John Buell (2021-10-11). Our Health depends on Indigenous Botanical Knowledge and Plants that are rapidly being Destroyed. juancole.com Southwest Harbor, Maine (Special to Informed Comment) — While mainstream media celebrate the remarkable development in record time of vaccines spectacularly effective against the Covid virus, knowledge that might contribute to other medical breakthroughs is being steadily undermined. This decline is not the result of some dramatic lawsuit or corporate takeover. It is one of …

ecns.cn (2021-10-11). Pulitzer Prize winner urges end to lab-leak propaganda by Wall Street Journal. ecns.cn Long famous as a font of political and economic distortion, the Wall Street Journal's opinion section has more recently become a center of lab-leak speculation, Michael Hiltzik, a U.S. columnist with The Los Angeles Times and a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, said on Friday.

Renée DiResta (2021-10-11). It's Not Misinformation. It's Amplified Propaganda. zcomm.org You don't need fake accounts to spread ampliganda online. Real people will happily do it…

WSWS (2021-10-11). New Zealand's Daily Blog attacks WSWS as "sectarian" wsws.org The pseudo-left Daily Blog contributor Chris Trotter objected to the WSWS's exposure of the blog's support for the Labour Party-led government's alignment with US imperialism, and its war propaganda against China.

Thom Hartmann (2021-10-11). Hungarian-Style Soft Fascism is the GOP's Ruthless New Brand. counterpunch.org While it's fashionable in some circles to compare Donald Trump and the modern-day GOP to Hitler or Mussolini and their fascist movements from the 1930s, what's happening on the international stage right now is actually somewhat different and, once in power, far harder to stop or overthrow. Call it "soft fascism" or neofascism. The problem

Peninsula Peace, Justice Center (2021-10-11). Tuesday 10/26: Confronting Disinformation w/ Prof. David Sloss of Santa Clara Univesity School of Law. indybay.org Free Zoom Webinar…

Staff (2021-10-11). 'Badly Made Fake News': Venezuelan Minister for Defense on Semana Magazine's 'Maduro's Missiles' Piece. orinocotribune.com Venezuelan Minister for Defense Vladimir Padrino López described an article about alleged Venezuelan arms purchases from Iran and Russia, published by Colombia's Semana magazine, as "a mess" and "badly assembled fake news." | On Sunday, October 10, the journalist Madelein García shared a video on Twitter about the statements offered by the senior military commander. She indicated that the "investigation" published on Saturday, October 9, by the Colombian media outlet was full of "lies," and was "a badly made montage." However, she added, "that is not surprising" because "it is a news outlet that belongs to the Co…

Rick Rozoff (2021-10-11). Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry escalates threats against Iran. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Iranian MFA continues smear campaign against Azerbaijan, says official The Iranian Foreign Ministry does not stop conducting a slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Leyla Abdullayeva said…. She was commenting on the interview of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on the Lebanese Al-Manar TV channel. *** Azerbaijan liberated …

Staff (2021-10-11). Unvaccinated US troops still number in 'hundreds of thousands' despite looming deadlines — reports. rt.com Hundreds of thousands of US military service members remain unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated against Covid-19 despite looming mandate deadlines, as rates vary significantly across individual services. | In August, members of the US military services were informed that immunization against Covid-19 would be required as part of new directives from President Joe Biden. According to data analyzed in a Washington Post report, however, inoculation rates among America's more than two million soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are lagging in many areas. | Deadlines for individual services vary, but many ar…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-10-11). Italians hold national strike in response to attacks on labor. peoplesdispatch.org On October 11, Monday, trade unions, student and youth groups, leftist political parties, anti-imperialists and housing rights groups organized nationwide mobilizations and general strikes against the government's anti-people policies and the deterioration of social and economic conditions in the country. In this sense they highlighted the government's assault on labor rights and imposition of austerity policies, the continued COVID-19 crisis, inflation, the housing crisis, privatization of state enterprises, and the upcoming G20 Summit in Rome, as evidence. | The workers have also protested the far-right attack…

_____ (2021-10-10). Bellingcat Funded By Contractors That Aided Extremists In Syria. popularresistance.org Since its launch in July 2014, the self-styled open-source investigations website Bellingcat has cemented itself as a darling of mainstream Western media, with its dives into alleged Syrian government chemical weapon attacks and Russian intelligence operations showered with praise, puff pieces, and glitzy awards. | While vehemently insisting that it is independent of government influence, Bellingcat is funded by both the US government's National Endowment for Democracy and the European Union. CIA officials have declared their "love" for Bellingcat, and there are unambiguous signs that the outlet has partnered clo…

Noam Chomsky (2021-10-10). Farmers Fighting For India, Beacon of Light in Dark Times. zcomm.org The demonstrations by India's farmers are a 'model of struggle' across the world…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-10-10). Does the Virus Exist? SARS-CoV-2 Has Not Been Isolated? "Biggest Fraud in Medical History" globalresearch.ca The central question is the following: is there reliable evidence provided by the WHO and national health authorities that the alleged SARS-CoV-2 virus has been isolated / purified from an "unadulterated sample taken from a diseased patient"?

Helen Jaffe (2021-10-10). Green Left Show #17: What's happening in Cuba? greenleft.org.au Helen Jaffe, Sujatha Fernandes and Ian Ellis-Jones discuss the the July 11 protests in Cuba, the corporate media's distortions of them and what is happening in that country now.

Noam Chomsky (2021-10-10). Farmers Fighting For India, Beacon of Light in Dark Times. zcomm.org The demonstrations by India's farmers are a 'model of struggle' across the world…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-10-10). Does the Virus Exist? SARS-CoV-2 Has Not Been Isolated? "Biggest Fraud in Medical History" globalresearch.ca The central question is the following: is there reliable evidence provided by the WHO and national health authorities that the alleged SARS-CoV-2 virus has been isolated / purified from an "unadulterated sample taken from a diseased patient"?

Helen Jaffe (2021-10-10). Green Left Show #17: What's happening in Cuba? greenleft.org.au Helen Jaffe, Sujatha Fernandes and Ian Ellis-Jones discuss the the July 11 protests in Cuba, the corporate media's distortions of them and what is happening in that country now.

New Atlas (2021-10-09). Uyghur Tribunal: US Lawfare at its Lowest. newatlas.report October 9, 2021 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — The so-called "Uyghur Tribunal" is promoted across the Western media as an "independent" tribunal. AP claims that it seeks to lay out evidence that will "compel international action to tackle growing concerns about alleged abuses in Xinjiang." The tribunal — having no legal basis or enforcement mechanism — …

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-10-09). The Propaganda War Against China. libya360.wordpress.com On Saturday 9 October 2021 (2pm Britain, 9am US Eastern, 9pm China), Friends of Socialist China are hosting an international webinar to discuss the intensifying information warfare being waged by the US and its allies against the People's Republic of China. We will discuss the relationship between this propaganda onslaught and the New Cold War;…

ecns.cn (2021-10-09). Pulitzer Prize winner urges end to lab-leak propaganda by Wall Street Journal. ecns.cn Hiltzik, a U.S. columnist with The Los Angeles Times and a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, urged the stop of lab-leak propaganda published by the Wall Street Journal, calling it "scientifically unvalidated."

Rebecca Ray (2021-10-09). Rhetoric, meet reality: how to green the Belt and Road Initiative. mronline.org After much talk, concrete frameworks and guidelines are finally arriving, and the stage is set for China to improve its green credentials on the Belt and Road.

Anonymous103 (2021-10-09). October 7, 2001, US-NATO Invades Afghanistan: It Was An Act Of Self Defense. "America Was Attacked By An 'Unnamed Foreign Power' On 9/11" southfront.org October 7, 2001. Afghanistan is invaded under the doctrine of "self-defense" Written by Prof Michel Chossudovsky. Originally published on Global…

_____ (2021-10-09). Thousands Of Police Killings Are Unreported. popularresistance.org The New York Times and other outlets report that most police killings in this country are "mislabeled." The sanitized language is worse than an understatement because it implies that these murders are categorized improperly due to ordinary human error. In fact, there is a long and sordid history of covering up these crimes. The initial coroner's report for George Floyd, whose murder was witnessed by millions of people, reported drug use and underlying health conditions as the causes of death. | According to a report in the Lancet , between 1980 and 2018 police in the U.S. killed an estimated 30,800 people. This n…

Dean Baker (2021-10-09). Econ 101 for the "It's Hard to Get Good Help" Crowd at the Washington Post. cepr.net Some folks recognize various bird cries, others can identify the howling of a wolf, but any good economist can quickly recognize the "it's hard to get good help" cry of the privileged. The Washington Post gave columnist Gary Abernathy the opportunity to make his cry at length today. Abernathy is upset that we took steps …

Staff (2021-10-09). Wisconsin cop who shot Jacob Blake will not face civil rights charges, DOJ says, citing lack of evidence for 'excessive force'. rt.com The US Department of Justice said it will not seek federal civil rights charges against the Wisconsin police officer who shot Jacob Blake during a domestic incident last year, noting it could not prove "excessive force" was used. | The DOJ announced the decision in a Friday

Julia Conley (2021-10-09). Media Coverage of Reconciliation Fight Is Corporate Con Job. zcomm.org "There's a big disconnect between the corporate media and working people," said Bernie Sanders…

New Atlas (2021-10-09). Uyghur Tribunal: US Lawfare at its Lowest. newatlas.report October 9, 2021 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — The so-called "Uyghur Tribunal" is promoted across the Western media as an "independent" tribunal. AP claims that it seeks to lay out evidence that will "compel international action to tackle growing concerns about alleged abuses in Xinjiang." The tribunal — having no legal basis or enforcement mechanism — …

ecns.cn (2021-10-09). Pulitzer Prize winner urges end to lab-leak propaganda by Wall Street Journal. ecns.cn Hiltzik, a U.S. columnist with The Los Angeles Times and a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, urged the stop of lab-leak propaganda published by the Wall Street Journal, calling it "scientifically unvalidated."

Rebecca Ray (2021-10-09). Rhetoric, meet reality: how to green the Belt and Road Initiative. mronline.org After much talk, concrete frameworks and guidelines are finally arriving, and the stage is set for China to improve its green credentials on the Belt and Road.

Anonymous103 (2021-10-09). October 7, 2001, US-NATO Invades Afghanistan: It Was An Act Of Self Defense. "America Was Attacked By An 'Unnamed Foreign Power' On 9/11" southfront.org October 7, 2001. Afghanistan is invaded under the doctrine of "self-defense" Written by Prof Michel Chossudovsky. Originally published on Global…

Dean Baker (2021-10-09). Econ 101 for the "It's Hard to Get Good Help" Crowd at the Washington Post. cepr.net Some folks recognize various bird cries, others can identify the howling of a wolf, but any good economist can quickly recognize the "it's hard to get good help" cry of the privileged. The Washington Post gave columnist Gary Abernathy the opportunity to make his cry at length today. Abernathy is upset that we took steps …

Staff (2021-10-09). Wisconsin cop who shot Jacob Blake will not face civil rights charges, DOJ says, citing lack of evidence for 'excessive force'. rt.com The US Department of Justice said it will not seek federal civil rights charges against the Wisconsin police officer who shot Jacob Blake during a domestic incident last year, noting it could not prove "excessive force" was used. | The DOJ announced the decision in a Friday

Julia Conley (2021-10-09). Media Coverage of Reconciliation Fight Is Corporate Con Job. zcomm.org "There's a big disconnect between the corporate media and working people," said Bernie Sanders…

Prabir Purkayastha (2021-10-08). How Facebook algorithms promote hate and toxic content. peoplesdispatch.org Whistleblower Frances Haugen has revealed hard evidence—internal Facebook documents—that show it knew its algorithms promote dangerous content but did nothing about it so that it could maximize its advertising revenue.

Viv Forbes (2021-10-08). Climate Lies and Green Energy Propaganda: Time for Truth-Telling in Glasgow. globalresearch.ca

Gary Weglarz (2021-10-08). Examining the Methods and Means of COVID Propaganda Dissemination. globalresearch.ca

_____ (2021-10-08). Smart Borders Or A Humane World? popularresistance.org This report delves into the rhetoric of "smart borders" to explore their ties to a broad regime of border policing and exclusion that greatly harms migrants and refugees who either seek or already make their home in the United States. Investment in an approach centered on border and immigrant policing, it argues, is incompatible with the realization of a just and humane world. | Case studies from Chula Vista, California, the European Union, Honduras, Mississippi, and the Tohono O'odham Nation provide substance to this analysis. So, too, do graphics that illustrate the militarized US border strategy and the associ…

Noam Chomsky (2021-10-08). It's Life and Death — Intellectuals Can't Keep Serving the Status Quo. zcomm.org In a highly fragile world facing existential threats, we need the voice of critical intellectuals more than any other time in history…

Michael F. Brown (2021-10-08). New York Times omits, falsifies and cheerleads for Israel. electronicintifada.net Genocide promoter Archie Gottesman is ignored in Ben & Jerry's coverage from New Jersey.

Dania Akkad (2021-10-08). Princess Shamsa: Campaigner calls for public inquiry into Dubai royal's kidnapping. middleeasteye.net Princess Shamsa: Campaigner calls for public inquiry into Dubai royal's kidnapping | Dubai princess disappeared from Cambridge in 2000. Legal advocate says he has new evidence and wants to know why police halted their investigation | Fri, 10/08/2021 – 15: 00 | Princess Sheikha Shamsa al-Maktoum was kidnapped in 2000 and has not been seen publicly since (Free Latifa Campaign) | A campaigner who says he ha…

Prabir Purkayastha (2021-10-08). How Facebook algorithms promote hate and toxic content. peoplesdispatch.org Whistleblower Frances Haugen has revealed hard evidence—internal Facebook documents—that show it knew its algorithms promote dangerous content but did nothing about it so that it could maximize its advertising revenue.

Noam Chomsky (2021-10-08). It's Life and Death — Intellectuals Can't Keep Serving the Status Quo. zcomm.org In a highly fragile world facing existential threats, we need the voice of critical intellectuals more than any other time in history…

Anonymous103 (2021-10-07). Blowing the Whistle at Facebook. southfront.org The logo of the social network "Facebook" is reflected in the pupil of an eye. Joerg Koch | DAPD | | Written by Dr. Binoy Kampmark. | The only surprise was that it did not come sooner. Big Tech whistleblowers are not exactly running out of the offices of Silicon Valley, so it was with some excitement that Facebook could produce a person willing enough to show us the laundry, with the dirt still caking the content. | And the laundry in question proved to be bountiful, with internal company documents running into the thousands showing a fruit salad range of mendacity, deception and approaches to combating hate, v…

Prof. Anthony J. Hall (2021-10-07). The Mandates, Restrictions and Propaganda: The Death Knell of Universities? globalresearch.ca

_____ (2021-10-07). Chinese 'Disinformation' And US Propaganda. popularresistance.org In Western media's latest anti-China crusade, unsubstantiated allegations of a Chinese disinformation campaign—which the reports themselves admit have had little engagement on social media, and nonexistent impact offline—supposedly represent a very serious threat to the US. | FAIR (3/9/17, 11/29/17, 4/9/20) has repeatedly pointed out how governments like to decry "fake news" or "disinformation" to discredit sources of unfavorable information, or to use those nebulous accusations as a cynical pretext to outright censor perspectives they dislike. Corporate media reports of "bots" or fake social media ac…

Staff (2021-10-07). Chomsky: It's Life and Death — Intellectuals Can't Keep Serving the Status Quo. truthout.org The overwhelming majority of intellectuals have historically been servants of the status quo. | That was the case more than half a century ago, when Noam Chomsky pointed out as much in his classic essay " Indeed, if anything, the number of critical/oppositional public intellectuals — in other word…

Ali Abunimah (2021-10-07). UN "expert" can't defend his attacks on Palestine solidarity. electronicintifada.net Ahmed Shaheed helps Israel lobby smear critics of its abuses and crimes.

Rick Rozoff (2021-10-07). Russian Foreign Minister accuses NATO of supporting neo-Nazis in Ukraine. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Russian Foreign Minister accuses NATO of "supporting neo-Nazis" in Ukraine Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov accused the NATO of "supporting neo-Nazis" in Ukraine. He said so during the negotiations with the Alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, writes The Washington Post. According to the outlet, Lavrov made these statements during the closed session …