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Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. – John 8.44

“I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.” Rev 3.9

“I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” Rev. 2.9

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come." Matthew 3:7

"I and my Father are one,[31] Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. JOHN 10:30-31

For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God’s wrath has overtaken them at last. - Thessalonians 2:14-16

GOD cursed the Satanic Jews out of Jerusalem for life. Jesus arrived and focused on Jerusalem because it was the most unholy, evil, place on earth... still is today.

The Nomadic Turks (ashkeNAZIS) have been behind all the Evil in the world since Cain's children... using their News Networks to create the News, and set the stage, to blame their opponents, for everything evil they do, across the globe.



Jewish Communist Dictum:- "Accuse the enemy of those crimes you are guilty of"

1.PROBLEM 2.REACTION 3.SOLUTION.

The Elite Jews create the illness, then sell the Cure. They create Chaos & Terrorism, then sell the solution... for more control and power.

Islam and Christianity have become servants of the Jews. Acting as physical and spiritual cattle for the Jews to harvest in building their Global Satanic Kingdom.

If I converted to Buddhism, does that make me Chinese? If I converted to Hinduism, does that make me Indian? When Khazarians (Turks) converted to Judaism in 740 BC and stole the true Semite Israelite Aegean identity, did that make the counterfeit Jews Hebrew? Well, the Jew World Order seems to think so. They crucified Jesus Christ for exposing them.

The invention of the Muslim Terrorist by our Jewish Governments... to keep us in fear, and to justify raping the World, and slaughtering billions of innocent families in every country for power and control...for their 2 horned God Lucifer... which the Jews named him "Morning Star."

Every Religion Church and Mosque has been infiltrated by the Jews. How do you know? ... if your Church has not discussed the below phrases by Christ... then it has been compromised.

High Time for USA and UK to live up to their commitments

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

sri lanka tamil genocide

The recent meeting of Tamil National Alliance {TNA] with the United States “{US] State Departments second rank officials provides a welcome relief and hopes kindling opening and as a light at the end of the tunnels of accountability, justice and reconciliation for the Tamil people. US, as a sponsor of the all important UNHRC Resolution of 30/1 and other Resolutions  particularly its own Resolution 413 initiated by the US Senate on May 18, 2021 and now referred to the Foreign Relations Subcommittee is expected to be passed as a Congress Resolution sooner or later. In this respect, US shoulders the major responsibility and obligation to infuse life and soul to those Resolutions and uphold accountability and justice to the Tamil people who are victims of alleged genocide committed by the Sri Lankan Governments through its Sinhala majority security forces since 1956.

Denial of accountability and justice with an entrenched culture of impunity in Sri Lanka corrodes and strikes at the roots of the principle of  rule of law making mockery of the judicial system. When accountability is ignored and discarded, the consequences inevitably result in the loss of faith and confidence in the judicial procedure and State’s law enforcement machinery while leading to encouraging the criminals to pursue their criminal career leaving the victims of crimes to live with lingering feelings of anger, desperation, frustration and thirst for revenge against the perpetrators of those crimes.

Sad to state for Sri Lanka, human rights accountability and justice are matters of anathema scorned, despised and ignored by the Government machinery. Past history would confirm the sickening truth of impunity when only a handful of security personnel have been convicted for the alleged genocidal crimes committed against the Tamils. Adding insult to injury, Sri Lanka which has rejected all the UNHRC Resolutions passed since 2012 Resolutions sponsored by the US is also threatening to withdraw its membership in the UNHRC. As rubbing salt to the wound, the fickling Professor of Law and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. G. L. Pieris who was earlier campaigning for human rights and propagating extensive devolution to the North and East provinces along with the former President Chandrika Bandaranaike has now somersaulted with a 360 degrees U-turn by rejecting any third party or foreign involvement in dealing with Sri Lanka’s human rights violations. Thus, the Government has frankly admitted and confirmed its full reversal and withdrawal from upholding accountability and justice through international or internal judicial mechanisms. The US State Department after the meeting with the Tamil delegation tweeted that “US joins Sri Lankan Tamil people in search for lasting peace and full voice in deciding their country’s future”. The Assistant Secretary of State Ms. Lu underscored “Human rights being central to the US foreign policy”.

In the meantime, United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Department Office in their updated Assessment  Report on Sri Lanka from January to June 30th 2020 raised “Continued deterioration of human rights in Sri Lanka which they make as one of their priority countries” [Released on January 25, 2021] The Office condemned the following among others:-

[1] Proscription of Tamil and Muslim community groups.

[2]  Restriction s on memorialization events, even arresting those who attended the recent memorial functions.

[3] Increased surveillance and intimidation of human rights activists by security forces.

[4] Use of PTA for number of arbitrary arrests.

[5] Obstructing accountability in a number of emblematic human rights cases. [Pardoning of a convicted murderer of death row. Duminda de Silva]

[6], Appointing convicted individuals to lead independent institutions.

[7] Extra-judicial killings.

Incensed and outraged by the statement of the United States and the United Kingdom, the bending Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Professor G. L. Pieris has burst out with his usual parrot statements by declaring that “No outsider will be allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka”. but without initiating any internal investigative mechanism for the human rights violations. Earlier President Gotabaya Rajapakshe also stubbornly declared “That his Government will not allow anyone to interfere in the internal affairs of this country”.

This Sri Lanka’s defiant and adamant stand including its outright and contemptuous rejection of International Community’s involvement   including UNHRC & UN Resolutions along with the US Senate Resolution 413 which was proposed on May 18, 2021 allows for the time  to come for the world community of nations who believe in accountability, justice and rule of law to consider taking initiatives and appropriate individual actions to vindicate their faith and resolve for the sustainment of accountability and justice in Sri Lanka.

Undoubtedly, the US State Department’s statement has forthrightly given priority and empathetically stressed the importance of human rights and accountability being the central of United States foreign policy.  United State’s Resolution 413 against Sri Lanka places an unshakable and a firm indispensable commitment on it to pursue this matter without any hiccups and initiate appropriate steps to enforce and implement its commitments in those Resolutions without giving any room for possible cajoling and hoodwinking promises and deceptive undertakings of Sri Lanka which is carrying a tarnished record in these matters. As  such US cannot simply throw overboard its dominant role in the world stage as a Super Power wielding the powers, wherewithal and resources to protect and preserve human rights in the world.

The Tamils, victims of repression and genocidal killings amounting to genocide since 1948 have waited far too long for accountability and justice with their wounds festering and still remain unhealed. Sri Lanka having closed the doors for any foreign involvement, US and UK shoulder the prime and foremost responsibility and obligation to assert their roles to uphold accountability and justice wherever and whenever they are threatened. Any failure to do so will undoubtedly open the possibilities of rise and growth of militancy and recurrence of internal strife encouraging human rights violations while making the recommendation of recurrence in the Human Rights Resolutions meaningless, irrelevant and frivolous.

United Kingdom which was the colonial ruler of Sri Lanka [Ceylon] owes a much more heavier burden and obligation to redress and remedy the long standing and growing grievances of Tamil people which have been multiplying since independence in 1948. In this respect, the Report of Foreign and Commonwealth Office is applauded  and breathes fresh air and hopes by its frank and forthright assessment of Sri Lanka for the first half of 2020.

President Gotabaya Rajapakshe’s statement on November 24, 2021 to the public is alarming and is an ominous sign of entrenchment of the Rajapakshe family dictatorial rule. In his statement, he “Threatened to abolish all rights of those who are shouting, if that is what you ask for I will give it to you”/ By this daring and open threat, he has only revealed his ulterior motive and intention to hold on to power come what may and even undemocratically without any popular backing.

In this respect, United State’s non-invitation of Sri Lanka to attend the Democratic Summit on 8th and 10th of November 2021 convened by US President Joe Biden is a timely fitting action heralding the beginning of United State’s serious commitment and assertion to uphold accountability and Justice in Sri Lanka. The recent cancellation by the Scotland Yard to provide training for the Sri Lankan Police Force is another proper step to remind Sri Lanka of its duty to uphold accountability and justice.  It is a beacon of hope for the traumatized Tamil people who have been clamouring for accountability and justice for the genocide committed against them by Sri Lankas’ Sinhalese security forces since independence from  the British in 1948. Besides, the USA has recognized Tamils as people who are a distinct race and as a Nation with their own language, traditions and culture possessing 3000 years of history. It is also high time for USA and UK to recognize the war crimes, crimes against humanity committed against the Tamil people as genocide in view of the mountain of evidences collected and recorded by the UN Special Rapporteurs, Human Rights High Commissioners and Human Rights Organizations including Special Tribunals.

Eighty Millions Tamils living all over the world hope that USA and UK as champions of democracy and human rights will not waver and shrink from their solemn duties, responsibilities and undertakings to implement their commitments and Recommendations made in the UNHRC and UN Resolutions. It need not be stated that accountability takes precedence over reconciliation to make it meaningful, realistic and genuine.

Thambu Kanagasabai, Former Lecturer in Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka –   President of Tamil Canadian Elders for Human Rights Org

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Putin Sets Out Russia’s Demands: No Further NATO Expansion, Demands “Legal Binding Security Guarantees” — The Duran

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

Putin Sets Out Russia’s Demands: No Further NATO Expansion, Demands “Legal Binding Security Guarantees” News Topic 355 Ceremony for presenting foreign ambassadors’ letters of credence Ceremony for presenting foreign ambassadors’ letters of credence Letters of credence were presented to the President of Russia by Lubomir Rehak (Slovak Republic), Dang Minh Khoi (Socialist Republic of Vietnam),…

Putin Sets Out Russia’s Demands: No Further NATO Expansion, Demands “Legal Binding Security Guarantees” — The Duran

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Cooperation between Russia and Vietnam Strengthens Steadily

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

XUP92423

Vietnam is one of Russia’s key partners in the Asia-Pacific region. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) and Russia continue to develop cooperation, which has traditionally been friendly, based on years of close cooperation in a wide range of areas (diplomatic relations were established on 30 January 1950). The bilateral legal framework consists of over eighty documents, including such fundamental instruments as the Treaty of Friendship (1994) and the Declaration on Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century (2001).

The strategic partnership between Russia and the SRV became comprehensive in July 2012. This cooperation clearly reflects Russia’s “pivot to the East”, which has become particularly relevant in the current international climate of increasing Russophobia in the West.  The said development of cooperation is not an alternative to relations with China, but an opportunity to diversify trade, economic and military-strategic relations in the East.

In the face of growing tensions in Eurasia and a policy of harsh sanctions by the US and the EU, Russia is naturally interested in strengthening cooperation with its longstanding partner in East Asia, Vietnam. Its political elites are well aware that Russia, as a great global and Asian power with considerable military potential and as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has been and remains an essential factor in maintaining peace and stability in the region. It can and should play an important role in shaping the future security system in the Asia-Pacific region in general and in Southeast Asia in particular, both as an active participant and as a reliable guarantor of agreements yet to be reached.

The importance of developing relations with the SRV is determined by shared interests and fears about attempts by the US and its Western allies to complicate the international environment and security in the Asia-Pacific region. It is also linked to the need to ensure a peaceful environment for economic development in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as for Vietnam and Russia with effective integration into the economies of both countries, the benefits of trade and economic cooperation with ASEAN countries.

Today, Vietnam is a rapidly growing regional power of 100 million people, which has escaped centuries of poverty and backwardness, successfully integrated into the regional economy, and become a reputable and reliable partner for many countries around the world and a respected member of the global community. Vietnam’s highly critical attitude towards the use of armed force in conflict resolution is due to the fact that the Vietnamese people have fought – successfully – not only with the Americans, but also with the French, the Japanese, etc. Therefore, today it is aiming at solving all political problems peacefully, through diplomacy, knowing full well what a real war, not in exercises and firing ranges, is like. That is why the Vietnamese prefer to talk more about the future than about the past.

An extensive system of active political contacts and dialogue has been set up between the SRV and Russia, both at the highest and at all other levels, which has created a solid basis for political cooperation. Vietnam is the only state in Southeast Asia that has been visited by Russian Presidents five times; President Vladimir Putin has already visited the SRV three times, which has significantly strengthened the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries and peoples. Both countries have long agreed on concerted approaches to improving the security and cooperation architecture in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, which they believe should be based on the principles of collectivity, multilateralism and equality, on generally accepted norms of international law, including the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which are very important for Vietnam. This, in particular, allows for effective coordination in leading international platforms, especially within the UN and its structural units, as well as in multilateral forums in the Asia-Pacific region.

Although the pandemic has had a major negative impact on global foreign trade in general, as well as on trade between Vietnam and Russia, trade cooperation between the two countries is developing positively, with bilateral trade expected to rise to nearly $6.5 billion by the end of 2021, up from $5.7 billion a year earlier.

The deepening security and military-technical cooperation between Russia and Vietnam is a clear confirmation of the trusting nature of Russian-Vietnamese relations. In January 2020, Russia and Vietnam signed a contract for the purchase of 12 Russian Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft worth over $350 million. At a press conference following talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son at the end of September, the intention to step up bilateral military cooperation was confirmed.

The official visit to Russia by Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his meeting on November 30 with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a logical continuation of the increasingly strong relations between the two countries in recent years.

Nguyen Xuan Phuc was in Moscow as prime minister in 2019 and met Russian President Vladimir Putin. Even back then it was clear that the Moscow-Hanoi line was reaching a new level.Nguyen Xuan Phuc belongs to the old school of Vietnamese politicians, which is linked to both the Soviet era and new times, when Vietnam began to build up its own weight.Nguyen Xuan Phuc has spoken Russian practically since childhood, as the subject was part of the compulsory school curriculum. It is noteworthy that in recent years, after a break caused by the processes of the 1990s, the Russian language has been actively studied again in Vietnam, contributing, among other things, to further rapprochement between the peoples of the two countries.

The talks between the Russian and Vietnamese presidents resulted in a joint statement on the vision for developing a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries until 2030. Cooperation between the two countries on political, economic, military, military-technical and security issues is developing, contributing to stability in the region, according to a statement posted on the Kremlin’s website. “A special place in the structure of Russian-Vietnamese relations is occupied by military, military-technical and security cooperation, which is progressively developing in the interests of Russia and Vietnam and their peoples, contributing to maintaining peace and ensuring stability in the region and the world as a whole,” the statement said. “Russia and Vietnam will ensure maritime security, freedom of navigation and air navigation, unimpeded trade, advocate restraint in relations, non-use of force or threat of force, resolution of disputes by peaceful means in accordance with universally recognized principles and norms of international law,” the text of the statement reads. The joint declaration also stresses that “Russia and Vietnam stand for a fairer democratic system of international relations based on the rule of international law and the principles of the UN Charter, including the sovereign equality of States, territorial integrity, equal rights and self-determination of peoples, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, non-use or threat of force, and settlement of disputes by peaceful means”. The sides consider it necessary to enhance region-wide efforts to establish a comprehensive, open and transparent architecture of equal and indivisible security and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region on a collective and non-aligned basis, based on international law.

Vladimir Putin and Nguyen Xuan Phuc discussed strategic partnership in various fields. In particular, Vietnam is interested in joint production of coronavirus vaccines with Russia. The SRV was one of the first to license the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, and was the first to launch its own production of the drug.

Vladimir Odintsov, political observer, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.

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UPS Lays Off 100s of Workers in Biden’s Hometown Scranton 

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

UPS is laying off hundreds of workers in Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Louisville, KY, and President Joe Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

“UPS is transitioning some of the work currently done at one of our Global Business Services offices in Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Louisville, KY, and Scranton, PA to another location,” UPS said. “We are having one-on-one meetings with the affected employees to discuss their next steps with the company, which includes the opportunity to apply for open positions at UPS.”

232 employees will work through the holiday season until their final day of work on February 25.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, in Scranton, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

“This layoff will be permanent, and ‘bumping rights’ (that is, the right to avoid termination by displacing another employee) do not exist,” UPS said in a letter to affected employees.

Employees told local news outlets they feel like “we don’t matter” and that it is “just a terrible blow” for those who have worked for the company for years.

As Newswatch 16 reported:

The employees at the UPS facility in Dunmore we talked to wanted to remain anonymous, but they said they feel like they are “being used” for the company’s busiest time of year before the layoffs take effect.

Jim Bognet, a candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district, expressed his support for Pennsylvanian workers on Twitter. “I will FIGHT for the workers of Northeast Pennsylvania,” Bognet tweeted.

“UPS should be embarrassed to announce their shameful plan to layoff 232 hardworking employees. Unfortunately layoffs, inflation, and misery are all too common in Joe Biden and Matt Cartwright’s America,” Bognet said in a statement. “When I’m in Congress, I’ll fight for the workers of Northeast Pennsylvania. I will fight to cut regulations and help businesses grow.”

“‘Scranton’ Joe Biden and ‘Lapdog’ Matt Cartwright have let down the people of Lackawanna County that they claim to represent,” Bognet said.

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Alec Baldwin, Stephanopoulos Interview Gets Massive Backlash: ‘Disgusting,’ ‘A Money Making Ratings Grab’

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

The Alec Baldwin primetime interview on ABC with George Stephanopoulos did not get the warm welcome the Disney-owned network had hoped for, with a cavalcade of social media users slamming the broadcast as “disgusting,” a shameless cash grab that disrespects the memory of Halyna Hutchins.

Media members and personalities questioned why ABC News would focus so much of its attention on Alec Baldwin, allotting him a platform to gain sympathy while not focusing on the female cinematographer he accidentally shot and killed on the set of his film Rust — the first of its kind since Brandon Lee’s tragic death on the set of The Crow in 1993.

The condemnation came from both sides of the political aisle.

Marlow Stern of the Daily Beast called the moment “disgusting” and did not buy Alec Baldwin’s claim that he never “pulled the trigger” when he shot Halyna Hutchins.

In the interview, Alec Baldwin raised more than a few eyebrows when he claimed that he did not pull the trigger on that fateful day on October 21.

“I didn’t pull the trigger,” Alec Baldwin said. “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.”

Watch below: 

Elsewhere in the interview, Alec Baldwin says “I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me. I mean, honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible, and I don’t say that lightly.”

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Senate Passes Stop-Gap Funding Through February

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

The Senate passed a stop-gap funding bill on Thursday night, averting a government shutdown.

The Senate passed H.R. 6119 with 69 votes in favor and 28 against, crossing the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. H.R. 6119 is a continuing resolution (CR), a spending bill that would keep government funding levels the same, although it grants $7 billion in funding for the resettlement of Afghan refugees.

The vote on the CR follows as the Senate shot down an amendment proposed by Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) that would have defunded President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates. The amendment failed after Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) voted against it, although Manchin had teased this afternoon that he may vote for the amendment.

“I’ve been very supportive of a mandate for federal government, for military… I’ve been less enthused about it in the private sector,” the West Virginia Democrat said.

The Associated Press

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WVa., talks to reporters as he leaves the chamber after a vote, at the Capitol in Washington, on Nov. 3, 2021. Democrats have finally driven President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion package of family services, health care and climate initiatives through the House. Now the focus turns to the Senate, where painful Republican amendments, restrictive rules and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin lurk (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

The CR would fund the federal government through February 18, which serves as a minor victory for Republicans, as the GOP wanted more time to negotiate a longer-term spending bill. Democrats wanted a spending bill to fund the government through January.

The House earlier passed the legislation on mostly party lines; Democrats overwhelmingly voted for the bill, and only one Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), voted for the bill.

The CR goes to Biden’s desk to sign, averting a government shutdown one day ahead of the December 3 deadline. Now, Congress will have to pass a bill to raise the debt ceiling and pass the National Defense Authorization Act.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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Alec Baldwin: If I Felt I Was Responsible for ‘Rust’ Shooting, ‘I Might Have Killed Myself’ But I’m Not – I’ll Make Another Movie in January

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

During an interview with ABC aired on Thursday, Alec Baldwin said that he isn’t responsible for the shooting on the set of “Rust,” he might have committed suicide if he thought he was responsible, and that while he is going to make another movie in January, he wonders if continuing working is worth it.

Baldwin said that he doesn’t care about his career anymore and that his career could be over.

He continued, “I mean, could I work? I’m going to go make another movie in January. And I said to them, ‘Do you want to get out of it? Do you want to get rid of me because of what happened?’ They said no. But I say to myself, do I want to work much more after this? Is it worth it?”

Baldwin also stated, “I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me. I mean, honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible, and I don’t say that lightly.”

He also said that we need to find out who brought bullets onto the set.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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Senate Blocks Amendment to Defund Biden Vaccine Mandate

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

The Senate on Thursday blocked an amendment to a stop-gap funding bill that would defund President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.

The Senate voted 48-50, just a few votes short of the 51-vote majority necessary to pass the Marshall-Lee amendment to H.R. 6119, the continuing resolution (CR). The Marshall-Lee proposal would have defunded Biden’s vaccine mandate. The CR would fund the government through February 18.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who voted for the Marshall-Lee amendment, said in a statement after the vote:

President Biden’s overreaching vaccine mandate will hurt Montana small businesses and force hardworking Montanans out of their jobs. Tonight, the Senate had a chance to help kill the mandate, yet every Senate Democrat, including the senior senator from Montana, chose to stand with Biden and voted against it. I won’t stop fighting until Biden’s mandates are no longer a reality.

Two Republicans, Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and John Thune (R-SD), were absent for the vote.

Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) led the movement in the Senate to defund the Biden vaccine mandate.

The Senate conservatives threatened to shut down the federal government if the Senate did not vote on their proposed amendment. The federal government will shut down on December 3 if Congress does not pass the CR.

The CR passed through the House earlier on Thursday despite the objections of House Republicans; only one Republican, the Never Trump Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), voted in favor of the CR.

Two moderate Democrats, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), voted against the proposed amendment.

Manchin said earlier on Thursday that he might vote for the Biden vaccine mandate, expressing concerns about a private sector vaccine mandate.

“I’ve been very supportive of a mandate for federal government, for military. … I’ve been less enthused about it in the private sector,” the West Virginia Democrat said.

On the Senate floor Thursday afternoon, Lee gave an impassioned speech calling for the Senate to vote on his proposal.

“I just want a vote on one amendment. I want the members of this body to go on record on whether they support funding in this bill. President Biden’s vaccine mandate,” Lee said. “The American people have a right to know through our votes where we stand.”

“I don’t want to shut down the government. The only thing I want to shut down is Congress funding enforcement of an immoral, unconstitutional vaccine mandate,” Lee added.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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DCCC Blasted on Twitter After Thanking Biden for 2 Cent Decrease in Gas Prices 

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) was blasted on Twitter after sending a post that thanked President Joe Biden for a two-cent decrease in gas prices, despite gas prices rising more than a dollar under his presidency.

“Thanks, @JoeBiden,” tweeted the DCCC along with a graph that shows gas prices decreased from $3.40 to $3.38 over two weeks.

“Is your social media manager a Republican?” one user sarcastically posted.

“idk why the dccc didn’t just go back another week, could tout a whole 3 cent decline in gas prices,” said Business Insider’s Andy Kiersz.

Bluecheck Josh Jordan tweeted:

“This might be the worst defense of the Biden administration yet,” tweeted the Washington Post.

The Washington Post published a more detailed graph that shows U.S. weekly gas prices rose more than a dollar since January.

DCCC’s post comes one month after Biden admitted he does not have a near-term solution to address rising gas prices. “I don’t see anything that’s going to happen in the meantime that’s going to significantly reduce gas prices,” Biden told CNN’s Anderson Cooper at a town hall event.

However, the DCCC’s post aligns with the Democrat tactic of avoiding rising inflation by pretending it does not exist. For example, last Independence Day, the White House boasted about an alleged $0.16 decrease in the cost of a 4th of July barbecue. This claim was proven to be mostly false.

Additionally, The Democrats’ praise of Biden is misplaced. The slight decrease in gas prices is due to the news that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading worldwide.

“Gasoline prices across much of the state are reversing their upward trend thanks to decreasing demand and falling crude oil prices,” said Daniel Armbruster, a spokesperson for the American Automobile Association. “But it’s too soon to tell if fears of a global economic slowdown caused by the Omicron variant will push oil prices lower for the long term.”

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Psaki Dodges When Asked if Biden Should Still Be President After Presiding Over More Coronavirus Deaths than Trump

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

White House press secretary Jen Psaki dodged a question on Wednesday about whether or not it is acceptable for a president to stay in office after overseeing a copious amount of U.S. deaths from the Chinese coronavirus.

As Breitbart News reported last week, the U.S. death toll from the Chinese coronavirus under Biden’s administration will soon surpass the death toll recorded during Trump’s administration, and in less time.

Additionally, during an October 2020 presidential debate between Biden and Trump, Biden insisted that “anyone who’s responsible for that many deaths” — which at the time was at around 220,000 — “should not remain as President of the United States of America.”

When asked by Fox News’s Peter Doocy if that is “still the standard now that more Americans have died under President Biden than President Trump,” Psaki outright dodged the question.

Watch Below:

Rather than answer the question, Psaki instead promulgated a known hoax about former President Donald Trump, never answering for the coronavirus-related deaths the United States has suffered under President Biden.

“This president has made the vaccine widely available,” Psaki said of Biden. “He’s relied on the advice of his health and medical experts, and he is trying to be a part of solving this crisis.”

While Biden is “trying” to solve the pandemic, the U.S. death toll from the Wuhan virus is expected to more than double before Biden’s first year in office concludes.

The New York Times has also admitted that more people in the United States have died of the coronavirus this year than last year — despite the widespread availability of vaccines.

“This was supposed to be the year vaccines brought the pandemic under control. Instead, more people in the United States have died from Covid-19 this year than died last year, before vaccines were available,” the New York Times reported.

Approximately 389,089 people in the United States have died from the Wuhan virus so far during Biden’s presidency, according to statistics provided by Johns Hopkins University.

At the time of publication, the nationwide coronavirus death toll — which was at 396,442 when Biden first took office — is now at 785,531.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.

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Ann Coulter: Tips on Fake News for Twitter’s New CEO

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

Twitter announced this week that Parag Agrawal will be the social media giant’s new CEO. (This is an incredible achievement for the Indian-born Agrawal, given that the selection process heavily favored people born in India.) He has a difficult job ahead of him, trying to maintain the site’s reputation for fast-paced, free-ranging commentary, while also keeping the platform free of dangerous misinformation.

Agrawal is probably aware of the mounds — and I mean mounds — of irrefutable SCIENTIFIC PROOF that conservatives are gullible paranoids, constantly falling for misinformation and hoaxes. For example, consider these 100 percent objective academic studies:

“Conservatives More Likely To Believe False News, New Study Finds” — Maggie Fox, CNN, June 2, 2021

“Return of the Paranoid Style: Fake News Is Fooling More Conservatives Than Liberals. Why?” — The Economist, June 3, 2020

“Conservatives’ Susceptibility to Political Misperceptions” — R. Kelly Garrett and Robert M. Bond, Science Advances, June 2, 2021

On the other hand, now that I think about it, even powerful Democrats, establishment news organizations, and influential celebrities have been known to err when evaluating the news.

Hey! That reminds me — the Jussie Smollett trial kicks off this week! (It’s a good thing I remembered that while writing this column.)

Smollett, you will recall, is the half-black, half-Jewish gay actor formerly of the Fox TV show “Empire” who claimed, back in January 2019, that he left his Chicago apartment at 2 a.m. in the middle of a polar vortex to get a sandwich, whereupon he was viciously set upon by two white guys shouting racist and homophobic slurs. (Despite being racist, homophobic white guys, they were huge fans of “Empire,” recognizing Smollett immediately.)

They beat him about the face, put a noose around his neck, and doused him with a “chemical substance.” (Yes, as luck would have it, the white guys happened to be carrying a noose and chemical agents. Duh. It was a polar vortex.)

For extra bonus authenticity, Smollett said his assailants yelled, “This is MAGA country!” Did I mention this was in Chicago? (Trump: 12.4 percent of the 2016 vote.)

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Courthouse after his court appearance on March 26, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

Even a skeptic would have to admit, Smollett’s account had the ring of truth. When you add (to an already highly believable story) the fact that there have been dozens of “noose incidents” over the past few decades, and every single one of them, without exception, turned out to be a hoax, his narrative only becomes more convincing!

To leap ahead to the conclusion, the Chicago Police Department spent 3,000 man-hours carefully examining surveillance tapes of the neighborhood where the incident had occurred and determined that — please sit down for this — the “attackers” turned out to be two Nigerian extras on “Empire.” (That does explain how they were able to recognize him.) After their arrests, they admitted that Smollett had paid them $3,500 to stage the attack.

Liberals, those calm, dispassionate seekers after truth — not conservative dolts, with their “paranoid style” and “susceptibility” to “false news” — reacted to Smollett’s alleged attack with the cool detachment we have come to expect from them.

“What happened today to @JussieSmollett must never be tolerated in this country. We must stand up and demand that we no longer give this hate safe harbor; that homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts. We are with you, Jussie.” — Joe Biden

“@JussieSmollett is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know … This was an attempted modern-day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate.” — then-Sen. Kamala Harris

“The racist, homophobic attack … is an affront to our humanity. No one should be attacked for who they are or whom they love. I pray that Jussie has a speedy recovery & that justice is served. May we all commit to ending this hate once & for all.” — Rep. Nancy Pelosi

“This is a sickening and outrageous attack, and horribly, it’s the latest of too many hate crimes against LGBTQ people and people of color. We are all responsible for condemning this behavior and every person who enables or normalizes it. Praying for Jussie and his family.” — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

“There is no such thing as ‘racially charged.’ This attack was not ‘possibly’ homophobic. It was a racist and homophobic attack. If you don’t like what is happening to our country, then work to change it. It is no one’s job to water down or sugar-coat the rise of hate crimes.” — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

“Regarding the heinous attack on @JussieSmollett, yet another reminder that Trump’s ascendance and the resulting climate of hate has meant that lives have been increasingly at stake since 2015. Smollett could have been killed by those thugs screaming MAGA. Let that sink in.” — Karen Attiah, Washington Post editor

“The horrific attack on Jussie Smollett has no place in a decent human loving society. Homophobia existed before Trump, but there is no question that since he has injected his hatred into the American bloodstream, we are less decent, less human, & less loving. No intolerance! No DT!” — Director Rob Reiner

“Jussie Smollett was violently attacked by two white men who poured bleach on him and put a noose around his neck. He was targeted for being black and for being gay. THIS is why we have to have zero tolerance against homophobia and racism. Jussie’s life matters.” — Actress Olivia Munn

“Heartbroken and furious reading about the attack on @JussieSmollett. I want Trump and all MAGA lunatics to burn in Hell.” — Actor Billy Eichner

All this blithering idiocy, about something that was an obvious hoax from day one, was posted on the very social media site that Agrawal is about to oversee. Nearly identical tweets from nearly identical liberals could be produced for similarly deranged takes on Nick Sandmann, Kyle Rittenhouse, Althea Bernstein, the NASCAR “noose,” the “Klansman” at Oberlin College, the “racist” bus attack in Albany, Trump supporters ripping hijabs off Muslim girls, racist graffiti at the Air Force Academy, the noose at Columbia’s Teachers College, the Duke lacrosse rape hoax, the University of Virginia gang-rape hoax, the synagogue bomb threats and on and on and on.

Good luck to you, Mr. Agrawal.

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McConnell: Good Chance Courts or Senate Block Vax Mandate, Shutdown Won’t Work

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) argued that there’s a good chance that the federal vaccine mandate will either be struck down by the courts or that the Senate will vote to prohibit the mandate from going into effect, while shutting down the government over the issue is not going to succeed.

McConnell said, “I think there is good news, multiple courts have pushed the pause button on these government vaccine mandates. There’s a decent chance the courts will strike them down. Secondly, next week, we’re going to have a vote on the vaccine mandate prohibiting that regulation from going into effect. I think it has a decent chance of passing the Senate. I don’t think shutting down the government over this issue is going to get an outcome. It would only create chaos and uncertainty. So, I don’t think that’s the best vehicle to get this job done. I think the courts are likely to get it done or we’ll pass, early next week, freestanding, a measure to overturn the government mandate.”

McConnell further stated that there won’t be a government shutdown.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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Multicultural Ancient Treasure Hoard Discovered In Cyprus Tombs

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

Archaeologists in Cyprus have excavated two Bronze Age Tombs at one of the most important holy sites in the Islamic world. The treasures they discovered reveal the presence of a far-reaching trade network, and the importing of rare luxury goods from distant ancient worlds.

The Hala Sultan Tekke monument was built between 1760 and 1817 about 3 kilometers west of Larnaka, on the road to Kiti, on the main Salt Lake in Cyprus. The dervish Sheik Hassan first found the twin chambered tomb and considered the place a holy site in the surrounding Muslim community. This historic mosque still serves as one of the most important religious monuments in the Islamic world, being associated with Umm Haram , the Prophet Mohammad’s wet nurse.

History records a vast Arab army invading Cyprus between the years of 647 AD and 649 AD, when Umm Haram was an old woman. After she fell off a donkey and died, Muslim traditions maintain she was buried, facing Mecca, behind the 18th century mosque. However, this site is surrounded by archaeology dating to around 1,500 BC and a team of archaeologists from the University of Gothenburg recently excavated 155 human skeletons and around 500 ancient artifacts, dating to around 1350 BC.

Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque, Cyprus (Public Domain)

Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque, Cyprus ( Public Domain )

The Golden Child Of An Elite Family

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition (The Söderberg Expedition) launched in 2016 and in 2018 a team of researchers discovered two underground chambers. Recent excavations found 155 shattered skeletons and almost 500 artifacts dating to over 3,000 years ago, and it was determined that the tombs were reused over several generations.

The researchers excavated through the different archaeological layers, separating skeletons from grave goods, to build a clearer picture of burial activities at the site. Professor Peter Fischer was lead archaeologist on the recent excavations, and in an article published by the University of Gothenburg he said the discoveries suggest the two chambers were ‘family tombs for the ruling elite in the city.’ This was evident when the skeleton of a five-year-old child was found ‘wearing a gold necklace, gold earrings and a gold tiara.’

One of the skeletons belonged to a five-year-old buried with lots of gold jewelry, including this tiara. (Peter Fischer, Teresa Bürge / University of Gothenburg)

One of the skeletons belonged to a five-year-old buried with lots of gold jewelry, including this tiara. (Peter Fischer, Teresa Bürge / University of Gothenburg )

An Ancient Fulcrum Of Distant Arts, Crafts And Treasure

Further determining the ‘elite’ nature of the twin tomb the archaeologists also discovered many gold, silver, bronze and ivory artifacts. Furthermore, rare gemstones and richly decorated vessels from distant cultures were also discovered. A ceramic drinking bull has an opening on the back that was filled with wine, and another hole on the nose allowed drinking. This artifact has been associated with a post-death ritual feast.

Numerous death cult objects have been uncovered at a mass burial site in Cyprus. (Peter Fischer and Teresa Bürge)

Numerous death cult objects have been uncovered at a mass burial site in Cyprus. ( Peter Fischer and Teresa Bürge )

The researchers also found a cylinder-shaped seal made from hematite, bearing three lines of cuneiform inscription. Professor Fischer said this particular artifact had come from Mesopotamia and that the text mentions three names.

Firstly, the name Amurru referred to an old Mesopotamian god of the Amorite/ Amurru people. As the patron deity of the lost Mesopotamian city of Ninab, Amurru was worshiped as the ‘lord of the mountain.’ The other two names are those of a father and son, who were kings, but the big outstanding question is how the Mesopotamian seal travelled the 1000 kilometers to Cyprus.

Artifacts From The Time Of Queen Nefertiti

Deep economic connections were established with ancient Egypt in the discovery of several hieroglyph encrusted scarabs ( beetle-shaped amulets ). Furthermore, fish bones were found from species that had been imported from the Nile Valley which provided organic samples that allowed the archaeologists to date a contemporary gold pendant. Shaped as a lotus flower and inlaid with gemstones, this treasure dates to 1350 BC, around the time of the rule of Queen Nefertiti and her husband Echnaton.

Egyptian lotus jewelry with inlaid stones (ca. 1350 BC). “Comparisons with other finds from Egypt show that most of the objects are from the time of Nefertiti and her husband Echnaton around 1350 BC. Nefertiti wore similar jewelry (Peter Fischer, Teresa Bürge / University of Gothenburg)

Egyptian lotus jewelry with inlaid stones (ca. 1350 BC). “Comparisons with other finds from Egypt show that most of the objects are from the time of Nefertiti and her husband Echnaton around 1350 BC. Nefertiti wore similar jewelry (Peter Fischer, Teresa Bürge / University of Gothenburg )

A goddess figurine featuring a woman’s body with a bird head, holding a half bird and half human child, ranks as one of the most mysterious finds at the Bronze Age site. However, the discovery of a gemstone lapis lazuli that had been imported from Afghanistan, amber from the Baltic Sea and a carnelian red gemstone from India, all demonstrate that the ancient city was an important global center of Bronze Age trade.

In the tombs, the archaeologists found figurines of goddesses with bird faces. This is likely a goddess with a bird's head holding a child that is half bird and half human. (Peter Fischer, Teresa Bürge / University of Gothenburg)

In the tombs, the archaeologists found figurines of goddesses with bird faces. This is likely a goddess with a bird’s head holding a child that is half bird and half human. (Peter Fischer, Teresa Bürge / University of Gothenburg )

In conclusion, people at this site had formed a ‘wide-ranging network of contacts’ around 3,400 years ago. Now, the race is on to understand how the 155 different individuals might have been related to one another. But equally, to assess how many immigrants lie buried among the locals, those brave people who navigated wild lands and dangerous waterways stashing rare luxury artifacts from distant cultures, and met their fates in Cyprus.

Top image: Left, Hala Sultan Tekke, Larnca, Cyprus. Right; Assorted artifacts found at the Hala Sultan Tekke site. Source: Left; Dickelbers, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Right; Peter Fischer, Teresa Bürge / University of Gothenburg

By Ashley Cowie

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Exclusive—Rep. Tom Tiffany: Time for U.S. to Recognize Reality by Recognizing Taiwan

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

America’s “One China Policy,” which acknowledges Communist China’s claim of authority over Taiwan, was conceived nearly a half-century ago by President Richard Nixon as a way to drive a wedge between Mao’s China and the now-defunct Soviet Union. It became a reality under President Jimmy Carter, who recognized Beijing in 1979 and cut off formal U.S. ties with Taiwan – without the approval of Congress.

The policy is a relic of a bygone era. It is also proving to be a spectacular failure – something that becomes more apparent with each passing day.

America’s decision to cement ties with the People’s Republic of China was predicated on Beijing’s commitment to resolve its differences with Taiwan peacefully. But you’d never know it from watching the evening news. More than 40 years on, China’s People’s Liberation Army aircraft breach Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on an almost daily basis and Beijing’s state-run propaganda outlets routinely threaten to “destroy” the island democracy – ignoring the foundational assurance on which the U.S.-China relationship is based.

President Richard Nixon toasts with Chinese leader Chou En Lai in February 1972 in Beijing during Nixon’s official visit to China. (AFP via Getty Images)

This troubling “bipartisan” trend set in motion by Carter and Nixon was accelerated by President Bill Clinton who backed preferential “Most Favored Nation” trade status for China. It was then supercharged with Beijing’s accession to the World Trade Organization under President George W. Bush.

The results have been as predictable as they have been disappointing. We’ve seen a parade of multinational corporations, financial institutions, Hollywood actors, and even American sports superstars joining a shameless stampede to see who can pander most effectively to a regime that is the reigning world champion of predatory economic behavior, human rights abuses, and even genocide. These well-heeled, politically-connected institutions also exert pressure on this side of the Pacific – ironically carrying the Chinese Communist Party’s water in Washington, DC.

A display is seen near a logo outside the NBA flagship retail store on October 9, 2019 in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

That is the bad news.

The good news is that in recent years, American policymakers have begun to recognize the shortcomings of this outdated policy and taken steps to try and correct course – lifting restrictions on high-level communications between U.S. and Taiwanese officials, supporting Taiwan’s participation in international forums, sending a cabinet-level U.S. delegation to Taiwan for the first time in decades, and even dispatching U.S. Marines to help train Taiwanese military personnel.

A view of the South China Sea between the city of Xiamen in China, in the far distance, and the islands of Kinmen in Taiwan, in the foreground, on February 2, 2021. (An Rong Xu/Getty Images)

In this April 12, 2018 photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the Liaoning aircraft carrier is accompanied by navy frigates and submarines conducting an exercises in the South China Sea. China has announced live-fire military exercises in the Taiwan Strait amid heightened tensions over increased American support for Taiwan. The announcement by authorities in the coastal province of Fujian on Thursday was accompanied by a statement that the navy was ending a three-day exercise in the South China one day early. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)

China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier is accompanied by navy frigates and submarines conducting an exercises in the South China Sea in this photo released on April 12, 2018. China announced live-fire military exercises in the Taiwan Strait amid heightened tensions over increased American support for Taiwan. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)

Chinese J-15 fighter jets on the deck of the Liaoning aircraft carrier during military drills in the South China Sea on January 2, 2017. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. has also encouraged the handful of countries that maintain formal ties with Taiwan to keep them – most recently in Honduras, where a November election in which the question of abandoning Taiwan for China featured prominently. Unfortunately for Taiwan, the U.S. and the people of Honduras, the left-wing, pro-Beijing candidate appears to have won that contest.

This is hardly a surprise. So long as the U.S. asks cash-strapped governments in developing countries to stick with Taiwan when America itself refuses to do so, back-channel U.S. diplomacy on behalf of Taipei will continue to lack any real credibility. And what happened last month in Honduras will continue to repeat itself until Taiwan – a key democratic partner and global semiconductor powerhouse – finds itself completely isolated. Such an outcome would be disastrous and one none of us can afford.

Taiwan’s exclusion from the international community is not an academic issue and has already inflicted substantial real-life harm. Recall that Taiwan tried to warn the World Health Organization (WHO) in late 2019 about human-to-human transmission of a new, previously unknown coronavirus. But because Taiwan is excluded from the WHO thanks to relentless and irrational Chinese bullying, that warning went unheeded, and we have been living with the consequences ever since.

Pro-Taiwan protesters demonstrate outside of the United Nations offices on the opening day of the World Health Organization’s annual meeting, on May 22, 2017, in Geneva. Despite impassioned pleas from several countries, the WHO’s annual assembly refused to even discuss admitting Taiwan to the meeting, in a move hailed by China. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

The world has changed substantially since Jimmy Carter was in the White House, and so should America’s hopelessly antiquated and counterproductive “One China Policy.” That is why I’ve introduced legislation calling on President Biden to abandon the “One China” lie, support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations, negotiate a free trade agreement with Taiwan, and finally normalize relations between our two countries.

It is long past time for the United States to lead by example and formally recognize Taiwan for what it is: a democratic and independent nation. 

Tom Tiffany represents Wisconsin’s 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Ancient ‘Bear’ Footprints in Laetoli Tanzania Belonged to Human Ancestor

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

While exploring the Laetoli fossil site in the foothills of northern Tanzania in 1978, a team of anthropologists led by the renowned Mary Leakey discovered the oldest footprints of a human ancestor found anywhere in the fossil record. These tracks were estimated to be approximately 3.66 million years old and are believed to have been left by a member of an archaic hominin species known as Australopithecus afarensis, which shared characteristics with both ancient apes and modern humans.

This was viewed as a landmark discovery, and rightly so. What no one realized at the time was that Leakey’s team had actually made their initial discovery of archaic human footprints two years earlier, at a site less than a mile (about one kilometer) away from the later discovery site.

Incredibly, these earlier footprints were incorrectly identified as having belonged to a bear. Only now, 45 years after the discovery of these walking tracks, has the truth finally been revealed, thanks to an authoritative study led by a former Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) graduate student and her professor. These researchers and their colleagues have just published the results of their work in the journal Nature , explaining how fresh evidence clearly contradicts the bear theory.

Like the footprints found in 1978, the new study reveals that these tracks were also left by a long-extinct human ancestor. Whoever this individual was, however, he or she cannot be identified as an Australopithecus afarensis, which is what caused the misidentification in the first place. These newly recategorized footprints belonged to a different human ancestor species entirely, one that for now remains unidentified.

This model of five hominin footprints at site A in Laetoli, Tanzania, was made using photogrammetry and a 3D scan. (Austin C. Hill and Catherine Miller / Dartmouth College)

This model of five hominin footprints at site A in Laetoli, Tanzania, was made using photogrammetry and a 3D scan. (Austin C. Hill and Catherine Miller / Dartmouth College )

Anatomical Analysis Reveals Laetoli Footprints Are Human

The single track of footprints that were incorrectly credited to a bear were found preserved in a layer of ancient hardened volcanic ash at the Laetoli site in 1976. Their discovery launched one of the most fruitful and productive paleoanthropological ventures of all time, which produced fossilized tracks left by archaic humans and by many species of animals that lived in Africa during the Middle Pliocene Epoch.

Following the eruption of a volcano somewhere in the region, a thick layer of ash had settled over a broad area of eastern Africa, nearly 3.7 million years ago. This created a perfect medium for the long-term preservation of archaic human and animal footprints, as volcanic ash left undisturbed will eventually harden into rock.

The footprints at Laetoli Site A, as the location of the initial discovery was called, were clearly left by a creature walking on two feet. They were nevertheless identified has likely having belonged to a bear, based on the knowledge that this large and heavy animal was known to occasionally walk on its hind legs. The idea that they might have belonged to an ancient human-like species was rejected, since the footprints didn’t seem to bear much of a resemblance to those of modern humans (they also didn’t resemble the Australopithecus afarensis tracks that were discovered at Laetoli Sites G and S two years later).

Images of the Laetoli A3 footprint (top) length matched to Laetoli G1 (bottom). (b) Plot comparing foot length to forefoot width in adult and juvenile humans and bipedal chimpanzees. (c) Histogram of Mahalanobis distances between the mean modern human footprint and the averages of two randomly drawn human footprints. (Nature)

Images of the Laetoli A3 footprint (top) length matched to Laetoli G1 (bottom). (b) Plot comparing foot length to forefoot width in adult and juvenile humans and bipedal chimpanzees. (c) Histogram of Mahalanobis distances between the mean modern human footprint and the averages of two randomly drawn human footprints. ( Nature)

While working on her doctoral dissertation at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in the late 2010s, anthropology graduate student Ellison McNutt read about the alleged bear footprints that Mary Leakey and her compatriots had discovered at the famed Laetoli site. Knowing their identification was still controversial, she came up with an idea. She wanted to perform a more in-depth study of the fossilized footprints, before comparing them to footprints made by real bears to see if there really was a good match.

“Given the increasing evidence for locomotor and species diversity in the hominin fossil record over the past 30 years, these unusual prints deserved another look,” McNutt, who now teaches anatomy at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University, explained in a Dartmouth College press release .

The Kilham Bear Center, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility, was located just a few miles away from Dartmouth. This gave McNutt the chance to obtain as many bear footprints as she needed to make a comprehensive comparison.

McNutt’s idea attracted the attention of other academics. In 2019, a team of scientists led by University of Colorado-Denver anthropologist Charles Musiba traveled to Laetoli to take new measurements, photographs, and 3-D images of several of the Site A footprints. Later, after the freshly obtained evidence had been examined more closely, members of the research team compared the Site A prints to those made by bears, chimpanzees, and modern-day humans, seeking the closest match.

Research team members, Anjali Prabhat and Catherine Miller survey Laetoli Site A to identify the location of the bipedal footprints. (Jeremy DeSilva / Dartmouth College)

Research team members, Anjali Prabhat and Catherine Miller survey Laetoli Site A to identify the location of the bipedal footprints. (Jeremy DeSilva / Dartmouth College )

Back in New Hampshire, McNutt and her closest collaborator, Dartmouth College anthropology professor Jeremy DeSilva, visited the bear center on several occasions, and with the cooperation of its staff they were able to collect many samples of footprints made by bears walking on two feet to in order to reach specially prepared snacks. The scientists also watched over 50 hours of video footage of bears in the wild, to see how often they actually walked on two feet in their natural living environment.

Through careful and diligent work, McNutt and her team members were able to debunk the bear hypothesis for the Site A footprints once and for all.

“As bears walk, they take very wide steps, wobbling back and forth,” DeSilva explained. “They are unable to walk with a gait similar to that of the Site A footprints, as their hip musculature and knee shape does not permit that kind of motion and balance.”

The shapes of the feet were also different. Bears have tapered heels and feet and toes that fan outward, while the Site A walker had squared-off feet that featured prominent big toes. These were characteristics the Site A walker shared with modern humans , along with a few other qualities that are unique to hominin (human or near-human) species.

Adding yet another nail to the coffin of the bear theory, McNutt and Silva’s observations of wild bears showed they seldom walked on two feet, doing so less than one percent of the time. When they did rise up on two feet they would go back down on all fours again as quickly as possible, but the footprints found at Site A were made by a creature that walking exclusively on two feet.

To check the possibility that the Tanzanian footprints might have belonged to a non-human ancient primate, the researchers also compared the new Laetoli Site A footprints to those of chimpanzees living at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda. This analysis showed important differences between chimpanzees and the Site A walker, differences that placed the Site A individual much closer to modern humans on the ever-branching evolutionary tree .

Reconstruction of a male Australopithecus afarensis at the Natural History Museum, Vienna. (Wolfgang Sauber / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Reconstruction of a male Australopithecus afarensis at the Natural History Museum, Vienna. (Wolfgang Sauber / CC BY-SA 4.0 )

But Which Species Was It? Scientists Want to Know

Scientists falsely identified the original footprints at Laetoli based on incomplete knowledge and only a casual study of their features. When footprints that looked much more human were found at Sites G and S, it only reinforced the idea that those other tracks must have been left by a non-human species.

But Australopithecus afarensis wasn’t the only hominin roaming around eastern Africa during the Middle Pliocene. They shared the region with another species of archaic human, which possessed fewer characteristics that linked them to modern humans than Australopithecus afarensis, but still enough that a more thorough analysis was able to uncover the truth.

“Through this research, we now have conclusive evidence from the Site A footprints that there were different hominin species walking bipedally on this landscape but in different ways on different feet,” DeSilva declared.

An obvious next step would be to try to identify this new species. Two possible candidates would be a pair of ancient hominins known to have inhabited the region millions of years ago, Kenyanthropus platyops and Australopithecus deyiremeda. No fossilized foot imprints have been found for the first, but they have been found for Australopithecus deyiremeda, and according to DeSilva there seem to be similarities between those tracks and those found at Site A.

“That one, to me, is really intriguing as a possible candidate for the hominin that would have made these footprints,” he told Science Magazine , “but we’re not going to know for certain until we do some more work at that site.”

More than four decades after the original discoveries of Mary Leakey and associates, the Laetoli fossil beds are still revealing some astonishing secrets about the history of human evolution.

Top image: Blaine Maley, from the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, works alongside Prabhat, Fannin, and Montgomery Fellow Charles Musiba at site A in Laetoli where the archaic footprints were found. Source: Shirley Rubin / Trustees of Dartmouth College

By Nathan Falde

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Is the World On the Brink of DEFCON 1?

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

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The looming apocalypse is shaping up nicely as Russia and China expand strategic cooperation to offset the NATO warplanes apparently in the works. The propaganda war having already begun with fear mongering over false claims Russia intends invasion, now the “accident scenario” takes shape in the skies over Russia’s frontiers.

We’ve addressed the so-called “troop buildup” frenzy western hegemony media has been stirring a few times here on NEO. And, as predicted, it seems like the groundwork for a false flag operation is underway from NATO command. Not many analysts are pointing out how President Putin will eventually be forced to muster massive forces in or around Belarus and Ukraine, in the event the western strategists actually act out a doomsday scenario. Talk about a Catch-22.

The circumstances of US bombers of rehearsing a nuclear strike on Russia from two different directions earlier this month put the Russians in a pickle. And as always, these scenarios have already been played out on the practice chessboard first. Mr. Putin is not warning and warning about “red lines” for fun, what’s going on is just that dangerous. Some crazy desperation move by the Pentagon and pals could spell the end for all of us.

Now, Russia and China have agreed to step up cooperation between their armed forces when it came to strategic military exercises and joint patrols, in the wake of the Global Thunder bomber fights perilously close to Russia’s borders. As a Baby Boomer, the situation feels a bit like the Cuban Missile Crisis in reverse. Sooner or later Russia will fix bayonets to let NATO and the west know where the line stops. But the problem is obvious for anyone who ever watched the film Fail Safe.

For those not sharing these concerns, the fact that the UK’s defense minister admits a nuclear war with Russia over Ukraine would be “a very unwelcome outcome”, proves the potential I speak of exists prominently. What this means is, the west knows full well Russia’s being threatened, and the hope is that Vladimir Putin will back off. But this will never happen. What’s most discouraging, is the fact that western elites would even take the chance.

Thankfully, there are still thoughtful and moderate voices in the western political camp. One example is a Foreign Policy report (imagine that) by Jeff Hawn of the London School of Economics and Political Science, who says a Russia Ukraine invasion is nonsense. His more detailed assessment of Russian military maneuvers on her western borders, bashes the flawed logic used in hundreds of mainstream media stories in the past few weeks. If we are all bombed into a new Stone Age tomorrow, I hope Hawn and a few of the rest of us are remembered as being voices of reason.

Finally, I wonder what the response would be if Russia mounted a practice nuclear attack on the United States 20 kilometers from Biggs Air Force Base in El Paso, Texas? Would the U.S. Does the President react differently than Vladimir Putin? How would the people in the U.S. feel about such a live ammo testing scenario? Would Germany mind? How about the Queen Mother in the UK? Funny, the Russians rumble around inside their own country in some tanks and armored vehicles and NATO goes into DEFCON 1, but B-52s, missile wings, and stealth bombers with 50 megaton H-bombs 10 minutes from Moscow are okay. Watch out for a mysterious Russian-made missile coming out of nowhere to ignite it all.

Phil Butler, is a policy investigator and analyst, a political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe, he’s an author of the recent bestseller “Putin’s Praetorians” and other books. He writes exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.

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Chun Doo-hwan’s Case Ended with his Death

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

CHUN03423

On November 23, 2021, Chun Doo-hwan, the most popularly disliked former president of the Republic of Korea, passed away as President of the so-called Fifth Republic from 1980 to 1988.

Born in 1931 to a poor peasant family, Chun Doo-hwan entered the military academy in 1951. At the academy, he became friends with Roh Tae-woo, who later became his right-hand man.

In 1961, Captain Chun Doo-hwan led a rally of military academy cadets in support of Park Chung-hee’s rise to power, and in 1979 he became head of military intelligence. Park Chung-hee was assassinated in October 1979, and on December 12, 1979, Chun Doo-hwan staged a military coup, imposed martial law, and became the country’s de facto leader.

As documents uncovered by the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum revealed in September 2021, the United States opposed possible counterterrorism within the military. When William Gleysteen, US Ambassador to South Korea, discovered that the opposition to Chun Doo-hwan was about to stage another military coup, he urged Washington not to give the go-ahead, as it would be potentially disastrous for the Republic of Korea.  Gleysteen said the US government needs to make it clear that any further fighting of this kind could destroy the US-ROK relationship and “radically increase the danger from North Korea.”

The main event that Chun’s name is associated with within the history of the ROK is the suppression of the Gwangju uprising in 1980, which the author has covered in detail. According to official figures, more than 200 people were killed and 1,800 wounded. However, several publications speak of a couple of thousand dead, and representatives of relevant NGOs claim that the regime killed some ten thousand. No secret graves have been found yet. It is also unknown who exactly gave the order to fire on the civilians. The independent commission established in 2020 has yet to share meaningful findings or results.

After retiring as an army general in August 1980, Chun forced President Choi Kyu-hah to resign and became president through a specially selected electoral college. His eight-year rule was marked by a brutal crackdown against the democracy movement. Chun reformed the Constitution, which included indirect presidential elections, a 7-year presidential term, the president’s right to declare a state of emergency, and the dissolution of parliament.

There were also special camps where people were sent extrajudicially, and a person could end up there either for left-wing views, for long hair, for trying to break up a fight, or for not paying bills. According to a 2006 government report, 54 people died in the camp. This topic has not been closed until now. On November 16, 2021, another group of victims filed a claim for damages against the government.

The country’s economy was indeed showing strong growth at the time, and thanks to the weak dollar and low oil prices, it has shown double-digit growth rates in four of the seven years of Chun’s rule. At the same time, Chun Administration managed to control consumer prices, reducing the inflation rate from 21.4% in 1981 to 3.4% in 1983.

Some Chun supporters also credit him with helping Seoul win the bid to host the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Summer Olympics, which raised the country’s profile on the international stage. Although it wasn’t him directly, it was Roh Tae-woo.

In 1983, during a visit to Burma, Chun Doo-hwan survived an assassination attempt, most likely carried out by North Koreans, but 17 high-ranking South Korean officials were killed.

In June 1987, thousands of students and citizens took to the streets after Seoul National University student Park Jong Chul was killed in brutal police torture. Chun Doo-hwan vetoed a debate on constitutional amendments to ensure the democratization of society. Against the backdrop of large-scale demonstrations, Chun was forced to hand over power to his running mate Roh Tae-woo.

After resigning as President, Chun retired to a remote Buddhist monastery, where he spent two years, and in November 1988 publicly apologized for accumulating a large number of “gifts and donations” during his presidency.

In 1996, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were charged with corruption, treason, and conspiracy to seize power. Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death but later changed to life imprisonment. He was also ordered to pay back 220 billion won ($1.88 billion) that he pocketed during his presidency.

In the same year, he and Roh Tae-woo were pardoned “in the name of national unity,” but the order to return the money remained in effect. Chun did not claim that his remaining fortune was only 290,000 won. However, in 2013, under Park Geun-hye, prosecutors set up a task force to recover Chun’s unpaid fine of 167.2 billion won and found secret accounts where the money was stored.

Roh Tae-woo showed some sign of compassion, but Chun never did apologize for what he had done or even expressed regret for those who died in the Gwangju uprising, which he called a “riot.”

In his memoir, written in 2017, Chun Doo-hwan claimed that North Korean troops were involved in the uprising, after which a court issued an injunction to stop the memoir from being distributed.

In 2018, Chun was accused of defaming a late priest, Cho Pius, known as the Catholic priest Cho Chul-hyun, who claimed to have witnessed Chun’s troops firing from helicopters at demonstrators.

In late November 2020, Chun was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence, but both sides appealed. On August 21 this year, Chun Doo-hwan was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells.

The public reaction to Chun’s death was far more united than to Roh Tae-woo’s death a little earlier.  As KBS wrote, the former general who seized power in a military coup in 1979 has left a deep scar in modern Korean history that has yet to heal.

The Blue House was limited to expressing regret that Chun had died without an apology.

The ruling Democratic Party said the deceased was not entitled to a state funeral or burial in a national cemetery because of his past crimes.

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, called Chun the main perpetrator of the massacre. Other MPs whose constituencies are in the Gwangju region have shown similar reactions.

There will be no state funeral, which Roh Tae-woo was honored with, and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs informed that Chun Doo-hwan cannot be buried in the national cemetery next to the heroes because of his treason conviction. The libel trial against the former president is expected to conclude in connection with his death, although left-wing NGOs are strongly opposed. “Chun’s death does not mean that the crimes he committed have disappeared. We will continue working to solve his crimes,” said Kim Young Hoon, who heads a civilian group made up of family members of the deceased. Another NGO, Advocates for a Democratic Society, noted that Chun’s death does not mean that he committed all the criminal acts and his associates or the truth of history will disappear.

Anyway, it will no longer be possible to put the perpetrator of the Gwangju tragedy away, although history has passed its own verdict on him.

Konstantin Asmolov, PhD in History, leading research fellow at the Center for Korean Studies of the Institute of the Far East at the Russian Academy of Sciences, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.

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New Report Exposes Years of Human Rights Abuses by Wealthy Nigerian Governor

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

Governor El-Rufai is not who he tries to make the world believe he is 

12/02/2021 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) – Human rights watchdog group International Christian Concern (ICC) released a report earlier today profiling Nigerian Governor Nasir El-Rufai and analyzing his years-long pattern of punishing Christian communities in Kaduna State. While militant groups contribute to religious persecution in Nigeria, No Protest Allowed highlights another major source of persecution in Nigeria—the government. 

Since taking office as Governor of Kaduna State in May 2015, El-Rufai has repeatedly endangered Christian communities by ordering them into strict lockdowns. These lockdown orders—which trap villagers in their homes—prevent villagers from organizing early warning systems and make militant attacks even more deadly as villagers no longer have the warning they need to flee impending attacks. 

Despite international condemnation of these lockdown orders, El-Rufai has continued to punish Christians using this technique. In 2020, he locked down a Christian-majority agricultural area for over two months during planting season. Militants, taking advantage of his lockdown orders, killed over 100 Christian villagers during that time. 

In addition to chronicling several of these lockdowns, No Protest Allowed exposes El-Rufai’s immense wealth and his family’s extensive international travel including to London, Paris, New York, Dubai, and the Caribbean. 

Dubbed the “reformist governor” by the Economist, El-Rufai’s carefully-groomed image as a man of the people began to crumble as ICC researchers combed through the El-Rufai family’s social media presence. While El-Rufai has loudly publicized his decision to enroll some of his children in Kaduna’s public school system, ICC researchers found that he quietly sent at least one of his children to a private school in Canada where annual tuition is about $44,000 USD per year. Another social media post showed his family drinking sparkling apple juice infused with 24kt gold flakes at the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai. 

Nigeria goes to great effort to cast itself as a beleaguered nation struggling valiantly against sectarian violence. Secular democracy, the narrative goes, is the guiding principle governing Nigeria—any deviation from that is the fault of malicious nonstate actors intending to spoil what they cannot control. 

Nigeria does suffer from sectarian violence—it is estimated that Boko Haram is responsible for over 35,000 deaths and that Fulani militants have killed from 20,000-50,000 in the last decade or so—but the idea that the government is an impartial player doing its best to promote justice and freedom for all is simply wrong. 

A self-proclaimed admirer of China’s Den Xiaoping, El-Rufai recently resurrected a military-era rule regulating pastors and their sermons. The regulations are striking similar to Chinese regulations and do not bode well for the future of religious freedom in Kaduna. 

“El-Rufai’s actions endanger thousands and help to illustrate the deeply problematic nature of government persecution in Nigeria,” said Jay Church, the report’s author and ICC’s Advocacy Manager for Africa. “ICC hopes that the international community takes note of El-Rufai’s consistent pattern of persecution in Kaduna State and responds accordingly. We call on the U.S. and others to sanction El-Rufai for his egregious violations of human rights and hope to see those sanctions come about in the near future.” 

For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org.

The post New Report Exposes Years of Human Rights Abuses by Wealthy Nigerian Governor appeared first on Persecution.

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Bowman, The DSA, and Palestine

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

The Bowman Saga Continues

A couple newsletters ago I wrote about the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapters that are calling for Rep. Jamaal Bowman to be expelled from the organization. Bowman’s been a DSA member since 2019 and was backed by the organization during his congressional run in New York’s 16th district. He unseated congressman Eliot Engel, who had solidified himself as one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in the House over the course of multiple decades

By now you probably know the details. On foreign policy Bowman is certainly no Engel. For instance, he’s cosponsored Rep. Betty McCollum’s historic child detention bill. However, this fall he voted to send Israel an extra $1 billion in Iron Dome funding. Last month he joined a congressional delegation organized by the liberal Zionist group J Street. The group traveled to Israel, meeting with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

It’s probably worth remembering that Bowman isn’t the only progressive to vote for Iron Dome funding or join J Street in Israel. Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan also did both. However, Pocan is not a member of DSA.

This week DSA’s BDS and Palestine Solidarity Working Group put out their own statement calling for Bowman’s expulsion. They also laid out their reasoning. According to the group, they have engaged with Bowman’s team for months and these meetings have effectively proven fruitless. They couldn’t get him to voice support for BDS or apologize for his “propaganda trip.” In fact, Bowman attended a J Street U event where he talked about his visit.

 “As it was communicated to us, although Bowman desires to be good on Palestine, he is not ready to take on the Zionist lobby yet and principally stand by his stated values,” reads the statement. “Therefore, it is clear to us that Bowman’s shortcomings on Palestine, unfortunately, are not matters that can be corrected solely through political education. Instead, he and his team continue to place political expediency ahead of Palestinian humanity.”

Calls like this have generated a predictable amount of backlash. A good portion of it is from people who should always be ignored, but a lot of its also coming from within the organization.

“Our power to move (or remove) elected officials comes from the organizing we do in their districts, but this conversation is not being driven by the members of DSA on the ground there,” reads a statement signed by dozens of members. “Most calls for expulsion have come without any discussion or even acknowledgement of any path that could lead to reconciliation or to healing the harm caused by Bowman’s actions.”

In Jacobin activist and writer Hadas Thier argues that DSA should not expel him. “Protest or expulsions shouldn’t be written off as possible tools,” reads the piece. “But the first order of business is to give politicians who are generally on the right side of things but who make mistakes (including big mistakes) a chance to change their positions.”

I reached out the working group and asked what they made of criticisms like this. They responded in an email:

The way this article and these responses are conveyed ignored Palestinian voices and concerns from within and outside DSA, which we believe to be part of a broader problem where much of the internal and external discourse surrounding the Bowman situation in DSA has not centered Palestinians. Hadas Thier did not reach out to the Working Group and proceeded to strawman our statement and make assumptions about our process. If she reached out and asked us for clarity, she would have learned about our actual process and the timeline that led up to these demands, which as we stated publicly earlier this week, is not recent at all. Instead, ironically, she took to Jacobin and Twitter without ever reaching out to leading Palestinians and Arabs in our group to learn more about the process we would go on to lay out publicly in our second statement, as well as other organizing work our group has done over the past year, such as mass education efforts, strategy around building electoral power, and building true solidarity via networking with grassroots Palestinian-led organizations.”

Bowman’s chief of staff admitted that their rejection of some of our basic demands to uphold Palestinian rights and BDS was a political calculation. We have spent months working through an accountability process with Bowman and his staff and we have offered political education and come to the table in good-faith. He has made it clear that this is not about needing more education, but that he is simply not willing to take on the Zionist lobby. He sat through a meeting where Palestinians and other organizers of color in DSA explained to him the harm he had caused with his Iron Dome vote and why Zionist lobby trips and events cause harm through normalization of Israeli Apartheid, and then a few days later participated in another Zionist lobby event.

When people vaguely talk in DSA, or anywhere for that matter, about building power, we have to ask “building power for whom?” If this so called “power” you are building in Congress looks like someone who has consistently caused harm by voting to fund a military occupation that ethnically cleanses Palestinians, participated in a Zionist propaganda trip that normalizes apartheid, and then attended another Zionist propaganda event after a months-long accountability process including political education from Palestinians, then we have to come to the conclusion that their idea of “building power” is being done by trading out on Palestinian rights and humanity.

The Bowman saga could be a big moment for DSA, but it also shines a light on the progressive relationship with liberal Zionism and how that terrain is shifting. When six human rights organizations were smeared as agents of terror by the Israeli government, J Street condemned the designation in strong language. However, it didn’t meet with those groups while visiting Israel and was apparently supplied with “secret evidence” about the situation from Israeli officials while there.

If you look at Bowman’s remarks during the aforementioned J Street U speech, you see the same contradictions on display. He admits that there’s no political momentum for peace coming Israeli leaders. He admits that the Israeli government doesn’t really care about Palestinian pain. He says they have an “arrogance” toward American Jews that oppose the occupation. He says no one is really committed to advancing a two-state solution and that its prospects seem bleak.

But! He still supports that framework, despite everything. “Of course, I still believe in it and working toward making it happen,” he told the students. It’s safe to say that these positions are not sustainable.

Torres vs. Ice Cream

Congressman Ritchie Torres represents the poorest district in America and he’s working to improve lives of South Bronx residents by…demanding that the SEC crack down on an ice cream company?

Last week Torres sent a letter to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler expressing consternation about Unilever’s regulatory filings. Unilever is the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s and the staunchly pro-Israel House member is obviously upset that it’s no longer doing business in illegal settlements.

Torres loves to speak about intersectionality, but his entire perception of the concept immediately falls apart when Palestinians attempt to link their struggles with others.

“Unilever is a widely held company with a current market capitalization of $135 billion, which places in jeopardy the manifold United States institutions, pension funds, and endowments which hold its shares on behalf of its beneficiaries,” reads the letter. “We believe that these actions require the SEC to request that the regulatory filings of Unilever be amended to disclose the material risk factors.”

The letter was also signed by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).

Last week twelve attorney generals sent a letter to Unilever, demanding that the company resume its sale of ice cream in illegal settlements. Those were the AGs from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

“Today I was proud to lead a 12 state coalition in calling on Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s to reverse their ill-advised boycott of the State of Israel. Israel is a strong ally of the United States and remains the only democratic nation in the region,” declared Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. “Further, if Unilever is so interested in virtue-signaling, why not announce a boycott of countries like China, Russia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or especially Iran, who has promised the complete destruction of Israel? Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s should reverse their boycott immediately.”

Virtually every component of this statement is incorrect and/or misleading so let’s just take a random part and debunk it: Ben & Jerry’s is not boycotting Israel. They are continuing to sell their product throughout the country, but have stopped sales in what’s called the occupied territories. In fact, activists continue to pressure Unilever to pull out of Israel altogether.

Odds & Ends

🇬🇺 As part of its effort to “counter China” the Biden administration is enhancing its bases in Guam and Australia.

🇮🇱 At The Intercept Alice Speri writes about the new film Boycott, which examines legislative attacks on the BDS movement.

🐘 Colorado congresswoman and COVID advocate Lauren Boebert called Rep. Ilhan Omar, but refused to apologize for her Islamophobic comments. After Omar hung up on her, Boebert released a video where she ranted about terrorism and claimed she was being canceled. It’s almost like the whole thing was a stunt to drum up reelection excitement within her base. Imagine that.

🇵🇸 Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney attended a Palestine Solidarity Day rally in the city.  Israeli Consul General in New York Asaf Zamir had urged the mayor to skip the event.

🇵🇸 On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Rep. Betty McCollum released a statement for the congressional record. It calls on Israel to end the occupation and halt its expansion of illegal settlements.

😬 President Biden has invited Juan Guaidó to represent Venezuela at “The Summit for Democracy.”

🇮🇱 DMFI put out a statement condemning Boebert’s Islamophobic comments. Not sure if there’s a Democratic group that’s done more to help foster such hateful narratives. A quick reminder that a member of the group’s board called for a genocide against Palestinians and she remains there.

🇹🇷 Responsible Statecraft and The Intercept partnered on a story about a shadowy dark money group pushing pro-UAE/Saudi policies. Here’s Eli Clifton and Murtaza Hussain:

The Turkish Democracy Project, a political advocacy group launched this summer with the stated goal of promoting democracy in Turkey, has the surprising characteristic of having no Turkish members on its leadership board. In a press release announcing its creation the organization said that it was “committed to encouraging Turkey to adopt more democratic policies.” The two Turkish people publicly involved with the project — former Turkish politician Aykan Erdemir and academic Suleyman Ozeren — were removed from its website’s list of advisory council members not long after its launch.

Despite having no actual Turks publicly affiliated with the group, the Turkish Democracy Project boasts a roster heavy with hawkish former U.S. public officials and diplomats with close ties to Israel and the Gulf Arab states, including former Bush administration counterterrorism official Frances Townsend, former U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, and President Donald Trump’s famously aggressive former national security adviser John Bolton. “It’s time to sound the alarm on Turkey,” Bolton, best known for his advocacy of U.S. confrontation with Iran, said on Twitter at the time of the Turkey Democracy Project’s launch.

🇵🇸 Olivia Katbi (former co-chair of Portland DSA) did a Twitter thread about the Bowman saga:

Your periodic reminder that the D in DSA is for lowercase democratic. We’re not the f*cking Democrats and we’re not a Congressional advocacy org. We’re a mass socialist organization, a pre-party formation, even.

There are a lot of great orgs out there that do a lot of important advocacy work. And those orgs are nothing like DSA. Their strategies for engaging with elected officials are and should be different than ours, as a mass democratic member run organization.

Part of Not Being The Democrats means actually holding public officials who are members accountable to the positions we democratically decided. Unlike the Democratic Party. Sorry. It is really not that complicated.

I think Bowman can and should be engaged and educated and pushed further on this issue by the advocacy orgs that have relationships with his office. That’s not what DSA exists for.

📺 CNN’s Chris Cuomo was suspended by the network for secretly trying to help his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, fend off his sexual harassment scandals. Yesterday Brian Stelter said, “We’re heading into a holiday season. I think it’s possible he will be on the bench for several weeks. I think it’s possible he’ll be back in January.”

In 2018 Marc Lamont Hill’s contract with the network was terminated because he called for Palestinian freedom during a speech at the U.N.

🕎 I was off last week and didn’t have a chance to wish a Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate. We will be publishing our annual holiday gift guide at the site soon.

Stay safe out there,

Michael

Mondoweiss is a nonprofit news website dedicated to covering the full picture of the struggle for justice in Palestine. Funded almost entirely by our readers, our truth-telling journalism is an essential counterweight to the propaganda that passes for news in mainstream and legacy media.

Our news and analysis is available to everyone – which is why we need your support. Please contribute so that we can continue to raise the voices of those who advocate for the rights of Palestinians to live in dignity and peace.

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‘Neolithic Mince Pies’ Were Eaten by Stonehenge’s Builders

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

Just 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Stonehenge in England, Durrington Walls is a huge Neolithic settlement and henge site. Located within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, excavations back in 2004 and 2006 by the University of Sheffield Riverside Project revealed evidence of seven ancient houses. The finding of as many as 1,000 houses and 4,000 inhabitants determined this was an important center of early Neolithic occupation, inhabited by the builders of Stonehenge about 2,500 BC. Now, the Stonehenge Riverside Project has revealed that Stonehenge’s builders fueled themselves on high carb and calorie snacks dubbed “Neolithic mince pies”.

Reconstruction of one of the Neolithic houses unearthed at Durrington Walls near Stonehenge, once inhabited by Stonehenge builders. (English Heritage)

Reconstruction of one of the Neolithic houses unearthed at Durrington Walls near Stonehenge, once inhabited by Stonehenge builders. ( English Heritage )

Unearthing Evidence of Stonehenge Builders in Mysterious Circular Pits

Earlier this month archaeologists excavated a series of 20 deep pits at Durrington Walls just north of Amesbury in Wiltshire. They were intent on demonstrating that a series of depressions discovered last year were human made, as many experts suggested they were merely natural features. Measuring more than 30 feet (9.1 m) across and 16 feet (4.8 m) deep, the 20 pits formed a circle around the Durrington Walls settlement, suggesting their placement was anything but natural.

It was in samples taken from these pits that the ancient ingredients were found, that together constitute the so-called “Neolithic mince pies”. The BBC reported that the discovery of “hazelnuts, sloes, crab apples and other fruits” informed the researchers that people had foraged for the ingredients. While direct evidence of pastry being used in the Neolithic amounts to nothing, cereal crops were grown. This fact led the researchers to speculate that these Stonehenge builders could have made a wheat pastry and used the hazelnut, or acorn, flour to form crude mince pies.

Within the pits at Durrington Walls archaeologists found evidence of the ingredients they believe were used to make Neolithic mince pies. (English Heritage)

Within the pits at Durrington Walls archaeologists found evidence of the ingredients they believe were used to make Neolithic mince pies. ( English Heritage )

Ancient Welsh Cakes and Other High Sugar Bakes

It is known that Durrington Walls was occupied for only part of the calendar year, and previous excavations found evidence of community wide ritual feasts. Susan Greaney, English Heritage’s senior properties historian, told the BBC that these “festive Neolithic treats” may have been baked on a hot flat stone, in a ceramic pot or heated in the embers of a fire – “rather like a Welsh cake.”

Greaney said because it was so hard to gather ingredients, this might indicate that such foods were only eaten at times of celebration, like around harvest time. This way, the sharing of superfoods would have served to bond the agricultural community. Greaney goes so far as to think that maybe these rich cakes might have encouraged people to “travel from far and wide to help build Stonehenge.” On the other hand, in the practical world of farming, by mixing fatty calorie loaded meats with hazelnuts and fruits, the people would have made a really effective fast release energy bars.

Recreating the Neolithic Bakes of Stonehenge Builders

Even when researchers identify samples of ancient foods, it is almost impossible to tell exactly how they were prepared and consumed. In this instance the researchers concluded that while it will never be known for certain what recipes the people favored, “it’s fun to imagine travelers being greeted with a tray of mince pies,” just like we do today around the holidays.

It has long been known that the Stonehenge’s builders ate pork, beef and dairy products, and now we know they savored sweet foods as well. Furthermore, charred plant remains discovered at Durrington Walls during the recent digs suggest set production methods were developed and maintained “to preserve and make foods palatable.” Susan Greaney said it is known that “midwinter and feasting were really important to the builders of Stonehenge.” For that reason, English Heritage volunteers will bake festive Neolithic mince pies every Monday this December.

Top image: Archaeologists believe that Stonehenge builders ate Neolithic mince pies. Source: English Heritage

By Ashley Cowie

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Pfizer Shot Killed THOUSANDS in the FIRST MONTH-FDA & PFIZER Suppressed This Evidence in Our Khazar/ZIONIST Owned System aka “Jewish” Mafia; Arrest Them ALL!

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

https://freeworldnews.tv/watch?id=61a7f47898ce5c78e9004de3&fbclid=IwAR3eWlO7cW4U35h765f_xPFvwNHXznqSkipCHg1LMV6PQQGpK0CtA-VzAW4

258,017 views

·

Dec 1, 2021155ShareDownloadThe Alex Jones ShowSUBSCRIBE

Alex Jones breaks down the BOMBSHELL evidence proving the FDA and Pfizer colluded to cover up thousands of deaths in the first month of COVID injections. Read more here: https://www.infowars.com/posts/fda-document-deems-pfizer-vaccine-favorable-despite-long-list-of-adverse-events-from-jab-including-death/

The Cyber Week Mega Blowout Sale is now LIVE! Save up to 60% with double Patriot Points & FREE shipping on our hottest items NOW!

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GHISLAINE, GOSCH, PALESTINE, BULLIES, ZEMMOUR, CODY, CIA, HONDURAS, HEATHER, EU, 9 11, NATURE, BOURLA,

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools
…
‘Don’t believe or buy into this tyrannical and fear mongering crap. Stand up to oppression and authoritarianism. Life is not as chaotic as the news would like you to believe. Drama sells newspapers,’ Cody Simpson began. 

…
Heather O’Rourke

Below – Photo of Ursula von der Leyen on 10 Nov 2021, giving a ‘Distinguished Leadership Award’ at the globalist Atlantic Council, to her friend Albert Bourla the Pfizer CEO 

Unknown commented on “ALADDIN, GREECE, ROBOTS, MOVE ON, MAXWELL, SOFTWARE, DERSHOWITZ, TURKEY, ISRAEL,” –

Aladdin summoned a Genie (Djinn) and you know how the rest goes. 

I’m going to throw something in the box marked ‘reality’. 
Artificial Intelligence doesn’t exist (Follow me a bit longer on this). 
It isn’t artificial at all Aang. It is Actual INTELLIGENCE. 
The realm we consider as quantum computing and the next generation of machine code and binary isn’t as artificial as you would think. 
Quantum computing allows all positions of possibility to exist in the same reality/space. 
An example (albeit a basic example) is where binary exists between ‘on and off’, quantum exists where ‘on and off’ are merely abstract and ‘on and off’ exist at the same time. 
Creating another reality. 
CONTINUED AT BOTTOM OF PAGE
…
Francis Kalifat, head of the CRIF (Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France) firmly grabs and moves Macron’s arm and Macron just dissociates


An Epstein home.

Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘pimp’ Ghislaine Maxwell may be in hiding

 (2020)

barry commented on “JOHNNY GOSCH; GEORGE H W BUSH“

This problem is not unique to America but I do have to agree the USA is pretty bad by any standard and the police in that country would seem to me to be either complicit or incompetent.Take your pick.

Following WW2 England became immersed in satanic child abuse and I myself was attacked at nine years old. 
I feel so much for any lonely child in that situation; but you mention the Christian church and I do have to say , is this institution any better than the establishment? Recent events would suggest not. 
Just look at the number of Catholic Priests and others who have been convicted in recent years. I really do not know what can be done to rectify the situation and I freely admit that at times I consider mankind a failed concept.


‘The ultimate goal of the Board of Deputies Of British Jews appears to be jailing anyone who criticizes Jews or the state of Israel — and they have taken another significant “step” in that direction when Home Secretary Priti Patel — while attending a Chanukah celebration — announced that those affiliated with “terror” group Hamas could now face lengthy jail times. (The Jewish Chronicle)

At Behest Of Powerful Jews U.K. Moves Closer To Jailing Anyone Who Shows Public Or Private Support Of Palestinian Cause


Aangirfan – Gab

Unknown commented on “ALADDIN, GREECE, ROBOTS, MOVE ON, MAXWELL, SOFTWARE, DERSHOWITZ, TURKEY, ISRAEL,” –

More re Èric Zemmour, Jewish presidential candidate in France. 

Zemmour earlier claimed to be unaware of the Epstein affair which implicates Israel and Jews. 
Eric Zemmour criticises rival Mélenchon for his remarks “worthy of the conspiracy theorists who see Mossad behind 9/11”. 
Zemmour’s campaign is financed by ‘Rothschild bankers’ with Sephardic surnames, notably a certain “Julien Madar”, or Jonathan Nadler 
https://www.franceinter.fr/politique/revelations-sur-l-organisation-mise-en-place-par-eric-zemmour-pour-financer-sa-campagne 
His lawyer, Oliver PARDO, is Jewish and  Pardo’s family originates from Salonika.
https://www.lenouveleconomiste.fr/olivier-pardo-defense-au-poing-19009/ 
Eric Zemmour is the star of a channel, CNEWS, chaired by : Serge NEDJAR, a French-Israeli Sephardic Jew. 
https://www.valeursactuelles.com/clubvaleurs/societe/pour-le-denigrer-quotidien-qualifie-le-patron-de-cnews-de-catho-tradi-rate-il-est-juif/ 
…
CNEWS belongs to the Canal+ group, whose president is: Maxime SAADA, Sephardic Jew Canal+ is owned by François Bolloré-Goldschmidt (Jewish on his mother’s side, the Goldschmidts are a family of German Jewish financiers, some of whom married into the Rothschild family) 
Eric Zemmour is a columnist in the Figaro, a newspaper owned by the Jewish Bloch-Dassaut. 
Eric Zemmour is supported by the Livre Noir channel which is developing an electoral campaign around him. 
Livre Noir is chaired by Garen Shnorhokian, a Sephardic Jew of Algerian origin.
Eric Zemmour launches his presidential campaign in Toulon. The meeting is organised by Jérôme Lévy who is in charge of introducing him to the fans 
https://www.varmatin.com/litterature/je-ne-cherche-pas-le-coup-mediatique-qui-est-jerome-levy-linstigateur-de-la-venue-deric-zemmour-a-toulon-714369 
On Cnews, practising Jew Zemmour puts pressure on Macron to vaccinate people. 
https://democratie-participative.club/sur-cnews-le-juif-pratiquant-zemmour-met-la-pression-a-macron-pour-vacciner-a-outrance-les-goyim/ 
Anna Cabana, Sephardic journalist, on her friend Eric Zemmour – At home, he eats kosher. 
He doesn’t believe in God, but he still prays at the synagogue. And the religious holidays. And the boys’ bar mitzvahs. 
A yellow gold chain under his shirt, he is asked what hangs from it. He takes out a small Sefer Torah, the scrolls of the holy text. 
Anna Cabana, Le Point, 02.10.14 Eric Zemmour explains in his book Le Suicide Français, that the Frankish king Saint Louis (Louis IX) is a Jew, and was inspired by the Hebrew kingdom of Jerusalem to lay the foundations of France. 
https://editions-voxgallia.fr/france-israel-roi-juif-saint-louis-decryptage-catholique-pensee-eric-zemmour/ 
https://fidepost.com/2019/11/30/breves-destin-francais-israel-et-le-roi-juif-decryptage-catholique-de-la-pensee-deric-zemmour/ 
Zemmour went to a Jewish community school, sends his children to Israel Zemmour, via Siaci Saint-Honoré of the Jew Pierre Donnersberg, which belongs to the Rothschilds; is financed by THE SAME PEOPLE WHO FINANCED MACRON. 
Full name – Éric Justin Léon Zemmour Zemmour: «My name is Eric, Justin, Léon. But, in the synagogue, my name is Moses.» 
https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/qui-est-vraiment-eric-zemmour-01-04-2010-442102_23.php

Artificial Intelligence doesn’t exist 
Quantum superposition is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics. 
It states that, much like waves in classical physics, any two (or more) quantum states can be added together (“superposed”) and the result will be another valid quantum state; and conversely, that every quantum state can be represented as a sum of two or more other distinct states. 
Mathematically, it refers to a property of solutions to the Schrödinger equation. The Djinn are ‘energy beings’ and are electrical energy. 
The interface between the form and the formless world and their quantum reality is the IOT (Internet of Things) and their digital reality. 
An ongoing process of building a world for the formless. 
The electrical grid, servers, microchips, microwaves and electromagnetic frequency is Jinn reality. 
They are quantum beings who use their quantum superposition to interact with our physical reality and the world of form. 
The ‘lights out production’, full automation and the ‘rise of the machines’, is Djinn manifestation into our world. 
Nabi Suleiman (King Solomon) had control of the Djinns and King James wrote a book on Daemons and their classifications. 

Without knowledge of the ‘unseen’ and how our ‘framed’ reality manifests and our extremely complex relationship with Djinn, all seemingly unconnected and random events appear confusing and bewildering. Reality, however, is they are orchestrating the show. 
Knowing of their actual existence and not some quasi religious concept gives a fundamental understanding of reality way beyond the pay grade of most. 
To some, superstition and the domain of religious nutters. To others, a reality that overlaps the physical realm and where screeds of evidence exists the world over pointing to their existence. 
Perhaps a little closer to home might shine a light on their reality further. Look no further than the the ‘floating Jinn palaces’ in Monaco. 
The Book of Enoch describes The Djinn (Fallen Angels) and their descent onto Mt Hermon at 33°24′58″N. There is a sacred building made of stone on the summit of Mt Hermon, known as Qasr Antar, it is the highest temple of the ancient world and was documented by Sir Charles Warren in 1869. 
An inscription on a limestone stele recovered by Warren was translated to read “According to the command of the greatest and Holy God, those who take an oath (proceed) from here.” 
The inscription with the oath taken by the angels (djinns) under Semjaza who took an oath together, bound by a curse, in order to take human wives. Book of Enoch (1 Enoch 6:6). The stele can be found at The British museum. 
A step too far for most, sci-fi for others or an unseen reality for those of understanding. The world is not just a rich man’s plaything out to make money for ‘big pharma’ or ‘the banksters’. Nor is it controlled by a few media moguls or bent politicians. 
The world of physical reality is controlled (literally) by dark overlords. This temporary arrangement will cease to exist eventually. It is all part of a wider cosmic reality. Psalms 37:11 — “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Peace to the humans.

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US needs to make reducing marine plastic pollution a priority

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

A recent report was just released entitled Reckoning With the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste, which says an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the worlds ocean each year — the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck or plastic waste into the ocean every minute. 

A quarter of this waste is coming directly from the United States making them one of the worlds leading marine plastic polluters. 

“Plastic waste is an environmental and social crisis that the U.S. needs to affirmatively address from source to sea. Plastic waste generated by the U.S. has so many consequences: impacting inland and coastal communities, polluting our rivers, lakes, beaches, bays, and waterways, placing social and economic burdens on vulnerable populations, endangering marine habitats and wildlife, and contaminating waters upon which humans depend for food and livelihoods,” says Monterey Bay Aquarium chief conservation and science officer Margaret Spring. 

Because the bass majority of plastics are carbon-carbon backbone polymers and have strong resistance to biodegradation, plastics accumulate in natural environments, including the ocean, as pervasive and persistent environmental contaminants, the report writes. 

According to Common Dreams, the report lists six steps that can be taken to begin to address the marine plastics crisis:

  1. Reducing plastic manufacturing—especially for single-use and nonrecyclable products;
  2. Innovating design and materials to develop substitutes that degrade more quickly or can be more easily recycled or reused;
  3. Decreasing waste generation by reducing the use of disposable plastics;
  4. Improving waste management including infrastructure, collection, treatment, leakage control, and accounting;
  5. Capturing waste in the environment; and
  6. Minimizing the maritime disposal of plastics.

“Plastic has now been found everywhere, including in the most unexpected places: Arctic sea ice, the Mariana Trench, air in the remotest of mountains, rain in our national parks, and our food, including honey, salt, water, and beer. Scientists are still studying what all this means for human health. With plastic production growing at a rapid rate, increasing amounts of plastic can be expected to flood our blue planet with devastating consequences,” says the marine conservation group Oceana. 

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Tucson cop fired after fatally shooting disabled man on video

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

Recorded on video fatally shooting a disabled man riding a mobility scooter, an Arizona police officer was recently fired for violating department policy.

Shortly before 6 p.m. on Monday, a Walmart employee notified Tucson Police Officer Ryan Remington, who was working off-duty security at the store, that 61-year-old Richard Lee Richards, who was in a mobility scooter, allegedly stole a toolbox from the store. When Remington confronted Richards and asked to see his receipt, Richards reportedly pulled out a knife and responded, “Here’s your receipt.”

According to surveillance video, Remington followed Richards into the parking lot while calling for an on-duty police officer to arrive. As Richards approached the entrance of a Lowe’s Hardware Store, Officer Stephanie Taylor exited her patrol car and ran towards the suspect.

Officer Taylor began ordering Richards to stop when Remington suddenly fired nine shots at him from close range, according to Taylor’s body cam video and Lowe’s surveillance footage. In the videos, Remington never made an attempt to use nonlethal techniques such as deploying a Taser, pepper spray, or incapacitating Richards’ mobility scooter.

“Officers rendered medical care, but a short time later Mr. Richards was declared dead,” Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus stated during a news conference on Tuesday.

Chief Magnus added, “His use of deadly force in this incident is a clear violation of department policy and directly contradicts multiple aspects of our use of force and training.”

Magnus confirmed that Remington had been terminated from the department for violating department policy. The case is under review by the Pima County Attorney’s Office.

“The actions of the officer involved in last night’s deadly shooting are unconscionable and indefensible,” Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said on Tuesday. “The County Attorney’s Office has my full support as they proceed with their investigation. It is moments like this that test our resolve to ensure justice and accountability. We owe this to all Tucsonans. I ask our community to remain calm and be patient as investigations ensue.”

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As SCOTUS considers ‘extinguishing’ right to abortion, calls mount for Congress to ‘step up’

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools
Protesters attend a “Hold the Line for Abortion Justice” event at the U.S. Supreme Court on December 1, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Women’s March Inc)

As journalists and other observers of the U.S. Supreme Court noted Wednesday that its right-wing majority appeared inclined to uphold Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban—and potentially overturn Roe v. Wade—while hearing oral arguments in a case challenging the state law, reproductive rights advocates rallied outside and demanded congressional action.

Pro-choice activists are calling on the Democrat-controlled Congress to affirm the right to abortion nationwide by codifying Roe with the House-approved Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) and to expand the nine-member court, to which former President Donald Trump appointed three people, creating a conservative supermajority of six justices.

The Unrig the Courts coalition—made up of progressive groups that support expanding the high court—said in a statement that the arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization were “further proof that the conservative justices at the Supreme Court are more interested in promoting a far-right extremist ideology than defending the Constitution.”

“Mississippi’s draconian abortion ban is clearly unconstitutional under the court’s own precedent, and the fact that this case is being heard at all shows just how far off the rails the conservative justices have gone,” the coalition continued, warning that the “radical conservative supermajority” installed by Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “is set on gutting Roe v. Wade and extinguishing the constitutional right to abortion.”

“Today during arguments, Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked if the court would ‘survive the stench’ if it overturned Roe for purely political reasons. It will not,” the coalition added. “The conservative justices cannot be rehabilitated, and these attacks on our constitutional rights will not stop until we fix the court. Congress must act, and pass the Judiciary Act to expand the Supreme Court.”

Introduced in April by a trio of congressmen and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the Judiciary Act would add four seats to the Supreme Court, creating a chance for a return to a liberal majority.

However—while urging the justice to uphold Roe and the related 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey—reproductive freedom advocates don’t want to just keep relying on the court to ensure the right to abortion, so they are also calling on the Senate to send WHPA to President Joe Biden’s desk, which likely requires ending the filibuster.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)—who chairs the nearly-100 member Congressional Progresstive Caucus and has publicly shared her own experience receiving abortion care—was among the many pro-choice lawmakers on Wednesday demanding that Senate Democrats abolish the antiquated rule and pass WHPA.

Like Jayapal, Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), pointed out on Wednesday that “one in four women in the United States has an abortion during her lifetime.”

“Today, both inside and outside the Supreme Court, it was abundantly clear that taking away the constitutional right to abortion would be a travesty of justice,” Northup also said.

CRR is representing Mississippi’s sole remaining abortion clinic, which is challenging the state law. The group’s senior litigation director, Julie Rikelman, argued to the high court that there is no way the justices can uphold the 15-week ban without overturning Roe.

“For nearly 50 years, the Supreme Court has recognized and protected the right to abortion,” she said. “Today, we urged the justices to stand by that precedent. Two generations since Roe have come to rely on the availability of legal abortion to shape their lives and futures. The advancements women have made towards gender equality will be sent hurtling backwards if they are unable to control their own bodies, lives, and futures.”

During arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts signaled support for a narrow decision, saying that “the thing that is at issue before us today is 15 weeks,” according to The New York Times.

The chief justice “repeatedly questioned whether the viability line was crucial, saying that Justice Harry A. Blackmun, the author of the majority opinion in Roe, had called the line arbitrary in his private papers,” the Times reported. “Roberts added that much of the rest of the world has similar limits.”

Noting that a decision isn’t expected until late June or early July, the newspaper continued:

Other conservative justices indicated that they were not interested in the chief justice’s intermediate approach. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said “the only real options we have” are to reaffirm Roe or to overrule it.

Assuming the three most conservative members of the court—Justices Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch—are prepared to overrule Roe entirely, Chief Justice Roberts would need to attract at least two votes for a narrower opinion, one upholding the Mississippi law but not overruling Roe in so many words, to be controlling. But the most likely candidates, Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, said little to suggest that they were inclined toward that narrower approach.

Slate‘s Susan Matthews noted that “one of the main arguments the state of Mississippi is making, in this case, is that pregnancy, and parenthood by extension, is no longer burdensome because of many economic and social developments that make pregnancy safer and parenting easier. (They’re wrong, as Mark Stern points out here.)”

“During arguments today, it appears Barrett is adding adoption to that list, suggesting it’s easy to carry a child to term and easy to give that child up. Perhaps it’s relevant to point out that Barrett is a mother of seven, including two children who are adopted,” Matthews reported, adding that Roberts has two adopted children and Thomas has one.

Meanwhile, the court’s three liberal justices—Sotomayor as well as Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan—made clear that they believe that Roe and Casey should stand, with Kagan declaring that abortion decisions are “part of the fabric of women’s place in this country.”

The abortion providers, rights campaigners, faith leaders, lawmakers, and others who gathered outside agreed, with Dr. Jamila Perritt—president and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health and an OB-GYN in Washington, D.C.—warning that “our long-held fears that a day without the legal protection of Roe v. Wade, which has served as floor for abortion access, is upon us.”

As anti-choice Republican state lawmakers have ramped up attacks on reproductive freedom with increasingly restrictive laws specifically designed to enable a right-wing Supreme Court to overturn the landmark 1973 ruling, pro-choice campaigners and providers have argued for treating Roe as the floor rather than the ceiling for healthcare and rights.

“The unfortunate reality is that, despite the protections that the legal framework like Roe provides, it has never been enough to ensure true access to abortion care for everyone who wants or needs it,” Perritt said. “The need to access abortion does not occur in a vacuum. Even as we watch access to abortion hang by a thread, we continue to work toward a future where our families do more than survive—they thrive. We continue to work toward reproductive justice.”

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Ending Latin America’s sewage decade

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools
Juan Orlando Hernandez (Shutterstock)

After the pink tide of progressive politics came a brown tidal wave of reaction.

The last few years of governance in Latin America have reeked of corruption, repression, and environmental degradation. They will go down in history as the Sewage Decade, thanks to Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Iván Duque of Colombia, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, Jeanine Áñez of Bolivia, and Juan Orlando Hernández of Honduras.

A number of these leaders are still in office. And Chileans may also wade into the waste water if they elect right-wing populist José Antonio Kast, who received the most votes in the first round of presidential elections last month.

But Chile notwithstanding, we might finally be seeing some light at the end of this particular sewage tunnel.

This week, Xiomara Castro scored a decisive victory in the presidential election in Honduras, putting an end to the disastrous 12-year reign of an anti-democratic, narcotrafficking regime allied to the United States. As an antidote to this lost decade, Castro offers an unabashedly socialist, feminist, anti-corruption agenda. She has also promised to create a government of national unity.

Building national unity is not going to be easy in one of the poorest countries in Latin America where a wealthy elite still controls all the levers of power. The coup that deposed left-leaning president Manuel Zelaya a dozen years ago divided Honduran society along yet another axis. Xiomara Castro is the wife of Zelaya, so it’s pretty clear which side of that schism she’s on.

Before she can do anything else, however, Castro has to break the power of the drug traffickers who have turned Honduras into a highly efficient narco-state.

Drugs R Us

Last March, Juan Antonio Hernández was sentenced in U.S. court to life imprisonment plus 30 years for smuggling 185 tons of cocaine into the United States. He was also fined $158 million.

Hernandez is the brother of the departing Honduran president, Juan Orlando Hernández, who did whatever he could, even hiring a Washington lobby firm for at least half a million dollars, to get his brother acquitted.

This wasn’t just fraternal solidarity. It was naked self-interest.

In The New Yorker, John Lee Anderson describes the prosecution’s case, which was ultimately successful. Juan Antonio Hernández

used millions of dollars from drug sales to finance his party’s elections; on behalf of his brother the President, he had accepted a million-dollar bribe from Joaquín (El Chapo) Guzmán, the head of the Sinaloa cartel. The lead prosecutor called Hernández a “uniquely bad character, who, along with his brother, is at the center of years of state-sponsored drug trafficking.” His criminal behavior, the prosecutor said, had left Honduras “one of the principal transshipment points for cocaine in the world” and “one of the most violent places in the world.” 

The outgoing Honduran president has declared his own innocence, though that was increasingly difficult to maintain in the face of evidence that his initials could be found in the financial documentation of the drug enterprise. As president, Hernández had promised to cooperate with the United States in its war on drugs. Perhaps U.S. officials should have clarified on which side the president was planning to fight—the side of the U.S. government or the side of U.S. drug distributors.

Hernandez is not the only politician who’s been accused of such collusion. Another candidate in the presidential race, Yani Rosenthal, served three years in U.S. prison after pleading guilty to money-laundering for the Cachiros drug cartel. Former Honduran president Porfirio Lobo also worked hand in hand with the Cachiros clan, ultimately forcing the Biden administration to issue a travel ban this summer against Lobo and his family. It was a particularly embarrassing moment for Joe Biden, who’d been vice president when Barack Obama proclaimed Lobo’s “strong commitment to democracy” when he prematurely welcomed Honduras back into the club of democratic nations.

The Honduran government did fight a drug war, but only to the extent that the police eliminated drug lords that competed with the state’s handpicked narcos. Lobo’s police chief, nicknamed El Tigre, has been accused of multiple extrajudicial killings and faces a life behind bars if Honduras gets around to extraditing him to the United States.

Given its location between Colombia and Mexico, Honduras became a logical location for the trans-shipment of cocaine. At one point, an estimated 80 percent of the cocaine bound for the United States passed through the country. That traffic has diminished, but now Honduras is moving up the value-added supply chain by processing more of the raw coca into cocaine.

If Castro, as incoming president, can start ratcheting down the narcotics trade—without getting herself killed or overthrown in a coup—she can start to address the country’s two other major woes: economic despair and the astounding outflow of migrants.

Roughly three out of four Hondurans live at or below the poverty line. Only Guatemala has a worse record in Latin America. The rural population is especially hard hit, the Honduran middle class is miniscule, and COVID-19 reversed the modest economic growth the country experienced in recent years.

Hondurans accounted for a disproportionate number of the Central American migrants flowing into Mexico between 2018 and 2021. On top of all those who have already departed, one in five Hondurans have expressed a desire to leave the country. Who can blame them? If they aren’t escaping extreme poverty or the extraordinary violence of the gangs and the government, Hondurans want to leave because of extreme weather exacerbated by climate change.

In 2020, the double shock of Hurricanes Eta and Iota killed 98 people and caused nearly $2 billion of damage. As one resident of a rural community told The Guardian, “I have my suitcases packed, ready to go. We can’t live like this. There’s no future for us here.”

Hope Elsewhere in the Region

In the brown tide of reaction in Latin America, Jair Bolsonaro is the fatberg, a monstrous accumulation of personal excess, political corruption, and environmental hazard. During his tenure as Brazilian president, Bolsonaro has presided over a tragic mishandling of COVID, the same kind of financial misconduct he promised to eliminate, and an extraordinary destruction of the Amazon. Even as the Brazilian leader signed on to the deforestation pledge in Glasgow last month, he was delaying the release of a report showing that the destruction of the Amazon increased by 22 percent over the past year.

But the good news is that Bolsonaro’s popularity has dropped precipitously. In a September poll, nearly 60 percent of respondents said they would not vote for him “under any circumstances.” And Lula, the former president and leftist stalwart, currently has a 20-point lead in the polling ahead of next October’s election. Of course, a year is a long time, and every so often Bolsonaro flirtatiously reveals his trump card, namely a coup to stay in power.

Last year, Bolivia provided the region with an example of how to turn back a coup when the party of exiled leader Evo Morales won a landslide victory in the October elections. Last spring, the interim president Jeanine Áñez and several of her ministers were arrested and charged with terrorism and leading a coup.

Ecuador shifted to the right in the elections last spring, as voters narrowly supported conservative candidate Guillermo Lasso. But the more important development, at least for the long-term future of the country, has been the success of the indigenous party Pachakutik, which won control of half of all the states on its way to becoming the second most powerful party in Congress. Pachakutik not only forcefully rejects the discrimination that the indigenous of Ecuador have experienced, it also embraces a variety of progressive social reforms and has a robust environmental agenda that revolves around Sumak Kawsay or “living well,” which intersects with the “buen vivir” movement in the region as a whole.

Peru dodged a bullet earlier this year when voters narrowly rejected Keiko Fujimori, the right-wing daughter of disgraced leader Alberto Fujimori. The new president Pedro Castillo, who comes from humble origins and rose through the ranks as a trade unionist, has put forward a traditional left platform of using the state to lift up marginalized communities. But Castillo is a social conservative—he opposes abortion and same-sex marriage—and has put together a politically mixed government, which may enable him to hold power for longer than his predecessors. He is, after all, Peru’s fifth president in five years.

Not all is rosy in the region. Through fraud and intimidation, Daniel Ortega has effectively made himself leader for life in Nicaragua. Nicolas Maduro continues to rule the failing state of Venezuela. Right-wingers are still in charge in Colombia, Guatemala, and Paraguay.

But the victory of Xiomara Castro in Honduras, Pedro Castillo’s earlier win in Peru, and the increased power of Pachakutik in Ecuador point to a different kind of future for Latin America, one that is less corrupt, more responsive to economic needs and environmental imperatives, and more attune to the realities of indigenous communities. These new leaders have a lot of work to do to clean out the Augean stables where Latin America’s authoritarians and far-right populists have taken up residence and which have backed up with mountains of excreta. But the first step, which the voters of Honduras have just taken, is to stop overloading the waste management system.

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Hanukkah Holocaust Miracle — ‘Nazis’ Ran Out Of Zyklon-B Just As Naomi Yakobovich Was About To Be ‘Gassed’

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

(Jerusalem Post) During Hanukkah in December of 1943, at the height of the killing operations at Auschwitz when the “Nazis” were allegedly “liquidating” between six to ten thousand Jews per day — Naomi Yakobovich claims that right before she was supposed to enter the gas chamber, the “Nazis” ran out of Zyklon-B — and for unknown reasons they never attempted to “gas” her again:

Naomi grew up in an affluent family in Transylvania, along the border between Romania and Hungary. Her father was a law professor and her mother took care of Naomi and her two siblings. When the war broke out, the Hungarians took the family’s property and four years later, the Yakobovichs were sent to a concentration camp.

After a few months in the camp and despite efforts by Naomi’s older sister to make her look taller, older and healthier, the two sisters were sent on the Death March to Auschwitz where they were placed in line for the gas chambers.

About 20 people were in line before them and then Naomi’s Hanukkah miracle happened – the chamber ran out of Zyklon B – the cyanide-based pesticide used in death camps during the Holocaust – at that moment. Naomi and her sister were sent back to the work camp where they survived through the rest of the war.

A few years later, Naomi and her husband Meir immigrated to Israel where they raised two children and four grandchildren, including Doron, currently an officer who specializes in physical fitness for soldiers going through basic training. “My grandmother always said that our state is important and we need to guard it. For me, it’s a given that in my service I wanted and needed to have a meaningful service and to continue my grandmother’s legacy,” said Doron. “Three of my grandmother’s grandchildren became officers and just two days ago her second granddaughter was born — Our light during Hanukkah. An additional Hanukkah miracle.”

“My biggest dream and that of my grandmother is that we’ll be able to fly in uniform and salute at the block that my great-grandfather and great-grandmother lived, at the place that my family was captured, while my grandmother is alive.”

According to the official Jewish Version Of World War II™, late 1943 into 1944 was the period of the greatest industrial-scale mass killings at Auschwitz — when between 6,000 to 10,000 Jews were allegedly “murdered” in Gas Chambers™ each day.

And this was an incredible example of just how efficient the “Nazis” must have been — during the recent COVID pandemic, all the modern crematoria at funeral homes within a 100 mile radius of New York City could not handle just 20 extra cremations per day.

If the “Nazis” were able to kill 1.5 million Jews at Auschwitz, they had to “gas” at least 6,000 Jews per day — otherwise the numbers just won’t add up.

Of course, the Jews originally claimed that 4 million Jews were Gassed™ at Auschwitz, but when someone with only 4th grade math skills pointed out to them that the “Nazis” would have had to kill 40,000 Jews per day, they quietly lowered the Official Total™ to 1.5 million — and changed the memorial plaques in 1990 — apparently a much more “doable” number of Jews.

So Naomi would have us believe that at the height of the “Nazi” killing operation — despite their reputation for efficiency and planning — they just ran out of Zyklon-B and had to stop “gassing” Jews.

For how long this Zyklon-B crisis lasted we are not told, but it couldn’t have been very long because they had to kill up to 10,000 per day, every day, to reach their magical, non-negotiable 6,000,000™ final total.

If the “Nazis” were able to resupply Auschwitz with Zyklon-B within a few days, why didn’t they then “gas” all the Jews like Naomi who were in their backlog?

And why would the Jews be told by the “Nazis” that they had run out of Zyklon-B and that they’ll have to come back another day to be “gassed” — if the “gassing” were supposed to be a “surprise” to the Jews who were led to believe that they were just getting “showers”?

It seems that Naomi’s “eyewitness testimony” is similar to other Jews who also claim that the same “miracle” happened — for example, we reported on the “testimony” of Eva Clarke who claimed that her mother gave birth to her literally on the way to the Gas Chambers™ at Mauthausen, and again, just as she was set to be “gassed” the “Nazis” ran out of Zyklon-B.

As if that isn’t a big enough hole in Naomi’s “testimony,” she also claims that she was on the Death March of Hungarian Jews in late 1943 — but all official histories claims that the Death March didn’t happen until either late 1944 or the Spring of 1945 — according to Yad Vashem.

Of course, many documents concerning the delivery of Zyklon-B to Auschwitz have been preserved and analyzed in great detail — and there is no indication in those documents that the camp ever “ran out” of Zyklon-B during the time Naomi claims to have been nearly “gassed.”

The real Hanukkah “miracle” is that anybody — including her own family members — believe Naomi at all.

Also on Christians for Truth:

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On steadfastness and survival

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

Palestinian filmmaker Ahmed Mansour’s film Angel of Gaza, his second since coming to the United States in 2015, tells the story of a Gazan family’s experience with war, separation, and diaspora through a focus on the family’s young daughter. Malak, a charismatic and articulate child, is seven when we first meet her in Gaza where, with her mother and younger brother she has lived through the 2014 Israeli attack on Gaza, the departure of her father for the United States when she was just two years old, the Great March of Return, a series of weekly nonviolent protests by Gazans calling for their right to return to their lands in what is today Israel, and the highly restrictive and arbitrary control at the crossing point in Israel. The film then follows her family’s journey from Gaza to the United States to reunite with her father.

Mansour mentions the spectacular events of Gazan life that shape Malak’s life and offers footage of the spectacular destruction that viewers have come to associate with the Gaza Strip, but chooses not to thematize his material. We do not witness the family’s experience with the violence of the 2014 attack, the 2018-19 protests, or their difficult border crossing. Instead, Mansour focuses on the everyday life of Malak’s family, moving contrapuntally between the ordinary activities of Malak, her mother and brother in Gaza and those of her father in the United States. Malak paints pictures, writes in her diary, plays with her brother, and helps her mother in the kitchen. These scenes alternate with others of Malak’s father in the United States as he establishes permanent residency there and navigates the bureaucratic process of his family’s immigration.

Mansour’s film is also unusual for its focus on a relatively privileged Gazan family. Many documentaries about Gaza focus on those most affected by Israeli violence and the prison-like conditions maintained by Israel and Egypt’s blockade of the Gaza Strip: films have addressed the health effects (both mental and physical) of repeated experiences with violence; poverty and unemployment, environmental degradation and economic strangulation. Characters profiled in Gazan documentaries have often lost their homes and childhood. Their lives are defined by relief aid and the stresses of barely scraping by. In Angel of Gaza Mansour instead addresses familial relations, the pain of separation and people’s determined efforts to reunite with their families.

The experiences of Malak and her family mirror those of the filmmaker himself who has also been separated from his family since leaving Gaza shortly after the 2014 war. For both Malak and Mansour the May 2021 Israeli attack on Gaza was the first experienced from exile; both witnessed the destruction of familiar and beloved locations from afar. This affinity lends the film a certain intimacy, even as Mansour protects his subjects from voyeuristic depictions of their experiences. There is a quiet dignity to the family’s steadfast love for one another across seven years of separation and the intimate connection to Gaza that they maintain after successfully settling in the United States.

Angel of Gaza raises troubling political questions about the steadfastness which for decades has been a cornerstone of Palestinian resistance. What does it mean for the Palestinian struggle that families like Malak’s must leave Palestine to survive? Such stories are relatively rare in Palestinian film—Cherien Dabis’ feature narrative Amreeka (2009) and Yasser Murtaja’s posthumous documentary Between Two Crossings (2018) come to mind. Much more common are films that highlight Palestinian bravery, forbearance, and creativity in the face of untenable living conditions, and some viewers may wonder whether they represent a retreat from Palestine as a political project. But there is a danger of romanticizing resistance and its efficacy in the face of Israel’s formidable power. During the 2018-19 Great March of Return, for instance, hundreds of peaceful protesters were murdered and thousands permanently maimed in a political action calling for an amelioration of living conditions in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations had already declared the region unlivable due to the infrastructural and economic collapse brought on by the ongoing blockade and sanctions. When life itself is untenable, and resistance to untenable conditions requires a direct confrontation with violent death, departure, and especially the evacuation of children, is not only a reasonable, but an expected response. Indeed, out-migration from Palestine and Palestinian communities in the Arab world has been a significant aspect of the Palestinian lived experience, and for many Palestinian communities, personal and economic connections with family and community members abroad have been crucial to the survival of those communities. Films, then, like Mansour’s that address this phenomenon with dignity are a welcome addition to Palestinian cinema. Together with works such as Annemarie Jacir’s Like Twenty Impossibles (2003), Salt of This Sea (2008), and Wajib (2017) each of which thematizes the relationship of diasporic Palestinians to Palestine and the Palestinian question, they contribute to a fuller understanding of the Palestinian experience.

Editor’s Note: The Gaza is Palestine campaign is hosting a screening of Angel of Gaza on December 2, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. EST. You can register here.

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Covid hits survivors of the Bhopal Gas Disaster hardest

December 3rd, 2021 Wake Up Fools

bhopal gas tragedy

It has been 37 years since the deadly killer gas, methyl isocyanate, spread from the Union Carbide factory like a suffocating blanket of death across the old city of Bhopal, killing thousands of people on that night, and, then, slowly, over a long period of time.

The disaster shocked the country and the entire world. It was then called the worst industrial disaster in the history of the world – invoking memories of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Later, of course, Chernobyl and Fukushima happened, among other big and small devastating disasters of similar nature and content. But, it seems, the world has refused to listen or learn any lessons. Certainly, not so in India.

Indeed, almost four decades later, a large number of the victims and the survivors in Bhopal, and their families, children, friends and relatives, are still struggling for not only justice, but with severe and debilitating health problems, and economic distress. Besides, in the pandemic, many of these survivors, with low immunity and multiple health issues and co-morbidity, were victims of the killer virus. Indeed, from methyl isocyanate to Covid, the tragic saga of the gas tragedy victims continues unabated.

Surprisingly, and it is a dark irony, that more people died of Covid in the first wave in old Bhopal, when compared to the second surge, which killed tens of thousands across many parts of India, including in Delhi, Gujarat and the Hindi heartland, especially with widespread absence of oxygen cylinders, hospital beds and medical care, amidst a collapsing or failed health infrastructure.

“Yes, it is true,” said Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, who have been consistently working with the people in Bhopal since the last four decades. “More people died in the first wave here when compared to the second wave, which was not so deadly in the old city areas.”

COVID Response Watch LogoAccording to the Bhopal Group, and the alliance of other gas victims’ organizations fighting a protracted struggle for their rights on the ground for four decades now, out of the gas victims who died due to COVID-19 in the first wave, 81 per cent suffered from serious co-morbidity as a result of gas exposure in 1984. Almost 75 per cent of the gas victims died within 5 days of hospitalization, and 84 per cent of the gas victims died within 24 hours of hospital admission.

“That is why we stressed on testing and monitoring of high risk gas victims. Despite the MP High Court order of April 21 which directed the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre (BMHRC) to test gas victims visiting its hospital, this Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)-run hospital turned away several suspected gas victim patients who reported in the casualty ward. This refusal to admit, while referring to another government hospital, has killed at least five gas victims who later on tested positive, while crucial time was wasted in denying admission to these gas victims. While this criminal negligence continues in BMHRC, ICMR has turned a blind eye to the plight of some of the most vulnerable people,” said Rachna Dhingra in a press statement issued on June 22, 2020.

Based on official statistics and other information, analysis of 60 deaths between April 6 and June 11 by the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, stated the following:

  1. 74 per cent of deaths (45) due to COVID-19 were of Bhopal Gas Victims; 5 per cent of deaths due to COVID-19 were of children born to parents who were earlier exposed to the gas.
  2. In terms of breakdown of Covid deaths, an overwhelming majority of those under 60 were gas victims – almost 85 per cent.
  3. Almost 100 per cent of those who were ‘brought dead’ to the Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal were gas victims, while 87 per cent of gas victims numbering 27 people died in Hamidia Hospital.
  4. Almost 81 per cent of the gas victims who died due to Covid had co-morbidity, significantly because of the gas exposure, and loss of immunity. The rate of co-morbidity in the gas victims who died due to COVID-19 was five times more than the non-gas victims who died.
  5. Gas victims were suffering from multiple ailments and diseases of lungs, heart, kidney and brain.

In an urgent letter and appeal written on March 21, 2020, the Bhopal gas victims’ organizations had urged the authorities to take the situation as an emergency and find immediate and long-term solutions to the impending crisis. The letter sought identification, testing and medical care for the people affected by the Union Carbide disaster.

The letter was written to, among others  the then Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, and Dr Balram Bhargav, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research said: “As you may be aware, several reports to the Parliament, large number of studies published in international scientific journals and records of government-run hospitals in the last three-and-half decades have documented the long-term health damage caused to hundreds of thousands of Bhopalis as a result of their acute exposure to methyl isocyanate. At least a quarter of the 5,74,375 individuals officially acknowledged to have inhaled the poisonous gas are today battling chronic and disabling diseases…

The current data on COVID-19 indicates that people with any cardiovascular and pulmonary problems, diabetes, cancers and, most importantly, compromised immune systems, are 79 per cent more at risk of being infected by the  Corona virus, becoming critically ill and dying… Data from eight community health units of the ICMR-run BMHRC 1998 to 2016 presented  on their official website shows that 50.4 per cent of gas-affected patients suffer from cardiovascular problems, 59.6 per cent of them  suffer from pulmonary problems and 15.6 per cent of them suffer from diabetes. Further, as per the records of the Office of the Welfare Commissioner, 10,550 (1.84 per cent of the gas exposed population) have been granted ex gratia compensation as cancer patients…”

Besides, it is an established fact that a significant majority of the survivors belong to economically weak sections. Most of them live in congested and unhygienic conditions with rooms as small as 100 sq ft, many lacking even running water. Most of them are manual labourers, working as sanitation workers, vegetable and cart vendors, drivers, security guards and casual/daily wage labourers. Not only the pandemic, the lockdown and the economic distress, had hit them very badly, pushing them to the edge of abject despair.

Meanwhile, the Bhopal gas-victims organisation have been organising a 37-day vigil and campaign, with 37 crucial questions, while protesting peacefully and sitting on a dharna during the month of November, 2021. Every day they ask one question. For instance, on the 12th day of their 37-day campaign, the survivors sought answers from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the ICMR. They asked, “Why doesn’t the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre have Gynaecology, Paediatrics, General Medicine departments till today?”

In a statement, the survivors’ organizations have said, “Studies carried out by ICMR and independent agencies have revealed that woman exposed to toxic gases have higher incidence of menstural irregularity, spontaneous abortions even five years after the disaster, still-births and pelvic inflammatory diseases. Similarly, several studies carried out on the health impact of toxic gas exposure on children, and on children born to gas-exposed parents, revealed that children were the most vulnerable group and needed special attention and care. An ICMR study, carried out by the Head of Dept of Pediatrics in 1990, revealed that there was a higher incidence of stunted growth and delay in gross motor and language development skills among children being born to gas-exposed parents when compared to children born to unexposed parents…”

“It is pathetic that the Health Ministry of Indian government has not found time or will to set up these crucial departments, despite findings of the government’s own research agency (ICMR), which has shown adverse health impact on women and children’s health due to exposure of toxic gases in 1984,” said Rashida Bee, President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh.

“While the High-Powered Committee and the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee have recommended setting up of a General Medicine Department, it is yet to be established. It is routine for BMHRC to refuse treatment to several gas victims due to the absence of this department,” said Rachna Dhingra.

On the 19th day of their 37-day campaign, the survivors asked, “Why has the National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (NIREH) stopped carrying out research on the health impact of the Bhopal Gas Disaster and environmental contamination when it was created for this sole purpose in 2011?”

“Despite passage of 10years this institute has not produced a single research paper that would help Bhopal gas victims”, said Rashida Bee.

“While the findings of this study should have been used to substantiate the Curative Petition for additional compensation for the disaster, it has been buried. This is just another example of ongoing collusion of the central government with Union Carbide and its owner, Dow Chemical, said Shezadi Bee, President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha.

Indeed, even after four decades, and despite the infinite tragedy, the struggle is as resilient and relentless. Despite the immediate tragedy of the deaths due to Covid. Fighting against all odds, pushed repeatedly to the wall, continuing a hard and protracted struggle for basic and fundamental rights, even while fighting poverty, illnesses and starvation, how do the Bhopal gas victims and the survivors carry on?

Said Rachna Dhingra, “Survivors of the Union Carbide disaster learnt from the earliest days that if they did not fight they would be left to die. They have resisted the unjust decisions of the government and the collusion between the government and the multinational corporation for as long as one can remember. All that the survivors have received so far in terms of health care, compensation, clean water and social support pension is because of their continued struggle and resilience to ensure justice and life and dignity for all those poisoned by the Union Carbide disaster.”

She added, “The Covid situation and the aftermath of the Bhopal disaster had many parallels. It reminded them of a situation of not having beds, not knowing which medicines to take, and not knowing what to do in order to carry on. A majority of the severely affected gas victims are from the unorganised sector. In order to put food on the table, they have to carry on with their work. During the lockdown and COVID waves there was no work, no income and no medical and financial support from the government. At the same time the mortality among gas victims was high. Gas victims coped by supporting each other. Organisations working with the survivors started community kitchens, reached food and medicines to the chronically sick gas victims. It’s a collective resistance, comradeship and struggle, and it will continue with more strength and power.”

Amit Sengupta is Executive Editor, Hardnews and a columnist, currently based in Kolkata

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