Headlines

Like the DNC, China Wants to Censor Internet Misinformation

Like the DNC, China Wants to Censor Internet Misinformation

Paul Collier March 10, 2022

A high-level member of the political advisory board of the Chinese Communist Party has been telegraphing the next move by Chairman Xi’s party to assure that any dissent that might grow is nipped in the bud before it ever blooms. To that end, the high-ranking member of the prestigious political advisory board, Jia Qungguo, has been complaining about the proliferation of ‘misinformation’ on the Chinese Communist Party controlled internet.

Jia said, “….there are often people online who, for some purpose, package a foreigner’s vicious remarks against China as the view of everyone in that country towards China in order to incite the Chinese people’s dissatisfaction and hostility towards said country and its people,”

You see, friends, if we can’t all reflect the world policies of the state, how can we be trusted, how can we be safe as a people? In the name of protecting citizens from dangerous thoughts that could lead others to make bad decisions, the DNC pushes for hate speech laws and more social media censorship, following, it would seem, this model that has been used for centuries in China, the Chinese Communist Party method of controlling and eliminating potential competition, dissent.

Chinese government adviser calls for law to ban ‘fake news’ | China

From www.theguardian.com
2022-03-08 12:29:00

Excerpt:

An adviser to the Chinese government has called for new laws to ban “fabricating and disseminating fake information online”, blaming the rampant disinformation on the internet for polarising Chinese public opinion.

Jia Qingguo, a member of China’s highest political advisory body, said he also believed the proliferation of misinformation online had fuelled tensions between China and foreign countries.

“For example, there are often people online who, for some purpose, package a foreigner’s vicious remarks against China as the view of everyone in that country towards China in order to incite the Chinese people’s dissatisfaction and hostility towards said country and its people,” Jia said in an interview on Saturday with online news portal The Cover, which is affiliated with the state-owned Sichuan Daily.

The former dean of the prestigious Peking University’s School of International Studies added that the spread of fake news could harm national interests, and lead to public confusion and social division. He called on Beijing to introduce specific measures to “severely punish” those who create false information to “cause serious harm to society”.

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World Situation Report — March 10th, 2022

Michael Cessna March 9, 2022

Welcome to the World Situation Report For March 10th, 2022

This is a new column for the Freedomist. I am delighted to be able to join the Freedomist team, and to once again work with William Collier, my long-time friend and editor. For those who may have followed my work at the Military Gazette, this column is a version of MilitaryGazette’s “World SITREP” column. The goal of this column is to present news from around the world that is not often – if ever – covered by more mainstream entities, using local sources wherever possible, but occasionally using news aggregators not used, again, by the mainstream media. Also, please note that I do use links to Wikipedia; while Wikipedia is well-known as a largely-useless site for any kind of serious research, it does serve as an introductory launch-pad for further study, in addition to being free of malicious ads. As with anything from Wikipedia, always verify their sources before making any conclusions based on their pages.

This column will cover the preceding week of news.

That said, let’s move on to the news…

Japan Moves Ahead with Plans to Deploy Automated Cargo Vessels

Japan has decided to proceed with automating sea-going cargo vessels, as falling numbers of skilled crews and the dream of increased profits tempt executives to give automation a chance.

The falling numbers of people willing to take the very real risks of a life working the sea is real. Despite the comparatively low crew requirements of modern ships, compared to older vessels, increasing traffic from more and more hulls in the water have balanced out the numbers. However, for some decades, fewer and fewer people sign up with merchant shipping academies, making qualified crew hires a priority. In such an environment, the allure of a completely automated cargo vessel, requiring no crew to pay or insure, is very real.

The problems, of course, are legion: many ports have strict rules concerning pilots coming aboard to conn ships, not least because channel conditions change, sometimes frequently; ships also require underway maintenance – engines are reliable, but issues frequently occur. The number of things that can go wrong on any seagoing ship are too numerous to go into in any detail here, but having crew aboard to address the problem as it occurs is a problem Japan will need to address, before most ports – and shipping companies – are going to accept completely robotic cargo ships…

…And that’s before we address pirates, and hacking.

TFI Global – Japan moving ahead with automating cargo vessels:

—————–

Merchant Ships Attacked In Ukrainian Waters, France Seizes Russian Freighter

As the war in Ukraine intensifies, cargo vessels are suddenly finding themselves in the midst of a deadly crossfire. As of 2/26/2022, the Moldovan-flagged chemical tanker “Millennial Spirit”, carrying 600 tonnes of diesel fuel (with a Russian crew), was apparently shelled by a Russian warship, seriously injuring two of the crew; the Turkish owned “Yasa Jupiter” was struck by a bomb (with no reported casualties, thankfully), and is limping towards Romanian waters; and the Panamanian-flagged bulk freighter “Namura Queen”, loaded with wheat, was struck by a rocket on her stern; she is currently underway, making for a safe port near Istanbul, Turkey.

A large number of non-combatant vessels remain tied to docks in harbors and estuaries as fighting continues to rage around them. These vessels will be hard-pressed to leave on their own, as Ukrainian harbor pilots are obviously occupied elsewhere.

Meanwhile, France has seized the Russian-owned vessel “Baltic Leader” in the English Channel, on suspicion of being on the list of sanctioned Russian companies black-listed by the European Union (EU), NATO and the United States.

Contrary to popular belief, wars are not “good” for business – preparing for war is good for business, not actually fighting it. With the world logistics system still reeling from Covid-related delays and the Ever Given accident that blocked the Suez Canal for almost a full week, delaying schedules and causing knock-on effects throughout the fragile global logistics network, it is hard to detail specifically what effects Putin’s War will have on the global shipping industry, but it is unlikely to be good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KFPAOgCfGM

—————–

Turning to US national news…..

Bomb Threat Disrupts Ferry Operation

A bomb threat against the Bainbridge Island – Bremerton disrupted ferry service on March 6th. Police explosive-sniffing K-9’s cleared the ferry “Tacoma” to return to service by 1pmPST…

Also on the 6th, two persons attempted to rush the main gate at Joint Base Andrews (JBA) – home of the Presidential transport squadrons – at approximately 9pm, but were stopped by alert guards and automated barricades. One of the individuals (a 17-year old male) was captured, and the other is being sought. Although reports remain foggy, at least one of the persons (the individual captured by security) was armed. No shots were fired, despite initial reports of an “active shooter”.

As of this writing, the other individual remains at large. No information has been released on either individual involved in the incident, although the 316th Security Forces Group and local authorities have stated that the at-large individual is not on the base.

Vice President Harris and various other members of the cabinet had been aboard JBS earlier in the evening, boarding a flight to Selma, Alabama, but were not present at the time of the incident.

—————–

While, in international news….

Europe & Australia

Proving that some people just want to act out, thus making martyrs where they don’t need to, a makeshift “bomb” was thrown onto the ground of the Russian diplomatic mission to The Hague, in the Netherlands, while an envelop containing an unspecified “white powder” was mailed to the Russian embassy in Canberra, the Australian capitol, this week….

In Sweden, meanwhile, it seems that the so-called “Islamic State” – still extant – will take anyone, as a 49-year old woman was convicted of not preventing her then 12-year old son from being recruited to fight for the terror group in 2013. The child, along with his father and an older brother, were all subsequently killed fighting for the IS. The mother denied any wrongdoing, saying that she had been “lured” to Syria in 2013 by her husband…no word on what she thought was happening in Syria at that time.

In Turkey, riot police celebrated International Women’s Day by firing tear gas at demonstrators attempting to join a women’s march. The demonstrators are engaged in protests against the Erdogan government’s withdrawal from a European treaty on combating violence against women last year.

Meanwhile, Turkey has also arrested or is seeking to arrest over one hundred individuals that the government claims were involved in the attempted coups-de-tat against the Erdogan government in July of 2016.

Turning to Africa…

Major fighting continues in the West African nations of Mali, Niger and Nigeria, as local security forces battle on against the Boko Haram, the “Islamic State in the Greater Sahara” and the “Islamic State/West Africa Province (ISWAP)” terror groups.

Malian Army (FAMa) forces beat back an attack by ISWAP on an outpost in Mondoro, in the central part of the country, on March 4th, reportedly killing at least 70 terrorists, while suffering at least 27 troops dead, 33 injured, and 7 missing. The attack was described as “complex”, and involved the use of “vehicle bombs”.

To understand the scale of this fighting, the numbers being reported by FAMa are essentially two full platoons of infantry, or about two-fifths of an infantry company (generally, about 180 personnel). And this is not the first action of its kind, in this country of barely 20million people; actions on this scale have happened more than a few times. This kind of loss rate in action is rather rare, these days; to give an idea of scale, the United States lost a total of 258 personnel in the Gulf War of 1990-1991, and in the entirety of what is known as the “War on Terror“, from 2001 to today (March, 2022), the US has lost a total of 7,074 dead.

In neighboring Niger’s southwestern Torodi region, five soldiers were killed and three more were wounded on March 6th, when their vehicle rolled over an “improvised explosive device” (IED) laid by the “Islamic State in the Greater Sahara”. Niger has approximately 12,000 troops deployed full-time in its interior, trying to fend off terror groups that have been operating in earnest in the region since early 2017.

Niger was also the scene of the October, 2017 ambush of a US Army Special Forces team and their Niger partner-forces at the village of Tongo-Tongo which killed four of the ten-man US team, and four Niger troops.

In Nigeria’s far-northeastern region, Boko Haram terrorists attacked a Nigerian Army Forward Operating Base (FOB) near the town of Damasak, and were repelled with the loss of seventeen dead and three captured, along with several vehicles and weapons.

Boko Haram made its name when it appeared several years ago, by kidnapping hundreds of elementary- and middle-school children to use as either child-soldier “recruits” (for the boys) or as “wives” (for the girls) for their “troops”.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s “Department of State Services” (DSS) security service has reported that the “Islamic State/West Africa Province (ISWAP)” has been training suicide-bombers in the northeast of the country, as well.

In the Middle East…

The “Middle East” remains unstable in the extreme. A small sample of the past week:

*The so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide-bomb attack in Pakistan, that killed five security force troops when the attacker detonated their vest as a convoy rolled past in the Pakistani state of Baluchistan. This comes on the heels of the suicide attack on March 4th, in Peshawar that killed 63 and wounded nearly 200.

*In Syria, Russian air force planes launched a series of attacks on March 4 and 5, targeting Islamic State forces in the central Resafa region of Syria’s Raqqa Governate, scene of the Islamic State’s Pyrrhic defeat and loss of their “capital” in October of 2017. While cheered at the time as signalling the “end of ISIS”, intense fighting has continued in Syria ever since, with Russian air forces launching over 900 sorties in February, alone.

*Elsewhere in Syria, 13 Syrian Army troops were killed and 18 wounded, when the bus they were traveling in was ambushed near the ancient city of Palmyra on March 6th.

India, for a change, was largely quiet this week. Aside from security forces being on “high alert” following the Peshawar attack, police in Assam arrested five people linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), while arresting a Maoist leader in the city of Gaya, in the northern state of Bihar, the country was largely quiet, this week. Given the normal news cycle in India, this is a welcome change.

Finally, the South Korean Navy fired warning shots to ward off a North Korean patrol boat that strayed too close to Baekryeong Island, near the Northern Limit Line on the 8th. The North Korean craft was chasing an unarmed North Korean vessel, whose crew is being questioned by South Korean authorities.

Cancel Russia- The Economic Hot War of Ukraine

Cancel Russia- The Economic Hot War of Ukraine

Paul Collier March 8, 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gdxv37E3Qc

President Joe Biden officially announced the White House’s intentions to ban Russian oil and gas from being imported into the United States. This latest economic war action against Russia follows a list of sanctions and cancellations from American corporations, European states, and European corporations.

The move raises the stakes on Russia needing to secure a victory to secure a safe home for Putin, whose individual personality is the driving force in the decision-making process of the entire Russian state.

Rather than ending the war in the Ukraine, it might well be that the draconian moves to cut Russia off from the ‘Western’ world are pushing the world towards a type of war that will fundamentally end all that we have today, nuclear war.

The United States and Europe seem prudently willing to avoid having nuclear-powered nations’ troops clash in armed conflict, but have they considered that an economic war aimed at crippling, even destroying the Russian state could produce the same type of potential existential response?

The efforts by corporations to aggressively sanction a state far above and beyond what their own states asked of them could be the moment the cancel culture method of governance becomes cemented in the hearts and minds of the casuals, or it could be the peak of a power that is soon to be destroyed. The prospect of the former leaves me hesitant to cheer on the massive cancellation of an entire state.

Russia will not sit still, and the entire world is not cut off from Russia. The moves we are making right now are driving India into the Russia orbit, which means, given Russia and China’s increasing growing needs for one another, that India and China might soon have to mostly make nice, at least for the cameras. As usual, alliances are filled with contradictions and conflict, and this alliance will be no less contradictory or conflict-filled.

The American media, the DNC media de facto, is vilifying Russia every day in every way they can. Anti-Russianism is becoming a social pressure, and it looks more and more openly racist and bigoted every day. There is little time that anyone pauses to say, “By Russia, I mean the government, not the people.” In these hate diatribes, the Russian people are explicitly the targets of hate.

They are being sjw’d before our very eyes, and the right is cheering it on, for some reason.

Russia is run by a totalitarian killer who, to serve his own interest, invaded a nation of 40 million and proceeded to bomb their cities, their homes, even their schools. Russia, though, is doing what many of these same self-righteous nations have been doing themselves, with America being one of the clearest examples.

The actors on this stage are all ruthlessly serving their own interests, and yours aren’t theirs. Right now, they need to move to hurt Russians, to hurt Americans, to hurt Ukrainians, etc., to settle which of the concentrations of power in the world have the advantage going into the next few decades, nothing more.

Ukraine could have been a neutral buffer, but the West, with America in the lead, pushed it to be a threat to Russia. Russia could have been content with what she had, but seeing the West gain power in Ukraine prompted them to want to take it for themselves.

What follows is how the media is covering this economic war, with headers added to help you better understand the patterns that are emerging in this war. It starts with the first announcement of the US’s intention to block Russian oil and gas and ends with an analysis of what the new normal post-cancel-Russia looks like in trade.

Russia Gets Cancel Cultured for Invading the Wrong State

Biden Blocks Russian Oil, Gas

US To Block Russian Oil As Millions Flee Putin’s Invasion

From talkingpointsmemo.com
2022-03-08 15:22:41
Matt Shuham
Excerpt:

It’s thirteen days since Putin invaded Ukraine, meeting a level of resistance that’s shocked the world while isolating Russia and its people from much of the global economy.

The consequences — and battles — are continuing to play out. President Biden is expected to announce on Tuesday that the U.S. will ban imports of Russian oil and liquefied natural gas; the EU is expected to announce a plan to reduce its reliance on Russian gas.

It’s a strike at the hydrocarbon core of Russia’s economy, but one that is limited by its nature. The Europeans remain reliant on Russian oil and gas for energy, and Russia on them for foreign currency….

Read Full Article

EU Follows Biden’s Lead

EU to phase out Russian gas, oil, coal imports

From uk.investing.com
2022-03-07 18:45:00

Excerpt:

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union leaders will agree at a summit this week to phase out the EU’s dependency on imports of Russian gas, oil and coal, a draft statement showed, marking a turning point in its policy towards Moscow prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

EU leaders will meet in Versailles on Thursday and Friday to discuss boosting their joint defence capability and Ukraine’s bid to become a member of the 27-nation bloc. [L8N2V445U]

Burned by the experience of supply shortages in microchips and pharmaceuticals during the COVID-19 pandemic, the leaders will also discuss how to make the EU more strategically independent of global suppliers in these sectors and food.

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Immediate Costs

Analysts say alternative supplies wouldn’t be able to fully replace Russian oil

From www.cnbc.com
2022-03-08 07:47:00

Excerpt:

While there are alternatives to Russian oil, they would be insufficient or difficult logistically if the U.S. and its allies were to ban Russian energy imports, analysts said Tuesday.

“There’s just no way even OPEC+ and even combined Iran and Venezuela could make up for it,” Vandana Hari, founder of energy intelligence firm Vanda Insights, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.”

Russia’s war in Ukraine shows no sign of abating as the U.S. and its allies weigh banning Russian oil and natural gas imports. Oil prices spiked to highs not seen since 2008, though later pared those gains. There was also concern that Russia could retaliate by cutting natural gas supplies to Europe.

To be sure, some Russian capacity could be replaced, Hari said.

Russia exports about 5 million barrels of crude oil per day, according to the International Energy Agency. Of that, Hari said about 2 million could be replaced if OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates “were able to simultaneously…

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Domestic Oil Opportunities?

Gov. Cox urges President Biden to eliminate barriers to increasing U.S. domestic oil and gas production

From governor.utah.gov
2022-03-08 02:31:46

Excerpt:

SALT LAKE CITY (March 7, 2022) — Gov. Spencer Cox sent a letter to President Joe Biden today encouraging him to eliminate any barriers to increasing U.S. domestic oil and gas production. Read the letter in its entirety below.

Dear Mr. President,

I appreciate many of the actions you’ve taken over the past two weeks to isolate Russia and provide support to Ukraine, and I encourage you to consider additional measures, including eliminating any barriers to increasing U.S. domestic oil and gas production. This request won’t surprise you. I have consistently urged your administration, including long before this current crisis, to end your battle against developing American energy on public lands. It is more important now than ever that the United States and our allies produce the resources that will allow the world to move away from…

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Buying Oil from Other Authoritarian States?

Biden turns to countries he once sought to avoid to find help shutting off Russia’s oil money

From localnews8.com
2022-03-08 13:14:13

Excerpt:

President Joe Biden’s urgent global search for help shutting off Russia’s oil revenues is leading, in some instances, to regimes he once sought to isolate or avoid.

Biden administration officials traveled to Venezuela over the weekend for talks on potentially allowing the country to sell its oil on the international market, helping to replace Russian fuel. Biden may travel to Saudi Arabia as the US works to convince the kingdom to increase its production. And a looming nuclear deal could bring significant volumes of Iranian oil back to the market.

Caracas, Riyadh and Tehran would have been unlikely sources of relief for a Biden-led Western alliance before the start of the war in Ukraine. But Russia’s invasion has upended international relations, forcing the US and other nations to seek out solutions in places they’d previously shunned.

In deciding the next steps, Biden administration officials are weighing a host of factors. Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, which has left scores of civilians dead, has generated immense pressure on Western nations to cut their energy ties to Moscow, including from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. In a videoconference call with American lawmakers Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for a ban on Russian energy.

US imports from Russia make up a small slice of the energy universe — roughly 8% in 2021, of which only about 3% was crude oil. White House economic officials have been engaged for more than a week in how to manage any decision to cut off those imports, officials say.

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Russia, Ukraine Key Semiconductor Resource Providers

Will the Russia/Ukraine crisis impact semiconductor recovery?

From capital.com
2022-03-08 02:02:17

Excerpt:

The semiconductor industry is among sectors that said it will ban all sales to Moscow. The decision may impact the industry’s recovery. Ninety percent (90%) of US semiconductor grade neon supplies come from Ukraine and chipmakers are sourcing at least 35% of palladium, which is used in semiconductors, from Russia, MarketBeat reported.

There has been a shortage of semiconductors since 2020 that has had a knock-on effect on the automobile and technology industries. Both use semiconductors to manufacture their products.

So how will the conflict impact the semiconductor industry? Experts believe that the industry’s recovery may be somewhat stunted due to the conflict in Ukraine.

“The main issue here is that Russia and Ukraine are major suppliers of palladium and neon respectively which are vital commodities for the chip industry….

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Biden Piles on Russia

US Government Further Restricts Transactions and Trade with Russia, Belarus, as Russian Countermeasures Grow | Venable LLP

From www.jdsupra.com
2022-03-07 16:46:42

Excerpt:

The United States, in coordination with global allies, continues to introduce sanctions and trade restrictions targeting the Russian government and its allies for their aggression in Ukraine. With these new measures and related guidance, the U.S. government is expanding its efforts to isolate Russia from the global financial system, cut off its defense and technology capabilities, and penalize President Putin and his inner circle.

The latest moves by the U.S. government include the following:

Cutting Off the Central Bank of Russia, the National Wealth Fund of Russia, and the Ministry of Finance. Directive 4 Under EO 14024 (Russia-related Sovereign Transactions Directive), effective February 28, 2022, prohibits U.S. persons from all direct or indirect transactions involving the Central Bank of…

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Shipping Russia banned goods may lead to blacklisting, U.S. warns companies | The Mighty 790 KFGO

From kfgo.com
2022-03-07 20:15:03

Excerpt:

By Karen Freifeld and Alexandra Alper

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration is threatening to add companies to a trade blacklist if they skirt new export curbs against Russia, as it ramps up efforts to keep a vast array of technology out of the country after it invaded Ukraine last month.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees export controls, is mobilizing staff around the globe to halt illicit shipments of computers, aircraft parts, marine equipment and other technology to Russia, partnering with allied countries and U.S. law enforcement agencies like the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on the newly illegal trade, according to U.S. officials.

The goal is to enforce sweeping new restrictions on shipments to Russia of both U.S. and foreign commodities, technology and software, if produced with U.S. equipment, technology or software. The restrictions also apply to Belarus.

Matthew Axelrod, the Commerce Department’s Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, told Reuters in a statement on Monday the United States will “bring the full force of the law to hold accountable those that knowingly violate the new rules, including by placing additional parties on the Entity List,” a U.S. trade blacklist.

Already some of the biggest names in tech, like Microsoft Corp and Intel Corp, have announced they will halt shipments to Russia.

U.S. exports to Russia were under $5 billion in 2020, according to the Commerce Department but, a senior official has said, multilateral cooperation means more than $50 billion in key inputs to Russia may be curbed.

Axelrod said the Commerce Department has begun “robust engagement with U.S. exporters and other partners to ensure they understand the new rules,” which aim to keep chips and other items made at home and abroad from Russia.

He also noted that 91 parties in 10 countries were added to the Commerce Department’s Entity List last week for supporting Russian military,…

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Russia Severs Citizens from Digital Outside World

Russia, Blocked From the Global Internet, Plunges Into Digital Isolation

From www.nytimes.com
2022-03-07 19:48:17
Adam Satariano and Valerie Hopkins
Excerpt:

“For the moment I do plan to work in Russia,” he said. “How this may change in the future, especially if YouTube will be blocked, I don’t know.”

Unlike China, where domestic internet companies have grown into behemoths over more than a decade, Russia does not have a similarly vibrant domestic internet or tech industry.

Protests in Russia. Amid antiwar rallies across Russia, the police said more than 3,000 people were arrested Sunday, the highest nationwide total in any single day of protest in recent memory. An activist group that tracks arrests reported detentions in 49 different Russian cities.

So as it is cordoned off into its own digital ecosystem, the fallout may be severe. In addition to access to independent information, the future reliability of internet and telecommunications networks, as well as the availability of basic software and services used by businesses and government, is at risk.

Already, Russian telecom…

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Twitch streamers in Russia lose livelihoods as sanctions hit home

From www.washingtonpost.com
2022-03-07 19:49:54
Nathan Grayson
Excerpt:

Twitch informed affected Russian streamers of its plans via email. (Twitch is owned by Amazon, whose founder, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post.)

“Payouts to the financial institution associated with your Twitch account have been blocked as a result of sanctions,” read the email. “Twitch complies with economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other governments, and is complying with those imposed in response to the situation in Ukraine. These sanctions may limit or impact your access to payouts, ability to monetize your stream, and/or financially support other creators.”

The email from Twitch went on to add that “we appreciate how frustrating and difficult this is and would like to reassure you that if you can’t provide an alternative financial institution, we will do our best to pay

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Cancel Culture American Corps Cancel Russia

Yale professor lists companies not boycotting Russia: McDonald’s, Starbucks and Coca-Cola

From www.washingtonpost.com
2022-03-08 14:16:00

Excerpt:

Sonnenfeld, who founded the nonprofit Chief Executive Leadership Institute, said he has fielded calls from CEOs asking “why we didn’t have them on the right list, and what they needed to do to either clarify or actually take a more strong stance.”

On top of skyrocketing inflation and a plummeting ruble, Russians have been left with a dwindling marketplace: Prada stores have shuttered, TikTok has suspended operations in their country, and car companies including Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Volkswagen have stopped shipping vehicles to Russia. Even WWE, the wrestling entertainment company, said it would halt operations there.

The gutting of the Russian economy has shattered the image that President Vladimir Putin had created, portraying himself as an all-powerful leader with things under control, Sonnenfeld said in a phone interview Monday with The Washington Post.

And with Russian state media echoing Putin’s framing of the war as a “special…

Read Full Article

Amazon sells clothes with Russian military ‘Z’ symbol | News

From www.thetimes.co.uk
2022-03-08 15:45:00

Excerpt:

Amazon has been selling clothing and other merchandise marked with a “Z” that supports Russia’s war in Ukraine, The Times has found.

The symbol, used by the Russian army in Ukraine to avoid friendly-fire incidents, has gone viral in Russia and among the country’s supporters around the world.

T-shirts, sweaters and phone accessories with the symbol “Z” and explicitly advertised as “RUSSIAN Z SYMBOL MILITARY ARMED FORCES TANKS” were for sale on the tech giant’s site today. The description of items said they were sold and dispatched by Amazon.

Amazon was selling T-shirts with a Russian military Z today

Russians around the world have been daubing the white letter on black backgrounds to denote support for their army fighting in Ukraine. The adoption of the “Z” as a symbolic expression of support is viewed

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Netflix Stops Streaming In Russia As Companies Flee The Country

From www.entrepreneur.com
2022-03-07 17:14:00

Excerpt:

Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) has decided to suspend its streaming services in Russia over the country’s war with Ukraine. The move comes almost a week after the entertainment giant refused to air state TV channels and comply with a propaganda mandate on large streamers.

As reported by The Verge, Netflix cited the war as a reason behind the decision, with spokesperson Emily Feingold saying in a statement: “Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia.”

Netflix has stopped its streaming services after refusing a Russian mandate to air state TV channels such as Channel One and NTV last week. The government had ordered the airing of 20 state-backed channels displaying war propaganda.

The company has around 1 million subscribers in Russia, and also announced it would…

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Apple ‘blocks today’s huge iPhone event livestream in Russia over Ukraine invasion’

From www.the-sun.com
2022-03-08 15:41:00

Excerpt:

APPLE fans in Russia will have a hard time watching the firm’s latest iPhone launch when it kicks off later today.

According to MacRumors‘ Sami Fathi, the tech titan has blocked its live stream of the event on the Russian versions of YouTube and Apple.com.

2

The online broadcast is blocked on the Russian version of YouTube

It comes days after Apple announced that it was halting sales of iPhones and other products in the country in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

The firm is expected to unveil new models of the iPhone SE and iPad Air at its March 8 event, which it has titled “Peek Performance”.

As with previous product launches, Apple is live streaming the showcase to fans across the globe.

Broadcasts are already live on the firm’s website and YouTube channel, showing a dark screen before things kick off in earnest at 6 p.m. UK time (1 p.m. EST).

However, it appears Russians won’t have the option to watch through official means as new gadgets and software are announced.

“Apple…

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Rockwell Automation Suspends Business in Russia

From www.businesswireindia.com
2022-03-08 07:30:50

Excerpt:

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) announced today that the company is suspending operations and sales in Russia and Belarus, effective immediately.

“Rockwell joins the U.S. government and the global community in condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine and its citizens,” said Blake Moret, Chairman & CEO of Rockwell Automation, emphasizing that the company supports all U.S. sanctions.

Rockwell has made a financial contribution to Project HOPE to provide humanitarian relief to refugees in Ukraine and neighboring countries and is encouraging employees to help in a variety of ways. Rockwell will match employee donations made to Project HOPE and is offering paid time off to support local volunteer efforts.

Sales to Russia and Belarus represent less than 0.5% of Rockwell’s total revenue. The company will continue to pay salaries and…

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The West Joins in the Cancel Culture Cancelling of Russia

France’s L’Oreal to close stores, e-commerce sites in Russia

From www.reuters.com
2022-03-08 16:17:00

Excerpt:

PARIS, March 8 (Reuters) – L’Oreal, the world’s largest cosmetics group, said on Tuesday it would temporarily close its own stores, its directly operated counters in department stores and its e-commerce sites in Russia, in reaction to Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour Ukraine.

The French company, which strongly condemns Russia’s military action, also said it would also suspend all industrial and national media investments in Russia.

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EY Joins Other Big Accounting Firms Exiting Russia

From www.nytimes.com
2022-03-07 16:03:54

Excerpt:

EY, one of the world’s largest accounting firms, announced on Monday that it would pull out of Russia. It is the third of the so-called Big Four firms to exit Russia after the invasion of Ukraine: KPMG International and PricewaterhouseCoopers said on Sunday that they would quit the country. The other firm is Deloitte, which could come under pressure to do the same.

These groups are structured as partnerships of local firms, so the businesses in Russia can continue to operate, the three accounting firms said, but will no longer be a part of their umbrella networks.

“The EY global organization will no longer serve Russian government clients, state-owned enterprises or sanctioned entities or individuals anywhere in the world,” EY said in a statement. It has more than 4,700 workers in its network in Russia, it said. KPMG said it had more than 4,500 people working in Russia and Belarus, while PwC said it had 3,700 workers in Russia.

The moves by the accounting firms are the latest of…

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How Russian Institutions are Buckling

Explained: How sanctions by the West have impacted Russia’s aviation industry

From indianexpress.com
2022-03-08 12:09:04

Excerpt:

Effective Tuesday, Russia’s flag-carrier Aeroflot is cancelling all international flights — except to Minsk — given the restrictions by Europe and the United States on the country, which includes constraints on use of airspace and economic sanctions. However, the decision to ground international flights is layered — both in terms of the causes and effects.

Since the beginning of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, western countries including EU member states, the UK, the US and Canada have imposed severe economic sanctions on Russia. This includes preventing companies from doing business in Russia and restricting use of airspace for Russian aircraft. While the airspace restrictions, which were also reciprocated by Russia, translated into more arduous flight durations, the economic sanctions led to…

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Russia’s AI industry faces collapse- POLITICO

From www.politico.com
2022-03-08 15:00:00

Excerpt:

“If that includes third-party sales, even that door is closed,” Rasser said.

— Draining (human) capital: Konaev said the broader exodus of tech firms from Russia will leave any company pursuing advanced AI research high and dry when it comes to financing. “It’s impossible to overstate how much they’re going to lose in terms of access to the investment you need to advance technological innovation,” she said.

That will likely lead to an outflow of human capital from Russia, too. Crushing sanctions and tightening authoritarianism are likely to lead Russian mathematicians and programmers to emigrate in the coming weeks and months (provided the Kremlin lets them leave).

“The opportunities are going to be outside of Russia,” said Lewis. “And that’s going to limit them on technology across the board — except in cybercrime.”

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Russia Begins to Adapt

Russian banks to use UnionPay after US providers exit · TechNode

From technode.com
2022-03-08 09:47:30
Ward Zhou
Excerpt:

Several Russian banks are planning to use China’s bank card service UnionPay as US services Visa and Mastercard suspend services in Russia, according to Reuters. Russia-issued credit cards using the Visa and Mastercard systems will stop functioning after March 9, part of a broader global economic backlash over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Why it matters: China could face more geopolitical pressure from the US. The country has toed a diplomatic line since the conflict began in late February, advocating for peaceful resolutions (in Chinese).

US card operators Visa and Mastercard handle 90% of all debit and credit card payments outside China. Another US operator American Express said on March 6 that it will stop services for internationally-issued cards in Russia.
Founded in 2002, UnionPay now has more than 1 billion users serving 180 countries and regions, providing cross-border payment services to cardholders and merchants.
Some Russian banks have already <a…

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The Potential Lasting Fallout

How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Could Reshape Trade, Starting With Cars

From www.nytimes.com
2022-03-07 19:15:01

Excerpt:

The auto assembly lines going quiet in Germany, Britain and Austria are more than just another example of how fragile supply chains have become. The shutdowns may foreshadow a fundamental reordering of the global economy that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will accelerate.

The conflict has underlined the risks of doing business in authoritarian countries — not just Russia but also China — raising questions about the growing dependence of the automobile industry on the Chinese market.

China’s support for Russia has further strained relations between Beijing and the United States and Europe, which were already at loggerheads over trade. In Berlin, the conflict has strengthened members of the new coalition government who argue that Europe — especially Germany and its car industry — has become overly dependent on trade with China.

Automakers, with their global reach, complex supply chains and millions of employees, are a prime example of how the war in Ukraine could reshape…

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Scientists Threaten to Quit Unless We Believe Them

Scientists Threaten to Quit Unless We Believe Them

Paul Collier March 3, 2022

There is a movement growing among scientists that was only accelerated by the poorly made DNC agit prop film “Don’t Look Up,” a film that equated people not willing to simply look up and see a meteor heading to earth with failing to believe the scientists that the end of the world is nigh given the actual fact that the scientists have a history of inaccurate prediction modeling.

The scientists are considering stopping doing the work of making the world a better place through science power and magic until we the people acknowledge their wisdom and certainty and JUST FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.

Anthony the Doctor Fauci might be rumored to be the spokesperson of this elitist movement but those rumors are completely unfounded, even if the poetry of such a reality would make the dystopia at least a bit tolerable.

Scientists Consider Walk-Out Over Climate Change Indifference

Scientists Plotting Mass Walkout to Protest Everyone Destroying the World

From futurism.com
2022-03-02 20:21:25
Tony Tran
Excerpt:

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Scientists say that climate change is destroying the world, and we need to do something about it.

If you’re sick of hearing about the destruction humans have caused on the Earth, imagine how tired researchers are of telling everyone about it. That’s why a group of climate scientists are considering alternative options for sounding the alarm — including a mass walkout.

“We’ve had 26 Conference of the Parties meetings, for heaven’s sake,” Bruce C. Glavovic, a researcher at the University of New Zealand, told The New York Times in reference to the United Nations’ global warming summits. “I mean, seriously, what difference is that going to make?”

That’s why Glavovic and two colleagues published a paper in the journal Climate and Development last year calling on climate scientists to halt their research until the world’s nations take serious action against climate change. They say a strike might help the world renegotiate “the broken science-society contract.”

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Did the DNC Use Nursing Homes to Win Wisconsin 2020?

Ivo Fysic March 3, 2022

It appears that Special Counsel Michael Gableman to the Wisconsin General Assembly has found what he calls rampant voter fraud in nursing homes during the Wisconsin 2020 Election. According to the report, great efforts were made to assure the elderly in nursing homes filed absentee ballots according to what their ‘advocates’ were coaching them to vote. They also may have voted often and early.

Wisconsin was one of the states Biden narrowly won to claim the Presidency in 2020.

Nursing Home Voting Fraud Affected Wisconsin 2020 Election

Special Counsel Finds ‘Widespread Election Fraud’ In Nursing Homes

From thefederalist.com
2022-03-03 11:30:00
Margot Cleveland
Excerpt:

“Rampant fraud and abuse occurred statewide at Wisconsin’s nursing homes and other residential care facilities,” according to the Office of Special Counsel’s second interim report filed on March 1 with the Wisconsin Assembly. That conclusion represents but one of the key findings of election irregularities detailed in the nearly 150-page report—a report that also confirms the conclusion of the Racine County Sheriff’s office last fall that fraud occurred at nursing homes in Wisconsin.

Special Counsel Michael Gableman, the retired state Supreme Court justice appointed by the Wisconsin Assembly to investigate integrity concerns about the 2020 election, vetted more than 90 nursing homes in five different counties before concluding there was “widespread election fraud at Wisconsin nursing homes in November of 2020.”

According to the report, nursing home staff and administrators illegally handled absentee ballots, illegally assisted with “marking”…

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January 6th Committee Suggests Trump Maybe Crimed

January 6th Committee Suggests Trump Maybe Crimed

Ivo Fysic March 3, 2022

It appears the January 6^th DNC Committee to make not being DNC illegal has come up with a vainglorious claim that is sure to be picked up by all the usual DNC access media such as politicsusa and whatnots (see Yahoo News shrill headline below).

The committee is using words like criminal activity, but fail to cite specific laws, only hints at the possibility there were crimes. The evidence suggests if we had more evidence he’d be guilty.

Once again, unfortunately for the DNC, we got ourselves another giant squawking nothingburger bird.

Trump Might Have Violated Laws, January 6^th Report Suggests

The January 6 committee says it has evidence showing Trump committed crimes including obstruction and fraud while trying to overturn the election

From news.yahoo.com
2022-03-03 02:49:36

Excerpt:

The Jan. 6 committee said in a new court filing that it believes Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election violated several laws.
The House panel said the evidence so far indicates Trump tried to obstruct an official proceeding.
It also said the evidence suggests Trump conspired to defraud the United States and engaged in common law fraud.

The House select committee investigating the Capitol riot said in a new court filing Thursday that it believes former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results violated several laws.

The panel said the evidence it’s gathered so far suggests that Trump tried to obstruct an official proceeding; conspired to defraud the United States; and engaged in common law fraud.

Thursday’s filing is not an indictment and does not charge Trump with a crime. It comes as part of the January 6 committee’s ongoing legal battle with the former law professor and Trump legal advisor John Eastman,…

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College Prof Training Antifa Soldiers on Tax Dollar Dime

College Prof Training Antifa Soldiers on Tax Dollar Dime

Paul Collier March 3, 2022

A viral video coming out of the University of North Texas shows a class full of young adults being led by a couple of older white male college professors leading the group in a fanatical zealous frenzied chant that borders on religious ecstasy. The students moved as one in martial action and tone, chanting, “F&*K You Fascists!”

The video has gone viral, exposing once again the level of violent rhetoric and hate being led by College Professors getting salaries from taxpayer dollars, leading students to hate America, the republic, and the Bill of Rights, all in the name of ‘ending hate.’

I’ve seen that level of ecstatic oneness only in religious rituals such as one finds in charismatic churches and Kundalini gatherings.

College Professor Leads Students in Anti-fascist Chanting

Professor Encourages Class to Yell ‘F*ck You Fascists’

From www.louderwithcrowder.com
2022-03-03 15:42:22
Brodigan
Excerpt:

I’m old enough to remember when we were taught in school that bullying is bad. Remember, don’t be a bully, be a star! That was a bygone era. Now, bullying is your patriotic duty if you are a leftist and someone has a slightly different opinion than you. Seeing a University of North Texas class gang up on two students giving a presentation, banging on the desk, and chanting “F*ck you fascist!” is a bad look. A worse look is them being encouraged by the professor.

Unclear is what triggered the outburst. The left doesn’t always understand what words mean. They are okay with politicians who act like fascists and strip citizens of civil liberties. Yet, they think the fascists are the citizens who speak out against those politicians. All I can see is one of the two students is wearing a red hat and the smartboard reads, “For the Future of Texas: Federalism as State Nationalism, Conservatism as Traditionalism, Republican Politics as Restoration.”

This is how University of North Texas students handle opinions they don’t agree with.

Notice the instructor at the front of the class cheering them on. pic.twitter.com/1NgXC1L97a

— Mythinformed MKE (@MythinformedMKE) March 3, 2022

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Black Youth Handcuffed for Stealing Own Bike

Parker Davis March 3, 2022

A 12 year old boy was arrested, handcuffed, and informed he was going to be charged with battery and robbery for allegedly stealing a bike. The problem was the officer was dead wrong, and the child’s Mother wants to know what led to the suspicion and the arrest in the first place.

The boy is black. The police were led to approach the boy by unidentified kids who identified him as the assailant. The cops surrounded the boy and pulled him off the bike, leading him away from the crowd that had already gathered, wondering why this boy was being held for riding his own bike in the first place.

The answers the cops gave were not sufficient.

In the video, there are multiple police cars present. Multiple officers of multiple races and genders are arresting the boy, handcuffing him, and allegedly informing him he will be charged with battery and assault based on eyewitness testimony alone.

The questions are many, starting with why so many officers were involved in the arrest of a child for stealing a bike and punching a kid. The next question is why did these police not do a basic investigation before jumping to arresting a boy based on eyewitness testimony alone. The last question is whether this boy would have been arrested if everyone involved in this situation was white.

Black Youth Handcuffed for Stealing Own Bike

Black mother wants answers after 12-year-old son was handcuffed by Florida police ‘for riding his own bicycle’ – Raw Story

From www.rawstory.com
2022-03-03 15:27:21
Sky Palma
Excerpt:

A Florida mother wants to know why her son was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car last month.

Jamir Bradford, who is 12-year-old and Black, was accused of a stealing a bike and questioned by police, who put him in handcuffs. “He was arrested, handcuffed and charged with robbery and battery for riding his own bicycle,” Bradford’s mother Melani Brown said according to WESH 2. “He said ‘Mommy, when I seen the officer with his hand on his gun, I wanted to run.’ I said, ‘For what? You did nothing wrong.”

After police determined that Bradford was riding his own bike, he was released.

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Gitmo Detainee Loses SCOTUS Case

SCOTUS Rejects Gitmo Detainee Plea

Ivo Fysic March 3, 2022

The Supreme Court ruled this Thursday that the US government does not have to divulge secret information to Abu Zubaydah, who was captured in 2002 in Pakistan and has been residing in Guantanamo Bay since 2006.

The ruling is difficult to cite as it amounts to 1 justice that writes the majority decision with 5 justices joining aspects of the decision and two justices joining in strong dissent. Gorsuch and Sotomayor were the dissenting Justice, with Steven Breyer writing the majority fractured opinion.

Gitmo Detainee Loses SCOTUS Case

High court sides with government in Gitmo state secrets case

From abcnews.go.com
2022-03-03 15:49:02

Excerpt:

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled for the U.S. government in a case involving a Guantanamo Bay detainee seeking what the government said is secret information.

Abu Zubaydah, who was captured in Pakistan in 2002, was once thought to be a high-ranking member of the terrorist group al-Qaida. He was tortured while being held at so-called CIA black sites abroad before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006. Zubaydah was seeking to get the testimony of two former CIA contractors as part of an Polish investigation into his treatment.

Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the majority that the government had argued “Zubaydah’s discovery request could force former CIA contractors to confirm the location of the detention site and that confirmation would itself significantly harm national security interests.”

“In our view, the Government has provided sufficient support for its claim of harm to warrant application” of the so-called state secrets privilege, he said.

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DNC Media Spead Fake News About DeSantis Kids Mask “Confrontation”

DNC Media Spead Fake News About DeSantis Kids Mask “Confrontation”

Freedomist Curator March 3, 2022

In a video that showed current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis we can see the governor telling the kids behind him that they no longer need to wear a mask, that masks don’t really offer much protections, but if you feel better wearing the mask you should feel free to do so. A couple of kids took their masks off and smiled with relief, and a few more didn’t. From that exchange, the DNC media is claiming DeSantis was bullying kids to try to force them to take their masks off.

CBS, NBC Lie About Ron DeSantis ‘Admonishing’ Kids to Take Off Masks

From www.newsbusters.org
2022-03-02 23:39:00
Kevin Tober
Excerpt:

On Wednesday, CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News both took issue with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis letting a group of High School students know that it is ok for them to take their masks off while they were standing behind him during a public event at the University of Florida.

CBS Evening News was the first to whine about DeSantis’s comments, with correspondent Mola Lenghi claiming the Governor “admonished” the students. Despite that claim, CBS then played Governor DeSantis’s comments which only proved it wasn’t “admonishing”:

You do not have to wear those masks. I mean, please take them off. Honestly, it’s not doing anything, and we got to stop with this COVID theater. So if you want to wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.

Meanwhile, NBC expressed much of the same tone with correspondent Miguel Almaguer announced that the road back to the “new normal” after the COVID pandemic “may be bumpy with the country still divided.”

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