newsweek--2020-11-19--Biden Faces an Evolving Middle East | Opinion

The news that Bahrain 's foreign minister is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week highlights the predicament that president elect Joe Biden faces in the Middle East : he wants to restore a U.S. approach to the region that relies on increasingly out-of-date assumptions .
For starters , Biden promises to rejoin the U.S.-led global nuclear agreement with Iran , under which Tehran agreed to temporary restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions .
President Obama , for whom Biden served as vice president , considered the agreement his top global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has sharply criticized President Trump 's decision to leave it in 2018 and the administration 's attempts to force Iran to renegotiate the deal through a `` maximum pressure '' campaign .
Rejoining the agreement would be reassuring to U.S. allies in Europe , particularly France and Germany , which criticized Trump 's move and sought to convince Iran to abide by the agreement in exchange for European efforts to help Tehran evade Washington 's increasingly tight economic sanctions .
But rejoining the agreement and picking up where they left off may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report this month , the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that Iran has secretly stockpiled at least 12 times the amount of enriched uranium that the agreement allows , a quantity that experts say is enough to build an atomic bomb in less than four months .
Iran is also enriching uranium to a higher purity level—thus , closer to weapons-grade enrichment—than the agreement allows .
In response to the report , Iran announced that it will further restrict the access of international inspectors to its nuclear sites .
Moreover , in another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran is building a new facility for assembling centrifuges ( which enrich uranium ) in the mountains near Natanz to replace a site that was destroyed in July .
Biden vows to rejoin the agreement if Tehran `` returns to compliance , '' but he also vows to `` strengthen and extend '' the agreement—which would prove crucial because the deal 's restrictions on Iran 's nuclear pursuits all expire over time , clearing the way for Tehran to pursue the nuclear weaponry that it seems to desire .
Whether Biden can convince @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and longer agreement that further restricts its nuclear ambitions is a very open question .
Whether an increasingly restive Iranian population will overthrow its corrupt mullahcracy and replace it with a less hostile leadership that abandons the nuclear goal is another .
On another front , Biden vows to work with Israeli and Palestinian leaders `` to keep the prospect of a negotiated two-state outcome alive '' ( while surely hoping to nourish far warmer ties with Netanyahu than Obama enjoyed ) .
Like Iran , the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an issue on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rather than pursue peace , the holy grail of U.S. policymaking in the Middle East for decades , he gave Jerusalem a largely free hand to conduct its relations with the Palestinian side as it saw fit .
Over the years , America 's leaders in both parties have viewed Israeli-Palestinian peace as the gateway to broader Israeli-Arab peace—and it remains a cherished goal of left-of-center U.S. policymakers and activities—but dramatic recent developments across the region should bury that myth once and for all .
The Arab world these days is far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both to help counter Iran 's expansionist ambitions and to reap the economic benefits of greater trade and investment with the Jewish state .
Israel announced peace agreements with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates , along with Sudan , in recent weeks .
But , at least as important , it is working ever more closely with Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab nations on their shared goal of constraining Iran , the world 's leading Shia power .
In announcing this week 's visit of Bahraini foreign minister Abdullatif bin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bahrain News Agency said that the visit would `` affirm Bahrain 's strong and permanent position in favor of supporting the peace process '' and focus on `` the economic opportunities and bilateral accords with Israel . ''
Last month , top UAE officials visited Israel and , following an aviation agreement between the two nations , Abu Dhabi 's Etihad Airways announced this week that it would begin daily flights to Tel Aviv in March .
All told , Biden 's efforts to restore the policies of the past in the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground .
Lawrence J. Haas , senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council , is the author of , most recently , Harry and Arthur : Truman , Vandenberg , and the Partnership That Created the Free World .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own .

The news that Bahrain's foreign minister is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week highlights the predicament that president elect Joe Biden faces in the Middle East: he wants to restore a U.S. approach to the region that relies on increasingly out-of-date assumptions.
For starters, Biden promises to rejoin the U.S.-led global nuclear agreement with Iran, under which Tehran agreed to temporary restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions.
President Obama, for whom Biden served as vice president, considered the agreement his top global achievement. The Democratic foreign policy establishment has sharply criticized President Trump's decision to leave it in 2018 and the administration's attempts to force Iran to renegotiate the deal through a "maximum pressure" campaign.
Rejoining the agreement would be reassuring to U.S. allies in Europe, particularly France and Germany, which criticized Trump's move and sought to convince Iran to abide by the agreement in exchange for European efforts to help Tehran evade Washington's increasingly tight economic sanctions. But rejoining the agreement and picking up where they left off may be no simple matter.
In a confidential report this month, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that Iran has secretly stockpiled at least 12 times the amount of enriched uranium that the agreement allows, a quantity that experts say is enough to build an atomic bomb in less than four months. Iran is also enriching uranium to a higher purity level—thus, closer to weapons-grade enrichment—than the agreement allows.
In response to the report, Iran announced that it will further restrict the access of international inspectors to its nuclear sites. Moreover, in another sign of its continued nuclear ambitions, Iran is building a new facility for assembling centrifuges (which enrich uranium) in the mountains near Natanz to replace a site that was destroyed in July.
Biden vows to rejoin the agreement if Tehran "returns to compliance," but he also vows to "strengthen and extend" the agreement—which would prove crucial because the deal's restrictions on Iran's nuclear pursuits all expire over time, clearing the way for Tehran to pursue the nuclear weaponry that it seems to desire.
Whether Biden can convince Tehran to sign on to a stronger and longer agreement that further restricts its nuclear ambitions is a very open question. Whether an increasingly restive Iranian population will overthrow its corrupt mullahcracy and replace it with a less hostile leadership that abandons the nuclear goal is another.
People, mask-clad due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, walk near a monument dedicated to Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini along Enghelab Square in the centre of Iran's capital Tehran on November 8, 2020. ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty
On another front, Biden vows to work with Israeli and Palestinian leaders "to keep the prospect of a negotiated two-state outcome alive" (while surely hoping to nourish far warmer ties with Netanyahu than Obama enjoyed).
Like Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an issue on which Trump upended the previous U.S. posture. Rather than pursue peace, the holy grail of U.S. policymaking in the Middle East for decades, he gave Jerusalem a largely free hand to conduct its relations with the Palestinian side as it saw fit.
Over the years, America's leaders in both parties have viewed Israeli-Palestinian peace as the gateway to broader Israeli-Arab peace—and it remains a cherished goal of left-of-center U.S. policymakers and activities—but dramatic recent developments across the region should bury that myth once and for all.
The Arab world these days is far more interested in closer ties with Israel, both to help counter Iran's expansionist ambitions and to reap the economic benefits of greater trade and investment with the Jewish state.
Israel announced peace agreements with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, along with Sudan, in recent weeks. But, at least as important, it is working ever more closely with Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab nations on their shared goal of constraining Iran, the world's leading Shia power.
In announcing this week's visit of Bahraini foreign minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani to Israel, the official Bahrain News Agency said that the visit would "affirm Bahrain's strong and permanent position in favor of supporting the peace process" and focus on "the economic opportunities and bilateral accords with Israel."
Last month, top UAE officials visited Israel and, following an aviation agreement between the two nations, Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways announced this week that it would begin daily flights to Tel Aviv in March.
All told, Biden's efforts to restore the policies of the past in the Middle East could run headlong into changed realities on the ground.
Lawrence J. Haas, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, is the author of, most recently, Harry and Arthur: Truman, Vandenberg, and the Partnership That Created the Free World.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-11-19--Wisconsin GOP Official Suggests Absentee Ballots From State's Official Website Are Invalid

Bickering between Democrat and Republican election officials in Wisconsin has marred discussions on how to conduct a recount that the campaign of President Donald Trump paid $ 3 million for .
Trump sought the recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties , citing—without evidence—that there had been irregularities after he lost the state by about 20,600 votes to President-elect Joe Biden .
The six-strong Wisconsin Elections Commission ( WEC ) , which is split evenly along party lines , clashed during a meeting in Madison over changes to its manual , which gives guidance to officials over how the recount is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with state law .
They also disagreed over issues such as what to do with absentee ballots that were illegally issued and even where observers should stand .
In the end , the group decided not to reference the manual but updated some parts of it to take the coronavirus pandemic into account , The Associated Press reported .
The impasse also leaves in place guidance that absentee ballot applications must be approved during the recount , even though commission staff said that 's not required under the law .
The Milwaukee Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , GOP commissioner Dean Knudson said absentee ballots requested through the state 's online portal were invalid because of how the requests were logged .
`` I hope we have n't created a system at WEC that entices people to request a ballot that actually is n't in keeping with the law , '' he said .
Democrats rejected this , saying the system has been in place unchallenged for years .
Because the recount is taking place in the state 's two most blue-leaning counties , it will be overseen by Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observers would be treated fairly .
`` If they can figure out a way using the pandemic to ... make it harder to see what 's going on , to make it harder to observe , then that would n't be out of character because Democrats have been trying to do that for six months , '' Knudsen said , according to The Sentinel .
However , Democratic commissioner Mark Thomsen dismissed this , saying there was no GOP complaint with the state 's election policies in 2016 , when Trump narrowly won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying [ he ] lost , now he 's saying all the clerks are illegal , '' Thomsen said .
The recount is to be finished by December 1 , in time for the state to certify the results .
However , The Sentinel reported that the rancor of Wednesday 's discussions suggests the result will end up in court .
`` It 's just remarkable the six of us in a civilized fashion ca n't agree to this stuff , '' Thomsen said .
Newsweek has contacted the WEC Commission and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of his legal challenges are failing , half of Republican voters believe Trump 's claim that the election was rigged against him , according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll out Wednesday .
The graphic below from Statista shows the amount of money spent in this century 's elections .

Bickering between Democrat and Republican election officials in Wisconsin has marred discussions on how to conduct a recount that the campaign of President Donald Trump paid $3 million for.
Trump sought the recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties, citing—without evidence—that there had been irregularities after he lost the state by about 20,600 votes to President-elect Joe Biden.
The six-strong Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), which is split evenly along party lines, clashed during a meeting in Madison over changes to its manual, which gives guidance to officials over how the recount is conducted and how it should be aligned with state law.
They also disagreed over issues such as what to do with absentee ballots that were illegally issued and even where observers should stand. In the end, the group decided not to reference the manual but updated some parts of it to take the coronavirus pandemic into account, The Associated Press reported.
Election officials count absentee ballots on November 04, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. President Donald Trump has requested a recount after he lost the battleground state to President-elect Joe Biden. Scott Olson/Getty Images
The impasse also leaves in place guidance that absentee ballot applications must be approved during the recount, even though commission staff said that's not required under the law.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that, at one point, GOP commissioner Dean Knudson said absentee ballots requested through the state's online portal were invalid because of how the requests were logged.
"I hope we haven't created a system at WEC that entices people to request a ballot that actually isn't in keeping with the law," he said. Democrats rejected this, saying the system has been in place unchallenged for years.
Because the recount is taking place in the state's two most blue-leaning counties, it will be overseen by Democrats, moving Knudson to question whether all observers would be treated fairly.
"If they can figure out a way using the pandemic to... make it harder to see what's going on, to make it harder to observe, then that wouldn't be out of character because Democrats have been trying to do that for six months," Knudsen said, according to The Sentinel.
However, Democratic commissioner Mark Thomsen dismissed this, saying there was no GOP complaint with the state's election policies in 2016, when Trump narrowly won.
"Instead of manning up and saying [he] lost, now he's saying all the clerks are illegal," Thomsen said.
The recount is to be finished by December 1, in time for the state to certify the results. However, The Sentinel reported that the rancor of Wednesday's discussions suggests the result will end up in court.
"It's just remarkable the six of us in a civilized fashion can't agree to this stuff," Thomsen said. Newsweek has contacted the WEC Commission and the Trump campaign for comment.
Although a number of his legal challenges are failing, half of Republican voters believe Trump's claim that the election was rigged against him, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll out Wednesday.
The graphic below from Statista shows the amount of money spent in this century's elections.


newsweek--2020-11-19--Recounts Won't Change Outcome and Trump Should Concede: Voter Poll

Most voters do not believe recounts will change the election outcome and think President Donald Trump should concede to Joe Biden , according to polling .
The Trump campaign has pushed for a recount in Wisconsin and one is underway in Georgia .
The president continues to allege that widespread fraud and irregularities affected the election results , but he and his allies have not substantiated these claims .
His actions still have some support from Republican voters , although his election lawsuits have stuttered so far .
A poll from The Economist/YouGov asked 1,500 registered voters on November 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do recounts of the vote .
Do you believe these recounts will change the outcome of the election ? ''
The majority of respondents , 55 percent , said recounts would not affect the result .
Just 22 percent said they would alter the outcome .
Most also said recounts would not give them more confidence in the result .
Asked if they `` make you more or less confident in the outcome of the election , '' 57 percent said there would be no change in their feeling .
However , 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more confident '' and 28 percent said `` more confident . ''
Sixty percent said they think Trump should concede .
Most also responded that they disapprove of how the president is handling the transition , with 48 percent opting for `` strongly disapprove '' and 9 percent for `` somewhat disapprove . ''
Biden , who has begun forming his White House team and working on the transition , said the hurdles in his path could cause issues for the nation down the line .
Trump 's refusal to concede is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although networks have called the election in Biden 's favor , Trump has bemoaned what he brands the `` lamestream media '' making such declarations .
He has insisted he will be victorious if only the votes that he deems legal are counted , suggesting that Biden 's success was down to the ballot being `` rigged . ''
`` This was a rigged election , '' he wrote in a recent tweet , alleging that Republican poll watchers were blocked and claiming there were glitches as well as `` voting after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several of his posts about election fraud as `` disputed . ''
Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign for comment .

Most voters do not believe recounts will change the election outcome and think President Donald Trump should concede to Joe Biden, according to polling.
The Trump campaign has pushed for a recount in Wisconsin and one is underway in Georgia.
The president continues to allege that widespread fraud and irregularities affected the election results, but he and his allies have not substantiated these claims. His actions still have some support from Republican voters, although his election lawsuits have stuttered so far.
A poll from The Economist/YouGov asked 1,500 registered voters on November 15 to 17: "Some states may do recounts of the vote. Do you believe these recounts will change the outcome of the election?"
The majority of respondents, 55 percent, said recounts would not affect the result. Just 22 percent said they would alter the outcome.
Most also said recounts would not give them more confidence in the result. Asked if they "make you more or less confident in the outcome of the election," 57 percent said there would be no change in their feeling. However, 11 percent said recounts would make them "much more confident" and 28 percent said "more confident."
Sixty percent said they think Trump should concede. Most also responded that they disapprove of how the president is handling the transition, with 48 percent opting for "strongly disapprove" and 9 percent for "somewhat disapprove."
Biden, who has begun forming his White House team and working on the transition, said the hurdles in his path could cause issues for the nation down the line. Trump's refusal to concede is "an embarrassment," he said.
Read more Trump Can Still Win In Armageddon Scenario for Markets, JP Morgan Warns Trump Can Still Win In Armageddon Scenario for Markets, JP Morgan Warns
Although networks have called the election in Biden's favor, Trump has bemoaned what he brands the "lamestream media" making such declarations. He has insisted he will be victorious if only the votes that he deems legal are counted, suggesting that Biden's success was down to the ballot being "rigged."
"This was a rigged election," he wrote in a recent tweet, alleging that Republican poll watchers were blocked and claiming there were glitches as well as "voting after election ended." Twitter has flagged several of his posts about election fraud as "disputed."
Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.


newsweek--2020-11-19--Bill Gates Dismisses Parler App, Says It's 'Great' for People Who Want Holocaust Denial

Bill Gates criticised the `` free speech '' social media platform Parler this week by saying it will be a `` great '' place for Holocaust deniers .
The billionaire Microsoft co-founder said Tuesday that content uploaded to the up-and-coming platform includes `` crazy stuff '' and suggested that it would attract social media users who are too extreme for mainstream sites like Facebook or Twitter .
`` If you want Holocaust denial , hey , Parler is going to be great for you , '' Gates said while speaking at the virtual The New York Times DealBook Summit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing politicians , commentators and personalities , Parler is an Twitter-like app that claims not to censor the views of its users .
The app topped the iOS and Android download charts inside the U.S. this month after it was promoted by a wave of high-profile figures , including Fox News host Sean Hannity , anchor Maria Bartiromo , Senator Ted Cruz and radio host Mark Levin .
A lax attitude to moderation means Parler attracted users who were banned or restricted on mainstream social networking services for violating policy .
Researchers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believers in conspiracy theories .
`` QAnon adherents , anti-government extremists and white supremacists openly promote their ideologies on the site , while Holocaust denial , antisemitism , racism and other forms of bigotry are also easy to find , '' the Anti-Defamation League ( ADL ) has said .
A search on Parler beings up a post claiming to show proof that the Holocaust was a `` fraud . ''
Another post reads : `` The # Holocaust was the first # FakeNews . ''
According to CNBC , Gates said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face stronger regulation in the U.S. to help manage the spread of false information .
He said : `` Facebook [ is the ] primary way people access news and they get drawn in to more and more extreme stories , including some of these anti-vaccines or conspiracy things .
That person has n't started out saying , ' I want crazy stuff , ' they get drawn down and see things that are ... titillating and that is where it is almost a human weakness . ''
Founded in 2018 and led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financially backed by the hedge fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah , a family that heavily donates to conservative causes , The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month .
Robert Mercer was a top investor in Cambridge Analytica , a consultancy that closed in 2018 after being embroiled in a Facebook data-harvesting scandal .
Conservative radio host and commentator Dan Bongino was also named as a Parler investor .
Matze reacted to Gates ' comment on his personal Parler page on Wednesday .
He wrote : `` Bill Gates calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge us based off those who criticizes us . ''
A Parler representative has been contacted for comment by Newsweek .
On October 12 , Facebook 's content policy executive Monika Bickert said any content that `` denies or distorts the Holocaust '' would be officially against the rules .
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg said at the time that any users who search for the term Holocaust would be sent to `` authoritative sources to get accurate information . ''
He wrote on his Facebook : `` I 've struggled with the tension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm caused by minimizing or denying the horror of the Holocaust .
My own thinking has evolved as I 've seen data showing an increase in anti-Semitic violence , as have our wider policies on hate speech .
`` Drawing the ... lines between what is and is n't acceptable speech is n't straightforward , but with the current state of the world , I believe this is the right balance . ''
Twitter confirmed to Bloomberg on October 14 that its moderators would also remove posts that deny the Holocaust for being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Hateful conduct has absolutely no place on our service .
We also have a robust ... policy in place and take action against content that glorifies or praises historical acts of violence and genocide , including the Holocaust , '' a spokesperson said .
On his Parler account , CEO Matze indicated that his stance on free speech is unlikely to change , reiterating a belief that the website should not silence users ' opinions .
`` It 's not yet against the law to think for yourself .
People with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ censorship , '' he wrote on the platform today .
`` Our leaders who push for authoritarian measures to control speech online are fighting for an evil cause .
Handing our version of 'truth ' to a handful of ideological fact checkers creates increased centralization of power ... fact checkers of history called Tesla a hack , said Einstein was a fraud and they believed in witches .
Fact checking is wrong . ''

Bill Gates criticised the "free speech" social media platform Parler this week by saying it will be a "great" place for Holocaust deniers.
The billionaire Microsoft co-founder said Tuesday that content uploaded to the up-and-coming platform includes "crazy stuff" and suggested that it would attract social media users who are too extreme for mainstream sites like Facebook or Twitter.
"If you want Holocaust denial, hey, Parler is going to be great for you," Gates said while speaking at the virtual The New York Times DealBook Summit, CNBC reported.
Increasingly popular with right wing politicians, commentators and personalities, Parler is an Twitter-like app that claims not to censor the views of its users.
The app topped the iOS and Android download charts inside the U.S. this month after it was promoted by a wave of high-profile figures, including Fox News host Sean Hannity, anchor Maria Bartiromo, Senator Ted Cruz and radio host Mark Levin.
A lax attitude to moderation means Parler attracted users who were banned or restricted on mainstream social networking services for violating policy. Researchers have noted the platform hosts right-wing extremists and believers in conspiracy theories.
"QAnon adherents, anti-government extremists and white supremacists openly promote their ideologies on the site, while Holocaust denial, antisemitism, racism and other forms of bigotry are also easy to find," the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has said.
A search on Parler beings up a post claiming to show proof that the Holocaust was a "fraud." Another post reads: "The #Holocaust was the first #FakeNews."
According to CNBC, Gates said he believed that social media platforms need to face stronger regulation in the U.S. to help manage the spread of false information.
He said: "Facebook [is the] primary way people access news and they get drawn in to more and more extreme stories, including some of these anti-vaccines or conspiracy things. That person hasn't started out saying, 'I want crazy stuff,' they get drawn down and see things that are... titillating and that is where it is almost a human weakness."
Founded in 2018 and led by CEO John Matze, Parler is financially backed by the hedge fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, a family that heavily donates to conservative causes, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.
Robert Mercer was a top investor in Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy that closed in 2018 after being embroiled in a Facebook data-harvesting scandal. Conservative radio host and commentator Dan Bongino was also named as a Parler investor.
Matze reacted to Gates' comment on his personal Parler page on Wednesday. He wrote: "Bill Gates calling Parler people crazy? I guess, judge us based off those who criticizes us." A Parler representative has been contacted for comment by Newsweek.
On October 12, Facebook's content policy executive Monika Bickert said any content that "denies or distorts the Holocaust" would be officially against the rules.
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg said at the time that any users who search for the term Holocaust would be sent to "authoritative sources to get accurate information."
He wrote on his Facebook: "I've struggled with the tension between standing for free expression and the harm caused by minimizing or denying the horror of the Holocaust. My own thinking has evolved as I've seen data showing an increase in anti-Semitic violence, as have our wider policies on hate speech.
"Drawing the... lines between what is and isn't acceptable speech isn't straightforward, but with the current state of the world, I believe this is the right balance."
Twitter confirmed to Bloomberg on October 14 that its moderators would also remove posts that deny the Holocaust for being in violation of its hateful conduct policy.
"Hateful conduct has absolutely no place on our service. We also have a robust... policy in place and take action against content that glorifies or praises historical acts of violence and genocide, including the Holocaust," a spokesperson said.
On his Parler account, CEO Matze indicated that his stance on free speech is unlikely to change, reiterating a belief that the website should not silence users' opinions.
"It's not yet against the law to think for yourself. People with differences in opinions should have discussions not censorship," he wrote on the platform today.
"Our leaders who push for authoritarian measures to control speech online are fighting for an evil cause. Handing our version of 'truth' to a handful of ideological fact checkers creates increased centralization of power... fact checkers of history called Tesla a hack, said Einstein was a fraud and they believed in witches. Fact checking is wrong."


newsweek--2020-11-19--What Your Zoom Body Language Says About You

We all understand the importance of body language at work—the way that a colleague 's crossed arms might convey hostility or a manager 's feet on the desk might be an attempt to show dominance .
But how does that translate into the digital realm , now that so many of us are working from home and conducting much of our business lives through online video ?
That 's where Erica Dhawan comes in .
Erica is the author of Get Big Things Done and the forthcoming Digital Body Language , and recently joined me on my weekly Newsweek interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. PT ) to discuss how professionals can communicate more effectively when they 're operating digitally .
She shared the following four tips .
Digital body language is n't just about your body .
You might imagine that the phrase `` digital body language '' simply refers to your facial expressions when you 're on Zoom .
Of course , you want to make sure you 're not scowling on camera or looking bored , Dhawan says , but digital body language is a much broader concept .
As she notes , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cues and signals that we send in our digital communication that make up the subtext of our messages .
So it 's everything from the subject line that we use [ in our emails ] to our response time : Did we reply in two minutes or in five minutes or in five days ? ''
Even subtle choices , like whether you CC or BCC someone , or the punctuation you use in an email and whether it seems abrupt , are part of the context in which your messages are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice to address a message as `` Dear Erica '' vs. `` Hey Erica ! ''
is part of how we `` project through the body of our language , '' according to Dhawan .
Reading carefully is the new listening .
Nobody likes it when you 're in a meeting and a colleague seems to be tuning out or not paying attention .
That 's true on a video chat , as well .
But Dhawan says the same principle now extends to written communication , which has become so much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of one executive who sent a text message to his boss , Tom , asking , `` 'Do you want to speak Wednesday or Thursday ? '
And Tom 's response to that was 'yes . '
'' That created confusion and wasted time with additional follow-up .
More to the point , Dhawan says , that carelessness can cause people to lose trust in their leaders .
Conversely , she says , `` If you 're showing that you 've read things , that will lead to a whole new level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your work environments . ''
Give video a rest sometimes .
You might think it 's a good idea to have all your meetings on video , in order to maximize engagement .
That 's true up to a point , says Dhawan , but screen fatigue is real and video is n't a panacea .
`` In video communication , there are a lot of nuances .
There are screen freezes , or you 're on mute , or there are interruptions that actually can get in the way of psychological safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
`` There 's also the fact that it 's not natural for us to actually see our own video on the camera , while we 're trying to talk to other people . ''
This can be particularly jarring for introverts , she notes , who may feel pressure to be `` on , '' if they 're on camera .
As an antidote , she recommends prioritizing whether a meeting should take place via video—not all of them have to—and holding some via phone , or even just having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straightforward .
If a meeting does rise to the level of video , she advises holding it before 2 p.m. , `` so people do n't have that Zoom exhaustion later in the day . ''
Adapt your style to the medium .
Just as you 'd likely adjust your physical body language for various circumstances , Dhawan says you should do the same digitally .
`` In face-to-face , traditional body language , '' she says , `` if you 're meeting someone for the first time , you may shake their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact and sit down at the table with a clear agenda to run through a meeting with a PowerPoint presentation . ''
In contrast , she notes , `` If you 're meeting with someone that you 've known for a long time , you may see them and hug them . ''
Similarly , `` If you 're meeting someone that you 've never met before , and maybe they 're senior to you in a company or someone you 're trying to sell something to , you would send an email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calendar .
You would n't just send them a quick text . ''
Meanwhile , `` If this is someone who is a long-time colleague or your assistant or your teammate , you may just jump on the phone because you 're running around while homeschooling your kid , or you send a one-liner email saying , 'Call me right now . '
'' There 's no universal right or wrong way to handle digital body language , she says—only right or wrong for a given set of circumstances , and we should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a digital world now , so it 's more important than ever to be clear on the messages we 're sending .
By following these strategies , we can begin to regain control over our digital body language and how we 're perceived .
Dorie Clark , author of Entrepreneurial You and Duke University Fuqua School of Business professor , hosts Newsweek 's weekly interview series , Better , on Thursdays at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT .
Learn more and download her free Stand Out self-assessment .

Don't get caught lying down on the job. Body language on Zoom matters. Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
We all understand the importance of body language at work—the way that a colleague's crossed arms might convey hostility or a manager's feet on the desk might be an attempt to show dominance. But how does that translate into the digital realm, now that so many of us are working from home and conducting much of our business lives through online video?
That's where Erica Dhawan comes in. Erica is the author of Get Big Things Done and the forthcoming Digital Body Language, and recently joined me on my weekly Newsweek interview show Better (Thursdays 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT) to discuss how professionals can communicate more effectively when they're operating digitally. She shared the following four tips.
Digital body language isn't just about your body. You might imagine that the phrase "digital body language" simply refers to your facial expressions when you're on Zoom. Of course, you want to make sure you're not scowling on camera or looking bored, Dhawan says, but digital body language is a much broader concept.
As she notes, "Digital body language is [about] the cues and signals that we send in our digital communication that make up the subtext of our messages. So it's everything from the subject line that we use [in our emails] to our response time: Did we reply in two minutes or in five minutes or in five days?"
Dorie Clark (left), host of "Better," Newsweek's LinkedIn Live interview series, and Erica Dhawan, author of the upcoming "Digital Body Language"
Even subtle choices, like whether you CC or BCC someone, or the punctuation you use in an email and whether it seems abrupt, are part of the context in which your messages are received. In other words, the choice to address a message as "Dear Erica" vs. "Hey Erica!" is part of how we "project through the body of our language," according to Dhawan.
Reading carefully is the new listening. Nobody likes it when you're in a meeting and a colleague seems to be tuning out or not paying attention. That's true on a video chat, as well. But Dhawan says the same principle now extends to written communication, which has become so much more prevalent during work-from-home. She cites the example of one executive who sent a text message to his boss, Tom, asking, "'Do you want to speak Wednesday or Thursday?' And Tom's response to that was 'yes.'" That created confusion and wasted time with additional follow-up.
More to the point, Dhawan says, that carelessness can cause people to lose trust in their leaders. Conversely, she says, "If you're showing that you've read things, that will lead to a whole new level of understanding, collaboration and trust in your work environments."
Give video a rest sometimes. You might think it's a good idea to have all your meetings on video, in order to maximize engagement. That's true up to a point, says Dhawan, but screen fatigue is real and video isn't a panacea. "In video communication, there are a lot of nuances. There are screen freezes, or you're on mute, or there are interruptions that actually can get in the way of psychological safety when people are brainstorming ideas," she says.
"There's also the fact that it's not natural for us to actually see our own video on the camera, while we're trying to talk to other people." This can be particularly jarring for introverts, she notes, who may feel pressure to be "on," if they're on camera. As an antidote, she recommends prioritizing whether a meeting should take place via video—not all of them have to—and holding some via phone, or even just having an email exchange if the topic is straightforward. If a meeting does rise to the level of video, she advises holding it before 2 p.m., "so people don't have that Zoom exhaustion later in the day."
Adapt your style to the medium. Just as you'd likely adjust your physical body language for various circumstances, Dhawan says you should do the same digitally. "In face-to-face, traditional body language," she says, "if you're meeting someone for the first time, you may shake their hand, greet them with direct eye contact and sit down at the table with a clear agenda to run through a meeting with a PowerPoint presentation." In contrast, she notes, "If you're meeting with someone that you've known for a long time, you may see them and hug them."
Similarly, "If you're meeting someone that you've never met before, and maybe they're senior to you in a company or someone you're trying to sell something to, you would send an email to their assistant to get on their calendar. You wouldn't just send them a quick text." Meanwhile, "If this is someone who is a long-time colleague or your assistant or your teammate, you may just jump on the phone because you're running around while homeschooling your kid, or you send a one-liner email saying, 'Call me right now.'" There's no universal right or wrong way to handle digital body language, she says—only right or wrong for a given set of circumstances, and we should adapt accordingly.
We're all living in a digital world now, so it's more important than ever to be clear on the messages we're sending. By following these strategies, we can begin to regain control over our digital body language and how we're perceived.
Dorie Clark, author of Entrepreneurial You and Duke University Fuqua School of Business professor, hosts Newsweek's weekly interview series, Better, on Thursdays at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. Learn more and download her free Stand Out self-assessment.


newsweek--2020-11-19--Maritime Border Talks Won't Lead to Israeli-Lebanese Normalization | Opinion

Israel 's normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates , Bahrain and now Sudan have raised expectations of a `` domino effect '' of similar accords .
While it is reasonable to anticipate additional Arab countries like Oman will follow suit , Lebanon certainly wo n't anytime soon .
Beirut 's maritime border demarcation talks with Jerusalem , if they even succeed , are meant strictly to resolve a specific technical matter .
Rather than paving the way for Israeli-Lebanese peace , Beirut 's officials are seeking to reap an economic windfall from offshore hydrocarbon deposits , circumvent the painful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy and perhaps obtain sanctions relief from the United States .
In the months since Israeli-Emirati normalization , every instance of contact between Beirut and Jerusalem has raised hopes of an imminent peace deal .
Days after Israel and the UAE announced their agreement , Lebanese president Michel Aoun 's comment that peace with Israel `` depends '' on the two countries resolving their problems unjustifiably made headlines .
Israeli-Lebanese maritime border demarcation talks—now in their second round—are being hailed as `` historic '' and `` unprecedented , '' raising speculation that negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even a seasoned general like Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz has misread Lebanon 's intentions as signifying a desire for peace .
But any linkage to the so-called Abraham Accords distorts Beirut 's motivations for finally resolving its maritime dispute : its urgent need to exploit its offshore natural resources .
Lebanon and Israel have been at loggerheads over their maritime border for a decade .
Each side alleges the other is unlawfully claiming part of its own sovereign offshore territories , believed to contain vast hydrocarbon deposits .
Beirut has delimited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its Exclusive Economic Zone ( EEZ ) , while Israel has 72 .
The disputed area , totaling 860 sq km , or 330 square miles , affects Lebanon 's Block 8 , Block 9 and Block 10 , and overlaps with Israel 's four northernmost exploration blocks .
Previous U.S.-mediated demarcation efforts failed because of Lebanon 's insistence on simultaneously demarcating its land and maritime borders with Israel , a nonstarter for Jerusalem .
Meanwhile , fear of sparking conflict prevented both countries , officially at war , from exploiting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay has disproportionately impacted Lebanon , as Israel had already begun hydrocarbon exploration and extraction in other parts of its EEZ .
But Lebanese desperation has recently increased dramatically , making Beirut retreat from its prior demand .
The events of the past year , including the October 17 , 2019 , uprising and the outbreak of COVID-19 , have plunged Lebanon into its worst economic crisis in decades , accelerating the unraveling of its improperly structured economy .
Lebanon is now in a fiscal freefall .
At 170 percent of GDP , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third highest .
Meanwhile , the country has a persistent energy crisis , over half the country is unemployed , inflation is skyrocketing and the economy is expected to shrink by more than 12 percent .
With no productive economic sectors , Lebanon possesses few means , if any , to repay that debt or stabilize its economy .
Seeking aid from its traditional donors is no longer an option .
Those benefactors—including France , the United States and the International Monetary Fund—are no longer willing to freely bankroll Beirut .
Lebanon 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms to ensure that such aid would n't be squandered , as such measures would spell their own demise .
Further discouraging aid , the United States has recently begun sanctioning Lebanese allies of Hezbollah , whose dominant hold on Lebanon remains undiminished .
Its aversion to reform notwithstanding , Lebanon 's ruling clique can not leave the country on its current downward trajectory .
It has therefore been seeking economic lifelines that will restore at least the minimum of economic stability , but without eroding its power .
`` Turning eastward '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China that would provide unconditioned aid was one option .
Exploiting Lebanon 's potential offshore hydrocarbon deposits—once estimated to produce $ 200 billion in revenues , at least $ 6 billion of which would come from the disputed blocks—is another .
But the maritime dispute with Israel poses an obstacle .
To date , Lebanon has only awarded drilling licenses for two of its exploration blocks to the Total Consortium : Block 4 , where exploratory drilling failed to discover commercially viable quantities of hydrocarbons , and Block 9 , 8 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanon currently has no alternative to exploring Block 9 .
COVID-19 's negative impact on global oil demand has delayed licensing rounds for its remaining exploratory blocks indefinitely .
Moreover , the window for Lebanon to exploit Block 9 's resources has begun to close .
On June 23 , Israel unexpectedly launched an offshore bidding round for Block 72—claimed by Lebanon as part of Block 9—with a licensee initially expected to have been announced by October 26 .
Meanwhile , the Total Consortium 's plans to even begin exploration in the contested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the August 4 explosion at Beirut Port , which Total had been using as a staging point .
This likely heightened Lebanese fears that Israel could `` deplete '' the block 's reserves .
While Beirut has strenuously objected to the Israeli move , it lacks the power to derail Jerusalem 's plans , further inducing the Lebanese to pursue negotiations .
Recent U.S. sanctions also likely fed into the Lebanese sense of urgency to resolve this dispute with Israel .
Earlier this year , the Caesar Act sanctions on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restricting Lebanese business dealings with Syria , one of Beirut 's main trading partners and its sole outlet to the east .
Equally critically , the United States had sanctioned two high-ranking Lebanese officials allied with Hezbollah—former transportation and public works minister Yusuf Finyanus of the Marada Movement and former finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri 's AMAL Movement—only weeks before a chastened Berri announced Lebanon 's newfound flexibility on border demarcation .
This flexibility is likely a quid pro quo for Caesar sanctions exemptions—a longstanding Lebanese request mirroring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Iran—and relief from future sanctions on Lebanese officials .
Moreover , Lebanese officials have unambiguously stated their opposition to reconciliation with Israel .
The country 's foreign policy remains dominated by Hezbollah , which shares the Lebanese ruling class 's financial interest in resolving the maritime border dispute .
Without the group 's acquiescence , its ally Berri could never have agreed to talks with Israel or to decoupling the resolution of the maritime border dispute from that of the land border .
But Hezbollah , and Berri 's AMAL movement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even giving off the semblance of normalization—a position echoed by other Lebanese officials , including President Aoun .
Further dispelling the notion of a Lebanese desire for peace , Beirut 's negotiating team has come to the table with maximalist stances that jeopardize the success of the current talks , let alone a pathway towards Israeli-Lebanese peace .
Peace with Lebanon gripped Israel 's imagination even before the Jewish state 's independence , underpinned by the erroneous belief in an organic Jewish-Maronite alliance .
That flawed theory led Israeli prime minister Moshe Sharett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the second Arab state to establish ties with Israel .
This concept , naïve from the outset , would become a dogmatic fixture of Jerusalem 's foreign policy for decades , leading to disastrous Israeli misadventures like 1982 's Operation Peace for Galilee 's objective of empowering Maronite warlord Bachir Gemayel .
The intervening decades—with Hezbollah 's rise and Israel 's brutal military reprisals against the country—should have put the lie to Sharett 's prediction .
After all , even the moderate Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora declared Lebanon would be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Israel . ''
But , as the unjustified excitement over purely technical border demarcation negotiations suggests , old dogmas die hard .
David Daoud is a research analyst at United Against Nuclear Iran ( UANI ) on Hezbollah and Lebanon .
Follow him on Twitter : @ DavidADaoud .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own .

Israel's normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and now Sudan have raised expectations of a "domino effect" of similar accords. While it is reasonable to anticipate additional Arab countries like Oman will follow suit, Lebanon certainly won't anytime soon. Beirut's maritime border demarcation talks with Jerusalem, if they even succeed, are meant strictly to resolve a specific technical matter. Rather than paving the way for Israeli-Lebanese peace, Beirut's officials are seeking to reap an economic windfall from offshore hydrocarbon deposits, circumvent the painful reforms necessary to build a sustainable Lebanese economy and perhaps obtain sanctions relief from the United States.
In the months since Israeli-Emirati normalization, every instance of contact between Beirut and Jerusalem has raised hopes of an imminent peace deal. Days after Israel and the UAE announced their agreement, Lebanese president Michel Aoun's comment that peace with Israel "depends" on the two countries resolving their problems unjustifiably made headlines. Israeli-Lebanese maritime border demarcation talks—now in their second round—are being hailed as "historic" and "unprecedented," raising speculation that negotiations could serve as a springboard for normalization. Even a seasoned general like Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz has misread Lebanon's intentions as signifying a desire for peace. But any linkage to the so-called Abraham Accords distorts Beirut's motivations for finally resolving its maritime dispute: its urgent need to exploit its offshore natural resources.
Lebanon and Israel have been at loggerheads over their maritime border for a decade. Each side alleges the other is unlawfully claiming part of its own sovereign offshore territories, believed to contain vast hydrocarbon deposits. Beirut has delimited 10 exploration areas (or blocks) in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), while Israel has 72. The disputed area, totaling 860 sq km, or 330 square miles, affects Lebanon's Block 8, Block 9 and Block 10, and overlaps with Israel's four northernmost exploration blocks.
Previous U.S.-mediated demarcation efforts failed because of Lebanon's insistence on simultaneously demarcating its land and maritime borders with Israel, a nonstarter for Jerusalem. Meanwhile, fear of sparking conflict prevented both countries, officially at war, from exploiting the contested zone's offshore resources. This delay has disproportionately impacted Lebanon, as Israel had already begun hydrocarbon exploration and extraction in other parts of its EEZ.
But Lebanese desperation has recently increased dramatically, making Beirut retreat from its prior demand. The events of the past year, including the October 17, 2019, uprising and the outbreak of COVID-19, have plunged Lebanon into its worst economic crisis in decades, accelerating the unraveling of its improperly structured economy.
Lebanon is now in a fiscal freefall. At 170 percent of GDP, its public debt is the world's third highest. Meanwhile, the country has a persistent energy crisis, over half the country is unemployed, inflation is skyrocketing and the economy is expected to shrink by more than 12 percent.
With no productive economic sectors, Lebanon possesses few means, if any, to repay that debt or stabilize its economy. Seeking aid from its traditional donors is no longer an option. Those benefactors—including France, the United States and the International Monetary Fund—are no longer willing to freely bankroll Beirut. Lebanon's entrenched oligarchy is unwilling to implement necessary reforms to ensure that such aid wouldn't be squandered, as such measures would spell their own demise. Further discouraging aid, the United States has recently begun sanctioning Lebanese allies of Hezbollah, whose dominant hold on Lebanon remains undiminished.
Fishermen cast their nets off of Beirut's Ramlet al-Bayda public beach in the Lebanese capital on November 18, 2020. JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty
Its aversion to reform notwithstanding, Lebanon's ruling clique cannot leave the country on its current downward trajectory. It has therefore been seeking economic lifelines that will restore at least the minimum of economic stability, but without eroding its power. "Turning eastward" to establish economic ties with countries like China that would provide unconditioned aid was one option. Exploiting Lebanon's potential offshore hydrocarbon deposits—once estimated to produce $200 billion in revenues, at least $6 billion of which would come from the disputed blocks—is another.
But the maritime dispute with Israel poses an obstacle. To date, Lebanon has only awarded drilling licenses for two of its exploration blocks to the Total Consortium: Block 4, where exploratory drilling failed to discover commercially viable quantities of hydrocarbons, and Block 9, 8 percent of which is disputed with Israel. But Lebanon currently has no alternative to exploring Block 9. COVID-19's negative impact on global oil demand has delayed licensing rounds for its remaining exploratory blocks indefinitely.
Moreover, the window for Lebanon to exploit Block 9's resources has begun to close. On June 23, Israel unexpectedly launched an offshore bidding round for Block 72—claimed by Lebanon as part of Block 9—with a licensee initially expected to have been announced by October 26. Meanwhile, the Total Consortium's plans to even begin exploration in the contested block have been indefinitely delayed, partially due to the August 4 explosion at Beirut Port, which Total had been using as a staging point. This likely heightened Lebanese fears that Israel could "deplete" the block's reserves. While Beirut has strenuously objected to the Israeli move, it lacks the power to derail Jerusalem's plans, further inducing the Lebanese to pursue negotiations.
Recent U.S. sanctions also likely fed into the Lebanese sense of urgency to resolve this dispute with Israel. Earlier this year, the Caesar Act sanctions on the Syrian regime went into effect, severely restricting Lebanese business dealings with Syria, one of Beirut's main trading partners and its sole outlet to the east. Equally critically, the United States had sanctioned two high-ranking Lebanese officials allied with Hezbollah—former transportation and public works minister Yusuf Finyanus of the Marada Movement and former finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's AMAL Movement—only weeks before a chastened Berri announced Lebanon's newfound flexibility on border demarcation. This flexibility is likely a quid pro quo for Caesar sanctions exemptions—a longstanding Lebanese request mirroring those Washington granted Iraq from its sanctions on Iran—and relief from future sanctions on Lebanese officials.
Moreover, Lebanese officials have unambiguously stated their opposition to reconciliation with Israel. The country's foreign policy remains dominated by Hezbollah, which shares the Lebanese ruling class's financial interest in resolving the maritime border dispute. Without the group's acquiescence, its ally Berri could never have agreed to talks with Israel or to decoupling the resolution of the maritime border dispute from that of the land border. But Hezbollah, and Berri's AMAL movement, have made clear their opposition to negotiations even giving off the semblance of normalization—a position echoed by other Lebanese officials, including President Aoun. Further dispelling the notion of a Lebanese desire for peace, Beirut's negotiating team has come to the table with maximalist stances that jeopardize the success of the current talks, let alone a pathway towards Israeli-Lebanese peace.
Peace with Lebanon gripped Israel's imagination even before the Jewish state's independence, underpinned by the erroneous belief in an organic Jewish-Maronite alliance. That flawed theory led Israeli prime minister Moshe Sharett to opine in 1955 that Lebanon would be the second Arab state to establish ties with Israel. This concept, naïve from the outset, would become a dogmatic fixture of Jerusalem's foreign policy for decades, leading to disastrous Israeli misadventures like 1982's Operation Peace for Galilee's objective of empowering Maronite warlord Bachir Gemayel. The intervening decades—with Hezbollah's rise and Israel's brutal military reprisals against the country—should have put the lie to Sharett's prediction. After all, even the moderate Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora declared Lebanon would be the "last Arab country to make peace with Israel."
But, as the unjustified excitement over purely technical border demarcation negotiations suggests, old dogmas die hard.
David Daoud is a research analyst at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) on Hezbollah and Lebanon. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidADaoud.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-11-19--The Story of the Gettysburg Address—and What It Can Teach Us Today

He arrived in the small Pennsylvania town on November 18 , 1863 , a day before he was to give one of his few national addresses .
He was n't alone .
Gettysburg 's population at the time was less than 3,000 , but nearly 15,000 people would gather the next day at the official dedication ceremony for the Soldiers ' National Cemetery on the site of one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the Civil War .
President Abraham Lincoln arrived early because he wanted to see the battlefield .
To see in person what he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports .
He wanted to see the ground .
And walk the ground .
`` I would like to say that Gettysburg is a place , that if you let it , the land will speak to you , '' historian Gabor Boritt told C-SPAN back in 2007 .
Boritt , the director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College at the time , is the author of The Gettysburg Gospel : The Lincoln Speech Nobody Knows .
`` He went by carriage with just a few people , wandering the battlefield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image of that is so compelling .
I think it spoke to Lincoln . ''
It was only four months earlier , in early July , that an even larger gathering of humanity made its way to the same battlefield .
General Robert E. Lee showed up with 75,000 men , and General George Meade with up to 100,000 .
Three days later , Gettysburg was the site of the worst man-made disaster in American history .
The first chapter of Boritt 's book describes what the small town was like in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fills the air .
Excrement from perhaps 180,000 men and more than 70,000 horses has been left behind .
There are thousands of flies .
Millions .
Dead men barely covered in shallow graves .
Seven thousand dead men ?
More likely close to 10,000 .
How many dead horses and mules ?
Three thousand , five ?
None buried .
A nurse writes of carcasses `` steaming in the sun . ''
When strangers approach the town , `` the odors of the battlefield '' attack them long before they get there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the carnage , according to Boritt , than a volunteer nurse from Philadelphia , Eliza Farnham .
`` The whole town is one vast hospital , '' she wrote in her diary .
`` It is absolutely inconceivable , the dead and dying and wounded , torn to pieces in every way .
Moans , shrieks , weeping and prayer fill houses , the barns , the tents , the fields , the woods , the whole area .
The land itself seems to wail .
Nothing but suffering .
Sights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The piles of limbs dripping blood , the dying , the dead .
Hell on earth . ''
It was a brutal battle , with over 50,000 casualties .
But it was also a pivotal one .
Lee was hoping a loss at Gettysburg—just a short distance from a great Northern city like Philadelphia—might be enough to prompt Northerners to call it quits and turn Lincoln out in the upcoming election of 1864 .
Lincoln understood the importance of the speech he was about to give .
`` It was only halfway through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tired of it , Boritt noted .
`` And this bloodshed continued day after day , year after year . ''
What was Lincoln trying to accomplish with his short address ?
`` His job was to tell the American people why this must go on , '' Boritt explained about the war .
`` Why it 's worthwhile .
Why the United States had to be saved .
The speech is not simply a benediction or a blessing on the dead .
It 's a call to action .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are .
It 's worth fighting for and dying for . ''
Lincoln 's address followed what was supposed to be , by all accounts , the real Gettysburg address , that by former U.S .
Senator and Harvard College President Edward Everett , which clocked in at nearly two hours and contained 13,607 words , all forgotten .
`` Then Lincoln rose , '' historian David McCullough described in the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War .
`` A local photographer took his time focusing .
Presumably the president could be counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But he spoke just 269 words .
Lincoln was heading back to his seat before the photographer could open the shutter . ''
The address was not famous after it was finished , Boritt said .
`` A lot of newspapers did n't even mention it . ''
Those that did gave the speech a mixed reception .
`` Republican newspapers praised it , '' Boritt explained , `` and Democrats , viewing it as the beginning of Lincoln 's re-election campaign , belittled or tried to ignore it .
One Democratic newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' '' The speech was pretty much forgotten until the 1880s : This was before the age of radio , TV and YouTube , after all .
One person knew it was a speech for the ages .
`` I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes , '' Everett later wrote to Lincoln .
Why will the Gettysburg Address be forever remembered ?
`` The radical aspect of the speech , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln 's assertion that the Declaration of Independence—and not the Constitution—was the true expression of the Founding Fathers ' intentions for their new nation .
At that time , many white slave owners had declared themselves to be 'true ' Americans , pointing to the fact that the Constitution did not prohibit slavery .
According to Lincoln , the nation formed in 1776 was 'dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal . '
'' But Boritt was n't finished .
`` In an interpretation that was radical at the time—but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address redefined the Civil War as a struggle not just for the Union but also for the principle of human equality . ''
The address will also be forever remembered for its sheer brevity and gravity .
And , of course , for its poetry .
The source of that poetry was a book almost all Americans , including Lincoln , knew intimately .
`` Lincoln had mastered the sound of the King James Bible so completely that he could recast abstract issues of constitutional law in biblical terms , making the proposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forever bound by a single post office sound like something right out of Genesis , '' author and essayist Adam Gopnik wrote .
`` I think it is an American speech , and it summed up for us who we are , '' Boritt said .
`` It has a sacred quality to it .
It is the good news of America .
It is America at its best . ''
As we think about today 's partisan divide , The consequences of America 's division back in 1863 , after all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or being ghosted on Instagram .
Hundreds of thousands of Americas fought and died to make America a more complete union in those long four years .
A more just and free nation .
On this day , all Americans should read aloud the words Lincoln spoke to that crowd in Gettysburg back in 1863 .
Read them to friends , neighbors , church members and family .
And take them to heart .
For we are all lucky to be a part of the greatest national experiment of all time : a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the people , by the people and for the people .
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation , conceived in Liberty , and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal .
Now we are engaged in a great civil war , testing whether that nation , or any nation so conceived and so dedicated , can long endure .
We are met on a great battle-field of that war .
We have come to dedicate a portion of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live .
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this .
But , in a larger sense , we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground .
The brave men , living and dead , who struggled here , have consecrated it , far above our poor power to add or detract .
The world will little note , nor long remember what we say here , but it can never forget what they did here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather , to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced .
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation , under God , shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shall not perish from the earth .

He arrived in the small Pennsylvania town on November 18, 1863, a day before he was to give one of his few national addresses. He wasn't alone. Gettysburg's population at the time was less than 3,000, but nearly 15,000 people would gather the next day at the official dedication ceremony for the Soldiers' National Cemetery on the site of one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the Civil War.
President Abraham Lincoln arrived early because he wanted to see the battlefield. To see in person what he had only before seen on maps and official reports. He wanted to see the ground. And walk the ground.
"I would like to say that Gettysburg is a place, that if you let it, the land will speak to you," historian Gabor Boritt told C-SPAN back in 2007. Boritt, the director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College at the time, is the author of The Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech Nobody Knows. "He went by carriage with just a few people, wandering the battlefield," he said. "The image of that is so compelling. I think it spoke to Lincoln."
It was only four months earlier, in early July, that an even larger gathering of humanity made its way to the same battlefield. General Robert E. Lee showed up with 75,000 men, and General George Meade with up to 100,000. Three days later, Gettysburg was the site of the worst man-made disaster in American history.
The first chapter of Boritt's book describes what the small town was like in the weeks after the fighting ended.
Stench fills the air. Excrement from perhaps 180,000 men and more than 70,000 horses has been left behind. There are thousands of flies. Millions. Dead men barely covered in shallow graves. Seven thousand dead men? More likely close to 10,000. How many dead horses and mules? Three thousand, five? None buried. A nurse writes of carcasses "steaming in the sun." When strangers approach the town, "the odors of the battlefield" attack them long before they get there.
A statue of Union Major General Henry Warner Slocum stands on Stevens Knoll at the Gettysburg National Military Park on August 11. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Perhaps no one wrote more eloquently about the carnage, according to Boritt, than a volunteer nurse from Philadelphia, Eliza Farnham.
"The whole town is one vast hospital," she wrote in her diary. "It is absolutely inconceivable, the dead and dying and wounded, torn to pieces in every way. Moans, shrieks, weeping and prayer fill houses, the barns, the tents, the fields, the woods, the whole area. The land itself seems to wail. Nothing but suffering. Sights, sounds, smells unbearable. Horror. The piles of limbs dripping blood, the dying, the dead. Hell on earth."
It was a brutal battle, with over 50,000 casualties. But it was also a pivotal one. Lee was hoping a loss at Gettysburg—just a short distance from a great Northern city like Philadelphia—might be enough to prompt Northerners to call it quits and turn Lincoln out in the upcoming election of 1864.
Lincoln understood the importance of the speech he was about to give. "It was only halfway through the war, and people were sick and tired of it, Boritt noted. "And this bloodshed continued day after day, year after year."
What was Lincoln trying to accomplish with his short address? "His job was to tell the American people why this must go on," Boritt explained about the war. "Why it's worthwhile. Why the United States had to be saved. The speech is not simply a benediction or a blessing on the dead. It's a call to action. It's telling Americans: This is who we are. It's worth fighting for and dying for."
Lincoln's address followed what was supposed to be, by all accounts, the real Gettysburg address, that by former U.S. Senator and Harvard College President Edward Everett, which clocked in at nearly two hours and contained 13,607 words, all forgotten.
"Then Lincoln rose," historian David McCullough described in the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War. "A local photographer took his time focusing. Presumably the president could be counted on to go for a while. But he spoke just 269 words. Lincoln was heading back to his seat before the photographer could open the shutter."
The address was not famous after it was finished, Boritt said. "A lot of newspapers didn't even mention it." Those that did gave the speech a mixed reception. "Republican newspapers praised it," Boritt explained, "and Democrats, viewing it as the beginning of Lincoln's re-election campaign, belittled or tried to ignore it. One Democratic newspaper called the address a 'mawkish harangue.'"
The speech was pretty much forgotten until the 1880s: This was before the age of radio, TV and YouTube, after all. One person knew it was a speech for the ages. "I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes," Everett later wrote to Lincoln.
Why will the Gettysburg Address be forever remembered? "The radical aspect of the speech," Boritt said, "began with Lincoln's assertion that the Declaration of Independence—and not the Constitution—was the true expression of the Founding Fathers' intentions for their new nation. At that time, many white slave owners had declared themselves to be 'true' Americans, pointing to the fact that the Constitution did not prohibit slavery. According to Lincoln, the nation formed in 1776 was 'dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.'"
But Boritt wasn't finished. "In an interpretation that was radical at the time—but is now taken for granted—Lincoln's historic address redefined the Civil War as a struggle not just for the Union but also for the principle of human equality."
The address will also be forever remembered for its sheer brevity and gravity. And, of course, for its poetry. The source of that poetry was a book almost all Americans, including Lincoln, knew intimately.
"Lincoln had mastered the sound of the King James Bible so completely that he could recast abstract issues of constitutional law in biblical terms, making the proposition that Texas and New Hampshire should be forever bound by a single post office sound like something right out of Genesis," author and essayist Adam Gopnik wrote.
"I think it is an American speech, and it summed up for us who we are," Boritt said. "It has a sacred quality to it. It is the good news of America. It is America at its best."
As we think about today's partisan divide, The consequences of America's division back in 1863, after all, were more profound than a tweet storm or being ghosted on Instagram. Hundreds of thousands of Americas fought and died to make America a more complete union in those long four years. A more just and free nation.
On this day, all Americans should read aloud the words Lincoln spoke to that crowd in Gettysburg back in 1863. Read them to friends, neighbors, church members and family. And take them to heart. For we are all lucky to be a part of the greatest national experiment of all time: a government, as Lincoln reminded us, of the people, by the people and for the people.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.


newsweek--2020-11-19--'Fresh Prince' Reunion: A Timeline of the Will Smith and Janet Hubert Feud

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion , streaming now on HBO Max , seemed to bring to an end one of TV 's great feuds , as Will Smith buried the hatchet with Janet Hubert , the actor who played Aunt Viv for the show 's first three seasons .
Though the pair have not talked to each other for 27 years , they have been engaged in a war of words the whole time via interviews and social media .
Here are some of the key moments in their feud , the choicest insults and the biggest apologies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Season 4 in September 1993 , Janet Hubert had been replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid , with no explanation as to why apart from vague rumors about that great euphemism of `` creative differences . ''
Soon after , however , Smith struck the first blow in his battle with Hubert , starting the narrative that Hubert had exited the show because of her ego .
He told an Atlanta radio show ( per E ! )
: `` I can say straight up that Janet Hubert wanted the show to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She 's mad now but she 's been mad all along .
She said once , ' I 've been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show . '
No matter what , to her I 'm just the Antichrist . ''
At some point , Smith apologized for these comments in an interview according to Hubert herself , who said in a Huffington Post piece that : `` Will apologized later in an Essence magazine article , but it still lingers .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this interview does not seem to have made it into our internet age , so exactly what he said ( or when he said it ) remains unknown .
Though the feud raged on through the '90s and '00s , it was only in the social media age when things really picked up , as multiple websites picked up on comments made by stars of the show .
In 2011 , for example , the web 's head muckraker of the time Perez Hilton found footage of a stand-up set from Carlton actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In this , the actor said : `` She went nuts !
Long story short , and there were days when we were all on the set and she would literally go off on people and they got to a point by the time the second season came around where we 're like , 'This is unacceptable . '
We felt like , when we were doing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , that we were a family ... She , at that point , ruined that , and she made it very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfortunately she was then fired . ''
The following year , however , Hubert claimed that it was Smith who had made it difficult for her on set .
She told BlackAmericaWeb : `` I was a dark-skinned , African-American mother , and Will used to tell the you're-so-black jokes to the audience before the show , and at one point , I came out and stopped him ...
He did n't understand how unbelievably disrespectful that was to women like me . ''
Smith did not comment on these allegations .
Hubert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2011 , when Will Smith released a photo of what he called a `` Fresh Prince reunion '' without the original Aunt Viv .
Reacting to this to TMZ , she said : `` There will never be a reunion ... as I will never do anything with an a****** like Will Smith .
`` He is still an egomaniac and has not grown up .
This constant reunion thing will never ever happen in my lifetime unless there is an apology , which he does n't know the word . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith and Ribeiro 's comments directly .
She said : `` I think what happened , because the audience was so on my side at that time , that Will probably felt like he needed to go out , and he needed to tell a lot of lies .
Alfonso went out to a college and told a lot of lies , but the problem is I have proof that a lot of that did n't happen . ''
At this point , she seemed ready to end the feud , adding : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 've said some things , that were totally untrue ...
I 've said some things that I probably should have never said ...
Especially the TMZ thing last Christmas ; my Mom passed away .
So there I was again in the media getting beaten up ... and you get tired . ''
This conciliatory mood , however , did not last long , as the actor hit headlines again after Smith 's wife Jada Pinkett-Smith called out for a boycott of the Oscars for its lack of diverse nominees .
Hubert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith 's wife was speaking for him because he had failed to get a nomination for his film Concussion .
The Aunt Viv actor said : `` I find it ironic that somebody who has made their living and has made millions and millions of dollars from the very people that you 're talking about boycotting just because you did n't get a nomination , just because you did n't win ?
That 's not the way life works , baby . ''
She then called the actor out for a lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she claimed she suggested the cast should work together to try and get a raise like the `` white shows . ''
Allegedly , he replied : `` my deal is my deal .
And your deal is your deal . ''
The following month , she appeared on The Real to clarify her comments .
On the show , she said : `` Janet Hubert was never difficult on that set .
Janet Hubert was so professional , it was n't even funny .
I think Will simply needed to win and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in a lie and those things never happened . ''
History then repeated itself when Hubert used another ass-based insult in response to a reunion photo .
When Ribeiro posted a picture alongside the cast , she reacted on Facebook by saying : `` I know the media hoe Alphonso Ribero [ sic ] has posted his so called reunion photo .
Folks keep telling me about it .
He was always the a** wipe for Will . ''
While Hubert clearly had some resentment for Smith well into the 2010s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when interviewed on U.K. radio station 1Xtra .
He said of Hubert : `` I think as an artist there 's so many things that she does ... She sings , she dances , she 's like a really powerful artist .
I loved what she brought to The Fresh Prince . ''
He did not , however , acknowledge or apologize for the alleged lies he had told about his one-time Fresh Prince co-star , so the feud continued .
For the HBO Max reunion , the hatched was finally buried between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same room for the first time since the 1990s .
In this special , Smith acknowledged that , `` during her pregnancy [ during Season 3 ] , I was n't sensitive ...
I can see where I made the set very difficult for Janet . ''
She also finally gave the full story of how she left the show .
`` They offered me this really bad deal in the third season ...
I had a new baby and a husband who was out of work , so I said no , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not accept their offer .
I was never 'fired . '
That misconception was always put out there . ''
Smith responded by saying : `` I was 21 years old .
Everything was a threat to me .
Not you—the world .
I was so driven by fear . ''
The special then saw something that fans had been waiting for forever—the meeting of the two Aunt Vivs .
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion is streaming now on HBO Max .

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion, streaming now on HBO Max, seemed to bring to an end one of TV's great feuds, as Will Smith buried the hatchet with Janet Hubert, the actor who played Aunt Viv for the show's first three seasons. Though the pair have not talked to each other for 27 years, they have been engaged in a war of words the whole time via interviews and social media. Here are some of the key moments in their feud, the choicest insults and the biggest apologies.
Mid-1993: Hubert leaves The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
When The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air returned for Season 4 in September 1993, Janet Hubert had been replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid, with no explanation as to why apart from vague rumors about that great euphemism of "creative differences."
Soon after, however, Smith struck the first blow in his battle with Hubert, starting the narrative that Hubert had exited the show because of her ego. He told an Atlanta radio show (per E!): "I can say straight up that Janet Hubert wanted the show to be The Aunt Viv of Bel-Air Show...She's mad now but she's been mad all along. She said once, 'I've been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show.' No matter what, to her I'm just the Antichrist."
Unknown date: Will apologizes in Essence magazine
At some point, Smith apologized for these comments in an interview according to Hubert herself, who said in a Huffington Post piece that: "Will apologized later in an Essence magazine article, but it still lingers. It's still there."
However, this interview does not seem to have made it into our internet age, so exactly what he said (or when he said it) remains unknown.
Will Smith and Janet Hubert in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Warner Bros
2009: Ribeiro disses Hubert in a stand-up set
Though the feud raged on through the '90s and '00s, it was only in the social media age when things really picked up, as multiple websites picked up on comments made by stars of the show. In 2011, for example, the web's head muckraker of the time Perez Hilton found footage of a stand-up set from Carlton actor Alfonso Ribeiro from two years previously.
In this, the actor said: "She went nuts! Long story short, and there were days when we were all on the set and she would literally go off on people and they got to a point by the time the second season came around where we're like, 'This is unacceptable.' We felt like, when we were doing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, that we were a family...She, at that point, ruined that, and she made it very difficult for us to work, and unfortunately she was then fired."
2010: Hubert accuses Smith of making colorist jokes
The following year, however, Hubert claimed that it was Smith who had made it difficult for her on set. She told BlackAmericaWeb: "I was a dark-skinned, African-American mother, and Will used to tell the you're-so-black jokes to the audience before the show, and at one point, I came out and stopped him...He didn't understand how unbelievably disrespectful that was to women like me."
Smith did not comment on these allegations.
December 2011: Hubert calls Smith an a******
Hubert's comments became a little more fiery in 2011, when Will Smith released a photo of what he called a "Fresh Prince reunion" without the original Aunt Viv. Reacting to this to TMZ, she said: "There will never be a reunion ... as I will never do anything with an a****** like Will Smith.
"He is still an egomaniac and has not grown up. This constant reunion thing will never ever happen in my lifetime unless there is an apology, which he doesn't know the word."
March 2013: Hubert accuses Smith of "lies"
In a Grio interview, Hubert addressed Smith and Ribeiro's comments directly. She said: "I think what happened, because the audience was so on my side at that time, that Will probably felt like he needed to go out, and he needed to tell a lot of lies. Alfonso went out to a college and told a lot of lies, but the problem is I have proof that a lot of that didn't happen."
At this point, she seemed ready to end the feud, adding: "You've done some things, you've said some things, that were totally untrue... I've said some things that I probably should have never said...Especially the TMZ thing last Christmas; my Mom passed away. So there I was again in the media getting beaten up...and you get tired."
January 2016: Hubert posts video response to Jada Pinkett Smith
This conciliatory mood, however, did not last long, as the actor hit headlines again after Smith's wife Jada Pinkett-Smith called out for a boycott of the Oscars for its lack of diverse nominees.
Hubert replied in a video, speculating that Smith's wife was speaking for him because he had failed to get a nomination for his film Concussion. The Aunt Viv actor said: "I find it ironic that somebody who has made their living and has made millions and millions of dollars from the very people that you're talking about boycotting just because you didn't get a nomination, just because you didn't win? That's not the way life works, baby."
She then called the actor out for a lack of solidarity on The Fresh Prince, where she claimed she suggested the cast should work together to try and get a raise like the "white shows." Allegedly, he replied: "my deal is my deal. And your deal is your deal."
February 2016: Hubert appears on The Real
The following month, she appeared on The Real to clarify her comments. On the show, she said: "Janet Hubert was never difficult on that set. Janet Hubert was so professional, it wasn't even funny. I think Will simply needed to win and I think sometimes when you get caught up in a lie and those things never happened."
March 2017: Hubert calls Ribeiro an "a** wipe"
History then repeated itself when Hubert used another ass-based insult in response to a reunion photo. When Ribeiro posted a picture alongside the cast, she reacted on Facebook by saying: "I know the media hoe Alphonso Ribero [sic] has posted his so called reunion photo. Folks keep telling me about it. He was always the a** wipe for Will."
July 2018: Smith compliments Hubert in an interview
While Hubert clearly had some resentment for Smith well into the 2010s, Smith seemed ready to end the feud when interviewed on U.K. radio station 1Xtra. He said of Hubert: "I think as an artist there's so many things that she does...She sings, she dances, she's like a really powerful artist. I loved what she brought to The Fresh Prince."
He did not, however, acknowledge or apologize for the alleged lies he had told about his one-time Fresh Prince co-star, so the feud continued.
November 2020: Feud ends
Will Smith and Janet Hubert reunited for an HBO Max reunion special. HBO Max
For the HBO Max reunion, the hatched was finally buried between the two, appearing together in the same room for the first time since the 1990s.
In this special, Smith acknowledged that, "during her pregnancy [during Season 3], I wasn't sensitive...I can see where I made the set very difficult for Janet."
She also finally gave the full story of how she left the show.
"They offered me this really bad deal in the third season...I had a new baby and a husband who was out of work, so I said no," she explained. "I did not accept their offer. I was never 'fired.' That misconception was always put out there."
Smith responded by saying: "I was 21 years old. Everything was a threat to me. Not you—the world. I was so driven by fear."
The special then saw something that fans had been waiting for forever—the meeting of the two Aunt Vivs.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion is streaming now on HBO Max.


newsweek--2020-11-19--Pompeo Celebrates 'Extraordinarily Effective' Sanctions on Iran As Rouhani Dismisses 'Unruly' Trump

The U.S. conflict with Iran looks set to be a central story of the transition from President Donald Trump 's administration to President-Elect Joe Biden 's , as the White House tries to collapse Tehran 's economy before the next president can re-establish diplomatic ties .
The administration announced fresh sanctions on a raft of Iranian individuals and organizations on Wednesday , including the country 's intelligence chief and a charitable foundation linked to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—who claimed earlier this month that there would be a second Trump administration despite Biden being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement lauding the effect of sanctions and warning that easing pressure on Tehran would be a `` dangerous choice . ''
Pompeo said American sanctions—imposed despite protests from fellow members of the United Nations Security Council and co-signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal , including American allies in Europe—have been `` extraordinarily effective . ''
The Trump administration has repeatedly said it is targeting the authoritarian theocratic regime in Iran rather than the Iranian people .
Pompeo has said the U.S. has no quarrel with Iranians , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the regime .
But American sanctions are inevitably harming Iranians too , particularly as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic .
`` Today , Iran 's economy faces a currency crisis , mounting public debt , and rising inflation , '' Pompeo said , noting that American sanctions had cut vital and lucrative Iranian oil exports by some 75 percent , denying the regime more than $ 70 billion in oil .
`` The Iranian rial has depreciated to one fifth of its former value against the dollar since the start of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shrunk by around 6 percent for three consecutive years , '' Pompeo added .
He said the sanctions `` deprive the regime of funds it would use to carry out its malign activities , '' noting that the Iranian people `` did not benefit from the funds as had been promised by their leaders . ''
Pompeo noted concerns about the effect of sanctions on normal Iranians , though dismissed them as a regime method to push for sanctions relief .
He mentioned this argument alongside warnings about `` disinformation '' from Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect to see repeated efforts by the regime to spread disinformation , and we are likely to see reports and arguments that say sanctions have failed , '' Pompeo said .
`` We should not be deceived . ''
Iranian officials have veered between urging humanitarian sanctions relief and dismissing the maximum pressure approach as an ineffective failure .
Whatever Tehran says , the regime is being squeezed .
Leaders are hoping that Biden 's administration will bring an easing of sanctions and diplomatic re-engagement , but first they will have to survive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hawkish aides .
Iranian leaders remain publicly stubborn , dismissing Trump 's reported musing on military action and pressing Biden to rejoin the JCPOA and ease sanctions .
President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the Trump administration is `` unruly , '' and said Biden could `` bring back the atmosphere '' that produced the 2015 nuclear deal with President Barack Obama 's administration , in which Biden served as vice president .
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh , meanwhile , tweeted Thursday that the maximum pressure campaign now represents `` max failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustration is understandable . ''

The U.S. conflict with Iran looks set to be a central story of the transition from President Donald Trump's administration to President-Elect Joe Biden's, as the White House tries to collapse Tehran's economy before the next president can re-establish diplomatic ties.
The administration announced fresh sanctions on a raft of Iranian individuals and organizations on Wednesday, including the country's intelligence chief and a charitable foundation linked to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—who claimed earlier this month that there would be a second Trump administration despite Biden being projected the winner of the election—released a statement lauding the effect of sanctions and warning that easing pressure on Tehran would be a "dangerous choice."
Pompeo said American sanctions—imposed despite protests from fellow members of the United Nations Security Council and co-signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, including American allies in Europe—have been "extraordinarily effective."
The Trump administration has repeatedly said it is targeting the authoritarian theocratic regime in Iran rather than the Iranian people. Pompeo has said the U.S. has no quarrel with Iranians, and has called on them to push back against the regime. But American sanctions are inevitably harming Iranians too, particularly as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic.
"Today, Iran's economy faces a currency crisis, mounting public debt, and rising inflation," Pompeo said, noting that American sanctions had cut vital and lucrative Iranian oil exports by some 75 percent, denying the regime more than $70 billion in oil.
"The Iranian rial has depreciated to one fifth of its former value against the dollar since the start of the campaign, while Iran's GDP has shrunk by around 6 percent for three consecutive years," Pompeo added.
He said the sanctions "deprive the regime of funds it would use to carry out its malign activities," noting that the Iranian people "did not benefit from the funds as had been promised by their leaders."
Pompeo noted concerns about the effect of sanctions on normal Iranians, though dismissed them as a regime method to push for sanctions relief. He mentioned this argument alongside warnings about "disinformation" from Tehran regarding the measures.
"We can expect to see repeated efforts by the regime to spread disinformation, and we are likely to see reports and arguments that say sanctions have failed," Pompeo said. "We should not be deceived."
Iranian officials have veered between urging humanitarian sanctions relief and dismissing the maximum pressure approach as an ineffective failure. Whatever Tehran says, the regime is being squeezed.
Leaders are hoping that Biden's administration will bring an easing of sanctions and diplomatic re-engagement, but first they will have to survive another six weeks of Trump and his hawkish aides.
Iranian leaders remain publicly stubborn, dismissing Trump's reported musing on military action and pressing Biden to rejoin the JCPOA and ease sanctions.
President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the Trump administration is "unruly," and said Biden could "bring back the atmosphere" that produced the 2015 nuclear deal with President Barack Obama's administration, in which Biden served as vice president.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh, meanwhile, tweeted Thursday that the maximum pressure campaign now represents "max failure." Khatibzadeh said Pompeo's "frustration is understandable."