Daily Archives: February 4, 2021

I am writing to respond to the commentary written by Lee Lynch, "Please raise my taxes; I can afford it" (Opinion Exchange, Feb. 2). I agree with everything he said and commend him for the courage to say it. However, I offer a different approach.

Many who express resistance to higher taxes believe strongly that governments that collect the additional taxes are very inefficient and waste a meaningful percentage of the revenues that flow through them. "I would be happy to pay more in taxes to help the disadvantaged, but I can't stand the wastefulness of government" is a frequent refrain of the wealthy.

Regrettably, these same wealthy are free to make voluntary donations to nonprofits that serve the community but do not, even though they profess to care about the disadvantaged. One cannot credibly resist higher taxes as "inefficient" and then not make charitable donations in lieu of paying higher taxes. One way or the other we must address the needs of our community, and we need the wealthy to pay more, as Lynch points out.

My recommendation is that governments impose a special surtax on the wealthy (5% on income above $1 million?) but give the wealthy taxpayer a choice. Either pay the higher taxes to government or make a donation in the amount of the surtax to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The donation must be made in the same year that the taxes would be due.

If donated to a nonprofit, the additional money would flow directly into the community rather than through the government, which would eliminate the excuse for not wanting to pay higher taxes.

A Tuesday letter writer misses the point of Lee Lynch's commentary advocating for higher taxes on the wealthy as a solution to our crippling deficits when making the oft-repeated argument that Lynch is welcome to pay more than his mandatory amount if he feels he is not paying his fair share. Obviously, Lynch electing to pay more in taxes is not going to solve our budget issues by itself. Instead, Lynch would like to see all 1-percenters required to pay more in taxes in order to not leave these huge debts for our children and grandchildren to eventually pay off.

A writer from Stillwater complained in Tuesday's letters about the "high" tax rates in Minnesota. He mentioned the steps taken to compensate his employees but fails to recognize the state-supported programs that make Minnesota a desirable place to live. Then he claims without evidence that there is "waste, fraud and abuse" in public spending. Perhaps this writer would care to explain which of the programs contains all this "abuse"? Would it be the underfunded public health system? The underfunded education system? The underfunded transportation system? The underfunded early child-care system? All of these public projects create the opportunity for his employees to show up at work each and every day so that he can be successful as an entrepreneur.

I certainly have to agree with a Monday letter writer as to the hypocrisy of Republicans now wanting to support fiscal prudence after the massive giveaway that was their tax "reform." To my surprise and gratification, however, on certain points of their counterproposal to the president's stimulus plan, I agree with them. The money, however much it is, really needs to be directed to those in real need "well-thought-out" dollars, to quote the letter writer. To borrow his analogy of the sinking life raft, we need to make sure the life vests we're tossing out are actually landing in the raft, and not on a passing cruise ship (which is where so many of us, in truth, find ourselves).

Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, stated in this paper on Tuesday that to "keep our party united" the "family dispute" between the radical right fringe and traditional Republicans must be handled "behind closed doors" ("Emboldened extremist wing flexes its power," Feb. 2). McDaniel would not even condemn Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has embraced QAnon conspiracies, denied the Sandy Hook and Parkland school shootings and supported violence against Democrats. I guess the radical right epitomized by Greene is in the Republican "family."

What? The Republican Party that once stood for law and order now defends the lawlessness of its supporters storming the U.S. Capitol, the citadel of our democracy. The party of accountability for one's actions now wants to "move on" and pretend this violent assault and attempted coup didn't happen.

The party attacking "fake news" perpetuates the fake news that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen," even though more than 60 court decisions, every secretary of state, the FBI and Trump's own administration assert it was fair and legitimate.

The party that condemned "political correctness" now formally censures Republicans who don't hew to the politically correct positions espoused by former President Donald Trump and his right-wing supporters.

Republicans hope they can unite themselves by opposing Democratic legislation. The Republican Party has become one that can oppose but not propose, detract but not enact. Remember its health care plan to replace Obamacare? Never saw it. Remember tax cuts for the middle class? Only saw one for the wealthy and corporations. Remember legislation to rebuild America's infrastructure? Never started. The border wall paid for by Mexico? Never saw a peso.

By obediently enabling Trump in order to maintain power, Republicans adopted into their family the radical right with its "loony lies" and electoral "cancer" (per Sen. Mitch McConnell). In sacrificing principles for power, they have lost both.

Thank you, Pat Samples, for your excellent commentary on ageism ("Growing older is not awful; ageism is," Opinion Exchange, Jan. 29). I couldn't agree more with your perspective, but I would like to mention one more problem that results from ageism.

When I was 59, I joined a fitness training group at a major facility. I was at a somewhat poor fitness level due to a surgery I had to endure, but thankfully I had a trainer who did not let that stop me. He pushed me to do what I could do within the group and if there was a problem, he found an alternate exercise that made me stay in the game. As time passed, I improved. In just nine months, I was in the best shape of my life. I was stronger than ever and I easily found myself running 5-mile runs each week. Even my sore lower back was free of pain and stronger. I slept better, my body fat dropped from 29% to 19%, and I ate healthier.

As we age, it is normal for well-intentioned people to tell us that we need to slow down and be more careful. This message shapes the thinking of seniors so that they think it is impossible to overcome the aches and pains of life. We need to stop telling our seniors to slow down and instead tell them to go for a walk, play pickleball, swim, bike or go for a hike. Will they get aching muscles? Yes, and that is a good thing. Check with your doctor and if possible, work with a fitness trainer. They can give you the right exercise program to overcome what ails you, but in any case, get back to doing something good for your health.

We want to hear from you. Send us your thoughts here.

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Readers Write: Raising taxes, warring sides of the GOP, aging well - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Don't ask the author to write about buffalo.

She said, "Write a poem about buffalo."

I told her I didn't know much about buffalo; save for those I watched grazing a high school football field near Yellowstone. And those may have been bison.

"But your people..."

"My people raised shorthorns on a ranch in Hall, Montana," I told her. "Later my people took jobs as engineers at Hewlett-Packard, joined the PTA, and enrolled me in cello lessons. We celebrated Serbian Christmas."

What had this teacher expected of me? What expectations are had of other diverse writers? Isn't it another form of silencing when we are not encouraged to write our stories and poems in the voice of our experience, even when that experience fails expectation and assumption or challenges the readers' comfort?

A student of mine gave me a book for Christmas. He tapped the cover twice, said, "This is real." The book was Pimp: The Story of My Life, by Iceberg Slim. The first words were "A pimp is happiest when his whores giggle." I put the book down. Picked it back up again. Then I stayed awake late reading it. I found I wanted to understand the life of a pimp in the early '40s, and I came to appreciate Slim for giving it to me straight.

Drew, the student who gifted me Pimp, is writing a memoir of his time in Vegas as a carder, someone who runs credit card scams. One of the first essays he turned in used "bitch" to refer to his female companion. It made me uncomfortable for the same reasons it just made you uncomfortable.

I took it out. Asked him to change it. "Find another word or they won't publish it."

"But that would be their word, not mine." He reminded me of a lecture I repeatedly gave about the most important aspect of memoir: honesty.

Drew knew the street. His closest friends were prostitutes. He did his share of drugs and scamming, then his share of time in prison. I would reference Shawshank, and he would laugh and say, "Not quite." I would ask about prostitutes. Like Pretty Woman? "Hollywood whores are just that," he'd say. "Something made up in Hollywood."

When we began working together, I searched for memoirs by cons and dopers. Examples he could glean from. I came back with fiction from white-collar criminals, reform stories, and a few poems. I wanted him to see himself in literature. Something to point to and ask, like this?

I remembered my own time as a student. I craved memoirs of mixed-race children and biracial adoptees. I wanted to read experiences of women who went into the mountains to experience wildness; not to overcome tragedy or find themselves. I needed stories about women who had to show up at their job the day after terrible heartbreak, not about those who flew first-class to Italy and drank wine. What about girls who struggle with weight but never lose it? Native kids who grow up off-reservation and never experience their presumed culture? What about women who write about rape and cannot retaliate against their abuser?

"This is not a hopeful tale," her agent said of a novel my friend wrote about a woman and her stalker. "But this is real," my friend replied. "I have experienced it."

"No one will believe that."

"I need an agent willing to take risks," my friend told me.

Why is truth risky?

Is it because truth doesn't sell? Because honesty makes us uncomfortable? Has the publishing industry cultivated an audience who only believe writers who are performing their presumed culture? Or gender? Who will only read a hopeful tale? Readers who seek shelter from the truth with political correctness and acceptable speech? Why are students surprised when they hear that "Those Winter Sundays" is written by a Black man? Are you surprised to know Drew is white?

A popular journal recently rejected a poem I wrote about a friend who committed suicide, "This doesn't sound like your other poems." Can't I, like Whitman, contain multitudes? Or are multitudes only allowed to white men?

My friend won't write a strong-girl fairy tale. I don't write about buffalo. Drew left "bitch" in his essay.

CMarie Fuhrman is the author of Camped Beneath the Dam: Poems (Floodgate 2020) and co-editor of Native Voices (Tupelo 2019). She has published poetry and nonfiction in multiple journals as well as several anthologies.

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In writing your own story, why is the truth risky? - Pacific Northwest Inlander

Once a major party that elected two presidents, the Whigs dissolved in 1856 over the issue of slavery. From the ashes arose what became the anti-slavery Republican Party.

Today, 165 years later plagued with deep ruptures its possible the Republican Party could dissolve in a decade or two. The critical question: Is Trump adoration by the GOP base akin to the Whigs splintering over slavery?

Although an overused political clich, here are five reasons the Republican Party could go the way of the Whigs.

Voters are abandoning the GOP for diametrically opposed reasons

Last week, after writing about why I left the Trumplican Party, I was deluged with two types of emails. First, long-time Republican friends and readers of The Hill applauded my bold and brave declaration of independence after doing the same.

Second were messages from (now) ex-friends leaving the party for totally different reasons than you listed. Their disappointment stems from so-called Republicans that failed to support Trump and defend him. One wrote that I am part of the problem with the Republican Party, and another stated how no longer would we break bread.

Rising passions resulting in double subtraction generates a political equation with GOP decline as the answer.

Cancer for the Republican Party

During the June 1973 Senate Watergate Committee hearings, White House Counsel John Dean testified that he had told President Nixon of a cancer growing on the presidency. Nixon eventually resigned but left the Republican Party severely damaged. Recovery, in the form of a political savior, came in 1980 when Ronald Reagan was elected president.

On Monday, the cancer analogy dramatically resurfaced. SenateMinority LeaderMitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOn The Money: Biden commits to ,400 checks, but open to eligibility limits | House approves budget resolution for COVID-19 package | McConnell seeks to inflict political pain on budget votes Overnight Health Care: Biden commits to ,400 checks, but open to eligibility limits | CDC director: Teacher vaccination 'not a prerequisite' for safe school reopening | Coronavirus infections, hospitalizations falling Senate names first Black secretary of the Senate MORE(R-Ky.) alluded to how Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is contaminating the entire party with loony lies and conspiracy theories, warning of cancer for the Republican Party.

Unfortunately, whatever treatment plan McConnell and GOP House leaders put into motion, its too late. Greenes cancer has metastasized into the Republican label, and she is the brands angry new face. Worse, Greene stating that Trump supports me 100 percent highlights her face with professional make-up. Unless eradicated, cancer is often deadly for people and political parties. Now the party is suffering in a white nationalist ICU bed with stage 4 cancer thanks to Trump and Greene.

Republican identity crisis

Given the cancer diagnosis, corporate and major donors are fleeing. And why would average Americans want to identify as Republicans? Soon, they must defend a party that acquitted their president after he incited a deadly insurrection to overturn a certified election based on his Big Lie. The Republican identity crisis is defined by its new membership card slogan reading, We stand for shredding the Constitutions impeachment clause and nullifying lost elections.

Leadership crisis

Here is an easily defined problem that sticks to the party like Super Glue: Are you with Trump or against Trump?

In a recent interview, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDanielRonna Romney McDanielMcConnell says Taylor Greene's embrace of conspiracy theories a 'cancer' Democrats look to make Marjorie Taylor Greene the face of GOP Republicans scramble to unify heading into next election cycle MORE made a laughable assessment, saying, .. if we dont keep our party united and focused on 2022, we will lose. But united and focused around who? Mar-a-Lago is currently the Republican headquarters. Its occupant a twice-impeached former president who in one term led his party to lose control of the White House, Senate and House while inciting a horrific attack on the Capitol is the undisputed party leader. Any senators or representatives who want to purge Trump by voting for impeachment and conviction will face agonizing reelections or choose to step down. Conversely, watch if Trump acolyte Wisconsin Sen. Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonSenate panel advances Biden's Commerce secretary pick in 21-3 vote Senate confirms Biden's DHS pick after GOP delay Democrats face tough odds in race for Ohio Senate seat MORE dares to run for reelection.

While the partys future is viewed through the Trump lens, a strong new prescription is needed to see and eradicate the Big Lie. Sadly, according to one poll, 76 percent of Republicans believe Trump defeated Joe BidenJoe BidenScience is back at the White House; now it must be integrated into American diplomacy Why we will oppose spending bills that repeal or weaken the Hyde Amendment Fauci says he hopes he gets another chance to throw out Nationals first pitch after 'embarrassing' first try MORE. But this week, a ray of hope surfaced when Trump campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio released a campaign autopsy showing that the former president lost largely because of his handling of thecoronaviruspandemic. Moreover, his data show that Trump lost ground among key demographic groups.

Armed with Fabrizios autopsy, all GOP leaders (but especially 2024 presidential hopefuls) must undo Trumps Big Lie about the stolen election. If they collectively fail to do so, there is no uniting, no future, and the party deserves not just to lose but to dissolve.

Demographics

Sixty-seven percent of the 2020 electorate was white, down from 70 percent in 2016. Trump won 58 percent of this shrinking majority, compared to 41 percent for Biden. But the growing non-white vote was 33 percent, which Biden won 71 percent to Trumps 26 percent.

On the bright side, Trump increased his percentage of Hispanic voters from 28 percent to 32 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of Hispanics in the electorate rose to 13 percent, from 11 percent in 2016. Trump also won more Black voters, 12 percent compared to 8 percent in 2016. Still, the Republican Party has a lot of catching up to do with non-white voters. Are demographics destiny? Yes, when combined with the all reasons above. For if the GOP goes the way of the Whigs, demographics would accelerate the demise already in motion.

Ultimately, the one saving grace that could keep the GOP in business is Democratic overreach liberalism gone wild, political correctness run amok and tanking the economy with progressive policies. And all that will start happening in 3, 2, 1.

Myra Adams writes about politics and religion for numerous publications. She is a RealClearPolitics contributor and writes aSundayBible study on Townhall. She served on the creative team of two GOP presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008. Follow her on Twitter @MyraKAdams.

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Is the GOP going the way of the Whigs? | TheHill - The Hill

Dear Editor

To reduce potential confusion I begin this essay with the admonition that no president has represented my interests since JFK. We havent had a free press since at least acting President Reagan and slick Willie. What we have are Propaganda Outlets. Political correctness increases: our free press establishes official truth. Youre free as long as you stand where youre told and say whats expected.

On 1/6 the Dems found a political godsend enabling them to frame their opposition as enemies of the state, damned to ideological purgatory. The Dems now conduct a war of annihilation. The hildabeest said, during an interview, Trump and his deplorables took their orders from Putin. Divide and conquer is the tactic of the rulers and successful as ever.

Consensus is the only way to solve conflict.

If you think the game aint rigged, you aint been paying attention. It follows the same pattern as every other convenient crisis used by government as an excuse to expand its powers, and remove freedoms, at your expense. If you dare to subscribe to any views contrary to the governments you may be suspected of being a domestic terrorist and treated accordingly.

Biden signaled its open season on any opposition: The opposition wont sit still and be abused.Theyll respond so, anticipate consequences. Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party, was the question in 1950, but now its centered on the orange man.

Biden said On this January day my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together, uniting our people, and uniting our nation. I ask every American to join me in this cause. He itemized the target: Anger, resentment, hatred, extremism, violence and lawlessness.

The Biden gang speaks to the Not-Biden Rabble with a sense of conviction that theyre better people and more competent; the rabble are deluded simpletons, who need guidance from their intellectual, moral, and cultural superiors to re-direct their peasant yearnings for a better life into the approved Track.

On inauguration night, Antifa mobs rioted in Portland and Seattle. Similar mobs gave us a summer of rioting, looting and arson after George Floyds death. Democrats never condemned these mobs, but they did the activities of 1/6. Referring to the 2011 invasion of Wisconsins state capitol Nancy Pelosi praised it as an impressive show of democracy in action.

Police brutality certainly is Americas sin. To purge it, we have to kneel. To remove systemic racism while kneeling, white people have to apologize for their privilege. Slaverys next; to free ourselves from that we have to destroy sculptures as white people judge themselves while kneeling and repenting of their white privilege. White supremacy is the latest fiction. I havent seen much of that since the seventies. Now its the new burning issue.

De-fund the police calls have become fund the secret police. Domestic terror bills creating new DHS units to monitor extremism are being advanced. During summer BLM riots were called acts of courage. They even declared an autonomous zone taking over government buildings, yet our free press never used the words insurrection, sedition, or treason. AOC praised these mostly peaceful protests and said the point is to make people feel uncomfortable.

If you feel uncomfortable that 25,000 troops were in the district of corruption, then were told youre a conspiracy theorist. Remember, ignorance is strength, so you must obey the experts. When you accept the accusation, which its become, that someones a conspiracy theorist, youre allowing another to do your thinking for you. Replace that term with: critical thinker.

The media says its their job to control what you believe. Americans in the Land of the Free have had their free speech censored by most media, which features who and what they want while forbidding different views. Welcome to double standard America.

You cant make someone be someone else. You might convince them with patience and evidence.

A majoritybelieve journalists/reporters mislead by knowingly presenting false or exaggerated news; most news organizations favor a political position more than informing citizens. Americans can see that the news is the same no matter which channel you watch. The hypocrisy is thick. Party loyalists are a huge problem because they wear blinders. We expect the media to hold the powerful to account but its mostly image marketing.

After the Trump supporters, with much evidence they were directed by Antifa masquerading as trumpers, stormed the Capitol on 1/6, the media piled on. Their first move was to make it a story about race. The Trump extravaganza had nothing to do with race, but a confederate flag or two and suddenly its a KKK rally to hear the TV present it. Covid blowback, unrestricted immigration, wars of choice, election fraud, but were told its about race. Imagine the outcome/response if BLM had done 1/6? An unarmed Trump supporter at the Capitol was shot dead. If a black protester died by police in 2020s incessant BLM riots, lootings and arsons, hed already be on a postage stamp.

The TV tells us that immigrants from failing countries need free admission to the empire but neglect to remember/consider, the reason theyre running is because our empire has continually destroyed their elected governments that dont toe the empires line, creating mayhem in their countries.

Racism is an endless game of political correctness ignoring that, worldwide, there are differences others have trouble getting past, especially when you factor in the crime of micro aggression whatever that means. Disney is now, with a straight face, calling Peter Pan and Dumbo racist.

Who needs fiction writers these days when we have the Democratic Party? Our ministry of truth sells lies so well, many accept them. All the presstitutes said that theres no evidence of fraud, and all who support examining the evidence are enemies of democracy.In other words, democracy is a stolen election.If you protest the theft, you oppose democracy.

America is close to the monolithic control of information that Orwell predicted in 1984. Big Tech has banned debate about government policy on the coronavirus, and any discussion of election fraud is treated as a crime.One mans misinformation is anothers truth: ignoring Israels crimes is an example of that, as is the recent election. The world clearly sees that the emperor is wearing no clothes.

Our free press was joyous at the arrival of slow Joe. You can sleep easy again: the party of peace, tolerance, and reconciliation has returned. They want to heal and unify the nation, but clearly the only way to do so is to create enemies lists and silence anyone with dissenting opinions.

Dick Costolo, the former CEO of Twitter, said, Me-first capitalists are going to be the first peoplelined up against the wall and shot in the revolution. Ill happily provide video commentary. Companies like Twitter are a big part of the efforts to unify the nation deleting 70,000 accounts using 1/6 as an excuse. The completely fair and objective media says that simply acknowledging this tech purge makes you a conspiracy theorist.

Axios wrote:Right wings new conspiracy: The silencing. They said that only crazy conspiracy theorists believe that there are efforts to silence their voices. In other words, dont believe your lying eyes.

Its illegal for businesses to discriminate due to peoples ancestral origin, but its legal to prohibit opinions. In the manner of No Colored signs on the door of businesses in the 50s they have every right asprivately owned businessesto do business with whomever they wish. The Left is defined by its psychotic doublethink. Its intolerant while advertising itself as open-minded. It promotes discrimination in the name of combatting it.

What are they afraid of, and who have we become?

The first amendment says you shall make no laws restricting free speech. Were told we must ensure harmful speech is regulated to guarantee broad participation in the public dialog thats essential to our democracy. Were told that thefirst amendment needs removal because right-wingers are speaking in unapproved ways. This open-ended condition can be interpreted however any official feels necessary.

Were told Twitter is big, so anti-vaccination/anti-war/pro-Russia/Covid denial viewsare going to cause panic so we must redefine free speech; Offensive, misinformation, and hate speech will be discoveredoften. Everythingcan be made to meananything. The ministry of truth has arrived.

Sowell wrote: If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules that would have gotten you labeled a radical 50 years ago, a liberal 25 years ago, and a racist today. Our free press presents selected information designed to do your thinking for you.

Our political/media class have beenpushing for more authorityto solve their fear of domestic terrorism. New domestic terror policies were in the works before 1/6. Internet censorship isincreasing normalized, and digital armiesare encouraged to report suspects to the authorities, just like the Soviets. An incredibly large part of America seems to have no problem with any of this.

Monopolistic Silicon Valley tycoons are censoring worldwide political speech, just like the TV news. Theres lots of narrative manipulation going on to keep it from being obvious.

The way to stem the tide of whatever concerns you is to eliminate conditions which created it.

Trump was successful by using the widespread awareness that theres a swamp that needs draining: a corrupt political system unconcerned with your interests. Governmentoften does evil things and lies about themassisted by our free press leaving people to imagine whats happening behind closed doors. People see that the system has failed them. Those interested in ending Trumpism/populism would act to end the corrupt political system, from top to bottom.These changes arent being promoted by our political/media class because they speak for an empire that depends on these things.

Corruption enables campaign donations and corporate lobbying/revolving doors,to advance the ruling interests; Government secrecy enables members to conspire (ops, conspiracy theory) to advance the empires agendas. The lying mass media manufacture yourconsent for wars in a system which doesnt serve your interests.

Youre not going to change Americas existing fascist system by expanding an authoritarian monster: you need drastic actual change.

If you dont comply with the ruling parties dogma and agenda, your ability to work, communicate, express your once-free-opinions will come to a halt. The Biden gang doesnt seem to care that there are costs for persecuting Trump and 75 million Americans. It cant be long until those consequences arrive, violently.

Criminalizing opposition to our government is insanely dangerous. The globalist ruling classes have reminded us who is in charge, and how quickly they can remove the democratic and legal facade. The War on Populism is becoming the War on Domestic Terror, one part of the Global War on Terror.

The treatment by the propagandists at CNN/ABC/NBC/CBS/Bloomberg/Fox, et al, of 1/6 proves that when they lie, mislead, quote biased official sources, and reject as conspiracy theory anything opposing their misrepresentations, they can fool half the country. Im reading about arrests for spreading misinformation.

Craig Dudley

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LETTERS / To Ensure That There - High Country Press

The corporate world may not be as supportive of its staff as we would think or like it to be with excesses of passive and hidden aggression. Even with modern management approaches, have we really arrived? Reading the hidden signs in dealing with hostility is key in improving performance and addressing dysfunction in teams.

There is a western trend to a more progressive and less directive culture in certain companies. In theory, employees have greater autonomy and influence over their respective scope of work. This is driven by change management practices, belief in the value of employee engagement, a drive to self-actualization, and the current trends in Mindfulness.

However, I believe there are some recent regressive factors moving away from this, in part driven by a competitive marketplace and the need to be more agile. This may seem as paradoxical as the conventional theory / practice has shown that a more engaged and content workforce will perform better, and deal with the need for agility and rapid delivery. I have tried to postulate the drivers for this regression.

There has been a recent rise of factionalism and tribalism, and the need for people to identify with certain factions or groups. Some commentators are also concerned about the dangers of political correctness, in terms of its potential lack of transparency, and the potential consequence of limiting open debate. This has been exemplified by the recent rhetoric on social media and in the press, post the Brexit vote in 2016. We have also witnessed lower levels of actual teamwork and more individualism. This selfishness is driven by the need to survive, especially as the economy gets tighter.

The first step to delivering impact in a hostile culture is to recognize that you are in one. That statement may sound trite, but it is not as easy as it looks.

What defines a hostile culture or environment? My definition is relatively simple. It is one which limits ones ability to execute their work or perform consistently without thinking of what could come next, and negative distractions like watching your back continually. It is noteworthy that people do not have to shout or raise their voice for the atmosphere to be hostile.

A key element for success, is to understand the difference between active hostility and constructive pressure. The former is intense, repetitive, inauthentic, and likely to be less rational. The latter is the opposite, but still maintains the required accountability, and has a level of mutual trust between parties.

Typical behaviors and activities that are common for active hostility include unrealistic targets, minimal information, poor explanation, no context, shifting deadlines or targets and changing the scope of work. In more severe cases, there can be a mob style approach where a manager enlists others to aid the hostility.

There are many other behaviors that one may witness, but another useful reference point is the work done by Geert Hofstede, the eminent psychologist and his associates, on macro cultures. Hofstede categorizes and describes six different cultures. There will be traits mentioned above that are pertinent in a significant number of the dimensions, but probably the most relevant are Power Distance and Masculinity vs. Femininity.

Cultures that are likely to be hostile will have large power distance and show the characteristics of hierarchy, leading to existential inequality, expected subordination, autocracy, the belief that power is absolute and that its legitimacy cannot be challenged. Cultures with small power distance tend to be more collegiate.

Another trait of active hostility that I have witnessed is that of Compliance. In this case, compliance can be interpreted not of defined rules, but of dictates and edicts. Here, the end justifies the means and defined rules can be bent or ignored to meet the edict.

We must remember that none of these characteristics can be taken in isolation, and on their own, will not determine active hostility, but a combination could lead to one.

What do I mean about finding the balance point, and why is it relevant?

If you are a new leader in a large organisation, then for you to be impactful you will have to be different, without alienating yourself or acquiescing to inappropriate cultural norms. It is critical that you resonate with your team and conform to the rules initially. This does not stop you being a change agent, but you should do it without being too much of an initial maverick.

If you are already established in the organisation, this will be easier, but for you to effect any internal change may be more difficult as there may be a reticence to your challenge. You need to be accepted by your own team to have future impact. This does not mean you do not question, or challenge paradigms. It means you must effect change from the inside and gather momentum.

A coaching background, or understanding the concept of mindfulness and particularly self-awareness, can help. According to the Building Strong Coaching Cultures for the Future, a 2019 study from the International Coaching Federation and the Human Capital Institute (HCI), developing coaching skills for leaders is an ongoing and successful process in organizations with strong coaching cultures.

Understanding the impact of your approach and the behaviour you elicit on the people around you will enable a greater chance of success. This will give you key insights into how your approach will impact the team as you start to challenge them. You need to find the critical balance point between listening, challenging and conforming.

In the previous section I mentioned about the importance of finding the balance point and understanding your environs. This will be a platform for the work you are going to do and help determine the impact you will have on your team.

So, in more detail, what are the key things you need to do to have impact in a hostile environment?

Professional Coaching is an asset for many organisations looking at enforcing authenticity in their workplaces. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. ICF professional coaches work within high ethical standards when coaching teams and leaders. They are part of a worldwide network of credentialed coaches across a variety of coaching disciplines and work toward the common goal of enhancing awareness of coaching, upholding the integrity of the profession, and continually educating themselves with the newest research and practices.

Professional coaching services can befound usingICFs directoryof credentialed coaches spread all over the world.

http://www.coachingfederation.orgwww.coachfederation.org.ukwww.experiencecoaching.com

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How to have impact in hostile environments | theHRD - The HR Director Magazine

Letters to the editor| Ames TribuneFaith and helping

In response to Hector Avalos'sopinion article ("Imagine if we all offered emotional, physical help to those who need it," Jan. 29) I would like to think that being a person of faith does not exclude or prohibit helping others. On the contrary, in many, if not most cases the two go hand in hand.

Renate Dellmann, Ames

I am fed up with the obscene costs of elections and the nauseating levels of political spending.

Nationally, $14 billion was spent on the 2020 elections, with $234 million going towards the Ernst/Greenfield Senate race, the most expensive campaign in Iowas history.

Its no wonder that Americas politics have been overwhelmingly dominated by the ultra-wealthy and well-connected. Sohow can you and I, ordinary people with modest means and good ideas, ever hope to run for office?

Well, finally there is corrective action!H.R. 1, or the For the People Act is a bill introduced in Congress to strengthen voting rights, reform ethics laws, and change campaign finance for the better.

H.R. 1 fundamentally transforms the way that candidates raise money. It addresses dark money, requiring political organizations to disclose big donors. It also establishes a 6x1 matching system for small-dollar donations to presidential andcongressional campaigns, with funds coming from a surcharge on settlements involving corporate wrongdoing (think Wells Fargo or Purdue Pharma).

Reforming money in politics amplifies support from regular people, so that many more of us can run for office without chasing mega-donors. Iowas representatives should vote for H.R. 1.

Susie Petra, Ames

It was once a strength of our country to have a First Amendment that encourages free speech and vigorous debate. A place where all sides of an issue are heard and expressed. But now those who profess to be the most progressive among us wish to stifle debate. When some or many disagree with them concerning the Ames Schools' Black Lives Matter campaign, they are dismissed as racists and bigots. No thought goes into a response like that. It's reflexive and implies that the person with an opposing opinion is ignorant and doesn't deserve to be heard. We have moved from political correctness to the cancel culture. Where are we going as a country? How long before our First Amendment rights have been shredded and we become a totalitarian state like Russia or China?

James Baker, Ames

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Letters to the editor: Regular people must be able to run for office - Ames Tribune

Over the coming months, hundreds of thousands of words will be written about Donald Trump's presidency and the future of the Republican Party. This seems to me a mostly fruitless endeavor, not least because the relationship between Trump and his adopted party was very publicly transactional. He used the GOP to win the White House with very little help from the institutional party, whose leaders abandoned him on the eve of two successive general elections, and they were happy to allow him to appoint 234 judges to the federal bench and sign one tax bill in the first year of his administration. Trump will disappear from the political considerations of Republican elected officials as swiftly as he entered them on the fateful day of the escalator.

A more interesting question is what effect Trump had upon the so-called "conservative movement," that somewhat more nebulous entity, with its magazines, its think tanks and conferences, its canons of half-understood books, its pantheons of gods and heroes. Despite what some have argued, the movement and its institutions have never been synonymous with the Republican Party, which tacitly made its peace with the New Deal when the oldest living Americans were children. What the movement offered the party instead was a kind of geological survey: a map of the sedimentary layers in American political life, and the potential riches waiting to be unearthed by skillful miners of right-wing public opinion.

Like many observers, including an enormous number of the president's loudest detractors, I believe that Trump brought the conservative movement to an end. But what its destruction means is something very different from the prophecies of permanent Democratic supermajorities issuing forth from the former president's critics. Trump's greatest achievement, one that speaks far more than his actual record in office to his business acumen, was recognizing that in the 2012 presidential election, the old movement vein had been exhausted and that a much richer one was awaiting exploration.

What Trump recognized was that there are millions of Americans who do not oppose or even care about abortion or same-sex marriage, much less stem-cell research or any of the other causes that had animated traditional social conservatives. Instead he correctly intuited that the new culture war would be fought over very different (and more nebulous) issues: vague concerns about political correctness and "SJWs," opposition to the popularization of so-called critical race theory, sentimentality about the American flag and the military, the rights of male undergraduates to engage in fornication while intoxicated without fear of the Title IX mafia. Whatever their opinions might have been 20 years ago, in 2021 these are people who, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, accept pornography, homosexuality, drug use, legalized gambling, and whatever GamerGate was about. On economic questions their views are a curious and at times incoherent mixture of standard libertarian talking points and pseudo-populism, embracing lower taxes on the one hand and stimulus checks and stricter regulation of social media platforms on the other.

I have come to think of the people who answer to the above description as "Barstool conservatives," in reference to the popular sports website, especially its founder and CEO, Dave Portnoy. For many years the political significance of Barstool was implicit at best, reflected mainly in its conflicts with Deadspin and other members of the tacitly liberal sports journalism establishment.

But in the last year, as Portnoy emerged as one of America's most visible critics of the lockdown policies instituted by virtually every state governor, it became clear to me that more so than anyone else he embodied the world view of millions of Americans, who share his disdain for the language of liberal improvement, the hectoring, schoolmarmish attitude of Democratic politicians and their allies in the media, and, above all, the elevation of risk-aversion to the level of a first-order principle by our professional classes. This, I suspect, is why in the last 24 hours I have received several text messages asking me whether I thought he had any interest in running for president. (My guess is no, though I also believe that his prospects for electoral success would be decent.)

Regardless of Portnoy's own ambitions, I fully expect the future of the Republican Party to belong to Barstool conservatives, which is to say, to a growing but so far almost invisible coalition that could very well carry the White House. The Barstool conservative movement will not have institutions in any recognizable sense, certainly not think tanks or highbrow magazines, but it will be larger, more geographically disparate, younger, and probably more male. It will also, I suspect, be more racially diverse, much like the portion of the electorate that gave Trump 74 million votes in 2020.

Where will Barstool conservatism leave what remains of the old conservative movement? In the case of free market dogmatists, I believe there is almost zero daylight between them. The policy papers on why blockchain-enabled futures markets in organ donation brought to you by ManScaped will revitalize Dayton, Ohio, will write themselves. Meanwhile, a small number of earnest social conservatives will be disgusted. But I suspect that a majority of them will gladly make their peace with the new order of things.

This is in part because while Barstool conservatives might regard, say, homeschooling families of 10 as freaks, they do not regard them with loathing, much less consider their very existence a threat to the American way of life as they understand it. Social conservatives themselves have largely accepted that, with the possible exception of abortion, the great battles have been lost for good. Oberfegell will never be overturned even with nine votes on the Supreme Court. Instead the best that can be hoped for is a kind of recusancy, a limited accommodation for a few hundred thousand families who cling to traditions that in the decades to come will appear as bizarre as those of the Pennsylvania Dutch.

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Rise of the Barstool conservatives - The Week

By Alaskan James Madison Fellows

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to honor the legacy of James Madison by funding graduate study focused on the Constitution. The Foundations goal is to improve the teaching of our constitutional history and principles in secondary schools by selecting one James Madison Fellow from each state each year to support in their pursuit of a masters degree in areas of study related to American constitutionalism. In this way, the James Madison Fellowships are intended to ensure that future generations of Americans understand and appreciate our constitutional heritage.

We are Alaskas James Madison Fellows. We come from different communities, generations, and political affiliations, but share a commitment to teaching the principles of the Constitution. We are writing because of our concern following the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Regardless of partisanship or feelings about the outcome of Novembers election, all Americans must recognize that an assault on Congress as it carries out its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count electoral votes certified by the states undermines the constitutional order and respect for the rule of law. We also have to recognize that protests against governments throughout history have been the result of perceived failures to adequately address significant societal problems. If we do not acknowledge both of these points, we can only expect continued division, polarization, and violence.

This problem was not unknown to the founding generation. In Federalist 10, James Madison argued that an advantage of a well constructed Union was its tendency to break and control the violence of faction. In the 1780s, immediately following the Revolution as the states and Congress struggled with the war debt and attempted to establish functioning peacetime governments, the dangers of mob rule and popular leaders who would exploit and inflame public passions threatened to destroy the fragile new Union. Madisons vision of a successful federal republic assumed that in a large country it would be more difficult for the influence of factious leaders to gain the widespread support necessary to spread a general conflagration throughout the states. For nearly two and a half centuries Madisons blueprint has served us well, but it faces a new and unprecedented challenge in the age of social media and the ease with which we can segregate ourselves and shut out all opposing ideas or be shut out of the platforms we use to express ourselves. Those who choose their social media platforms and news sources based on a shared political perspective are as guilty as those who seek to silence opposing voices based on political correctness. In either case, we create and foster the factions that Madison correctly identified as the downfall of democratic government and liberty, while making it easier for those who would divide us to spread disinformation.

As Americans we all share the responsibility to educate ourselves and hold our elected officials accountable for upholding their oaths to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. The advantage of a written constitution is that we can refer to its text. When leaders at the highest levels tell us that the federal government has powers that have never before been exercised we owe it to ourselves and future generations of Americans to go back to the Constitution and demand that they show us the source of those powers. This is especially true when their actions threaten to undermine the powers reserved to the states or our individual liberties.

Being an informed and active citizen, and participating in the preservation of our constitutional order is a great responsibility. Two resources that can help with this are The Constitutional Sources Project (https://www.consource.org/) and Constitution Annotated (https://constitution.congress.gov/). Both of these sites provide searchable digital versions of the

Constitution. The Constitutional Sources Project also has a vast collection of other relevant documents, including The Federalist Papers, Anti-Federalist writings, and records of the state ratifying conventions. Constitution Annotated includes detailed explanations of constitutional interpretation over time and references to relevant court decisions.

As Madison Fellows, we have faith in the wisdom, resilience, and endurance of our constitutional principles. As constitutional scholars and educators, we also recognize that the preservation of any constitutional system depends on an educated populace that cannot be easily misled or manipulated. The events of Jan. 6 represent the failure of constitutional and civic education at all levels. We can, and must, do better.

The Alaskan James Madison Fellows who contributed to this piece are Donald Davis (1996); Jill Drushal (1998); Barbara Marshall (1999); Jennifer Klaameyer (2003); Mark Oppe (2006); Roxann Gagner (2009); Nathan Walters (2012); Ruth Sensenig (2013); Deborah Lawrence (2014); Leandra Wilden (2016); Stephen Rosser (2018) and Alyssa Logan (2020). The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to honor the legacy of James Madison by funding graduate study focused on the Constitution. Columns, My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire. Have something to say? Heres how to submit a My Turn or letter.

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Opinion: We can and must do better - Juneau Empire

Tuesday while shoveling the sidewalk, as others were doing, I saw a man, arms folded in front of him, yelling, They cant take away my rights. Im not shoveling. Sounds ridiculous, doesnt it? No more than refusing to wear a mask. Shoveling and mask-wearing protect you and others. How can people be so selfish?

As Joe Biden tries to explain his avalanche of job-killing executive orders, he and his cabinet nominees sound like the bumbling bureaucrats that they are. None of these people have come close to actually holding down a real job or running a real business. They are telling the thousands of citizens that have been laid off as a result of Biden's job-killing executive order pen to get jobs in renewable energy. And tell me where are those jobs? Certainly, they aren't in Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania, or Arizona, or Georgia, or Nebraska, or Michigan. The citizens who lost their jobs have mortgages, bills, loans, etc., to pay today they can't wait for 15 years or more for jobs in solar energy. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris should not be in charge of a hamburger joint, let alone our country.

Billy G.

I just read that the "National Spelling Bee" for the first time since 1945 has been cansuled ... cansiled ... canseled...! It's been called off!

Jim Fitch

One of President Trump's major accomplishments is the fact that his administration did not commit US troops to additional conflicts anywhere in the world. In addition, the administration obliterated the ISIS caliphate, brought peace treaties to the Middle East, and brought almost all of the US troops home from the Middle East. It took Joe Biden less than 2 weeks to commit US troops to Syria and Biden started saber-rattling with Iran by declaring that Iran is only weeks away from a nuclear weapon. Moreover, Biden put in place an occupying force in Washington, DC. One of the reasons President Trump was disliked by so many in the Deep State is the fact that he kept his promise not to involve the USA in foreign conflicts. Joe Biden is beloved by the Deep State because he will almost certainly start a new conflict before the end of his first year in office.

By all means, Perkiomen Valley School Board member Raeann Hofkin should not resign. Political correctness is just fascism pretending to be manners!

Our government is a disgrace. Instead of wasting more money and time on an unnecessary impeachment, they should be focusing on trying to get this coronavirus under control. And instead of bickering about a stimulus payout, they should just give everybody back the money they wasted on the Russia collusion inquiry.

Many claims have been made over the past four years about the rise of racism. I submit that nothing could be further from the truth. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of groups claimed by the KKK has fallen from 2016 when there were 130 such groups to 51 presently. In addition, another source puts the number of KKK members at 3,000 nationwide which amounts to less than one per county nationwide. I worked since 1981 side-by-side with all nationalities and I saw no hint of racism in the workplace. We joked, helped each other, prayed for each other, ate lunch together, and sometimes we argued too imagine that! I go to a Wawa and people smile at one another and hold doors for one another. I frankly think that Joe Biden and his party want there to be racial discord. I just don't get it.

To quote Mr. Spock, "Fascinating!" Once upon a time, Mitch McConnell would have called a GOP member a "RINO" for being insufficiently conservative about things like budget deficits, etc. Now, would-be kingmaker Lou Dobbs says Mitch McConnel is a "RINO" for being insufficiently Trumpish.

Is there a dossier bearing Sen. Pat Toomeys name? On Jan. 26, he voted to confirm Antony Blinken as Secretary of State. For the unaware, Blinken was a significant contributor to the Russian Collusion Hoax. This was not the first time that Toomey accommodated those who had weaponized federal agencies against political adversaries. Over time, officials at the IRS, FBI, an Attorney General, CIA Director, DNI director escaped judgment as did a witness against a U.S. Supreme Court nominee who offered perjured testimony. Toomey declined to rein in social media oligarchs who, in 2016, manipulated search engine algorithms to the advantage of a presidential candidate. 2020 brought more of the same including suppression of Biden-disqualifying scandals. Will the senator now memory-hole a treasure trove of Biden offenses? Those to whom he answers know better than you or I.

M. Furlong

It would appear Trump supporters believe his lies and even proven history won't change their minds. Sad, very sad.

Star Light

For anyone who wondered if the man in the basement would govern as a moderate or a puppet of the extreme left, we now know the answer and it isn't the former. Does he even know what he is signing in all those executive orders?

Farmer Sam

I want to applaud Mr. Greg Levengoods letter that appeared in Sundays Mercury. His letter was spot on. I recently dropped my 40-year subscription to a newspaper for left-wing bias. One of its writers recently opined that readers should combat racism by contributing to organizations that post bail for BLM rioters. Before the newspaper went bankrupt, I could have told you who each one of their writers voted for with probably 99% accuracy, except for their best reporter who never interjected his political views into news articles. Papers like The Philadelphia Inquirer have never endorsed a Republican candidate for president of course, they are fair and objective. Unfortunately, leftists are not satisfied with controlling virtually all media outlets, now they want to silence all opposing points of view and censor not only speech but thoughts as well. Dont be surprised if Joe Biden signs an executive order that establishes a Ministry of Truth and he would probably assign Adam Schiff to head it up.

Clark S. Kent doesn't have a clue about truth-telling, because he puts his faith in The Washington Post that knowingly published false story after false story about the Russia Collusion Hoax. Then The Washington Post got sued by Nicholas Sandman and the Post settled out of court with him because they lied about Nicholas. Mr. Minninger is absolutely correct about Adam Schiff, he is a pathological liar. The NY Post, CNN, Boston Herald, Wall Street Journal and others confirm that Schiff lied about Russia Collusion and the infamous Ukraine Phone Call for starters. But more importantly, the "Lasso of Truth" confirms that President Trump is the truth-teller and Adam Schiff is in the running for "Liar of the Century."

Diana Prince

To all the Trumpers out there who wonder what the big deal is about a handful of people attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, are you serious? A "handful" of people? You really are living in another world, aren't you? While you're there, say hello to Peter Pan, Tinkerbell & Captain Hook for me. I hope you all make it back some day, but I really doubt that will happen!

Before the election, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC were proudly talking about how great the Lincoln Project "Republicans" were who supported Joe Biden. Now all of a sudden the truth about the Lincoln Project has come out. The founder is an alleged serial sexual harasser. His name is John Weaver. Here is one link outlining the charges against the wonderful Lincoln Project Founder: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/01/31/never-trump-lincoln-project-founder-john-weaver-accused-sending-provocative-messages-young-men/#

Wow, did you all read the commentary of Marc A Thiessen on Jan. 30 in The Mercury? Mark has been a Republican his whole life and a Pro-Trumper the last four years. However, after some Republicans have gone after Republican Liz Cheney (daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney) because she called for a vote on Trump. Marc is defending her because of Trump inciting the riot at the Capitol. Yes, he did! Marc is upset that Trump went after Pence and then the mob went after Pence looking for him, to lynch? Marcs last words, If this is the Republicans reaction to the Capitol riot, then the future of the party is bleak.

Clark S Kent

This wish was related to me by a wise friend: I wish Joe Biden would disappear as fast as all this snow will.

The impeachment trial is upon us. President Trump is a dangerous con man. He groomed and goaded thousands of armed militia to attack our legislative branch. At his name, rampaging Trumpists stormed the U.S. Capitol, looting and destroying property and terrorizing members of Congress. Five people died. Little do those criminals know that their gun rights will be revoked. We now know that he groomed these terrorists with his lies of a fraudulent election for months before the event. This was always his plan.

Jay Miller

To Ivy, the mask I wear does not protect me, it protects other people. Next, why did the governors close down all small businesses? I can see eateries because you can't eat with a mask on, but other small businesses could do the same sanitizing process as the big box stores so why are they being punished and losing their livelihood? People are traveling in and out of the country which is increasing the pandemic.

The Golden Ager

Please understand that divisive hyper-partisan political hypocrisy is deeply rooted in the DNA of liberals and the Democrat Party. For example, under the Trump administration, the unemployment rate for Blacks, women and Hispanics hit a historic low yet no Black or female or Hispanic representatives in the House stood to acknowledge the fact that Trump, with his economic plan and tax cuts, has done more than and any president, including the almighty Obama, to lift them up. Despite this, Trump has been relentlessly pummeled by Biden, Harris, the Democrats and their media mouthpieces who proclaim hes the "first racist president" when nothing was done during the eight years Biden and Obama were in power.

Otis-D

In most cases, the "fact-checking" done by media and tech platforms is really "fact checks" of opinions or policies, not facts or data. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC only broadcast one side of many news stories. For instance, even though there was and is a mountain of evidence supporting the Hunter Biden story of profligate influence-peddling around the world, the story was mostly ignored. Google is actively censoring Newsmax, Breitbart, Parler and many other media outlets that are counter to their Democrat opinions. It has been documented that Google results have been slanted to return liberal viewpoints as the top results of most searches on many political stories. YouTube makes it very difficult or impossible to find certain unflattering videos of Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Obama and other Democrat leaders. Censorship by most of the media is going to destroy our country.

Michael Stern

After dealing with all of these "lockdowns," I've come to understand why our dogs try to run out the door as soon as it's opened!

Jim Fitch

Sound Off is an opinion forum to spur dialogue from residents of the communities The Mercury serves on topics of general interest in those communities and the world beyond. We will not publish comments that are potentially libelous, slanderous, mean-spirited, vulgar or inappropriate. Publication of Sound Off comments is at the sole discretion of the editor and are subject to editing for length. Email your brief comment to letters@pottsmerc.com. Please use "Sound Off" in the subject line of the email.

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The Mercury's Sound Off for Thursday, February 4 | Opinion | pottsmerc.com - The Mercury

Russias state-controlled media has been turning to a disinformation playbook it has used before in a bid to discredit protesters agitating for the release from prison of Kremlin critic AlexeiNavalny, say analysts.

Navalny was detained on his return to Moscow for parole violations after recovering in Germany from a near-fatal poisoning. His arrest has triggered the largest anti-Kremlin protests seen in Russia since 2011, and Washington is being blamed for the demonstrations, with Kremlin officials and state media presenters alleging that Western powers, mainly the U.S., are behind the agitation.

Washington is becoming a convenient pretext for accusations, although in reality it has very little to do with what is happening, Donald Jensen, director of the United States Institute of Peace, a research organization, told VOAs Russian service. This is a question for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and the Russian people, and it is clear that a significant minority of Russians are unhappy.

Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russias security council, has compared the Navalny protests to the popular Maidan uprising in Ukraine of 2013-2014, which he and other Kremlin officials also accused the West of fomenting.

He told the state-owned weekly newspaper Argumenty i Fakti the West needs Navalny, To destabilize the situation in Russia, for social upheavals, strikes and new Maidans.

What this can lead to we see in the example of Ukraine, which in essence, has lost its independence, he added.

Maidan revolt

Disinformation analysts also are drawing comparisons to the Maidan revolt not as an example of Western intervention, but in terms of the Kremlins information management strategy launched to try to save Putin ally President Viktor Yanukovych from ouster.

They say many of the same memes, tropes and conspiracy theories dissimulated during the Maidan revolt are being used now to try to shape a narrative discrediting pro-Navalny protesters.

In 2013, when hundreds of thousands of pro-Europe protesters occupied Kyivs Maidan to demand Yanukovychs resignation, Kremlin-controlled media portrayed the people behind the uprising as being opposed to traditional, socially conservative Russian values of family and religion.

Among the memes Russian disinformation channels broadcast were those conflating the agitation with homosexuality, warning of the risk that a homo-dictatorship would be established in Ukraine, according to analysts.

Theres a long tradition of pro-Kremlin propaganda using homophobic rhetoric to discredit pro-democracy activism, said Zarine Kharazian, an analyst at the Digital Forensic Research Lab, part of the Atlantic Council, a U.S.-based research group. The lab studies disinformation campaigns.

The protesters in the early days of the revolt were predominately young and their occupation of the Maidan, one of Kyivs central squares, was sparked by Yanukovychs decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union. Because the EU supports same-sex marriage, Russias state-controlled medias starting point was that the European Union was homosexual, and so the Ukrainian movement toward Europe must be, as well, according to Yale academic Timothy Snyder.

Writing in his book, The Road to Unfreedom, Snyder noted, In November and December 2013, the Russia media covering the Maidan introduced the irrelevant theme of gay sex at every turn.

'Political pedophilia'

As the anti-Kremlin protests erupted this week in Moscow, St. Petersburg and about 70 other towns across Russia, state-controlled media appeared again to color the political agitation with sexual politics, accusing protest leaders of political pedophilia, part of an official claim that most protesters were manipulated minors.

Sociologists say the protesters came from a range of age groups, although some 25 percent were 18- to 25-year-olds. Nonetheless, Russian officials say Navalny and his supporters have been exploiting the vulnerability of children and the young, persuading them to demonstrate in the streets. This is a serious operation, alleged Valery Fadeyev, head of Putin's human rights council.

TV presenter Dmitry Kiselyov, the head of Rossiya Segodnya, complained on his marquee show News of the Week. There are people who are so low, they drag children into politics, like political pedophiles. Is this bad? Its horrible. Other presenters on Russian newscasts also tagged protesters as political pedophiles.

Pedophilia, with or without the qualifier political, is a charged word in Russia, say disinformation analysts. They argue that the government has a long propaganda history of linking homosexuality with pedophilia. They say labeling the protesters as pedophiles has to be understood within a larger state project of defining Russias identity in terms of traditional values, delineating Russia from a Western world often portrayed by the Kremlin as dissolute and decadent.

I do think its an attempt to paint opposition protests as Western and fundamentally at odds with traditional Russian values, said Kharazian. The equating of homosexuality and pedophilia is based on common homophobic tropes of homosexuality as unnatural or in some way perverted. And beyond Maidan, these homophobic narratives have also been applied to protests in Armenia, Venezuela, Georgia and elsewhere.

It is hard to say if this tactic will work for a wide swathe of Russians, but for those already receptive to anti-Western propaganda, it certainly is potent, she said.

Putin avoided mentioning his foe Navalny by name in a midweek speech to the World Economic Forum. But he warned against the destruction of traditional values. The social and values crisis is already having negative demographic consequences, from which mankind is at risk of losing entire civilizational and cultural continents.

Putin himself has defended Russia's anti-gay laws in the past by equating gays with pedophiles, saying Russia needs to cleanse itself of homosexuality.

In an interview in 2014 with ABC TV, on the eve of the Sochi Olympics, he suggested that gays are more likely to abuse children. And in September 2013, Putin talked about the excesses of Western political correctness, which he said had reached the point where there are serious discussions on the registration of parties that have propaganda of pedophilia as their objective.

Jakub Kalensky, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a colleague of Kharazian, says the Kremlin-controlled medias homophobic tropes are playing into the prejudices of some of the more conservative Russians. Its not just about influencing the audience, but also using the audience's prejudices to discredit the protests, he said.

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Why is Kremlin Tagging Protesters Political Pedophiles? - Voice of America