November 29, 2023

Humanitarian catastrophe perpetrated by a right-wing gov't.

Compare and contrast left/center discussion with right-wing discussion.

“ We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.” - President Carter

In October, President Biden said Hamas doesn’t represent the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza.

I’m having trouble understanding why the policies of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history has so many cheerleaders telling left/center people how wrong they are about — everything. Even more tiring is the idea that right-wing talking points are correct and irrefutable.

I support the right of all people to live in safety and peace. The left/center way to get there is through justice and reconciliation — not through fear, death and authoritarian control.

November 16, 2023

Ai Weiwei Speaks Out on Cancellation of His London Exhibition

Ai Weiwei Speaks Out on Cancellation of His London Exhibition
In a statement to Hyperallergic after Lisson Gallery nixed his show, the artist warned of “soft violence aimed at stifling voices” on the topic of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

…A new exhibition by the Chinese dissident artist, slated to open today, November 15, at London’s Lisson Gallery, was canceled after he posted, and later deleted, his two cents about the conflict on the social media platform X. Now, in a new statement shared with Hyperallergic, the artist tells his side of the story, disputing the widely reported narrative presented by Lisson Gallery and warning against “self-censorship” and “soft violence aimed at stifling voices” in the art world around the touchy subject of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

…Ai’s now-removed post reportedly read: “The sense of guilt around the persecution of the Jewish people has been, at times, transferred to offset the Arab world. Financially, culturally, and in terms of media influence, the Jewish community has had a significant presence in the United States. The annual $3bn aid package to Israel has, for decades, been touted as one of the most valuable investments the United States has ever made. This partnership is often described as one of shared destiny.”

…Spending his early childhood in a labor camp alongside his father, the late Chinese poet Ai Qing, the artist grew up to become a major critic of China’s ruling Communist Party. He paid for his dissent with prison time, ongoing persecution, and a life in exile. In 2011, a few weeks before he was arrested in a Beijing airport and detained for 81 days without charges, China’s Ullens Center for Contemporary Art canceled an exhibition by the artist under pressure from government officials.

“I grew up in a Communist Party era where my father, a writer, endured a ban for over 20 years, facing far graver consequences,” Ai told Hyperallergic. “Our existence has consistently been viewed as oppositional to the regime, the nation, and even the people. This kind of canceling under the Cultural Revolution not only negates political and cultural influence but also erases one’s life; under this circumstance, hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives.”

November 14, 2023

China has a sweeping vision to reshape the world -- and countries are listening

China has a sweeping vision to reshape the world — and countries are listening

While Russia’s Putin, accused of war crimes and continuing his brutal invasion of neighboring Ukraine, and Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders are shunned in the West, both were welcomed to Xi’s table of nations in Beijing last month.

Just weeks earlier, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad — who has been accused of using chemical weapons against his own people — was feted at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he arrived on a Chinese-chartered jet and visited a famous Buddhist temple.

A headline in the state-run Global Times portrayed Assad’s visit as one from the leader of a “war-torn country respected in China amid Western isolation” — providing a glimpse into the through-the-looking glass scenarios that could become the norm if Xi’s world view gains traction.

But Beijing’s broader argument, which implies that a handful of wealthy, Western countries hold too much global power — resonates with a wider set of governments than just those at loggerheads with the West.

November 11, 2023

Voters Restore Funding to Michigan Library Targeted by National Movement to Ban LGBTQ+ Content

Voters Restore Funding to Michigan Library Targeted by National Movement to Ban LGBTQ+ Content

In a heartening turn of events, the famously defunded Patmos Library in Ottawa County has emerged victorious, securing taxpayer support in the Nov. 7 election after facing the threat of closure triggered by controversies surrounding LGBTQ-themed books. Voters approved the proposed millage decisively with a 63 to 37 percent margin, marking the end of one of Michigan’s most fervent culture wars over books and what we hope is the beginning of a wider effort to fight back against the nationwide, coordinated effort to censor books from libraries and schools across the country by groups like Moms for Liberty and Ottawa Impact.

The atmosphere among library supporters was one of jubilation and relief, encapsulated by Tricia Kryda, who told Bridge Michigan, “I feel like I’m going to cry. I feel like I’ve been on edge for a year and a half.” The library, which relied on 84 percent of its $250,000 budget from township property taxes, had been managing to stay afloat by tapping into $300,000 in donations raised through GoFundMe campaigns (including a $50,000 donation by bestselling author Nora Roberts) since its initial millage defeat in 2022. Even with this influx of funding, the library expected to run out of funds by the fall of 2024 if it voters rejected the three-year millage on the ballot this year.

The controversy that led to this critical juncture began in the spring of 2022 over three books in the library’s young adult graphic novel section, including "Gender Queer: A Memoir." Following the initial millage defeat in August 2022 and a subsequent loss in November, the library board underwent changes, leading to a compromise. The library will not remove any books but is adding descriptions to inside covers sourced from the Library of Congress or platforms like Amazon.

October 31, 2023

Sen. Ray Holmberg (indicted) is not a drag queen.

Former North Dakota Sen. Ray Holmberg denies traveling to have sex with minors after federal indictment

FARGO — A former North Dakota legislator from Grand Forks has been indicted on federal charges, including ones alleging he traveled internationally to have sex with minors.

A grand jury in North Dakota U.S. District Court indicted 79-year-old Ray Everett Holmberg on Thursday, Oct. 26. The indictment that was unsealed Monday alleged he traveled from North Dakota to Prague between June 24, 2011, and Nov. 1, 2016, with intentions to "engage in illicit sexual activity" with minors. He also was accused of receiving or attempting to receive child porn between Nov. 24, 2012, and March 4, 2013.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

The indictment available to the public gave few details on the charges, including how many children were involved, their ages or how Holmberg allegedly tried to obtain child porn.

Holmberg was a Republican member of the North Dakota State Senate for 45 years — and a retired school counselor.

October 19, 2023

Word to the wise:

“But I believe to the core of my soul that the response Israel is taking, and with it the American support both for that response, and for the status quo of the occupation, will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people,” he continued.

October 17, 2023

No equivocation. Palestinians deserve safety and security.

6:53 — Innocent Palestinians (should be) protected from bombardment…they deserve the right to necessities (water, power, heat, etc.), safety and security, every bit as much as the Ukrainian civilians or civilians anywhere…

Rec and Bookmarked. Thanks for posting.

October 11, 2023

'It's important to separate the facts from speculation': (re: beheaded babies in Israel)

(I was asked to repost this from LBN to GD)

Source: SkyNews

'It's important to separate the facts from speculation': What we actually know about the viral report of beheaded babies in Israel — One journalist from the Tel Aviv-based news channel i24 said a soldier told her they had "witnessed… bodies of babies with their heads cut off" at the Kfar Aza kibbutz near the Gaza border - but no Israeli officials have confirmed the claim.

…Stuart Ramsay interviewed two IDF majors - one of whom was a spokesman.

Ramsay said: "At no point did either he, or the other major I spoke to, ever mention that Hamas had beheaded or killed 40 babies or children. I believe that if it were the case, they would have told me and others there.

…And another journalist, Oren Ziv, who works for independent news outlet 972 mag, was also present and given the opportunity to speak to "hundreds of soldiers on site".

In a post on X, he said of the baby claims: "During the tour we didn't see any evidence of this, and the army spokesperson or commanders also didn't mention any such incidents."

Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/its-important-to-separate-the-facts-from-speculation-what-we-actually-know-about-the-viral-report-of-beheaded-babies-in-israel-12982329

October 11, 2023

'It's important to separate the facts from speculation': (re: beheaded babies in Israel)

Source: SkyNews

'It's important to separate the facts from speculation': What we actually know about the viral report of beheaded babies in Israel — One journalist from the Tel Aviv-based news channel i24 said a soldier told her they had "witnessed… bodies of babies with their heads cut off" at the Kfar Aza kibbutz near the Gaza border - but no Israeli officials have confirmed the claim.

…Stuart Ramsay interviewed two IDF majors - one of whom was a spokesman.

Ramsay said: "At no point did either he, or the other major I spoke to, ever mention that Hamas had beheaded or killed 40 babies or children. I believe that if it were the case, they would have told me and others there.

…And another journalist, Oren Ziv, who works for independent news outlet 972 mag, was also present and given the opportunity to speak to "hundreds of soldiers on site".

In a post on X, he said of the baby claims: "During the tour we didn't see any evidence of this, and the army spokesperson or commanders also didn't mention any such incidents."

Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/its-important-to-separate-the-facts-from-speculation-what-we-actually-know-about-the-viral-report-of-beheaded-babies-in-israel-12982329

October 11, 2023

No Israeli official has confirmed this. (Sourced)

https://news.sky.com/story/its-important-to-separate-the-facts-from-speculation-what-we-actually-know-about-the-viral-report-of-beheaded-babies-in-israel-12982329

… "At no point did either he, or the other major I spoke to, ever mention that Hamas had beheaded or killed 40 babies or children. I believe that if it were the case, they would have told me and others there.

"To reiterate - the IDF had every opportunity to inform the world's media of any story that had become apparent as the military continue to clear up the kibbutz. The murder and beheading of 40 children was never mentioned to me or my team."

And another journalist, Oren Ziv, who works for independent news outlet 972 mag, was also present and given the opportunity to speak to "hundreds of soldiers on site".

In a post on X, he said of the baby claims: "During the tour we didn't see any evidence of this, and the army spokesperson or commanders also didn't mention any such incidents."

It’s difficult to avoid misinformation. Baby beheadings may soon be confirmed by multiple sources, but as of this morning, there’s only one report. Lastly, this is in no way a defense of Hamas. Don’t even go there.