Exposing Dirty Tricks

Exposing Dirty Tricks

by C.A. Matthews

Has anyone ever tried to pull the wool over your eyes? Fooled you into believing something that turned out later to be false? How did you feel after you discovered that you'd been bamboozled? Sad? Angry? Determined never to let something like this happen to you ever again?

Now you know how the Arizona Green Party (AZGP) feels upon learning that Green voters could become the victims of a series of terrible tricks. This scam essentially denies all Arizona voters a choice for US Senate. And who are these con artists attempting to pull a fast one over on the electorate? They're none other than the Democratic Party.

Here are the details as they were presented on X (Twitter) by the AZGP:

The message thread begins at this address: https://twitter.com/AZGreenParty/status/1780413138262954472

The Arizona Green Party has discovered compelling evidence that suggests that the Democratic Party is attempting to interfere in our primary election process for the U.S Senate race via the campaign of faux-Green candidate Mike Norton.

First, Norton isn’t even a registered AZGP member AT ALL. Voter data provided to us from the Maricopa County Elections Office indicates that Norton’s most recent change in party affiliation was to “Independent”, which he registered as on August 17th, 2023, not as a “Green”.

Norton filed a Statement of Interest to run for the U.S. Senate as a Green on March 17th, 2024, a mere two weeks before the deadline to submit a sufficient number of candidate nomination petitions. He had no prior involvement or contact with the AZGP whatsoever before this.

On March 18th, the first of 7 total out-of-state paid petitioners, all claiming to be working for Wells Marketing LLC, begin to register with the AZ Secretary of State’s Office via the Circulator Portal and designate that they are circulating petitions for Norton’s campaign.

The next day, March 19th, Mike Norton files a Statement of Organization with the FEC for his candidate committee, “Mike Norton for Arizona”. FEC Law stipulates that this has to happen once a Congressional candidate raises or spends a combined total of $5K.

On March 21st, the “Save Democracy PAC” a super-PAC with ties to the Democratic Party, donates the max contribution of $5K to Norton’s candidate committee. Reminder: anybody who knows anything about the Green Party knows that we DO NOT EVER accept contributions from super PACs.

[Editor’s note: You can learn more about the Green Party at https://gp.org]

On March 27th, two more Democratic Party linked super-PACs (“End Citizens United” and “Defend The Vote”) max out donations to Norton’s campaign, contributing $5K each.

Both these super-PACs have already officially endorsed Ruben Gallego for the 2024 US Senate seat in Arizona. [Editor’s note: Ruben Gallego is running as a Democrat.]

Get ready, cuz this is a BIG one. On March 28th, 5 individuals made maxed out contributions of $3300 each to Norton’s campaign, and 1 contributed a lesser $1000 donation. The names/backgrounds of these individual donors may surprise you, so let’s go through them one by one.

Michael D. Smith is a Principal/Director at Cornerstone Government Affairs. He’s also a member of the DSCC Majority Trust Legacy Circle since 2008, and a formerly appointed member of the DNC Credentials Committee. Smith contributed the maximum $3300 to Norton’s campaign. [DSCC—Democratic Senate Congressional Committee]

Paul Bernon is a Managing Partner at PMB Ventures, a Co-Chair of the Emily List Creative Council, and a member of the DNC Finance Committee. Bernon contributed the maximum $3300 to Norton’s campaign.

Devin Rhinerson is a Partner at Pace LLP and a former senior policy advisor to the (now deceased) Democratic Senator from the State of California, Diane Feinstein. Rhinerson contributed the maximum $3300 to Norton’s Campaign.

Elizabeth E. Steinglass (David’s wife) is a Harvard graduate, a poet/author, a Research Fellow at NYU School of Law, and- like her husband- a frequent big money donor to Democratic campaigns. Elizabeth contributed the maximum $3300 to Norton’s campaign.

Capping off the individual contributions is Timothy Webster, an Associate Professor of Law at WNE University who made a more modest contribution of only $1000 to Mike Norton for Arizona. While we have not yet confirmed Webster as being tied to the Dems, the timing is suspicious.

In a SINGLE day on March 28th, and between only 6 individual contributors, “Mike Norton for Arizona” received a whopping $17.5K, the majority of which came from Democratic Party insiders and their big money donors. But wait, there’s still more…

The following day, March 29th, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU-COPE) ALSO made a maximum $5K contribution to Mike Norton’s campaign. “Why the Transit Union?”, you ask? Norton’s background is as a CEO, Senior Executive, and Legal Counsel to 3 major transportation companies.

But that undersells it, because those companies specialize in the transportation of “High Security Products”. Can you guess what kind of products those may be? Here’s the answer: weapons, ammunition, explosives, and radioactive materials. A decidedly un-Green career, we’d say. [Editor’s note: The Green Party platform states clearly that they are for “People, Planet and Peace (over corporate profits). You can see now why this contributor is highly suspect.]

So, let’s summarize: Norton’s not a registered Green, and never has been. In the span of ONLY 12 DAYS after filing an initial Statement of Interest, he received over $15K from confirmed Democratic Party insiders. And now he’s trying to fool the Green Party voters of Arizona.

And if you’re wondering, as some of you surely would be, “What do the Democrats gain from heavily funding a fake Green Party candidate?”, consider the case of ‘18 Senate candidate Angela Green, who dropped out and endorsed Sinema at the very last minute against McSally.

Sinema ultimately won regardless of Green’s endorsement, but it was a close race, and the AZ Dem Party, the DSCC, and the DNC have no desire to take that chance with Ruben Gallego in 2024. They’re willing to fight dirty and do everything they can to sabotage the competition.

And what better way is there to stop any possible *real* competition for Gallego from our party than by implanting an operative in our primary, funding him so heavily he easily wins, and then immediately having him drop out in the general to endorse the Democratic candidate?

Well, Mike Norton you may be a smart man, and you may be well-funded by the corrupt DNC, but you can’t fool us, and you won’t get away with your lies and dirty tricks. We know a true Green Party candidate from a fake like you. And now, Arizona knows you’re a fraud too.

Wow… After making quite a few sloppy moves, do the Dirty Dems really think they’ll get away with this conman of a candidate? Do they think Arizona’s voters are stupid enough to vote for a “faux Green”?

I think you know the answer to both those questions. It’s “yes.”

The saddest part about the Dems pulling dirty tricks is that most voters won’t do much in-depth research into candidates running for office at any level. They’ll believe whatever is put before them in the mainstream media without questioning it. Most have never heard of OpenSecrets.org where they can check out where politicians are getting their money and just how much they've taken. Most voters have never thought of researching the party platform that the candidate says they’re promoting, which in this case is very important as Norton seems to stand for the complete opposite of the Green Party's philosophy.

If voters did do their research, they would learn that the Green Party is for “People, Planet and Peace” and their candidates pledge to never take money from PACs or Super PACs. They’d think twice about Mike Norton’s acceptance of money from an industry dedicated to war along with large donations from Democratic Party insiders.

I mean, why would well-heeled Democrats give money to a Green Party candidate in the first place? That should be a big giveaway right there. But wait, there’s even more nefarious activity going on in the Dems’ dirty tricks campaign to undermine the Arizona Green Party's primary. The AZGP has also reported there is yet another possible “faux-Green” candidate being promoted by the DNC.

The thread for these messages begins here: https://twitter.com/AZGreenParty/status/1781897196419621221

In addition to the meddling by the DNC in our primary election via the campaign of Mike Norton, the Arizona Green Party has found irregularities in the campaign finance reporting of Arturo Hernandez, the other faux-Green candidate for U.S. Senate. Here’s what we found.

Arturo filed his statement of interest with the AZ Secretary of State’s Office on March 1st, 2024, and he filed his FEC Statement of Organization (Form 1) and Statement of Candidacy (Form 2) on March 11th, 2024.

While it’s not required for a candidate to reach the $5K threshold before they file paperwork and start submitting FEC reports, as soon as they file that paperwork, they are obligated to report all funds that are raised or spent by the candidate’s committee.

Because Hernandez filed his Statement on the 1st of March, he was officially campaigning as of that date and cannot claim to have been “testing the waters” in the form of an exploratory committee, as is allowed for and outlined in FEC guidelines.

Part of that FEC Form 2 Statement of Candidacy requires candidates to declare their intent to expend personal funds if they are a candidate for Congress. Hernandez’s FEC Form 2 indicates that he claimed intend to spend $0 of his personal funds in the primary and general election.

However, if you examine Mr. Hernandez’s Q1 FEC reports, he has also claimed $0 in receipts and expenditures. Here’s where things start to get really fishy…

We know from personal testimony from AZGP members like @jonralstonlmt and research done during the signature challenge period that Mr. Hernandez had paid circulators distributing his candidate nomination petitions. Yet, Mr. Hernandez has not reported any money raised or spent.

Additionally, we know that Mr. Hernandez is a client of “In Compliance Inc.”, and his designated Treasurer and Custodian of Records is Chrissie Hastie, President/CEO of In Compliance Inc. However, no payments to In Compliance Inc. have been reported by Mr. Hernandez in Q1.

Even if the paid petitioners AND In Compliance Inc. were to have worked pro bono for Mr. Hernandez, they would still need to report this as an “in-kind contribution”. No such reporting has been made on the Q1 FEC report for “Arturo for Arizona”.

It is no secret that Mr. Hernandez is a sham candidate who has jumped onto our ballot line with the intent to fool Green Party in Arizona into wasting their vote on an infiltrator with nefarious intentions. Mr. Hernandez has even been so bold as to contact us to gloat.

While we are continuing to investigate further evidence of wrongdoing, we believe that it is highly probably that Mr. Hernandez and his candidate committee “Arturo for Arizona” have violated the FECA of 1971. We urge all AZ Green Party members to NOT vote for or support him.

If any individual would like to submit an FEC complaint against “Arturo for Arizona”, which could trigger a thorough investigation process by the Commission that may be very expensive for Mr. Hernandez… , here is the process for how to do so: https://www.fec.gov/legal-resources/enforcement/complaints-process/how-to-file-complaint-with-fec/

Anybody can file an FEC complaint, and the more complaints filed, the more likely it is the commission will review the case.

To further clarify:

https://twitter.com/AZGreenParty/status/1781734840930549853

To be clear, the Democrats are trying to kick faux-Green Arturo Hernandez off the ballot, while they have installed a well-funded Democratic operative to run in our primary named Mike Norton. The AZ Green Party’s endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate race is @Quintana4Senate

Even the Republican US Senate candidate, Kari Lake, is exposing these Dem shenanigans:

https://twitter.com/KariLakeWarRoom/status/1781729926451999071

It appear the AZ Dem Party is attempting to kick the AZ Green Party candidate off the ballot so that their Trojan horse candidate can drop out & endorse Ruben Gallego.

These are the people who lecture us about democracy.

Mr. Hernandez doesn’t sound like the brightest bulb in the box to me. Could he be yet another DNC faux Green candidate that didn’t quite work out as well as they’d hoped, so they brought Mr. Norton on board later to be their “official faux Green candidate” instead? Why does the DNC pull such criminal stunts like this? Are they worried their own candidate, Mr. Gallego, isn’t electable?

Ruben M. Montejano states in an X post:

https://twitter.com/damnitruben/status/1781156089276641337

From what I gather AZ Green Party thinks if Norton wins their primary he will drop out leaving no Green Party Candidate to run against the Dem and Republican candidates in the general election.

The official Arizona Green Party candidate is Eduardo Quintana.[@Quintana4Senate]:

https://twitter.com/Quintana4Senate/status/1777399449985126691

My name is Eduardo Quintana, I am a dedicated Green Party activist in the Tucson area, and I am running a grassroots, corporate-free campaign for the U.S. Senate with the AZ Green Party

The Dems' actions demonstrate how very scared they are very scared of losing the US Senate seat in Arizona. They possibly fear that voters see them as supporters of Genocide Joe Biden, repellent genocide-enablers. They’re willing to spend large sums of their donors' money and risk committing fraud to take away the voters choices at the ballot box. 

When the news of these dirty tricks in Arizona eventually leaks out to a wider audience, won’t the Dems be helping their Republican opponent by making her look more honest than they are? This time around the Dems can’t claim the Green Party candidate is stealing votes from them because they are, in fact, funding “spoilers” like Mike Norton and Arturo Hernandez in the Green primary.

What does Norton in particular get out of all of this skullduggery? It seems his connection with the weapons industry is behind his reasoning for doing this so he can continue to fund Gallego and other Dem candidates who love passing huge military budgets. The military-industrial-Congressional complex operators don’t really care what label a candidate wears as long as she/he votes the way they want them to. As long as the duopoly remains in power, billionaires will thrive and workers will suffer as more and more money is siphoned out of the workers' pockets and slipped into the oligarchs’ bank accounts.

Worse yet, more innocents will continue to suffer and die as more US bombs are provided to apartheid Israel to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people in Gaza. A Green Party senator from Arizona would work hard to end this horrific situation and all US military interventions worldwide.

What can the Arizona Green Party do to shut down this scam? They can take legal action against Norton for misrepresenting himself as a Green, but court cases take time, and it wouldn’t come up until after November. The Dems are counting on that. It’s why they waited until almost the last moment to sneak Norton in on the Green primary. In the meantime, they’re probably “rewarding” (i.e., bribing) all the Arizona judges to make a ruling in the DNC’s favor when the case finally does come to court. Criminals do tend to stick together.

If you’re a person who loves democracy and wants to help the voters of Arizona, there are a few things you can do. First off, share this story (and the X posts/Tweets) with others. The mainstream media certainly won’t cover this DNC trickery. They wouldn’t dare anger their corporate owners. So, it’s up to us everyday people, indie journalists, and independent podcasters to get the word out.

Secondly, file a complaint with the FEC if you feel moved to do so. And if you’re able, donate your time, talents and/or money to the AZGP and/or the GPUS. Lawyers don’t come cheap, and a party like the Green Party that only accepts donations from voters like you and me (not millionaires/billionaires) needs all the backers they can get. 

It’s why the Dirty Dems pick on the people-powered Greens—the Dems receive billions of dollars from their wealthy Super PAC donors but no real support from the masses. The Dems use their corporate donors’ money to pull undemocratic stunts like this one in order to manipulate us, We the People. Remember, “freedom isn’t free” when the people are being blatantly outspent by billionaires bribing politicians.

Last and certainly not least, support causes that are working to take big money out of US politics. Just think if the DNC wasn’t able to pull all this money together and create fake candidates to thwart voter choice, we might not be seeing these kinds of dirty tricks in the first place. Check out the Move to Amend and Ranked Choice Voting initiatives. 

Whatever you do, don’t give up hope. Make a vow to never let the Dems get away with dirty tricks ever again. Power to the people—not the corporations who own the Dems, their criminally minded minions!

Related Articles and Other Interesting Links

Democrats Sue to Block Green Candidate https://arizonaglobe.com/fl/democrats-sue-to-block-green-candidate/

Challenging the duopoly: Jill Stein on why she's running for US president as Green Party candidate https://geopoliticaleconomy.substack.com/p/jill-stein-president-green-party

'Obvious Evidence of Genocide': Mass Grave Discovered in Gaza's Nasser Hospital https://www.commondreams.org/news/mass-grave-gaza-nasser-hospital 

Israeli Strikes in Rafah Kill 22, Including 18 Children https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/21/israeli-strikes-kill-22-in-rafah-including-18-children/

Israel Is Turning Hospitals Into Mass Graves While The West Fixates On 'Antisemitism' https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/israel-is-turning-hospitals-into

We need to have a conversation about Zionism https://www.councilestatemedia.uk/p/we-need-to-have-a-conversation-about

Bankers upgrade Lockheed stock after Iran strikes at Israel https://responsiblestatecraft.org/lockheed-martin-israel-war/

Leaked Cables Show Biden Pressuring Nations to Oppose Palestine's UN Membership https://www.commondreams.org/news/palestinian-statehood

In Fit of anti-Palestinian Hatred, Congress tries to Outlaw “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” https://www.juancole.com/2024/04/palestinian-congress-palestine.html

Leaked Cables Show Biden Pressuring Nations to Oppose Palestine's UN Membership https://www.commondreams.org/news/palestinian-statehood

In Fit of anti-Palestinian Hatred, Congress tries to Outlaw “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” https://www.juancole.com/2024/04/palestinian-congress-palestine.html

Stop Pretending Biden Is Some Passive Witness To Israel's Warmongering https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/stop-pretending-biden-is-some-passive

Israel's Latest Lie Is That It Has 'No Choice' But To Attack Iran https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/israels-latest-lie-is-that-it-has

If The Mainstream Worldview Was Accurate, Gaza Wouldn't Be Burning https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/if-the-mainstream-worldview-was-accurate

Amal Clooney’s Silence on Gaza Shows the Limits of Liberalism  https://www.mintpressnews.com/amal-clooney-silence-gaza-shows-limits-liberalism/287251/

The Palestine Movement Has Completely Undermined the US-Israel Relationship  https://youtu.be/X1Zz2Hnmr7w

Blinken Is Sitting on Staff Recommendations to Sanction Israeli Military Units Linked to Killings or Rapes https://www.propublica.org/article/israel-gaza-blinken-leahy-sanctions-human-rights-violations

Protesters Block Road To Shannon Airport in Ireland, Calling For End To Usage By U.S. Military https://worldbeyondwar.org/protesters-block-road-to-shannon-airport-in-ireland-calling-for-end-to-usage-by-u-s-military/

Escalation With Iran Seemingly Over; Now We Have To Worry About Rafah  https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/escalation-with-iran-seemingly-over

The US Doesn't Support A Two-State Solution, It Just Supports Saying It Does https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/the-us-doesnt-support-a-two-state

Palestine Coverage – Latest Unicorn Riot Stories from Palestine and Pro-Palestine Protests  https://unicornriot.ninja/palestine-coverage-latest-unicorn-riot-stories-from-palestine-and-pro-palestine-protests/

US Government Rejects Australia’s Call To End Assange Case, Submits 'Assurances' For Extradition https://thedissenter.org/us-government-rejects-australias-call-to-end-assange-case/

In Gaza The Sniper Drones Are Crying Like Babies https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/in-gaza-the-sniper-drones-are-crying

From Florida to Australia, Global Coral Bleaching Could Soon Be Worst on Record  https://truthout.org/articles/global-coral-reef-bleaching-event-brings-bad-news-for-the-climate/

Dead Last (With Emphasis on Dead!) https://scheerpost.com/2024/04/17/dead-last-with-emphasis-on-dead/

Assange Extradition Case Moves Forward While The CIA Covers Its Tracks https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/assange-extradition-case-moves-forward

"Rules-Based Order" Means Rules For Thee But Not For We https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/rules-based-order-means-rules-for

FBI Violated Your Rights An Unbelievable Amount According To Gov't Docs! https://youtu.be/6lk7bAYoiRo?si=9cyf6s58SjrnRSN6

 

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Why Not Reparations?

 

 Why Not Reparations?

by C.A. Matthews 

In my continuing series honoring Black History Month this week I'm tackling another issue that is little understood and is mostly ignored by the mainstream of (white) American society, the topic of reparations. What are reparations and what good will they do if they ever come about? I learned US history from same poorly written/edited textbooks as the vast majority of American students. I confess that I knew next to nothing about reparations until I joined the Green Party.

 The Green Party is the only American political party that addresses reparations in their party platform. Here's what they have to say:

The development of the United States has been marked by conflict over questions of race. Our nation was formed only after Native Americans were displaced. The institution of slavery had as its underpinnings the belief in white supremacy, which we as Greens condemn. In slavery's aftermath, people of color have borne the brunt of violence and discrimination. The Green Party unequivocally condemns these evils, which continue to be a social problem of paramount significance.

 a.    The community of people of African ancestry whose family members were held in chattel slavery in what is now the United States of America have legitimate claims to reparations including monetary compensation for centuries of human rights violations, including the Transatlantic slave trade now recognized by the United Nations as a "crime against humanity." As our Nation has done in the past with respect to the Choctaw, the Lakota, the Lambuth, and more recently for Japanese Americans and the European Jewish community, reparations are now due to address the debt still owed to descendants of enslaved Africans.

b.    We commit to full and complete reparations to the African American community of this nation for the past four hundred plus years of genocide, slavery, land-loss, destruction of original identity and the stark disparities which haunt the present evidenced in unemployment statistics, substandard and inadequate education, higher levels of mortality including infant and maternal mortality and the practice of mass incarceration. We recognize that reparations are a debt (not charity) that is owed by our own and other nations and by the corporate institutions chartered under our laws to a collective of people. We believe that the leadership on the question of what our nation owes to this process of right ought to come from the African American community, whose right to self-determination and autonomy to chart the path to healing we fully recognize.

c.    We understand that until significant steps are taken to reverse the ongoing abuses; to end the criminalization of the Black and Brown communities, to eradicate poverty, to invest in education, health care and the restoration and protection of human rights, that it will be impossible to repair the continuing damage wrought by the ideology of white supremacy which permeates the governing institutions of our nation.

d.    While consensus is still evolving on what would constitute full and complete reparations, we support the following initial steps:

o    We support the creation of a claim of action and a right to recover inherited wealth and other profits accumulated from the slave trade for the benefit of a reparations trust fund.
o    We will initiate the repeal of the slave clauses that survive today in the U.S. Constitution.
o    We will work to restore lands stolen through a variety of tactics including: violence, terrorism and the discriminatory access to operating capital that together has robbed black farmers and the broader community of their lands.
o    We support the release of all political prisoners held by the USA. It is time that the political frame-ups, the prosecutorial misconduct and the racist application of police power that pass for justice in our country be buried and those victimized by these abuses of state power be given their lives back.
o    We will support existing Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as new and existing Education and Development Funds.

e.    We support efforts to overcome the effects of over 200 years of racial discrimination.

f.    We call for an end to official support for any remaining symbols of slavery and specifically call for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from all government buildings.

g.    We condemn the practice of racial profiling by law enforcement agencies, which are guilty of stopping motorists, harassing individuals, or using unwarranted violence against suspects with no other justification than race or ethnic background.

h.    We favor strong measures to combat official racism in the forms of police brutality directed against people of color.

i.    We support effective enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, including language access to voting.

j.    We oppose discriminatory English-only pressure groups. We call for a national language policy that would encourage all citizens to be fluent in at least two languages.

k.    We strongly support the vigorous enforcement of civil-rights laws, the aggressive prosecution of hate crimes, and the strengthening of legal services for the poor.

This platform plank paints a very concise picture of what reparations would entail when a Green majority is elected to high office. I agree wholeheartedly with it. I also think that the Green Party platform plank on instituting single-payer universal health care for all would go a long way to help make up for past and present discrimination against African Americans and other minorities as well.

So the question in 2022 is, "Why not reparations?" What has been holding Americans back from at least attempting to make amends to the descendants of enslaved peoples? Of course, the most common answers the majority of Americans will give is that reparations aren't economically feasible and that they would give an unfair advantage to one group over another.

In simpler terms: "We enjoy our white privilege too much. We are afraid what could happen to us if we had to admit that we've acted as racist opportunists for far too long and had to pay back all that we stole."

I think that answer is the very reason why reparations are desperately needed. Like the South African reconciliation project achieved after the fall of the apartheid state, Americans need to enter into a process in which we can heal from our collective past sins. We need to make a clean breast of things so life can improve for all human beings on the planet. Ignoring or trying to forget the crimes of the past doesn't aid corporate healing. Old wounds are still festering in this country, and young lives are at stake every time a cop enacts a "no-knock warrant" and takes another innocent African American life.

It's long past time to make amends and end the hate and violence. We must talk seriously about reparations instead of tip-toeing around the subject. Americans can't keep bleeding out what remains of our goodwill and hope things will get better. We won't endure as a nation or as a people for much longer if we don't start to make reparations now.

Related links:

First in the series, What's It Like to be 3/5 of a Person? https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2022/02/whats-it-like-to-be-35-of-person.html

https://www.gp.org/tags/reparations

https://www.gp.org/social_justice#Reparations 

https://www.gp.org/single_payer 

https://scheerpost.com/2022/02/14/voting-rights-remain-the-critical-barrier-to-racial-equality/

 How a bank robbed former slaves:  https://youtu.be/qO2HJAk4xSU 

 

***

Say No to War with Russia! 

photos by C.A. Matthews

The peace demonstration returns...

The honks were plentiful.

The demonstrators stood tall in the cold and snow.

And they were proud to say "Give peace a chance."

***

 

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The damage that the U.S. government is now doing to Afghanistan may end up killing more people than 20 years of war and occupation.

Only 2 percent of the people in Afghanistan have enough food. Millions of kids are suffering malnutrition right now. Afghanistan has surpassed Yemen as the worst place on Earth to be a human being.

Email Congress and the White House here.

The problem is U.S. sanctions. As Mark Weisbrot has written: "The biggest and most destructive sanction currently facing Afghanistan is the seizure of more than $7 billion of the country's assets that are held at the U.S. Federal Reserve. This is equivalent to about 40 percent of Afghanistan’s economy, and about 14 months of the country's imports – which include food, medicine, and infrastructure needs that are vital to public health."

The U.S. refusal to release these funds upon supposedly ending its war on Afghanistan has led directly to an extreme scarcity of food, and an inability of businesses to pay workers, exactly as was widely predicted nearly six months ago. Yet the U.S. government has persisted in this deadly policy and exacerbated it by pressing other governments to cut off Afghanistan as well.

World BEYOND War is part of a huge coalition urging Congress and the Biden administration to:

• End the Freeze on Afghanistan central bank funds to inject liquidity into the collapsing Afghan economy.
• Lift sanctions to mitigate the chilling effect of restrictions on foreign banks and businesses while offering Afghan banks access to their overseas holdings and the global financial system.
• Pledge additional emergency funding toward the United Nations' 2022 humanitarian aid appeal, and dedicate the necessary diplomatic capital to encourage Western partners to contribute their fair share.
• End practices that block international and humanitarian aid to Afghans.
• Increase assistance to Afghan refugees and increase the capacity of the resettlement program here in the United States.

Click here to email Congress and the White House.

This is the most severe immediate humanitarian crisis in the world, where your activism can do the most good.

Please take these steps:

1. Email Congress and the White House.

2. Share this effort far and wide. Please share this link with friends, and share on Facebook and Twitter.

3. Register for a Valentine's Day webinar with Kathy Kelly and Phyllis Bennis on ending sanctions on Afghanistan.

4. Take part in actions around the United States on Valentine's Day.

Thanks for all you do!
--World BEYOND War

Background:
>> Counterpunch: Mark Weisbrot: "U.S. Sanctions on Afghanistan May Kill More Than 20 Years of War"

***

ICE Was Just Accused of Illegally Deporting Asylum-Seekers. Demand an Investigation Now!

Sign Now

U.S. federal law stipulates that, if you enter the country and express a fear of returning to your country of origin, you cannot legally be deported until you've first had an interview with an asylum officer. You also cannot be deported while an appeal is pending or under review. This is the law of the land, regardless of what xenophobic fear-mongerers want to believe. But one civil rights group is claiming that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is knowingly breaking that law. In fact, an attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) described the situation as so dire, she had "never seen anything like it before."   According to the SPLC, ICE has apparently been deporting refugees without conducting interviews, before asylum-seekers have had a hearing before a judge, and even while refugees' files are still under review. This includes deporting asylum-seekers who allegedly had already suffered political violence in their countries of origin. If these allegations are true, thousands of innocent people who are attempting to migrate to protect their health and safety may be in danger. As immigration reform activists have pointed out time and time again, the U.S. is a nation founded by immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security must take claims of illegal, inhumane, and unethical behavior within ICE seriously. Sign the petition to tell the Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties it must conduct a thorough investigation into these horrific allegations!

Thank you, Miranda Care2 Petitions Team

P.S. The Southern Poverty Law Center is accusing ICE of deporting asylum-seekers in a way that violates their legal rights. Sign the petition to demand accountability.

 

The System Isn't Broken

 

Maybe we should junk the whole thing and start over?

The System Isn't Broken

(A Tribute to RBG)  

By Redd Phlagg

You can become overloaded with others' bellyaching at times. You have to tune it out to preserve your sense of sanity. With the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg, a whole new round of neoliberal woe-is-me-ing has begun to get on my nerves. The fact of the matter is it's all for naught and your tears of righteous indignation are just going to circle the proverbial drain, unheeded.

For all intents and purposes, the system is working in the way it is intended. It's efficiently replacing one cog in the pro-corporate, pro-billionaire machine with another. Already the "left wing" of the "same bird" is stepping aside and allowing the "right wing" to replace Justice Ginsberg with the puppet of their choosing. Nothing unusual there. It's business as usual. And it is business as in a "America's business is business" sort of way.

The system isn't broken as many attest and needs to be fixed. It's fixed in place, servicing well those it was meant to serve--the oligarchs, the 1%, the rich, whatever you want to call them. So, stop the crying about how "democracy is at stake" if a pseudo-left-leaning judge isn't appointed to the Supreme Court. How would it make any difference who is picked and placed in that spot? As long as the billionaires are getting their way, Trump could appoint Daffy Duck to the court, and they'd give Daffy their blessing.

Your needs and wishes are not all that important, peons. Get over yourselves!

If you want to use that righteous indignation in a productive way, stop the neolib whinging and start marching to the beat of a different drummer. Try democratic eco-socialism. Face it--we don't live in a democracy. We never have. If we did, all voices would be heard and attended to instead of only white males with tons of wealth.  If this doesn't describe you, then this isn't the system of government for you.

We don't take care of our neighbors as we should--we have our militarized police shoot human beings dead for driving, walking or sleeping while black, or lock them up in ICE detention if they're brown with a Spanish accent. That ain't democracy--that's fascism. Trying to perpetuate this totally f***ed up system with its easily corrupted checks and balances--or "checkbook balances of the rich"--is societal suicide.

And just stop it with the "Saint Obama would have never done such awful things!" bullshit. Who do you think set up the ICE deportation centers in the first place--Trump? Did Obama shut down Gitmo? (Answer: Nope to both questions.) These travesties of justice didn't just materialize overnight because "Trump." Remember, you're living in a fascist failed state. These concepts and anti-democratic institutions have been developed, perfected  and implemented over years, many years.

Now do you understand why replacing one "rubberstamp the corrupt system" justice with another doesn't make one speck of difference? Things are going to run the same way for the benefit of the same folks (the 1%) if we continue to prop up the dirty system we got now.

Solution? Tear it all down and start fresh.

As Thomas Jefferson said:

The system ain't working for you, but it's not "broken" by a long shot. It's just totally and utterly corrupt, and it breeds and nurtures corrupt leadership and creates corrupt practices and then it rewards even more corrupt men with them. That's all it was ever meant to do. Well, that and fool ordinary people into putting up with it.

Don't expect things to change for the better if you're not willing to stop putting up with corruption and fight it. Save your energy for the struggles ahead in tearing the whole system down and replacing it with something that is actually democratic. And while you're at it, can your insipid moping over a dead one-percenter Supreme Court justice. She's resting in a better, safer place than you are currently, right? I think even Ruth would tell you, "Stop whining and get to work!"

BIO: Redd Phlagg has had enough of those who can't see the forest for the trees and easily fall for the latest mainstream media drivel. Redd says, "It's time to grow a pair and think for yourself before it's too late! Our founders would not be proud of how we're handling things. They didn't sit on their butts and complain--they took it to the streets and made some noise and kicked out the bums holding them back. What's holding you back? Worried you'll miss your favorite Netflix show or break a nail? Get over yourselves!"

Here's yet another example of the mainstream media propagating propaganda and writing hit pieces to cover up neoliberal lies and campaign mistakes. Jimmy Dore on the Dems: "How is disenfranchising voters encouraging them to vote for Democrats down ticket? Their voter outreach should be called 'bullying into submission'... If the Democrats understood irony they'd change their name."

https://youtu.be/VBUXTMJSelw

 

***

From Move to Amend:

The system isn't broken. It's fixed. These converging crises -- public health, racist police violence, and ecological collapse -- are laying bare who, and what, matters most in our system. Should we be surprised? Well, no. How can we be surprised that profit and property are consistently prioritized over human beings, when our founding documents -- that still guide our system to this day -- were written to do exactly that? And what would it look like if we had a People's Constitution? Join us for a People's Movement Assembly, where people from all walks of life will come together and envision a country and a world with genuine and vibrant democracy. "Toward a People's Constitution" October 24-25th *RSVP HERE* This conversation might not be for everyone. But if you’re ready to come together with other passionate people and envision together what we would want in a Peoples Constitution -- and figure out how to build towards that vision -- you are invited. This two day event will include art shares, panel discussions, small group breakouts, planning and community building. Move to Amend is partnering with other organizations like the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and A Radical Guide to put forth a rich and visionary weekend October 24th and 25th.  Learn more and RSVP at MoveToAmend.org/PMA In Solidarity, Jessica, Greg, Keyan, Joni, Milly, Kaitlin, Shelly, Alfonso, Daniel, Leila, Jason, Tara, George,  - Move to Amend National Team

 ***

From Faithful America:

In a year full of grave racial injustices, this is some of the worst.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement has been forcing women in ICE detention to receive hysterectomies against their will. The horrifying news comes from heroic whistleblower Nurse Dawn Wooten, who worked at ICE's Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia.

Let that sink in: The days of the Tuskegee experiment, when our government intentionally let Black Americans suffer from syphilis, are not over. Violent, state-sanctioned medical abuse against women of color is still rampant in the United States.

When Jesus' mother Mary sang of bringing down the powerful from their thrones, it was surely with abusive governments like this in mind. A fundamentally racist system must be changed, and the corrupt authorities who have enabled it -- including Donald Trump and his allies -- must be swept from power.

The first step is to put our faith into action by supporting the calls of local organizers to permanently shut down Irwin.

Tell Congress: Shut Down ICE's Irwin Detention Center >>

This is forced sterilization – and it fits the broader pattern of racist abuse that has characterized the U.S. immigration system for decades. Immigration officials have been repeatedly accused of rape inside detention cells, filming women as they showered, shackling pregnant women, ignoring miscarriages, and threatening victims with deportation if they speak out. The problems have only grown worse in recent years, emboldened by Donald Trump's hatred.

It is not surprising to learn of such atrocities from an administration also guilty of separating families, rejecting refugees, teargassing those who protest for racial justice, banning Muslims, desecrating sacred Native lands, and supporting white supremacists.

Yet some have been brave enough to speak out. In Georgia, organizers and attorneys have been taking complaints of medical neglect for a long time. In Texas in late February, Cameroonian women at an ICE facility staged a sit-in to protest their lack of medical care. What's different this time is the courage shown by whistleblower Dawn Wooten.

Nurse Dawn is a Black woman, and Black women have often been the bedrock of social change. She will likely be the subject of racist attacks herself, which makes it all the more important that we believe her, support her, amplify her complaint, and condemn racism whenever and wherever we see it.

Tell Congress: Shut Down ICE's Irwin Detention Center >>

Thank you for everything you do to love your neighbor, welcome immigrants, and oppose both racism and sexism. After you sign this petition, we'll send you several next steps you can take in the fight against injustice.

In peace,
Rev. Nathan and the Faithful America team

***

From Color of Change:

Prosecutors have failed to deliver justice for Breonna Taylor.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the decision we were all fearing he’d make: No murder charges will be filed against the police officers who murdered Breonna Taylor in her home. Just one officer was charged with "wanton endangerment," and it was NOT for shooting Bre.¹

After 194 days.

2.3 million petition signatures.

100,000 phone calls.

And a global uprising demanding justice for our sister, Breonna Taylor.

No justice was served.

By failing to bring murder charges in the brutal killing of Breonna Taylor, Attorney General Cameron has failed to deliver justice for Bre. Instead, after more than six months, all we’ve received is a second injustice as Bre’s killers — Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove — walk free with no murder charges. 

Elected officials at every level — from Mayor Greg Fischer and Commonwealth’s Attorney Tomas Wine to AG Daniel Cameron — all failed Breonna, her family, and the millions of people like you who demanded justice. 

Cindy, this moment is more than disheartening — it’s infuriating. And while you may be thinking, “what more must we do to get justice for a Black woman murdered by police?”, don’t forget what we’ve made possible since March: After millions demanded #JusticeforBre, the phony charge against her boyfriend Kenneth Walker was dropped. Louisville voted to ban no-knock warrants. Audio of the 911 call was released, and one of the police officers involved was removed from the force. None — and I repeat, none — of this would have happened had we not exercised our voices to stand up for Bre.

Color Of Change won’t stop fighting. Black Lives Matter Louisville won’t stop fighting. And you can’t stop fighting either. 

Here’s what you can do right now to continue demanding #JusticeforBre:

• Sign the petition to uplift Breonna Taylor’s family’s demands in calling for the city council to divest from the LMPD.

• Tweet at the Louisville city council president to divest from the LMPD. 

Millions, if not billions, of people worldwide have joined the movement to say her name and demand justice for Breonna Taylor. Black kids across the country have recognized their power to effect change. Our white allies are having the much-needed tough conversations at their dinner tables. And so many local organizers now have the resources they need to keep the fight going. 

Breonna Taylor changed the world. And this is not the end. 

We can’t be deterred. Because folks like Tamika Palmer, Breonna’s mom, are still on the ground fighting relentlessly to secure justice for our people.

We stand with Breonna’s family, BLM Louisville, and local organizers and activists in demanding the Louisville City Council take immediate action to divest from the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department and invest in communities.

Today is a hard day. But although we may be discouraged by this announcement, we will never stop fighting for Black people. 

Until justice is real,

Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Marybeth, Malachi, Leonard, Ernie, McKayla, Ana, Ariel, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Reference:

1. "Police officer indicted in Breonna Taylor case." CNN.