vox--2020-06-23--Global protests reveal that white supremacy is a problem everywhere

The summer of 2015 , I watched from overseas as fires set Ferguson ablaze and “ Black Lives Matter ” became the rallying cry of Black Americans .
These cries were mostly confined to the Missouri city and other metropolitan areas , and came from the voices of Black Americans .
They didn ’ t ring out in Trinidad and Tobago , where I was living and had fled to due to systemic racism .
Now , years later , social unrest is gripping the US in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again .
But this time , the uprisings are happening across the world .
Earlier this month , hundreds took to the streets to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter in Poland .
On the same day , Tokyo protesters marched and carried signs that read “ Stop racism in Japan !
” and “ Black Lives Matter.
” In Bogota , Colombia , local protesters burned an American flag and also called attention to police brutality and racism within its own borders , including the death of Anderson Arboleda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating quarantine .
From London to South Africa , thousands are taking a stand in solidarity with African Americans in the fight against police brutality .
As an American expat , it ’ s been awe-inspiring to witness a nascent anti-racism movement being born in real time here in Trinidad and Tobago , once again brought about by the activism of tireless African Americans .
Although a country that boasts multiculturalism and acceptance , my small island home still faces its fair share of hurdles in freeing us from racism and the legacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a call for Black Americans to show strength in dollars by not purchasing goods for 24 hours — took hold on June 2 , Trinidadians called for the boycott of businesses owned by men who made racist remarks about Black people in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death .
Black entrepreneurs also pulled their products from the store ’ s shelves and many began circulating lists of Black-owned enterprises on social media .
On June 8 , more than 500 people showed up to protest in front of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Port of Spain .
It was the second protest in a few days where Trinidadians took a stand in solidarity with # BlackLivesMatter .
It ’ s become clear that what started as a hashtag movement has now morphed into a worldwide phenomenon , and we can not even begin to assess the scope of the impact it will have on global politics and political ideology .
Black Lives Matter is now a cry heard around the world that has prompted response and action from global citizens in a way that hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil rights era .
Protests in each country have taken on different issues , but at their core they represent the struggle against white supremacy across the world .
It ’ s not so different from what happened half a century ago when mass protests across America led to political gains for African Americans , like the passage of voting rights laws and the end of Jim Crow .
Similar to Black Lives Matter , the influence of the movement for Black rights in America was not confined to its borders .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the fight to secure Black rights spread across the world , inspiring global political change .
It is within this context that Ghana became the first African nation to gain its freedom in March 1957 , a political victory heralded with celebrations attended by Martin Luther King Jr .
In 1963 , a young Black British social worker named Paul Stephenson employed the bus boycott tactics of Martin Luther King Jr. to desegregate Bristol Omnibus Co. , forcing the company to hire Black and Asian bus drivers .
In the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves from European colonialism — including Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica , which both won their independence from British rule in 1962 , followed by Barbados ( 1966 ) , Bahamas ( 1973 ) , Grenada ( 1974 ) , Dominica ( 1978 ) and so on .
The plain fact is that the momentum of the civil rights era certainly created the climate for change all around the world , and the same rings true of Black Lives Matter today .
In Johannesburg , South Africa , 100 protesters disrupted thoroughfare in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knelt in the street for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the length of time the Minneapolis police officer had his knee on the neck of George Floyd .
Another march to the US Embassy was joined by the partner of Collins Khosa , a Black South African man who died after soldiers beat him during the country ’ s lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
Residents of a poor Nairobi , Kenya , district held Black Lives Matter-inspired protests to call attention to their own plight with police violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed by police after the country imposed curfews to contain the spread of Covid-19 , according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority ( IPOA ) .
For Europeans , the emergence of Black Lives Matter has forced many across the continent to grapple with its ugly history of racism .
In Bristol , UK , protesters dumped a statue of Edward Colston , a 17th-century slave trader , into the nearby River Avon .
Though decried by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a “ criminal act , ” many Britons have heralded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary , ” after years of cries demanding its removal and the removal of Colston ’ s name from public buildings fell on deaf ears .
In Belgium , a statue of King Leopold II was taken down and rehomed after sustaining damage from protesters who vandalized and burned the monument .
Leopold ’ s colonial regime claimed the lives of millions of Congolese people who were tortured by the Belgian king at the turn of the 20th century .
Meanwhile , in Brazil , an anti-racist and anti-facist rally was held in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called attention to the country ’ s own problem with police brutality .
In 2019 , 1,810 people were reportedly killed by cops in Rio de Janeiro .
Australians also used the moment to protest against the deaths of Aboriginals while in police custody .
When I left America and moved to Trinidad and Tobago , I wanted a life free of the systemic racism where I grew up .
My life is better here — I don ’ t worry about constant police harassment .
I walk through my neighborhood with my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color .
But these protests are a reminder of the fact that no matter where I live , there is still plenty of work that has to be done in order to rid this world of racist hate .
Yet where there is global white supremacy , there is also global resistance .
Tiffanie Drayton is a freelance writer .
Find her on Twitter @ draytontiffanie .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to @ @ @

The summer of 2015, I watched from overseas as fires set Ferguson ablaze and “Black Lives Matter” became the rallying cry of Black Americans. These cries were mostly confined to the Missouri city and other metropolitan areas, and came from the voices of Black Americans. They didn’t ring out in Trinidad and Tobago, where I was living and had fled to due to systemic racism.
Now, years later, social unrest is gripping the US in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, and racism has come under the microscope once again. But this time, the uprisings are happening across the world.
Earlier this month, hundreds took to the streets to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter in Poland. On the same day, Tokyo protesters marched and carried signs that read “Stop racism in Japan!” and “Black Lives Matter.” In Bogota, Colombia, local protesters burned an American flag and also called attention to police brutality and racism within its own borders, including the death of Anderson Arboleda, who was killed by Colombian police for violating quarantine. From London to South Africa, thousands are taking a stand in solidarity with African Americans in the fight against police brutality.
As an American expat, it’s been awe-inspiring to witness a nascent anti-racism movement being born in real time here in Trinidad and Tobago, once again brought about by the activism of tireless African Americans. Although a country that boasts multiculturalism and acceptance, my small island home still faces its fair share of hurdles in freeing us from racism and the legacy of slavery.
As #BlackOutTuesday — a call for Black Americans to show strength in dollars by not purchasing goods for 24 hours — took hold on June 2, Trinidadians called for the boycott of businesses owned by men who made racist remarks about Black people in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Black entrepreneurs also pulled their products from the store’s shelves and many began circulating lists of Black-owned enterprises on social media. On June 8, more than 500 people showed up to protest in front of the United States Embassy in the country’s capital, Port of Spain. It was the second protest in a few days where Trinidadians took a stand in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter.
It’s become clear that what started as a hashtag movement has now morphed into a worldwide phenomenon, and we cannot even begin to assess the scope of the impact it will have on global politics and political ideology. Black Lives Matter is now a cry heard around the world that has prompted response and action from global citizens in a way that hasn’t been seen since the 1960s civil rights era. Protests in each country have taken on different issues, but at their core they represent the struggle against white supremacy across the world.
It’s not so different from what happened half a century ago when mass protests across America led to political gains for African Americans, like the passage of voting rights laws and the end of Jim Crow. Similar to Black Lives Matter, the influence of the movement for Black rights in America was not confined to its borders. The ideologies of Black liberation, peaceful protest, and the fight to secure Black rights spread across the world, inspiring global political change.
It is within this context that Ghana became the first African nation to gain its freedom in March 1957, a political victory heralded with celebrations attended by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1963, a young Black British social worker named Paul Stephenson employed the bus boycott tactics of Martin Luther King Jr. to desegregate Bristol Omnibus Co., forcing the company to hire Black and Asian bus drivers. In the same decade, various Black Caribbean nations emancipated themselves from European colonialism — including Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, which both won their independence from British rule in 1962, followed by Barbados (1966), Bahamas (1973), Grenada (1974), Dominica (1978) and so on.
The plain fact is that the momentum of the civil rights era certainly created the climate for change all around the world, and the same rings true of Black Lives Matter today. In Johannesburg, South Africa, 100 protesters disrupted thoroughfare in front of the US consulate when they knelt in the street for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the length of time the Minneapolis police officer had his knee on the neck of George Floyd. Another march to the US Embassy was joined by the partner of Collins Khosa, a Black South African man who died after soldiers beat him during the country’s lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Residents of a poor Nairobi, Kenya, district held Black Lives Matter-inspired protests to call attention to their own plight with police violence, where at least 15 people were killed by police after the country imposed curfews to contain the spread of Covid-19, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
For Europeans, the emergence of Black Lives Matter has forced many across the continent to grapple with its ugly history of racism. In Bristol, UK, protesters dumped a statue of Edward Colston, a 17th-century slave trader, into the nearby River Avon. Though decried by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a “criminal act,” many Britons have heralded the final demise of the statue as “necessary,” after years of cries demanding its removal and the removal of Colston’s name from public buildings fell on deaf ears. In Belgium, a statue of King Leopold II was taken down and rehomed after sustaining damage from protesters who vandalized and burned the monument. Leopold’s colonial regime claimed the lives of millions of Congolese people who were tortured by the Belgian king at the turn of the 20th century.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, an anti-racist and anti-facist rally was held in solidarity with Black Lives Matter that also called attention to the country’s own problem with police brutality. In 2019, 1,810 people were reportedly killed by cops in Rio de Janeiro. Australians also used the moment to protest against the deaths of Aboriginals while in police custody.
When I left America and moved to Trinidad and Tobago, I wanted a life free of the systemic racism where I grew up. My life is better here — I don’t worry about constant police harassment. I walk through my neighborhood with my children and am surrounded by people of color.
But these protests are a reminder of the fact that no matter where I live, there is still plenty of work that has to be done in order to rid this world of racist hate. Yet where there is global white supremacy, there is also global resistance.
Tiffanie Drayton is a freelance writer. Find her on Twitter @draytontiffanie.


vox--2020-06-23--Which country has the world’s best health care system?

I got my start as a blogger .
But more specifically , I got my start as a health policy blogger .
My first piece of writing I remember people really caring about was a series called “ The Health of Nations , ” in which I checked out books from the college library , downloaded international reports , and profiled the world ’ s leading health systems .
It was crude stuff , but it taught me a lot .
The way we do health care isn ’ t the only way to do health care .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second best , or the third .
Ezekiel Emanuel is a bioethicist , oncologist , and co-director of the University of Pennsylvania ’ s Health Transformation Institute .
He was a top health policy adviser in the Obama administration , he ’ s a senior fellow at the Center for American progress , he makes his own artisanal chocolate , and he ’ s got a new book — Which Country Has the World ’ s Best Health Care ?
— where he goes into more detail than I ever did , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems and rank them against our own .
So this conversation on The Ezra Klein Show is about which country has the world ’ s best health system .
But it ’ s also about how innovation in health care actually works , whether there ’ s any evidence that private insurers add actual value , whether health care is the best investment to make in improving health ( spoiler : no ) , how do you improve a health system when half of the political system will fight like hell against those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also been doing a lot of work on coronavirus policy , so we spend some time there , discussing the question that ’ s tormenting me now : Are we simply giving up that fight ?
And is there even a politically viable option to giving up , given how much time the government has wasted and how exhausted the public is ?
An edited excerpt from our conversation follows .
The full conversation can be heard on The Ezra Klein Show .
Let ’ s do it .
Which country has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know this is an evasive answer , but the honest truth is it depends what your criteria are and what you actually care about .
If you ’ re a health policy wonk , a lot of what you ’ ll care about is : Do you get universal coverage and how expensive is it ?
Do you have some mechanism to control the total expenditures in the country ?
By that criteria , we don ’ t do well but other countries do well .
A lot of people care about : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital unlimited choice ?
By that criteria , places like Germany or Switzerland or France are at the top .
Other people don ’ t want to have co-pays at the point of care and no deductibles .
There you see that Britain and Canada and , at least for public hospitals , Australia are good .
Some people want low drug prices .
For that , you ’ ve got Norway , Taiwan , Australia .
Some people want no waiting times .
Well , obviously , Canada , Norway , Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Germany are very high on your list .
It really depends what the criteria or set of criteria are .
Because I read the book , I was ready for your evasive answer here .
Which system would you want to buy into ?
Given your preferences , whatever they may be .
Probably the Netherlands , if you ’ re forcing me to choose .
I think that they have a very good combination : you get to choose your private insurer , you get to choose your primary care doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really gatekeepers to a higher level of care .
They ’ re also innovative .
So I think they ’ ve got a very good system .
But there are lots of other alternatives I ’ d be more than happy with .
My sense of the Netherlands is it ’ s what would happen if you made Obamacare exchanges a nationwide system and subsidized them properly .
Is that basically right ?
Yeah , it ’ s either the exchanges or it ’ s Medicare Advantage made national .
But yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then providing high levels of subsidies for people to buy in .
That ’ s why health policy wonks like me like it .
Which system would you want to be poor in ?
I think Britain or Norway .
If you ’ re poor , those are very good subsidized systems .
You can also get away pretty well if you ’ re poor in Australia .
I ’ d say a place that ’ s not so great is Switzerland , which has private insurance and the subsidies are good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you want to be in 15 years from now ?
I think one of the important points is long-term care .
And 15 years from now , I will be 77 and worrying about long-term care .
The Germans and the Dutch are the two that we looked at that have dedicated financing for long-term care , and both are emphasizing aging in place ( aging in your own home or your relatives ’ home ) .
Unlike every other country we looked at , they have secured the financing for long-term care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the United States or Britain or Australia , and especially China , are really muddling through .
And the consequence is a very large burden on people who have relatives who are aging .
If you really care about your children not having to care for you when you age , having this dedicated financing mechanism is more important .
I ’ ll be honest that I had an ulterior motive on that question .
You write in the book that “ in the next decade or two , the US will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world , ” which was a sentence that genuinely surprised me .
If you made me take the bet , I would take a hard under on that .
But make the case .
Why should I believe that 15 years from now the US will be not the second to worst system that your team looked at behind China ?
Because I think we have a lot of innovation happening in our system .
We have a lot of innovation not focused on drugs and devices or new surgical procedures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , too .
But I think we have a lot of innovation and experimentation going on with how to pay for care differently and how to deliver care differently .
I think we have some very successful models on chronic care coordination and are beginning to sort out some important advances related to mental health care .
The real challenge for the US is to get those things generalized and adapted .
Now , there are many things that can torpedo that progress .
We have a lot of interests that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
I would just note that a lot of hospitals are seeing decreases in occupancy and probably some of them need to close and shift to outpatient care .
I think we ’ ve seen a lot of that happening because of Covid .
And I think it will continue to happen .
If we wanted to increase life expectancy or some other indicator of healthy well-being over the next 10 years , should that be a conversation about our health insurance and health care system ?
Or should it be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds 10 , 20 , on a good day , 30 percent to health outcomes and longevity ; other things — education , employment , housing , nutrition , exercise , not smoking , driving safely — add a lot more .
The highest return investment that the United States can make is in early childhood interventions , especially for children born into poverty , which is now 40 to 50 percent of the American birth cohort .
So one of the immediate things I would do is make it a requirement for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to provide early childhood interventions for at least two years to every child born on Medicaid .
And once they ’ re born on Medicaid , they have to get that benefit for two years , whether they go off of Medicaid or not .
Those early childhood interventions , as Jim Heckman at the University of Chicago has shown , returned $ 7 to $ 15 per kid .
So that ’ s one intervention I would do .
I would also make child care veritably free .
That experiment has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pays for itself very quickly .
That is a huge second investment I would make .
A third investment I would make is to make pre-K universal , required , and free .
So you can see all of my investments are investing in kids .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

I got my start as a blogger. But more specifically, I got my start as a health policy blogger. My first piece of writing I remember people really caring about was a series called “The Health of Nations,” in which I checked out books from the college library, downloaded international reports, and profiled the world’s leading health systems. It was crude stuff, but it taught me a lot. The way we do health care isn’t the only way to do health care. It’s not the best way. Or the second best, or the third.
Ezekiel Emanuel is a bioethicist, oncologist, and co-director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Health Transformation Institute. He was a top health policy adviser in the Obama administration, he’s a senior fellow at the Center for American progress, he makes his own artisanal chocolate, and he’s got a new book — Which Country Has the World’s Best Health Care? — where he goes into more detail than I ever did, or could, to profile other health systems and rank them against our own.
So this conversation on The Ezra Klein Show is about which country has the world’s best health system. But it’s also about how innovation in health care actually works, whether there’s any evidence that private insurers add actual value, whether health care is the best investment to make in improving health (spoiler: no), how do you improve a health system when half of the political system will fight like hell against those improvements, and much more.
Emanuel has also been doing a lot of work on coronavirus policy, so we spend some time there, discussing the question that’s tormenting me now: Are we simply giving up that fight? And is there even a politically viable option to giving up, given how much time the government has wasted and how exhausted the public is?
An edited excerpt from our conversation follows. The full conversation can be heard on The Ezra Klein Show.
Ezra Klein
Let’s do it. Which country has the best health care system?
Ezekiel Emanuel
I know this is an evasive answer, but the honest truth is it depends what your criteria are and what you actually care about. If you’re a health policy wonk, a lot of what you’ll care about is: Do you get universal coverage and how expensive is it? Do you have some mechanism to control the total expenditures in the country? By that criteria, we don’t do well but other countries do well.
A lot of people care about: Do I have choice of doctor and hospital unlimited choice? By that criteria, places like Germany or Switzerland or France are at the top. Other people don’t want to have co-pays at the point of care and no deductibles. There you see that Britain and Canada and, at least for public hospitals, Australia are good. Some people want low drug prices. For that, you’ve got Norway, Taiwan, Australia. Some people want no waiting times. Well, obviously, Canada, Norway, Britain are not on your list but Switzerland and Germany are very high on your list.
It really depends what the criteria or set of criteria are.
Ezra Klein
Because I read the book, I was ready for your evasive answer here. Which system would you want to buy into? Given your preferences, whatever they may be.
Ezekiel Emanuel
Probably the Netherlands, if you’re forcing me to choose. I think that they have a very good combination: you get to choose your private insurer, you get to choose your primary care doctor. And their primary care doctors are really gatekeepers to a higher level of care. They’re also innovative. So I think they’ve got a very good system. But there are lots of other alternatives I’d be more than happy with.
Ezra Klein
My sense of the Netherlands is it’s what would happen if you made Obamacare exchanges a nationwide system and subsidized them properly. Is that basically right?
Ezekiel Emanuel
Yeah, it’s either the exchanges or it’s Medicare Advantage made national. But yes, it’s making an exchange national and then providing high levels of subsidies for people to buy in. That’s why health policy wonks like me like it.
Ezra Klein
Which system would you want to be poor in?
Ezekiel Emanuel
I think Britain or Norway. If you’re poor, those are very good subsidized systems. You can also get away pretty well if you’re poor in Australia. I’d say a place that’s not so great is Switzerland, which has private insurance and the subsidies are good but not great.
Ezra Klein
What system would you want to be in 15 years from now?
Ezekiel Emanuel
I think one of the important points is long-term care. And 15 years from now, I will be 77 and worrying about long-term care.
The Germans and the Dutch are the two that we looked at that have dedicated financing for long-term care, and both are emphasizing aging in place (aging in your own home or your relatives’ home). Unlike every other country we looked at, they have secured the financing for long-term care.
I think most other countries, whether the United States or Britain or Australia, and especially China, are really muddling through. And the consequence is a very large burden on people who have relatives who are aging. If you really care about your children not having to care for you when you age, having this dedicated financing mechanism is more important.
Ezra Klein
I’ll be honest that I had an ulterior motive on that question. You write in the book that “in the next decade or two, the US will again become one of the best systems in the world,” which was a sentence that genuinely surprised me.
If you made me take the bet, I would take a hard under on that. But make the case. Why should I believe that 15 years from now the US will be not the second to worst system that your team looked at behind China?
Ezekiel Emanuel
Because I think we have a lot of innovation happening in our system. We have a lot of innovation not focused on drugs and devices or new surgical procedures or new imaging tests — we have that, too. But I think we have a lot of innovation and experimentation going on with how to pay for care differently and how to deliver care differently. I think we have some very successful models on chronic care coordination and are beginning to sort out some important advances related to mental health care. The real challenge for the US is to get those things generalized and adapted.
Now, there are many things that can torpedo that progress. We have a lot of interests that would be challenged — hospitals being one of them. I would just note that a lot of hospitals are seeing decreases in occupancy and probably some of them need to close and shift to outpatient care. I think we’ve seen a lot of that happening because of Covid. And I think it will continue to happen.
Ezra Klein
If we wanted to increase life expectancy or some other indicator of healthy well-being over the next 10 years, should that be a conversation about our health insurance and health care system? Or should it be a conversation about something else?
Ezekiel Emanuel
Health care adds 10, 20, on a good day, 30 percent to health outcomes and longevity; other things — education, employment, housing, nutrition, exercise, not smoking, driving safely — add a lot more.
The highest return investment that the United States can make is in early childhood interventions, especially for children born into poverty, which is now 40 to 50 percent of the American birth cohort. So one of the immediate things I would do is make it a requirement for Medicaid. To get Medicaid, you have to provide early childhood interventions for at least two years to every child born on Medicaid. And once they’re born on Medicaid, they have to get that benefit for two years, whether they go off of Medicaid or not. Those early childhood interventions, as Jim Heckman at the University of Chicago has shown, returned $7 to $15 per kid. So that’s one intervention I would do.
I would also make child care veritably free. That experiment has been tried in Montreal. It actually pays for itself very quickly. That is a huge second investment I would make. A third investment I would make is to make pre-K universal, required, and free. So you can see all of my investments are investing in kids.


vox--2020-06-23--Looney Tunes’ slapstick violence and gender-bending rabbits, explained by a 4.75-year-old

Looney Tunes , the Warner Bros.-produced animated shorts that ran from 1930 to 1969 , are some of the funniest movies ever made .
From Bugs Bunny to Marvin the Martian , from Daffy Duck to the giant monster covered in red hair , even the most minor of characters have become iconic .
And yet “ have become iconic ” is a bit of a misnomer , because that ’ s really only true for people of a certain age .
I ’ m 39 , and I grew up with Looney Tunes , but people even 10 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awareness of what they were , usually thanks to the existence of the 1996 film Space Jam , in which these characters play basketball alongside Michael Jordan , in hopes they will not be destroyed by monsters from outer space .
This modern lack of awareness is too bad .
Looney Tunes offers a comprehensive course in slapstick humor , wisecracks , and classical music ( thanks to the many , many famous pieces used for their scores ) , and everybody should at least know the wild , fourth-wall-breaking shenanigans of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duck faces down an animator who keeps trying to erase him and draw some other version of the original angry bird ( give or take a Donald ) .
But HBO Max , the new streaming service , has come to the rescue .
The service features a huge collection of the original Looney Tunes cartoons ( though not all of them ) , as well as a brand new series of Looney Tunes animated shorts drawn in a modern style , closer to what you might find on Cartoon Network .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re not as good as the originals , but they ’ re close enough if you squint .
So I thought I would discuss these cartoons with one of my esteemed colleagues who didn ’ t grow up with the Looney Tunes the way I did .
I speak , of course , of Vox ’ s critic-at-small , Eliza , who is 4.75 years old and known for her hard-hitting insights and trenchant observations on pop culture .
The two of us recently hopped on Zoom to chat all things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emily and Eliza on the eternal appeal of these cartoons Emily : I grew up with Looney Tunes .
They were shown on the daily children ’ s program on one of our local stations in South Dakota , which is how I became familiar with their rhythms , the ways they told stories , the assorted running gags that kept escalating .
My favorite character as a kid was probably Bugs Bunny — what kid doesn ’ t love a wise-cracking protagonist ?
But I was also fond of more obscure characters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gruff dog who falls in love with a tiny kitten in “ Feed the Kitty ” ( my favorite Looney Tune ) .
Revisiting these cartoons as an adult reveals just how much their sense of humor leached out into the world at large .
In every single short , there ’ s a sense of barely restrained anarchy , of wild and glorious violence about to burst forth from every corner .
That ’ s most evident in the slapstick gags — there are so many expressions of funny violence — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , so clever .
Gags pile on top of gags pile on top of gags , and the incredibly simple stories nonetheless possess real depth .
The new Looney Tunes isn ’ t as sharp , but it offers a reasonable approximation of the good stuff .
The series , mercifully , doesn ’ t try to do anything new ( as in the ill-fated Kids WB series Loonatics Unleashed , which ran from 2005 to 2007 and followed the descendants of the Looney Tunes characters in a far-future sci-fi world ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how it doesn ’ t feature any guns , but it ’ s not like the new toons are any less violent — in particular , they showcase an extreme propensity for dynamite ( more on that in a bit ) .
It ’ s just nice to have a place to watch the original Looney Tunes without having to track them down on the ( mostly discontinued ) DVD sets Warner Bros. released in the 2000s , or on increasingly shady video platforms .
Being able to watch classic Looney Tunes honestly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going back to HBO Max .
Eliza , did you watch “ Feed the Kitty ” ?
That one is my favorite .
Eliza : Yes .
There ’ s that big brown dog , and the kitty was brown , and it was very small .
Remember how the big dog thought she got cooked , because she was in the batter ?
His mother , she was a human , but she thought [ the kitty ] was a toy .
[ The dog ] thought [ the kitty ] got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cat [ cookie ] that he thought was really the cat .
Emily : Your mom said this is your first experience with these sorts of animated shorts .
How do you feel about cartoons ?
Eliza : I liked them .
They ’ re shorter .
They ’ re longer than videos , and they ’ re shorter than shows and movies .
Emily : One nice thing about HBO Max ’ s presentation of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons is that they have the proper 1.33:1 aspect ratio right from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disney+ couldn ’ t manage with The Simpsons at launch , which cut off some of that classic series ’ best gags as a function of trying to fill HDTV screens .
( A brief lesson in what an aspect ratio is : The first number is the width of an image and the second the height , so a 1.33:1 image is just barely wider than it is tall . )
Classic Looney Tunes had such a long afterlife in part because of how well the toons fit on standard-definition TV screens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see these cartoons in their totality , even if they appear in a bit of a box with black squares on either side .
The new series , meanwhile , is presented in widescreen HDTV format of 16:9 .
Eliza , how did you feel about the use of the original aspect ratio ?
Eliza : They had the black on the screen .
I liked it .
Emily : It ’ s inescapable that all of the Looney Tunes are male , save for a couple of side characters , like Granny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a boy ) .
When Space Jam came out in 1996 , the filmmakers had to invent a lady Looney Tune to offer something like gender parity ( if you can call “ one woman ” gender parity ) , but she was the sexpot Lola Bunny , who was not what you might think of as a strong— Emily : This is , as you might expect , huge news .
But you heard it here first , folks : Bugs Bunny is a girl , and my esteemed colleague Eliza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to only use female pronouns for her throughout the rest of this piece , in keeping with this groundbreaking news .
Emily : One thing the new series lacks is the fluid quality of hand-drawn animation .
The original cartoons boast an endless series of entertaining visuals and gorgeously drawn characters whose micro-expressions and tiny movements are beautifully rendered by some of the best animation directors in history , including Chuck Jones , Fritz Freleng , and a host of others .
The best example of this fluidity is “ Duck Amuck , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the flow when a gigantic pencil descends from the sky to draw new backgrounds that change the setting he exists in , to completely alter how he looks , and even to erase him entirely at one point .
And then , the coup de grace : The camera pulls back to reveal Bugs Bunny herself is the gal behind the eraser .
“ Ain ’ t I a stinker ?
” she asks .
And , indeed , she is a stinker .
“ Duck Amuck ” is the kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world of animation , where everything can change at a moment ’ s notice .
It is one of the most significant short films ever made , and even if it were the only thing Jones had ever directed , it would cement him as a great .
Eliza , you love to draw .
Did you know animation is just a bunch of drawings put together like a flipbook ?
Eliza : ( stony silence , then : ) I could probably make a cartoon .
I really like drawing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawings on my mom ’ s desk .
Emily and Eliza on who her various family members are in the Looney Tunes universe Emily : Hey , Eliza , who do you think I am most like out of the Looney Tunes characters ?
Jen , Eliza ’ s mom : I could see our writing-editing relationship being a lot like Daffy Duck and Porky Pig , actually .
Emily : Wow , thanks ?
I think ?
Who are you most like , Eliza ?
Eliza : Bugs Bunny !
Carrots are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot .
One day when me and mom were playing Mancala , I won a bunch of times , and she won like two times .
Emily : Agreed .
How about your sister ?
Who ’ s she like ?
Eliza : I think my dad is like Elmer Fudd , because he has short hair , too .
Emily : I have seen your father ’ s lustrous head of hair , and it is nowhere near like Elmer Fudd ’ s balding pate .
Okay , here ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Eliza : ( looks with concern toward her mother ) I don ’ t know .
Jen : No , I want to hear your answer .
Eliza : The one guy with the long red hair .
Eliza : No , he did arm-wrestling with Bugs .
Emily : You keep comparing your mom to characters with long , red hair .
Why is that ?
Eliza : My mom ’ s hair is long , but it ’ s not red .
Emily : An inescapable fact of the cartoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blow each other up , cut each other to pieces , and blast each other in the face , and never suffer any lasting harm .
Wile E. Coyote can smack right into a wall and get back up .
A character can run over the edge of a cliff and hover in midair before gravity asserts itself .
It ’ s all carnage , all the time .
But because the removal from reality is so extreme — there ’ s no attempt at photo-realism here !
— everything can be funny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really need to get is dynamite to blow up their little sisters .
Eliza , I hear you didn ’ t know what dynamite was before watching this .
Now do you know what it does ?
Eliza : It blows up people , and then the other thing that ’ s funny about it is when Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny were having a big fight about a swimming pool , he had that dynamite and it blew up him .
Emily : Sure .
Do you think we should use dynamite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re not supposed to do that and make people die when you ’ re mad at them .
It ’ s kind of silly because they don ’ t do that in real life , but it ’ s just a cartoon .
Cartoons are made up .
Eliza : We use our words .
Emily : Any further thoughts on dynamite ?
Eliza : Sometimes Looney Tunes remind me of Star Wars , because the Empire blew up a whole planet .
I didn ’ t like the Empire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
I didn ’ t like the Empire , because I didn ’ t like how he blew up R2-D2 ’ s aunt ’ s and uncle ’ s house , and they died .
His wife or something is Dark Vader ?
Emily : We ’ re getting a little off-track here .
Eliza : I think sometimes the [ Looney Tunes ] animals are sometimes worried when they think they ’ re gon na get blown up .
When they blow them up , and they ’ re just okay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Emily : Right , the divide between reality and surreality is so often what drives the— Eliza : If I hurt someone , sometimes I don ’ t get to read stories at bedtime , and sometimes I can ’ t have dessert after dinner .
Emily : Does your mom make you do that ?
Eliza : Yes .
She ’ s always right .
Emily : Well , she ’ s my editor , and we occasionally disagree on whether the things I have written are , indeed , perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will make them not as good .
So I don ’ t know that she ’ s always Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

Looney Tunes, the Warner Bros.-produced animated shorts that ran from 1930 to 1969, are some of the funniest movies ever made. From Bugs Bunny to Marvin the Martian, from Daffy Duck to the giant monster covered in red hair, even the most minor of characters have become iconic.
And yet “have become iconic” is a bit of a misnomer, because that’s really only true for people of a certain age. I’m 39, and I grew up with Looney Tunes, but people even 10 years younger than me have only a loose awareness of what they were, usually thanks to the existence of the 1996 film Space Jam, in which these characters play basketball alongside Michael Jordan, in hopes they will not be destroyed by monsters from outer space.
Related Space Jam is kind of visionary
This modern lack of awareness is too bad. Looney Tunes offers a comprehensive course in slapstick humor, wisecracks, and classical music (thanks to the many, many famous pieces used for their scores), and everybody should at least know the wild, fourth-wall-breaking shenanigans of “Duck Amuck,” in which Daffy Duck faces down an animator who keeps trying to erase him and draw some other version of the original angry bird (give or take a Donald).
But HBO Max, the new streaming service, has come to the rescue. The service features a huge collection of the original Looney Tunes cartoons (though not all of them), as well as a brand new series of Looney Tunes animated shorts drawn in a modern style, closer to what you might find on Cartoon Network. And the new versions are pretty good! They’re not as good as the originals, but they’re close enough if you squint.
So I thought I would discuss these cartoons with one of my esteemed colleagues who didn’t grow up with the Looney Tunes the way I did. I speak, of course, of Vox’s critic-at-small, Eliza, who is 4.75 years old and known for her hard-hitting insights and trenchant observations on pop culture. The two of us recently hopped on Zoom to chat all things looney, tuney, and marooney.
Emily and Eliza on the eternal appeal of these cartoons
Emily: I grew up with Looney Tunes. They were shown on the daily children’s program on one of our local stations in South Dakota, which is how I became familiar with their rhythms, the ways they told stories, the assorted running gags that kept escalating. My favorite character as a kid was probably Bugs Bunny — what kid doesn’t love a wise-cracking protagonist? But I was also fond of more obscure characters, like Marc Antony, the big, gruff dog who falls in love with a tiny kitten in “Feed the Kitty” (my favorite Looney Tune).
Revisiting these cartoons as an adult reveals just how much their sense of humor leached out into the world at large. In every single short, there’s a sense of barely restrained anarchy, of wild and glorious violence about to burst forth from every corner. That’s most evident in the slapstick gags — there are so many expressions of funny violence — but the storytelling is also breathless and so, so clever. Gags pile on top of gags pile on top of gags, and the incredibly simple stories nonetheless possess real depth.
The new Looney Tunes isn’t as sharp, but it offers a reasonable approximation of the good stuff. The series, mercifully, doesn’t try to do anything new (as in the ill-fated Kids WB series Loonatics Unleashed, which ran from 2005 to 2007 and followed the descendants of the Looney Tunes characters in a far-future sci-fi world). There was a brief hubbub over how it doesn’t feature any guns, but it’s not like the new toons are any less violent — in particular, they showcase an extreme propensity for dynamite (more on that in a bit).
It’s just nice to have a place to watch the original Looney Tunes without having to track them down on the (mostly discontinued) DVD sets Warner Bros. released in the 2000s, or on increasingly shady video platforms. Being able to watch classic Looney Tunes honestly might be half the reason I keep going back to HBO Max.
Eliza, did you watch “Feed the Kitty”? That one is my favorite.
Eliza: Yes. There’s that big brown dog, and the kitty was brown, and it was very small. Remember how the big dog thought she got cooked, because she was in the batter? His mother, she was a human, but she thought [the kitty] was a toy. [The dog] thought [the kitty] got cooked, so she gave him a cat [cookie] that he thought was really the cat.
(Then, abruptly, Eliza added: “He liked to walk around.” Presumably she was referring to how the kitty claws at Marc Antony’s back to make a nice bed to sleep in.)
Emily: Your mom said this is your first experience with these sorts of animated shorts. How do you feel about cartoons?
Eliza: I liked them. They’re shorter. They’re longer than videos, and they’re shorter than shows and movies.
Emily and Eliza on aspect ratios
Emily: One nice thing about HBO Max’s presentation of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons is that they have the proper 1.33:1 aspect ratio right from the first — something that, say, Disney+ couldn’t manage with The Simpsons at launch, which cut off some of that classic series’ best gags as a function of trying to fill HDTV screens. (A brief lesson in what an aspect ratio is: The first number is the width of an image and the second the height, so a 1.33:1 image is just barely wider than it is tall.)
Related How to watch The Simpsons in its original aspect ratio on Disney Plus
Classic Looney Tunes had such a long afterlife in part because of how well the toons fit on standard-definition TV screens, and it’s wonderful to see these cartoons in their totality, even if they appear in a bit of a box with black squares on either side.
The new series, meanwhile, is presented in widescreen HDTV format of 16:9.
Eliza, how did you feel about the use of the original aspect ratio?
Eliza: They had the black on the screen. I liked it.
Emily and Eliza on gender
Emily: It’s inescapable that all of the Looney Tunes are male, save for a couple of side characters, like Granny, who owns Tweety Bird (who is a boy). When Space Jam came out in 1996, the filmmakers had to invent a lady Looney Tune to offer something like gender parity (if you can call “one woman” gender parity), but she was the sexpot Lola Bunny, who was not what you might think of as a strong—
Eliza: She’s a girl.
Emily: Who? Lola Bunny? I know that—
Eliza: Bugs Bunny is a girl.
Emily: That’s really not what—
Eliza: She’s a girl.
Emily: This is, as you might expect, huge news. But you heard it here first, folks: Bugs Bunny is a girl, and my esteemed colleague Eliza figured it out. I will endeavor to only use female pronouns for her throughout the rest of this piece, in keeping with this groundbreaking news.
Emily and Eliza on animation
Emily: One thing the new series lacks is the fluid quality of hand-drawn animation. The original cartoons boast an endless series of entertaining visuals and gorgeously drawn characters whose micro-expressions and tiny movements are beautifully rendered by some of the best animation directors in history, including Chuck Jones, Fritz Freleng, and a host of others.
The best example of this fluidity is “Duck Amuck,” in which Daffy attempts to go with the flow when a gigantic pencil descends from the sky to draw new backgrounds that change the setting he exists in, to completely alter how he looks, and even to erase him entirely at one point. And then, the coup de grace: The camera pulls back to reveal Bugs Bunny herself is the gal behind the eraser. “Ain’t I a stinker?” she asks. And, indeed, she is a stinker.
“Duck Amuck” is the kind of wildly metatextual storytelling that could only exist in the world of animation, where everything can change at a moment’s notice. It is one of the most significant short films ever made, and even if it were the only thing Jones had ever directed, it would cement him as a great.
Eliza, you love to draw. Did you know animation is just a bunch of drawings put together like a flipbook?
Eliza: (stony silence, then:) I could probably make a cartoon. I really like drawing. I’ve got so many drawings on my mom’s desk.
Emily and Eliza on who her various family members are in the Looney Tunes universe
Emily: Hey, Eliza, who do you think I am most like out of the Looney Tunes characters?
Eliza: I don’t know.
Jen, Eliza’s mom: I could see our writing-editing relationship being a lot like Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, actually.
Emily: Wow, thanks? I think? Who are you most like, Eliza?
Eliza: Bugs Bunny! Carrots are tasty. And I win games a lot. One day when me and mom were playing Mancala, I won a bunch of times, and she won like two times.
Emily: Agreed. How about your sister? Who’s she like?
Eliza: Elmer Fudd!
Emily: Wow. And your dad?
Eliza: I think my dad is like Elmer Fudd, because he has short hair, too.
Emily: I have seen your father’s lustrous head of hair, and it is nowhere near like Elmer Fudd’s balding pate.
Okay, here’s the tough one: How about your mom?
Eliza: (looks with concern toward her mother) I don’t know.
Jen: No, I want to hear your answer.
Eliza: The one guy with the long red hair.
Jen: The big hairy monster?
Eliza: No, he did arm-wrestling with Bugs.
Emily: Yosemite Sam?!
Eliza: Yeah! He has long, red hair.
Emily: You keep comparing your mom to characters with long, red hair. Why is that?
Eliza: My mom’s hair is long, but it’s not red.
Emily: Right.
Emily and Eliza on dynamite
Emily: An inescapable fact of the cartoon universe is that the Looney Tunes can blow each other up, cut each other to pieces, and blast each other in the face, and never suffer any lasting harm. Wile E. Coyote can smack right into a wall and get back up. A character can run over the edge of a cliff and hover in midair before gravity asserts itself. It’s all carnage, all the time.
But because the removal from reality is so extreme — there’s no attempt at photo-realism here! — everything can be funny without any 4.75-year-olds deciding that what they really need to get is dynamite to blow up their little sisters.
Eliza, I hear you didn’t know what dynamite was before watching this. Now do you know what it does?
Eliza: It blows up people, and then the other thing that’s funny about it is when Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny were having a big fight about a swimming pool, he had that dynamite and it blew up him.
Emily: Sure. Do you think we should use dynamite to solve our problems?
Eliza: You’re not supposed to do that and make people die when you’re mad at them. It’s kind of silly because they don’t do that in real life, but it’s just a cartoon. Cartoons are made up.
Emily: And in real life?
Eliza: We use our words.
Emily: Any further thoughts on dynamite?
Eliza: Sometimes Looney Tunes remind me of Star Wars, because the Empire blew up a whole planet. I didn’t like the Empire, even though I haven’t watched it. I didn’t like the Empire, because I didn’t like how he blew up R2-D2’s aunt’s and uncle’s house, and they died. His wife or something is Dark Vader?
Emily: We’re getting a little off-track here.
Eliza: I think sometimes the [Looney Tunes] animals are sometimes worried when they think they’re gonna get blown up. When they blow them up, and they’re just okay, I think that’s funny.
Emily: Right, the divide between reality and surreality is so often what drives the—
Eliza: If I hurt someone, sometimes I don’t get to read stories at bedtime, and sometimes I can’t have dessert after dinner.
Emily: Does your mom make you do that?
Eliza: Yes. She’s always right.
Emily: Well, she’s my editor, and we occasionally disagree on whether the things I have written are, indeed, perfect, or if they require adjustments that will make them not as good. So I don’t know that she’s always
(A giant eraser descends from the sky and erases the conclusion of this article. We’re so sorry for the technical difficulties.)


vox--2020-06-23--Trump is still using racist terms to describe the coronavirus. That has real consequences for Asian

Trump is still using racist terms to describe the coronavirus. That has real consequences for Asian Americans.

In a rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , this past weekend , President Donald Trump used the term “ kung flu ” to describe the coronavirus , one of several racist statements he made during a wide-ranging speech that touched on his administration ’ s handling of the pandemic .
“ By the way , it ’ s a disease , without question , [ that ] has more names than any disease in history , ” Trump said at the time .
“ I can name kung flu , I can name 19 different versions of names.
” Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kayleigh McEnany has gone on to defend his use of the term .
And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been noncommittal : When asked how he and his wife , Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao , felt about Trump ’ s remarks , McConnell declined to say whether he was comfortable with the president ’ s rhetoric , instead suggesting that the question should be directed to Chao , who immigrated from Taiwan to the US as a child .
McEnany ’ s defense of Trump is the same flimsy one he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling the coronavirus the “ Chinese virus : ” She argued that such names simply associate the illness with its “ place of origin , ” an effort that even if conducted in good faith goes against World Health Organization guidelines that warn against promoting labels that could stigmatize an entire region .
“ The president does not believe it ’ s offensive to note that the virus came from China , ” McEnany said during a briefing on Monday .
Trump ’ s use of the “ Chinese virus ” or “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not in good faith and very much about tapping into the same racism and xenophobia he ’ s long amplified in myriad comments he ’ s made about people of color .
As the Washington Post ’ s Jose Del Real reported , Trump made several other racist statements during his Tulsa remarks : In his speech , he described racial justice protesters as “ thugs ” and used a scenario involving a “ tough hombre ” to illustrate the threat of defunding police .
These statements , as well as references @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and multiple African nations as “ shithole countries , ” are among the racist comments he ’ s used in campaign rallies and presidential remarks over the past four-plus years .
As the country reckons with systemic racism and police brutality , Trump appears as eager as ever to stoke racial divisions , using rhetoric that both contradicts his March claims of wanting to “ protect ” Asian Americans and directly contributes to hate incidents against members of this group .
Trump is still using racist terms to describe the coronavirus as Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision to lean into racist rhetoric — including terminology his own adviser , Kellyanne Conway , has condemned in the past — comes as Asian Americans continue to report hate incidents such as verbal abuse , physical assault , and property damage during the pandemic .
As the coronavirus spread around the world , tropes that treat Asians as perpetual foreigners have also resurfaced , fueling racist and hostile anti-Asian sentiment .
Stop AAPI Hate , an organization that ’ s been tracking self-reported hostile anti-Asian incidents since late March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,100 reports since the project began .
Such incidents have included instances of employees getting shunned in the workplace , families being spat on at fast food restaurants , and children getting beaten up by their classmates .
The group says it saw a surge in reports after Trump began using rhetoric like the “ Chinese virus ” and noted that many “ anti-China ” comments were frequently associated with verbal and physical assaults .
“ A White male walked by me and said , ‘ you f—king Chinese spread the Coronavirus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country !
’ ” one incident report read .
“ A woman sitting at a bus stop was screaming at myself and other Asians that she saw walking , ” read another .
“ She said that we were ‘ dirty Chinese , ’ that we were trying to take over the US.
” Researchers , too , emphasize that Trump ’ s rhetoric has mattered in the past : An NBC News report by Kimmy Yam points to a February study , which determined that Trump ’ s racist comments against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held similar views to express them .
Trump ’ s continued use of racist statements about the coronavirus — ultimately trying to deflect blame by pointing out it is foreign-born — comes as he struggles to deal with the fallout of his own handling of the pandemic : Most recently he came under fire for saying he intends to slow down coronavirus testing because doing so would reveal the presence of fewer cases .
“ President Trump continues to utilize white supremacist and nationalist views as a means of scapegoating his failures for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council , in a statement .
“ Unless we hold him accountable , the discrimination and harassment against Asian Americans will become deeply entrenched , cause unimaginable harm and suffering , and take decades to unwind.
” Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

In a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this past weekend, President Donald Trump used the term “kung flu” to describe the coronavirus, one of several racist statements he made during a wide-ranging speech that touched on his administration’s handling of the pandemic.
“By the way, it’s a disease, without question, [that] has more names than any disease in history,” Trump said at the time. “I can name kung flu, I can name 19 different versions of names.”
Since then, Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has gone on to defend his use of the term. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been noncommittal: When asked how he and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, felt about Trump’s remarks, McConnell declined to say whether he was comfortable with the president’s rhetoric, instead suggesting that the question should be directed to Chao, who immigrated from Taiwan to the US as a child.
McEnany’s defense of Trump is the same flimsy one he’s been using ever since he began calling the coronavirus the “Chinese virus:” She argued that such names simply associate the illness with its “place of origin,” an effort that even if conducted in good faith goes against World Health Organization guidelines that warn against promoting labels that could stigmatize an entire region.
“The president does not believe it’s offensive to note that the virus came from China,” McEnany said during a briefing on Monday.
Trump’s use of the “Chinese virus” or “kung flu” is, of course, not in good faith and very much about tapping into the same racism and xenophobia he’s long amplified in myriad comments he’s made about people of color. As the Washington Post’s Jose Del Real reported, Trump made several other racist statements during his Tulsa remarks: In his speech, he described racial justice protesters as “thugs” and used a scenario involving a “tough hombre” to illustrate the threat of defunding police.
These statements, as well as references to Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and multiple African nations as “shithole countries,” are among the racist comments he’s used in campaign rallies and presidential remarks over the past four-plus years.
As the country reckons with systemic racism and police brutality, Trump appears as eager as ever to stoke racial divisions, using rhetoric that both contradicts his March claims of wanting to “protect” Asian Americans and directly contributes to hate incidents against members of this group.
Trump is still using racist terms to describe the coronavirus as Asian Americans continue to report hate incidents
Trump’s decision to lean into racist rhetoric — including terminology his own adviser, Kellyanne Conway, has condemned in the past — comes as Asian Americans continue to report hate incidents such as verbal abuse, physical assault, and property damage during the pandemic. As the coronavirus spread around the world, tropes that treat Asians as perpetual foreigners have also resurfaced, fueling racist and hostile anti-Asian sentiment.
Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that’s been tracking self-reported hostile anti-Asian incidents since late March, says it’s received more than 2,100 reports since the project began. Such incidents have included instances of employees getting shunned in the workplace, families being spat on at fast food restaurants, and children getting beaten up by their classmates. The group says it saw a surge in reports after Trump began using rhetoric like the “Chinese virus” and noted that many “anti-China” comments were frequently associated with verbal and physical assaults.
“A White male walked by me and said, ‘you f—king Chinese spread the Coronavirus to this country, you should all leave this country!’” one incident report read.
“A woman sitting at a bus stop was screaming at myself and other Asians that she saw walking,” read another. “She said that we were ‘dirty Chinese,’ that we were trying to take over the US.”
Researchers, too, emphasize that Trump’s rhetoric has mattered in the past: An NBC News report by Kimmy Yam points to a February study, which determined that Trump’s racist comments against Latino Americans “emboldened” others who held similar views to express them.
Trump’s continued use of racist statements about the coronavirus — ultimately trying to deflect blame by pointing out it is foreign-born — comes as he struggles to deal with the fallout of his own handling of the pandemic: Most recently he came under fire for saying he intends to slow down coronavirus testing because doing so would reveal the presence of fewer cases.
“President Trump continues to utilize white supremacist and nationalist views as a means of scapegoating his failures for political gain,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, in a statement. “Unless we hold him accountable, the discrimination and harassment against Asian Americans will become deeply entrenched, cause unimaginable harm and suffering, and take decades to unwind.”


vox--2020-06-23--Trump is holding a rally in one of the country’s worst Covid-19 hot spots

Just a few short days after a flopped rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , President Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail .
On Tuesday , the president headed to Arizona to address a student rally in Phoenix , where coronavirus cases have begun to climb at an alarming rate .
The rally is just one part of a larger swing through the state , which is on track to be a key battleground in the general election this November .
Trump started his day with a visit to the US Border Patrol station in Yuma , Arizona , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border security .
He also visited the southern border to inspect progress on the wall between the US and Mexico .
According to the White House , Trump ’ s visit included a “ commemoration of the 200th mile of new border wall ” near San Luis , Arizona .
But it is the rally itself , organized by Students for Trump and Turning Point Action , that has many public health experts concerned .
It will likely be far smaller than his Saturday event in Tulsa , which saw only about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to NPR , the Phoenix venue — Dream City Church — can hold 3,000 people .
Still , Arizona presents a particularly dangerous situation for an indoor event : Cases in the state have increased by 174 percent over the past three weeks , and the Arizona Health Department reported a record-high 3,600 new cases on Tuesday alone .
Nonetheless , the Arizona Republic reported Tuesday that the majority of the people in line for Trump ’ s rally were maskless , contrary to a Phoenix policy requiring them .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church has taken steps to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus by installing “ breakthrough indoor air purification technology.
” A video posted by the church ’ s pastor Monday claimed that the system “ kills 99.9 percent of COVID-19 within 10 minutes , ” though the church later clarified that statement in a Facebook post .
Those claims are almost certainly exaggerated , as the New York Times reported Tuesday : The ionization system described in the video isn ’ t new , and it neither works as quickly nor as effectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marr , a Virginia Tech expert on the airborne transmission of infectious disease , told Talking Points Memo ( TPM ) , air purifiers “ can reduce the background level , but that doesn ’ t help when we ’ re in close proximity to others.
” TPM ’ s Matt Shuham continued : Even setting aside the church ’ s hyperbolic claims about the safety of attending events there during a pandemic , there are reasons to be skeptical of the venue .
As Aaron Ament — previously special counsel at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocacy group Student Defense — points out on Twitter , “ Dream City is part of the same Dream Center network that @ studentlegalnet sued for lying to students at its for-profit schools.
” As the Washington Post reported last year , the network ’ s Argosy University chain was removed from federal student loan and grant programs after about $ 13 million in financial aid went missing .
The scandal drove the Dream Center into bankruptcy .
The relationship between Trump ’ s Education Department — run by billionaire Republican donor turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the topic of investigation by the House Education and Labor Committee .
In an October 2019 letter to DeVos , committee chairman Rep. Bobby Scott ( D-VA ) indicated that the department ’ s decision to award financial aid dollars to Dream Center schools may have been illegal .
According to the letter , officials at the Education Department were aware that two of the network ’ s schools were not accredited ; nonetheless , the department charged ahead with releasing financial aid funds to the schools and sought to retroactively accredit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” All of that is to say , as Ament argues on Twitter , that when Trump takes the stage for Tuesday night ’ s rally , he and the Students for Trump group will be doing so along “ with an organization that ran predatory schools that his own Secretary of Education illegally funded after they lost eligibility and accreditation and lied to students about it.
” In addition to Tuesday ’ s Phoenix rally , Trump ’ s swing-state tour will continue on Thursday this week with a visit to Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town hall hosted by Fox News personality Sean Hannity .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

Just a few short days after a flopped rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail. On Tuesday, the president headed to Arizona to address a student rally in Phoenix, where coronavirus cases have begun to climb at an alarming rate.
The rally is just one part of a larger swing through the state, which is on track to be a key battleground in the general election this November. Trump started his day with a visit to the US Border Patrol station in Yuma, Arizona, where he participated in a briefing on border security.
He also visited the southern border to inspect progress on the wall between the US and Mexico. According to the White House, Trump’s visit included a “commemoration of the 200th mile of new border wall” near San Luis, Arizona.
But it is the rally itself, organized by Students for Trump and Turning Point Action, that has many public health experts concerned. It will likely be far smaller than his Saturday event in Tulsa, which saw only about a third of the 19,200-seat stadium filled. According to NPR, the Phoenix venue — Dream City Church — can hold 3,000 people.
Still, Arizona presents a particularly dangerous situation for an indoor event: Cases in the state have increased by 174 percent over the past three weeks, and the Arizona Health Department reported a record-high 3,600 new cases on Tuesday alone.
Nonetheless, the Arizona Republic reported Tuesday that the majority of the people in line for Trump’s rally were maskless, contrary to a Phoenix policy requiring them.
According to a Monday press release, Dream City Church has taken steps to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus by installing “breakthrough indoor air purification technology.” A video posted by the church’s pastor Monday claimed that the system “kills 99.9 percent of COVID-19 within 10 minutes,” though the church later clarified that statement in a Facebook post.
Those claims are almost certainly exaggerated, as the New York Times reported Tuesday: The ionization system described in the video isn’t new, and it neither works as quickly nor as effectively as the church suggested.
As Linsey Marr, a Virginia Tech expert on the airborne transmission of infectious disease, told Talking Points Memo (TPM), air purifiers “can reduce the background level, but that doesn’t help when we’re in close proximity to others.” TPM’s Matt Shuham continued:
In other words, unless every rally attendee has their own personal purification system, the church isn’t going to stop 99.9% of coronavirus, she said. “This claim has not been demonstrated in any peer-reviewed independent forum that I am aware of,” added Jeffrey Siegel, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto who specializes in air quality.
Legal troubles
Even setting aside the church’s hyperbolic claims about the safety of attending events there during a pandemic, there are reasons to be skeptical of the venue. As Aaron Ament — previously special counsel at the Education Department and now president of the advocacy group Student Defense — points out on Twitter, “Dream City is part of the same Dream Center network that @studentlegalnet sued for lying to students at its for-profit schools.”
As the Washington Post reported last year, the network’s Argosy University chain was removed from federal student loan and grant programs after about $13 million in financial aid went missing. The scandal drove the Dream Center into bankruptcy.
The relationship between Trump’s Education Department — run by billionaire Republican donor turned Education Secretary Betsy DeVos — has also been the topic of investigation by the House Education and Labor Committee. In an October 2019 letter to DeVos, committee chairman Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) indicated that the department’s decision to award financial aid dollars to Dream Center schools may have been illegal.
According to the letter, officials at the Education Department were aware that two of the network’s schools were not accredited; nonetheless, the department charged ahead with releasing financial aid funds to the schools and sought to retroactively accredit them “in contravention of Department policy.”
All of that is to say, as Ament argues on Twitter, that when Trump takes the stage for Tuesday night’s rally, he and the Students for Trump group will be doing so along “with an organization that ran predatory schools that his own Secretary of Education illegally funded after they lost eligibility and accreditation and lied to students about it.”
In addition to Tuesday’s Phoenix rally, Trump’s swing-state tour will continue on Thursday this week with a visit to Wisconsin, where he will participate in a town hall hosted by Fox News personality Sean Hannity.


vox--2020-06-23--A lawsuit is threatening the Internet Archive — but it’s not as dire as you may have heard

The Internet Archive ( also known as IA or Archive.org ) , home to the giant vault of internet and public domain history known as the Wayback Machine , is currently facing a crisis — one largely defined by misinformation .
A group of publishing companies filed a scathing copyright lawsuit earlier this month over the IA ’ s controversial attempt to open an “ Emergency Library ” during the coronavirus pandemic .
Ever since , confusion about the scope of the lawsuit and its potential impact on the IA as a whole has stoked fears of a crackdown on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including its gargantuan archive of the historical internet .
But much of that fear seems to be exaggerated .
And while the lawsuit is a big deal for advocates of an open internet , it ’ s probably not the existential threat to the IA that you may have heard it is .
The Internet Archive is a preservation project — but some publishers think it ’ s piracy The Internet Archive is a nonprofit internet archival organization .
Founded in 1996 , it digitally preserves more than 1.4 million books and historical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of websites captured over a long period of time .
Its most famous project is the Wayback Machine , a digital collection of roughly 390 billion pages dating back to 1996 .
It ’ s the deepest archive of internet history in existence .
Among the IA ’ s other projects is the Open Library , a virtual library that allows users to freely borrow digital copies of books that are uploaded and archived through the project — both books in the public domain and books under copyright .
As my colleague Constance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owns physical copies of all the books it digitizes and claims the right to loan out the digital copies , as long as no more than one digital copy of a book is in circulation at a time .
The IA ’ s right to do so has been endorsed by many librarians and legal experts .
But many critics of this approach , especially those within the publishing industry , have long argued that the IA ’ s Open Library is piracy because it distributes books as image files rather than appropriately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Additionally , politicians like North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis , a Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee ’ s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property , have attacked the Internet Archive as a way to argue for more stringent copyright laws .
In March , the Internet Archive pushed its already dubious reading of the law even further by temporarily easing its lending restrictions amid the pandemic to allow multiple people to check out the same digital copy of a book at once .
The IA dubbed this temporary change the “ National Emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what this change meant wasn ’ t very clear , but in the very last line of a blog post announcing the Emergency Library , it clarified that after the “ US national emergency ” ended , “ The waitlists will be reimplemented thus limiting the number of borrowable copies to those physical books owned.
” In other words , while the Emergency Library was underway , IA would loan out more digital files than it actually owned .
By any stretch of the law , that rises to the level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copies were being shared only temporarily .
Whether you view that type of infringement as unethical is a different issue ; as the Internet Archive argued , “ The idea that this is stealing fundamentally misunderstands the role of libraries in the information ecosystem.
” Publishers predictably found this logic unconvincing .
On June 1 , Hachette , Penguin Random House , HarperCollins , and other publishers sued the IA , claiming that both the regular Open Library and the Emergency Library are forms of piracy .
The IA responded by ending the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after the lawsuit was publicly announced , asking that “ the publishers call off their costly assault.
” It ’ s unclear whether the move will actually lead to the suit ’ s withdrawal .
The publishers ’ legal representatives referred Vox to the Association of American Publishers , which includes the plaintiffs in the lawsuit .
When reached for comment , a representative for the Association shared the group ’ s statement concerning the suit , which calls the IA “ brazen ” and “ self-serving ” and notes that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , authors , and the entire creative community regarding IA ’ s actions and its response to objections.
” The lawsuit asks the court for two main things : damages for publishers ’ copyrighted works , and both a preliminary and permanent injunction of the IA ’ s digitization and lending processes .
That all sounds dire for the Internet Archive ’ s future .
But there seems to be lots of confusion about what the lawsuit ’ s actual impact on the organization and its various projects will be — and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media reports have indicated .
Rumors of the Internet Archive ’ s potential demise have been greatly exaggerated When news of the lawsuit first broke , much of the reporting surrounding it was hyperbolic and alarmist .
“ A win for the publishers could easily bankrupt the Internet Archive , ” reported Ars Technica .
“ The [ suit ] puts one of the internet ’ s largest repositories of knowledge in peril , ” reported Vice , which also noted that supporters of the IA ’ s various preservation projects were already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire archive .
All of this would reasonably give the impression that the publishers ’ lawsuit seeks to permanently halt the entire Internet Archive and all of its projects , even the ones that have nothing to do with its book-lending program .
What ’ s more , most of the early reporting about the lawsuit incorrectly claimed that plaintiffs were seeking damages for millions of books in the IA ’ s giant vault .
“ If the court finds that Internet Archive ” willfully ” infringed copyright , ” tech site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on the hook for up to $ 150,000 in damages—per each of the 1.4 million titles .
( You do the math . )
” Such a sweeping injunction or financial devastation would destroy the IA , and with it the unique and vast records of the Wayback Machine .
As a huge repository of internet history , digital record-keeping , and sociocultural trends , the Wayback Machine is essentially irreplaceable — which is why , as news of the lawsuit spread , many of the IA ’ s supporters were devastated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its work , especially the Wayback Machine .
But there ’ s a big problem with all of this — none of it is true .
What is true is that the lawsuit asks for a court injunction against the Internet Archive — but it only asks for a halt to the practice of copying books for loan in the Open Library itself , not the entire IA .
And while the IA ’ s supporters might decry the demise of the library itself — after all , a permanent injunction against digitizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though public domain books would remain available — the lawsuit takes pains to clarify that the publishers aren ’ t trying to shut down the rest of the Internet Archive .
“ Internet Archive provides a number of services not at issue in this action , including its Wayback Machine and digitization of public domain materials , ” reads the suit ’ s complaint .
Then there ’ s the concern that the lawsuit asks for potentially debilitating financial damages from the archive .
If it were true that the publishers claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of books digitized , that could certainly paralyze the entire nonprofit organization .
But in fact , the lawsuit seeks financial damages only for the sharing of 127 books under copyright , including titles like Gone Girl , A Dance with Dragons , and The Catcher in the Rye .
If the court awards the plaintiffs the maximum amount provided under the law , the most the Internet Archive would have to pay would be $ 19 million — essentially equivalent to one year of operating revenue , according to IA tax documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but for the IA , a tech nonprofit that relies heavily on grants and public donations , it ’ s not the major death blow it might seem to be .
When asked about its funding reserves , Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle told Vox that “ beyond the monetary damages , the publishers are asking for the destruction of 1.4 million books , many of which do not exist in digital form anywhere else .
That would be a real tragedy for people who depend on us for access to information.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue of funding .
The lawsuit might not destroy the IA , but it could hamper the aims of an “ open internet ” All that said , a win for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit certainly isn ’ t ideal .
Much of the confusion and fear that this lawsuit could wipe out the Internet Archive reflects the fragile and ephemeral nature of internet culture , where entire websites can be wiped out overnight if their content isn ’ t backed up .
In the Wayback Machine ’ s case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 10-petabyte collection of internet history .
Nothing else is archiving the internet but the Internet Archive itself .
If something happens to it , it ’ s gone for good .
And because of that anxiety , the conversation around the lawsuit has left the original copyright debate far behind — even though the lawsuit itself limits its focus to the IA ’ s Open Library only .
Speaking to Vox ’ s sister site The Verge , Kahle said the lawsuit was “ disappointing ” and argued that all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been uploaded legally : Kahle told Vox that the organization was “ confident in our legal position.
” “ When nonprofit libraries have been sued in the past for helping their patrons access their collections , courts have ruled that they were engaging in fair use , as in the HathiTrust case , ” he said .
While plenty of confusion remains about whether the IA ’ s Open Library constitutes a legitimate library — and whether its noble purpose justifies some of its more piratical methods — most people agree that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initiative ’ s supporters see the IA as a vanguard of the “ open internet.
” That ’ s the broad philosophy of free and equal internet access that governs foundational parts of internet culture like open-source coding , Open Access scholarship , the Creative Commons , and the Internet Archive itself .
Kahle touched on this spirit of openness and cooperation , telling Vox , “ We need collaboration between libraries , authors , booksellers , and publishers ... We hope for an amicable solution for libraries , authors , booksellers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends on it.
” He ’ s increasingly been joined in his archival efforts by prominent IA supporters .
On Monday , the Association of Research Libraries issued a statement asking the publishers to drop the lawsuit .
“ For nearly 25 years , ” the Association ’ s statement reads , “ the Internet Archive ( IA ) has been a force for good by capturing the world ’ s knowledge and providing barrier-free access for everyone , contributing services to higher education and the public , including the Wayback Machine that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as a host of other services preserving software , audio files , special collections , and more.
” Because the Internet Archive is a well-established vanguard of open access , the lawsuit could potentially have a larger , chilling effect on internet archival and research practices — even if it fails , and even if that wasn ’ t the original intent .
Let ’ s hope that the publishing industry can also recognize the Internet Archive as a force for good , before the lawsuit renders it a cautionary tale .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

The Internet Archive (also known as IA or Archive.org), home to the giant vault of internet and public domain history known as the Wayback Machine, is currently facing a crisis — one largely defined by misinformation. A group of publishing companies filed a scathing copyright lawsuit earlier this month over the IA’s controversial attempt to open an “Emergency Library” during the coronavirus pandemic. Ever since, confusion about the scope of the lawsuit and its potential impact on the IA as a whole has stoked fears of a crackdown on the IA’s many projects, including its gargantuan archive of the historical internet.
But much of that fear seems to be exaggerated. And while the lawsuit is a big deal for advocates of an open internet, it’s probably not the existential threat to the IA that you may have heard it is.
The Internet Archive is a preservation project — but some publishers think it’s piracy
The Internet Archive is a nonprofit internet archival organization. Founded in 1996, it digitally preserves more than 1.4 million books and historical documents, as well as cached versions of websites captured over a long period of time. Its most famous project is the Wayback Machine, a digital collection of roughly 390 billion pages dating back to 1996. It’s the deepest archive of internet history in existence. Among the IA’s other projects is the Open Library, a virtual library that allows users to freely borrow digital copies of books that are uploaded and archived through the project — both books in the public domain and books under copyright.
As my colleague Constance Grady recently explained, the Internet Archive owns physical copies of all the books it digitizes and claims the right to loan out the digital copies, as long as no more than one digital copy of a book is in circulation at a time. The IA’s right to do so has been endorsed by many librarians and legal experts. But many critics of this approach, especially those within the publishing industry, have long argued that the IA’s Open Library is piracy because it distributes books as image files rather than appropriately licensing the works and compensating authors. Additionally, politicians like North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, have attacked the Internet Archive as a way to argue for more stringent copyright laws.
In March, the Internet Archive pushed its already dubious reading of the law even further by temporarily easing its lending restrictions amid the pandemic to allow multiple people to check out the same digital copy of a book at once. The IA dubbed this temporary change the “National Emergency Library.” The IA’s description of what this change meant wasn’t very clear, but in the very last line of a blog post announcing the Emergency Library, it clarified that after the “US national emergency” ended, “The waitlists will be reimplemented thus limiting the number of borrowable copies to those physical books owned.” In other words, while the Emergency Library was underway, IA would loan out more digital files than it actually owned.
By any stretch of the law, that rises to the level of copyright infringement, even though the illegal copies were being shared only temporarily. Whether you view that type of infringement as unethical is a different issue; as the Internet Archive argued, “The idea that this is stealing fundamentally misunderstands the role of libraries in the information ecosystem.”
Publishers predictably found this logic unconvincing. On June 1, Hachette, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and other publishers sued the IA, claiming that both the regular Open Library and the Emergency Library are forms of piracy. The IA responded by ending the Emergency Library project on June 16, days after the lawsuit was publicly announced, asking that “the publishers call off their costly assault.” It’s unclear whether the move will actually lead to the suit’s withdrawal. The publishers’ legal representatives referred Vox to the Association of American Publishers, which includes the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. When reached for comment, a representative for the Association shared the group’s statement concerning the suit, which calls the IA “brazen” and “self-serving” and notes that the lawsuit “reflects widespread anger among publishers, authors, and the entire creative community regarding IA’s actions and its response to objections.”
The lawsuit asks the court for two main things: damages for publishers’ copyrighted works, and both a preliminary and permanent injunction of the IA’s digitization and lending processes. That all sounds dire for the Internet Archive’s future. But there seems to be lots of confusion about what the lawsuit’s actual impact on the organization and its various projects will be — and it’s not as bad as previous media reports have indicated.
Rumors of the Internet Archive’s potential demise have been greatly exaggerated
When news of the lawsuit first broke, much of the reporting surrounding it was hyperbolic and alarmist. “A win for the publishers could easily bankrupt the Internet Archive,” reported Ars Technica. “The [suit] puts one of the internet’s largest repositories of knowledge in peril,” reported Vice, which also noted that supporters of the IA’s various preservation projects were already rushing to try to create backups of the entire archive.
All of this would reasonably give the impression that the publishers’ lawsuit seeks to permanently halt the entire Internet Archive and all of its projects, even the ones that have nothing to do with its book-lending program. What’s more, most of the early reporting about the lawsuit incorrectly claimed that plaintiffs were seeking damages for millions of books in the IA’s giant vault. “If the court finds that Internet Archive ”willfully” infringed copyright,” tech site Decrypt claimed, “the library could be on the hook for up to $150,000 in damages—per each of the 1.4 million titles. (You do the math.)”
Such a sweeping injunction or financial devastation would destroy the IA, and with it the unique and vast records of the Wayback Machine. As a huge repository of internet history, digital record-keeping, and sociocultural trends, the Wayback Machine is essentially irreplaceable — which is why, as news of the lawsuit spread, many of the IA’s supporters were devastated and concerned about the lawsuit potentially destroying its work, especially the Wayback Machine.
But there’s a big problem with all of this — none of it is true.
What is true is that the lawsuit asks for a court injunction against the Internet Archive — but it only asks for a halt to the practice of copying books for loan in the Open Library itself, not the entire IA. And while the IA’s supporters might decry the demise of the library itself — after all, a permanent injunction against digitizing works under copyright would decimate the library, though public domain books would remain available — the lawsuit takes pains to clarify that the publishers aren’t trying to shut down the rest of the Internet Archive.
“Internet Archive provides a number of services not at issue in this action, including its Wayback Machine and digitization of public domain materials,” reads the suit’s complaint.
Then there’s the concern that the lawsuit asks for potentially debilitating financial damages from the archive. If it were true that the publishers claimed $150,000 for each of the millions of books digitized, that could certainly paralyze the entire nonprofit organization.
But in fact, the lawsuit seeks financial damages only for the sharing of 127 books under copyright, including titles like Gone Girl, A Dance with Dragons, and The Catcher in the Rye. If the court awards the plaintiffs the maximum amount provided under the law, the most the Internet Archive would have to pay would be $19 million — essentially equivalent to one year of operating revenue, according to IA tax documents. That’s a huge setback, but for the IA, a tech nonprofit that relies heavily on grants and public donations, it’s not the major death blow it might seem to be.
When asked about its funding reserves, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle told Vox that “beyond the monetary damages, the publishers are asking for the destruction of 1.4 million books, many of which do not exist in digital form anywhere else. That would be a real tragedy for people who depend on us for access to information.” He declined to comment further on the issue of funding.
The lawsuit might not destroy the IA, but it could hamper the aims of an “open internet”
All that said, a win for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit certainly isn’t ideal.
Much of the confusion and fear that this lawsuit could wipe out the Internet Archive reflects the fragile and ephemeral nature of internet culture, where entire websites can be wiped out overnight if their content isn’t backed up. In the Wayback Machine’s case, the organization provides access to a vital, 10-petabyte collection of internet history. Nothing else is archiving the internet but the Internet Archive itself. If something happens to it, it’s gone for good. And because of that anxiety, the conversation around the lawsuit has left the original copyright debate far behind — even though the lawsuit itself limits its focus to the IA’s Open Library only.
Speaking to Vox’s sister site The Verge, Kahle said the lawsuit was “disappointing” and argued that all of the books in the IA’s library have been uploaded legally:
As a library, the Internet Archive acquires books and lends them, as libraries have always done, Kahle told The Verge. This supports publishing and authors and readers. Publishers suing libraries for lending books — in this case, protected digitized versions, and while schools and libraries are closed — is not in anyone’s interest. We hope this can be resolved quickly, he continued.
Kahle told Vox that the organization was “confident in our legal position.”
“When nonprofit libraries have been sued in the past for helping their patrons access their collections, courts have ruled that they were engaging in fair use, as in the HathiTrust case,” he said.
While plenty of confusion remains about whether the IA’s Open Library constitutes a legitimate library — and whether its noble purpose justifies some of its more piratical methods — most people agree that its aims are noble. Many of the initiative’s supporters see the IA as a vanguard of the “open internet.” That’s the broad philosophy of free and equal internet access that governs foundational parts of internet culture like open-source coding, Open Access scholarship, the Creative Commons, and the Internet Archive itself.
Kahle touched on this spirit of openness and cooperation, telling Vox, “We need collaboration between libraries, authors, booksellers, and publishers ... We hope for an amicable solution for libraries, authors, booksellers, and publishers because our information health depends on it.” He’s increasingly been joined in his archival efforts by prominent IA supporters. On Monday, the Association of Research Libraries issued a statement asking the publishers to drop the lawsuit.
“For nearly 25 years,” the Association’s statement reads, “the Internet Archive (IA) has been a force for good by capturing the world’s knowledge and providing barrier-free access for everyone, contributing services to higher education and the public, including the Wayback Machine that archives the World Wide Web, as well as a host of other services preserving software, audio files, special collections, and more.”
Because the Internet Archive is a well-established vanguard of open access, the lawsuit could potentially have a larger, chilling effect on internet archival and research practices — even if it fails, and even if that wasn’t the original intent. Let’s hope that the publishing industry can also recognize the Internet Archive as a force for good, before the lawsuit renders it a cautionary tale.