact wording was used by Democratic representatives in July 1980 , when the Israeli Parliament unlawfully annexed East Jerusalem in an action that was – and remains – contrary to international law .
The fate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the fate of others who dared to speak out at the risk of losing their seats in Congress ; in fact , their political careers altogether .
But times have changed .
It is quite unusual , and refreshing , to see AIPAC scrambling to put out the many fires ignited by the new radical voices among Democrats .
The reason that it is no longer easy for the pro-Israel lobby to maintain its decades-long hegemony over Congress is that the likes of Ocasio-Cortez are , themselves , a byproduct of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has taken place among Democrats over the years .
The trend of polarization of American public opinion regarding Israel goes back nearly twenty years , when Americans began viewing their support for Israel based on party lines .
More recent polls suggest that this polarization is growing .
A Pew opinion poll published in 2016 showed that sympathy for Israel among Republicans morphed to an unprecedented 74 % while falling among Democrats to 33 % .
Then , for the first time in history , support for Israel and Palestinians was almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 31 % respectively .
This was a period in which we began seeing such unusual mainstream news headlines as , “ Why Democrats are abandoning Israel ?
” This ‘ abandonment ’ continued unabated , as more recent polls have indicated .
In January 2018 , another Pew survey showed that the Democrats ’ support for Israel dwindled to reach 27 % .
Not only are the rank-and-file of Democrats walking away from Israel as a result of the growing awareness of Israel ’ s relentless crimes and violent occupation in Palestine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same .
The changing views on Israel among young American Jews are finally paying dividends , to the extent that , in April 2019 , Pew data concluded that Jewish Americans , as a whole , are now far more likely ( 42 % ) than Christians to say that President Trump was “ favoring the Israelis too much.
” While many Democrats in Congress are increasingly in touch with the views of their constituencies , those at the helm , such as Biden , remain stubbornly committed to agendas that are championed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old guard .
The good news from Washington is that , despite Trump ’ s current support for Israel , an incremental , but lasting structural change continues to take place among Democratic Party supporters everywhere and throughout the country .
More sobering news is that Israel ’ s traditional stronghold over the country ’ s Jewish communities is faltering – and quickly so .
While AIPAC is likely to continue using and improvising on old tactics to protect Israel ’ s interests at the US Congress , the long-dubbed ‘ powerful lobby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back time .
Indeed , the age of total dominance of Israel over the US Congress is likely over , and hopefully , this time , for good .
Feature photo | Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. speaks at the 2019 American Israel Public Affairs Committee ( AIPAC ) policy conference , at Washington Convention Center , in Washington , March 26 , 2019 .
Jose Luis Magana | AP Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle .
He is the author of five books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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

While the US administration of President Donald Trump remains adamant in its support for Israel, the traditional democratic leadership continues to employ underhanded language, the kind of ‘strategic ambiguity’ that offers full support to Israel and nothing but lip service to Palestine and peace.
Trump’s policies on Israel and Palestine have been damaging, culminating in the outrageously unfair ‘Deal of the Century’, and his administration remains largely committed to the trend of growing affinity between the Republican establishment and the Israeli right-wing camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The views of the Democratic leadership, represented in the presumptive Democratic challenger in the upcoming November election, Joe Biden, are still those of a bygone era when the Democrats’ unconditional love for Israel equaled that of Republicans. It is safe to say that those days are drawing to an end, for successive opinion polls are reaffirming the changing political landscape in Washington.
Once upon a time, America’s political elite, whose politics diverged on many issues, wholeheartedly agreed on one single foreign policy matter: their country’s blind and unconditional love and support for Israel. In those days, the influential pro-Israel lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) ruled the roost, reigning supreme in the US Congress and, almost single-handedly, decided on the fate of Congressmen and women based on their support, or lack thereof, of Israel.
While it is too early to proclaim that ‘those days are over,’ judging by the vastly changing political discourse on Palestine and Israel, the many opinion polls, and the electoral successes of anti-Israeli occupation candidates in national and local elections, one is compelled to say that AIPAC’s tight grip on US foreign policy is finally loosening.
Such a statement may seem premature considering the current administration’s unparalleled bias towards Israel – the illegal US embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the dismissal of the ‘Right of Return’ for Palestinian Refugees, and the administration’s support of the Israeli plan to illegally annex parts of the West Bank, and so on.
However, a distinction must be made between support for Israel among the ruling, the increasingly isolated clique of politicians, and the general mood of a country that, despite numerous infringements on democracy in recent years, is still, somewhat democratic.
On June 25, a whopping number of nearly 200 Democratic House members, including some of the most staunch supporters of Israel, called, in a letter, on Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to scrap their plan to illegally annex nearly 30 percent of the West Bank.
“We express our deep concern with the stated intention to move ahead with any unilateral annexation of West Bank territory, and we urge your government to reconsider plans to do so,” the letter said, in part.
While the wording of the letter was far from being dubbed ‘threatening’, the fact that it was signed by stalwart Israeli allies, such as Florida Congressman, Ted Deutch and Illinois Congressman, Brad Schneider, speaks volumes about the shifting discourse on Israel among the center and even conservative corners of the Democratic Party. Among the signers were also prominent figures in the Democratic establishment, like Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer.
Equally important, is that the influence of the younger and more progressive generation of Democratic politicians continues to push the boundaries of the party’s discourse on Israel, thanks to the tireless work of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her colleagues. Along with a dozen Democratic lawmakers, Ocasio-Cortez issued another letter on June 30, this time addressed to US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
Unlike the first letter, the second one was assertive and markedly daring. “Should the Israeli government continue down this path (of annexation), we will work to ensure non-recognition of annexed territories as well as pursue legislation that conditions the $3.8 billion in US military funding to Israel to ensure US taxpayers are not supporting annexation in any way,” the letter read, in part.
Imagine if this exact wording was used by Democratic representatives in July 1980, when the Israeli Parliament unlawfully annexed East Jerusalem in an action that was – and remains – contrary to international law. The fate of these politicians would have been similar to the fate of others who dared to speak out at the risk of losing their seats in Congress; in fact, their political careers altogether.
But times have changed. It is quite unusual, and refreshing, to see AIPAC scrambling to put out the many fires ignited by the new radical voices among Democrats.
The reason that it is no longer easy for the pro-Israel lobby to maintain its decades-long hegemony over Congress is that the likes of Ocasio-Cortez are, themselves, a byproduct of the generational and, likely, irreversible change that has taken place among Democrats over the years.
The trend of polarization of American public opinion regarding Israel goes back nearly twenty years, when Americans began viewing their support for Israel based on party lines. More recent polls suggest that this polarization is growing. A Pew opinion poll published in 2016 showed that sympathy for Israel among Republicans morphed to an unprecedented 74% while falling among Democrats to 33%.
Then, for the first time in history, support for Israel and Palestinians was almost equally split among Democrats; 33% and 31% respectively. This was a period in which we began seeing such unusual mainstream news headlines as, “Why Democrats are abandoning Israel?”
This ‘abandonment’ continued unabated, as more recent polls have indicated. In January 2018, another Pew survey showed that the Democrats’ support for Israel dwindled to reach 27%.
Not only are the rank-and-file of Democrats walking away from Israel as a result of the growing awareness of Israel’s relentless crimes and violent occupation in Palestine, young Jews are also doing the same.
The changing views on Israel among young American Jews are finally paying dividends, to the extent that, in April 2019, Pew data concluded that Jewish Americans, as a whole, are now far more likely (42%) than Christians to say that President Trump was “favoring the Israelis too much.”
While many Democrats in Congress are increasingly in touch with the views of their constituencies, those at the helm, such as Biden, remain stubbornly committed to agendas that are championed by AIPAC and the rest of the old guard.
The good news from Washington is that, despite Trump’s current support for Israel, an incremental, but lasting structural change continues to take place among Democratic Party supporters everywhere and throughout the country. More sobering news is that Israel’s traditional stronghold over the country’s Jewish communities is faltering – and quickly so.
While AIPAC is likely to continue using and improvising on old tactics to protect Israel’s interests at the US Congress, the long-dubbed ‘powerful lobby’ will unlikely be able to turn back time. Indeed, the age of total dominance of Israel over the US Congress is likely over, and hopefully, this time, for good.
Feature photo | Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. speaks at the 2019 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference, at Washington Convention Center, in Washington, March 26, 2019. Jose Luis Magana | 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--2020-07-16--New Tech Company Partnership to Offset Responsibility for Public Safety and Health onto AI

The transition from a manned police force into an AI-assisted panopticon through which populations are monitored 24/7 is occurring at breakneck speed as tech giants like Google , Apple and Microsoft pour millions of dollars into a New York-based startup called RapidSOS , which “ transmits data from 911 callers to emergency responders.
” Now that startup has partnered with ZeroEyes , an artificial intelligence software company that uses video analytics technology to identify weapons in video footage .
The AI startup bills itself as a group of patriotic “ US military veterans , consultants , and technologists ” who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active shooter situations ” and are committed to “ empowering safety & security professionals.
” The partnership with RapidSOS will allow ZeroEyes to send its data directly to 911 personnel .
RapidSOS already had more than 3,500 agencies using its platform in the United States and the world at the time of its last cash infusion last year and boasts data-collection and transmission from over 250 million devices on its website .
Among the devices are vehicle integrations , wearable tech , sensors , security cameras , and mobile apps .
With ZeroEyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like RapidSOS will oversee the transition away from human policing and emergency response methods into an Orwellian grid of programmatically-controlled public safety mechanisms in which situations like the senseless police killing of George Floyd and other unarmed civilians , as well as any sort of misapplication of justice or medical malpractice , will be reduced to an executable script running silently in the background of our collective dystopian nightmare .
ZeroEyes was founded by Navy veteran , Albert “ Al ” Shore , a former NATO cryptologist and expert on predictive analysis capabilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mike Lahiff , is a former Navy Seal who used to be a director of digital program management for Comcast until he was tapped by another Navy Seal to join ZeroEyes .
The company , which has partnerships with Dell and Nvidia , is modeled on a previous iteration of weapons detection technology called ShotSpotter , which used sound sensors to identify gunshots used by more than 90 cities .
ZeroEyes ’ partnership with RapidSOS puts the company on a whole new level , which will go far beyond what Lahiff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ emergency response times ” for active shooter situations .
Among RapidSOS ’ business partners are not only tech giants like the aforementioned Google , Apple , and Microsoft , but also Mark 43 ; a “ public safety software ” company whose list of advisors and investors reads like a who ’ s who of the mass surveillance tech and defense community .
Founder and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos and former CIA director and retired General , David Petraeus , who once quipped that “ we ’ ll spy on you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list .
Perhaps more revealing is the presence of venture capitalist , Roy Rothrock , who has sizable investments in an Israeli startup called Toka , which claims to offer “ a one-stop hacking shop for governments that require extra capability to fight terrorists and other threats to national security in the digital domain ” through IoT devices like Amazon ’ s Alexa and Echo .
As with many other tech startups , the COVID-19 crisis has opened the door for widespread adoption across the healthcare sector and RapidSOS is no exception .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ among its network , the company is now expanding its data platform by launching the “ Emergency Health Profile ” together with the American Heart Association , the American Red Cross , and Direct Relief to profile people associated to their mobile phone number .
Claiming to be the “ world ’ s first emergency response data platform that securely links life-saving data from connected devices , ” people can create their own “ Emergency Health Profile ” on emergencyprofile.org to provide emergency first-responders with the critical information they need “ during these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forefront of the re-engineering of the “ nation ’ s 911 infrastructure ” that has been in place since the 1960s and is now , along with law enforcement models , being supplanted with digital technologies and algorithms , that are moving society towards a place made less for people than for the machines designed to enslave us .
Feature photo | A dispatcher works at a desk station with a variety of screens used by those who take 911 emergency calls in Roswell , Ga. Lisa Marie Pane | AP

The transition from a manned police force into an AI-assisted panopticon through which populations are monitored 24/7 is occurring at breakneck speed as tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft pour millions of dollars into a New York-based startup called RapidSOS, which “transmits data from 911 callers to emergency responders.”
Now that startup has partnered with ZeroEyes, an artificial intelligence software company that uses video analytics technology to identify weapons in video footage. The AI startup bills itself as a group of patriotic “US military veterans, consultants, and technologists” who claim to have “lived through countless active shooter situations” and are committed to “empowering safety & security professionals.”
The partnership with RapidSOS will allow ZeroEyes to send its data directly to 911 personnel. RapidSOS already had more than 3,500 agencies using its platform in the United States and the world at the time of its last cash infusion last year and boasts data-collection and transmission from over 250 million devices on its website. Among the devices are vehicle integrations, wearable tech, sensors, security cameras, and mobile apps.
With ZeroEyes’ AI-enabled weapons detection software, companies like RapidSOS will oversee the transition away from human policing and emergency response methods into an Orwellian grid of programmatically-controlled public safety mechanisms in which situations like the senseless police killing of George Floyd and other unarmed civilians, as well as any sort of misapplication of justice or medical malpractice, will be reduced to an executable script running silently in the background of our collective dystopian nightmare.
Moving on up
ZeroEyes was founded by Navy veteran, Albert “Al” Shore, a former NATO cryptologist and expert on predictive analysis capabilities. The company’s current CEO, Mike Lahiff, is a former Navy Seal who used to be a director of digital program management for Comcast until he was tapped by another Navy Seal to join ZeroEyes. The company, which has partnerships with Dell and Nvidia, is modeled on a previous iteration of weapons detection technology called ShotSpotter, which used sound sensors to identify gunshots used by more than 90 cities.
ZeroEyes’ partnership with RapidSOS puts the company on a whole new level, which will go far beyond what Lahiff’s hopes will be a reduction in “emergency response times” for active shooter situations. Among RapidSOS’ business partners are not only tech giants like the aforementioned Google, Apple, and Microsoft, but also Mark 43; a “public safety software” company whose list of advisors and investors reads like a who’s who of the mass surveillance tech and defense community.
Founder and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos and former CIA director and retired General, David Petraeus, who once quipped that “we’ll spy on you through your dishwasher,” top the list. Perhaps more revealing is the presence of venture capitalist, Roy Rothrock, who has sizable investments in an Israeli startup called Toka, which claims to offer “a one-stop hacking shop for governments that require extra capability to fight terrorists and other threats to national security in the digital domain” through IoT devices like Amazon’s Alexa and Echo.
Rapid adoption opportunities
As with many other tech startups, the COVID-19 crisis has opened the door for widespread adoption across the healthcare sector and RapidSOS is no exception. Now counting over 4,700 public safety agencies among its network, the company is now expanding its data platform by launching the “Emergency Health Profile” together with the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, and Direct Relief to profile people associated to their mobile phone number.
Claiming to be the “world’s first emergency response data platform that securely links life-saving data from connected devices,” people can create their own “Emergency Health Profile” on emergencyprofile.org to provide emergency first-responders with the critical information they need “during these uncertain times”.
RapidSOS is at the forefront of the re-engineering of the “nation’s 911 infrastructure” that has been in place since the 1960s and is now, along with law enforcement models, being supplanted with digital technologies and algorithms, that are moving society towards a place made less for people than for the machines designed to enslave us.
Feature photo | A dispatcher works at a desk station with a variety of screens used by those who take 911 emergency calls in Roswell, Ga. Lisa Marie Pane | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-15--UN Warns COVID-19 Fears Leading to “Alarming” Decline in Immunizations and Hospital Visits

United Nations agencies are warning that the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to trigger famine and outbreaks of other diseases that could prove far more deadly than the coronavirus itself .
Today , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and the United Nations International Children ’ s Fund ( UNICEF ) expressed grave concern over what they described as an “ alarming decline ” of children ’ s immunization programs in the past four months .
Three-quarters of the countries surveyed reported disruptions in their immunization drives .
At least 30 measles vaccinations campaigns are at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , the rate of children immunized against diphtheria , tetanus and pertussis has dropped for the first time in 28 years .
“ COVID-19 has made previously routine vaccination a daunting challenge , ” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore , warning of potential epidemics of preventable diseases due to the disruption , “ we can not trade one health crisis for another.
” The data suggests the problem is most severe in Latin American , African and Asian countries who have less developed healthcare infrastructures .
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death caused by children missing out on routine immunizations could be far greater than COVID-19 itself.
” Generalized concern over catching the deadly virus that has already claimed over 580,000 lives is keeping seriously ill people away from hospitals .
New research shows that more than half of people suffering heart attacks worldwide did not seek emergency medical treatment for fear of catching the virus .
“ The risk of dying of a heart attack is much greater than that of dying of COVID-19 , ” said Professor Barbara Casadei , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Moreover , cardiac death is largely preventable if patients with a heart attack come to hospital in time to get treatment .
What we are witnessing is an unnecessary loss of life .
Our priority must be to stop this from happening .
We must continue to save the lives we know how to save.
” UNICEF also warns that progress made in the fight against AIDS could stagnate or even reverse if patients are unable to access services because resources have been reallocated to fight the coronavirus .
“ 4.2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with HIV globally require uninterrupted access to life-saving treatment , with 89 per cent living in sub-Saharan Africa – COVID-19 threatens to put them all at risk , ” it wrote .
While the continent has officially only suffered 630,000 infections and 13,820 deaths , the lack of testing kits put Africa ’ s COVID-19 figures in doubt .
Even South Africa , which has tested more of its citizens per capita than any other major African state has only done so at one quarter the rate of the United States .
Preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famines and other outbreaks of disease , South African authorities are digging over 1.5 million graves as a precaution , fearing the worst .
The 2020 edition of the UN ’ s State of Food Security and Nutrition report was released on Monday and makes sobering reading .
Despite the advances China has made , the number of hungry people worldwide has increased by nearly 60 million people in the last five years ; 19 percent of Africans , eight percent of Asians , and seven percent of those living in Latin America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report estimates that a minimum of 83 million more people , and as many as 132 million around the world , will go hungry this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worldwide economic collapse it is bringing with it .
The World Food Program similarly cautions that those in Yemen and the Horn of Africa will be particularly affected .
“ I must warn you , ” said David Beasley , the World Food Program ’ s Director-General , “ we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome of COVID-19 , the UN is calling for a transition to a more sustainable system of food production , featuring far more locally-produced , small scale agriculture , something it suggests would greatly improve diets and life expectancy , including in the West , and would save the world trillions of dollars in medical expenses every year .
Feature photo | Dr. Adriana Coronel stands inside the room of a COVID-19 patient at the Eurnekian Ezeiza Hospital on the outskirts of Buenos Aires , Argentina , July 14 , 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ | 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 .

United Nations agencies are warning that the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to trigger famine and outbreaks of other diseases that could prove far more deadly than the coronavirus itself.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed grave concern over what they described as an “alarming decline” of children’s immunization programs in the past four months. Three-quarters of the countries surveyed reported disruptions in their immunization drives. At least 30 measles vaccinations campaigns are at risk or have already been canceled. Meanwhile, the rate of children immunized against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis has dropped for the first time in 28 years. “COVID-19 has made previously routine vaccination a daunting challenge,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, warning of potential epidemics of preventable diseases due to the disruption, “we cannot trade one health crisis for another.”
The data suggests the problem is most severe in Latin American, African and Asian countries who have less developed healthcare infrastructures. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that “the avoidable suffering and death caused by children missing out on routine immunizations could be far greater than COVID-19 itself.”
Generalized concern over catching the deadly virus that has already claimed over 580,000 lives is keeping seriously ill people away from hospitals. New research shows that more than half of people suffering heart attacks worldwide did not seek emergency medical treatment for fear of catching the virus. “The risk of dying of a heart attack is much greater than that of dying of COVID-19,” said Professor Barbara Casadei, President of the European Society of Cardiology. “Moreover, cardiac death is largely preventable if patients with a heart attack come to hospital in time to get treatment. What we are witnessing is an unnecessary loss of life. Our priority must be to stop this from happening. We must continue to save the lives we know how to save.”
UNICEF also warns that progress made in the fight against AIDS could stagnate or even reverse if patients are unable to access services because resources have been reallocated to fight the coronavirus. “4.2 million children, adolescents and pregnant women living with HIV globally require uninterrupted access to life-saving treatment, with 89 per cent living in sub-Saharan Africa – COVID-19 threatens to put them all at risk,” it wrote.
While the continent has officially only suffered 630,000 infections and 13,820 deaths, the lack of testing kits put Africa’s COVID-19 figures in doubt. Even South Africa, which has tested more of its citizens per capita than any other major African state has only done so at one quarter the rate of the United States. Preparing for a pandemic and the possibility of famines and other outbreaks of disease, South African authorities are digging over 1.5 million graves as a precaution, fearing the worst.
Famine of “biblical proportions”
The 2020 edition of the UN’s State of Food Security and Nutrition report was released on Monday and makes sobering reading. Despite the advances China has made, the number of hungry people worldwide has increased by nearly 60 million people in the last five years; 19 percent of Africans, eight percent of Asians, and seven percent of those living in Latin America and the Caribbean are undernourished. The report estimates that a minimum of 83 million more people, and as many as 132 million around the world, will go hungry this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worldwide economic collapse it is bringing with it.
The World Food Program similarly cautions that those in Yemen and the Horn of Africa will be particularly affected. “I must warn you,” said David Beasley, the World Food Program’s Director-General, “we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a short few months.”
Whatever the outcome of COVID-19, the UN is calling for a transition to a more sustainable system of food production, featuring far more locally-produced, small scale agriculture, something it suggests would greatly improve diets and life expectancy, including in the West, and would save the world trillions of dollars in medical expenses every year.
Feature photo | Dr. Adriana Coronel stands inside the room of a COVID-19 patient at the Eurnekian Ezeiza Hospital on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 14, 2020, during a government-ordered lockdown. Natacha Pisarenko | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-07-15--Texting App with Ties to Trump Campaign to Be Repurposed for Contact Tracing

A P2P mobile app developed by a Ukrainian military veteran and funded by American hedge fund magnate and close associate of Cambridge Analytica backer , Robert Mercer , has been rebranded and repurposed to serve as a contact tracing tool in the “ fight ” against the COVID-19 pandemic and public safety emergencies , such as hurricanes and other natural disasters .
The rollout happens at a time when ‘ health-related ’ data-collection technology , such as this and other apps , is sparsely regulated and when the country is undergoing an unprecedented health crisis , effectively railroading the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by companies with questionable track records .
uCampaign , as the original app was called , had been built for Donald Trump ’ s 2016 successful run for the presidency .
It brought in “ more results and had a bigger impact than Clinton ’ s smartphone app , and for far less cost to the campaign , ” according to Thomas Peters , founder of the company which developed the app .
Peters parlayed his success into contracts with the NRA , Ted Cruz ’ s own presidential campaign , and Brexit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summer of 2017 when Peters became aware of the P2P messaging app used by the Bernie Sanders campaign and developed by an Obama campaign strategist called Hustle , that he decided to re-tool uCampaign and apply the lessons learned through peer-to-peer communication technologies in order to “ perfect ” the Democrat ’ s innovation .
The new app , called RumbleUp , has now been accepted into the “ FirstNet App Catalog , ” a library of “ secure applications that can be used by more than 12,000 public safety agencies ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ text people on the ground in support of COVID-19 testing and contact tracing efforts ” .
Privacy concerns have been raised by the British parliamentary committee , which looked into the Cambridge Analytica “ Facebook scandal ” in its “ Disinformation and ‘ fake news ’ report ” and mentions uCampaign ’ s very “ ‘ liberal ’ attitude to sharing the personal data of app users.
” The app was utilized by the Trump campaign to go “ absolutely granular , ” in the words of uCampaign founder Peters .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share their address books , including phone numbers and emails ” , stated a Business Insider article from 2016 , “ the App then shoots the data [ to ] a third-party vendor , which looks for matches to existing voter file information.
” RumbleUp , the next-generation version of uCampaign , enjoys the advantages of all such P2P technologies in that FCC regulations have yet to catch up to modern times .
The 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act fails to account for smartphones and because of the nature of P2P messaging , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auto-dialers do not apply .
This loophole has been a boon for companies trading in data and a detriment to the people whose data is being harvested and used for all kinds of undisclosed purposes .
RumbleUp ’ s privacy policy makes no bones about it , stating outright that virtually any users ’ data will be collected “ including , without limitation , names , telephone numbers , emails and social media handles , ” in addition to “ geolocation information as provided by your phone or other mobile device.
” All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ third parties to perform functions on our behalf , ” of which they cite only a few examples .
Peters says that the “ spark behind the company ’ s work to join the FirstNet application catalog ” was motivated by Hurricane Michael , which devastated parts of the Florida panhandle in 2018 .
He “ swiftly ” partnered up with the Florida GOP to text over 70,000 displaced individuals in the aftermath of the storm .
The information gathered was shared with FEMA and other local relief organizations , but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ assistance filling out absentee ballots ” and other voting-related help , which Peters claims resulted in a 10 percent increase in voter participation .
It was at this point that Peters ’ company began talks with FirstNet to be included in the list of “ approved ” mobile tools for first responders .
FirstNet ( First Responder Network Authority ) was authorized by Congress in 2012 as an independent authority within the Department of Commerce , that is currently run by billionaire investor , Wilbur Ross .
The network was built through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and includes more than 100 products that cover everything from “ dispatch functions , internet of things , drone and body-worn camera solutions , emergency medical and telehealth capabilities ” , as well as tools to manage and collect the information .
Given the fact that there is still no regulatory framework that covers P2P communications or many of the new technologies being aggregated under this recently-created agency , apps like RumbleUp and their direct ties to political power is enough to be concerned about .
It is especially concerning , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on a national level under the guise of public safety in the midst of a pandemic – using fear to facilitate adoption and delaying any limitations on corporate power until the system is firmly in place .
Feature photo | A counter-protester wearing a hat that reads “ Trump 2020 ” uses a mobile phone to take photos as others take part in a protest against family separation at the border and other immigration-related issues , Aug. 1 , 2019 , outside ICE headquarters in Seattle .
Ted S. Warren | AP

A P2P mobile app developed by a Ukrainian military veteran and funded by American hedge fund magnate and close associate of Cambridge Analytica backer, Robert Mercer, has been rebranded and repurposed to serve as a contact tracing tool in the “fight” against the COVID-19 pandemic and public safety emergencies, such as hurricanes and other natural disasters.
The rollout happens at a time when ‘health-related’ data-collection technology, such as this and other apps, is sparsely regulated and when the country is undergoing an unprecedented health crisis, effectively railroading the public into mass adoption of digital products created by companies with questionable track records.
uCampaign, as the original app was called, had been built for Donald Trump’s 2016 successful run for the presidency. It brought in “more results and had a bigger impact than Clinton’s smartphone app, and for far less cost to the campaign,” according to Thomas Peters, founder of the company which developed the app. Peters parlayed his success into contracts with the NRA, Ted Cruz’s own presidential campaign, and Brexit.
But it wasn’t until the summer of 2017 when Peters became aware of the P2P messaging app used by the Bernie Sanders campaign and developed by an Obama campaign strategist called Hustle, that he decided to re-tool uCampaign and apply the lessons learned through peer-to-peer communication technologies in order to “perfect” the Democrat’s innovation.
The new app, called RumbleUp, has now been accepted into the “FirstNet App Catalog,” a library of “secure applications that can be used by more than 12,000 public safety agencies” which enables first responders “to directly text people on the ground in support of COVID-19 testing and contact tracing efforts”.
Cambridge Analytica Redux
Privacy concerns have been raised by the British parliamentary committee, which looked into the Cambridge Analytica “Facebook scandal” in its “Disinformation and ‘fake news’ report” and mentions uCampaign’s very “‘liberal’ attitude to sharing the personal data of app users.” The app was utilized by the Trump campaign to go “absolutely granular,” in the words of uCampaign founder Peters. “If users download the App and agree to share their address books, including phone numbers and emails”, stated a Business Insider article from 2016, “the App then shoots the data [to] a third-party vendor, which looks for matches to existing voter file information.”
RumbleUp, the next-generation version of uCampaign, enjoys the advantages of all such P2P technologies in that FCC regulations have yet to catch up to modern times. The 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act fails to account for smartphones and because of the nature of P2P messaging, opt-in consent requirements that govern activities like auto-dialers do not apply.
This loophole has been a boon for companies trading in data and a detriment to the people whose data is being harvested and used for all kinds of undisclosed purposes. RumbleUp’s privacy policy makes no bones about it, stating outright that virtually any users’ data will be collected “including, without limitation, names, telephone numbers, emails and social media handles,” in addition to “geolocation information as provided by your phone or other mobile device.”
All data collected will also be provided to “third parties to perform functions on our behalf,” of which they cite only a few examples.
Public-Private Shakedown
Peters says that the “spark behind the company’s work to join the FirstNet application catalog” was motivated by Hurricane Michael, which devastated parts of the Florida panhandle in 2018. He “swiftly” partnered up with the Florida GOP to text over 70,000 displaced individuals in the aftermath of the storm. The information gathered was shared with FEMA and other local relief organizations, but also took advantage of the situation to extend “assistance filling out absentee ballots” and other voting-related help, which Peters claims resulted in a 10 percent increase in voter participation.
It was at this point that Peters’ company began talks with FirstNet to be included in the list of “approved” mobile tools for first responders. FirstNet (First Responder Network Authority) was authorized by Congress in 2012 as an independent authority within the Department of Commerce, that is currently run by billionaire investor, Wilbur Ross. The network was built through a public-private partnership with AT&T and includes more than 100 products that cover everything from “dispatch functions, internet of things, drone and body-worn camera solutions, emergency medical and telehealth capabilities”, as well as tools to manage and collect the information.
Given the fact that there is still no regulatory framework that covers P2P communications or many of the new technologies being aggregated under this recently-created agency, apps like RumbleUp and their direct ties to political power is enough to be concerned about. It is especially concerning, however, that these unregulated technologies are being rolled out on a national level under the guise of public safety in the midst of a pandemic – using fear to facilitate adoption and delaying any limitations on corporate power until the system is firmly in place.
Feature photo | A counter-protester wearing a hat that reads “Trump 2020” uses a mobile phone to take photos as others take part in a protest against family separation at the border and other immigration-related issues, Aug. 1, 2019, outside ICE headquarters in Seattle. Ted S. Warren | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.


mintpressnews--2020-07-15--Trump Fires Latest Salvo in US-China Sanctions War

In a speech at the White House Rose Garden yesterday , Donald Trump announced new sanctions on China due to their “ interference ” in their own Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong .
The president said that he was placing “ massive tariffs ” on Beijing and that Hong Kong would now be treated the same as mainland China , with “ no special privileges , no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies.
” Trump ’ s new law , the Hong Kong Autonomy Act , unanimously passed Congress , and places mandatory sanctions on officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House views as helping Beijing clamp down on political freedoms .
Earlier today , China ’ s foreign ministry said it “ firmly opposes and strongly condemns ” the new law interfering in its domestic affairs , adding that it would “ definitely hit back , ” by taking , “ necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests , and impose sanctions on relevant U.S. personnel and entities.
” The move is merely the latest chapter in the rapidly deteriorating relationship between Washington and Beijing .
Even before taking office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the reason for America ’ s flagging economy .
He has also taken every opportunity to frame the COVID-19 pandemic as the “ Wuhan China Virus , ” even committing the United States to pull out of the World Health Organization for refusing to censure Beijing .
In 2012 , President Obama announced the U.S. ’ new “ Pivot to Asia ” strategy , beginning to build up military forces in the region to surround China and Russia .
The 2021 Pentagon budget explicitly focuses on an upcoming war in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result .
Along with the political and military conflict brewing , Washington has also been prosecuting an information and trade war against China on the world stage .
The Trump administration is attempting to convince other nations to restrict Chinese company Huawei from controlling the worldwide 5G network while mulling over a total ban of popular Chinese video app TikTok .
“ It ’ s something we ’ re looking at , ” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week .
Last month a U.S.-government funded think tank also managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts .
American military analysts have publicly advocated that the U.S. should bombard Asia with “ Taiwanese Tom Clancy ” stories , where Beijing is the enemy , as part of a new Cold War .
The U.S. has also been funding and supporting what it calls “ pro-democracy movements ” across China and Hong Kong , including the famous protests that have engulfed the city for over a year .
Official figures show that the National Endowment for Democracy has spent over $ 29 million bankrolling anti-Beijing efforts since 2014 .
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminalizes subversion , secession , terrorism , and collusion with foreign forces , leading many of the protest leaders to immediately fly to the United States or Great Britain .
Despite the new law , Hong Kongers ’ support for the protests remains relatively high , at 51 percent , although that number is dropping .
The insatiable British thirst for tea began to develop in the 18th and 19th centuries , but the Chinese empire would accept only gold or silver for their valuable crop , which they maintained a monopoly over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain , so it used its military to force the Chinese to cede Hong Kong to it , from where it flooded the country with opium , devastating the society .
By the end of the 19th century , around a third of China was addicted , further weakening the empire , which was forced to sign over the region to the British for a further 99 years in 1898 .
The British used Hong Kong to swap tea for opium .
At the same time , they stole the plant and began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innumerable death toll and the loss of sovereignty contributed to what the Chinese still call the “ century of humiliation.
” While Hong Kong was handed back in 1997 , the city maintains a 50-year agreement with Beijing called the “ One Country , Two Systems ” policy , which gives it an amount of self-autonomy , something which protesters today say is under threat .
While its local economy boomed when China was relatively closed off from the West , economically , Hong Kong began to decline in the 1980s and 1990s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions .
After 1997 , it largely became just another city , and was outpaced by new powerhouses like Shenzhen and Shanghai , leading to economic malaise and a declining or flat-lining quality of life for many residents , adding fuel to the current protests .
Many protesters have flown the colonial British flag because they associate it with a more prosperous time .
In his briefing yesterday , Trump also took shots at his opponent for president , Joe Biden , whose “ entire career has been a gift to the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that , “ it ’ s been devastating for the American worker.
” Trump also suggested that Biden loved China more than the United States .
For their part , Biden ’ s foreign policy team claim their number one priority is “ dealing with authoritarian governments ” like China , hinting they would welcome a new war with Beijing .
Biden himself has tried to one-up Trump , condemning the president for supposedly being “ soft ” on China , suggesting he would take a tougher line .
He currently holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls for November .
Regardless of who wins , increased conflict with China seems likely .
Feature photo | Pro-China supporters step on an effigy of US President Donald Trump outside the U.S. Consulate during a protest , in Hong Kong , May 30 , 2020 over a series of US measures aimed at China as a rift between the two countries grows .
Kin Cheung | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

In a speech at the White House Rose Garden yesterday, Donald Trump announced new sanctions on China due to their “interference” in their own Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. The president said that he was placing “massive tariffs” on Beijing and that Hong Kong would now be treated the same as mainland China, with “no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies.”
Trump’s new law, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, unanimously passed Congress, and places mandatory sanctions on officials or organizations (including businesses) that the White House views as helping Beijing clamp down on political freedoms.
Earlier today, China’s foreign ministry said it “firmly opposes and strongly condemns” the new law interfering in its domestic affairs, adding that it would “definitely hit back,” by taking, “necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests, and impose sanctions on relevant U.S. personnel and entities.”
A new Cold War?
The move is merely the latest chapter in the rapidly deteriorating relationship between Washington and Beijing. Even before taking office, Trump was demonizing China as an enemy and the reason for America’s flagging economy. He has also taken every opportunity to frame the COVID-19 pandemic as the “Wuhan China Virus,” even committing the United States to pull out of the World Health Organization for refusing to censure Beijing.
In 2012, President Obama announced the U.S.’ new “Pivot to Asia” strategy, beginning to build up military forces in the region to surround China and Russia. The 2021 Pentagon budget explicitly focuses on an upcoming war in the region, requesting an increase in funding as a result.
Along with the political and military conflict brewing, Washington has also been prosecuting an information and trade war against China on the world stage. The Trump administration is attempting to convince other nations to restrict Chinese company Huawei from controlling the worldwide 5G network while mulling over a total ban of popular Chinese video app TikTok. “It’s something we’re looking at,” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week. Last month a U.S.-government funded think tank also managed to convince Twitter to delete over 170,000 pro-Chinese accounts. American military analysts have publicly advocated that the U.S. should bombard Asia with “Taiwanese Tom Clancy” stories, where Beijing is the enemy, as part of a new Cold War.
The U.S. has also been funding and supporting what it calls “pro-democracy movements” across China and Hong Kong, including the famous protests that have engulfed the city for over a year. Official figures show that the National Endowment for Democracy has spent over $29 million bankrolling anti-Beijing efforts since 2014. China’s newly passed national security law criminalizes subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, leading many of the protest leaders to immediately fly to the United States or Great Britain. Despite the new law, Hong Kongers’ support for the protests remains relatively high, at 51 percent, although that number is dropping.
The history of a city-state
The insatiable British thirst for tea began to develop in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the Chinese empire would accept only gold or silver for their valuable crop, which they maintained a monopoly over. The trade was beginning to bankrupt Britain, so it used its military to force the Chinese to cede Hong Kong to it, from where it flooded the country with opium, devastating the society. By the end of the 19th century, around a third of China was addicted, further weakening the empire, which was forced to sign over the region to the British for a further 99 years in 1898. The British used Hong Kong to swap tea for opium. At the same time, they stole the plant and began cultivating it in northern India. The innumerable death toll and the loss of sovereignty contributed to what the Chinese still call the “century of humiliation.” While Hong Kong was handed back in 1997, the city maintains a 50-year agreement with Beijing called the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, which gives it an amount of self-autonomy, something which protesters today say is under threat.
While its local economy boomed when China was relatively closed off from the West, economically, Hong Kong began to decline in the 1980s and 1990s due to increased competition from other Chinese regions. After 1997, it largely became just another city, and was outpaced by new powerhouses like Shenzhen and Shanghai, leading to economic malaise and a declining or flat-lining quality of life for many residents, adding fuel to the current protests. Many protesters have flown the colonial British flag because they associate it with a more prosperous time.
Bi-partisan consensus
In his briefing yesterday, Trump also took shots at his opponent for president, Joe Biden, whose “entire career has been a gift to the Chinese Communist Party,” he claimed, adding that, “it’s been devastating for the American worker.” Trump also suggested that Biden loved China more than the United States. For their part, Biden’s foreign policy team claim their number one priority is “dealing with authoritarian governments” like China, hinting they would welcome a new war with Beijing. Biden himself has tried to one-up Trump, condemning the president for supposedly being “soft” on China, suggesting he would take a tougher line. He currently holds a 9-point lead on Trump in combined polls for November. Regardless of who wins, increased conflict with China seems likely.
Feature photo | Pro-China supporters step on an effigy of US President Donald Trump outside the U.S. Consulate during a protest, in Hong Kong, May 30, 2020 over a series of US measures aimed at China as a rift between the two countries grows. Kin Cheung | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-07-15--Propaganda Will Not Be Enough to Win Joe Biden the White House

New York City ( BAR ) — “ Biden will win in a landslide.
” “ Trump will quit before election day.
” These are just some of the tropes being spread by Democratic Party propagandists .
It is true that Joe Biden can defeat incumbent Donald Trump in the November 2020 presidential election .
However , the rosy scenarios painted by the corporate media don ’ t take into account the vagaries of the election process in this country .
They are intended to give the appearance of an inevitable Democratic Party victory , a plan which failed miserably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2000 , Trump won in 2016 not because most voters preferred him , but because of the very undemocratic electoral college .
Republicans use voter suppression and outright vote theft to dilute the impact of black voters , whose support for the Democrats remains in the 90 % range .
Hillary Clinton failed to target her campaign outreach accordingly , or frankly to do much outreach at all .
She needed only 78,000 more votes in three key swing states in order to win .
If Biden succeeds where she failed he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason for the Democrats to be optimistic , but their effort to sell the lackluster and problematic Joe Biden involves telling some outright lies .
The propagandists give the same assurance in 2020 that was given in 2016 .
They announce with great fanfare that polls show Biden winning .
They don ’ t explain how these polls differ from the 2016 polls which showed Hillary Clinton winning all the states she needed .
They don ’ t explain what went wrong in 2016 or analyze the challenges that Biden faces .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuing suppression of black votes and the refusal of the Democrats to do anything about it .
Voter identification requirements , felon disenfranchisement , voter enrollment purges , and simpler schemes such as sending fewer machines to polling places in black neighborhoods all diminish the franchise .
This year the COVID-19 pandemic will mean more voting by mail .
But paper ballots are as problematic as electronic voting machines can be .
There is a hodgepodge of rules which determine how and if paper ballots are counted , with differences varying even within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no constituency that will increase its turn out for the sake of Joe Biden .
He will get 90 % of the black vote , but it is unlikely that he will benefit from the tremendous increase in that cohort that helped Barack Obama when he ran in 2008 and 2012 .
If the Biden campaign team doesn ’ t outperform Hillary Clinton ’ s lackluster get out the vote effort , Trump can squeak through a second time .
But there is something else going on among the propagandists masquerading as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s chances they peddle a dubious kind of psy-op .
Even Fox News jumps on that bandwagon with stories of “ major players ” and “ Republican insiders ” saying that Trump will quit before election day .
These stories are accompanied by unflattering photos of a seemingly dejected Trump or reports of rallies that are sparsely attended .
These anonymous insiders are as real as the “ intelligence sources ” who claim that Russia is paying the Taliban to kill Americans .
The subterfuge is intended to boost Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s failure to handle the worsening COVID-19 pandemic .
States that failed to shut down public activity and decrease opportunities for the virus to spread are facing an upsurge in infections , hospitalizations and death .
Biden ought to be much further ahead in the wake of Trump ’ s bumbling .
But we don ’ t see him very often because his handlers don ’ t want him to be seen .
Biden clearly has a health problem which has not been disclosed , but his inability to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that he must be kept under wraps at the very moment that Trump is on the ropes .
Election day is in less than four months .
In that time an economic downturn , a worsening spread of COVID-19 or a debate performance can make the difference .
There would be greater certainty for Biden if he would campaign on an issue that the voters want .
A new study indicates that 5 million workers have lost their health insurance since March .
But Biden opposes a plan to give Medicare to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fooled by his claims of being a progressive , Biden steadfastly refuses to consider what is a surefire election winner .
At this juncture , no one should claim they know who the next president will be .
Phony stories and wishful thinking won ’ t get Donald Trump out of the White House .
Predictions of his political demise are rather premature .
Feature photo | President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden pose for photographs with members of law enforcement during a ceremony to honor the 2014 National Association of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in East Room of the White House in Washington , May 12 , 2014 .
Photo | AP Margaret Kimberley is a Black Agenda Report editor and senior columnist .
She blogs at Freedom Rider and lives in New York City .
She can be reached by e-mail at Margaret.Kimberley @ BlackAgendaReport.com .

New York City (BAR) — “Biden will win in a landslide.” “Trump will quit before election day.” These are just some of the tropes being spread by Democratic Party propagandists. It is true that Joe Biden can defeat incumbent Donald Trump in the November 2020 presidential election. However, the rosy scenarios painted by the corporate media don’t take into account the vagaries of the election process in this country. They are intended to give the appearance of an inevitable Democratic Party victory, a plan which failed miserably in 2016.
Like George W. Bush in 2000, Trump won in 2016 not because most voters preferred him, but because of the very undemocratic electoral college. Republicans use voter suppression and outright vote theft to dilute the impact of black voters, whose support for the Democrats remains in the 90% range. Hillary Clinton failed to target her campaign outreach accordingly, or frankly to do much outreach at all. She needed only 78,000 more votes in three key swing states in order to win. If Biden succeeds where she failed he can win the presidency. There is reason for the Democrats to be optimistic, but their effort to sell the lackluster and problematic Joe Biden involves telling some outright lies.
The propagandists give the same assurance in 2020 that was given in 2016. They announce with great fanfare that polls show Biden winning. They don’t explain how these polls differ from the 2016 polls which showed Hillary Clinton winning all the states she needed. They don’t explain what went wrong in 2016 or analyze the challenges that Biden faces.
The biggest threat to his chances is the continuing suppression of black votes and the refusal of the Democrats to do anything about it. Voter identification requirements, felon disenfranchisement, voter enrollment purges, and simpler schemes such as sending fewer machines to polling places in black neighborhoods all diminish the franchise. This year the COVID-19 pandemic will mean more voting by mail. But paper ballots are as problematic as electronic voting machines can be. There is a hodgepodge of rules which determine how and if paper ballots are counted, with differences varying even within the same state.
Most importantly there is no constituency that will increase its turn out for the sake of Joe Biden. He will get 90% of the black vote, but it is unlikely that he will benefit from the tremendous increase in that cohort that helped Barack Obama when he ran in 2008 and 2012. If the Biden campaign team doesn’t outperform Hillary Clinton’s lackluster get out the vote effort, Trump can squeak through a second time.
But there is something else going on among the propagandists masquerading as journalists. Instead of dispassionately reporting on Trump’s chances they peddle a dubious kind of psy-op. Even Fox News jumps on that bandwagon with stories of “major players” and “Republican insiders” saying that Trump will quit before election day. These stories are accompanied by unflattering photos of a seemingly dejected Trump or reports of rallies that are sparsely attended. These anonymous insiders are as real as the “intelligence sources” who claim that Russia is paying the Taliban to kill Americans.
The subterfuge is intended to boost Biden, who is strangely absent in the midst of Trump’s failure to handle the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. States that failed to shut down public activity and decrease opportunities for the virus to spread are facing an upsurge in infections, hospitalizations and death. Biden ought to be much further ahead in the wake of Trump’s bumbling. But we don’t see him very often because his handlers don’t want him to be seen. Biden clearly has a health problem which has not been disclosed, but his inability to speak coherently and his penchant for strange outbursts means that he must be kept under wraps at the very moment that Trump is on the ropes.
Election day is in less than four months. In that time an economic downturn, a worsening spread of COVID-19 or a debate performance can make the difference. There would be greater certainty for Biden if he would campaign on an issue that the voters want. A new study indicates that 5 million workers have lost their health insurance since March. But Biden opposes a plan to give Medicare to all. Just in case anyone was fooled by his claims of being a progressive, Biden steadfastly refuses to consider what is a surefire election winner.
At this juncture, no one should claim they know who the next president will be. Phony stories and wishful thinking won’t get Donald Trump out of the White House. Predictions of his political demise are rather premature.
Feature photo | President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden pose for photographs with members of law enforcement during a ceremony to honor the 2014 National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) TOP COPS in East Room of the White House in Washington, May 12, 2014. Photo | AP
Margaret Kimberley is a Black Agenda Report editor and senior columnist. She blogs at Freedom Rider and lives in New York City. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].


mintpressnews--2020-07-15--How Two Seemingly Unrelated Events Laid Israel’s Racism Problem Bare

Two seemingly unrelated items hit social media recently and both received a lot of attention .
The first was an article by Peter Beinart that was published in the New York Times where Beinart claims he no longer believes in a Jewish State and calls for a binational state with equal rights in Palestine .
The other , a video clip showing an Israeli family riding in a car when two children approach them .
The car window opens and we hear the father ask the children in Hebrew , “ Who wants to feed a Bedouin ?
” While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something equally disturbing about both of them .
One might think that the epiphany experienced by yet another liberal Zionist , and one that has access to the mainstream media , should be celebrated .
After all , another well known Jewish American has reached the conclusion that Palestinians deserve equal rights in their own country .
However , as we read this article there are several disturbing elements that dampen the excitement .
Beinart shares with the readers , “ I knew that Israel was a source of comfort and pride to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is why he believed in the Jewish state .
One could argue that slavery was a source of comfort and pride for millions of white Americans , yet to support slavery is still abhorrent .
He goes on to describe a sentiment that one hears from many liberal Zionists .
“ One day in early adulthood , I walked through Jerusalem , reading street names that catalog Jewish history , and felt that comfort and pride myself.
” Jerusalem was an Arab city for over a thousand years .
In 1948 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total and complete ethnic cleansing , and not a single Palestinian was allowed to remain in the city .
Jerusalem then became the capital city of the state of Israel and the street names , which used to catalog the long and magnificent Arab history of the city , were changed .
“ I knew Israel was wrong to deny Palestinians in the West Bank citizenship , due process , free movement and the right to vote in the country in which they lived.
” What about the rights of millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country that gave him , and Jews like him , such pride is denying millions of Palestinians their right to return to the lands and homes from which they were expelled .
“ But the dream of a two-state solution that would give Palestinians a country of their own let me hope that I could remain a liberal and a supporter of Jewish statehood at the same time.
” That was precisely what the scam of the Two State Solution was set to do .
To allow liberal Zionists to support the crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist state in Palestine while still feeling good about themselves .
The idea that the Two State Solution would give Palestinians “ a country of their own , ” is puzzling .
Palestinians have a country of their own , it is Palestine .
According to historian Nur Masalha , it has been Palestine for thousands of years before the establishment of the Zionist state on May 15 , 1948 .
The epiphany experienced by liberal Zionists who suddenly realize they can ’ t have it both ways is really not an epiphany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that allows them to continue to justify their patronizing attitude towards Palestinians .
Beinart is not unlike another liberal Zionist , Avram Burg .
Burg , a staunch Zionist who served as speaker of the Knesset and chairman of the Jewish Agency , and in between , profited greatly from peddling Israeli weapons .
He is a Zionist through and through , and yet , he too claims it is time for a single state .
In a piece he authored in 2018 , he writes , “ Since 1967 Israel had occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sees only the West Bank as Palestinian territory .
A disturbing video clip was recently shared on TikTok by Roy Oz , also known as Roy Boy , an Israeli entertainer who hosts various programs for children .
In the clip , an Israeli family is driving comfortably in what appears to be an SUV , with young children in the backseat and the parents in front .
The father , Roy Oz , is driving .
As they drive , two young children approach the car .
The children in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are brown .
The landscape is barren , like a desert , and we can safely assume it is the Naqab region in southern Palestine .
The father opens the window and hands a cookie to the children outside and says to his children in Hebrew , “ Who wants to feed a Bedouin ?
” He speaks to the children outside in Arabic and then turns to his children again , asking in Hebrew , “ You don ’ t want to feed a Bedouin , Ariel ?
” One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other and hands the cookie to the younger child .
Then , the father turns the camera , showing his children ’ s faces and asks again , “ Do you want to feed a Bedouin ?
You don ’ t ?
” We hear him also saying to himself , “ they are so cute , ” referring to the children outside .
The father then turns to the children outside and asks in Arabic how much money they want .
“ One thousand shekel ?
” He asks .
“ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children answers .
“ Only ten ?
” The father asks at which point the mother reaches out of the car and hands one of the children a coin .
Expressions of shock came fast from Palestinian communities , who demanded an apology and an explanation .
Some even said this was the worst expression of racism they had ever seen .
But there is nothing shocking about this clip because this was a normal Israeli middle-class family expressing what countless Israelis express all the time .
The appalling racism and patronizing colonial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we see in the video , is the foundation upon which the state of Israel was established and exists throughout Israeli society .
Without structural , systemic , deeply ingrained racism , Israel would not exist .
Furthermore , without this white supremacist attitude , no Israeli pilot would be able to push the button that releases the bombs which then burn and rip Palestinian children in Gaza to shreds .
No sniper would be able to pull the trigger and kill and maim Palestinians .
It is an essential part of Zionist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ displeasure at this expression of racism .
However , their displeasure aside , this is nothing new or abnormal .
It is not unlike the incident where an Israeli army medic , who is charged with saving people ’ s lives and had taken an oath to do so , executed a wounded Palestinian laying on the ground .
The incident was caught on video and went viral , resulting in the medic being court-martialed and receiving a slap on the wrist .
This medic also acted as he was trained , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life does not matter .
Recognizing that Palestinians have rights within a Zionist construct is a symptom of Zionist racist supremacy .
This racism is what allows a family to drive by Palestinian children and treat them like animals in a safari .
It is how the state of Israel is able to continue the Naqba , the systemic , catastrophic destruction of Palestine and its people for close to one hundred years .
Feature photo | Beinart speaks at a 2012 event in Atlanta after being banned from a Jewish book festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goldman | AP Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem .
He is the author of “ The General ’ s Son .
Journey of an Israeli in Palestine , ” and “ Injustice , the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five .
”

Two seemingly unrelated items hit social media recently and both received a lot of attention. The first was an article by Peter Beinart that was published in the New York Times where Beinart claims he no longer believes in a Jewish State and calls for a binational state with equal rights in Palestine. The other, a video clip showing an Israeli family riding in a car when two children approach them. The car window opens and we hear the father ask the children in Hebrew, “Who wants to feed a Bedouin?” While these two seem unrelated, there is something equally disturbing about both of them.
A Jewish home in Palestine
One might think that the epiphany experienced by yet another liberal Zionist, and one that has access to the mainstream media, should be celebrated. After all, another well known Jewish American has reached the conclusion that Palestinians deserve equal rights in their own country. However, as we read this article there are several disturbing elements that dampen the excitement.
Beinart shares with the readers, “I knew that Israel was a source of comfort and pride to millions of other Jews.” He explains that this is why he believed in the Jewish state. One could argue that slavery was a source of comfort and pride for millions of white Americans, yet to support slavery is still abhorrent.
He goes on to describe a sentiment that one hears from many liberal Zionists. “One day in early adulthood, I walked through Jerusalem, reading street names that catalog Jewish history, and felt that comfort and pride myself.” Jerusalem was an Arab city for over a thousand years. In 1948, Palestinians in Jerusalem were subjected to a total and complete ethnic cleansing, and not a single Palestinian was allowed to remain in the city. Jerusalem then became the capital city of the state of Israel and the street names, which used to catalog the long and magnificent Arab history of the city, were changed.
“I knew Israel was wrong to deny Palestinians in the West Bank citizenship, due process, free movement and the right to vote in the country in which they lived.” What about the rights of millions of Palestinians languishing in refugee camps? This country that gave him, and Jews like him, such pride is denying millions of Palestinians their right to return to the lands and homes from which they were expelled.
“But the dream of a two-state solution that would give Palestinians a country of their own let me hope that I could remain a liberal and a supporter of Jewish statehood at the same time.” That was precisely what the scam of the Two State Solution was set to do. To allow liberal Zionists to support the crimes of Zionism and the creation of a racist state in Palestine while still feeling good about themselves.
The idea that the Two State Solution would give Palestinians “a country of their own,” is puzzling. Palestinians have a country of their own, it is Palestine. According to historian Nur Masalha, it has been Palestine for thousands of years before the establishment of the Zionist state on May 15, 1948.
The epiphany experienced by liberal Zionists who suddenly realize they can’t have it both ways is really not an epiphany at all. It is a compromise that allows them to continue to justify their patronizing attitude towards Palestinians. Beinart is not unlike another liberal Zionist, Avram Burg. Burg, a staunch Zionist who served as speaker of the Knesset and chairman of the Jewish Agency, and in between, profited greatly from peddling Israeli weapons. He is a Zionist through and through, and yet, he too claims it is time for a single state. In a piece he authored in 2018, he writes, “Since 1967 Israel had occupied Palestinian territory.” Not unlike Beinart, he sees only the West Bank as Palestinian territory.
To feed a Bedouin
A disturbing video clip was recently shared on TikTok by Roy Oz, also known as Roy Boy, an Israeli entertainer who hosts various programs for children. In the clip, an Israeli family is driving comfortably in what appears to be an SUV, with young children in the backseat and the parents in front. The father, Roy Oz, is driving. As they drive, two young children approach the car. The children in the car are white, the children outside are brown. The landscape is barren, like a desert, and we can safely assume it is the Naqab region in southern Palestine.
An Israeli family films itself "feeding" two Bedouin children as if they were animals in a zoo. The dehumanization of Palestinians by Israeli Jewish society is so much more totalizing than anyone here wants to admit or imagine. This is the face of the Jewish state in 2020. pic.twitter.com/PRVayf5QtQ — Edo Konrad (@edokonrad) July 11, 2020
The father opens the window and hands a cookie to the children outside and says to his children in Hebrew, “Who wants to feed a Bedouin?” He speaks to the children outside in Arabic and then turns to his children again, asking in Hebrew, “You don’t want to feed a Bedouin, Ariel?” One of the two children outside is older than the other and hands the cookie to the younger child. Then, the father turns the camera, showing his children’s faces and asks again, “Do you want to feed a Bedouin? You don’t?” We hear him also saying to himself, “they are so cute,” referring to the children outside.
The father then turns to the children outside and asks in Arabic how much money they want. “One thousand shekel?” He asks. “No, just ten” one of the children answers. “Only ten?” The father asks at which point the mother reaches out of the car and hands one of the children a coin.
Expressions of Shock
Expressions of shock came fast from Palestinian communities, who demanded an apology and an explanation. Some even said this was the worst expression of racism they had ever seen. But there is nothing shocking about this clip because this was a normal Israeli middle-class family expressing what countless Israelis express all the time. The appalling racism and patronizing colonial attitude toward Palestinian Bedouin children, as we see in the video, is the foundation upon which the state of Israel was established and exists throughout Israeli society.
Without structural, systemic, deeply ingrained racism, Israel would not exist. Furthermore, without this white supremacist attitude, no Israeli pilot would be able to push the button that releases the bombs which then burn and rip Palestinian children in Gaza to shreds. No sniper would be able to pull the trigger and kill and maim Palestinians. It is an essential part of Zionist education.
Many Israelis had expressed their displeasure at this expression of racism. However, their displeasure aside, this is nothing new or abnormal. It is not unlike the incident where an Israeli army medic, who is charged with saving people’s lives and had taken an oath to do so, executed a wounded Palestinian laying on the ground. The incident was caught on video and went viral, resulting in the medic being court-martialed and receiving a slap on the wrist. This medic also acted as he was trained, as he was taught, that a Palestinian life does not matter.
Recognizing that Palestinians have rights within a Zionist construct is a symptom of Zionist racist supremacy. This racism is what allows a family to drive by Palestinian children and treat them like animals in a safari. It is how the state of Israel is able to continue the Naqba, the systemic, catastrophic destruction of Palestine and its people for close to one hundred years.
Feature photo | Beinart speaks at a 2012 event in Atlanta after being banned from a Jewish book festival over his criticism of Israel. David Goldman | AP
Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”