What transpired in Washington on Wednesday was a modern-version day of infamy: Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to prevent a joint session of Congress from confirming the electoral college’s votes certifying Joe Biden as President.

After several hours of violent occupation by Trump supporters on Wednesday evening, the Capitol in Washington was declared safe again. Heavily armed police officers cleared the building and also used stun grenades and tear gas.

What Happened?

Chaotic scenes played out in the Capitol Wednesday after numerous Trump supporters made their way into the building where a joint session of Congress was getting ready to confirm the result of the presidential election in November and Joe Biden’s victory, a purely formal act.

Instead, Senators and Members of the House had to be brought to safety from an angry mob made up of extremists who call themselves patriots.

TV pictures showed how rioters smashed windows, ransacked parliamentary offices, and posed in the vacated Senate Chamber. For hours, parts of the building were in the hands of the mob. Unarmed Trump supporter Ashli Babbit sustained a gunshot wound during confrontations and died hours later.

A curfew was put into effect in Washington since 6 p.m. local time, and neighboring states also sent the National Guard and state police to the capital.

According to the police, several weapons were seized, and according to media reports, the FBI also defused at least two explosive devices.

What Caused the Riot?

The protests escalated after Trump called on his supporters during a “Stop the Steal” rally on Wednesday morning to protest against the confirmation of Congress’s election. Trump also repeated his conspiracy theory that he had been cheated out of winning the election.

When the looting started, the president tweeted, “These are things and events that happen,” claiming again that his “landslide victory” was stolen. According to Trump, his supporters were “great patriots” who have long been treated unfairly, he wrote. Previously, Trump had called on the people at the Capitol – also via Twitter – to be moderate. “Stay peaceful!” He wrote, calling on them to support the police and security forces.

After the unrest, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube took an unusually tough stance and deleted Trump’s posts in which he again disseminated his unsubstantiated claims about electoral fraud. Twitter even blocked the president’s account for the next twelve hours. In the event of further violations, the account could be blocked entirely, the company said.

The election confirmation process continued after Vice President Mike Pence condemned the events in an unusually harsh manner.

Biden: Riots Were an ‘Unprecedented Attack’

President Joe Biden spoke of an “unprecedented attack” on US democracy. The violence must end, said Biden. “Storming the Capitol, breaking windows, occupying offices, occupying the United States Senate, rummaging through the desks of the House of Representatives in the Capitol, and threatening the safety of duly elected officials is not a protest,” Biden noted. “It’s a riot.”

Wednesday’s occurrences were the culmination of four years in which President Trump tried everything to divide America, weaponize hatred against institutions and benefit off the people’s outrage.

There is simply no denying that he is greatly responsible for one of the darkest hours in America’s history. By repeatedly claiming the election was stolen, the self-proclaimed president of law and order encouraged these insurrectionists.

In terms of actions, right now, anything should and must be on the table, from impeachment and censure, to invoking the 25th Amendment and removing the president from office.

The US will only be able to revitalize its norms that have been eroded over these past four years if it holds Donald Trump accountable. Accountable for having fulfilled his promise of not accepting a peaceful transition of power and for having turned the US into a “banana republic,” as former president George W. Bush wrote in reaction to the events that unfolded.

L'articolo Under Siege: Trump Supporters Storm the Capitol proviene da InsideOver.

Massive crowds of protesters rallied in central Berlin on Saturday, Aug. 29 to protest coronavirus lockdown measures. Police ordered the crowd to disperse for breaking distancing rules and at least 300 arrests have been made.

How Big Was the Protest?

There were only 18,000 protesters present according to Deutsche Welle and 38,000 according to Reuters, although one protester who was at the protest called Andrea, who preferred that her full name not be used, said she estimated there were definitely hundreds of thousands and as many as 500,000 protesters. She believes the mainstream media was deliberately downplaying the amount of support for the protest.

Andrea said she and other protesters walked 8 kilometers around the city center because there were so many people and police had cordoned off the overcrowded central area and blocked a planned parade from taking place.

“At the main demo there was a huge crowd of people around the Brandenburg Gate,” Andrea said. “It was really dramatic because when we came past the embassy of the Americans and the Russians there were people outside who were demanding a peace treaty and a new constitution for Germany. Police came and arrested some of them and the others went away.”

Who Organized the Protests?

As a fairly grassroots protest there were various groups involved, but the main initiator of the protest was a Stuggart-based group called Lateral Thinking 711 which mobilizes followers online via social media like Facebook and Telegram.

The event had protesters from across the political spectrum from right to left and had a common theme of not believing that restrictions on freedom are necessary or valid and that the government is lying about many aspects of coronavirus and the reasons for the lockdown.

Protester: ‘Last Chance for Germany and the World to Remain Free’

Andrea said she attended because she no longer trusts her government to uphold basic democratic freedoms and does not believe the virus is as dangerous as health authorities claim.

“We could end up in authoritarian or even totalitarian surveillance and hygienic state without freedom and humanity. We need free media, but nobody listens, so we demonstrate,” Andrea said. “For me this is the last chance for Germany and the world to remain free, for our children to remain healthy and not get vaccinated, not get forced under a mask, not get quarantined all the time, locked down, not get all our basic economy and basis of living destroyed even further by all these lies the media and politicians tell us. They are all very corrupt.”

“This is the last chance for our freedom. If it doesn’t work out now, we are lost,” she added.

RFK Jr.: Lockdown Part of a Shift Toward a ‘Totalitarian’ World System

Remarks were made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the son of the late RFK and nephew of JFK, who stated that a powerful medical lobby wants to force unsafe vaccines on children and citizens and that the demonstration in Berlin was the site of an uprising against the new totalitarianism of worldwide surveillance and tyrannical global government which RFK Jr. terms a “bio-security agenda” run by Bill Gates and powerful political and corporate figures.

“They are in the process of shifting us towards a digital currency, which is the beginning of slavery,” Kennedy told the assembled thousands. “Because if they control your bank account, they control your behavior.”

Kennedy made further remarks that the pandemic is being intentionally used by plutocrats to crush the middle class.

“The pandemic is a crisis of convenience for the elites who are dictating these policies. It gives them the ability to obliterate the middle class, to destroy the institutions of democracy, to shift all of our wealth to a handful of billionaires to make themselves rich by impoverishing the rest of us,” Kennedy stated.

Germany and Coronavirus

Germany has recorded 240,986 cases of coronavirus and 9,289 deaths, many occuring with comorbidities. The country has seen less coronavirus-related fatalities than other European nations of a similar size.

Experts have credited this to Germany’s high testing rate, strong institutional and hospital capacity, rapid response once outbreak occurred and emphasis on preventing elderly patients from contracting the disease.

L'articolo Germans Flood the Streets of Berlin to Protest COVID-19 Restrictions proviene da InsideOver.

In a recent TV interview, Russian leader Vladimir Putin confirmed his willingness to provide a police force at Minsk’s request, while criticizing the West over alleged interference in Belarus.

Putin: Russian-Backed Intervention Possible Under Certain Conditions

According to President Putin, Russia was ready to help stabilize Belarus. President Alexander Lukashenko had asked him to set up a police reserve force. However, there was still no need for it, “and I hope there won’t be,” Putin said on Russian state television.

Putin then told the broadcaster Rossiya 1 that an operation would only be conducted under certain conditions, namely “when the situation gets out of control and extremist elements hiding behind political slogans cross certain borders.”

He cited robberies, arson, and bank robberies as examples.

“We assume that all existing problems in Belarus today will be resolved peacefully,” Putin said. If there have been violations — on the part of the demonstrators and the security forces — everyone should be held accountable.”

Moscow Money for Minsk

In addition to the police forces, Moscow is again providing Minsk a financial backing: Russian loans of over one billion euros should enable Minsk to repay its national debt.

During the interview, Putin also accused the West of undue interference in Belarusian affairs. He claimed that the scandal surrounding the arrest of suspected employees of a Russian private security company in Belarus shortly before the election resulted from a Ukrainian and American special operation. Putin also named the Europeans explicitly. On the other hand, Russia was more cautious and neutral than many other countries, he claimed.

The Situation in Belarus

Since the controversial presidential election on August 9, mass protests against Lukashenko have been conducted by the public. Lukashenko was confirmed with 80.1 percent for a sixth term, a result that is criticized internationally as falsified. Putin, however, was one of the first to congratulate Lukashenko on his election victory.

Lukashenko has accused western countries of starting a “hybrid war” against Belarus. “A diplomatic battle at the highest level has begun against Belarus,” he said in a meeting broadcast by state television. It insisted on a new election and thus exerted inadmissible pressure on the country.

Lukashenko also accused Poland of seeking to take the Grodno region on Belarus’ border. As a result, he recently deployed additional Belarusian troops.

Lukashenko: ‘the Most Important Thing Now is the Economy’

Lukashenko said he could handle the street protests no matter how hard his opponents tried to destabilize the country’s situation. “The most important thing now is the economy,” he said. If all companies were to work, there would be no issues. Many people in the state-run companies went on strike. However, a large number returned to the workbenches after being threatened with dismissal.

The protest movement’s original aim was to break Lukashenko’s power through a nationwide strike in the state-owned enterprises. Independent trade unionists reported that many were now in an internal strike position and that work processes were slowing down.

The EU Imposes Sanctions

Because of the authorities’ violent actions against the protest movement, the EU is examining the expansion of its planned sanctions.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said before a meeting with his EU colleagues in Berlin, Lukashenko had “intensified the repression against opposition members” in the past few days. Accordingly, the EU imposed sanctions on Friday.

The latter is sorely needed. Even in just the past few days the world has witnessed how Lukashenko again cracked down on demonstrators. It is the reason one already suspected a Russian promise towards Lukashenko had been made.

Lukashenko undoubtedly feels strengthened by the public support of the Kremlin. On Thursday, he declared that he only wanted to talk to “reasonable” critics. He included farmers, workers, doctors, teachers, and student representatives, but no “street demonstrators,” as he said.

However, it seems inconceivable, particularly with a looming Russian intervention, that the situation is about to calm down anytime soon.

L'articolo Putin Backs Lukashenko in Belarus proviene da InsideOver.

The COVID-19 crisis has killed over 686,000, including more than 153,700 in the United States. Alongside this tragic statistic another crisis is playing out: economic devastation, lost jobs and looming homelessness and poverty including in developed countries such as the US. A recent story from Annie Nova at CNBC paints an alarming picture of an upcoming eviction and homelessness crisis.

The $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was made law in April and put a pause on any evictions for those who have federally-backed mortgages and are living in government-assisted apartments and houses. Those protections ended on July 31.

As BBC noted, an “avalanche of evictions” is on its way for the USA.

The Coming Eviction Crisis

The resumption of evictions on those with federally-backed mortgages and government-assisted living is projected to hit about 30% of those renting in the US. Although the Trump Administration says it is working to once again hit the pause button on evictions, there is now a gap during which they can take place. This coincides with an end to $600 unemployment checks that also occurred at the end of July, impacting about 25 million citizens. The official US unemployment rate fell to 11.1% in June, down from its spike at 14.7% in April, but an estimated 33 million Americans were receiving unemployment checks as of June 20.

Nova’s article cites that up to 40 million Americans could face eviction during the coming months of the pandemic in an unprecedented crisis not seen since the Great Depression. By this October an estimated 23 million Americans could be out of a place to live. This includes in many major urban centers which are already bracing for a second wave and where homelessness and housing insecurity will increase the risk of more spread of the virus. From 2000 to 2016 there were approximately one million evictions per year in the US, which is already a very high number. A jump to 23 million in one year would be intensely disruptive economically and socially.

As Aimee Picchi noted for CBS, “a surge in homelessness also could raise the risk of infection because evicted families often double up with relatives and friends, stay in shelters or end up on the street.”

Who Will Be Hardest Hit?

States have widely varying projected evictions, with states like California readying for a “tsunami of evictions.” Fully 58% of renters in Tennessee at risk of eviction but only 27% in Massachusetts and 22% in Vermont, for example. Still, even in Vermont and Massachusetts these numbers are extremely high and the economic and social fallout of even one-third as many people losing housing as experts are projecting would be unprecedented. Furthermore, around 70% of renters not protected by CARES will also be potentially vulnerable to losing a roof over their heads if they can’t find a way to come up with money and lose work or their income. Nine states, including Missouri, never adopted the CARES restrictions and have also still been allowing local courts to decide on evictions.

Furthermore, despite the moratorium on eviction under the CARES act in most states, many landlords — who are also in many cases struggling from the economic impact of COVID-19 — have been moving forward with the court cases and legal process to evict tenants during the moratorium and thus will be able to kick tenants out more rapidly now that enforcement and finalization of court orders is once again possible. Milwaukee, Wisconsin has already seen a 37% increase in evictions compared to last year.

People of color, Hispanics and lower-income Americans are projected to be hardest hit by the coming evictions and even if the extension is put back in rapidly by the government many of these renters and those holding federally-backed mortgages are at long-term risk of housing insecurity, severe poverty and eventual homelessness as the pandemic and its effects continues to create a vicious cycle. African Americans, many of whose communities have already been swept up in political unrest following the killing of George Floyd will be the most demographic group which will be most severely impacted by evictions, particularly black single mothers.

The coronavirus has already crushed huge swathes of the middle class and service sector in the US: adding in mass eviction just makes the nightmare even starker. There is also the real possibility that a wave of evictions could worsen the ongoing financial crisis in even more “catastrophic” ways that would affect the real estate sector and economy as a whole. If this challenge is not adequately addressed it could make the 2008 economic crisis look like a cakewalk.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Director of the Institute on Inequality and Democracy Ananya Roy put it even more bluntly: “This will be worse than the Great Depression.”

Stories of Struggle

Eviction courts generally lean towards the interests and legal advantage of landlords. The stories of struggle and eviction emerging from the US are heart-wrenching, such as that of Jade Brooks from Boston who is facing eviction along with her mom and young cousin who she lives with. Her mom lost her job due to the pandemic and Brooks says she is “completely scared” about homelessness and eviction for herself and her loved ones.

Another example is Chris Hammond, an 18-year-old teenager who lives with his mom in Hampshire, Illinois. Despite starting a GoFundMe page to raise money for rent, Hammond lost his job months ago and his mom works for minimum wage. They have an aunt they can possibly stay with if they’re kicked out but otherwise would be staying in a homeless shelter.

The legal process for eviction requires a notice, lawsuit, hearing, court order and finalization of the order by law enforcement. Tenants who have been ordered to leave their residence by a court will receive a notice informing them that law enforcement will escort them and their belongings out if they don’t leave in a matter of days.The whole process can go as fast as several weeks or as long as three to four months depending on the state and the backlog of cases in the system. In some cases landlords will just change locks to evict a tenant or another strategy is to do loud construction in the building to make it untenable to continue living there or getting any sleep (a “renoviction.”)

What Can People Facing Eviction Do About It?

There is not an enormous amount that those facing eviction can do about it, however, there are some approaches that can be helpful. There are some local protections for renters that have been put in place that can help renters know their rights available online (takes a moment to load) as well as resources for where to stay if you no longer have a place to live. In certain states like Arizona, Delaware, Montana, Ohio, Iowa and New York there are also relief funds available to people on the state level to help get assistance to pay rent which can be a temporary help. Those facing eviction are encouraged to get a lawyer if possible, including sometimes with no cost. No matter what, those facing eviction should always do everything possible to show up for their hearing: if not they automatically lose.

The Bottom Line

The US Census Bureau already estimated in 2018 that 40.6% of renters were paying 35% or more of their monthly income on rent and one quarter of US households in 2018 were spending half or more of their monthly income on housing. Many of those having trouble paying for rent also have to cut down on food or food quality, leading over the long-term to negative health impacts including for those who may not have sufficient healthcare cover or any at all. The pandemic and mass job loss that has now occurred has put a strain on those numbers that is not supportable. Stagnant wages meeting steadily rising rental rates and widespread job loss and economic disruption are a recipe for disaster. Mass evictions, transiency and homelessness — including likely spikes in crime and public disorder — are the obvious outcome of people who’ve lost a place to live and a stake in the future of society. Although increased federal intervention can offset some of the coming crisis, the effect of the coming eviction emergency is likely to be generational in scope and it will be necessary for entire communities, religious organizations and municipal governments to come together at the local level and care for the individuals around them in order to make a difference during these difficult times.

L'articolo Massive Eviction and Homelessness Crisis Looming in US proviene da InsideOver.

Reportage / Society 06.07.2020

Ecuador: the Great Game

Writing about South America has often meant recounting the movements of the world with the almost certainty that every contraction, however slight and local, is actually the symptom of humanity’s cosmic malaise. If the South American continent is the face…

Giuseppe De Lauri

Margherita Teodori

Among them, President Lenin Moreno’s Decree 883, which put an end to ten years of state subsidies on fuel. This package followed the austerity requests of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a condition for repaying the loan of $4.2 billion, contracted by Moreno in 2018. Why is an oil-rich country forced to apply for a loan?

While international media praised the indigenous revolt as a class movement against the government of vested interests, there are those who tell a different story. According to some journalists, such as Álvaro Vargas Llosa, columnist for the Washington Post, the natives have been used. Under suspicion is Conaie, the largest association representing the indigenous people of Ecuador. It was the powerful Conaie that summoned the natives to Quito en masse. The increase in the price of fuel is said to be only a pretext to demonstrate against Moreno’s neoliberal turnaround and to ask for more rights. It is interesting at this point to report the Human Rights Watch data on personal freedom and rights in Ecuador, which indicates Moreno’s presidency as the turning point towards a freer and more independent society and press.

Miguel Ángel is an activist of Otavalos descent who took part in the October protests. “While the police officers were outside the government headquarters, less than two blocks away people were shopping in the mall, drinking coffee and smoking their pipes as if nothing was happening. That’s when we realised our problems did not interest our country.” There is a strong sense of frustration among the indigenous protesters, mainly due to the realisation that, suddenly, a game of Risk is being played over their heads. “Both presidents (Correa and Moreno) sold the country to foreigners. Our green gold was corn and now we find ourselves saddled with PetrolChina, which is exploiting our oil fields.”

From Coca you enter what is now Yasuní Park. Here tourism is gold, like oil. Via Auca runs perpendicularly through the jungle, like a scar in the green rainforest. The road is dotted with churches and small built-up areas where the oilfield workers live, almost all of the Shuar ethnic group. Tankers drive through continuously, creating a small passing economy. Tiny supermarkets selling Coca-Cola and other products imported from the United States have sprung up along the roadsides.

L'articolo Ecuador: the Great Game proviene da InsideOver.

Gotham City was real — at least for a few days. Fires, looting, destruction, murder, mayhem, anarchism engulfed many cities and states in the biggest democracy on the planet. The Joker would have been proud, while Martin Luther King had to be turning over in his grave as anarchists and left-wing terrorists usurped his cause and under the false guise of protecting and furthering his legacy, tried to break the United States and push it into the flames of all-out civil war.

Turning Protests Violent

To be honest and fair with history, it is not the first time that certain violent groups infiltrate protests to further their agendas. It is not a secret that anarchist organizations, left-wing activists and billionaire philanthropists have as a goal the total destruction of the emblem of democracy and rule of law: the United States of America. They are on record admitting this, so it is neither a conspiracy nor an exaggeration.

These groups work behind the shadows to segregate people based on their race, sexual orientation, ideology and gender. In doing so, their aim is to pit the different societal groups they have created against one another. They try to make everything in our lives, including every conflict and each misunderstanding about race and gender. The brainwashing that occurs makes it possible to divide the world into victims and oppressors. This ideology states that if one is white then one is bad. White people should shut up and be discredited if they do speak up. If you are a straight white male in America, but also in Europe, you are by definition the oppressor. You are made to feel like you have committed the most egregious of sins. The media, which survives and enriches itself from the money of these groups, pushes this way of thinking and the brainwashing continues. The Democratic Party in America, and all political parties on the left embrace this divisive strategy. It was the Democratic Senator from Hawaii that during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings said all men should shut up just because they are men — an outrageously incendiary and prejudicial comment.

The Authoritarian Left Playbook: Divide and Conquer

This division and this ideology are the racist ones. They breathe life into the fires of division and hatred. There is nothing stronger than the love for family, country, neighbor, anthem, flag and tradition. However, if you put people into groups, if you segregate them into racial and gender categories and if you teach them to think into these terms, it is easier to divide them and ruin their country. This is the reason America is burning today. By brainwashing people into thinking they are victims, it is easier to rule over them and make them do your bidding. This is the strategy of the left. It wants certain groups of people to think they are weak, because once they understand their potential for greatness, they will choose what is best for them.

What happened with George Floyd was pure murder and nobody, in the US or elsewhere, disputed that. It was a terrible, tragic, heartbreaking event. His murder was condemned from the highest offices of Washington, to the simplest citizen. President Trump urged that those responsible face justice immediately, while expressing his condolences and sorrow for what happened. Police officers everywhere condemned their killer colleagues without hesitation. The perpetrators were immediately fired. It was the perfect opportunity for everyone to come together as a nation and mourn Floyd, make sure his killers received the harshest punishment under the law and discuss how to confront violence and root out the corruption that is inside the police.

Are there bad cops? Of course, there are. There are corrupt policemen and policewomen who kill whites and blacks. In fact, according to the official statistics, they kill more whites than blacks. Why not address the causes of violence? There are ways to identify the bad cops and prevent these cases. The Wall Street Journal had an op-ed piece providing a solution to this. However, bad cops are a very small percentage. The idea that a black person cannot go out of their homes without fear of being killed due to racism is false and ill-intentioned. I am not alone in saying this! Larry Elder, a black attorney, Martin Luther King Jr.;s niece Alveda King and many other respected people from the black community have consistently sought to dispel this myth.

Black On Black Crime is a Deadly Serious Problem

On the other hand, it is also true that blacks are the ones who kill more blacks. Where are these far-left organizations such as Black Lives Matter in the black neighborhoods? Why have they not done anything to improve the lives of the black community, build schools for them, and make their communities safer? Why is black on black crime higher in states run by Democrats – the very ones who claim to have the best interest of this community at heart? The ongoing black on black murder rate in Chicago and Baltimore is one of the most horrendous and tragic things in America. These crimes go unsolved and the individuals many times do not have the resources to hire lawyers. This increases their belief that the system is stacked against them.

However, we should remember that they are worse-off in states led by the left. Why has the welfare state created by the left wing President Lyndon B. Johnson not helped black people? Moreover, why unemployment of the black community dropped to record level only when a Republican President took office? We have on one hand the identity politics rhetoric of the left who wants the votes of the black community and for them to be dependent on the government and on the other we have the conservative solution of letting them free to make their decisions, get proper education and careers.

Racism is Real, ‘Systemic Racism’ is Propaganda

Are there racist people in the US? For sure there are, in the US and elsewhere. There are white people who are racist just as there are black people who are racist. However, to say that there is systemic racism is simply untrue. To say that all Americans and Europeans are racist is false. Racism is shunned by the majority of people in the US and in Europe. Having racist people in a society and being racist as a society are two very different things.  In 2019, there were 10 shootings of unarmed black people. So, in a nation of 330 million, does that statistic prove black people are targeted by police systemically? No, it does not, especially when compared to the number of black on black murder. Both of these occurrences need to be addressed. No one disputes that. Nevertheless, let us ask this: if the US were the racist and evil place that the media and the left depict, then why would millions of people cross the border illegally to live there?

There are white Americans or white Europeans that have a harder life than many black people do, and the opposite is also true. How can a whole population be racist, when they elected a black President, have had black Secretaries of State, Attorney Generals, prosecutors, army leaders and officials in the highest levels? No other country gives the opportunity to become whomever you want, from basketball player, to actor, musician, and even President, as the US does. The capitalistic meritocratic system in the US made of these celebrities and sportspeople billionaires. Yet, many of them hate America and want to see it burn.

‘You Ain’t Black’

Yes, there are racists in America. They are those like Joseph Biden, previous Vice President under Obama and current Democratic nominee for President, who said that if you do not vote for a Democrat you are not black. This is called identity politics and it is disgustingly racist. It is practiced by the mainstream media, the Democratic Party, their counterparts in Europe, the Hollywood elites and all their followers who cannot think for themselves. To order people to think, speak or vote in a certain way just because of their skin color, gender or sexual orientation is plainly racist and should be condemned by elected officials, by the media and by every citizen. However, the media is corrupt, and half of the public officials get their funding by far-left organizations.

It is very difficult today to find objective commentary or reporting in the media. Most of the media and almost all the celebrities are so far left and anti-Trump that they are willing to see America and the world burn just to destroy the American President. They could not bring him down with the Russia collusion hoax, the impeachment, countless accusations, the pandemic, so now they are resorting to civil unrest. They are encouraging and justifying the thugs burning down businesses because it suits their agenda.

Protests Have Been Hijacked by Extremists and Criminals

There is no doubt that there were peaceful protesters when the protests started. They were the people who initially went into the streets, and their cause and aim were undoubtedly sincere. They went out to protest because they are poor and frustrated about what they feel is injustice.  However, the protests were hijacked by the Marxist organization Black Lives Matter, the far-left anarchists Antifa and also the street thugs that simply want chaos. Many of these thugs, in their lust for destruction, let slip to the few honest journalists on the ground that they were there to steal and destroy, admitting they were being paid to do that. Nothing to do with the death of George Floyd. What Antifa and Black Lives Matter are doing is not only criminal and illegal, but also an insult to the memory of Floyd. At least, they are exposing themselves for what they truly are.

These two groups want to destroy America as it is and remake it into a communist country. They have stated it themselves. That is why they are burning businesses of innocent people and targeting only white neighborhoods. They see them as a symbol of capitalism and meritocracy, freedom of expression and entrepreneurship. One of the editors of the New York Times, together with many so-called journalists admitted that fire is necessary so that a new America is born, like the phoenix. They want to implement the opposite of the values upon which America was built. Just by looking at the program of the Marxist Black Lives Matter, one can understand the type of tyrannical vision they have.

A recent report uncovered by Sean Hannity shows that they have been planning the riots and destruction since November 2019. This is further proof that they do not care about the black community, simply want to use them. Otherwise they would not have killed a retired black police officer, Captain David Dorn. Captain Dorn was killed for the sin of protecting the business of his friend. Why are there no protests over his death? Why did the media not cover his murder by the rioters? Why did no celebrity post anything on social media in solidarity? Why has the media not mentioned that the rioters set fire to a home with a child inside and then blocked the firefighters’ access to the home? Using just causes for political purposes is evil and there should be agreement by all sides on this. However, when people do not get the full objective story by the media, it is unavoidable that there will be division, which certain politicians will use without shame. Statism is what breeds more racism, so we should all be aware of those who advocate for it. We should not forget that it was the left that advocated for racism and it was the Republican Party that abolished it, under Abraham Lincoln. Left-wing politicians were supporters of the Klan. What is currently happening is just a derivation of it, under the guise of equality. It is the same mentality, just different tactic.

How to Solve racism?

The solution to racism is simple: the right kind of education. The one that teaches people to think for themselves, raise their individual awareness, make them able to overcome difficulties, make the system more meritocratic and avoid putting people into baskets based on their race or gender. Judging people collectively is a communistic way of thinking aimed at entrapping people into doing others’ bidding. Responsibility should be individual, as should merit. The black community, the white community and everyone should vote for whomever they think will do the best for them. We must understand that all lives matter, all lives are worth having dignity, freedom, education and the opportunity for greatness. If the tax cuts and deregulations helped both the blacks and the whites to have the lowest unemployment ever, than they should reject any politician who tells them how to think, vote and act.

Everyone should see beyond the divisiveness of the mainstream media and the left and value each other for who we are, our actions and achievements, and not race or gender. As soon as we understand this, and reject the sickening identity politics, then we will have made a step closer to the real end of racism.

L'articolo Identity Politics – the Agenda to Burn Down America proviene da InsideOver.

President Trump has warned Venezuela that the US is preparing “crippling” and “impactful measures” to force Nicolás Maduro from power. His warnings came during his meeting with opposition coalition leader Juan Guaidó, who met with Trump at the White House this past Wednesday.

“We are probably halfway to what maximum pressure [on Maduro] could look like,” a senior administration official told the press earlier. “We are only moving in one direction and that is forwards.”

Guaidó’s Repeated Failures

So far, Juan Guaidó’s multiple US-backed coups in Venezuela have all failed. The final failure came in January when journalists claimed that Guaidó faked an incident in which he claimed he was blocked from entering Venezuela’s National Assembly by security forces. The staged incident was in response to learning that the opposition lawmakers were replacing him as National Assembly president. Guaidó was hoping the stunt would gain him support from international leaders.

What actually happened is that Guaidó had refused to enter the National Assembly unless permitted to enter with eleven former members of the National Assembly. They included members who had been barred from serving by Venezuela’s Supreme Court, after allegedly concocting a voter-buying scheme in their elections. Other members of the eleven-strong group had parliamentary immunity stripped from them after participating in another Guaidó-led uprising in April last year.

Maduro’s 2018 Re-election

During the 2018 Venezuelan presidential elections, President Nicolás Maduro was democratically and constitutionally re-elected, after agreeing to the opposition demanding an early election. Maduro, the late President Hugo Chávez’s mentee, won by a wide margin with 67.48% of votes, followed by Henri Falcón’s 20.93% of votes.

During this time, Guaidó illegally declared himself interim president, despite none of the constitutional conditions for doing so being met. US Vice President, Mike Pence, would go on to congratulate Guaidó on becoming interim president.

Guaidó’s Unsuccessful 2019 Coup Attempt

By April 2019 Guaidó would attempt another unsuccessful coup, stating that: “The time to topple Maduro’s regime is right now.”

Presently, authorities have stripped Guaidó of parliamentary immunity, and are carrying out multiple investigations against him. Like Guaidó, Venezuela’s opposition are currently in total disarray.

Dr. Francisco Eissa-Barroso, a lecturer in Latin American History at The University of Manchester said: “I don’t know if the US will succeed in placing a US-backed president in power in Venezuela, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do.

“Short of a military intervention—either openly carried out by US forces, which seems unlikely, or covertly by providing arms, equipment, training and tactical support to the still small group of Guaidó supporters within the Venezuelan armed forces—I struggle to see what Trump could do in the short term to achieve his aim. In the medium run, however, it seems likely that whatever replaces Maduro’s regime will be much more to the US’s liking,” Eissa-Barroso added.

The Roots Of Venezuela’s Current Conflict

For Eissa-Barroso, however, the situation is far more complicated than reported, and dates back to Venezuela’s deeply-entrenched socialist ideologies, and its long-standing history with the US.

“In the 2015 legislative election when Maduro lost control of the National Assembly to what would have been an opposition qualified [two-thirds] majority, rather than accept the result of the election, Maduro used the Supreme Court to deprive four members of the opposition of their seats so that opposing parties no longer held a qualified majority,” Eissa-Barroso explained.

‘Maduro’s Decision Not To Accept The Result Of … 2015 Election’ Were The Beginning Of The Current Problems

“When the Assembly refused to accept this decision, the Court deprived the Assembly of its legislative powers and claimed them for itself until they could be transferred to the new Constituent Assembly. Maduro’s decision not to accept the result of the 2015 legislative election marked the beginning of the current political crisis,” Eissa-Barroso said, adding that “as for the 2018 presidential election, yes, Maduro won it fairly and relatively democratically … but his stronger challengers were excluded from running in the first place.”

‘The Very Real Achievements Of Chávez’s Government’

Eissa-Barroso believes part of the failure of US attempts to oust Maduro rest in the past achievements of Chávez.

“I think the more interesting issue here, is why US attempts to overthrow Maduro by providing political support to the right-wing opposition, and tightening economic restrictions, have failed. To do so, we need to remember the very real achievements of Chávez’s government in terms of redressing long standing economic and political inequality in Venezuela up to 2008 or 2010,” Eissa-Barroso said.

“The very tangible benefits that Chávez delivered to poorer sectors of the country’s population, alongside what turned out to be a very successful anti-American rhetoric, are what explain the sustained support for Maduro despite his unquestionably inept management of the economic and political situation since he came to power,” Eissa-Barroso added, noting that “an intrinsic dislike of the US as an exploitative and interventionist power is ingrained in large sectors of Latin America’s population, particularly the huge sectors which haven’t benefited from US investment, intervention and US-backed neo-liberal policies.”

L'articolo Why Juan Guaidó’s Multiple Coups in Venezuela All Failed proviene da InsideOver.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said he was open for talks with his American counterpart Donald Trump with hopes of improving ties with the US and ending a prolonged political crisis in Venezuela. However, it is uncertain whether the US is willing to do so due to Trump’s hard stance on Venezuela’s socialist government.

During the interview with the Washington Post, Maduro said he was willing to sit down with Trump, suggesting that both countries can benefit from the recovered ties based on mutual respects.

 “If there’s respect between governments, no matter how big the United States is, and if there’s a dialogue, an exchange of truthful information, then be sure we can create a new type of relationship,” the former bus driver told the Post.

Maduro also slammed the White House’s hardliners such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former national security adviser John Bolton for supporting economic embargoes that have worsened Venezuela’s financial crisis (triggered by the sharp drop in global oil prices in 2014).

“I believe Mike Pompeo has failed in Venezuela and is responsible for Donald Trump’s failure in his policy toward our country. I think Pompeo lives in a fantasy. He’s not a man with his feet on earth. I think Trump has had terrible advisers on Venezuela. John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, Elliott Abrams have caused him to have a wrong vision,” Maduro added.

How did the US react?

In response to the Post interview with Maduro, Bolton tweeted that negotiations are unlikely, adding that Maduro should be an exile in either Cuba or Russia, among the countries that back the former aide to the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

“Maduro tells the Washington Post he wants negotiations with the United States? The only negotiations we should have with Maduro are what he wants for lunch on the plane that will take him to permanent exile in Cuba or Russia. Viva Venezuela libre.”

Maduro tells the Washington Post he wants negotiations with the United States? The only negotiations we should have with Maduro are what he wants for lunch on the plane that will take him to permanent exile in Cuba or Russia. Viva Venezuela libre. @JGuaido

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) January 19, 2020

An Overview of Venezuela’s Crisis

The economic crisis in the oil-rich nation turned into the political discontent due to the growing distrust in the socialist regime. In 2017, mass rallies took place to protest against Maduro’s new constitution, which was seen as a threat to democracy.

In May 2018, Maduro won re-election against his contender, Henri Falcon, meaning that the socialist politician would secure another six-year term in office.

Maduro’s victory divided Venezuela, as well as Latin American nations and the world. Venezuela’s opposition groups and the West accused Maduro of rigging the vote. They called for a fresh election, while countries such as China, Russia, Turkey, and some of the leftist nations such as Bolivia supported Maduro and slammed the West for interfering in Venezuela’s domestic politics.

An unknown politician from the opposing side Juan Guaido became a self-proclaimed president, the US, and its European allies supported. Earlier this month, the 36-year-old man was sworn in as the head of the National Assembly despite being blocked from entering the parliament building.

Will the talks with Trump be a reality?

Maduro’s call for talks with Trump came as no surprise, given that in early 2019 he confirmed that Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza had secretly met with the US envoy to Caracas in New York. The incumbent expressed his readiness to talk with Trump anytime, anywhere, without specifying more detail.

Two senior Venezuela officials confirmed Maduro’s statement, but they had no authority to talk publicly about the meeting. Both officials admitted that Arreaza and the US envoy Elliott Abrams had met twice at Washington’s request.

In August, Norway mediated the talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition representatives. However, the negotiations faltered.

In the recent interview with the Washington Post, Maduro hoped that he could meet with Trump and asked the POTUS to remove the economic sanctions that have worsened the crisis.

Despite Venezuela’s mismanagement in the oil sector and corrupt government, the US-backed sanctions have killed tens of thousands and halted Venezuelans to access food and health care, according to the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) report in 2017.

The sanctions are depriving Venezuelans of lifesaving medicines, medical equipment, food, and other essential imports. This is illegal under US and international law and treaties that the US has signed. Congress should move to stop it,” the report said as The Independent quoted.

Unlike Bolivia’s President Evo Morales who resigned following protests against his re-election, Maduro’s position is still strong thanks to the military support he has enjoyed so far.

Trump has yet to respond to Maduro’s call so far. However, as long as the US does not want to recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader and insists on sanctions, the talks (if they take place) unlikely to create peace for Venezuela.

L'articolo Maduro’s Ready To Talk To Trump, No Response From The White House So Far proviene da InsideOver.

What started as a protest in June 2019 against an extradition bill that would have undermined Hong Kong’s autonomy has now snowballed into a movement for greater freedom and political reforms, thus challenging the legitimacy of the government. Despite repeated warnings by the pro-China authorities, a majority of Hong Kong citizens, including a growing number of school children are vowing to support the uprising through thick and thin. This indicates that China is facing the most sustained challenge since the revolution in Tiananmen Square, thirty years ago.

The mass demonstrations by “Hongkongers” (citizens of Hong Kong describe themselves as “Hongkongers” rather than “Chinese”) are in bold defiance of the Chinese authority, and a crackdown could prove quite costly for China. An open and prosperous Hong Kong is vital for China, as Hong Kong’s wealth has filled the coffers of China. Hong Kong is a massive financial hub, a source of foreign capital, and a currency exchange market with a stock market larger than London. A crackdown would destroy the wealth and Hong Kong’s global position in finance that Beijing needs. Also, Hong Kong’s freedom and autonomy are global issues. Moreover, bloodshed in Hong Kong would shatter China’s hopes of bridging the rift with Taiwan.

These considerations protect the protestors from Beijing’s wrath. The trade war with the United States has further restricted China’s options and tilted the balance in favour of demonstrators. The movement has proved that powerful, authoritarian governments can be forced to repeal draconian measures in the face of popular mobilization.

China’s dilemma

China is in a catch 22 situation with Hong Kong. Businesses, both foreign and domestic including China and Hong Kong-based operations, have begun to explore opportunities outside China. Any increased pressure from China would invite severe criticism from the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. All three have a profound economic and political interest in Hong Kong’s prosperity and its exceptional freedom under China.

A military crackdown could dent China’s international image as a “Responsible Great Power” and spark further radicalization in Hong Kong. Hong Kong can become a symbol of democratic resistance and spark similar movements in Taiwan. China wants a defeated, obedient population in Hong Kong, not a rebel commune.

How Beijing will deal with Hong Kong and Taiwan in Asia is a very pertinent question. Will economic development hasten the movement’s decline and resolve all sorts of problems that Hong Kong faces today? Hundreds of thousands of protesters who are now demanding greater autonomy will continue their protests, causing further economic and political disruption. The announcement of recession might further fuel dissatisfaction and take violent shape and turn Hong Kong from an economic paradise to a nightmare for business establishments.

On the other hand, if brute force is used, the consequences could be catastrophic. The protestors know this too. This is why, despite Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam’s repeal of the extradition law, they will continue to provoke and test the nerves of Beijing. The warning by the Communist Party officials not to “play with fire” or “mistake restraint for weakness” reflects Beijing’s ways of settling dissent.

The pro-democracy agitation poses a severe challenge to China’s rule. Both protestors and China through its proxies in Hong Kong are standing firm on their grounds. If China doesn’t act swiftly to calm down the agitation, the protests might culminate in either a similar revolt like the Middle East faced that unseated the governments in Egypt and Libya or result in a similar massacre that happened in Tiananmen Square. Will China change its strategy and adopt a pro-democratic stance in Hong Kong is a million-dollar question. And the Hong Kong protestors along with the world are eagerly waiting to know China’s answer to this question.

L'articolo China Needs to Change Its Strategy on Hong Kong Before It Is Too Late proviene da InsideOver.

Growing signs that the ongoing revolt in Lebanon, now in its third week, might turn violent following politicization attempts that aim to change the course of the popular uprising against corruption, austerity measures, deteriorating living standards and traditional political hierarchies. Suspicious local and foreign fingers have been spotted inside the demonstrations encouraging violence against the state. One well-known Lebanese actor, Rafiq Ali Ahmad, went as far as saying ” there’s no revolution without bloodshed, they want blood?  They are most welcome”! His remarks drew much criticism and mockery on social media platforms, reminding people of similar provocations made by some Syrian actors at the outset of the Syrian conflict that have ravaged the country.

Alarm bells as road-blockage paralyzes business

Apart from unfamiliar and sometimes shocking scenes of belly dancers, hubble-bubble make-shift cafes for demonstrators, public kissing footage in some conservative neighborhoods, mounting evidence has emerged of certain political factions and traditional figureheads, whose practices since the end of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war have instigated much of the popular revolution in the first place, trying to ride the uprising and diverge it in a manner that serves their own political agenda.

More alarm bells have been sounded in response to the emergence of foreign personalities and organizations at Lebanon’s sit-ins in recent days, including footage of an American former US embassy staff member in Beirut 2007, Robert Gallagher, giving instructions to demonstrators on how to make their revolt more effective and widespread and form a ‘parallel government in Lebanon, as well as the  large ‘grip’ statue of the infamous originally Serbian- now turned international- Otpor movement believed to have been catalyst to almost ALL regional uprisings of the ‘Arab Spring’ which have brought down regimes and wrecked many nations in recent years. All this and much more is threatening to overturn the popular movement that have paralyzed much of Lebanon’s everyday life and crippled business in the country already suffering huge debt and corruption scandals.

Images of war-torn Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Syria and the civil war in Lebanon itself are still vivid in the minds of many, amid growing  fears of a political vacuum that could completely paralyze the country and provide fertile grounds for a new episode of the ‘ creative chaos’ once preached by former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice following the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al Hariri in 2005. The conflicting agendas of Lebanon’s political dynasties and power houses, many of whom are trying hard to manipulate the current popular uprising, pose a serious threat to the country’s fragile civil peace and security.

Main suspects of evil planning

Most notable of such efforts are those of Samir Geagea, leader of the hardline Maronite Lebanese Forces – Geagea is a convicted war criminal accused of many assassinations and 21 documented crimes including killing Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rashid Karami, the son of former president Suleiman Frangieh, the son of former president Kamil Chamoun, the Secretary General of Lebanese Maronite Patriarchate Monsignor Albert Khreish , several senior  Lebanese Army officers and 23 civilians at the ‘River of Death’ bridge during the civil war. Geagea, who was served 11 years of a life sentence in solitary confinement below the Ministry of Defense building in Beirut, was granted amnesty by the newly elected Lebanese Parliament in 2005, following the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon.

A circulation appeared yesterday in Beirut claiming that Geagea’s man in Zouk suburb, Bashir Yousef Matar, was distributing dirty money among local demonstrators in return for slogans against President Michel Aoun and Hezbollah, as well as deploying some armed groups in the neighborhood waiting for the agreed zero hour to fire at both army soldiers and demonstrators alike, blame the regime and Hezbollah for the attacks and instigate an armed deployment of party forces on the pretext of protecting the popular movement.

Although those claims could not be independently verified, they must have sent strong shivers down the spine of many Lebanese who are still paying the price of the country’s civil war and its political, economic and social ramifications. All four Lebanese Forces ministers in Hariri’s cabinet were instructed to hand in their resignations 19 October, as a reaction to popular uprising that broke out 17 days ago and have swept the country ever since. Geagea, once a supporter of General Aoun, now turned an opponent of the president, has been outspoken about his strong ties with Israel since the 1970 s, particularly during the reign of former Lebanese Phalanges leader and later President Bashir al Gemayel, assassinated in a booby-trapped car on 14 September 1984.

Other prominent political figures trying to ride the popular wave of protests in Lebanon include Former Justice Minister General Ashraf Rifi, in the Sunni stronghold of Tripoli, who masterminds and controls much of what goes on there, finance, arms and commands a hardline militia called “City Guards”. They also include Walid Jumblatt, the controversial fickle- nicknamed ‘ Chameleon’ for frequently changing his political colors and alliances – Druze warlord and leader of the Progressive Socialist Party who is most influential in the Chouf mountain region of Lebanon, close to the Syrian borders. Once a main ally of Syria during its 30-year presence in Lebanon, now one of Damascus’ arch enemy and, along with a number of Hariri’s hardline Sunni MP s, has been a main instigator and supporter of the Syrian, regional as well as international effort to topple the regime of President Bashar al Assad.

Lebanon is now at a crucial crossroad between a new start or going back to the era of insecurity and unrest. However, on the other bank of the country’s political river, joint forces of allied Christian, Shiite and chunks of minor ethnic and religious factions are keeping their guard, ready for an unwanted worst-case scenario, yet determined to prevent another civil war in which everyone, including tentative winners, is an eventual loser.

L'articolo Lebanon’s Revolt: Potential Spread of Violence and Bloodshed proviene da InsideOver.