David Cameron Returns to UK Government as Foreign Secretary

THE GUARDIAN: Former PM makes surprise comeback as part of reshuffle in which Suella Braverman replaced by James Cleverly as home secretary

David Cameron outside 10 Downing Street in London on Monday. He stood down in 2016 after losing the Brexit referendum. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters
David Cameron has returned to government as UK foreign secretary, in a stunning comeback for the former prime minister that highlighted Rishi Sunak’s willingness to take risks as he looks to revive his political fortunes.

Downing Street announced on Monday that Cameron would join the government, accepting a peerage in order to do so, as part of a wider reshuffle in which Suella Braverman was sacked as home secretary and replaced by the foreign secretary, James Cleverly.

A spokesperson also confirmed Jeremy Hunt would remain as chancellor.

Cameron posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We are facing a daunting set of international challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. At this time of profound global change, it has rarely been more important for this country to stand by our allies, strengthen our partnerships and make sure our voice is heard. » | Kiran Stacey, Political correspondent | Monday, November 13, 2023

David Cameron nommé aux affaires étrangères après le limogeage de Suella Braverman du ministère de l’intérieur britannique : Située à l’aile droite du Parti conservateur, la ministre de l’intérieur avait récemment qualifié les marches londoniennes en soutien à Gaza de « marches pour la haine ». Elle est remplacée par James Cleverly. »

Sunak holt früheren Premierminister Cameron als Außenminister: Der britische Premierminister baut sein Kabinett um. Die umstrittene Innenministerin Braverman muss gehen. Mit der Personalie David Cameron sorgt Sunak für eine Überraschung. »

There’s a chance now for Cameron to start to undo the damage brought onto this country with that ridiculous Brexit referendum. For starters, that referendum divided the nation. It has also put this nation on the road to impoverishment. How could we expect to prosper when we turned our backs on the largest single market in the world – a market which is right on our doorstep? The Single Market is a ready market of approximately 450 million consumers! Without being part of that market, we can forget about turbo-charged economic growth. Moreover, the City would thank the Tories for taking us back into the EU. And, by the way, the internal single market was Thatcher’s baby. She worked tirelessly to bring that market about. So the Conservative Party dishonoured her proud legacy by ditching the Single Market, an inevitable consequence of leaving the EU.

Further, with the world in turmoil as it now is, the EU needs to be as strong and as united as it can be. As we all know, divisions weaken, unity strengthens.

But not only has the European Union been weakened by this country’s departure but our own union of nations, the United Kingdom, has been fractured and weakened, too.

If we were to return to the European Union, the cause of Scottish independence would be put to bed. In fact, we could start glueing this nation back together again. I am sure that the King would be pleased. That would be another bonus.

The United Kingdom has never before in my lifetime been as disunited as it is today, and all because of Brexit. It should also be remembered that this nation is made up of millions of people who regret voting for Brexit, the so-named ‘Bregretters’.

So much could be gained by a policy reversal on this most important of issues. Why! You would even get people like me voting Tory again (as long as you ditch Sunak’s dotty incremental ban on cigarette-smoking). I am almost certain that you’d be in favour of ditching that, Mr Cameron, because a little dickie bird once told me that you yourself are rather partial to the occasional naughty puff!

So please, Mr Cameron, start undoing the damage caused by Brexit – TODAY! It could well be the recipe for a landslide Tory victory at the next election! – © Mark Alexander

Christian Leaders Lament Advent Calendars Containing Jewellery, Alcohol and Sex Toys

THE TELEGRAPH: Luxury Christmas accessories are ‘vacuously destructive’ to religious ideals

For many, an advent calendar is a traditional way to countdown to Christmas, with a picture or small chocolate hiding behind each door.

However, the recent rise of luxury and decadent advent calendars has been criticised by Christian leaders as “vacuously destructive” to the religion.

Former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II Gavin Ashenden said that the growing indulgence of advent calendars, which now include jewellery, alcohol and even sex toys, was a sign of society’s “spiritual illiteracy”. » | Mattie Brignal, Senior Money Reporter | Monday, November 13, 2023

Meet the Man Who Tailors the Pope's Vestments | Focus on Europe

Nov 12, 2023 | Filippo Sorcinelli has tailored the vestments of the current and former pope, as well as many other Catholic dignitaries. But his personal style could not be more different than that of his clients.

Storm Debi: Warning over Gale Force Winds and Heavy Rain

BBC: Parts of the UK are braced for gale force winds and heavy rain ahead of the arrival of Storm Debi later.

The storm will reach northern England and parts of north Wales in the morning, with gusts of up to 80mph possible along coastal areas.

There is also a possible danger to life from flying debris and large waves.

Debi, the fourth named storm of the season, could also bring flooding, travel delays and power cuts to many parts of the UK.

The rain and winds are expected to gradually ease off in the afternoon. » | Emily Atkinson & Harrison Jones, BBC News | Monday, November 13, 2023

Suella Braverman Sacked as Home Secretary after Article Criticising Police

THE GUARDIAN: PM fires cabinet minister after unauthorised Times article claiming police favour leftwing protesters

It is the second time Braverman has been forced out of the same job in little more than a year. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
Rishi Sunak has sacked Suella Braverman as UK home secretary after she was blamed for inflaming tensions over Armistice Day protests and saying police favoured leftwing protesters.

A government source told the Guardian: “Rishi Sunak has asked Suella Braverman to leave government and she has accepted.”

Her dismissal is expected to form part of a wider reshuffle of Sunak’s team, with Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, and Steve Barclay, the health secretary, believed to be also likely to go.

While Jeremy Hunt has been tipped to be moved as chancellor, this is seen as less imminent given this month’s autumn statement. » | Peter Walker, Deputy political editor | Monday, November 13, 2023

Whether sacked or not, Suella Braverman could stir up a new Tory civil war: If the PM doesn’t get rid of her, he’ll look weak; if he does, she’ll rail from the backbenches. Is this all part of the home secretary’s grand plan? »

Ne-Yo : Link Up | Official Music Video

Sep 29, 2023 | Views on YouTube: 1,318,051

Ne-Yo : One In a Million | Official Music Video | Reupload

Sep 3, 2010 | Views on YouTube: 332,617,511

Well, Well, Well

With thanks to Crawford Smoker on Pinterest for this expressive photo.
READLY: SMOKING IS BACK. VEGAN RESTAURANTS ARE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE. FASHION MONTH WAS BOOZIER THAN EVER. AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE OF WELLNESS MANIA AND SELF-OPTIMISATION, A RAUCOUS ENERGY IS TAKING HOLD – AND IT’S ALL KINDS OF FUN

EXTRACT: After the pandemic’s years of enforced solitude, followed by a war in Europe and the cost-of-living crisis, a febrile atmosphere has taken hold. Microdosing might be here to stay (and is now a staple in suburban circles) but, more noticeably, the air is filled once more with good, old-fashioned cigarette smoke: Kate Moss, Malia Obama, Lily Rose Depp and even David Hockney – who supposedly set off the fire alarm at the opening of his latest exhibition with his smoking – are back on it. Vegan restaurants are struggling to survive, and brands are pulling their meat-free products as the vegan bubble that health enthusiasts once embraced bursts. Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow, the very beacon of wellness, can’t say anything about her ‘cleaner than thou’ lifestyle now without becoming an instant meme.

…

Read the rest here | Alexandra Jones | Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Send the Puritans packing! Send them scurrying into the hills for cover! Are you listening, Drakeford?

When I posted this a few days ago, I had no knowledge of this new trend. My antennae must be in tip-top condition; they must be well-maintained, I feel. N'est pas ?

Fun is back in fashion! Spaß ist wieder in der Mode! Le plaisir revient à la mode ! – © Mark Alexander

Todesmärsche 1944/45 | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

Nov 12, 2023 | Als die Rote Armee in den letzten Monaten des Zweiten Weltkriegs immer weiter vorrückte, räumten die Nazis die frontnahen Konzentrationslager und zwangen 700.000 Häftlinge zu oft wochenlangen Todesmärschen. Bis heute ist über dieses unglaublich blutige Kapitel der Geschichte des Dritten Reichs nur wenig bekannt.

Als die Rote Armee in den letzten Monaten des Zweiten Weltkriegs immer weiter nach Westen vorrückte, räumten die Nazis die frontnahen Konzentrationslager. Von Sommer 1944 bis Frühjahr 1945 zwangen sie hunderttausende Deportierte zu oft wochenlangen Todesmärschen durch Deutschland und Österreich. Viele Häftlinge starben an Erschöpfung oder wurden von den Wachmannschaften, aber auch von Zivilisten ermordet, an denen sie vorbeimarschieren mussten. Die unglaubliche Brutalität dieser Todesmärsche zeugt von der allgemeinen Verrohung, die im untergehenden Dritten Reich um sich gegriffen hatte.

Im Grunde stellten die Todesmärsche die Fortsetzung der von den Nazis in den Konzentrationslagern verfolgten Vernichtungsstrategie dar. Angesichts des sowjetischen Vormarschs lösten sie die Lager auf und versuchten, die Spuren der Vernichtungsanlagen zu beseitigen. Damit verloren die Deutschen die Kontrolle über die geplanten Massentötungen und griffen auch vor dem Hintergrund des Zusammenbruchs des Regimes und des Vorrückens der Alliierten auf andere Methoden zurück.

Die Todesmärsche waren bisher eines der am wenigsten bekannten Kapitel der Geschichte des Dritten Reichs. Ursache hierfür ist der über lange Zeit eingeschränkte Zugang zu Informationen über die Identität der Täter sowie der von hunderttausenden Häftlingen aus den Konzentrationslagern, Gefängnissen und Arbeitslagern, die die Nazis in den letzten Monaten des Dritten Reichs auf ihrem Rückzug räumten.

Heute können viele bislang ungeklärte Fragen dank jüngster Erkenntnisse der Geschichtsforschung sowie mithilfe der im Laufe der Jahrzehnte zusammengetragenen Zeitzeugenberichte von jüdischen und anderen Überlebenden beantwortet werden.

Dokumentarfilm von Virginie Linhart (F 2019, 90 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 06/01/2024

Dimitra’s Dishes: Za'atar Roast Chicken with Olives & Prunes

Dec 4, 2019 | Za’atar roast chicken is a flavorful one-pan dinner. It takes just a few minutes to put together which makes this dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. Yet it is also fancy enough for a nice dinner party.

Za’atar on its own packs a punch with the Mediterranean flavors of thyme, oregano, sumac, and sesame. The prunes and olives take it to another level, with some sweetness and earthy goodness.


Get the full recipe here.

DW Interview with Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran

Jan 15, 2017 | Empress Farah Pahlavi, speaks with DW’s Yalda Zarbakhch about her country and about Tehran's fabled modern art collection that she helped to assemble.

En direct, marche contre l’antisémitisme : à Paris, la manifestation s’élance dans le calme malgré quelques tensions

LE MONDE : De nombreuses personnalités politiques sont présentes. Le Golem, un collectif créé tout récemment pour lutter contre « l’antisémitisme et tous les antisémites », a tenté d’établir « un cordon sanitaire » autour du RN. LIVE EN COURS » | dimanche 12 novembre 2023

Holocaust-Überlebende zum Juden-Hass: "Schon mit der Muttermilch Antisemitismus gelernt"

Sie ist wohl die berühmteste Zeitzeugin des Holocaust: Margot Friedländer. Mit ihren mittlerweile 102 Jahren erzählt sie seit vielen Jahren vor allem jungen Menschen ihre Geschichte und will sie zu gegenseitigem Respekt ermutigen. Am 85. Jahrestag der Pogromnacht mahnt sie: Das, was damals geschah, darf sich nie wiederholen.

Welch eine anmutige, liebevolle, weise, alte Dame! – Mark

The Night of Broken Glass: A Warning of Future Nazi Crimes

Streamed live on Nov 9, 2023 | Starting on November 9, 1938, the Nazis orchestrated a wave of nationwide violence targeting Jewish communities. Rioters destroyed synagogues, attacked and looted Jewish shops, and ambushed people in their homes. Around 30,000 men were arrested and sent to concentration camps merely for being Jewish. Jews were left bereft, desperate to escape Nazi Germany by any means possible.

After the initial outrage, world attention faded and the Nazis carried out even greater horrors. Eighty-five years after the “Night of Broken Glass,” watch this discussion to understand this pivotal moment on the path to mass murder.

Guest: Dr. Daniel Greene, Historian and curator of Americans and the Holocaust exhibition, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Host: Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

[The Late] Lord Sacks: 'Today's Politicians Are Too Political' - BBC Newsnight

May 22, 2019 Philosopher, author and former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks reflects on the state of UK politics and the politicians we need for the future.

WIKIPEDIA: Jonathan Sacks, Baron Sacks »

Jonathan Sacks: The Rabbi Sacks Legacy »

In Respectful Memory of the Fallen

Semper in memoria nostra
In Flanders Fields by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Source: Poetry Foundation »
Donations may be made to the Royal British Legion here. Naturally, all contributions are gratefully received.
LIVE: King Charles Leads Remembrance Day Service at The Cenotaph »
Photo Gallery here »

Iceland: Experts Predict Feared Volcanic Eruption Could Destroy Town near Reykjavik

THE GUARDIAN: Town of Grindavik could be heavily damaged by volcano expected to erupt within hours or days, experts say

An Icelandic town home to about 4,000 people near the capital Reykjavik could be heavily damaged by a volcano expected to erupt within hours or days, according to experts.

The town of Grindavik on the south-western coast was evacuated in the early hours of Saturday after magma shifting under the Earth’s crust caused hundreds of earthquakes in what is believed to be a precursor to an eruption.

“We are really concerned about all the houses and the infrastructure in the area,” Vidir Reynisson, head of Iceland’s Civil Protection and Emergency Management said on Saturday. » | Agence France-Presse | Sunday, November 12, 2023

Boris Johnson Paid £3,800,000 for Mansion that Has Moat to Keep People Out

METRO: Ex-prime minister Boris Johnson has bought a multi-million mansion despite previously complaining about ‘only’ earning £160,000.

It’s been reported Mr Johnson even negotiated £200,000 off the asking price, buying the nine-bedroom home for a cool £3.8 million.

This is despite complaining that as both prime minister and an MP he couldn’t get by on a combined salary of £164,080.

The country house, Brightwell Manor, had been on the market for four years, The Mirror reports, and the sale is said to have gone through just weeks before BBC chairman Richard Sharp resigned over his role in helping Mr Johnson secure an £800,000 loan.

The manor, located in the Oxfordshire countryside, dates back to the 1600s and has Tudor and Georgian features.

However the house is still surrounded on three sides by a 900-year-old moat, which dates back to when a castle originally stood on the site, built by King Stephen. » | Katie Boyden | Sunday, May 14, 2023

WIKIPEDIA: Stephen, King of England »

James Ivory ('Call Me By Your Name') Chats First Love, Possibly Becoming Oldest Oscar Winner Ever

Dec 7, 2017 | James Ivory ('Call Me By Your Name') chats with Gold Derby editor first love, classic Merchant/Ivory films, and possibly becoming the oldest Oscar winner ever. In this Sony Pictures Classics release now playing in theaters, Timothee Chalamet plays Elio Perlman, a 17-year-old American living with his family in Italy during 1983. An older American graduate student named Oliver (Armie Hammer) arrives to stay with the family and work alongside Elio's father Lyle (Michael Stuhlbarg), a Greco-Roman culture professor. Elio and Oliver begin a romantic and then sexual relationship throughout the summer.

Sweeping Raids, Giant Camps and Mass Deportations: Inside Trump’s 2025 Immigration Plans

THE NEW YORK TIMES: If he regains power, Donald Trump wants not only to revive some of the immigration policies criticized as draconian during his presidency, but expand and toughen them.

Donald Trump wants to reimpose a Covid 19-era policy of refusing asylum claims — this time basing that refusal on assertions that migrants carry other infectious diseases like tuberculosis. | Doug Mills/The New York Times
Former President Donald J. Trump is planning an extreme expansion of his first-term crackdown on immigration if he returns to power in 2025 — including preparing to round up undocumented people already in the United States on a vast scale and detain them in sprawling camps while they wait to be expelled.

The plans would sharply restrict both legal and illegal immigration in a multitude of ways.

Mr. Trump wants to revive his first-term border policies, including banning entry by people from certain Muslim-majority nations and reimposing a Covid 19-era policy of refusing asylum claims — though this time he would base that refusal on assertions that migrants carry other infectious diseases like tuberculosis.

He plans to scour the country for unauthorized immigrants and deport people by the millions per year.

To help speed mass deportations, Mr. Trump is preparing an enormous expansion of a form of removal that does not require due process hearings. To help Immigration and Customs Enforcement carry out sweeping raids, he plans to reassign other federal agents and deputize local police officers and National Guard soldiers voluntarily contributed by Republican-run states. » | Charlie Savage, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan | Saturday, November 11, 2023

Giant camps and mass deportations? This sounds exactly like Hitler's Third Reich! Any American who votes for this man will be voting for the death of American democracy and the birth of an American dictatorship. Only the seriously deluded would vote for anyone who would bring this about. For heaven's sake, learn the lessons of history!

One can but feel sorry for Americans who are going to have to live through this catastrophe. To use the vocabulary of the Palestinians, Americans will have to live through their very own Nakbah if they err and elect this man.

Unfortunately, it is not only Americans who will have to suffer if Trump is re-elected president for a second term, the rest of the world will have to suffer too! – © Mark Alexander

Le pape François congédie un évêque conservateur américain

LE MONDE : Joseph E. Strickland avait tweeté qu’il rejetait le « programme du pape qui sape le dépôt de la foi ». Il est très rare qu’un évêque catholique romain soit purement et simplement relevé de ses fonctions.

Le pape François a démis de ses fonctions l’évêque de Tyler (Texas), Joseph E. Strickland, l’un de ses plus féroces détracteurs parmi les conservateurs catholiques américains, selon un communiqué du Vatican publié samedi.

Il est très rare qu’un évêque catholique romain soit purement et simplement relevé de ses fonctions. Habituellement, les évêques en délicatesse avec le Vatican sont invités à partir avant de présenter leur démission, qui est acceptée par le pape. » | Le Monde avec Reuters | Samedi 11 novembre 2023

Far-right ‘Defends’ the Cenotaph to the Echo of Home Secretary’s Words

THE OBSERVER: Tension built all week about the Gaza march on Armistice Day. In the end, the far-right sparked violence. Then huge peaceful crowds surged through London

Never has the Cenotaph, in its 103 years of standing sentry on Whitehall, been “defended” on Armistice Day by a Port Vale fan supping a can of Stella Artois.

“I’m here in case the jihadists get past the police, who’ll probably just let them through anyway,” said Ben Neale, 22, from Tunstall, Staffordshire. “If they do come, they’ll soon wish they hadn’t.”

As it transpired, it was some of his fellow football supporters, backed aggressively by elements of the far right, who broke violently through police lines, toppling over metal barricades, throwing missiles and temporarily forcing officers back as they surged towards the Cenotaph on the anniversary of the end of the first world war. » | Mark Townsend | Saturday, November 11, 2023

Hundreds of Thousands Rally for Gaza in London as Police Arrest Far-right Protesters

THE OBSERVER: Huge attendance at marsh will add to pressure on Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to back calls for ceasefire in Middle East conflict

A pro-Palestinian protest on Park Lane in London on Saturday, marching from Hyde Park to the US embassy in Vauxhall. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA
Hundreds of thousands of people marched peacefully through central London yesterday to protest against Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza, following a week of intense political debate over the policing of sensitive demonstrations.

The Metropolitan Police said around 300,000 people had converged on the capital from all parts of the country, while organisers of the pro-Palestinian event put the number closer to 800,000 and claimed it was one of the biggest marches in British history.

The attendance will add to political pressure on both the prime minister Rishi Sunak and the Labour leader Keir Starmer to back calls for a ceasefire in the conflict, which began after a Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on 7 October, murdering 1,200 Israelis and taking around 240 hostages. » | Mark Townsend, Tobi Thomas, Rajeev Syal and Toby Helm | Saturday, November 11, 2023


300.000 Menschen bei propalästinensischer Großdemo in London: In der Nähe der Demonstrationsroute werden mehr als 90 britische Nationalisten und Hooligans festgenommen. Die Polizei hatte Angriffe auf die Demonstranten befürchtet. »

Dimitra's Dishes: Greek-style Pumpkin Pie Spirals

Nov 11, 2023

What World Leaders Are Doing to Help End the War in Gaza | DW News

Nov 11, 2023 | Arab leaders were joined in Saudi Arabia by the presidents of Turkey and Iran for an emergency summit on Gaza. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said his people face a 'genocidal war' and want international protection. Arab nations are expected to issue a joint call for an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

Germany's foreign minister is in Ramallah to meet with Palestinian leaders. Annalena Baerbock will also hold talks with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in Tel Aviv later this evening. The trip comes on the heels of a meeting with Gulf State leaders, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Baerbock discussed efforts to free German hostages being held by Hamas, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This is her third visit to the region since the October 7 terror attacks.

David Frum on Political Polarization in 2024 & Trump's Potential Military Coup | The Warning Podcast

Nov 11, 2023 | Steve is joined by the Atlantic's David Frum. Together, they discuss the importance of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the deep political polarization of the United States & how Trump will try and steal the election in 2024.

Michael Lambert: Sadistic Bully Braverman Targets the Weakest

Nov 11, 2023 | As winter approaches, it is said that around 10,000 homeless people in this country are living on the streets and sleeping rough. I ask why it is, when we are so clever and so advanced, why it is that, despite being so we are unable to find a way of solving the problem of the homeless.

Similarly, it seems impossible to understand, looking at the Israeli - Palestinian conflict, how resolution of conflict cannot be solved other than with military force.

It seems so wrong that so many innocent children should have to suffer the consequences of war.

Earlier this week, King Charles, when opening Parliament, seemed to treat all that he was reading with contempt. He made it very clear that he has no time for the Sunak government or their programme.

Finally, both Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman appear to be making important decisions based, not upon the nation's interests but upon their personal political futures. I believe that Braverman's description of homelessness as a lifestyle choice was crass, insensitive and stupid and that in saying so, she may well have ruined any chances of becoming Tory leader.

Arab League Holds Summit: Regional Leaders Gather in Riyadh to Discuss War

Nov 11, 2023 | The summit in Riyadh has started, with the Saudi crown prince delivering his opening remarks.

Qatar’s emir condemns silence on Gaza »

Kapitalismus Made in USA - Reichtum als Kult (3/3) | Doku HD | ARTE

Nov 10, 2023 | In den 1980er-Jahren setzten Ronald Reagan und die Konservativen eine Politik der Deregulierung und der Steuersenkung durch. Das Silicon Valley wurde zum neuen Eldorado für junge Unternehmen. Millionäre und Großkonzerne wussten schon bald ihre Rechte genauestens anzuwenden und entkamen so ihrer Steuerpflicht ...

Als die Konservativen 1980 mit Ronald Reagan wieder an die Macht kamen, setzten sie dem Liberalismus ein jähes Ende. Die Deregulierung wurde vorangetrieben, die Steuersätze gesenkt. Erneut wurden „die Reichen immer reicher“ – genau wie in den Jahren vor dem Börsencrash von 1929. Gleichzeitig beflügelte die Entwicklung der Rechenleistung von Mikroprozessoren das Silicon Valley und ermöglichte die Herstellung kleinerer Computer. Die Mikroinformatik wurde zum neuen Trend. HP und später auch Apple verbreiteten den Mythos des visionären Computergenies, das in seiner Garage klein anfängt und sich zum millionenschweren Unternehmer hocharbeitet. Gleichzeitig entwickelte sich im Silicon Valley eine neue Kultur: Arbeitnehmerfreundliches Management im Gegenzug für ein grenzenloses Engagement der Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter, die dank Aktienoptionen auf ein Vermögen hoffen konnten. 1995 zog das Internet weltweit in die Haushalte ein und beschleunigte die Kapitalanhäufung fünf mächtiger Firmen: Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon und Microsoft, auch GAFAM genannt. Die Entmonopolisierung gehörte der Vergangenheit an. Bill Gates und eine Handvoll weiterer Milliardäre vermarkteten sich als spendierfreudige Philanthropen, die den übrigen Superreichen als Deckmantel dienten. Sie wussten ihre Rechte genauestens anzuwenden und entkamen so einem Großteil ihrer Steuerpflicht. Amerikanische Großkonzerne setzten außerdem auf ein neues Steuerparadies, den US-Bundesstaat Delaware. Selbst die Finanzkrise 2008 zog keine Regulierung der Finanzmärkte nach sich und 2010 entschied der Supreme Court, dass es für „unabhängige Wahlkampfausgaben“ keine Grenzen gebe: Die Demokratie wurde so erneut zum Jagdrevier der Millionäre. Die Figur des visionären Genies aus dem Silicon Valley ebnete den Weg für ein neues Kapitel in der Geschichte des Kapitalismus – leider ohne jeden Profit für die Staatskassen. Aber um ihre Position als Supermacht zu bewahren und ihr Investitionsvermögen zu sichern, brauchen die USA Steuereinnahmen. Geschröpft wurden und werden letztendlich vor allem Kleinunternehmen und die Mittelschicht.

Dokureihe, Regie: Cédric Tourbe und Romain Huret (F 2020, 59 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 12/05/2024


Teil 1

Teil 2

Ce documentaire sur le capitalisme et la richesse est désormais disponible en français sous-titré en anglais. / This documentary on capitalism and wealth is now available in French with English subtitles.

Capitalism in America - The Cult of Wealth | ARTE.tv Documentary

120 years ago, a capitalist Eldorado emerged in the USA, paving the way for today’s billionaires such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. How did the power of the super-rich consolidate, especially during the depression after 1929 or during Ronald Reagan's policy of deregulation and tax cuts in the 1980s?

Voici les liens vers cette série en trois parties : / Here are the links to this three-part series:

Partie 1 / Part 1

Partie 2 / Part 2

Partie 3 / Part 3

Pro-Palestine March in London Set to Draw Hundreds of Thousands of People

THE GUARDIAN: Organisers say rally on Armistice Day could be one of the largest political marches in British history

Pro-Palestinian protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza march in London on 28 October.Photograph: Guy Smallman/Getty Images
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join a pro-Palestine march in London on Saturday, as the political row over Suella Braverman’s public criticism of the policing of protests rumbles on.

More than 2,000 police officers will be on duty for a “significant” operation across remembrance weekend, the Metropolitan police said on Friday, with 1,000 officers called up from outside the capital.

People will start to assemble at about midday at Park Lane, before beginning to march at 12.45pm.

“We invite all people of conscience to join us in peacefully marching,” said a spokesperson for one of the organisers of the march, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, adding that the group was working with police to ensure public safety. “More than 500,000 people are expected to converge in London, making it one of the largest political marches in British history,” they said. » | Donna Ferguson | Saturday, November 11, 2023

Police Ramp Up Presence in London for Major Pro-Palestinian March: More than 100,000 people were expected to gather in Britain’s capital on Saturday for a demonstration that has become the center of a political controversy. »

The Met may get its ‘peaceful’ march, but British society will pay the terrible price: Islamists are being emboldened to take over public spaces and fill them with anti-Semitic hate »

Met Police warn they will use force to stop Armistice Day being disrupted: Scotland Yard says officers will take ‘robust, rapid and agile action’ as up to a million people prepare to march in London »

Crowds gather for London pro-Palestinian rally as police brace for clashes: LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Protesters gathered in central London on Saturday ahead of a pro-Palestinian march expected to attract hundreds of thousands of people, with police launching a major operation due to fears of clashes on the day of remembrance for war veterans. / The "National March for Palestine", due to start after 1200 GMT, is the latest in a series of rallies in the British capital to show support for the Palestinians since Israel launched an air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip following the Hamas group's Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel. »

Outrage Grows after ‘Chilling Call for Genocide’ by Florida Republican

THE GUARDIAN: Calls to censure Michelle Salzman, who said, ‘All of them’ when Democrat asked: ‘How many [dead Palestinians] will be enough?’

Michelle Salzman, a Florida state representative, in Tallahassee last year. Photograph: Phelan M Ebenhack/AP
Outrage continues to grow over a public comment made by a Florida state Republican lawmaker calling for all Palestinians to die.

The remarks came during a debate in the state legislature about calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which has so far killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, many of whom are children. The assault came after Hamas fighters attacked Israel from Gaza, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostage.

In the speech in support of the ceasefire resolution, the Democratic Florida state representative Angie Nixon said: “We are at 10,000 dead Palestinians. How many will be enough?”

“All of them,” Michelle Salzman called in reply. » | Erum Salam | Friday, November 10, 2023

Islamophobia and Antisemitism On Rise in US amid Israel-Hamas War

THE GUARDIAN: Research shows increase in prejudice and hate as civil rights group condemns ‘unprecedented surge in bigotry’

Islamophobia and antisemitism are seeing sharp increases across the US after war between Israel and Hamas erupted last month.

According to a new report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair), the Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization received a total of 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias between 7 October and 4 November.

Cair, which has called the spike “unprecedented”, revealed that the recent increase in Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment across the US mark a 216% increase over the previous year. In an average 29-day period in 2022, Cair received only 406 complaints. » | Maya Yang | Friday, November 10, 2023

The Pleasure of a Cigarette! / Der Genuß einer Zigarette! / Le plaisir d'une cigarette !

Smoking out of pleasure, not addiction! / Rauchen aus Vergnügen, nicht aus Sucht! / Fumer par plaisir, pas par dépendance !
Don't listen to the ignorant politicians! We've had enough of this Puritanical crap! / Hören Sie nicht auf die ignoranten Politiker! Wir haben genug von diesem puritanischen Mist! / N'écoutez pas les politiciens ignorants ! Nous en avons assez de ces conneries puritaines !
With many thanks to Alex Wjorner on Pinterest for this lovely and interesting photograph.
Make pleasure cool again! Make smoking cool again! After all, there are many undeniable benefits to smoking! Google them! Check them out for yourself! Don't be fooled by the naysayer's narrative!

The Great Reconciliation / Die große Versöhnung / La grande réconciliation / المصالحة الكبرى

Let the queer community show us the way! / Lassen Sie sich von der Queer-Community den Weg weisen! / Laissez la communauté Queer nous montrer le chemin !

With special thanks to "reddit.com" for this superb photograph.
Kiss between a Jew and a Palestinian by Italian photographer Matteo Menicocci. For a large image, click here.

‘Gays for Palestine’: Sky News (Australia) Host Slams ‘Dimwitted’ Protesters

Oct 26, 2023 | In the days following the atrocities inflicted on Israel by Hamas, the progressive left mobilised their seasoned army of protesters across the globe, waved their flags and held their signs in support of Palestine. Students, academics and minority groups stood in solidarity with Islamists in what Sky News All Stars called suicidally stupid. Some view this support as compassionate and empathetic, whilst Sky News All Stars Rita Panahi, Sharri Markson and Douglas Murray see it as dimwitted, mocking the hypocrisy of the left.

Queers for Hamas! Turkeys for Christmas! Gays for Mullahs! Alcoholics for Iran! Pig farmers for Saudi! The list is endless! – © Mark Alexander

The LGBTQ Community in the West Bank

Aug 20, 2019

Exclusive Interview with Donald Trump on Univision

Nov 10, 2023 | In an interview at Mar-A-Lago with Enrique Acevedo, the former president talks about his plans for the country, handling legal battles in the electoral race, and winning the Hispanic vote.

Trump Suggests He Would Use FBI to Go After Political Rivals If Elected in 2024

GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL: Trump said: ‘If I happen to be president and I see somebody doing well and beating me very badly, I say go down and indict them’

Donald Trump has suggested he would use the FBI and justice department to go after political rivals should he return to the White House next year in a move which will further stoke fears of what a second period of office for Trump could mean.

Trump made the comments during an interview with the Spanish-language television network Univision. The host Enrique Acevedo asked him about his flood of legal problems saying: “You say they’ve weaponized the justice department, they weaponized the FBI. Would you do the same if you’re re-elected?”

“They’ve already done it, but if they want to follow through on this, yeah, it could certainly happen in reverse,” Trump replied. “They’ve released the genie out of the box.

…

Prosecuting political rivals is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes and Trump’s remarks are the most candid public revelations so far of the anti-democratic power he would bring to a second term as president. » | Sam Levine | Friday, November 10, 2023

How We Met: ‘It Was Illegal to Be Gay in the Military, So It Was Very Hard for Us’

‘I love how attentive he is’ … Scott (left) and Herb at Frank Lloyd Wright’s home in Oak Park, Illinois, this year.
GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL: Herb, 59, and Scott, 60, became a couple when they were in the US air force together in the 1980s. After being reported and reassigned to different countries, they moved apart. Almost 40 years later, they reunited

After finishing high school in 1983, Herb couldn’t afford the college education he had dreamed of. Instead, he joined the US air force, because they offered an educational assistance programme to help with costs. “I also thought it would be good to get some discipline and direction,” says Herb.

Stationed at a base in Michigan, he started work in the mailroom. The year after, he began to get to know Scott, who had also joined the air force after leaving school. “My cousin had talked me into it,” says Scott. As an administrative clerk, Scott regularly found himself in the mailroom, chatting to Herb.

“He had a very curious, intellectual aspect about him,” says Herb. “We had lots of interests in common and both felt different to our colleagues. We were more into culture and we were quite bookish. He also laughed at all my jokes.”

A friendship blossomed between them, but it wasn’t until August 1984, when they became roommates, that their relationship became romantic. While Scott had already been exploring his sexuality, Herb had never considered a same-sex relationship. “Scott shared with me his sexual orientation. At first, I didn’t think that was of interest to me, but as our friendship grew I found there was an intimacy between us. Even now, I’m not sure I identify as gay, as Scott’s the only man I’ve ever had feelings for. It’s more about the person than the gender for me.” » | Lizzie Cernik | Thursday, November 9, 2023

85. Jahrestag der Reichspogromnacht: »Möge es sich nie wiederholen« | DER SPIEGEL

Nov 10, 2023 | In der Berliner Sonnenallee gedenken Anwohner an einer ehemaligen Außenstelle des KZ Sachsenhausen der Opfer der Pogrome. Nur wenige Blocks entfernt hatten Menschen nach den Hamas-Angriffen auf Israel antisemitische Parolen skandiert.

Uncomfortably Numb: Inside Gaza's Opioid Addiction Crisis | Rewind

Oct 6, 2019 | The Gaza Strip - at points just 10km wide - is a narrow piece of land along the eastern Mediterranean coast. Its Palestinian population is sealed behind a separation barrier and tightly controlled checkpoints.

Gaza is home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians - half of them under the age of 15. Unemployment is among the highest in the world and every day is a struggle to survive. Thousands of young people regularly risk their lives protesting their occupation by Israel along the border fence.

But there is a lesser-known unintended consequence of the occupation: opioid addiction. In 2010, Al Jazeera's Zeina Awad travelled to Gaza and found that more and more young people were turning to prescription drugs to escape from the harsh realities of their lives.

In the underground tunnels between Egypt and Gaza - where lifelines including food and clothes are smuggled into the blockaded strip - Al Jazeera found that a dangerous drug, Tramadol (or Tramal as it is known in Gaza), was also slipping through. The dangerously addictive painkiller is illegal without a prescription, but a growing number of Gazans were getting hooked on it and going to extreme lengths to get it.

"I buy fake prescriptions," Khaled al-Jarah, a long-term drug user, told Al Jazeera at the time. "If I don't get this prescription there are other ways to get the pills. Dealers bring in boxes of them through the tunnels."

Psychologist Dr Samir al-Zaqout treats addicts at Gaza's Community Mental Health Programme, one of the few places they are able to go for help.

"Most of the addicts are between the ages of 18 and 30 ... Those who are supposed to build our future are the most affected," he told Al Jazeera at the time. "If the number of cases I have seen are 150, there are hundreds of others that I have not seen and who would never seek the help of a doctor. Why? Because we live in a traditional society that fears the stigma attached to mental illness. And addiction is not just considered to be a mental health issue. It's seen as even more serious."

Almost a decade on, Rewind returned to Gaza where Dr al-Zaqout told us that most users are still reluctant to come forward to be treated at the facility. "People don't go to therapy or to a psychologist because they are afraid to do so on two counts: they're scared of the Resistance labelling them as collaborators; and they're also afraid of the associated stigma within society," he said.

With Gaza's political and humanitarian situation deteriorating further in recent years, and with a new upsurge of violence at the border, the painkiller problem has also worsened. Although authorities clamped down on Tramadol, other drugs, including Lyrica and Fioricet, have gained popularity. "Now it is smuggled to Gaza through all ports and, consequently, the Strip has been drowned with drugs," said Dr al-Zaqout.


Please note well that my posting of this documentary is NOT a political statement. I am in no way familiar with the actual problems in Gaza, since I have never been there. Having spent many years in the Arab world in years past, I am very familiar with the Middle East; but it is my belief that many of the problems which Gazans face are problems which are peculiar to Gaza itself, especially because of its unique situation and circumstances.

I should like to remind all my visitors and followers once again that I strive to bring you balance, and in three languages. My posts should in no way be understood to mean that I endorse the sentiments expressed therein. – Mark

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese Pasta | Cooking with Zahra

Nov 10, 2023 | “Get ready to indulge in a delicious and creamy pumpkin macaroni and cheese pasta that is perfect for the fall season!”

This video shows how to create a comforting and flavorful dish that combines the creamy goodness of mac and cheese with the warm, cozy taste of pumpkin.

“You'll love how easy it is to make this dish, and your family and friends will be impressed by its unique flavor profile.”


Get the full recipe here.

In Congress and on Campuses, ‘From the River to the Sea’ Inflames Debate

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The pro-Palestinian rallying cry has become a fixture of protests in the United States and was a focus of the congressional censure of Representative Rashida Tlaib. It has a fraught history.

When House Republicans and a solid bloc of Democrats banded together this week to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, for her statements about the Israel-Gaza war, they homed in on her embrace and defense of one pro-Palestinian slogan they called unacceptable: “from the river to the sea.”

The official congressional rebuke of Ms. Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, said the phrase was “widely recognized as a genocidal call to violence to destroy the state of Israel.” The top White House spokeswoman disavowed it from the West Wing, saying that it was “divisive” and that many considered it hurtful and antisemitic.

The phrase, which Ms. Tlaib has defended as “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction or hate” has not only become a flashpoint for dispute in Washington; it has echoed across college campuses and in cities throughout the country in recent weeks as pro-Palestinian activists protest the heavy civilian toll of Israel’s war against Hamas. The slogan has prompted charges of antisemitism and fueled an increasingly bitter debate over the conflict, its root causes and how it should be waged — and what position the United States should be taking as it rages on.

The decades-old phrase has a complicated back story that has led to radically different interpretations by Israelis and Palestinians, and by Americans who support them.

“The reason why this term is so hotly disputed is because it means different things to different people,” said Dov Waxman, a professor of Israel studies at the University of California in Los Angeles, adding that “the conflicting interpretations have kind of grown over time.”

The phrase “from the river to the sea” — or in Arabic, “min al-nahr ila al-bahr” — dates to the dawn of the Palestinian nationalist movement in the early 1960s, about a quarter century before Hamas came into existence. It gained popularity within the Palestine Liberation Organization, or P.L.O., as a call for returning to the borders under British control of Palestine, where Jews and Arabs had both lived before the creation of Israel as a Jewish state in 1948. » | Karoun Demirjian and Liam Stack, Reporting from Washington and New York | Thursday, November 9, 2023

Read in Simplified Chinese 阅读简体中文版 »

Read in Traditional Chinese 閱讀繁體中文版 »

Le rejet de l’antisémitisme n’est pas négociable

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : Devant la multiplication des actes contre les juifs en France, la marche du 12 novembre apparaît comme un sursaut collectif nécessaire, au-delà des calculs politiques.

La multiplication des actes antisémites en France − plus de 1 000 recensés depuis l’éclatement du conflit entre le Hamas et Israël − appelle un sursaut collectif qui n’a que trop tardé. La présidente de l’Assemblée nationale, Yaël Braun-Pivet, et son homologue du Sénat, Gérard Larcher, en ont finalement pris l’initiative mardi 7 novembre. Ils ont appelé à une marche civique contre l’antisémitisme, dimanche 12 novembre, « unissant tous ceux qui se reconnaissent dans les valeurs de la République ». » | Éditorial « du Monde » | jeudi 9 novembre 2023

Rishi Sunak Under Pressure to Sack Suella Braverman over Met Criticism

THE GUARDIAN: Opposition parties call for removal of home secretary as inquiries launched into article on pro-Palestine march

Suella Braverman in Downing Street on 17 October. She has been accused of stoking ‘hatred and division’. Photograph: Future Publishing/Getty Images
Rishi Sunak is under growing pressure to sack Suella Braverman after she ignored Downing Street advice and published an explosive article accusing the Metropolitan police of political bias.

Amid claims that the prime minister is too weak to remove the home secretary, ministers joined with senior police officers in accusing Braverman of stoking “hatred and division” before a pro-Palestinian march on Saturday.

Five opposition parties publicly called for her removal from office on Thursday after Downing Street said the Times article – in which Braverman claimed that unnamed police officers were guilty of “double standards” and “played favourites when it comes to demonstrators” – had not been signed off. » | Rajeev Syal, Peter Walker, Daniel Boffey and Vikram Dodd | Thursday, November 9, 2023

Rishi Sunak faces calls to sack Suella Braverman amid claims she has ‘lost it’: Home Secretary accused of embarrassing the Prime Minister by ignoring No 10's request to edit an article accusing the police of bias »

‘Pound shop Enoch Powell’ Suella Braverman has offended ‘just about everyone’: Northern Irish politicians join calls for PM to sack Home Secretary after her comments on Ulster and ‘hate marches’ »

AI Could Cause ‘Catastrophic’ Financial Crisis, Says Yuval Noah Harari

GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA: Historian and Sapiens author says sophistication of technology makes it difficult to forecast its dangers

Harari said an AI-created financial crisis would not destroy civilisation – ‘at least not directly’.Photograph: Antonio Olmos
Artificial intelligence could cause a financial crisis with “catastrophic” consequences, according to the historian and author Yuval Noah Harari, who says the technology’s sophistication makes forecasting its dangers difficult.

Harari told the Guardian a concern about safety testing AI models was foreseeing all the problems that a powerful system could cause. Unlike with nuclear weapons, there was not one “big, dangerous scenario” that everyone understood, he said.

“With AI, what you’re talking about is a very large number of dangerous scenarios, each of them having a relatively small probability that taken together … constitutes an existential threat to the survival of human civilisation.” » | Dan Milmo, Global technology editor | Friday, November 10, 2023

Home and Away Actor Johnny Ruffo Dies Aged 35

GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA: Actor and singer was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 and revealed it was terminal last August

Johnny Ruffo pictured in September 2017. The former X Factor contestant has died aged 35.Photograph: Don Arnold/WireImage
Johnny Ruffo, the former Home and Away actor and X Factor contestant, has died aged 35.

Ruffo was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017, and underwent surgery to remove a tumour, but the cancer returned three years later. Last August, Ruffo revealed that his diagnosis was terminal.

His death was announced in a statement shared to his Instagram account on Friday.

“It is with a heavy heart that today we had to farewell our beloved Johnny,” the statement read.

“Surrounded by his partner Tahnee and family, Johnny went peacefully with the support of some incredible nurses and doctors. » | Sian Cain | Friday, November 10, 2023

What a sad end to the life of a successful and handsome young man just coming into his prime. RIP – Mark

‘Never Again Is Now’: 1938 Nazi Pogrom Anniversary Marked in Germany

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Antisemitism is poisoning our society’ says Olaf Scholz at Berlin synagogue that was destroyed 85 years ago and is again target of firebombing

The slogan ‘Nie Wieder Ist Jetzt!’ (‘Never again is now’) is projected onto the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to mark the 85th anniversary of the November 1938 pogroms in Germany and Austria. Photograph: Joerg Carstensen/AP
There could hardly have been a more powerfully symbolic setting for a ceremony to mark the 85th anniversary of the 1938 November pogroms than the Beth Zion synagogue.

The place of worship in the heart of Berlin was largely destroyed in the violence that exploded on the night of 9 November that year, when Nazi thugs carried out murderous, state-sponsored attacks on Jewish property and homes.

The building was painstakingly rebuilt and completed in 2014 on the original site. And then, three weeks ago, it was firebombed, attacked with molotov cocktails by two masked men as Germany witnessed a rise in antisemitic incidents in the wake of Israel’s war with Hamas.

On Thursday, with police marksmen and armoured vehicles guarding the synagogue, 102-year-old Margot Friedländer took her place in the congregation alongside family members of some of the 240 Israeli hostages currently being held captive by Hamas. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Thursday, November 9, 2023

The Lincoln Project: Trump's Hialeah Speech in 94 Seconds

Nov 9, 2023

Up until now, I was pretty convinced that Trump probably belonged in klink. After watching this, I think that a loony bin would be a more appropriate place to send him! This man is totally and utterly unhinged. Is this really the best calibre of man that the Grand Old Party can throw up to run for the presidency? – © Mark Alexander

Ayaan Hirsi Ali on Europe’s Self-inflicted Migration Crisis and “Toxic” Wokery | Off Script

Aug 13, 2021 | Fear reigns among researchers, politicians and journalists when talking about the rise in sexual violence resulting from the migration crisis in Europe. Women's rights activist and author Ayaan Hirsi Ali joins Steven Edginton to discuss the failure to integrate migrants into European society and the rise in sexual violence against women in this week's Off Script podcast.

I agree with so much of what this courageous lady says, particularly what she says on Islam; but her position on Brexit is diametrically opposed to my own. She seems to be disregarding why this country went into Europe in the first place, and she is also disregarding the prosperity that belonging to the EU – the largest single market in the world – brought this country over the years and that it would have gone on bringing us. She also ignores one of the main reasons that the EU came into existence in the first instance: for reasons of peace in Europe. So I just wanted to make my position clear on this matter. – © Mark Alexander

Steve Schmidt Reacts to the 3rd GOP Presidential Debate | The Warning

Nov 9, 2023 | Steve Schmidt breaks down the 3rd GOP Debate between Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and Tim Scott. Who won? Who lost? And will it make a difference in the race against Donald Trump?

Piers Morgan Uncensored: Israel-Hamas War: Piers Morgan vs Rabbi Shmuley and Cenk Uygur Going Head-to-Head In Fiery Clash

Nov 9, 2023 | As calls for a ceasefire in Gaza grow ever louder. Should Israel hold its fire? Or would that be a gift for Hamas?

Rabbi Shmuley and Cenk Uygur go head-to-head on Piers Morgan Uncensored in a fiery and furious debate. The clash between Rabbi Shmuley and Cenk Uygur highlights the deep divisions and emotional intensity surrounding the conflict.

Rabbi Shmuley argues that Hamas's charter is dedicated to the eradication of Israel, branding it as a form of genocide. He emphasises the moral distinction between the goals of Hamas and Israel, stating that Israel aims to eliminate Hamas terrorists, not all Palestinians.

Cenk Uygur counters by asserting that Israel's actions, including the occupation and displacement of Palestinians, meet the definition of genocide.

Persia under the Shah

This is an amateur movie of Iran before the Mullahs got their mitts on the country and turned a delightful country into a nightmare.

Kapitalismus Made in USA - Reichtum als Kult (2/3) | Doku HD | ARTE

Nov 8, 2023 | Im Oktober 1929 brach die Wirtschaft in den Vereinigten Staaten zusammen. Die Großindustriellen setzten die Mechanismen der Wirtschaft mit Naturgesetzen gleich und bauten auf deren Selbstheilungskräfte. Roosevelts "New Deal" sahen sie als Schikane. Der Erfolg dieser Politik ist aus heutiger Sicht umstritten ...

Das Paradies der Millionäre ging mit dem Börsenkrach von 1929 und der darauffolgenden Depression zugrunde. Der interventionistische „New Deal“ des 1932 gewählten Präsidenten Franklin D. Roosevelt war für die um Lösungen verlegenen Wirtschaftsgrößen zunächst ein willkommenes Programm. Sie stimmten der Gründung öffentlicher Unternehmen zur Senkung der Arbeitslosigkeit zu und ließen sich auf Gehaltsverhandlungen mit den Gewerkschaften ein. Der Konsens währte jedoch nicht lange, denn die Industriellen verdächtigten Roosevelt, den Kapitalismus dauerhaft regulieren zu wollen. Sie beschuldigten den Präsidenten der Tyrannei. Die „New Dealer“ bezeichneten sich als Antwort darauf fortan als Liberale, ihre Gegner als Konservative. Roosevelt wurde trotz der gegen ihn ausgerichteten Propagandakampagnen der Konservativen 1936 wiedergewählt. Aber der „New Deal“ war teuer. Da nur die Oberschicht einkommensteuerpflichtig war, lautete die Parole der Liberalen nun: Die Reichen schröpfen! Doch Letztere hatten mit Spendengeldern ein Steuerschlupfloch gefunden: Die Staatskasse blieb leer und der „New Deal“ verlief kurz vor Beginn des Zweiten Weltkriegs im Sande. Zu Kriegsbeginn konnte die amerikanische Rüstungsbranche nur 25 Prozent der Aufträge bedienen, woraufhin entschieden wurde, die Einkommenssteuerpflicht auf die gesamte Bevölkerung auszudehnen. Der Staat erlebte infolgedessen einen gehörigen wirtschaftlichen Aufschwung. Außerdem erkannten die Unternehmer ausgerechnet in der Atombombe die Möglichkeit einer Zusammenarbeit zwischen Privatsektor, Wissenschaft und Staat. 1945 produzierten die USA die Hälfte des weltweiten Reichtums. Trotz eines fortan streng regulierten Kapitalismus war das Wachstum so enorm, dass die Reichen die neuen Spitzensteuersätze hinnahmen.

Dokureihe von Cédric Tourbe und Romain Huret (F 2020, 60 Min)

Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 12/05/2024


Klicken Sie bitte hier, um Teil 1 anzusehen.

Former British Soldier Demolishes Remembrance Day Hypocrites

Nov 9, 2023 | G.I. Joe doesn’t hold back in this video.

If you agree with Joe Glenton and you would like to read his book, this is a link to it. Please understand that the very fact that this video appears on this blog should not be construed as a total endorsement of this gentleman's views. I do, however, admire this man for his courage and outspokenness. Two characteristics in a person that I very much admire. These days, there is far too much cowardice and mealy-mouthedness about. People are far too quick to cover their ars**! That, in itself, of course, is an indication of cowardice. – © Mark Alexander

You can support Double Down News here. DDN speaks for the people, not the powerful.

Hilary Clinton Likens Trump to Hitler and Warns He Would End Democracy

THE GUARDIAN: Former senator and secretary of state says Nazi leader was initially elected and that ‘Trump is telling us what he intends to do’

Hillary Clinton warned that Donald Trump back in the White House ‘would be the end of our country as we know it, and I don’t say that lightly’. Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA
Hillary Clinton has compared Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler as she offered a blunt warning about the dangers of a second Trump presidency.

Trump back in the White House, Clinton said during an appearance on ABC’s daytime talkshow The View on Wednesday, “would be the end of our country as we know it, and I don’t say that lightly”.

The former first lady, senator and secretary of state said: “When I was secretary of state, I used to talk about ‘one and done’. What I meant by that is that people would get legitimately elected and then they would try to do away with elections, and do away with opposition, and do away with a free press.”

Then Clinton added: “Hitler was duly elected. All of a sudden somebody with those tendencies, dictatorial, authoritarian tendencies, would be like ‘OK we’re gonna shut this down, we’re gonna throw these people in jail.’ And they didn’t usually telegraph that. Trump is telling us what he intends to do.” » | Sam Levine | Thursday, November 9, 2023

Hillary Clinton is absolutely right to compare Trump with Hitler. Trump would be a very dangerous choice for president. Somehow, the USA and the world managed to get through his first term in office – with difficultry. But a second term in office, especially with the world in the state it is now in, it would be far more difficult to do so. The man is unhinged. He’d be more suited to running a brothel rather than a country! Frankly, one would have to have a screw loose to vote for Trump for president for a second term. In any case, why are the authorities taking so long to lock him up? Surely with all those indictments, courts would have plenty of reason to open the jail doors and then demand that the keys be thrown away! (Just as Trump wanted be done with Hillary Clinton. Lest we forget!) By locking Trump up, the people would be spared from disaster. – © Mark Alexander

The public doesn’t understand the risks of a Trump victory. That’s the media’s fault: With democracy in the balance, the press must relay the crucial importance of this election and the dangers of a Trump win »

In a world on fire, Biden struggles to banish the curse of Trump: From Afghanistan and Ukraine to the Middle East, the US president faces the fallout from his predecessor’s foreign policy blunders »

One Month after Hamas’s Attacks, It’s Britain that Is Surrendering

THE TELEGRAPH: So far the Government’s response to the eruption of hatred has failed to meet the scale of the problem

The Prime Minister still has time to prove he is serious about tackling the threat to Britain's way of life
Where is Rishi Sunak? Britain’s Jewish community is more fearful for its safety than at any time since the Second World War, according to the Chief Rabbi; lies, conspiracy theories, genocide denialism, blood libels and violent language are rampant at demonstrations and on social media; and what is the Prime Minister actually doing about it? The lack of leadership from No 10 is heartbreaking.

“Holding Scotland Yard to account” is insultingly insufficient. Senior Tories have expressed their disapproval of the marches and of the language used, but this is mere talk, and too sotto voce. There is no game-changing strategy to shift the narrative, no plan to combat disinformation, no immediate proposals to tighten legislation or ban dangerous groups, no moves to prevent train carriages, poppy sellers or branches of M&S from being targeted.

Abominable ideas – such as the lie that Hamas didn’t kidnap any Israeli children, and that posters of hostages are fake – are spreading, and yet there is a vacuum, an abdication of responsibility in Whitehall and it is emboldening every kind of maniac and inflaming every kind of hideous tension.

None of this was meant to be possible. The modern British model is in crisis: a tiny minority is under immense pressure, and the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the BBC, the Government, the human rights advocates and the virtue-signalling middle classes are doing the bare minimum they can get away with. » | Allister Heath | Wednesday, November 8, 2023

November-Pogrome 1938: Wie wurden aus Nachbarn Todfeinde? | How Did Neighbours Become Mortal Enemies?

With English subtitles
Nov 8, 2018 | Im November 1938 kommt es zu brutalen Ausschreitungen gegen Juden in Deutschland. Synagogen werden angezündet, jüdische Mitbürger verfolgt und angegriffen. Doch wie wurden aus Nachbarn Todfeinde?

Anfang des 20. Jahrhundert scheinen Juden in der deutschen Gesellschaft angekommen. Aber mit dem 1933 verstaatlichten Judenhass schwingt die Stimmung in der Bevölkerung um. Juden gelten als Sündenböcke, überall wo Unzufriedenheit herrscht. Der bestehende Neid auf die meist erfolgreichen jüdischen Unternehmer wird genutzt, um gezielt ein Feindbild aufzubauen. Die Nationalsozialisten beginnen zunächst damit polnisch-stämmige Juden nach Polen abzuschieben, wo sie jedoch auch nicht aufgenommen werden. Mit dem Attentat auf einen deutschen Diplomaten will der junge Herschel Grynszpan auf die verzweifelte Lage der jüdischen Familien aufmerksam machen. Doch die Propaganda verfälscht die einsame Verzweiflungstat wirkungsvoll zum Angriff einer angeblichen „jüdischen Weltverschwörung“. Es folgt eine bis dahin unvorstellbare Woge der Zerstörung, Brandstiftung, Plünderung bis hin zum Totschlag.

Dieses Video ist eine Produktion des ZDF
Autor: Peter Hartl.

Die Reichspogromnacht: Köln im November 1938 | Köln im Dritten Reich

Oct 24, 2018 | Vor 80 Jahren, am 9. November 1938, brannten in ganz Deutschland jüdische Gotteshäuser, wurden deutsche Juden von organisierten Nazi-Horden gejagt, misshandelt und auch getötet. Deutschlandweit wurden in dieser Nacht 30.000 Menschen verschleppt, unzählige Wohnungen und Geschäfte verwüstet.

Dieser Ausschnitt aus der Doku-Reihe: Köln im ""Dritten Reich" schildert die damals als "Reichskritallnacht" verharmlosten Pogrome aus Kölner Perspektive. Für die NS-Diktatur markiert dieser Tag den Wandel zu einer ungehemmten offenkundig verbrecherischen Politik und deshalb eine Zäsur.

Dieses Video ist Teil der mehrteiligen Doku-Reihe "Köln im "Dritten Reich"".