Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Disinformation Wars


Disinformation Wars

by C. A. Matthews  

“The first casualty when war comes is truth.” —Senator Hiram W. Johnson

From Caitlin Johnstone’s Newsletter:

AP's anonymously sourced report which said "A senior U.S. intelligence official says Russian missiles crossed into NATO member Poland, killing two people" went viral because of the massive implications of direct hot warfare erupting between Russia and the NATO alliance. AP subsequently retracted its story as the mainstream political/media class came to accept that it was in fact a Ukrainian missile that had struck Poland.
AP's firing of reporter James LaPorta looks at this time to be the end point of any accountability for the circulation of this extremely dangerous falsehood. AP spokesperson Lauren Easton says no disciplinary action will be taken against the editors who waved the bogus story through, and to this day the public has been kept in the dark about the identity of the US official who fed such extremely egregious misinformation/disinformation to the public through the mainstream press. —AP Editor Says She “Can’t Imagine” a US Intelligence Official Being Wrong
I find it odd that any grown, normally-functioning person couldn’t possibly imagine being lied to by a US intelligence official, but that is what this recent news story suggests. The mainstream media (the AP or Associated Press, no less) is acting stupid to please the American intelligence community. Simply put, the US government wants to keep us in the dark about which one of their propagandists fed false information about these missiles to a now unemployed reporter, James LaPorta. I think in this case the intelligence official(s) knew the lie would be exposed sooner or later, but they felt confident that the damage they wished to inflict upon the reputation of Russia would be enough to justify their actions.

According to journalist Ben Norton at Multipolarista:

By publishing the fake news, the AP set off an international scandal that could have triggered a direct US military attack on Russia.
 
To try to save face, the AP fired LaPorta on November 21... This controversy shows how cozy mainstream corporate media outlets are with US intelligence agencies, and how anonymous spies feed them claims that are often false, but that serve Washington’s foreign-policy interests. —Media Regurgitates Fake News From US Spies Risking World War III with Russia
“All is fair in love and war.”—a proverb attributed to John Lyly's Euphues
Is it? When has “lying in war” ever come close to the equivalent of “fairness”? To propagandists, lying is just another tool in their repertoire they use to control the public’s initial reaction and later to build devotion to a cause. In this case, the cause is the continued support of the NATO-led proxy war in Ukraine and the continuing monetary and military aid the US is sending without hesitation to that part of the world. 
 
If any evidence would surface to demonstrate that the billions of dollars of weaponry the US is giving away isn’t being used for the purpose it was sent for, then it would be more than embarrassing—it could prove fatal to the cause. (For more about the 70% of US-provided weapons gone missing in Ukraine, check out Lab Rats of the World Unite! and the archived CBS 60 Minutes documentary.)
 

If the actual facts were made crystal clear, people might see through the trickery practiced by the US "Ministry of Truth" and demand an end to this conflict altogether. But never fear, the military industrial complex and fossil fuel corporations would never stand for that. Neither would their politician-puppets who enjoy all the money that come from these special interest groups. 
 
The propaganda-spewing US mainstream media stays in step as they cry in horror about the dangers of free speech. Award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald states:
Online censorship has become one of the most potent propaganda weapons they possess, and there is no way they will allow anyone to dilute it even mildly without attempting to destroy them.  (...)

In unison, these media outlets decreed that not only would greater free speech on Twitter usher in the usual parade of horribles they trot out when demanding censorship — disinformation, hate speech, attacks on the “marginalized,” etc. etc. — but this time they severely escalated their rhetorical hysteria by claiming that Musk would literally cause mass murder by permitting a broader range of political opinion to be aired. —The Media's Deranged Hysteria Over Elon Musk's Restoration of Free Speech


Journalist Matt Taibbi shares another instance of how the US intelligence community is working to muddy the waters of public opinion:
Whether or not you thought the actual content of the story was important, the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop affair was a crossroads moment in the history of modern censorship. YouTube played a major role in this event.
This was a case in which major news media — including CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and countless other outlets — actively embraced disinformation, in the form of a group letter from 50-plus former intelligence officials saying the laptop story (they referred to a “laptop op”) had the “classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.” All the aforementioned news agencies fell for this, as did Twitter (which blocked access to it, in what then-CEO Jack Dorsey later admitted was a “total mistake”) and Facebook (whose increasingly adrift founder Mark Zuckerberg later told Joe Rogan the story was throttled down at the suggestion of the FBI).
YouTube also pushed this disinformation campaign. It still does. Despite the total absence of evidence ever existing that the laptop was either fake or part of a Russian “information operation” and a growing pile of evidence that the laptop is real, YouTube continues to leave unmolested on its site countless videos promoting the conspiracy theory — that’s what it is, let’s be clear — that the laptop story is both bunk and an intelligence op. —YouTubeCensors Reality, Boosts Disinformation: Part 1
Once again, a US intelligence agency—in this case it appears to be the FBI—has jumped into the news cycle and tried to deflect attention away from what is actually happening. Not only did they try to cast doubts on the authenticity of the contents of the Hunter Biden laptop, they tried to place the blame for the laptop’s potentially embarrassing and possibly criminal contents on another source. 
 

Hunter Biden’s laptop contents were a “Russian op” like the Ukrainian missiles shot into Poland were “Russian missiles.” No thoughts are given to the facts of how the Ukrainians are still using Soviet-era rocket launchers and multiple experts in ballistics can prove the missiles were launched by Ukraine. No thoughts as to how much of the content of the laptop in question has already been verified. (Read more about how Hunter Biden joined the board of directors of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma in 2014 here.) Whatever the US intelligence community wants the public to think, that's the story mainstream media is going with.
 
There seems to be sort of a pattern to these disinformation attempts... Who are we supposed to trust? Who are we supposed to distrust? What actual evidence have we been given not to trust these people other than what the US intelligence services have told us?
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” —John 8:32
Before we get too down on journalists in general, here's more sobering news that reporting the truth can prove dangerous to one’s health and career:
Sweden’s parliament adopted a major espionage law expansion that will permit the country’s police to investigate journalists, publishers, and whistleblowers if they reveal secret information that “may damage Sweden’s relationship with another state or an international organization.”
Journalists, publishers, or whistleblowers found guilty of revealing such “damaging” information could be sentenced to up to four years in prison under the new law.
The expansion was aimed at ensuring the Swedish government has even more control over what the public learns about the country’s cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union, and the United Nations. —Sweden Expands Espionage Law, Endangering Freedom of Journalists and Whistleblowers
What comes to mind after reading this bit of news is that Sweden has cooperated with the United States and the United Kingdom to keep Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange imprisoned, first in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and currently in Belmarsh Prison. Western governments—particularly NATO members—seem to be big on perpetuating their propaganda and covering up the truth from the public. They're more than willing to cooperate with each other if the lie proves to be of benefit to them, too.

Here’s another example of the hypocrisy of this situation:

US State Department spokesman and CIA veteran Ned Price tweeted disapprovingly about the Kyrgyz Republic's decision to deport investigative journalist Bolot Temirov to Russia, where press freedom groups are concerned that the Russian citizen could face conscription to fight in Ukraine. (...)
This is after all the same government that is working to extradite an Australian journalist from the United Kingdom with the goal of imprisoning him for up to 175 years for exposing US war crimes. Price says "Journalists should never be punished for doing their job," but that is precisely what the government he represents is doing to Julian Assange, who has already spent three and a half years in Belmarsh Prison awaiting US extradition shenanigans. This is in top of the seven years he spent fighting extradition from the Ecuadorian embassy in London under what a UN panel ruled was arbitrary detention. —US Officials Concern Troll About World Press Freedoms While Assaulting Them
Whistleblowers are forever being painted as the enemy, but never those who openly lie and obfuscate the truth via the implementation of propaganda. Our so-called freedom relies on government officials lying to us and locking up truth-tellers, or so it seems.
“A fool and his money are soon parted.” —Proverbs 21:20
Once again, US propagandists and mainstream media pundits are good at confusing the public about what’s really going on in the world and how much tax payer money we’re throwing at it. We’re informed that economically distressed Americans shouldn’t be too concerned about how the US is sending billions of dollars in military aid to country with a dubious history to fight our proxy war against Russia. There's never enough money for social programs such as universal health care and student loan debt relief, but there's always enough to buy and ship instruments of death: 
The White House on Tuesday asked Congress to approve $37.7 billion in new aid for Ukraine, which would bring total US spending on the war to about $105 billion.
According toThe Hill, the request includes $21.7 billion in military aid for Ukraine and to replenish US military stockpiles that have been sent to the country.
A total of $14.5 billion in budgetary aid to directly fund the Ukrainian government is included, as Kyiv is expecting the US and its allies to pay its budget deficit for 2023. —White House Asks Congress for $37.7 Billion in New Ukraine Aid
Over one-hundred billion dollars sent to Ukraine and who knows how much more will be forthcoming. And US intelligence officials will continue to lie to us about what’s really going on there.
 
When will Americans realize that wars are not being run by generals? They’re being run by propagandists. Yeah, fools and their money are soon parted. Disinformation from our own government is turning us all into penniless fools. What are we going to do about it?
 

Related Articles:
 
US Officials Concern Troll About World Press Freedoms While Assaulting Them  https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/us-officials-concern-troll-about
 
AP Editor Said She "Can't Imagine" a US Intelligence Official Being Wrong  https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/ap-editor-said-she-cant-imagine-a
 
 
The Media's Deranged Hysteria Over Elon Musk's Restoration of Free Speech (video) https://rumble.com/v1xbl8g-the-medias-deranged-hysteria-over-elon-musks-restoration-of-free-speech.html
 
Sweden Expands Espionage Law Endangering Freedom of Journalists and Whistleblowers https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/21/sweden-expands-espionage-law-endangering-freedom-of-journalists-and-whistleblowers/
 
Why is the AP Still Protecting the Source Behind Its False Russia Bombed Poland Story? https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/18/why-is-ap-still-protecting-the-source-behind-its-false-russia-bombed-poland-story/
 
 
White House Asks Congress for $37.7 Billion in New Ukraine Aid
https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/16/white-house-asks-congress-for-37-7-billion-in-new-ukraine-aid/

Seen on Twitter:

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Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Lab Rats of the World Unite!

 


Lab Rats of the World Unite! 

(You Have Nothing to Lose But Your Cheese)

by C. A. Matthews


If you’re thinking this article is about the student teachers', graduate assistants', and researchers' strike throughout the University of California system, you’re partially right. “Lab rats” is slang for laboratory assistants, and a strike of over 48,000 of them in the UC system is quite notable. What’s also notable is how very little mainstream media coverage there’s been of this massive strike by mostly young persons desperate to be paid a living wage. 

The average yearly wage in the UC system for student teachers/assistants is $24,000 a year—this in a state where rents have been skyrocketing, with the average rent for an apartment being between $2,000 to $3,000 a month. You’d think with rising tuition costs the university system could afford not to starve the people who do the lion’s share of the work on their campuses.

But the lab rats I’m actually referring to in the title of this blog doesn’t just stop with the student workers at the University of California. It includes all of us. We are all lab rats according to a New York Times article called Western Allies Look to Ukraine as a Testing Grounds For Weapons. And we all know that the Times is a “newspaper of record,” don’t we? That’s a source that the big name mainstream media pundits gladly quote from, so there’s got to be some grain of truth in what they say, right?

I’ll admit I’m being a bit facetious here, but in this case I think they’re reporting truthfully. If you don’t believe the NYT, then at least believe this military bigwig: 

"This Ukraine crisis that we’re in right now, this is just the warmup,” said US STRATCOM head Charles Richard at a naval conference earlier this month. “The big one is coming. And it isn’t going to be very long before we’re going to get tested in ways that we haven’t been tested [in] a long time.”

The current proxy war in Ukraine and all wars being waged overtly or covertly right now in the world are simply experiments to see how various newfangled war gadgetry works against flesh and blood targets before "the big one" gets started. And by targets they mean real live human beings like you or me. 

But why? Well, step back and unclutch your pearls for a moment and consider this: What good is a costly weapon of war if it doesn’t kill or dismember as advertised? Would you spend billions of dollars on a weapon that doesn't deliver the lethal results promised? 

Congress has sent about $100 billion worth of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Only about 30% of the weapons can be accounted for according to a CBS 60 Minutes documentary. (Yes, another mainstream media outlet might possibly be telling us actual facts! But don’t worry—CBS took the documentary down from the internet after the government of Ukraine complained about it. I had a link to the archived version of the documentary, but it seems to have "disappeared." This article has a link to the archived documentary.)

 

That 30% of weapons accounted for that the US has sent to Ukraine has got to destroy, maim, intimidate, and annihilate enough to make up for the missing 70% or else the Ukrainians might feel like they have to push for more military aid from NATO by triggering "article five". Doing so would change the "cold" proxy war into a genuine nuclear Armageddon, but don't worry Zelensky and company would never do such a dangerous thing. (If you believe that, I have some swampland along the Pecos River to sell you.)

So, where did all the missing arms sent to Ukraine go? Most intelligent people assume these weapons have been sold onto the black market and gone into the hands of other groups such as the neo-Nazi groups Italian police have investigated. 

According to The Grayzone's Alexander Rubinstein:

Five members of an Italian neo-Nazi organization known as the “Order of Hagal” were arrested on November 15th while an additional member remains wanted by authorities. He happened to be in Ukraine, fighting Russian forces alongside the Azov Battalion, which has been formally integrated into the Ukrainian military. 

The “Hagal” members are accused of plotting terrorist attacks on civilian and police targets. A sixth member of the Hagal group, now considered a fugitive, is in Ukraine and embedded with the Azov Battalion, a neo-Nazi paramilitary group that has been incorporated into the Ukrainian National Guard. 

Members of the Order of Hagal reportedly maintained “direct and frequent” contacts over Telegram with not just the Azov Battalion, but also the neo-Nazi Ukrainian military formations Right Sector and Centuria, “probably in the view of possible recruitment into the ranks of these fighting groups,” according to Italian media.

The police investigation was launched in 2019 and has included extensive computer searches and wiretapping; tactics which have revealed members of the group’s intent on carrying out violent acts in Italy.

Killing people on the battlefield or through hate group crimes in our cities gives valuable feedback to military-industrial complex manufacturers as to the lethality of their weapons. Simply put, dead and wounded lab rats like you and me mean more sales. Selling weapons means more profits for MIC investors. Lab rats dying is a win-win in the investors’ eyes. 

So, why do we lab rats, white mice, and cute little guinea pigs allow these horrible events to happen? Do we want to be killed? Do we enjoy watching others being killed simply to make profits for billionaire capitalists? If you say “no” to these two questions, then you no longer have any excuses. You know what is needed. We must take action to prevent more deaths. We have to say "no more war" and actually mean it and do what it takes to stop it. 

Just like the striking lab rats of the University of California system, the warehouse workers of Amazon, and the baristas of Starbucks, we need to take this message to the streets. We must strike, protest, do whatever to get our message out to the public and get it on the airwaves and tweeted around the world. We need to make the owners of our lab cages afraid of us tiny little rodents who outnumber them 99 to 1. We must escape the cages of our own making and rattle their cages instead.

We can’t just sit back and nibble our cheese (or whatever lab rats/white mice eat) and watch Netflix. We can’t offer up “thoughts and prayers” alone about this situation and expect practical results. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin don’t read minds, and they certainly don’t hear our prayers. They simply accept large amounts of US taxpayers’ dollars and laugh all the way to the bank. What’s another million dead lab rats to them if they turn a profit? 

Our planet’s very survival depends upon this generation’s actions. Do we run back into our mouse holes and allow homicidal maniacs to kill us all in the name of capitalism and profits? Or do we use our teeth and claws to fight for our lives? Rats are known for their bravery and for deeply caring for their offspring. Let’s not cower in our cages any longer. 

Lab rats of the world unite! We have nothing to lose but our cheese (and our planet's safety to gain).

US Empire Views Ukrainians and Russians like Lab Rats https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/us-empire-views-ukrainians-and-russians  

This Year's Biggest Strike Is By 48,000 Academic Workers at the University of California  https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/25/this-years-biggest-strike-is-by-48000-academic-workers-at-the-university-of-california/


UC's Student Workers Can't Afford California  
https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/16/ucs-student-workers-cant-afford-california/

New School Staff Strike Shows the Institution Is Not So Progressive When It Comes to Faculty Pay  https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/17/new-school-staff-strike-shows-the-institution-is-not-so-progressive-when-it-comes-to-faculty-pay/

Strike Wave Rocks Britain as Unions Confront the Cost of Living Crisis  https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/20/strike-wave-rocks-britain-as-unions-confront-the-cost-of-living-crisis/
 
Blowback: Italian Police Bust Azov-Tied Nazi Cell Planning Terror Attacks https://thegrayzone.com/2022/11/15/blowback-italian-azov-tied-nazi-terror/ 

Zelensky and Media Lackeys Caught in Most Dangerous Lie Yet https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/20/zelensky-and-media-lackeys-caught-in-most-dangerous-lie-yet/

US Russia Proxy War Risks Nuclear Apocalypse 60 Years After Cuban Missile Crisis  https://popularresistance.org/us-russia-proxy-war-risks-nuclear-apocalypse-60-years-after-cuban-missile-crisis/

FTX Partnership with Ukraine Is Latest Chapter in Shady Western Aid Saga https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/16/ftx-partnership-with-ukraine-is-latest-chapter-in-shady-western-aid-saga/

FTX the Joke of Democracy
https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/17/ftx-the-joke-of-democracy/

Corporate Weapons Heaven Is Hell On Earth https://scheerpost.com/2022/11/18/corporate-weapons-heaven-is-hell-on-earth/

Our Ruling Class Wants Us to Accept War As Something That Will Never End  https://rainershea.substack.com/p/our-ruling-class-wants-us-to-accept

* * * 

In a near-future dystopian world, hope blossoms where mutual aid and democracy begins...

Zonta’s world is turned upside down when Jake arrives at the commune to investigate the disappearance of agents of the Authority. Can she persuade him to switch sides before the Protectors (antifascist fighters) take action?

Available now: https://www.extasybooks.com/Where-the-Bodies-Lie

A great tale of how love, cooperation, and socialism will ultimately save us all. -- Redd Phlagg

 

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Tuesday, November 15, 2022

What Do These Stories Have In Common?

 


What Do These Stories Have In Common?

We have a guest blogger this week, but before we get to their article, here’s a story that popped up in the news that I felt is very important. The mainstream media barely gave it any notice, which is telling in itself. It shows just how hard American propagandists in both the public and private sectors are working to keep the public in the dark. This news story has something vital in common with our guest’s submission. Can you find the common thread between these two stories?

First off, here is what Eric Zuesse writing for The Duran Newsletter had to say:

Annually, each year, since 2005, the U.S. Government has been one of only from 1 to 3 Governments to vote in the U.N. General Assembly against an annual statement by the General Assembly against racism and other forms of bigotry — an annual Resolution condemning it, and expressing a commitment to doing everything possible to reduce bigoted acts. For the first time ever, on November 4th, America was joined not only by one or two voting against it, but 55 nations, and almost all gave as reasons that Russia was for it and has invaded Ukraine. Ukraine is the only country that has almost always been joining America in opposing such resolutions...

 This year’s Resolution particularly offended America and its allies because “Nazism” is mentioned and condemned specifically in it.

No specific nation is ever mentioned in such resolutions.

The author of this article explains how the United Nations is notorious for making it difficult to near impossible to find the results of their resolution votes online. A week after a vote, and the information just mysteriously disappears. (I can attest to that fact. The UN website tells you you're not allow to access the information anymore.) After much searching and following of screenshots, here is the outcome of the vote on the resolution to combat the glorification of Nazism:

Item 66(a) draft resolution A/C.3/77/L.5

Combating glorification of Nazism, Neo-Nazism, and …

DATE: 4 November 2022

 IN FAVOR (105): Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dem. PR [N.] Korea, Djirbouti, El Salvador, Equatorial Gunea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, St. Kitts, St. Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, S. Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAR, United Rep. Tanza, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

AGAINST (52): Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, N. Macedonia, Norway, Papua, Poland, Portugal, Rep. Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, U.S.

ABSTAIN (15): Antigua, Congo, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, Egypt, Mexico, Myanmar, Palau, Panama, Rep. of Korea, Samoa, Serbia, Switzerland, Tonga, Turkiye

ABSENT: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Comoros, D.R. Congo, Dominica, Eswatini, Gambia, Grenada, Iran, Morocco, St. Lucia, Sao Tome, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, S. Sudan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Venezuela

Data from US and Allies Vote For Nazism at UN https://theduran.com/u-s-and-allies-vote-for-nazism-at-u-n/

Ukrainian stamps glorifying Nazis

Why does the US continue to vote against combating the glorification of Nazism year after year? To blame not voting affirmative on this resolution on the proxy war the US and NATO started in Ukraine seems a rather weak excuse. It's common knowledge that Ukrainians have made a national hero out of Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera and that their very own militia unit, the Azov Battalion, has S.S. symbology as their logo. 

And why didn't the US vote for this resolution when it was first introduced seventeen years ago? Could it be the US has been pro-Nazi all along, and this fact didn't become blatantly apparent until 2022? 

Related Articles:

US and Ukraine Only Two Countries to Vote Against UN Resolution Condemning Nazism (December 2021) https://countercurrents.org/2021/12/u-s-and-ukraine-only-two-countries-vote-against-un-resolution-condemning-nazism/

Why Does the US Government Support Nazis All Around The World

https://countercurrents.org/2022/11/why-does-the-u-s-government-support-nazis-all-around-the-world/

Over 50 Countries Vote Against Russia’s Anti-Nazism Resolution at United Nations  https://orinocotribune.com/over-50-countries-vote-against-russias-anti-nazism-resolution-at-united-nations/

50 Nations Just Defended Nazism at the UN (Video, story starts about 5 minutes in) https://rumble.com/v1t02sk-50-nations-just-defended-nazism-at-the-u.n..html

 

The following article demonstrates that American activists have fought against racism, sexism, fascism, and elitism from our country's very beginnings. The United States' negative vote on the recent United Nations' resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism is an indication that American activists must continue to fight these evils today.

Inspirational Stories Of Black Activists

by Robin Nicole Hamilton

Motivation is a state of mind that helps you achieve your goals and plays an important part in achieving success. It is a feeling or emotion that you get when you want to do something bigger. It keeps you going until you reach your goal.

Black freedom fighters are a source of inspiration. These real-life heroes have always served their people. Freedom fighters like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman are always remembered and admired, especially by young people who aspire to be like them one day. Let's remember that they fought hard and did not give up until they achieved what they wanted. They made sacrifices and were hurt, but they did not give up because they believed in themselves and their mission.

Black Activists: A True Source of Motivation

The history of black freedom fighters, Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X, and others have inspired many to fight for their rights. These activists have shown us that we can achieve anything if we are willing to fight for it.

There have been many other black freedom fighters and activists who have fought for our rights all over the world, but few know about them or even take the time to remember their names and what they did for us. However, their stories should be heard so that we will know that it is possible to change the world.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who dared to dream big to achieve his dreams. He became one of the most cogent civil rights leaders in US history. He was a minister who fought for civil rights for Americans, both blacks and whites. He led a peaceful movement to end injustice and inequality in the USA, especially for people of color. On April 4, 1968, he was murdered by a white extremist, James Earl Ray, while standing on the patio of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Malcolm X

Malcolm X is another great example of a black activist who achieved greatness despite being on the wrong side of society at one point in time. He was a Muslim convert who became an influential leader in the Nation of Islam movement. He spoke out against racism and segregation.

Malcolm was imprisoned for fifteen years for his involvement in a black separatist organization. After being released from prison, he continued his activism with Malcolm X's Organization (MEO) which promoted black pride, self-defense, and economic empowerment through various means like education and employment opportunities. He went through the ups and downs of life and never gave up on his mission despite the obstacles and hardships. Several iconic films and books cover his life journey. In 1965, soon after Malcolm’s death, his biography was published by Alex Haley. (Learn more about Alex Haley's The Autobiography of Malcolm X.)

Fannie Lou Hamer

Fannie Lou Hamer was an American civil rights activist who fought against racial segregation. Fannie participated in civil rights activism from 1962-1973. She became a key figure in many organizations fighting for change. (Watch this film on the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer).

One of these organizations was the Freedom Democratic Party (FDP), which was founded by her husband, James Hamer. The FDP was formed to give black voters more power over their own lives and communities by organizing around issues like voting rights and school desegregation. Fannie and James obtained success when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) was passed.

While working on behalf of the FDP, Fannie also focused on other issues such as farm labor unions and sanitation workers' rights. She helped organize boycotts against employers who did not pay their workers fairly or provide benefits such as health insurance or pensions. Even the limitations of being a woman of color in the mid-20th century did not scare her from dreaming big or pursuing her goals.


Mary Church Terrell

Mary Church Terrell was a civil rights leader who fought for better treatment for women of color in America. She was the first African-American female to complete a college degree and manage the school board of a major city. She was one of the founders of the National Association Of Colored Women. (Click here to see the Mary Church Terrell documentary.)

Mary fought for the rights of women of color in colleges and workplaces. What she achieved in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is a source of great inspiration for many black women. 

Black Lives Matter (BLM)

BLM is a present-day movement for blacks' and other minorities' rights. This decentralized movement fights against racially motivated violence, discrimination, and police brutality against people of color and minorities. This movement is growing stronger every day because it gives hope to those who have been oppressed by whites.

Similarly, the fight for freedom and equal rights continues and inspires people to become a part of such organizations and follow those individuals who stand for their people. These legends from the history of black activism motivate us to think big and inspire us to achieve our goals.

In conclusion, these people are proof that anyone can achieve success if they have enough drive and perseverance!

BIO: Robin Nicole Hamilton is an American journalist, writer, television host, and principal at "ARoundRobin Production Company". She has worked as a broadcaster in Florida, New York, Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. Working at the intersection of media and policy, her work is guided by the principle of providing information to promote transformation. She directed four documentary films from 2015 to 2022. Her fourth film, Odessa’s Reign, profiles the life of a female gangster in 1950s Washington, D.C. The film earned Robin her fourth Emmy. Hamilton has won and been nominated for several awards for her work on the DCW50 TV (WDCW) Living Black History series. She also served as a Public Media Corps (PMC) Fellow which allowed her to promote social media tools to under-served communities. Hamilton is currently offering film and video production services to clients in Capitol Heights, Bethesda, Baltimore, Columbia, Annapolis, Rockville, Maryland, Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington County, and Tysons, Virginia and in Washington D.C.
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