thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--Why Is America Being Hit By So Many Horrific “Natural Disasters” All Of A Sudden?

Why Is America Being Hit By So Many Horrific “ Natural Disasters ” All Of A Sudden ?
It has just been one thing after another in 2020 .
First , the COVID-19 pandemic erupted and quickly spread all over the globe .
At this point , more than 800,000 people have died globally , and authorities are warning us to brace ourselves for another wave of the pandemic in the fall .
Of course many would argue that fear of the virus has been even worse than the disease itself , and it is undeniable that the COVID-19 shutdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plunged into the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s .
More than 57 million Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits so far this year , and that number just keeps rising with each passing week .
On top of all that , the tragic death of George Floyd caused an unprecedented wave of civil unrest to erupt in major cities all across America , and many are anticipating a fresh outburst of unrest as we head toward election day in November .
So coming into this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than we do in a typical year , and now a very strange series of natural disasters is making things even worse .
For example , earlier this month an absolutely massive storm known as a “ derecho ” with winds of up to 112 mph came roaring through the Midwest .
Millions upon millions of acres of crops were destroyed , and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has described this storm as a “ 40-mile-wide tornado that went through the state of Iowa ” … The damage was so bad that the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimate that at least 14 million acres of necessary farmland were damaged by the storm .
Not only were crops destroyed but hundreds of millions of bushels of commercial storage grain , as well as tens of millions of bushels of on-farm storage grain , were also lost .
Shannon Textor , who is a spokesperson for the Iowa Corn Growers Association , reported that it may be weeks to determine the monetary loss as a result of the storm .
“ It ’ s really hard to get your arms around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted .
President Donald Trump took notice of the destruction and on Tuesday discussed the damage and promised Iowans the “ full support of the federal government in recovery .
According to Iowa Governor .
Kim Reynolds , the devastation caused an estimated $ 4 billion in damages from the storm .
During a briefing with the president , Reynolds described the storm as a “ 40-mile-wide tornado that went through the state of Iowa.
” Shortly after that historic storm ripped a giant scar across the Midwest , the western half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heatwave .
The highest temperature ever captured by modern instruments was recorded in Death Valley , California , many other all-time records were shattered all over the Southwest , and the city of Phoenix actually broke their record for most days in a year in which the high temperature reached at least 115 degrees .
Of course that heatwave set the stage for the nightmarish wildfires that we are witnessing in the state of California right now .
Yes , we see wildfires in California every year , but we have never seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the following facts… -12,000 lightning strikes have hit the state over the past week , and many more are expected this week .
-More than a million acres have been destroyed by fire so far .
-Two of the five largest fires in the history of the state are burning in northern California right now .
-Wildfires in California have already caused more death and destruction in 2020 than they did in all of 2019 .
-A “ red flag ” warning has been issued for Monday .
Authorities are anticipating that winds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lightning strikes will make this crisis even worse .
For much more on these wildfires , please see my article entitled “ The State Of California Is Never Going To Be The Same After This ” .
As if everything that I have shared so far wasn ’ t enough , two very dangerous storms are headed toward the Gulf Coast .
Hurricane Marco is likely to make landfall first , and residents of the Gulf Coast will begin to feel Marco ’ s fury as early as Monday morning… Following closely on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Storm Laura .
Laura will likely enter the Gulf of Mexico early this week , and forecasters fully expect it to also develop into a hurricane… At this point , many are anticipating that Laura will end up being the stronger of the two storms , but we shall have to wait and see how everything plays out .
Meanwhile , much of the other side of the globe continues to wrestle with a historic plague of locusts .
Some of these swarms of locusts are the size of major cities , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crop devastation that we have been witnessing in many countries .
When combined with the tremendous impact that COVID-19 has been having on global food distribution systems , these two factors have created a tremendous worldwide crisis .
In fact , the head of the UN World Food Program has once again used the word “ biblical ” to describe the famine that the planet is potentially facing… 2020 has truly been a year like no other , and it is imperative for everyone to understand that the “ perfect storm ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started .
All of a sudden , the U.S. is being hit by one major crisis after another , and to many people , it seems quite unlikely that so many nightmarish events would happen so closely together by random chance .
So what do you think ?
Could it be possible that someone is trying to get our attention ?
It would be a major understatement to say that 2020 has been a “ crazy ” year so far , and I have a feeling that quite a few more surprises are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is over .

Why Is America Being Hit By So Many Horrific “Natural Disasters” All Of A Sudden?
It has just been one thing after another in 2020. First, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted and quickly spread all over the globe. At this point, more than 800,000 people have died globally, and authorities are warning us to brace ourselves for another wave of the pandemic in the fall. Of course many would argue that fear of the virus has been even worse than the disease itself, and it is undeniable that the COVID-19 shutdowns were the primary reason why we have plunged into the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. More than 57 million Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits so far this year, and that number just keeps rising with each passing week. On top of all that, the tragic death of George Floyd caused an unprecedented wave of civil unrest to erupt in major cities all across America, and many are anticipating a fresh outburst of unrest as we head toward election day in November. So coming into this month we had already faced far more trouble than we do in a typical year, and now a very strange series of natural disasters is making things even worse.
For example, earlier this month an absolutely massive storm known as a “derecho” with winds of up to 112 mph came roaring through the Midwest. Millions upon millions of acres of crops were destroyed, and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has described this storm as a “40-mile-wide tornado that went through the state of Iowa”…
The damage was so bad that the New York Times reported that Iowa state officials estimate that at least 14 million acres of necessary farmland were damaged by the storm. Not only were crops destroyed but hundreds of millions of bushels of commercial storage grain, as well as tens of millions of bushels of on-farm storage grain, were also lost. Shannon Textor, who is a spokesperson for the Iowa Corn Growers Association, reported that it may be weeks to determine the monetary loss as a result of the storm. “It’s really hard to get your arms around the devastation at this point,” Textor admitted. President Donald Trump took notice of the destruction and on Tuesday discussed the damage and promised Iowans the “full support of the federal government in recovery. According to Iowa Governor. Kim Reynolds, the devastation caused an estimated $4 billion in damages from the storm. During a briefing with the president, Reynolds described the storm as a “40-mile-wide tornado that went through the state of Iowa.”
Shortly after that historic storm ripped a giant scar across the Midwest, the western half of the nation was gripped by a historic heatwave.
The highest temperature ever captured by modern instruments was recorded in Death Valley, California, many other all-time records were shattered all over the Southwest, and the city of Phoenix actually broke their record for most days in a year in which the high temperature reached at least 115 degrees.
Of course that heatwave set the stage for the nightmarish wildfires that we are witnessing in the state of California right now.
Yes, we see wildfires in California every year, but we have never seen anything quite like this. Just consider the following facts…
-12,000 lightning strikes have hit the state over the past week, and many more are expected this week.
-More than a million acres have been destroyed by fire so far.
-Two of the five largest fires in the history of the state are burning in northern California right now.
-Wildfires in California have already caused more death and destruction in 2020 than they did in all of 2019.
-A “red flag” warning has been issued for Monday. Authorities are anticipating that winds of up to 65 mph and widespread lightning strikes will make this crisis even worse.
For much more on these wildfires, please see my article entitled “The State Of California Is Never Going To Be The Same After This”.
As if everything that I have shared so far wasn’t enough, two very dangerous storms are headed toward the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Marco is likely to make landfall first, and residents of the Gulf Coast will begin to feel Marco’s fury as early as Monday morning…
At 5 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Marco strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving to the north-northwest at 13 mph. Forecasters warn that time is running out for residents along the central Gulf Coast to make preparations, as impacts will start to be felt early Monday morning. Marco is expected to continue intensifying through Sunday.
Following closely on the heels of Hurricane Marco is Tropical Storm Laura.
Laura will likely enter the Gulf of Mexico early this week, and forecasters fully expect it to also develop into a hurricane…
Tropical Storm Laura is forecast to reach the Gulf of Mexico early this week, where significant intensification into a hurricane is expected. The area with the highest chance of seeing a hurricane strike from Laura by midweek is along parts of the northern and western Gulf Coast, but this forecast is still uncertain.
At this point, many are anticipating that Laura will end up being the stronger of the two storms, but we shall have to wait and see how everything plays out.
Meanwhile, much of the other side of the globe continues to wrestle with a historic plague of locusts. Some of these swarms of locusts are the size of major cities, and it would be difficult to overstate the crop devastation that we have been witnessing in many countries.
When combined with the tremendous impact that COVID-19 has been having on global food distribution systems, these two factors have created a tremendous worldwide crisis. In fact, the head of the UN World Food Program has once again used the word “biblical” to describe the famine that the planet is potentially facing…
The Covid-19 pandemic may lead to a calamity of epic scale, with millions facing starvation worldwide, the head of the UN’s hunger-fighting body has warned. “All the data we have, including WFP forecast that the number of people experiencing malnutrition will grow by 80 percent by the end of the year, … points to a real disaster,” David Beasley, Executive Director of the UN World Food Program (WFP), said. “We are risking a famine of biblical proportions.”
2020 has truly been a year like no other, and it is imperative for everyone to understand that the “perfect storm” that we are now facing is just getting started.
All of a sudden, the U.S. is being hit by one major crisis after another, and to many people, it seems quite unlikely that so many nightmarish events would happen so closely together by random chance.
So what do you think?
Could it be possible that someone is trying to get our attention?
It would be a major understatement to say that 2020 has been a “crazy” year so far, and I have a feeling that quite a few more surprises are in store for us before this year is over.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder


thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--California Is Never Going To Be The Same After This…

California Is Never Going To Be The Same After This… The state of California sure has been through a lot this year .
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the state particularly hard , fear of the virus sent the unemployment rate soaring , civil unrest has ripped permanent scars in most of the major cities , and earlier this month a historic heatwave caused rolling blackouts all over the state for the very first time since 2001 .
So California certainly didn ’ t need anything else to deal with in 2020 , because it has just been one thing after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it looks like the massive wildfires that have been roaring across the state over the last week are about to get even worse .
A “ red flag ” warning has been issued for Monday , and just about everyone is expecting this week to be a really , really bad week .
But even if all of the fires ended right now , the devastation that we have already witnessed has been off the charts .
Hundreds of individual wildfires erupted after “ 12,000 lightning strikes ” hit the state , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been burned… Those numbers are difficult for me to comprehend .
I would think that 12,000 lightning strikes must be some sort of a record for a single week , but I haven ’ t been able to confirm that .
In any event , that seems like an exceptionally high number .
Similarly , it is hard for me to imagine a million acres that have been completely destroyed by fire .
It is a monumental tragedy that will take a really long time to fully digest .
Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I write this article .
In fact , two of the five largest fires in the history of the state are roaring through parts of northern California right now… Overall , wildfires in the state have already caused more death and destruction in 2020 than they did in all of 2019 .
Something that has been particularly sad to hear is that many redwood trees are being burned .
Some of those trees are over 1,000 years old , and we are being told that Big Basin State Park experienced “ significant fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loss for the state of California .
That is a loss for all of us .
Unfortunately , California ’ s rapidly growing social decay has also been on full display during this crisis .
Looters have been hitting the evacuation zones pretty hard , and at last eight people have already been arrested… At the CZU Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains .
south of San Francisco , authorities said their effort was hindered by people who refused to heed evacuation orders and those who were using the chaos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Hart said 100 officers were patrolling and anyone not authorized to be in an evacuation zone would be arrested .
“ What we ’ re hearing from the community is that there ’ s a lot of looting going on , ” Hart said .
He said eight people have been arrested or cited and “ there ’ s going to be more.
” And one guy that is apparently vying for the title of “ biggest scumbag in America ” decided that he would steal a firefighter ’ s wallet out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his bank account… You have to be really , really low to do something like that .
But this is what America has become .
We have become a completely lawless nation where chaos reigns , and things are only going to get worse in the years ahead .
And we are also being told that the battle against the wildfires could go to an entirely new level during the early part of this week .
A “ red flag ” warning has been issued , and the state is bracing for very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long time , I have been encouraging people to consider moving out of the state .
The “ California Dream ” has become an endless California nightmare , and in 2020 we have seen an endless parade of so many of the reasons why millions have already fled for greener pastures .
In the end , it is such a great shame what has happened to the state .
It is blessed with outstanding weather and tremendous natural beauty , but at this point , I don ’ t know why anyone @ @ @ @ @ @

California Is Never Going To Be The Same After This…
The state of California sure has been through a lot this year. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the state particularly hard, fear of the virus sent the unemployment rate soaring, civil unrest has ripped permanent scars in most of the major cities, and earlier this month a historic heatwave caused rolling blackouts all over the state for the very first time since 2001. So California certainly didn’t need anything else to deal with in 2020, because it has just been one thing after another all year long. Unfortunately, it looks like the massive wildfires that have been roaring across the state over the last week are about to get even worse. A “red flag” warning has been issued for Monday, and just about everyone is expecting this week to be a really, really bad week.
But even if all of the fires ended right now, the devastation that we have already witnessed has been off the charts. Hundreds of individual wildfires erupted after “12,000 lightning strikes” hit the state, and so far more than a million acres have been burned…
Firefighters have been battling more than 600 blazes – sparked by a staggering 12,000 lightning strikes – for a week. About 1.1 million acres of land has been torched. Most of the damage was caused by three clusters of fire “complexes” ripping through 1,175 square miles of forest and rural areas in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Those numbers are difficult for me to comprehend.
I would think that 12,000 lightning strikes must be some sort of a record for a single week, but I haven’t been able to confirm that. In any event, that seems like an exceptionally high number.
Similarly, it is hard for me to imagine a million acres that have been completely destroyed by fire. It is a monumental tragedy that will take a really long time to fully digest.
Of course, the fires are still violently raging as I write this article. In fact, two of the five largest fires in the history of the state are roaring through parts of northern California right now…
In nearly a week, firefighters have gotten no more than the 17% containment for the LNU Lightning Complex fire in wine country north of San Francisco. It’s been the most destructive blaze, accounting for five deaths and 845 destroyed homes and other buildings. It and a fire burning southeast of the Bay Area are among the five largest fires in state history, with both burning more than 500 square miles (1,295 square kilometers).
Overall, wildfires in the state have already caused more death and destruction in 2020 than they did in all of 2019.
Something that has been particularly sad to hear is that many redwood trees are being burned. Some of those trees are over 1,000 years old, and we are being told that Big Basin State Park experienced “significant fire damage”…
Biologists are watching closely as the blazes encroach on old-growth redwood trees in Northern and Central California, where some giants are more than 1,000 years old and are known by individual names. While some seem to have been spared, Big Basin State Park — the oldest state park in California — saw significant fire damage.
That is not just a loss for the state of California.
That is a loss for all of us.
Unfortunately, California’s rapidly growing social decay has also been on full display during this crisis. Looters have been hitting the evacuation zones pretty hard, and at last eight people have already been arrested…
At the CZU Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains. south of San Francisco, authorities said their effort was hindered by people who refused to heed evacuation orders and those who were using the chaos to steal. Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said 100 officers were patrolling and anyone not authorized to be in an evacuation zone would be arrested. “What we’re hearing from the community is that there’s a lot of looting going on,” Hart said. He said eight people have been arrested or cited and “there’s going to be more.”
And one guy that is apparently vying for the title of “biggest scumbag in America” decided that he would steal a firefighter’s wallet out of his work vehicle and completely drain his bank account…
A California firefighter’s wallet was stolen out of his work vehicle and his bank account was drained while he was battling a blaze, officials said. It was the latest robbery to occur amid fear and panic over wildfires in Santa Cruz. “It’s absolutely disgusting behavior, I can’t, frankly, I can’t believe that somebody would actually have the nerve to break into a firefighter’s vehicle or enter their vehicle to steal something from them when they’re there to protect the community. Honestly it blows me away,” Chief Deputy Chris Clark with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said during a press conference on Sunday.
You have to be really, really low to do something like that.
But this is what America has become. We have become a completely lawless nation where chaos reigns, and things are only going to get worse in the years ahead.
And we are also being told that the battle against the wildfires could go to an entirely new level during the early part of this week. A “red flag” warning has been issued, and the state is bracing for very high winds and more lightning strikes…
The National Weather Service issued a “red flag” warning through Monday afternoon for the Bay Area and the central coast, meaning extreme fire conditions, including high temperatures, low humidity and wind gusts up to 65 mph, “may result in dangerous and unpredictable fire behavior.” There was the potential for scattered “dry” thunderstorms over much of Northern California, the weather service said, and lightning could spark new blazes.
For a long time, I have been encouraging people to consider moving out of the state.
The “California Dream” has become an endless California nightmare, and in 2020 we have seen an endless parade of so many of the reasons why millions have already fled for greener pastures.
In the end, it is such a great shame what has happened to the state. It is blessed with outstanding weather and tremendous natural beauty, but at this point, I don’t know why anyone would want to live there.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder


thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--Humanity Is “The Virus” & People Like Bill Gates Are Looking To Cash In On The Cure

Humanity Is “ The Virus ” & People Like Bill Gates Are Looking To Cash In On The Cure This is how those who believe in depopulation and are at war with the Creator think .
They are always looking at humans in the very opposite worldview that the Creator looks .
Men are made in the image of God and Jesus warned that if we will not serve God , we will serve something else , namely money .
Bill Gates and the rest of those advancing a globalist agenda take that very position against God and His people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll take a look at just how that is playing out in this episode .
Partner with us as a Son or Daughter of Liberty : https : //thesonsofliberty.squarespace.com/membership/ Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media SonsOfLibertyMedia.com , Minds , MeWe , Spreely , Tim Brown is an author and Editor at FreedomOutpost.com GunsInTheNews.com and TheWashingtonStandard.com .
He is husband to his `` more precious than rubies '' wife , father of 10 `` mighty arrows '' , jack of all trades , Christian and lover of liberty .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of South Carolina .
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Follow Tim on Twitter .
Also check him out on Gab Mumbl It and Steemit

Humanity Is “The Virus” & People Like Bill Gates Are Looking To Cash In On The Cure
“Human beings are a disease. A cancer of this planet.” -Agent Smith from The Matrix
This is how those who believe in depopulation and are at war with the Creator think. They are always looking at humans in the very opposite worldview that the Creator looks. Men are made in the image of God and Jesus warned that if we will not serve God, we will serve something else, namely money. Bill Gates and the rest of those advancing a globalist agenda take that very position against God and His people, as well as others. We’ll take a look at just how that is playing out in this episode.
Articles mentioned in this episode.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-53816511
https://sonsoflibertyradio.com
https://sonsoflibertymedia.com
Sons of Liberty Store: https://thesonsofliberty.squarespace.com/
Support us through a donation: https://thesonsofliberty.squarespace.com/donate
Partner with us as a Son or Daughter of Liberty: https://thesonsofliberty.squarespace.com/membership/
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--Andrew Jackson:  The President That Had To Kill The First Deep State Cabal Or It Would Have Killed H

Andrew Jackson:  The President That Had To Kill The First Deep State Cabal Or It Would Have Killed Him

Andrew Jackson : The President That Had To Kill The First Deep State Cabal Or It Would Have Killed Him The far-Left rioters who attempted to topple the statue of Andrew Jackson in Washington , DC ’ s Lafayette Square several weeks almost certainly know nothing whatsoever about him .
What they were told in the Antifa indoctrination camps that are called higher education these days is that he was largely responsible for the forcible exile of Native Americans from the Eastern United States , the Trail of Tears , and is thus to be reviled and hated forever .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that may have made them hate him even more : Andrew Jackson was responsible for destroying the first deep state cabal of shadowy , unelected powerbrokers in American history .
As Rating America ’ s Presidents : An America-First Look at Who Is Best , Who Is Overrated , and Who Was An Absolute Disaster explains , President Jackson took on that cabal , which centered around the Bank of the United States , because of its unaccountability and influence over the electoral process .
The Bank was a private corporation that kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was necessary to put the nation ’ s finances in order ; its foes , the foremost of whom was Jackson , argued that it was an unconstitutional power grab by the federal government .
It was dangerous , then as now , to turn power over the public funds to an oligarchy of private financiers ; the possibility for corruption , and for a de facto second government developed by buying favors until large enough to challenge the government of the United States , was immense .
Jackson called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monster , ” and denounced its “ power and corruption.
” He charged it with interfering in the political process and bribing elected officials and journalists with “ loans ” so that they would do its bidding .
There was ample evidence for this .
The New York Courier and Enquirer , which up until the 1832 election had opposed the Bank , received a substantial loan from it and suddenly became a vocal supporter of rechartering the Bank .
The pro-Jackson Washington Globe accused pro-Bank senators George Poindexter of Mississippi and Josiah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in return for their support of the Bank , and indeed , Poindexter had received from the Bank a $ 10,000 loan ( $ 300,000 today ) and Johnston one of $ 36,000 ( over $ 1 million today ) .
These were by no means the only loans the Bank gave to politicians .
Jackson warned that if the Bank , a “ mere monied corporation , ” could use its money to buy politicians , “ then nothing remains of our boasted freedom except the skin of the immolated victim.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martin Van Buren : “ The Bank , Mr. Van Buren , is trying to kill me , but I will kill it !
” He did .
The Bank ’ s charter , the document that gave it the United States government ’ s permission to exist , didn ’ t expire until 1836 , but in early 1832 , the president of the Bank , Nicholas Biddle , applied for a new charter .
His sole reason for doing this was to force Jackson to refuse to recharter the Bank ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Bank would be unpopular and lead to his defeat in the upcoming election , and so he wanted to make sure the president committed publicly to this opposition during the campaign season .
Jackson duly vetoed a bill for rechartering the Bank in July 1832 , whereupon Biddle poured massive amounts of money into the campaign of Jackson ’ s opponent , Henry Clay .
Clay campaigned on the issue of the Bank , but this issue did not prove as popular as he and Biddle had hoped .
The American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moneyed interests that were corrupting the body politic .
Clay was resoundingly defeated , with 49 electoral votes against Jackson ’ s 219 .
Rating America ’ s Presidents shows history in the process of repeating itself .
Today , President Trump is , like Jackson , facing a coterie of secretive and unaccountable forces that hold undue sway over the course of American domestic and foreign policy .
As in Jackson ’ s war against the Bank of the United States , Trump must destroy these forces , or they will destroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely take the nation down as well .
Just as in 1832 , these powerful forces are hoping by means of a presidential election to restore and cement their hegemony .
The future of America as a free society , in which officials are accountable to the people , hangs in the balance .

The far-Left rioters who attempted to topple the statue of Andrew Jackson in Washington, DC’s Lafayette Square several weeks almost certainly know nothing whatsoever about him. What they were told in the Antifa indoctrination camps that are called higher education these days is that he was largely responsible for the forcible exile of Native Americans from the Eastern United States, the Trail of Tears, and is thus to be reviled and hated forever. What they were not told is something that may have made them hate him even more: Andrew Jackson was responsible for destroying the first deep state cabal of shadowy, unelected powerbrokers in American history.
As Rating America’s Presidents: An America-First Look at Who Is Best, Who Is Overrated, and Who Was An Absolute Disaster explains, President Jackson took on that cabal, which centered around the Bank of the United States, because of its unaccountability and influence over the electoral process. The Bank was a private corporation that kept the public treasury; its advocates contended that it was necessary to put the nation’s finances in order; its foes, the foremost of whom was Jackson, argued that it was an unconstitutional power grab by the federal government. It was dangerous, then as now, to turn power over the public funds to an oligarchy of private financiers; the possibility for corruption, and for a de facto second government developed by buying favors until large enough to challenge the government of the United States, was immense.
Jackson called the Bank of the United States a “monster,” and denounced its “power and corruption.” He charged it with interfering in the political process and bribing elected officials and journalists with “loans” so that they would do its bidding. There was ample evidence for this. The New York Courier and Enquirer, which up until the 1832 election had opposed the Bank, received a substantial loan from it and suddenly became a vocal supporter of rechartering the Bank. The pro-Jackson Washington Globe accused pro-Bank senators George Poindexter of Mississippi and Josiah Johnston of Louisiana of accepting enormous bribes in return for their support of the Bank, and indeed, Poindexter had received from the Bank a $10,000 loan ($300,000 today) and Johnston one of $36,000 (over $1 million today). These were by no means the only loans the Bank gave to politicians.
Jackson warned that if the Bank, a “mere monied corporation,” could use its money to buy politicians, “then nothing remains of our boasted freedom except the skin of the immolated victim.” He told his close friend and advisor Martin Van Buren: “The Bank, Mr. Van Buren, is trying to kill me, but I will kill it!”
He did. The Bank’s charter, the document that gave it the United States government’s permission to exist, didn’t expire until 1836, but in early 1832, the president of the Bank, Nicholas Biddle, applied for a new charter. His sole reason for doing this was to force Jackson to refuse to recharter the Bank; Biddle assumed that Jackson’s opposition to the Bank would be unpopular and lead to his defeat in the upcoming election, and so he wanted to make sure the president committed publicly to this opposition during the campaign season.
Jackson duly vetoed a bill for rechartering the Bank in July 1832, whereupon Biddle poured massive amounts of money into the campaign of Jackson’s opponent, Henry Clay. Clay campaigned on the issue of the Bank, but this issue did not prove as popular as he and Biddle had hoped. The American people saw Jackson as their champion against moneyed interests that were corrupting the body politic. Clay was resoundingly defeated, with 49 electoral votes against Jackson’s 219.
Rating America’s Presidents shows history in the process of repeating itself. Today, President Trump is, like Jackson, facing a coterie of secretive and unaccountable forces that hold undue sway over the course of American domestic and foreign policy. As in Jackson’s war against the Bank of the United States, Trump must destroy these forces, or they will destroy him – and in this case, likely take the nation down as well. Just as in 1832, these powerful forces are hoping by means of a presidential election to restore and cement their hegemony. The future of America as a free society, in which officials are accountable to the people, hangs in the balance.
Article posted with permission from Robert Spencer


thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--Circle In The Darkness:  Former AP Journalist’s Insider View Into Media Manipulation

We ’ ve reported on many journalists in the media who have exposed the corruption by corporate-owned media outlets , largely controlled by the CIA .
Now , another former Associated Press and AFP journalist is providing her own insider ’ s view into media manipulation in newsrooms in the US and Europe .
• Unfreedom Of The Press : Award-Winning Journalist Sharyl Attkisson Exposes Journalists Creating Drama So They Can Report It • Sharyl Attkisson : When Propagandists Work This Hard To Shape Your Opinion , Their Goal Is To Separate You From The Truth Rick Sterling at MintPress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has written a compelling and insightful book .
It is mostly a review and analysis of significant events from the past 55 years and concludes with her assessment of different trends that are being debated on the Left today , including “ identity politics , ” Antifa , and censorship .
This is a book to be read , enjoyed , and discussed The book , “ Circle in the Darkness : Memoir of a World Watcher , ” gives glimpses into Johnstone ’ s personal life .
Born in St. Paul , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington DC .
She studied and taught at the University of Minnesota before moving to Europe where she spent most of her life – mostly in France with stints in Germany and Italy .
Her parents divorced when she was young and she had a special love and connection with her father who , somewhat ironically , was a Pentagon analyst .
Evidently , he also had an open and critical mind , writing the memoir “ From MAD to Madness : Inside Pentagon Nuclear War Planning.
” Johnstone had a daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely on her own .
She finished her Ph.D. in French literature and then worked as a teacher , translator , photographer , and journalist .
As Johnstone and her daughter moved between Minnesota and France , she compared their educational systems and notes , “ There is a tendency in American grade schools for the kids to gang up against whichever unfortunate schoolmate has been selected by class bullies for tormenting ….. from my observation it is not like this in France.
” She also describes the difficulties of being a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnstone ’ s book is full of insights based on her first-hand experience living in Yugoslavia as a young exchange student , working as a photographer for the Associated Press , translating news reports for Agence France Presse , reporting on the end of the Cold War for In These Times and working as a press officer for the coalition of Green Parties in the newly formed European Union .
• Top German Journalist : “ We All Lie for the CIA ” – Mainstream Media is Completely Fake • Ex-CNN Reporter Amber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • An In-Depth Look At American Propaganda , Operation Mockingbird & Mind Control • The Evidence That Operation Mockingbird Is A Reality – Now Apply This To The Current Coronavirus Freak Show ( Video ) One theme that runs through the book is the need to reach out and engage with regular people .
Johnstone recounts her experiences opposing the U.S. war on Vietnam .
She and her allies launched a campaign to educate and engage with regular Minnesotans , to explain what was happening in Vietnam and why the war should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students and teachers who went door to door in Minneapolis .
Later , they sent a citizen delegation to Paris to meet with , and hear from , Vietnamese representatives .
Afterward , they reported back to communities throughout the state and country .
Johnstone recalls how these actions did not get media attention yet were able to deepen opposition to the war in profound ways .
The students and teachers going into the neighborhoods had to educate themselves in advance ; they learned from the questions ( and sometimes opposition ) from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met the Vietnamese representatives in Paris , was deeply impressed and conveyed their experience on their return .
Johnstone is an unusually perceptive analyst .
Her analyses of the Watergate scandal and Nixon ’ s resignation , for example , raise important but overlooked issues .
Rather than seeing them as the hallmark of investigative journalism , she notes that they established a model of journalism that relies on unidentified government sources .
Looking back , Watergate effectively deflected attention from the ongoing slaughter in Southeast Asia .
Johnstone gives a stark assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ As for the American antiwar movement , half a century later , it has vanished almost without a trace as an influential political force .
There are perhaps more intelligent critics of war than ever before , but they are largely confined to the virtual world of the web , without significant impact on a political system which is totally integrated into a military industrial complex that relies on endless conflicts .
Through her work at the Associated Press and Agence France Presse , Johnstone saw how stories are selected and prioritized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnessed how the media promotes certain types of protest leaders .
In her book , she offers critical assessments of protest leaders who became famous , including Daniel Cohn Bendit .
She gives a scathing critique of celebrity French philosopher Bernard Henri Levy .
Johnson has valuable insights on many events over the 1970s and ‘ 80s .
These include among others , the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme , who was likely behind it , and how it has led to Swedish subservience to the U.S .
The causes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by ultra-leftists in Italy .
The murder of Palestinian moderate Dr. Issa Sartawi at a Socialist Party conference .
The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II by a Turkish militant and the propaganda campaign trying to link him to Bulgaria and the Soviet Union , and the growing influence of Israel in western foreign policy .
In the 1980s and early 1990s , Johnstone watched closely , interviewed key players , and reported on the rise of detente between the U.S. and Soviet Union , concluding , that “ Not enough credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1980s peace movement.
” The book , subtitled “ Memoirs of a World Watcher , ” describes how radical Islamists were used to undermine the socialist Afghanistan government beginning 1979 .
When the Soviet Union collapsed , the U.S. had no restraints , Johnstone recalls .
She summarizes “ Mikhail Gorbachev was a naive negotiator , outfoxed by the Americans ” and “ The total surrender of ‘ real existing ’ communism in the East contributed to the defeat of the Western Left.
” In 1991 , the U.S. seemingly invited Saddam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built up a huge force to expel and then massacre thousands of retreating Iraqi soldiers .
With operation “ Desert Storm ” viewed as a military success , President Bush declared : “ The Vietnam syndrome is over !
” With the dissolution of the Soviet Union , neoliberal economic policies quickly dominated the globe and the European Union was formed in 1992 .
Johnstone describes how the EU imposed rules and requirements that favored private banks and institutions and restricted or prevented state intervention and solutions .
Yugoslavia , as the sole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure and media attack .
Johnstone describes how “ humanitarian imperialism ” emerged at this time .
With the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991 , the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) needed a new mandate and reason for existing .
They found this new purpose in media distortion and demonization of Serbia and Yugoslavia .
NATO promoted the “ Kosovo Liberation Army ” and other divisive elements and then bombed Serbia for 78 consecutive days .
Yugoslavia was broken into pieces .
In 2002 , Johnstone wrote a book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and show trial .
Following the publication of that book , titled “ Fool ’ s Crusade : Yugoslavia , NATO and Western Delusions , ” she was attacked in the media for challenging the dominant assumptions about the conflict .
Johnstone responded to the attacks saying , ” I do not deny atrocities , but unlike others , I give them a political context.
” Others strongly defended her .
Canadian law professor Michael Mandel wrote , “ Fools Crusade is not only the definitive work on the Balkans Wars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to rescue truth from the battlefield when it has become war ’ s first casualty.
” Western media distortion and intervention in Yugoslavia went almost unopposed .
The antiwar movement was widely confused and silent .
This was followed by the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and then Iraq .
Along with media distortions and comparisons to Hitler and the Holocaust , there emerged the justification for violating national sovereignty based on the “ Right to Protect ” ( R2P ) .
This was the pretext for overthrowing the Libyan government of Moammar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been used to confuse and silence antiwar forces , even some prominent traditional antiwar analysts .
She has interacted with Noam Chomsky many times over the decades and is overall very positive , but notes that “ even he might get something wrong.
” She documents how the coauthor of Chomsky ’ s seminal work , “ Manufacturing Consent ” was evidently fooled into believing media reports from Benghazi , Libya .
Chomsky said the western sponsored uprising was “ wonderful.
” It has since been made clear that media reports and NGO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were the pretense to launch the NATO campaign to overthrow the government .
Western intervention , including the sponsorship of terrorist armies in Syria , has been sold to the unwitting public using this model .
Wherever the U.S. and NATO wish to intervene , there is a “ humanitarian crisis ” and “ responsibility to protect.
” “ Circle in the Darkness ” analyzes current issues of contention and debate on the left .
In it , Johnstone argues that suppression of debate and free speech , whether by the Right or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argues that violence and vandalism hurt the progressive cause even when it gives a spurt of publicity and media attention .
She describes many examples over the past 50 years and how frequently the instigators were government or police agents .
Johnstone describes the spectacular growth of the “ Yellow Vest ” movement in France .
She documents how it began , how it was supported and joined by common people , and how it reached across party lines .
She contrasts the broad support of the Yellow Vest movement with narrow support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , writing , “ Sociologically , this revolt was the opposite of May ’ 68 .
Instead of privileged students , imagining a non-existent working class revolution in a time of prosperity , this was the working class itself , in hard times.
” Johnstone describes how French police attacked the Yellow Vest protesters with many injuries and even deaths .
She writes , “ Curiously , all this heavy handed repression totally failed to prevent masked ‘ Black Bloc ’ members from taking advantage of this opportunity to attack the police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police did nothing to prevent unidentified intruders from invading the ground floor of the Arc de Triomphe to smash up a statue of Marianne… .
It is noteworthy that almost all the seriously injured were peaceful Yellow Vest protesters , whereas the Black Blocs often got away unscathed .
Perhaps the Black Blocs believe they are fighting the system .
Whatever their intentions , they have served as a useful auxiliary to government repression.
” On the massive media effort to control popular thoughts and anger , Johnstone notes : She writes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with dogma .
Johnstone recounts her falling out with Counterpunch magazine after they published a “ barrage of attacks ” on analyst and writer Caitlin Johnstone ( no relation ) .
Johnstone argues in favor of working for peace with all forces which agree on that issue , whether or not they agree on all issues of “ identity politics.
” She argues that we should not be distracted from the root causes of war and social inequality .
When the Left focuses on the fringe right , the establishment is not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diversion .
Johnstone is hopeful and encouraged by two things : a new generation of truthseekers and that life is full of surprises .
This book is full of insights and analysis about where the world is and how we got here .
It includes important ideas and thoughts about what we can do to resist the drift toward global war and catastrophe .
Above all , Diana Johnstone argues for the importance of discussion , debate , and keeping it real .

We’ve reported on many journalists in the media who have exposed the corruption by corporate-owned media outlets, largely controlled by the CIA. Now, another former Associated Press and AFP journalist is providing her own insider’s view into media manipulation in newsrooms in the US and Europe.
Rick Sterling at MintPress News has the story:
Diana Johnstone has written a compelling and insightful book. It is mostly a review and analysis of significant events from the past 55 years and concludes with her assessment of different trends that are being debated on the Left today, including “identity politics,” Antifa, and censorship. This is a book to be read, enjoyed, and discussed
The book, “Circle in the Darkness: Memoir of a World Watcher ,” gives glimpses into Johnstone’s personal life. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Johnstone grew up there and in Washington DC. She studied and taught at the University of Minnesota before moving to Europe where she spent most of her life – mostly in France with stints in Germany and Italy.
Her parents divorced when she was young and she had a special love and connection with her father who, somewhat ironically, was a Pentagon analyst. Evidently, he also had an open and critical mind, writing the memoir “From MAD to Madness: Inside Pentagon Nuclear War Planning.”
Johnstone had a daughter at a young age and raised her largely on her own. She finished her Ph.D. in French literature and then worked as a teacher, translator, photographer, and journalist.
As Johnstone and her daughter moved between Minnesota and France, she compared their educational systems and notes, “There is a tendency in American grade schools for the kids to gang up against whichever unfortunate schoolmate has been selected by class bullies for tormenting ….. from my observation it is not like this in France.” She also describes the difficulties of being a single mother before it was more common.
Johnstone’s book is full of insights based on her first-hand experience living in Yugoslavia as a young exchange student, working as a photographer for the Associated Press, translating news reports for Agence France Presse, reporting on the end of the Cold War for In These Times and working as a press officer for the coalition of Green Parties in the newly formed European Union.
Grassroots activism
One theme that runs through the book is the need to reach out and engage with regular people. Johnstone recounts her experiences opposing the U.S. war on Vietnam. She and her allies launched a campaign to educate and engage with regular Minnesotans, to explain what was happening in Vietnam and why the war should be opposed. She helped organize teams of students and teachers who went door to door in Minneapolis. Later, they sent a citizen delegation to Paris to meet with, and hear from, Vietnamese representatives. Afterward, they reported back to communities throughout the state and country. Johnstone recalls how these actions did not get media attention yet were able to deepen opposition to the war in profound ways. The students and teachers going into the neighborhoods had to educate themselves in advance; they learned from the questions (and sometimes opposition) from community members; the delegation, which met the Vietnamese representatives in Paris, was deeply impressed and conveyed their experience on their return.
Johnstone is an unusually perceptive analyst. Her analyses of the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, for example, raise important but overlooked issues. Rather than seeing them as the hallmark of investigative journalism, she notes that they established a model of journalism that relies on unidentified government sources. Looking back, Watergate effectively deflected attention from the ongoing slaughter in Southeast Asia.
Getting rid of Nixon was a brilliant coup that united generations, torn asunder by opposing attitudes toward the war …..Watergate washed away the national sins. It prepared America to be ‘born again’ first as the innocent Gerald Ford and then as the good Christian Jimmy Carter, champion of human rights..
Moreover, she writes,
The shenanigans around Watergate were a distraction from the most significant acts of the Nixon administration, in particular the shakeup of the world economy by the August 1971 decision to suspend (meaning to end) the convertibility of the dollar into gold. This was a direct result of the huge U.S. debt resulting from the cost of the Vietnam War.”
Johnstone gives a stark assessment of what happened to the Left. “As for the American antiwar movement, half a century later, it has vanished almost without a trace as an influential political force. There are perhaps more intelligent critics of war than ever before, but they are largely confined to the virtual world of the web, without significant impact on a political system which is totally integrated into a military industrial complex that relies on endless conflicts.
Critical international events
Through her work at the Associated Press and Agence France Presse, Johnstone saw how stories are selected and prioritized depending on establishment bias. She also witnessed how the media promotes certain types of protest leaders. In her book, she offers critical assessments of protest leaders who became famous, including Daniel Cohn Bendit. She gives a scathing critique of celebrity French philosopher Bernard Henri Levy.
Johnson has valuable insights on many events over the 1970s and ‘80s. These include among others, the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme, who was likely behind it, and how it has led to Swedish subservience to the U.S. The causes and consequences of the assassination of Aldo Moro by ultra-leftists in Italy. The murder of Palestinian moderate Dr. Issa Sartawi at a Socialist Party conference. The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II by a Turkish militant and the propaganda campaign trying to link him to Bulgaria and the Soviet Union, and the growing influence of Israel in western foreign policy.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Johnstone watched closely, interviewed key players, and reported on the rise of detente between the U.S. and Soviet Union, concluding, that “Not enough credit is given to Mikhail Gorbachev and to the 1980s peace movement.”
The book, subtitled “Memoirs of a World Watcher,” describes how radical Islamists were used to undermine the socialist Afghanistan government beginning 1979. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the U.S. had no restraints, Johnstone recalls. She summarizes “Mikhail Gorbachev was a naive negotiator, outfoxed by the Americans” and “The total surrender of ‘real existing’ communism in the East contributed to the defeat of the Western Left.”
In 1991, the U.S. seemingly invited Saddam Hussein to go into Kuwait, then built up a huge force to expel and then massacre thousands of retreating Iraqi soldiers. With operation “Desert Storm” viewed as a military success, President Bush declared: “The Vietnam syndrome is over!”
Yugoslavia and “humanitarian imperialism”
With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, neoliberal economic policies quickly dominated the globe and the European Union was formed in 1992. Johnstone describes how the EU imposed rules and requirements that favored private banks and institutions and restricted or prevented state intervention and solutions. Yugoslavia, as the sole remaining socialist holdout, was under increasing pressure and media attack.
Johnstone describes how “humanitarian imperialism” emerged at this time. With the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) needed a new mandate and reason for existing. They found this new purpose in media distortion and demonization of Serbia and Yugoslavia. NATO promoted the “Kosovo Liberation Army” and other divisive elements and then bombed Serbia for 78 consecutive days. Yugoslavia was broken into pieces.
In 2002, Johnstone wrote a book about the NATO attack, western propaganda, and show trial. Following the publication of that book, titled “Fool’s Crusade: Yugoslavia, NATO and Western Delusions,” she was attacked in the media for challenging the dominant assumptions about the conflict. Johnstone responded to the attacks saying,” I do not deny atrocities, but unlike others, I give them a political context.” Others strongly defended her. Canadian law professor Michael Mandel wrote, “Fools Crusade is not only the definitive work on the Balkans Wars, it is also an inspiring example of how to rescue truth from the battlefield when it has become war’s first casualty.”
Western media distortion and intervention in Yugoslavia went almost unopposed. The antiwar movement was widely confused and silent. This was followed by the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and then Iraq.
Along with media distortions and comparisons to Hitler and the Holocaust, there emerged the justification for violating national sovereignty based on the “Right to Protect” (R2P). This was the pretext for overthrowing the Libyan government of Moammar Gadhafi. Johnstone discusses how R2P has been used to confuse and silence antiwar forces, even some prominent traditional antiwar analysts. She has interacted with Noam Chomsky many times over the decades and is overall very positive, but notes that “even he might get something wrong.” She documents how the coauthor of Chomsky’s seminal work, “Manufacturing Consent” was evidently fooled into believing media reports from Benghazi, Libya. Chomsky said the western sponsored uprising was “wonderful.” It has since been made clear that media reports and NGO accusations from Benghazi were false. They were the pretense to launch the NATO campaign to overthrow the government.
Western intervention, including the sponsorship of terrorist armies in Syria, has been sold to the unwitting public using this model. Wherever the U.S. and NATO wish to intervene, there is a “humanitarian crisis” and “responsibility to protect.”
Critical current issues
“Circle in the Darkness” analyzes current issues of contention and debate on the left. In it, Johnstone argues that suppression of debate and free speech, whether by the Right or the Left, is counter-productive. She argues that violence and vandalism hurt the progressive cause even when it gives a spurt of publicity and media attention. She describes many examples over the past 50 years and how frequently the instigators were government or police agents.
Johnstone describes the spectacular growth of the “Yellow Vest” movement in France. She documents how it began, how it was supported and joined by common people, and how it reached across party lines. She contrasts the broad support of the Yellow Vest movement with narrow support of the student protests of May 1968, writing, “Sociologically, this revolt was the opposite of May ’68. Instead of privileged students, imagining a non-existent working class revolution in a time of prosperity, this was the working class itself, in hard times.”
Johnstone describes how French police attacked the Yellow Vest protesters with many injuries and even deaths. She writes, “Curiously, all this heavy handed repression totally failed to prevent masked ‘Black Bloc’ members from taking advantage of this opportunity to attack the police, set fires, break shop windows ….. Police did nothing to prevent unidentified intruders from invading the ground floor of the Arc de Triomphe to smash up a statue of Marianne…. It is noteworthy that almost all the seriously injured were peaceful Yellow Vest protesters, whereas the Black Blocs often got away unscathed. Perhaps the Black Blocs believe they are fighting the system. Whatever their intentions, they have served as a useful auxiliary to government repression.”
On the massive media effort to control popular thoughts and anger, Johnstone notes:
The mainstream media have moved farther and farther away from informing the public and nearer to instructing them in what they should think and do.”
She writes in her belief that the Left is infused with dogma. Johnstone recounts her falling out with Counterpunch magazine after they published a “barrage of attacks” on analyst and writer Caitlin Johnstone (no relation).
That was indeed the start of Caitlin’s rise to great prominence in anti-war circles and beginning of CounterPunch’s decline from ‘fearless muckraking’ to snide sniping at the genuine heirs to the independent spirit of the founder, Alexander Cockburn. The gist of the CounterPunch attacks on the Australian Johnstone were that she dared say she would join even with someone on the right against war. That is simple good sense, but it was picked up by the Antifa purification squad as proof of tendencies toward fascism. When I saw them coming after Caitlin, I figured they’d be coming after me, and that my association with CounterPunch was soon coming to an end.”
Johnstone argues in favor of working for peace with all forces which agree on that issue, whether or not they agree on all issues of “identity politics.” She argues that we should not be distracted from the root causes of war and social inequality. When the Left focuses on the fringe right, the establishment is not only happy, they encourage and promote this diversion.
The specialty of the AntiFa is to situate the threat of tyranny on the powerless margins of society – from isolated groups of costume party neo-Nazis to outspoken persons on the left accused of ‘red-brown’ tendencies. This amounts to keeping the Left herded into its sheep pen, while the wolves roam freely.”
Johnstone is hopeful and encouraged by two things: a new generation of truthseekers and that life is full of surprises.
This book is full of insights and analysis about where the world is and how we got here. It includes important ideas and thoughts about what we can do to resist the drift toward global war and catastrophe. Above all, Diana Johnstone argues for the importance of discussion, debate, and keeping it real.


thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--Pompeo’s Iran Failures Make War More Likely

The US foreign policy establishment has for decades been dominated by neoconservative interventionists and falsely-named “ humanitarian ” interventionists .
These people believe that because the United States is the one “ exceptional nation , ” no conflict anywhere in the world could possibly be solved without our butting our noses into it .
One of President Obama ’ s few foreign policy successes was to work with European countries on a deal that would see a reduction of sanctions on Iran in exchange for a series of Iranian moves demonstrating its abandonment of a nuclear weapon .
The American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi Arabia and Israel were furious at the compromise , but for a couple of years , it showed real promise .
Trade between Europe and Iran was increasing and there was no evidence that Iran was reneging on its obligations .
Even American companies were looking to Iran for business opportunities .
Whenever goods flow between nations , war becomes less likely .
President Trump has had problems with policy consistency throughout his first term in office .
But , unfortunately , his few policy consistencies have been the most ill-advised ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacked Obama ’ s Iran policy and promised to pull the US out of the JCPOA Iran agreement .
Unfortunately for America , he followed through with this policy in 2018 .
Though he promised that by pulling out of the deal the US would get a far better deal in its place , the truth is Trump ’ s Iran policy has produced nothing but negative results .
The Iranians have not knuckled down under the weight of Pompeo ’ s pressure , and putting regime change specialists like Elliot Abrams in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us closer to an unnecessary war .
Iran is not a threat to the United States , no matter what lies the neocons put forth .
These past two weeks the weakness in the US “ maximum pressure ” policy toward Iran has been exposed for the world to see .
First , Pompeo spent the summer lobbying European nations to support a US motion in the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo against Iran .
As Iran has been judged in compliance with the Iran deal , the arms embargo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pompeo ’ s diplomatic skills did not produce the desired results : not a single party to the Iran nuclear deal voted with the US to extend the embargo .
Undeterred , the Trump Administration is now determined to trigger the “ snap-back ” sanctions on Iran , which means if Iran is judged to be in violation of the Iran nuclear agreement all the previous sanctions would snap back into place .
But there ’ s a problem with this : because the US has formally withdrawn from the Iran agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ snap-back ” of UN sanctions on Iran .
If you take your marbles and go home , you don ’ t get to still dictate the rules of the game .
Last week Pompeo attempted to trigger the “ snap-back ” and was laughed out of the room by the countries who have remained in the deal .
US policy toward Iran is an unwise consistency and the Trump Administration is hopelessly floundering on the bad advice of the neocons .
They want nothing more than war on Iran .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s time to end this failed policy of confrontation with Iran .

The US foreign policy establishment has for decades been dominated by neoconservative interventionists and falsely-named “humanitarian” interventionists. These people believe that because the United States is the one “exceptional nation,” no conflict anywhere in the world could possibly be solved without our butting our noses into it.
One of President Obama’s few foreign policy successes was to work with European countries on a deal that would see a reduction of sanctions on Iran in exchange for a series of Iranian moves demonstrating its abandonment of a nuclear weapon.
The American neocons as well as the hardliners in Saudi Arabia and Israel were furious at the compromise, but for a couple of years, it showed real promise. Trade between Europe and Iran was increasing and there was no evidence that Iran was reneging on its obligations. Even American companies were looking to Iran for business opportunities. Whenever goods flow between nations, war becomes less likely.
President Trump has had problems with policy consistency throughout his first term in office. But, unfortunately, his few policy consistencies have been the most ill-advised ones. On the campaign trail Trump relentlessly attacked Obama’s Iran policy and promised to pull the US out of the JCPOA Iran agreement.
Unfortunately for America, he followed through with this policy in 2018. Though he promised that by pulling out of the deal the US would get a far better deal in its place, the truth is Trump’s Iran policy has produced nothing but negative results. The Iranians have not knuckled down under the weight of Pompeo’s pressure, and putting regime change specialists like Elliot Abrams in charge of Iran policy has just moved us closer to an unnecessary war.
Iran is not a threat to the United States, no matter what lies the neocons put forth.
These past two weeks the weakness in the US “maximum pressure” policy toward Iran has been exposed for the world to see. First, Pompeo spent the summer lobbying European nations to support a US motion in the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo against Iran. As Iran has been judged in compliance with the Iran deal, the arms embargo is scheduled to be lifted in October. Pompeo’s diplomatic skills did not produce the desired results: not a single party to the Iran nuclear deal voted with the US to extend the embargo.
Undeterred, the Trump Administration is now determined to trigger the “snap-back” sanctions on Iran, which means if Iran is judged to be in violation of the Iran nuclear agreement all the previous sanctions would snap back into place.
But there’s a problem with this: because the US has formally withdrawn from the Iran agreement it has no legal standing to trigger the “snap-back” of UN sanctions on Iran. If you take your marbles and go home, you don’t get to still dictate the rules of the game.
Last week Pompeo attempted to trigger the “snap-back” and was laughed out of the room by the countries who have remained in the deal.
US policy toward Iran is an unwise consistency and the Trump Administration is hopelessly floundering on the bad advice of the neocons. They want nothing more than war on Iran. But the American people do not. It’s time to end this failed policy of confrontation with Iran.


thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--Detroit, Michigan:  Eyewitness Claims As Much As 20,000 Unverified Absentee Ballots Counted in Prima

Detroit , Michigan : Eyewitness Claims As Much As 20,000 Unverified Absentee Ballots Counted in Primary An eyewitness to the Detroit primaries said that he witnessed as many as 20,000 unverified absentee ballots being fed through machines and counted during the August 4 primary .
Michigan Republican Party-appointed poll challenger Bob Cushman said that he witnessed the chaos that ensued in Detroit on primary night .
Take a listen to his interview on The Kyle Olson Show .
Cushman said he is concerned about election integrity and signed up to be an observer .
He noted that a car with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large facility .
Cushman said he did not know what the purpose was , but he suspected “ that car was somebody that was delivering ballots .
It just seemed a little odd.
” In an affidavit , Cushman recounted several counting tables “ had opened ballots with no poll book ” to check to see if the individual was authorized to cast that ballot .
That is significant , he said , because the poll book is used to ensure “ that name is someone that ’ s a qualified , real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ noticed pages being inserted into several poll books.
” According to Cushman , some workers left early as the day dragged into the night .
Polls closed at 8:00 p.m. , but Cushman observed at 12:37 a.m. that “ the threat was made that the $ 100 bonus that had been promised earlier ( over the public address system ) would not be paid.
” Cushman said in his affidavit that an order was made around 2:00 a.m. to open the remaining ballots “ for immediate tabulation without additional processing or notation.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he told The Kyle Olson Show , “ but I would guess there were 10,000 to 20,000 after 2:00 a.m. — could have been more.
” Cushman thought election officials should go back to analyze what ballots were counted after the procedures were suspected and throw those votes out .
All of this is potentially consequential given the narrow 10,704-vote victory Donald Trump won in 2016 and the expected close margin anticipated in 2020 .
“ It ’ s very hard to change the result of an election after the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like many , does not have any faith that things will be corrected by the November election .
“ But perhaps if we put enough light on this subject , that there be enough heat to get it done correctly , ” he said .
In the end , it ’ s those who “ count ” the votes that matter more than those who are casting them , just like Stalin said .
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media

Detroit, Michigan: Eyewitness Claims As Much As 20,000 Unverified Absentee Ballots Counted in Primary
An eyewitness to the Detroit primaries said that he witnessed as many as 20,000 unverified absentee ballots being fed through machines and counted during the August 4 primary.
Michigan Republican Party-appointed poll challenger Bob Cushman said that he witnessed the chaos that ensued in Detroit on primary night.
Take a listen to his interview on The Kyle Olson Show.
Breitbart reports:
Cushman said he is concerned about election integrity and signed up to be an observer.
He noted that a car with Ohio license plates was driven into the large facility. Cushman said he did not know what the purpose was, but he suspected “that car was somebody that was delivering ballots. It just seemed a little odd.”
In an affidavit, Cushman recounted several counting tables “had opened ballots with no poll book” to check to see if the individual was authorized to cast that ballot.
That is significant, he said, because the poll book is used to ensure “that name is someone that’s a qualified, real voter.”
In another instance, he “noticed pages being inserted into several poll books.”
According to Cushman, some workers left early as the day dragged into the night.
Polls closed at 8:00 p.m., but Cushman observed at 12:37 a.m. that “the threat was made that the $100 bonus that had been promised earlier (over the public address system) would not be paid.”
Cushman said in his affidavit that an order was made around 2:00 a.m. to open the remaining ballots “for immediate tabulation without additional processing or notation.”
“This is just my estimate,” he told The Kyle Olson Show, “but I would guess there were 10,000 to 20,000 after 2:00 a.m. — could have been more.”
Cushman thought election officials should go back to analyze what ballots were counted after the procedures were suspected and throw those votes out.
All of this is potentially consequential given the narrow 10,704-vote victory Donald Trump won in 2016 and the expected close margin anticipated in 2020.
“It’s very hard to change the result of an election after the fact,” Cushman stated.
Cushman, like many, does not have any faith that things will be corrected by the November election.
“But perhaps if we put enough light on this subject, that there be enough heat to get it done correctly,” he said.
In the end, it’s those who “count” the votes that matter more than those who are casting them, just like Stalin said.
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--FDA in Hot Seat by Senators’ Demands on HCQ and HHS Pulling Rank on Tests

On August 18 , 2020 , Senator Ron Johnson ( R-Wis. ) , Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) , and Sen. Mike Lee ( R-Utah ) submitted a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) Commissioner Stephen Hahn , demanding information regarding their actions taken on the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 .
“ Physicians are concerned that the FDA ’ s actions regarding hydroxychloroquine ( HCQ ) may be directly costing lives by limiting outpatient access to this potentially beneficial treatment , ” the letter stated .
The senators wrote that the FDA ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to misinformation and confusion across the country .
Some states have restricted the ability of physicians to write and pharmacies to fill HCQ and CQ prescriptions.
” The senators are correct in that the FDA has done a fine job of creating confusion , as Corey ’ s Digs has been documenting their actions on HCQ since the beginning of this “ pandemic.
” This also comes on the heels of the historical 24-hour censoring takedown of America ’ s Frontline Doctors , who have been fighting to get critical information out on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point out that “ the licensed physicians we have heard from… have pointed to the low mortality rates in other countries—like India , Turkey , South Korea , and Morocco—that are using HCQ widely on outpatient COVID-19 populations before the disease progresses to more lethal stages of the virus that require hospitalization.
” They have given the FDA a deadline of 5:00 p.m. on August 25 , 2020 to submit information on the following requests : • Please provide any studies and data that informed the FDA ’ s apparent determination that giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within seven days from the onset of symptoms , under a doctor ’ s supervision , will have no clinical effect and may be harmful to the patient .
• Please provide any scientific studies , medical papers and data involving COVID-19 outpatients that have started HCQ or CQ under a doctor ’ s supervision and begun in the ambulatory care outpatient setting .
This includes post-exposure outpatient treatment and/or pre-exposure prophylaxis .
This should not include late stage studies involving patients started on HCQ while in hospital .
• Please provide and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued to clarify that the FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine and that state governments may not regulate the sale or prohibit the sale of prescription drugs .
• Please provide any potential treatments for COVID-19 that have been utilized internationally , whether those treatments are authorized or approved by the FDA , and what steps the FDA has taken to ensure that these treatments are available in the U.S .
The answers to these requests can already be found in Corey ’ s Digs reports on COVID-19 .
The fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have any studies to prove that HCQ has no clinical effect or may be harmful to a patient when used in the early stages of onset of symptoms because they only promoted studies on those who were already hospitalized .
However , there have been studies to show HCQ does in fact work in early stages .
In addition to this , the coronavirus “ task force , ” the WHO , and all major media outlets persistently reported on studies that were later retracted as bogus studies .
Furthermore , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors being able to prescribe HCQ , after May 29 , was in a very short statement he made on NBC ’ s “ Today ” show on July 30 , which could be equated to a “ false/positive ” statement at best .
At no point has the FDA clarified this correctly on their website , twitter feed , to the CDC , in documents to medical boards , or by getting the information out on multiple news stations .
Nor has the FDA requested that twitter remove their malicious “ live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is new information , when in fact it dates back to June , creating far more confusion .
The very next day , on August 19 , Health and Human Services ( HHS ) announced a “ rescission of guidances and other informal issuances concerning premarket review of laboratory developed tests.
” Essentially , this removes the FDA from regulating and potentially slowing down lab-developed tests , which some have argued that the FDA does not have this authority to begin with .
HHS stated that “ the Trump Administration is committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people are protected against future pandemics , and to keep duplicative regulations and unnecessary policies from interfering in these efforts.
” Whereas this is specific to tests , it is indicative of the FDA losing ground on several fronts .
On August 21 , the Texas Medical Board issued a press release on their ongoing COVID-19 response .
In it , they addressed misinformation regarding the Board ’ s previous statement on COVID-19 treatments .
“ The Texas Medical Board has never prohibited the use of hydroxychloroquine alone , or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment of COVID-19 .
In fact , the TMB does not prohibit any drug or treatment .
The off-label use of hydroxychloroquine as an alternative therapy for COVID-19 patients is completely permissible .
As is the case with any alternative therapy , physicians must ensure they comply with Board Rule 200 which requires physicians to provide full disclosure of treatment options , side effects , and obtain informed consent .
Licensees should not fear disciplinary action from the TMB simply for expressing their support of specific COVID-19 treatments like hydroxychloroquine .
What providers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no definitive cure , claims of a cure may constitute false , misleading or deceptive advertising , which is prohibited by law and may prompt an inquiry from the TMB.
” On August 22 , four days after the senators submitted this request to the FDA , President Trump tweeted that “ the deep state , or whoever , over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics .
Obviously , they are hoping to delay the answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on speed , and saving lives !
” He made it a point to tag FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in this tweet .
While all of this was taking place over the past week , reports emerged that the FDA is putting a hold on convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 after NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and two other federal health officials argued that there is not enough data to show that it is working .
On Sunday afternoon , President Trump , HHS Secretary Alex Azar , and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA is issuing an emergency use authorization ( EUA ) for blood plasma as a coronavirus treatment , stating that scientists have concluded that it is safe , and there has been a 35 % increase in survival of COVID-19 patients , which they deem to be very successful .
They will continue to gather data moving forward , as they do with all EUA ’ s .
Corey ’ s Digs will update this developing story on HCQ when new information is released .
Article posted with permission from Corey Lynn , @ @ @ @

On August 18, 2020, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) submitted a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn, demanding information regarding their actions taken on the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19. “Physicians are concerned that the FDA’s actions regarding hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) may be directly costing lives by limiting outpatient access to this potentially beneficial treatment,” the letter stated.
The senators wrote that the FDA’s actions on HCQ have “led to misinformation and confusion across the country. Some states have restricted the ability of physicians to write and pharmacies to fill HCQ and CQ prescriptions.” The senators are correct in that the FDA has done a fine job of creating confusion, as Corey’s Digs has been documenting their actions on HCQ since the beginning of this “pandemic.” This also comes on the heels of the historical 24-hour censoring takedown of America’s Frontline Doctors, who have been fighting to get critical information out on the benefits of HCQ.
The senators point out that “the licensed physicians we have heard from… have pointed to the low mortality rates in other countries—like India, Turkey, South Korea, and Morocco—that are using HCQ widely on outpatient COVID-19 populations before the disease progresses to more lethal stages of the virus that require hospitalization.”
They have given the FDA a deadline of 5:00 p.m. on August 25, 2020 to submit information on the following requests:
Please provide any studies and data that informed the FDA’s apparent determination that giving HCQ or CQ to COVID-19 infected outpatients within seven days from the onset of symptoms, under a doctor’s supervision, will have no clinical effect and may be harmful to the patient.
Please provide any scientific studies, medical papers and data involving COVID-19 outpatients that have started HCQ or CQ under a doctor’s supervision and begun in the ambulatory care outpatient setting. This includes post-exposure outpatient treatment and/or pre-exposure prophylaxis. This should not include late stage studies involving patients started on HCQ while in hospital.
Please provide and public statements or records that FDA has issued to clarify that the FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine and that state governments may not regulate the sale or prohibit the sale of prescription drugs.
Please provide any potential treatments for COVID-19 that have been utilized internationally, whether those treatments are authorized or approved by the FDA, and what steps the FDA has taken to ensure that these treatments are available in the U.S.
The answers to these requests can already be found in Corey’s Digs reports on COVID-19. The fact of the matter is that they do not have any studies to prove that HCQ has no clinical effect or may be harmful to a patient when used in the early stages of onset of symptoms because they only promoted studies on those who were already hospitalized. However, there have been studies to show HCQ does in fact work in early stages. In addition to this, the coronavirus “task force,” the WHO, and all major media outlets persistently reported on studies that were later retracted as bogus studies. Furthermore, the only time Stephen Hahn spoke out about doctors being able to prescribe HCQ, after May 29, was in a very short statement he made on NBC’s “Today” show on July 30, which could be equated to a “false/positive” statement at best. At no point has the FDA clarified this correctly on their website, twitter feed, to the CDC, in documents to medical boards, or by getting the information out on multiple news stations. Nor has the FDA requested that twitter remove their malicious “live news on coronavirus” alerts as though it is new information, when in fact it dates back to June, creating far more confusion.
The very next day, on August 19, Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a “rescission of guidances and other informal issuances concerning premarket review of laboratory developed tests.” Essentially, this removes the FDA from regulating and potentially slowing down lab-developed tests, which some have argued that the FDA does not have this authority to begin with. HHS stated that “the Trump Administration is committed to combating COVID-19, to ensuring that the American people are protected against future pandemics, and to keep duplicative regulations and unnecessary policies from interfering in these efforts.” Whereas this is specific to tests, it is indicative of the FDA losing ground on several fronts.
On August 21, the Texas Medical Board issued a press release on their ongoing COVID-19 response. In it, they addressed misinformation regarding the Board’s previous statement on COVID-19 treatments.
“The Texas Medical Board has never prohibited the use of hydroxychloroquine alone, or in conjunction with other drugs, for the treatment of COVID-19. In fact, the TMB does not prohibit any drug or treatment. The off-label use of hydroxychloroquine as an alternative therapy for COVID-19 patients is completely permissible. As is the case with any alternative therapy, physicians must ensure they comply with Board Rule 200 which requires physicians to provide full disclosure of treatment options, side effects, and obtain informed consent. Licensees should not fear disciplinary action from the TMB simply for expressing their support of specific COVID-19 treatments like hydroxychloroquine. What providers should keep in mind is because there is no definitive cure, claims of a cure may constitute false, misleading or deceptive advertising, which is prohibited by law and may prompt an inquiry from the TMB.”
On August 22, four days after the senators submitted this request to the FDA, President Trump tweeted that “the deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!” He made it a point to tag FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in this tweet.
While all of this was taking place over the past week, reports emerged that the FDA is putting a hold on convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 after NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and two other federal health officials argued that there is not enough data to show that it is working. On Sunday afternoon, President Trump, HHS Secretary Alex Azar, and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn announced in a press conference that the FDA is issuing an emergency use authorization (EUA) for blood plasma as a coronavirus treatment, stating that scientists have concluded that it is safe, and there has been a 35% increase in survival of COVID-19 patients, which they deem to be very successful. They will continue to gather data moving forward, as they do with all EUA’s.
Corey’s Digs will update this developing story on HCQ when new information is released.
Article posted with permission from Corey Lynn, originally posted at CoreysDigs.com


thewashingtonstandard--2020-08-24--How Bill Gates Bought the Media

How Bill Gates Bought the Media

Linking and quoting the Columbia Journalism Review in a positive sense isn ’ t my usual practice , but this is a well researched story that touches not only on the usual suspects , NPR , which is happy to trade coverage for cash , but also Poynter and the fact checking industry , as well as the broader media , through the Bill Gates lens .
If you squint as you read the story , you ’ ll notice that every quoted expert is connected to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , which helps fund the project .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention , you ’ ll also see the editor ’ s note at the end of the story , which reveals that NPR itself receives funding from Gates .
NPR ’ s funding from Gates “ was not a factor in why or how we did the story , ” reporter Pam Fessler says , adding that her reporting went beyond the voices quoted in her article .
The story , nevertheless , is one of hundreds NPR has reported about the Gates Foundation or the work it funds , including myriad favorable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or its grantees .
NPR is notorious for this stuff .
Like the time they reported on the Iran Deal while being funded by a pro-Iran org .
And on that note… But Gates has been buying up the media .
I recently examined nearly twenty thousand charitable grants the Gates Foundation had made through the end of June and found more than $ 250 million going toward journalism .
Recipients included news operations like the BBC , NBC , Al Jazeera , ProPublica , National Journal , The Guardian , Univision , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlantic , the Texas Tribune , Gannett , Washington Monthly , Le Monde , and the Center for Investigative Reporting ; charitable organizations affiliated with news outlets , like BBC Media Action and the New York Times ’ Neediest Cases Fund ; media companies such as Participant , whose documentary Waiting for “ Superman ” supports Gates ’ s agenda on charter schools ; journalistic organizations such as the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting , the National Press Foundation , and the International Center for Journalists ; and a variety of other groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as the Leo Burnett Company , an ad agency that Gates commissioned to create a “ news site ” to promote the success of aid groups .
In some cases , recipients say they distributed part of the funding as subgrants to other journalistic organizations—which makes it difficult to see the full picture of Gates ’ s funding into the fourth estate .
Obviously part of the CJR lefty agenda here is bashing charter schools , but the scope of media funding here is impressive .
The foundation even helped fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute that was used to develop guidelines on how newsrooms can maintain editorial independence from philanthropic funders .
A top-level finding : “ There is little evidence that funders insist on or have any editorial review.
” Notably , the study ’ s underlying survey data showed that nearly a third of funders reported having seen at least some content they funded before publication .
These are not the media droids you ’ re looking for .
Gates ’ s generosity appears to have helped foster an increasingly friendly media environment for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twenty years ago , journalists scrutinized Bill Gates ’ s initial foray into philanthropy as a vehicle to enrich his software company , or a PR exercise to salvage his battered reputation following Microsoft ’ s bruising antitrust battle with the Department of Justice .
Today , the foundation is most often the subject of soft profiles and glowing editorials describing its good works .
Funny how that worked out .
I remember the transition from Bill Gates as a nerdy and dubious creep to the savior of mankind .
During the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Gates as a public health expert on covid—even though Gates has no medical training and is not a public official .
PolitiFact and USA Today ( run by the Poynter Institute and Gannett , respectively—both of which have received funds from the Gates Foundation ) have even used their fact-checking platforms to defend Gates from “ false conspiracy theories ” and “ misinformation , ” like the idea that the foundation has financial investments in companies developing covid vaccines and therapies .
In fact , the foundation ’ s website and most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such companies , including Gilead and CureVax .
Buy the media and you won ’ t have to worry about the media .

Linking and quoting the Columbia Journalism Review in a positive sense isn’t my usual practice, but this is a well researched story that touches not only on the usual suspects, NPR, which is happy to trade coverage for cash, but also Poynter and the fact checking industry, as well as the broader media, through the Bill Gates lens.
If you squint as you read the story, you’ll notice that every quoted expert is connected to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which helps fund the project. And if you’re really paying attention, you’ll also see the editor’s note at the end of the story, which reveals that NPR itself receives funding from Gates. NPR’s funding from Gates “was not a factor in why or how we did the story,” reporter Pam Fessler says, adding that her reporting went beyond the voices quoted in her article. The story, nevertheless, is one of hundreds NPR has reported about the Gates Foundation or the work it funds, including myriad favorable pieces written from the perspective of Gates or its grantees.
NPR is notorious for this stuff. Like the time they reported on the Iran Deal while being funded by a pro-Iran org. And on that note…
And the Rockefeller Foundation funds Vox’s Future Perfect, a reporting project that examines the world “through the lens of effective altruism”—often looking at philanthropy.
But Gates has been buying up the media.
I recently examined nearly twenty thousand charitable grants the Gates Foundation had made through the end of June and found more than $250 million going toward journalism. Recipients included news operations like the BBC, NBC, Al Jazeera, ProPublica, National Journal, The Guardian, Univision, Medium, the Financial Times, The Atlantic, the Texas Tribune, Gannett, Washington Monthly, Le Monde, and the Center for Investigative Reporting; charitable organizations affiliated with news outlets, like BBC Media Action and the New York Times’ Neediest Cases Fund; media companies such as Participant, whose documentary Waiting for “Superman” supports Gates’s agenda on charter schools; journalistic organizations such as the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the National Press Foundation, and the International Center for Journalists; and a variety of other groups creating news content or working on journalism, such as the Leo Burnett Company, an ad agency that Gates commissioned to create a “news site” to promote the success of aid groups. In some cases, recipients say they distributed part of the funding as subgrants to other journalistic organizations—which makes it difficult to see the full picture of Gates’s funding into the fourth estate.
Obviously part of the CJR lefty agenda here is bashing charter schools, but the scope of media funding here is impressive.
The foundation even helped fund a 2016 report from the American Press Institute that was used to develop guidelines on how newsrooms can maintain editorial independence from philanthropic funders. A top-level finding: “There is little evidence that funders insist on or have any editorial review.” Notably, the study’s underlying survey data showed that nearly a third of funders reported having seen at least some content they funded before publication.
These are not the media droids you’re looking for.
Gates’s generosity appears to have helped foster an increasingly friendly media environment for the world’s most visible charity. Twenty years ago, journalists scrutinized Bill Gates’s initial foray into philanthropy as a vehicle to enrich his software company, or a PR exercise to salvage his battered reputation following Microsoft’s bruising antitrust battle with the Department of Justice. Today, the foundation is most often the subject of soft profiles and glowing editorials describing its good works.
Funny how that worked out. I remember the transition from Bill Gates as a nerdy and dubious creep to the savior of mankind.
During the pandemic, news outlets have widely looked to Bill Gates as a public health expert on covid—even though Gates has no medical training and is not a public official. PolitiFact and USA Today (run by the Poynter Institute and Gannett, respectively—both of which have received funds from the Gates Foundation) have even used their fact-checking platforms to defend Gates from “false conspiracy theories” and “misinformation,” like the idea that the foundation has financial investments in companies developing covid vaccines and therapies. In fact, the foundation’s website and most recent tax forms clearly show investments in such companies, including Gilead and CureVax.
Buy the media and you won’t have to worry about the media.
Article posted with permission from Daniel Greenfield