June 23, 2017


News and Views


STARTING WITH SOMETHING HAPPY TODAY -- A FROLICKING, OR DANCING, GORILLA. HE’S BIG, BUT LIGHT ON HIS FEET.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/23/534127709/watch-its-been-a-long-week-so-heres-a-gorilla-dancing-in-a-pool
WATCH: It's Been A Long Week. So Here's A Gorilla Dancing In A Pool
June 23, 20173:59 PM ET
COLIN DWYER

WATCH VIDEO -- Breakdancing Gorilla Enjoys Pool Behind-the-Scenes

Oh sure, you could argue there are other, more important things happening in the world. And frankly, you'd be right. (For those things, by the way — which some people, in somber tones, might call news — please see here.)

But sometimes, you just need to watch a big gorilla dance in a small pool.

Meet Zola the gorilla of the Dallas Zoo. It's not the first time Zola, amateur dancer, has taken Internet fame for a spin. He also turned some heads back in 2011 when he was at the Calgary Zoo.

But it's quite likely this is the first time his moves have been set to a famous film score of the 1980s. So, while we're at it, you'd probably better watch that, as well.

Here's Zola dancing to the euphonious strains of "Maniac," from the film Flashdance.

Follow
Bob Hagh ✔ @BobHagh
@joelcifer I added some music to this.
12:04 PM - 22 Jun 2017
44,018 44,018 Retweets 72,178 72,178 likes

The zoo says the pool time is an "enrichment session," designed to help "enhance the environment and lives of animals, like Zola, by providing them with mental and physical stimulation to increase natural behaviors."

But feel free to consider the footage an enrichment session of your own.

Now, better get back to all that — ahem — news.



OUR LEGISLATORS DO HAVE TRUMP’S NUMBER. HE SIMPLY WON’T BE PERMITTED TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS HE WANTS TO, AND THE “RUSSIFICATION” OF THE USA WILL, I BELIEVE, BE RESISTED.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russians-destroyed-and-removed-material-from-shuttered-compounds-officials-say/
By JULIANNA GOLDMAN, PAT MILTON, LAURA STRICKLER CBS NEWS June 23, 2017, 5:11 PM
Russians destroyed and removed material from shuttered compounds, officials say

Photograph -- A Russian compound, which was ordered to be closed and vacated, is seen in Upper Brookville, Long Island, New York, on Dec. 30, 2016. REUTERS/RASHID UMAR ABBASI

WASHINGTON -- When U.S. officials entered shuttered Russian compounds in Maryland and New York last December, they found damaged materials that could have been used in intelligence gathering and that former officials say could have been useful in the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The compounds, which had been used for decades as retreats for Russian diplomats, were shut down by the Obama administration as part of a package of punitive measures in response to Russia's meddling in the election. The White House expelled 35 diplomats, saying at the time they were targeted because of ongoing harassment of U.S. personnel in Russia.

But at least some of the 35 diplomats were kicked out because they were suspected of being involved in election-interference operations, according to one of the former officials.

The Russians were given 24 hours to get out of the compound and 72 hours to leave the country. Current U.S. officials tell CBS News they vacated the compounds before the 24-hour deadline, striking some as odd and raising the question of whether the diplomats had been tipped off about their expulsion.

Trump could give back Russian compounds
Play VIDEO
Trump could give back Russian compounds

Among the destroyed materials discovered at the compounds were antennas, electronics, computers, file cabinets and other gear, according to a former official. Other material was missing.

While the Russians would have been expected to destroy intelligence and equipment before leaving the country, the revelation raises the significance of the compounds in connection with Russia's election-interference operations.

In December, President Barack Obama said the compounds were "used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes." Current and former officials describe the facilities as significant listening posts and centers of intelligence gathering, backing up concerns that they were part of the election interference infrastructure.

Last month, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration was moving toward handing back the compounds. The Senate last week passed a bill in a 98-2 vote that would impose additional sanctions on Russia for its election activities. The measure includes a provision requiring congressional approval over any move by the administration to return the compounds back to the Russians.



I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT BRITAIN AS A GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO DIG BELOW THE SURFACE TO THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WENT WRONG. IN THIS COUNTRY IT SEEMS TO ME WE DON’T DO ANYTHING EXCEPT GIVE OUR CONDOLENCES AND THEN LEAVE IT TO THE INSURANCE COMPANIES TO SORT IT ALL OUT. WE DON’T DO MUCH AS A GOVERNMENT TO HELP THE HUMANS INVOLVED IN A DIRECT WAY. I DO THINK THAT’S BECAUSE WE ARE RULED BY CORPORATIONS AND NOT BY LEGISLATORS WHO ARE REALLY IN TOUCH WITH THEIR CONSTITUENCIES.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hundreds-of-residents-evacuated-in-london-over-fire-safety-concerns/
CBS/AP June 23, 2017, 5:19 PM
Hundreds of London residents evacuated over fire safety concerns

Photograph -- Extensive damage is seen to the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a disastrous fire, in north Kensington, West London, Britain June 16, 2017.

LONDON -- More than 800 residents in London have been evacuated from apartment buildings over safety concerns following the devastating fire that killed 79 people in a west London high-rise.

The move comes amid escalating concerns among residents of thousands of tower blocks around Britain. The Camden Council is the first to take such a dramatic step in light of June 14 fire at Grenfell Tower.

Council leader Georgia Gould says the borough took the unusual step after the London Fire Brigade and council experts had conducted a joint inspection of the properties.

"Camden Council is absolutely determined to ensure that our residents are safe and we have promised them that we will work with them, continue to act swiftly and be open and transparent," Gould said in a statement.

The council is encouraging residents to stay with friends and family, but promised to provide temporary accommodations, if that weren't possible. Repairs on the building are expected to be completed within three to four weeks.

ap-17174770151922.jpg
Residents are evacuated from the Taplow residential tower block on the Chalcots Estate, in the borough of Camden, north London, Friday, June 23, 2017 ALASTAIR GRANT / AP

"The Grenfell fire changes everything," Gould said. "We need to do everything we can to keep residents safe."

Camden is one of the councils in England which has learned that combustible cladding has been placed on buildings during renovation projects, though they had ordered non-flammable cladding.

Earlier Friday, police said they were considering filing manslaughter charges in the Grenfell incident.

The fire that engulfed the Grenfell Tower started in a refrigerator in one of the apartments, according to police, reports CBS News' Jonathan Vigliotti.

The department also said exterior cladding attached to the 24-story public housing project during a recent renovation failed safety tests conducted by investigators, and that police have seized documents from a number of organizations.

"We are looking at every criminal offense from manslaughter onwards," Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack told reporters. "We are looking at all health and safety and fire safety offenses, and we are reviewing every company at the moment involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower."

The government has ordered an immediate examination of the refrigerator model that started the blaze. McCormack said the Hotpoint model FF175BP refrigerator-freezer had not been subject to any product recalls before the fire.

Many more victims of London fire feared as investigation continues
Play VIDEO
Many more victims of London fire feared as investigation continues

Hotpoint said Friday that "words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy" and added it was working with authorities to examine the appliance.

The overnight fire rapidly engulfed Grenfell Tower, with flames shooting up the outside of the building, raising concerns that the cladding material attached to the concrete block didn't comply with fire-safety rules.

Police are looking at all parts of the cladding system and its installation, McCormack said.

"Preliminary tests show the insulation samples collected from Grenfell Tower combusted soon after the test started," she said. "The initial tests on equivalent aluminum composite tiles failed the safety tests."

Authorities now acknowledge the risks posed by exterior cladding to thousands of people around the country who live in blocks like Grenfell Tower.

The government has called on all building owners, public and private, to submit samples of cladding material used on their buildings for testing. Samples from 14 buildings in London, Manchester and Plymouth have already been found to be combustible.

Fears about cladding are not limited to apartment buildings -- at least one hotel chain is calling in experts to make certain it meets safety regulations. Premier Inn said Friday it had "concerns" about the material used on some of its buildings, though it is different from the type used at Grenfell Tower.

U.K. police considering manslaughter charges in tower fire
Play VIDEO
U.K. police considering manslaughter charges in tower fire

McCormack also repeated calls for anyone with information about the fire and all those in the tower at the time to come forward as police continue to comb through the devastated building to try to identify all the victims.

Police says 79 people are either dead or missing and presumed dead in the blaze, although that number may change.

To make sure everyone comes forward, London Mayor Sadiq Khan pledged to seek an amnesty for people who may have been living in the public housing block illegally. Prime Minister Theresa May also said the government won't penalize any fire survivors in the country illegally.

"We want to identify all those who died as result of the fire at Grenfell Tower, and that is where I need the public's help," McCormack said. "I do not want there to be any hidden victims of this tragedy."

Firefighters and emergency workers who battled the inferno have been leaving messages and tributes to the victims at a makeshift memorial near the charred apartment block.

Heartbreaking messages written on red London Fire Brigade T-shirts offer poignant tributes alongside flowers, toys and candles at the shrine. One tribute, from a firefighter in the Kensington and Chelsea borough read: "20th floor, we tried... we're sorry."

Another firefighter wrote: "Our hearts go out to everyone touched by this tragedy. We did our best I promise."

One shirt bearing the London Ambulance Service logo said: "We refuse to forget you."



INSIDE THE MIND OF DONALD TRUMP

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-defends-economic-team-i-just-dont-want-poor-person?cid=eml_mra_20170622
Trump defends economic team: ‘I just don’t want a poor person’
06/22/17 08:00 AM—UPDATED 06/22/17 10:32 AM
By Steve Benen

Photograph -- U.S. President Donald Trump waves before delivering keynote address at Liberty University's commencement in Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S., May 13, 2017. YURI GRIPAS

After last fall’s presidential election, as Donald Trump’s team took shape, it was hard not to notice that the new administration would be led in part by several Wall Street billionaires. Last night, the Trump campaign hosted a rally in Iowa, where the president shed some light on his perspective.

“So somebody said, ‘Why did you appoint a rich person to be in charge of the economy,” Trump said to a group of his supporters at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. “I said, ‘Because that’s the kind of thinking we want … because they’re representing the country. They don’t want the money.”

“And I love all people – rich or poor – but in those particular positions, I just don’t want a poor person,” Trump continued.

As the Washington Post’s report added, in context, “those particular positions” referred to Trump’s secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, whom he called a “the legendary Wall Street genius,” and Gary Cohn, his economic council director who was the president of Goldman Sachs – a title that Trump repeated four times.

It’s quite a change in perspective in light of what Trump told voters before the election. As regular readers may recall, during the Republican presidential primaries, one of Trump’s most common attacks against Sen. Ted Cruz was blasting the Republican senator’s ties to – you guessed it – Goldman Sachs. “Is Cruz honest?” Trump asked in January. “He is in bed w/ Wall St. & is funded by Goldman Sachs.” Trump added, ”Goldman Sachs owns [Cruz], he will do anything they demand. Not much of a reformer!”

In the general election, the fact that Hillary Clinton once gave a speech to Goldman Sachs was also a central line of attack, with Trump claiming the investment giant has “total control” over her.

Now, however, the president has surrounded himself with a half-dozen Goldman Sachs alum – a point Trump believes is worth bragging about. The swamp, I’m afraid, isn’t being drained.

What’s more, note the underlying assumption behind the boasts: the president genuinely seems to believe that it’s just common sense to put Wall Street millionaires and billionaires “in charge of the economy” – because they’re Wall Street millionaires and billionaires.

Trump doesn’t “want a poor person” in a position of authority, because in his mind, a poor person must be incompetent. Otherwise, as the president sees it, he or she wouldn’t be poor.

It was an revealing peek into Trump-brand populism: rich people should be seen as smart, Wall Street insiders should be seen as capable, Goldman Sachs must be synonymous with expertise, and it’s best to be skeptical of poor people.

Last fall, Stephen Moore, a conservative economist who advised Trump during the campaign, told a group of Republicans that the party’s economic vision had taken an important turn. “Just as Reagan converted the GOP into a conservative party, Trump has converted the GOP into a populist working-class party,” Moore said at the time.

No, actually, he hasn’t.



REPUBLICANS ARE EMERGING TO THE LIGHT OF DAY, WHO DON’T BELIEVE IN TOTALLY ABANDONING THE LOWER INCOME BRACKETS TO THEIR FATE, JUST BECAUSE THE CONSTITUTION, THEY SAY, DOESN’T SPECIFY THAT THE RELIEF OF THE POOR SHOULD BE A GOVERNMENT FUNCTION. THAT’S JUST A CROCK, AND SOME OF THEM KNOW THAT. THOSE WHO TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS IN PLACE, NOT TO HELP THOSE WHO CAN’T HELP THEMSELVES, BUT TO DOLE OUT BILLIONS TO THE MILITARY, THE MANY CORPORATIONS, THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRIES, AND THE WEALTHY OF ALL TYPES, ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN UP THEIR HEART, IF THEY EVER HAD ONE, IN ORDER TO CLIMB OVER OTHERS TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE LADDER. THE WORDS, REMEMBER ARE OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, “AND FOR THE PEOPLE.” THERE IS NOTHING IN THAT PHRASE THAT INDICATES THE POOR AREN’T “THE PEOPLE” ALSO. FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK YOU, DEAN HELLER. YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN AFTER MY OWN HEART.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dean-heller-becomes-5th-senate-republican-to-oppose-gop-health-care-bill/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS June 23, 2017, 3:15 PM
Dean Heller becomes fifth Senate Republican to oppose GOP health care bill

Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada became the fifth Senate Republican on Friday to announce opposition to the Senate Republican health care plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, putting the legislation's passage in jeopardy ahead of a vote next week.

"This bill, that's currently in front of the United States Senate is not the answer. It's simply not the answer," Heller said at a press conference in Las Vegas with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican. "I'm announcing today that in this form, I will not support it."

Heller said he can't support a piece of legislation that likely would take away health care coverage from millions of Americans and tens of thousands of Nevadans.

As a result of his opposition, pro-Trump organization America First Policies is launching a TV ad against Heller, CBS News has learned. Heller is up for re-election in 2018. He is considered the most vulnerable Republican senator running next year, and a high-profile Democrat is reportedly set to challenge him: Nevada Rep. Jacky Rosen.

"It's going to be very difficult to get me to a yes," Heller said Friday. He added, "You have to protect Medicaid expansion states. That's what I want," however, he acknowledged that changing the bill in order to do that is "going to be a very difficult lift" because of the conservative senators who are against the Medicaid expansion.

Sandoval agreed with Heller, saying, "The current bill as written is something that needs to change." Sandoval was among a number of Republican governors who opted into a Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. Before he made that decision, Sandoval said Friday that his state's uninsured rate stood at 24 percent. Now, he says that only 11 or 12 percent of Nevadans are uninsured. Before the expansion, he said 18 percent of children were without health insurance.

"We're now at 8 percent," Sandoval said Friday.

Hours after text was revealed Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, announced with three other Senate Republicans that they opposed the bill in its current form because it doesn't go far enough in repealing President Obama's health care law. Three "no" votes would put the bill's passage in jeopardy.

Republicans actually need 51 votes to pass the legislation, but one of them can be Vice President Mike Pence's tie-breaking vote. Taking that into consideration, and assuming all Democrats vote against it, Republicans can only afford two defections. The Senate currently has 52 Republicans and 48 Democrats.

CBS News political director Steve Chaggaris contributed to this report.



RUSSIAN HACKS ON OUR STATE ELECTIONS, AND HIGH FLYING HOTDOGISM (OR SHOULD I SAY “HOTDOGGEREL”?)

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/us-election-officials-still-assessing-russian-2016-cyber-attack-973290563953
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 6/21/17
US election officials still assessing Russian 2016 cyber attack
Rachel Maddow looks at how the US voting system consists of thousands of individual precincts, making it harder to hack as a whole, but also more difficult to monitor and defend, making assessment of Russia's 2016 hack tricky. Duration: 24:57


WOMEN’S HEALTH UNDER THE BILL

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/concern-spreads-as-gop-works-in-secret-on-health-bill-973308995678
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 6/21/17
Concern spreads as GOP works in secret on health bill
Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, talks with Rachel Maddow about the threat of the Republican health bill to American women's health care. Duration: 6:42


http://www.msnbc.com/for-the-record-with-greta/watch/economists-spar-over-financial-impact-of-senate-health-bill-974078019822
FOR THE RECORD WITH GRETA 6/22/17
Economists Spar Over Financial Impact of Senate Health Bill
Austan Goolsbee and Douglas Holtz-Eakin join Greta Van Susteren to discuss the economic implications of the Senate GOP health care plan. Duration: 5:45



THIS STORY IS OLD, BUT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO POST ANYWAY. THE ISSUE INVOLVED HAS BY NO MEANS GONE AWAY. THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE PERSON LIKE THIS RADICAL RIGHTIST IN THE TRUMP RANKS. FIRST, I WILL SAY THAT THE SHOOTER A WEEK OR TWO AGO WAS A BERNIE SANDERS FOLLOWER, SO THERE ARE UNHINGED INDIVIDUALS IN BOTH CAMPS, BUT THE MOST RADICAL POLITICAL TREND AT THE MOMENT IS FUELED BY ALT-RIGHT THINKING. WHY ARE THEY NOT BEING REMOVED TOTALLY AND BANNED FROM THE INTERNET, GOOGLE, YOUTUBE, AND OTHER SITES? I KNOW. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. OF COURSE, THE WAY THE COURTS INTERPRET SUCH TERMS IS OFTEN A DIFFERENT MANNER FROM WHAT I WOULD LIKE. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD APPROACH SUCH PROBLEMS FROM A MORE OPEN-ENDED ANGLE SO THAT WHEN A PERSON CLEARLY IS DANGEROUS, HE SHOULD BE HANDLED AS SUCH. I ALSO WANT TO SEE MUCH LESS TOTAL GARBAGE ON THE INTERNET THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.

REMOVAL OF A SITE FROM THE INTERNET IS SOMETIMES DONE TO STOP CRIMINAL USE OF WEBSITES, AND THIS CASE INVOLVES AN OPEN THREAT AND THE OUTRIGHT ENCOURAGEMENT OF VIOLENCE. THAT OUGHT TO BE A CRIMINAL MATTER. PEOPLE LIKE THIS ARE IMMORAL, PSYCHOTIC, AND VERY DANGEROUS. THEY ARE NOT HOLDERS OF A LEGITIMATE PHILOSOPHY OF ANY KIND, POLITICAL OR SPIRITUAL. ONE ARTICLE I SAW IN THE LAST FEW DAYS SAID THAT THE INTERNET DOES SOMETIMES DELETE ACCOUNTS FOR EGREGIOUS VIOLENCE IN SPEECH OR WORSE, BUT THAT THEY TEND TO POP UP AGAIN QUICKLY UNDER ANOTHER NAME. THE KEEPERS OF THE INTERNET DON’T DO BACKGROUND CHECKS, NOR DO THEY SUPERVISE THE CONTENT. THEY DO HAVE ACCESS TO THE SPECIFIC COMPUTER AND ITS’ LOCATION, THOUGH, SO THEY ARE ABLE TO PULL SOMEONE’S ACCESS IF THEY WANT TO.

ACCORDING TO THIS MAN, JIM STACHOWIAK, HE HIMSELF HAS BEEN BANNED MORE THAN ONCE FROM FACEBOOK, AND APPARENTLY MANAGED TO GET BACK ON AGAIN EVERY TIME. A PRISON TERM FOR THOSE WHO ENDANGER SOCIETY BY INCITING VIOLENCE -- FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER AND EVEN IF IT ISN’T “IMMINENT” IN NATURE, WOULD BE MORE THAN JUSTIFIED IN MY VIEW -- AS LONG AS THE JAIL TERM WERE COMBINED WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION, THERAPY, AND CHEMICAL MEDICATION. PEOPLE LIKE HIM ARE NOT FULLY SANE, AND ARE EXCEEDINGLY HOSTILE. NOT ALL SUCH PEOPLE ARE CLASSIFIED AS “SCHIZOPHRENIC,” ETC., BUT THEY ARE CLEARLY NOT NORMAL, EITHER.

AS FOR WHY “HATE SPEECH” IS ALLOWED, SEE THE WBUR.ORG ARTICLE BELOW THIS ONE. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT IT ISN’T JUST ISLAMIC GROUPS WHO THREATEN OR COMMIT HATE CRIMES, BUT A WHOLE RANGE OF PEOPLE WHOM WE TEND TO CALL “NUT JOBS,” AND ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY UNDER THE LAW – PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED ON A LONG-TERM BASIS AND WITHOUT THE RIGHT TO A COMPUTER OR THE INTERNET. THAT, AFTER ALL, IS THEIR WEAPON OF CHOICE. BEING IN PRISON DOESN’T PRECLUDE THEIR GETTING ON THE INTERNET ON A SMART PHONE, ETC., EITHER, SO THOSE SHOULD BE CONFISCATED AS WELL. FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT, THE SOW INFLAMMATORY HATRED ON THAT MOST FERTILE SOIL – THE MINDS OF OTHER PSYCHOLOGICALLY WEAK INDIVIDUALS.

WE’VE HAD PROBLEMS LIKE THIS DOWN THROUGH TIME, DEEPLY INTO PREHISTORIC TIMES, OF COURSE, BUT WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE IT AS BEING AT EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS RIGHT NOW. WITH OUR MODERN TECHNOLOGY WE ARE ABLE TO START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS THAT A MODERN CAT (CT) SCAN CAN SPOT SOME ABNORMALITIES SUCH ARE LINKED WITH A TENDENCY TOWARD VIOLENCE, BIPOLAR DISODER, AND MAYBE MORE CONDITIONS. THE FRONTAL LOBES OF THE BRAIN – THE CENTER OF RATIONAL DECISION-MAKING AND SELF-CONTROL – SOMETIMES SHOW A LACK OF HEALTHY ACTIVITY. THOSE ARE BELIEVED TO BE AT RISK INDIVIDUALS, WHO CAN BE RESTRAINED IF NEEDED, AND MEDICATED.

IF THAT WERE USED AS A REASON TO HOSPITALIZE THEM WITHOUT OTHER DIAGNOSTIC SYMPTOMS, HOWEVER, I AND UNDOUBTEDLY OTHERS, WOULD BE AGAINST LEGALIZING SUCH A POLICY. IF, HOWEVER, A READING OF UNHEALTHY ACTIVITY WERE FOUND, PLUS AND SUBCLINICAL PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS EXIST, I WOULD NOT BE AVERSE TO CERTAIN PROFESSIONALS, ESPECIALLY, TEACHERS, MINISTERS, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, NEIGHBORS, FAMILY MEMBERS, POLICE OFFICERS, AND ALERT INTERNET READERS, TO REPORT THEM BEFORE THEY COMMIT A CRIME. THOSE GROUPS COULD SUGGEST PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION BASED ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH IMBALANCE IN INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE KNOWN TO THEM. THERE IS A LAW, AT LEAST IN SOME PLACES, THAT PROFESSIONALS WHO DEAL WITH PEOPLE DIRECTLY ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT SIGNS OF CHILD ABUSE, A BABY WITH BRUISES, FOR INSTANCE.

A SIMILAR LAW COULD BE ENACTED TO SPOT BORDERLINE INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS OF THIS TYPE AS WELL. ONE OF THE COMMON SIGNS IS MEMBERSHIP IN RADICAL RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL MOVEMENTS, WHICH ARE FUNDAMENTALIST IN NATURE. BY THAT, I MEAN TO SAY THAT, WHILE NO RELIGION IS EVIL, SOME GROUPS OR BRANCHES ARE. ISIS AND THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH ARE TWO SUCH RADICAL AND DOWNRIGHT INSANE GROUPS. WESTBORO IS FAMOUS FOR PROTESTING AT MILITARY FUNERALS, I THINK ON THE EXCUSE THAT THE MILITARY NOW OPENLY ALLOWS GAYS IN ITS’ RANKS, WHICH IS AGAINST THEIR DOCTRINE. NO FAMILY IN BEREAVEMENT SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT. CATHOLICS OR PROTESTANTS WHO SHOOT ABORTION PROVIDERS ARE DANGERS TO SOCIETY. IT IS MY PERSONAL VIEW, THAT WHEN A RELIGIOUS GROUP DEPARTS FROM THE PATH OF BEING A TRUE WORSHIP GROUP AND BECOMES A MANIACAL CULT, THEY SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN BE LEGAL MEANS, AND ALMOST AS EFFECTIVE, HAVE THEIR TAX EXEMPT STATUS TAKEN AWAY. IN FACT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE NO CHURCHES GIVEN TAX EXEMPT STATUS. THEY’RE PRODIGIOUSLY WEALTHY ALREADY.

I CAN’T HELP WONDERING, THOUGH, DO TRULY GOOD REPUBLICANS REALLY WANT TO STAND BEHIND SUCH RADICAL PEOPLE AND GROUPS IN ORDER TO GET A FEW MORE VOTES AND DONATIONS? IT HAS APPEARED TO ME THAT DONALD TRUMP DID JUST THAT. ALSO, WHILE WE’RE AT IT, WE ALSO NEED TO REDEFINE THE TERM “PATRIOT.” THAT ISN’T PATRIOTISM.

PATRIOTS SHOULDN’T BE ADVOCATING RANDOM (OR PURPOSEFUL) MAYHEM. OF COURSE, STACHOWIAK IS THE SAME ONE WHO TOOK A RIFLE AND STOOD OUTSIDE AN ARMY RECRUITMENT CENTER IN GEORGIA FOR SOME HOURS NOT VERY LONG AGO TO “PROTECT” IT. FROM WHO, I WONDER? INSANE PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED GUNS, IN MY VIEW, AND THIS MAN IS INSANE. WE NEED TO TWEAK THAT PART OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO BRING IT UP TO DATE. JUST BECAUSE HE HASN’T SHOT ANYONE YET, DOESN’T MEAN THAT HE WON’T.

PPS: HOW DO WE GET OUR OWN “INTERNET RADIO SHOW?” I HAVE SOME THINGS I’D LIKE TO SAY, TOO. OF COURSE, I JUST SAY THEM ON THIS BLOG, AND IF THE INTERNET WERE TO BE CENSORED, MY BLOG MIGHT WELL BE TAKEN OFF THE NET FOR POLITICAL DISSENT. IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE DONALD TRUMP PLAN FOR OUR COUNTRY, HOWEVER, MAYBE THAT SITUATION WON’T COME TO PASS.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/21/ex-cop-urges-lone-wolf-patriots-to-attack-black-lives-matter-activists-at-gop-convention/?utm_term=.6921eb73bc19
Post Politics
Ex-cop urges ‘lone wolf patriots’ to attack Black Lives Matter activists at GOP convention
By Peter Holley June 21, 2016

Photograph -- Jim Stachowiak, a Donald Trump supporter and former police officer, has released a video on YouTube calling for armed confrontation at the Republican convention in Cleveland next month. (Courtesy of Facebook)
DO WATCH THIS VIDEO -- Play Video 3:22: Black Lives Matter movement, explained

Jim Stachowiak specializes in provoking strong reactions.

In the past, he has called for the U.S. military to bomb Mecca. He made a point of standing outside a military recruiting office in Georgia with a rifle in his hands to provide the center with protection, he said, but was also accused of harassment.

Almost a year later, the former police officer and ardent Donald Trump supporter has put out a "clarion call" for “lone wolf patriots” to join him at the GOP convention in Cleveland this summer to confront Black Lives Matter demonstrators.

"I am encouraging patriots and Trump supporters and those that support liberty and freedom to come lawfully armed with lethal and non-lethal weaponry,” Stachowiak said in a video posted on his YouTube over the weekend.

[How America’s dying white supremacist movement is seizing on Donald Trump’s appeal]

Stachowiak has a lengthy criminal history, according to ABC affiliate WJBF. In 2008, while working as a public safety officer at Augusta State University, his certification was revoked after three years following a misconduct investigation, the station reported. Two years later, WJBF noted, Stachowiak was arrested and charged with criminal defamation for stealing a man's picture from a social networking site, posting it elsewhere and labeling the individual a terrorist.

Photograph -- The phrase Black Lives Matter first received national attention in summer 2014 and, since then, has become part of conversations on race in America. Here's how the phrase became a movement. (Claritza Jimenez, Julio Negron/The Washington Post)

By his own admission, he's been banned from Facebook at least four times.

In his latest video, Stachowiak accused activists with Black Lives Matter — which he refers to as “Black Lies Matter” — of threatening to kill Trump and planning to disrupt the gathering of Republican leadership.

“They have threatened to cause riots in Cleveland and nationwide,” Stachowiak said. “It is our sworn duty and obligation for all those like me and many of you who have taken the oath to defend this country against all enemies foreign and domestic.”

A spokesman for the Cleveland Police Department told The Washington Post that she had no information about Stachowiak or what sort of precautions the department might take in light of his plans.

Audrey Scagnelli, national press secretary for the Republican committee organizing the convention, offered The Post the following statement when asked about Stachowiak's video.

“For the past year planners have been working closely with the Secret Service, the FBI, and additional state, local and federal partners to make sure delegates, attendees and residents of the city of Cleveland are safe during the Convention.

Law enforcement partners are monitoring and investigating threats and information related to building and implementing a security plan.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center considers Stachowiak a member of the resurgent "Patriot Movement," whose members subscribe to a conspiratorial, anti-government ideology based on the belief that federal authorities seek to confiscate people's guns, impose martial law and force the United States into a socialistic "New World Order."

Mark Potok of the SPLC called Stachowiak a "loose cannon" who is "not quite in contact with reality," but noted that he should still be considered dangerous.

"People like him make these kinds of statements very frequently and sometimes it leads to real trouble," Potok told The Washington Post. "When you're encouraging an armed confrontation -- even if you're supposedly keeping it legal — you're inviting trouble."

In his latest video, Stachowiak says he's hoping to "spark a revolution," but in the past he told the SPLC that his actions are always defensive in nature.

"I'd rather go to a movie or make payments on a jet ski, but I have to buy ammo," he said in 2010. "I'm concerned about civil unrest, my neighbors going crazy, round-ups, foreign troops, the New World Order."

Despite their anti-government impulses, Potok told The Post that many in the Patriot Movement have rallied around the candidacy of Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, because of his stances on several issues.

"Unlike the white supremacists that support Trump, the core of their support isn't based on racism, but they certainly are opposed to immigration, very much in favor of the 2nd Amendment and they think that big government is a wicked thing," Potok said. "They're sort of Republican beliefs on steroids. They're nationalists and Trump is certainly a super-nationalist."

When it comes to Black Live Matters supporters, Stachowiak said in his YouTube video that he believed they “want to attack those of us for merely supporting a candidate."

He added: "Let’s answer the call, people.”

His opinions aren't limited to the Black Lives Matter movement, according to reports. On his Internet radio show, WJBF reported, Stachowiak accused Mohammad of being a child rapist and called Islam a "mental disorder."

Last year, a Muslim woman who identified herself as Hawwa told WJBF she saw Stachowiak standing outside the military recruiting center. He followed her into a nearby store to get her to notice his shirt, she told the station.

"On the front it says, 'Burn the Koran,' " she said. "On the back, it said something really bad about Allah."

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office told the station at the time that Stachowiak had done nothing illegal.

"You don't egg on somebody like that," Hawwa told the station. "Ultimately, you should feel sorry for him."



ANOTHER ABUSE OF THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH

http://www.wbur.org/npr/513105012/berkeley-students-debate-cancellation-of-milo-yiannopoulos-speech
Berkeley Students Debate Cancellation Of Milo Yiannopoulos Speech04:23
Play
February 02, 2017By NPR Staff

On Wednesday night, students at the University of California, Berkeley, protested a planned talk by divisive far-right speaker Milo Yiannopoulos, an editor for Breitbart News Network.

Demonstrators set fires, threw objects, and the speech was cancelled. After the decision was made, President Trump tweeted, "If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view — NO FEDERAL FUNDS?"

NPR's Ari Shapiro spoke with two UC Berkeley students who have different viewpoints about where college campuses draw the line between free speech and hate speech.

While Yiannopoulos is known to express extreme views — he has called feminism "a cancer" and has used racially charged language — doctoral student Andrew Bremer believes his First Amendment rights are more important.

"Freedom of speech is something that is, I think, paramount to where I can be today," Bremer says. "I feel that I can be the person who I am today as a gay man because of the First Amendment rights that allowed gay rights activists in the '60s and '70s to stand up for the LGBTQ community. And if those rights were not in place, I don't think that I would be able to necessarily be who I am today and live the life that I do."

In an appearance on Fox News, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway asked if the students were protesting the idea of having someone on campus that has an alternative point of view.

But undergraduate student Rigel Robinson says UC Berkeley hosts conservative speakers regularly — without protests.

"Milo is a very unique situation," Robinson says. "Milo is an entertainer who has engineered a national tour around provoking college campuses, in order to feed into a narrative that supports this idea that liberal campuses are shutting down free speech."

Use the audio link above to hear the full interview.

Copyright NPR 2017.


NOTE RIGEL ROBINSON’S COMMENT ABOVE ON MILO YIANNOPOLOUS’ AS A POLITICO: “MILO IS AN ‘ENTERTAINER’ WHO HAS ENGINEERED A NATIONAL TOUR AROUND PROVOKING COLLEGE CAMPUSES, IN ORDER TO FEED INTO A NARRATIVE THAT SUPPORTS THE IDEA THAT LIBERAL CAMPUSES ARE SHUTTING DOWN FREE SPEECH.” THE EQUALLY OUTRAGEOUS AND DOWNRIGHT UNATTRACTIVE (PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY) RADIO COMMENTATOR RUSH LIMBAUGH ALSO CLAIMS TO BE “AN ENTERTAINER.” FUNNY ABOUT THAT. IT’S LIKE THE CONVENIENT PHRASE, “I FEARED FOR MY LIFE.”

NEW DEFINITIONS OF HATE MONGERING VERSUS A TRULY ACCEPTABLE, FAIR AND HONEST “FREE SPEECH,” NEED TO BE WRITTEN INTO THE LAWS NEXT TIME WE DO A “CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.” ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE WRITING OF THE CONSTITUTION IS THAT IT NEEDS MORE AND BETTER DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT IS AND IS NOT CONSTITUTIONAL. THE IDEA THAT THE SUPREME COURT IS THE ONLY FORUM FOR CREATING A STANDARD DEFINING THE ADMISSIBILITY OF LAW IS FLAWED IN MORE THAN ONE WAY. ONE, THE PURPOSE OF THE RATHER “LOOSENESS” OF THE WAY THE LAW IS WRITTEN IS, I SEEM TO REMEMBER, TO ALLOW MORE FLEXIBILITY IN INTERPRETATION.

A REGULAR AND RATHER FREQUENT RETOOLING OF PROBLEMATIC SEGMENTS OF THE DOCUMENT, AS OFTEN AS EVERY 50 YEARS OR SO, BY LAW PROFESSORS WORKING ALONGSIDE LEGISLATORS, WOULD KEEP THOSE PASSAGES FROM CAUSING TROUBLE, IN THE FORM OF INJUSTICE AND THE SIMPLE WASTE OF TIME. IT'S FASCINATING, BUT ARCHAIC.

AS SEVERAL POLITICAL RIGHTISTS HAVE ADVOCATED DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SOME WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO MODIFY PARTS OF IT. IF THE REFORMERS MAKE ANY EFFORT TO EXCLUDE ANYONE FROM SUCH A CONVENTION, SUCH AS DEMOCRATS, INDEPENDENTS, AND PROGRESSIVES, THERE WILL BE DEMONSTRATIONS, AND MANY, MANY LETTERS AND EMAILS SENT TO CONGRESSPERSONS, TO PREVENT SUCH A MOVE.

I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS WHICH SHOULD BE CHANGED, INCLUDING A MORE STRINGENT FEDERAL OVERSIGHT OF THE THINGS WHICH ARE CALLED “STATES’ RIGHTS ISSUES,” LEFTOVER FROM THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CONFEDERATE STATES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR WAS CONCLUDED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MORE TRUE AND FAIR DEFINITION OF “FREEDOM OF SPEECH,” HATE CRIME, AND “HATE SPEECH,” ARE IN ORDER, AS THESE ARTICLES BELOW SHOW PLAINLY.

WHO IS WBUR.ORG? ARE THEY FAKE NEWS? HARDLY. THEY ARE THE NPR STATION OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I TRUST THEM OVER BREITBART, (WHO ARE WITHOUT QUESTION TOTALLY FAKE NEWS), ANY DAY OF ANY WEEK. AS ALWAYS WITH NPR, THEY GO TO EFFORT TO PRESENT THOUGHTFUL AND INFORMATIVE COMMENTS ON THE PROTECTION OF HATE SPEECH.

http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017/02/20/hate-speech-law
VIDEO -- Why Hate Speech Is Protected Under The Law10:50
February 20, 2017 Updated 2/20/2017 4:13 PM

See This Photograph – a large group of heavily armed police officers guard against potentially violent protestors on a college campus, where the far, far right agitator Milo Yiannopolous, a self-proclaimed fascist, was to speak. He decided that “discretion is the better part of valor,” and left the campus. His followers gave the detested Heil Hitler salute at a Donald Trump rally in the last year.

Right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopolous has come under fire on college campuses and elsewhere for expressing views that some call hate speech.

Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Santa Clara University law professor Margaret Russell about what the legal rules on hate speech are.

Interview Highlights

On if there's a legal definition of hate speech

"There actually is not, and that may be surprising. However, the Supreme Court has actually taken a number of interesting cases in which it has looked at laws that have tried to define hate speech or otherwise curtail it by limiting it in other categories."

"The basic principle that the Supreme Court has wrestled with under the Free Speech Clause is the principle of not punishing speech because of its message or its viewpoint. That in itself is a violation of the principles of the Constitution. But, for example, in certain areas like obscenity or child pornography or incitement to violence, the Court has made exceptions based on the dangers that those impose. Hate speech has not been considered to be part of any of those categories in and of itself. ... Under the First Amendment, you really have to have another law regulating conduct that's broken. So, you know, if you are beating somebody up, obviously you can be charged with a hate crime if you're doing that with the intention of targeting them because of their race. But if you're walking beside that person on the sidewalk with a sign or handing out flyers that reflect hatred toward that race, that is protected."

On where the line is drawn for harassment

"Certainly there are situations in which a person could be arrested, not for saying that, not for the message — and this is sort of where the subtler lines are drawn — but because of the presence of other factors. The Supreme Court has said if someone is inciting violence — so, regardless of viewpoint, if someone is speaking in a way and in a context in which they're encouraging violence that could be imminent, and they are intentionally trying to bring that about, that is known as incitement, and that is not protected speech."

"'Fighting words' is an interesting example of an area of law in which the case that defined it has not been overturned, but it hasn't particularly been followed very clearly. So fighting words in the 1940s, in a Supreme Court case called Chaplinsky, was defined as 'words that inflict immediate injury or tend to incite a breach of the peace.' And fighting words has been used as the rationale for hate speech codes, hate speech regulations on the basis of the argument that hateful words do inflict psychic, emotional and sometimes lead to other kinds of injuries. But fighting words itself requires a face-to-face, a direct confrontation. It requires a setting and a set of facts that wouldn't apply across the board to regulating hate speech."

"Hate speech is not considered, by itself, to be unprotected under the First Amendment." Margaret Russell
On how slander and libel differ from hate speech

"There are several different areas of the law, including slander and libel, in which speech alone, because of the harm it does, can actually be regulated, right, and it's not because the viewpoint of the speech. It's because of damages, injury, reputation, and it is factually false. Hate speech, most of hate speech that I'm aware of, it's opinion. It may be despicable opinion, but they're not false statements of fact."

On hate speech and the law

"I think the law is pretty clear, at least to the extent that hate speech is not considered, by itself, to be unprotected under the First Amendment. So, if people want to enact laws or if people want to prosecute people who violate the law, the prosecution can't be based on the viewpoint of the person. It has to be based on the underlying crime. ... If you think about hate crimes, and many jurisdictions do have hate crimes, hate crimes ordinances, according to the Supreme Court in Wisconsin v. Mitchell, have to punish a particular crime, like assault or battery or threats, and then allow for an enhancement if the motive is to beat somebody up or commit the crime based on their race. I know that sounds like such a, one of those legal niceties, but the difference is basically that when you criminalize consistent with the First Amendment, what you're criminalizing is the conduct. Not the speech."

This segment aired on February 20, 2017.

Related:
The ACLU Explains Why They're Supporting The Rights Of Milo Yiannopoulos
Berkeley Students Debate Cancellation Of Milo Yiannopoulos Speech



“THE DONALD” AND THE WHITE SUPREMACISTS – WHO THEY ARE AND WHY WE SHOULDN’T WANT THEM TO BE IN POWER OVER OURSELVES OR OTHERS, IN THIS COUNTRY OR IN ANY OTHER. A DESPOT IS A DESPOT IS A DESPOT. SOME OF THE QUOTATIONS IN THIS WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE OF WHITE SUPREMACY AND NAZI LEADERS OF WWII MAY CHILL YOUR BLOOD, AS THEY DO MINE. THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE POSSIBLY ELECTED ONE OF THESE AS OUR PRESIDENT SADDENS AND FRIGHTENS ME. AS JESUS SAID OF VARIOUS OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS, “YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUIT.” WHAT SORT OF FRUIT ARE WE WILLING TO HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY?

AFTER WIKIPEDIA, MEDIA MATTERS GIVES A LONG HISTORY OF TRUMP AND WHITE SUPREMACIST INTERACTIONS. IT ISN’T A SUPERFICIAL RELATIONSHIP, CASUAL, TEMPORARY NOR IS IT HARMLESS. TRUMP STARTED IMMEDIATELY TRYING TO DISMANTLE ALMOST 300 YEARS OF OUR DEMOCRATIC CULTURE. SEE THE RELATED ARTICLES BELOW.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_nationalism
White nationalism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

White nationalism is a type of nationalism or pan-nationalism which holds the belief that white people are a race[1] and seeks to develop and maintain a white national identity.[2][3][4] Its proponents identify with and are attached to the concept of a white nation.[5] White nationalists seek to ensure the survival of (what they see as) the white race, and the cultures of historically white states. They hold that white people should maintain their majority in majority-white countries, maintain their political and economic dominance, and that their cultures should be foremost.[4] Many white nationalists believe that miscegenation, multiculturalism, immigration of nonwhites and low birth rates among whites are threatening the white race,[6] and some argue that it amounts to white genocide.[6]

White separatism and white supremacy are subgroups of white nationalism. Separatists seek a white-only state; supremacists believe that white people are superior to nonwhites,[4] taking ideas from social Darwinism and Nazism.[7] Both subgroups generally avoid the term supremacy because it has negative connotations.[8]

Critics argue that the term "white nationalism" and ideas such as white pride exist solely to provide a sanitized public face for white supremacy, and that most white nationalist groups promote racial violence.

Views[edit]

White nationalists argue that every race feels a natural affection for its own kind.[9] They advocate racial self-preservation and claim that culture is a product of race.[10] White nationalists seek to ensure the survival of (what they see as) the white race, and the cultures of historically white nations. They hold that white people should maintain their majority in mainly-white countries, maintain their dominance of its political and economic life, and that their culture should be foremost.[4] Many white nationalists believe that miscegenation, multiculturalism, mass immigration of non-whites and low birth rates among whites are threatening the white race,[6] and some argue that it amounts to white genocide.[6] According to white nationalist Samuel T. Francis, it is "a movement that rejects equality as an ideal and insists on an enduring core of human nature transmitted by heredity."[11] Jared Taylor, a white nationalist, claims that similar racial views were held by many mainstream American leaders before the 1950s.[11]

White nationalists embrace a variety of religious and non-religious beliefs, including various denominations of Christianity, generally Protestant, although some specifically overlap with white nationalist ideology (Christian Identity, for example, is a family of white supremacist denominations), Germanic neopaganism (e.g. Wotanism) and atheism.[16]

Definitions of whiteness[edit]

Most white nationalists define white people in a restricted way. In the United States, it often—though not exclusively—implies European ancestry of non-Jewish descent; one example is the U.S. National Socialist Movement, which stipulates that "Party Membership is open to non-Semitic heterosexuals of European descent".[17] Some white nationalists draw on 19th-century racial taxonomy. Some white nationalists, such as Jared Taylor, have argued that Jews can be considered "white".[18] Though many white nationalists oppose Israel and Zionism, several white nationalists, such as William Daniel Johnson and Jared Taylor, have expressed support for Israel and have drawn parallels between their ideology and Zionism.[19][20]

Different racial theories, such as Nordicism and Germanism, define different groups as white, both excluding some southern and eastern Europeans because of a perceived racial taint.[21] Pan-Aryanism defines whites as individuals native to Europe, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Western Asia who are wholly of Caucasian lineage or are overwhelmingly from the following Caucasian ethnic groups, or any combination thereof: Indo-European ("Aryan", including the Iranian and Indo-Aryan peoples), Old European (e.g. Basque), or Hamitic (in modern times supposedly confined to Berbers).

Heinrich Himmler, one of the main perpetrators of the Holocaust, said in a speech in 1937: "The next decades do in fact not mean some struggle of foreign politics which Germany can overcome or not ... but a question of to be or not to be for the white race ... ."[30] As the Nazi ideologist Alfred Rosenberg said on the 29th of May 1938 on the Steckelburg in Schlüchtern: "It is however certain that all of us share the fate of Europe, and that we shall regard this common fate as an obligation, because in the end the very existence of White people depends on the unity of the European continent."[31] At the same time Nazis subdivided white people into groups, viewing the Nordics as the "master race" (Herrenvolk) above groups like Alpine and Mediterranean peoples.[32] Slavic peoples, such as Russians and Poles, were considered Untermenschen instead of Aryan.[33] Hitler's conception of the Aryan Herrenvolk ("Aryan master race") explicitly excluded the vast majority of Slavs, regarding the Slavs as having dangerous Jewish and Asiatic influences.[34] The Nazis because of this declared Slavs to be untermenschen (subhumans).[35][36] Hitler described Slavs as "a mass of born slaves who feel the need of a master".[37] Hitler declared that because Slavs were subhumans that the Geneva Conventions were not applicable to them, and German soldiers in World War II were thus permitted to ignore the Geneva Conventions in regard to Slavs.[38] Hitler called Slavs "a rabbit family" meaning they were intrinsically idle and disorganized.[39] Nazi Germany's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels had media speak of Slavs as primitive animals whom were from the Siberian tundra who were like a "dark wave of filth".[39][40] The Nazi notion of Slavs being inferior was part of the agenda for creating Lebensraum ("living space") for Germans and other Germanic people in eastern Europe that was initiated during World War II under Generalplan Ost, millions of Germans and other Germanic settlers would be moved into conquered territories of Eastern Europe, while the original Slavic inhabitants were to be exterminated and enslaved.[41] Nazi Germany's ally the Independent State of Croatia rejected the common conception that Croats were primarily a Slavic people and claimed that Croats were primarily the descendents of the Germanic Goths.[42] However the Nazi regime continued to classify Croats as "subhuman" in spite of the alliance.[43] Even among European cultures and people that were considered Aryan, the Nazis considered the Nordic race and German culture to be superior to other Aryan races and cultures, thus making them far less Pan-European than groups that identify themselves as White Nationalist.



IS MEDIAMATTERS.ORG FAKE NEWS? NYET!!! ON THE CONTRARY, FOR A BASKETFUL OF NEWS DELECTABLES, GO TO https://www.mediamatters.org/networks-and-outlets/factcheckorg.

WHO THEY ARE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Matters_for_America
Media Matters for America
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Media Matters for America (MMfA) is a politically progressive media watchdog in the United States. The organization has a stated mission of "comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media".[2][3] Set up as a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and political activist David Brock as a counterweight to the conservative Media Research Center.[4] It is known for its aggressive criticism of conservative journalists and media outlets, including its "War on Fox News."[5][6]


BIRDS OF A FEATHER ....

https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/18/complete-history-donald-trumps-relationship-white-nationalist-movement/212502
The Complete History Of Donald Trump's Relationship With The White Nationalist Movement
Blog ››› August 18, 2016 2:40 PM EDT ››› ERIC HANANOKI

Donald Trump's presidential campaign has engaged in a disturbing courtship with the racist white nationalist movement that is unprecedented in recent American political history. That effort has taken on new life with Trump's hiring of Breitbart News chief Stephen Bannon.

Bannon oversaw Breitbart News’ attempts to normalize and embrace the white nationalist movement. As the Southern Poverty Law Center noted, Breitbart "has undergone a noticeable shift toward embracing ideas on the extremist fringe of the conservative right. Racist ideas. Anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant ideas."

White nationalist themes have been at the center of Trump's campaign since its inception. He began his campaign by smearing Mexican immigrants as violent criminals and rapists and later called for a ban on Muslim immigration, moves which endeared him to his growing white nationalist support. When Trump attacked the Mexican heritage of an American-born judge and smeared the family of a fallen Muslim-American soldier, his white nationalist fans cheered. Trump also initially refused to condemn the support of David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

White nationalists haven't only praised Trump from afar: They've rubbed elbows with the campaign. Trump himself has repeatedly retweeted white supremacist messages and accounts, such as “WhiteGenocideTM.” Trump surrogates have directly courted white nationalists by giving interviews to white nationalist media outlets. A “pro-white” radio host received press credentials to cover a Trump rally and the Republican National Convention. And Trump selected the leader of a white nationalist political party to be a convention delegate (he resigned following media exposure).

White nationalists have used Trump's tacit and direct support to breathe new life into their movement. The movement’s leaders have said they have seen "unprecedented interest" in their activities and message. They have used Trump to fundraise and build up their organizations. And white nationalist leaders say they and their ideas are now "firmly in the mainstream" thanks to Trump.

The following is a history of the Trump campaign’s disturbing relationship with the white nationalist movement.

White Nationalist Leaders Are Supporting Trump And See Him As Their “Last Stand”

White Nationalists Have Praised Trump And His Actions Throughout The Campaign

Trump And His Campaign Have Had Disturbing Interactions With White Nationalists

White Nationalists Say Trump Has Helped Them Grow Their Movement

White Nationalist Leaders Are Supporting Trump And See Him As Their “Last Stand”

Associated Press: “Experts Say White Supremacists See Trump As 'Last Stand.'” The Associated Press reported that “Trump and his campaign are expressing ideas similar to those espoused by white supremacists, legal, media and civil rights experts say. In addition, the experts said Wednesday, white supremacists are using the 2016 presidential elections to attempt to control the culture of politics.” From the piece:

Angelo Carusone, executive vice president of Media Matters for America, a liberal advocacy group, noted that Trump has retweeted posts from white supremacist accounts on Twitter.

Twitter is Trump's biggest microphone, and his rhetoric correlates with some of the beliefs of white supremacy organizations and communities, Carusone said.

Sophie Bjork-James, a Vanderbilt University lecturer and expert in white supremacist social movements, said white nationalists are attempting to increase their numbers through Trump's campaign. [The Associated Press, 8/11/16]

David Duke: “Voting Against Donald Trump At This Point Is Really Treason To Your Heritage.” David Duke is a white supremacist radio host and former Ku Klux Klan wizard. He is currently running for the U.S. Senate and cited Trump as an inspiration for his run. [BuzzFeed, 2/25/16; Media Matters, 3/1/16, 7/22/16]

“Pro-White” Radio Host James Edwards: "Trump Will Be The First Republican Nominee That I Have Ever Voted For." James Edwards is the host of the “pro-white” radio program The Political Cesspool. Edwards is a David Duke acolyte and he “has probably done more than any of his contemporaries on the American radical right to publicly promote neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, raging anti-Semites and other extremists," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Edwards has written: “For blacks in the Americas, slavery is the greatest thing that ever happened to them. Unfortunately, it's the worst thing that ever happened to white Americans”; “MLK's dream is our nightmare”; and “Interracial sex is white genocide.” [Media Matters, 7/24/16; Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 8/18/16]

Hate Publication Leader Kevin MacDonald: "Trump Is Saying What White Americans Have Been Actually Thinking For A Very Long Time." The Southern Poverty Law Center described Kevin MacDonald as “the neo-Nazi movement's favorite academic” who “published a trilogy that supposedly ‘proves’ that Jews are genetically driven to destroy Western societies.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 8/18/16; Media Matters, 8/27/15]

Neo-Nazi Site Daily Stormer: "Vote For The First Time In Our Lives For The One Man Who Actually Represents Our Interests." The Daily Stormer is a neo-Nazi website headed by Andrew Anglin that has endorsed Trump and is enthusiastically supporting his campaign. The website regularly defends Adolf Hitler, attacks “kikes,” and has a section documenting the purported “Jewish Problem.” [Media Matters, 8/27/15]

Hate Group Leader Jared Taylor: "Trump May Be The Last Hope For A President Who Would Be Good For White People." The Southern Poverty Law Center writes that Taylor “is the founder of the New Century Foundation and edits its American Renaissance magazine, which, despite its pseudo-academic polish, regularly publishes proponents of eugenics and blatant anti-black and anti-Latino racists. Taylor also hosts a conference every other year where racist intellectuals rub shoulders with Klansmen, neo-Nazis and other white supremacists.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 8/18/16; Media Matters, 8/27/15]

Hate Group Leader Richard Spencer: “Trump Thinks Like Me. … Do You Think It's A Coincidence That Everybody Like Me Loves Trump And Supports Him?” Richard Spencer is the head of the white nationalist National Policy Institute. The Associated Press reported that Spencer “matter-of-factly called for removing African-Americans, Hispanics and Jews from the United States” while at the Republican National Convention. [Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 8/18/16; The Associated Press, 7/25/16]

Stormfront Founder Don Black: “We Are All Pulling For Him, Voting For Him If We Can.” The Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that Black is a “former Klan state leader and long-time white supremacist” who created “Stormfront.org, the first major Internet hate site.” [BuzzFeed, 3/25/16; Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 8/18/16]

White Nationalist Political Party Leader William Johnson: “I Urge You To Vote For Donald Trump.” William Daniel Johnson heads the American Freedom Party and “has called for a whites-only United States and the deportation of other races and ethnicities.” He also founded the pro-Trump group American National Super PAC, was initially selected as a Trump convention delegate, and issued pro-Trump robocalls in key primary states. [The Washington Post, 5/11/16; Talking Points Memo, 1/9/16]

White Nationalists Have Praised Trump And His Actions Throughout The Campaign

Early In Primary Campaign, White Nationalists Praised Trump’s Stance On Immigration. Trump’s stance on immigration drew white nationalists to his campaign during the early months of the Republican primary. They said Trump was "doing the Lord's work," remarked that his plan was the "most explicit any presidential candidate has ever been," and said Trump could halt "the speed with which whites are reduced to a minority." [Media Matters, 8/27/15]

White Nationalist Media Backed Trump's Anti-Muslim Plan. White nationalists praised Trump’s plan "for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." They called Trump's proposal "so wonderful" and "100% reasonable" because Muslims purportedly provide "absolutely nothing of value to this once-great nation." [Media Matters, 12/8/15]

Trump’s White Nationalist Backers Applauded His Racist Attacks On Federal Judge. White nationalists praised Trump’s racist attacks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel for purportedly being biased because “he’s a Mexican.” They called the judge a “terrorist spic,” claimed “Diversity is not strength, and it above all is not an impartial judiciary,” said the attacks against Trump are because of “Jewish manipulation,” and celebrated that Trump “is waking up” white Americans “from their collective hypnosis.” [Media Matters, 6/7/16]

White Nationalists Hailed Trump For “Stunning” Anti-Semitic Tweet. White nationalist leaders praised Trump for tweeting an anti-Semitic image attacking Hillary Clinton. They wrote that the tweet represented “dog-whistling by The Leader” about “filthy Jew terrorists,” proof that “Trump is not backing down,” and that it’s “Nice to see Mr. Trump slipping some 'Red Pills'* to the American people.” [Media Matters, 7/5/16]

[NOTE: SEE MORE ABOUT “RED PILLS” IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS ARTICLE.]

White Nationalists Praised Trump’s Convention. White nationalists praised Trump and the 2016 Republican National Convention. They celebrated that their tweets were featured in the convention hall, defended Melania Trump’s plagiarism from attacks by “the filthy Jews,” and hailed that the Republican Party “is becoming the de facto white party.” They also praised Trump’s convention speech, stating that they “couldn't have said it better” and “couldn’t be happier”; and said that Trump was focusing on the “negative effects” of immigration and using “codewords” that appeal to whites. [Media Matters, 7/20/16, 7/22/16]

White Nationalists Loved Trump’s Attacks Against Muslim-American Gold Star Parents. White nationalists praised Trump for his “rightful” attacks against Gold Star parents Khizr and Ghazala Khan. Khizr Khan delivered a convention speech honoring son Humayun Khan, who was killed while serving in Iraq, and criticizing Trump. White nationalists said that Trump’s anti-Muslim comments prove he’s “the real thing,” claimed the fallen soldier was a “terrorist” infiltrator, and called for the Khans to be deported. [Media Matters, 8/2/16]

White Nationalists Rejoiced At Trump’s Hiring Of Breitbart News Chief Stephen Bannon. The Southern Poverty Law Center noted that under Bannon, Breitbart.com “has undergone a noticeable shift toward embracing ideas on the extremist fringe of the conservative right. Racist ideas. Anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant ideas.” The Daily Beast similarly wrote that “Bannon did a lot to normalize the racist, anti-Semitic world of the alt right.” VDare’s Peter Brimelow praised Bannon’s hiring in the Daily Beast, saying that “Breitbart emerged as a nationalist site and done great stuff on immigration in particular.” Richard Spencer also approved of the hiring, stating, “Breitbart has elective affinities with the Alt Right, and the Alt Right has clearly influenced Breitbart.” The Daily Stormer’s Andrew Anglin supported Bannon’s hiring, stating that “Breitbart has, over the last year, gone from Fox News-style cuckism to full-on Stormer-tier on most issues (not the Jews, of course).” [Southern Poverty Law Center, 4/28/16, Daily Beast, 8/17/16; Daily Stormer, 8/18/16]

Trump And His Campaign Have Had Disturbing Interactions With White Nationalists

Trump Has Repeatedly Retweeted White Supremacist Accounts. The New York Times wrote of Trump’s penchant for promoting white nationalists on Twitter:

But on the flatlands of social media, the border between Mr. Trump and white supremacists easily blurs. He has retweeted supportive messages from racist or nationalist Twitter accounts to his nine million followers. Last fall, he retweeted a graphic with fictitious crime statistics claiming that 81 percent of white homicide victims in 2015 were killed by blacks. (No such statistic was available for 2015 at the time; the actual figure for 2014 was 15 percent, according to the F.B.I.)

In January and February he retweeted messages from a user with the handle @WhiteGenocideTM, whose profile picture is of George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi Party. A couple of days later, in quick succession, he retweeted two more accounts featuring white nationalist or Nazi themes. Mr. Trump deleted one of the retweets, but white supremacists saw more than a twitch of the thumb. “Our Glorious Leader and ULTIMATE SAVIOR has gone full wink-wink-wink to his most aggressive supporters,” Mr. Anglin wrote on The Daily Stormer.

In fact, Mr. Trump’s Twitter presence is tightly interwoven with hordes of mostly anonymous accounts trafficking in racist and anti-Semitic attacks. When Little Bird, a social media data mining company, analyzed a week of Mr. Trump’s Twitter activity, it found that almost 30 percent of the accounts Mr. Trump retweeted in turn followed one or more of 50 popular self-identified white nationalist accounts. [The New York Times, 7/14/16]

Trump Repeatedly Refused To Denounce David Duke. Trump created an uproar when he repeatedly refused to disavow David Duke for supporting his campaign. Trump later bizarrely blamed a “bad earpiece” for failing to denounce Duke during the interview. [CNN.com, 2/29/16; Washington Examiner, 2/29/16]

Trump Refused To Denounce Neo-Nazi Supporters Who Threatened Reporter. During a May interview, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked Trump if he would denounce anti-Semitic death threats against a reporter who wrote a profile of Melania Trump. Trump refused to condemn the threats, saying he was unaware of them and adding, “I don’t have a message to the fans. A woman wrote a article that was inaccurate.” [Media Matters, 5/6/16]

Trump Selected White Nationalist Leader As Delegate. As Mother Jones noted, the Trump campaign selected “William Johnson, one of the country's most prominent white nationalists,” as a convention delegate from California. Johnson later resigned following criticism, and the Trump campaign blamed a "database error" on the selection. [Mother Jones, 5/10/16]

Trump Campaign Was Forced To Return Donation From Johnson. The Trump campaign accepted a $250 donation in September from Johnson and returned it after Media Matters and People for the American Way criticized Trump. [Media Matters, 3/11/16]

Trump Adviser And GOP Congressmen Gave Pro-Trump Interviews To White Nationalist Radio Host James Edwards At The RNC. Several members of Congress and Trump campaign official Gary Berntsen gave pro-Trump interviews to James Edwards and his “pro-white” radio show The Political Cesspool during the Republican National Convention. [Media Matters, 7/24/16]

Trump Campaign Gave Press Credentials To James Edwards. Trump's campaign gave press credentials to Edwards and The Political Cesspool to cover a Tennessee rally in February. [Media Matters, 3/1/16]

Donald Trump Jr. Gave Interview To James Edwards. Donald Trump Jr. gave an interview to white nationalist leader James Edwards. The interview aired on the Liberty RoundTable, which is hosted by Edwards’ syndicator and guest host Sam Bushman. Edwards appeared on the program as a guest and questioner. The Trump campaign later claimed they were not aware of Edwards’ views; Edwards hit back at the campaign by claiming that the interview happened because "a press agency that's scheduling interviews for" Trump Jr. reached out to him. [Media Matters, 3/3/16]

Trump’s Convention Displayed Tweets From White Nationalist Accounts. The Republican National Convention displayed tweets from white nationalist accounts on its ticker. The tweets came from the accounts “@Western_Triumph” and VDare.com. [Time, 7/22/16]

Trump Adviser Retweeted An Anti-Semitic Message. Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who is advising Trump’s campaign and was reportedly considered as a potential running mate, shared a tweet that read, "Not anymore, Jews. Not Anymore." Flynn later apologized, claiming it “was a mistake.” [CNN.com, 7/24/16]

Trump Surrogates Promoted Campaign In Interview With Neo-Nazi. Diamond and Silk, two YouTube personalities who serve as surrogates for Donald Trump's presidential campaign, promoted his candidacy in an interview with neo-Nazi and Trump supporter John Friend. Friend believes the Holocaust is "one of the most egregious and outrageous falsehoods ever perpetrated," "Jews Did 9/11," and Adolf Hitler was "the greatest thing that's happened to Western civilization." [Media Matters, 3/24/16]

White Nationalists Say Trump Has Helped Them Grow Their Movement

Politico: “White Supremacist Groups See Trump Bump.” Politico reported in December of Trump and white supremacists:

The Ku Klux Klan is using Donald Trump as a talking point in its outreach efforts. Stormfront, the most prominent American white supremacist website, is upgrading its servers in part to cope with a Trump traffic spike. And former Louisiana Rep. David Duke reports that the businessman has given more Americans cover to speak out loud about white nationalism than at any time since his own political campaigns in the 1990s.

As hate group monitors at the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League warn that Trump’s rhetoric is conducive to anti-Muslim violence, white nationalist leaders are capitalizing on his candidacy to invigorate and expand their movement.

“Demoralization has been the biggest enemy and Trump is changing all that,” said Stormfront founder Don Black, who reports additional listeners and call volume to his phone-in radio show, in addition to the site’s traffic bump. Black predicts that the white nationalist forces set in motion by Trump will be a legacy that outlives the businessman’s political career. “He’s certainly creating a movement that will continue independently of him even if he does fold at some point.” [Politico, 12/10/15]

Politico: Experts Say “Trump Is Energizing Hate Groups And Creating An Atmosphere Likely To Lead To More Violence Against American Muslims.”

Meanwhile, analysts from the two leading organizations that track violence against minority groups say Trump is energizing hate groups and creating an atmosphere likely to lead to more violence against American Muslims.

According to experts at the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center who monitor hate groups and anti-Muslim sentiment, Trump’s call on Monday to halt the entrance of Muslims to the United States is driving online chatter among white supremacists and is likely to inspire violence against Muslims. [Politico, 12/10/15]

N.Y. Times: “Trump Has Galvanized The Otherwise Marginal World Of Avowed White Nationalists.” The New York Times wrote in July:

Some are elated by the turn. In making the explicit assertion of white identity and grievance more widespread, Mr. Trump has galvanized the otherwise marginal world of avowed white nationalists and self-described “race realists.” They hail him as a fellow traveler who has driven millions of white Americans toward an intuitive embrace of their ideals: that race should matter as much to white people as it does to everyone else. He has freed Americans, those activists say, to say what they really believe. [The New York Times, 7/13/16]

Wall Street Journal: “White Nationalists See Advancement Through Donald Trump’s Candidacy.” The Wall Street Journal reported in May:

White nationalists are hailing Donald Trump’s elevation to presumptive Republican presidential nominee, while also trying to boost their own political profiles and activity.

Although Mr. Trump has spurned these extreme groups’ support, the level of interest within them for the White House candidate rivals that for segregationist George Wallace, who won five states in the 1968 election, and for conservative Republican Pat Buchanan, who denounced multiculturalism in the 1990s.

Mr. Trump is being heralded by these groups for his proposals to bar Muslim immigrants, deport millions of people living illegally in the U.S., and build a wall along the southern border. [The Wall Street Journal, 5/17/16]

Daily News: “Trump’s Racist Rhetoric Emboldens White Supremacist Groups, Neo-Nazis Spouting Hate On The Internet.” New York Daily News reported in December that Trump’s “decision to push divisive rhetoric and policy has opened the door for an array of white supremacy groups, that suddenly feel emboldened and legitimized by Trump’s hateful bombast, to rejoin the national conversation.” [New York Daily News, 12/10/15]

Washington Post: “White Supremacist Movement Is Seizing On Donald Trump’s Appeal.” The Post reported:

Rachel Pendergraft — the national organizer for the Knights Party, a standard-bearer for the Ku Klux Klan — told The Washington Post that the KKK, for one, has a new conversation starter at its disposal.

You might call it a “Trump card.”

It involves, say, walking into a coffee shop or sitting on a train while carrying a newspaper with a Donald Trump headline. The Republican presidential candidate, Pendergraft told The Post, has become a great outreach tool, providing separatists with an easy way to start a conversation about issues that are important to the dying white supremacist movement. [The Washington Post, 12/21/15]

Anti-Defamation League: “Trump’s Rhetoric Resonates With White Supremacists.” The New York Times wrote in July:

“Trump’s rhetoric resonates with white supremacists,” said Joanna Mendelson, an investigative researcher with the Center on Extremism, a branch of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

“They’ve been essentially energized about Trump’s candidacy, and they’ve been very vocal about their support of Trump and his policies on immigration and globalism,” Mendelson said.

In February, the ADL published a list of 10 prominent white supremacists who actively support Trump. Then, in April, it urged the candidate to drop the phrase “America First” as a campaign slogan, pointing out it had been used by Charles Lindbergh, a prominent Nazi sympathizer, in the 1940s. [The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, 6/2/16]

White Nationalists Are Using Trump’s Campaign For Fundraising. White nationalist websites like VDare.com and American Renaissance have been using Trump’s candidacy to raise money. Fundraising solicitations hail Trump for spurring "unprecedented interest in" white nationalism and putting their ideas "firmly in the mainstream." [Media Matters, 1/12/16]



THIS PARTICULAR HATE FILLED AND BORDERLINE PSYCHOTIC WHITE MALE SUBCULTURE HAS ITS’ OWN LANGUAGE. FOR THE TERM “RED PILL,” READ “MALE DOMINATION.” SO THESE TWISTED FOLLOWERS OF TRUMP WANT, NOT MERELY WHITE SUPREMACY, BUT ALSO MALE SUPREMACY. SEE BELOW:

*RED PILLS* -- “They wrote that the tweet represented “dog-whistling by The Leader” about “filthy Jew terrorists,” proof that “Trump is not backing down,” and that it’s “Nice to see Mr. Trump slipping some 'Red Pills'* to the American people.” [Media Matters, 7/5/16]



RED PILL, BLUE PILL, THIS IS ALL ABOUT ANTIFEMINIST PHILOSOPHY, IF IT CAN BE CALLED BY SUCH A HIGH-FLOWN TERM. SO, IN THE CONTEXT ABOVE, I BELIEVE IT ADDS THE ASPECT OF FEMALE ABUSE AND DISRESPECT TO THE CURRENT NEO-NAZI VIEW OF LIFE. IN THAT SENTENCE, WHICH THE WRITER AT MEDIA MATTER IS QUOTING, THIS IS THEIR IDEA OF A “STRONG LEADER.” TO ME, IT’S THE EXPRESSION OF VIEWS THAT DEFINE A WANNABE DICTATOR. TRUMP HASN’T HAD QUITE THAT MUCH SUCCESS AT TRANSFORMING AMERICA INTO HIS IMAGE, SO FAR, AND I THINK OUR “CUMBERSOME” BUREAUCRACY MAY BE WHAT DEFEATS HIM.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/red-pill-mens-rights-anti-feminist-group-who-know-what-women-want/
Rebecca Reid
13 NOVEMBER 2015 • 12:55PM

PHOTOGRAPH -- Neo chooses the red pill in the Matrix

If you haven’t heard of the “red pill” theory then you might want to look away now. But if you’re a glutton for punishment read on.

Red pill theory is based on film The Matrix, (remember that?) in which Keanu Reeves’s character Neo is offered a blue pill to stay plugged in where everything is nice, or a red pill where everything goes horribly wrong but makes a much better movie.

Rather than languishing in the early 2000s where it belongs, the premise has now been adopted by a group of men’s activists or “meninists.”

The movement has gained traction over the past couple of years, even leading to the production of a controversial film The Red Pill, which saw feminist film maker Cassie Jaye explore the men's rights movement and is due for cinematic release in 2016, following a Kickstarter campaign.

So what does it all mean?

These men's activists use the term 'blue pill' to refer to conventional dating practices. According to MarriedManSexLife.com (a life coach who claims to ‘help you attract your wife, beat affairs and breakthrough relationship blockages’), the blue pill is “what women say they want from a man.”

But, as we all know, our tiny lady brains aren’t capable of deciding what they want. We might think we want to be treated with kindness and consideration - but we’re wrong.

Enter 'red pill' theory. This is the belief that what women really want from men is a bit of good old-fashioned subjection.

Rather than focussing [sic] on the very real issues affecting men today such as mental health stigma, suicide and the under reporting of sexual abuse, the activists focusses on how women 'should' behave instead.

Red pill aficionados, who mostly hang out on Reddit boards, really believe that women are wrong when they claim that they want respect and equality. Apparently what we really want is dominance and traditional gender roles. We’ve just been brainwashed by feminist propaganda.

Right.

Red pill theory puts women back in the kitchen
Red pill theory puts women back in the kitchen CREDIT: ALAMY
Men on the internet who claim that women are lying about wanting equality are nothing new. What’s far more disturbing is the presence of another board within the online red pill community, titled 'Red Pill Women'.

This is a discussion space for women who believe that they are biologically programmed purely to procreate, and see being single in your thirties as an actual tragedy.

According to MarriedManSexLife.com there’s a list of 20 characteristics that define a red pill woman; from keeping herself physically attractive to her partner (at no point is it suggested that he might do the same) to understanding that she should never deny her partner sex.

"Red pill women spend their time sharing tips on being 'better', including a lively debate about how to improve your man’s morning routine".

The forum itself goes further in to explaining how a red pill woman is expected to deport [sic] herself. For instance the importance of not being too bright:

"You do not have to act less capable than you are to be feminine. Men are not sexually attracted to intelligence, and are put off by argumentative know-it-alls."

Or the essential ability to put yourself second:

“Don’t keep score of who is doing what for whom, simply focus on the ways you can enhance his life. Expectations are nothing more than future disappointments."

What a brilliant life hack. If you stop having any expectations from your partner, he can never disappoint you. Sorted!

If you stop having any expectations from your partner, he can never disappoint you. Sorted!

If you stop having any expectations from your partner, he can never disappoint you. Sorted! CREDIT: GETTY

The red pill women of Reddit spend most of their time sharing tips on being 'better', including a lively debate about how to improve your man’s morning routine (get up an hour before him, look pretty, make his breakfast is the general consensus).

It’s toe curling stuff.

The women who populate the forum were unsurprisingly loathe to discuss their involvement with me (perhaps realising that publicly stating unmarried 35-year-old women had ‘failed at life’ wouldn't make them any friends).

"Be compassionate. Be honest. Be nurturing. Be sweet. Be gentle. Be positive. Be meek. Learn how to cook and clean".

But the posts they share are unguarded. Take this painful contribution:

“I'm 19 year-old college student and even though I'm currently looking for a part-time job I still have a lot of free time. I was wondering how I could spend my time to become a better woman and a better partner for my future boyfriend/husband”.

The red pill women's advice? “Be compassionate. Be honest. Be nurturing. Be sweet. Be gentle. Be positive. Be meek. Learn how to cook and clean - which you are doing!”

If that's not worrying enough, one woman has started a thread about her partner, who she previously broke up with because of domestic violence.

Photograph of a woman typing on a laptop computer
Why would any young woman find herself aligning with this view? CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

She writes:

"Sex is a bit of an issue, because he gets very frustrated when he doesn't get head for too long, but between caring for a two-year-old, work, school, and trying to keep the house somewhat not disgusting, it has gone as long as two months between my being able to provide this - though I did just do it twice in the past few weeks - helped being more aroused the second time."

To which the best rated advice was:

"Sex and physical intimacy is not a choice, so stop thinking of it as a voluntary endeavour. Make it your mission to spoil him rotten. Every day you should have some kind of sexual interaction with him. Make an effort to flirt and have ....” [note: this sentence is truncated because the editors left off the end of it, so we’ll never know what they meant to say.]

That's right ladies. Consensual sex is not a choice. We've got it twisted with all our silly feminism. Our vaginas should be freely available to our partners, at all times, regardless of what else is going on.

Photograph -- Don't let him lift a finger ladies... CREDIT: ALAMY

Aside from how painful it is to see ‘meekness’ praised as a character trait in 2015, the the [sic] salient question is why on earth any young woman would find herself aligning with this view?

In the 1980s, along with the rise of power suits and career women came a rise in the sales of Mills and Boon books*. In the 2000s, 50 Shades of Grey out sold Harry Potter and the Bible. The correlation between the emancipation of women and the increased popularity of the dominant male in fiction is often used by red pill theorists as proof that women don’t actually want power; they want to be controlled.

[*Mills and Boon books -- https://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books -- Romance books, usually highly sexualized. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mills_%26_Boon – “Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s.”]

What red pill people seem to misunderstand is that they deal exclusively in theory and further than that, in fantasy.

"Is it sexy when a bloke throws you down on to the bed? Yes. But is it any less sexy than when he takes out the bins? Nope".

Women might well lust after a Christian Grey type, who forces us to forget about climbing the career ladder with blindfolds and wrist ties. But it’s a fantasy. It’s not real. And for these women who haunt Reddit, discussing how to be a better surrendered wife? It’s all part of the same fantasy. And really? Fantasy is exactly where it belongs.

Yes, a powerful, assertive man is a sexy prospect. But what red pill theory misunderstands is that women might want that, but they certainly don’t want that all the time.

Is it sexy when a bloke throws you down on to the bed? Yes. But is it any less sexy than when he takes out the bins so you can stay in the warm, or runs you a bath because you’ve got menstrual cramps? Nope.

Ultimately, the adoption of the red pill by women is about fantasy. While the movement is buried in forums like Reddit - so the posters could be anyone, male or female - it seems likely that they are truly women. Unhappy women who want their lives to be better, and who have been taken in by a false promise.

50 Shades of Grey

Women only want to be dominated as a fantasy

Red pill thinking offers the chance to make your relationship better and claims to fix your problems. All you have to do is make a few simple changes to your personality!

I don't deny that if one partner is capable of being totally selfless, self-sacrificing and never complaining when they're unhappy, then it's likely going reduce the number of arguments a couple has. But that doesn't make things better. It just makes women quieter.

Aggressively maintained gender roles don’t make for happy relationships. Compromise, sharing and love do that. And that’s why, despite all the thousands of words written about it on the internet, red pill theory will remain exactly that. A theory.



SENATE REPUBLICAN HEALTHCARE PROPOSAL SHOWN FINALLY -- NO CUTS TO MEDICAID, TRUMP PROMISED; BUT THEN, LITTLE WHITE LIES ARE HIS MAIN TOOLS AS PRESIDENT. “PROMISE HER ANYTHING, BUT GIVE HER ARPEGE!”

http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-43-protesters-arrested-in-die-in-at-1498161963-htmlstory.html
http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-43-protesters-arrested-in-die-in-at-1498161963-htmlstory.html
Colleen Shalby WRITER
JUNE 22, 2017, 1:20 P.M.

Photograph – elderly wheelchair bound man is carried by two officers out of the Capitol

Dozens of disabled men and women were arrested after participating in a "die-in" protest outside of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office at the Capitol.

The demonstration, organized by the national disability group ADAPT, was staged in response to the Senate GOP's healthcare plan, which proposes drastic cuts to Medicaid. It's the primary source of funding for services that allow the disabled to live at home, sparing them from institutionalization.

Capitol Police say they arrested 43 people. According to spokesperson Eva Malecki, "many of the demonstrators, as part of their protest activities, removed themselves from their wheelchairs and lay themselves on the floor, obstructing passage through the hallway and into nearby offices."

Several videos captured the scene in the marble hallway.

"No cuts to Medicaid!" one woman shouted as Capitol Police lifted her out of her wheelchair.

Follow
Matt McDermott ✔ @mattmfm
A horrific metaphor for Trumpcare: this disabled woman literally being ripped from her wheelchair. #StopTrumpcare
12:51 PM - 22 Jun 2017 · Manhattan, NY
29,524 29,524 Retweets 25,398 25,398 likes
One man was lifted from the area by his arms and legs.

Follow
Mariam Khan ✔ @MKhan47
Capitol police are dragging people away from Mcconnell's office.
11:31 AM - 22 Jun 2017
861 861 Retweets 471 471 likes

Another woman was wheeled away.

Follow
Andrew Desiderio ✔ @desiderioDC
Q: Are you being arrested?

"Yes I am."

Officer wheeling her would not answer.
12:15 PM - 22 Jun 2017 · Washington, DC
101 101 Retweets 59 59 likes

The protest fell on the 18th anniversary of Olmstead vs. LC – a 1999 Supreme Court ruling that said states must provide funding for the disabled to allow them to live at home. It recognized their rights to live in communities, rather than institutions.

"Here we are 18 years later and we are still fighting for our freedom from incarceration," organizer Nancy Salandra said in a statement before the protest.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
Follow
Colleen Flanagan @ColleenFlangan
Medicaid is important to disabled people. We raise our voice and get answered with handcuffs #ADAPTandRESIST
1:26 PM - 22 Jun 2017
9,280 9,280 Retweets 9,274 9,274 likes