Daily Archives: July 9, 2022

Novavax Nuvaxovid COVID-19 Vaccine Conditionally Authorized in the European Union for Adolescents Aged 12 Through 17 – PR Newswire

Posted: July 9, 2022 at 8:03 am

GAITHERSBURG, Md., July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax,Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, today announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved the expanded conditional marketing authorization (CMA) of Nuvaxovid (NVX-CoV2373) COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union (EU) for adolescents aged 12 through 17. The approval follows the positive recommendation made by the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use on June 23, 2022.

"With this authorization, we are extremely pleased to be able to offer our Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents in the EU," said Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax. "Our protein-based vaccine was developed using an innovative approach to traditional technology and has demonstrated efficacy and safety in both adolescents and adults."

The authorization was based on data from the ongoing pediatric expansionof PREVENT-19, a pivotal Phase 3 trial of 2,247 adolescents aged 12 through 17 years across 73 sites in the U.S., to evaluate the safety, effectiveness (immunogenicity), and efficacy of Nuvaxovid. In the trial, Nuvaxovid achieved its primary effectiveness endpoint and demonstrated 80% clinical efficacy overall at a time when the Delta variant was the predominant circulating SARS-CoV-2 strain in the U.S.

Preliminary safety data from the trial showed the vaccine to be generally well-tolerated. Serious and severe adverse events were low in number and balanced between vaccine and placebo groups, and not considered related to the vaccine. Local and systemic reactogenicity was generally lower than or similar to adults, after the first and second dose. The most common adverse reactions observed were injection site tenderness/pain, headache, myalgia, fatigue, and malaise. There was no increase in reactogenicity in younger (12 to <15 years old) adolescents compared to older (15 to <18 years old) adolescents. No new safety signal was observed through the placebo-controlled portion of the study.

The EC granted CMA for Nuvaxovid to prevent COVID-19 in individuals aged 18 and over in December 2021. In addition to the EC's expanded CMA, Indiahas granted emergency use authorization in the 12 through 17 year-old population.

Authorization in the U.S.

NVX-CoV2373 has not yet been authorized for use in the U.S. and the trade name Nuvaxovid has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Important Safety Information

For additional information on Nuvaxovid, please visit the following websites:

About NVX-CoV2373NVX-CoV2373 is a protein-based vaccine engineered from the genetic sequence of the first strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. The vaccine was created using Novavax' recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate antigen derived from the coronavirus spike (S) protein and is formulated with Novavax' patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies. NVX-CoV2373 contains purified protein antigen and can neither replicate, nor can it cause COVID-19.

The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is packaged as a ready-to-use liquid formulation in a vial containing ten doses. The vaccination regimen calls for two 0.5 ml doses (5 mcg antigen and 50 mcg Matrix-M adjuvant) given intramuscularly 21 days apart. The vaccine is stored at 2- 8 Celsius, enabling the use of existing vaccine supply and cold chain channels. Use of the vaccine should be in accordance with official recommendations.

Novavax has established partnerships for the manufacture, commercialization and distribution of NVX-CoV2373 worldwide. Existing authorizations leverage Novavax' manufacturing partnership with Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume. They will later be supplemented with data from additional manufacturing sites throughout Novavax' global supply chain.

About the NVX-CoV2373 Phase 3 TrialsNVX-CoV2373 continues being evaluated in two pivotal Phase 3 trials.

PREVENT-19 (thePRE-fusion protein subunitVaccineEfficacyNovavaxTrial | COVID-19) is a 2:1 randomized, placebo-controlled, observer-blinded trial to evaluate the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 with Matrix-M adjuvant in 29,960 participants 18 years of age and over in 119 locations inthe U.S.andMexico. The primary endpoint for PREVENT-19 was the first occurrence of PCR-confirmed symptomatic (mild, moderate or severe) COVID-19 with onset at least seven days after the second dose in serologically negative (to SARS-CoV-2) adult participants at baseline. The statistical success criterion included a lower bound of 95% CI >30%. A secondary endpoint was the prevention of PCR-confirmed, symptomatic moderate or severe COVID-19. Both endpoints were assessed at least seven days after the second study vaccination in volunteers who had not been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. In the trial, NVX-CoV2373 achieved 90.4% efficacy overall. It was generally well-tolerated and elicited a robust antibody response after the second dose in both studies. Full results of the trial were published in theNew England Journal of Medicine(NEJM).

The pediatric expansion of PREVENT-19 is a 2:1 randomized, placebo-controlled, observer-blinded trial to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 with Matrix-M adjuvant in 2,247 adolescent participants 12 to 17 years of age in 73 locations in the United States, compared with placebo. In the pediatric trial, NVX-CoV2373 achieved its primary effectiveness endpoint (non-inferiority of the neutralizing antibody response compared to young adult participants 18 through 25 years of age from PREVENT-19) and demonstrated 80% efficacy overall at a time when the Delta variant of concern was the predominant circulating strain in the U.S.Additionally, immune responses were about two-to-three-fold higher in adolescents than in adults against all variants studied.

PREVENT-19 is being conducted with support from the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health at HHS. BARDA is providing up to$1.75 billionunder a Department of Defense agreement (# MCDC2011-001).

Additionally, a trial conducted in the U.K. with 14,039 participants aged 18 years and over was designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, observer-blinded study and achieved overall efficacy of 89.7%. The primary endpoint was based on the first occurrence of PCR-confirmed symptomatic (mild, moderate or severe) COVID-19 with onset at least seven days after the second study vaccination in serologically negative (to SARS-CoV-2) adult participants at baseline. Full results of the trial were published inNEJM.

About Matrix-M AdjuvantNovavax' patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant has demonstrated a potent and well-tolerated effect by stimulating the entry of antigen-presenting cells into the injection site and enhancing antigen presentation in local lymph nodes, boosting immune response.

About NovavaxNovavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) is a biotechnology company that promotes improved health globally through the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases. The company's proprietary recombinant technology platform harnesses the power and speed of genetic engineering to efficiently produce highly immunogenic nanoparticles designed to address urgent global health needs. NVX-CoV2373, the company's COVID-19 vaccine, has received conditional authorization from multiple regulatory authorities globally, including the European Commission and the World Health Organization. The vaccine is currently under review by multiple regulatory agencies worldwide and will soon be under review in the U.S. for use in adults, adolescents and as a booster. In addition to its COVID-19 vaccine, Novavax is also currently evaluating a COVID-seasonal influenza combination vaccine candidate in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial, which combines NVX-CoV2373 and NanoFlu*, its quadrivalent influenza investigational vaccine candidate, and is also evaluating an Omicron strain-based vaccine (NVX-CoV2515) as well as a bivalent Omicron-based / original strain-based vaccine. These vaccine candidates incorporate Novavax' proprietary saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies.

For more information, visitwww.novavax.comand connect with us on LinkedIn.

*NanoFlu identifies a recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) protein nanoparticle influenza vaccine candidate produced by Novavax. This investigational candidate was evaluated during a controlled phase 3 trial conducted during the 2019-2020 influenza season.

Forward-Looking StatementsStatements herein relating to the future of Novavax, its operating plans and prospects, its partnerships, the timing of clinical trial results, the ongoing development of NVX-CoV2373, a COVID-seasonal influenza investigational vaccine candidate, the scope, timing and outcome of future regulatory filings and actions, including Novavax' plans to supplement existing authorizations with data from the additional manufacturing sites in Novavax' global supply chain, additional worldwide authorizations of NVX-CoV2373 for adolescents, the potential impact and reach of Novavax and NVX-CoV2373 in addressing vaccine access, controlling the pandemic and protecting populations, and the efficacy, safety and intended utilization of NVX-CoV2373 are forward-looking statements. Novavax cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, challenges satisfying, alone or together with partners, various safety, efficacy, and product characterization requirements, including those related to process qualification and assay validation, necessary to satisfy applicable regulatory authorities; difficulty obtaining scarce raw materials and supplies; resource constraints, including human capital and manufacturing capacity, on the ability of Novavax to pursue planned regulatory pathways; challenges meeting contractual requirements under agreements with multiple commercial, governmental, and other entities; and those other risk factors identified in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of Novavax' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to read our filings with the SEC, available at http://www.sec.gov and http://www.novavax.com, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of the statements. Our business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those referenced above. Investors, potential investors, and others should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.

Contacts:InvestorsAlex Delacroix | 240-268-2022[emailprotected]

MediaAli Chartan | 240-720-7804[emailprotected]

SOURCE Novavax, Inc.

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Novavax Nuvaxovid COVID-19 Vaccine Conditionally Authorized in the European Union for Adolescents Aged 12 Through 17 - PR Newswire

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The 3 Leaders of the Gene Editing Revolution – InvestorPlace

Posted: at 8:03 am

This article is excerpted from Tom Yeungs Moonshot Investor newsletter. To make sure you dont miss any of Toms potential 100x picks,subscribe to his mailing list here.

On Tuesday, the price of West Texas Intermediate briefly dipped below $100 for the first time since May.

Wall Street says a recession is coming, Philip Aldrick at Bloomberg News reported. Consumers say its already here.

Its hard to miss the warning signs. This year, my neighbors July Fourth celebrations involved no secret trip to New Hampshire for fireworks. Instead, the pyrotechnics were limited to Roman candles, the tiniest of pencil-sized firecrackers and a sigh of relief that their car will soon be paid off.

The numbers dont lie either. In May, the University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment hit 58.4, one of its lowest points since the depths of the 2008 financial crisis. When the average lease payments for a new vehicle swallow up nearly 20% of a median households income, it doesnt take an economist to know that somethings wrong.

Thats the reason why the core Profit & Protection buy list contains no oil or commodity-based stocks. With the U.S. facing the prospect of a drawn-out slowdown, demand for cyclical, low-value materials will be volatile at best.

Instead, regular readers will notice a growing focus on healthcare and other non-cyclical companies that can thrive even during slowdowns. And today, well consider the three healthcare stocks investors need to put on their radar.

On Tuesday, I introduced nine biotech stocks with outstanding growth potential. After decades of development, the first CRISPR gene editing technologies could hit markets by 2023.

Of the group, my top picks are Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP) and Beam Therapeutics (BEAM).

The largest pure-play gene-editing firm is an obvious pick for the Profit & Protection watchlist. It has the most high-quality shots-on-goal among gene-editing startups, and is the blue-chip pick for the watchlist. The firm now has five drugs in clinical trials, while nearest rival Intelliaonly has two.

Crispr also has greater upside potential than Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a diversified biopharma company and drug marketing firm. Vertexs $74 billion market capitalization gives little room for anything better than a 50% gain over the next several years. Meanwhile, Crisprs $5.8 billion market cap gives the smaller startup a 100% upside if just one of its five drug candidates reaches FDA approval in the coming years. Multiple wins could send shares into the $30 billion range, given the average value of a blockbuster drug.

Finally, Crispr has some of the best proof of a working CRISPR-Cas9 platform so far. In 2021, the company revealed positive trial results for CTX001, its treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT). All 15 patients with TDT ended the trial transfusion-free, while all seven SDC patients were free of vaso-occlusive crises, a common complication of sickle cell. The drug could launch as soon as 2023, according to industry watchers.

The smaller gene-editing firm is a less obvious choice for the Profit & Protection watchlist. The firm only has three candidates in IND-enabling studies to secure in-human clinical trials and is about 3 to 5 years behind Crispr when it comes to approvals.

Yet Beam makes the Profit & Protection watchlist because it is a leader in base editing the fiercest competitor to CRISPR-Cas9 systems. Rather than acting as genetic scissors the way CRISPR does, Beams base editing chemically transforms individual base pairs from A-T to G-C.

Its a far more precise (and valuable) method of gene editing.

More than 31,000 such mutations in the human genome are known to be associated with human genetic diseases. But CRISPR is not particularly efficient at correcting them, notes Sandeep Ravindran at Nature. Instead, its base editors that excel at single-site mutations.

Base editors also cause fewer genetic errors. Cutting genetic code with CRISPR creates the risk that random bases can be inserted or deleted (indels), altering the gene sequence, Mr. Ravindran continues. By altering just a specific nucleotide without making double-stranded breaks, base editors cause fewer unwanted mistakes. For in-vivo treatments, that gives a far better chance of curing a patient instead of causing uncontrolled genetic mutations.

That gives Beam Therapeutics an unusually high degree of downside protection. Though its drugs might be years away from commercialization, the company could realistically get acquired for its intellectual property if share prices drop another 50%. And if the firms drugs reach viability in 5 to 10 years, investors can expect BEAM shares to rise 5x in short order.

Finally, Luke Lango has one final biotech pick thats upending the world of gene-editing. Rather than focus on specific therapies, this picks and shovels play wraps software and automation around cell engineering workflows.

In other words, its a synthetic biology firm that designs, writes and inserts DNA directly into target cells.

Looking for cells that can produce vaccines? Or yeast that can create food-grade protein through fermentation? These futuristic goals are surprisingly close, thanks to this biotech marvel.

Additionally, the firm currently trades around $3, giving investors a potential 5x to 10x upside. Lukes found plenty of 1,000%+ tech winners before. And this one is a blue-chip gene-editing one that will interest you.

To learn more, check out Lukes Innovation Investor presentation by clicking here.

For all of biotechs potential, every firm has the same problem:

Crispr, Beam and all other research-based firms are long duration stocks that suffer during rate hikes.

These drug research firms typically have zero revenue; their entire business involves testing therapies and selling successful candidates to larger companies. Its how BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) managed to trounce rival Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) in Covid-19 vaccine development; the former partnered with Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) to help with production and distribution, while the latter struggled to go it alone.

This research-only business model, however, has a significant downside. Because a biotechs profits are all in the future, a more significant share of its value must be discounted back compared to companies with profits today.

Rising interest rates have biotech investors on the back foot. Discount rates tend to move together with interest rates, so tightening cycles tend to torpedo the value of long duration stocks. Shares of Crispr Therapeutics have already fallen 50% over the past year. And Beam as an earlier-stage startup has naturally fallen even further.

Though Im adding CRSP shares to the Profit & Protection shortlist of stocks to buy, it will take signals of Fed easing before the company earns a place on the core buy list. But when that happens, investors would be wise to scoop up shares of these high-potential stocks with downside protection to match.

P.S. Do you want to hear more about cryptocurrencies? Penny stocks? Options? Leave me a note atfeedback@investorplace.comor connect with me onLinkedInand let me know what youd like to see.

On the date of publication, Tom Yeung did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

Tom Yeung, CFA, is a registered investment advisor on a mission to bring simplicity to the world of investing.

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The 3 Leaders of the Gene Editing Revolution - InvestorPlace

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20 politically incorrect songs that’d be wildly controversial today

Posted: at 8:01 am

These once popular songs are now considered offensive

If these classic songs were released today, it would almost certainly ignite a scandal.

USA TODAY

There's nothing like hearinga song come on the radio or flicker across a Spotify playlistthat you haven't encountered in a while, and realizing, "Was this song always this offensive?"

The answer: Yes, it probably was. Standards have changed quite a bit in terms of what references the culture at large deems offensive in its hit songs, from casual homophobia in pop songs from Katy Perry and Taylor Swift to the jaw-dropping lyrical content of some Rolling Stones classics.

Below, find a list of songs that, if released today, would almost certainly ignite a scandal.

Song: Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas, 1974

Choice lyric: There was funky Billy Chin and little Sammy Chung / He said Here comes the big boss, lets get it on.'

Why it wouldn't fly today: Perhaps the song was just trying to celebrate the ancient art of kung fu. But its lyrics about funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown with stereotypically Asian-sounding last names isnt exactly a nuanced appreciation of the culture.

Song: Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones, 1971

Choice lyric: Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields / Sold in the market down in New Orleans / Scarred old slaver knows he's doing alright / Hear him whip the women just around midnight.

Why it wouldn't fly today: Even Mick Jagger knows these lyrics aged incredibly poorly; in recent years, hes changed the words when he performs the song live. Beyond the songs opening stanzas, the racism, misogyny and outright references to raping slaves make this a low point in the Stones discography.

Song: Under My Thumb by the Rolling Stones, 1966

Choice lyric: Under my thumb, the squirmin' dog who's just had her day / Under my thumb, a girl who has just changed her ways."

Why it wouldn't fly today: Another disgusting entry in the Stones songbook, the song about a woman whos been molded to talk when she's spoken to is an embarrassment for even existing.

Song: Ur So Gay by Katy Perry, 2007

Choice lyric: I can't believe I fell in love with someone that wears more makeup and / You're so gay and you don't even like boys

Why it wouldn't fly today: If Perrys I Kissed A Girl was borderline gross for its exploitative take on same-sex experimentation, Ur So Gay crosses the line with its deeply immature rattling-off of gay stereotypes, driven home by the use of the word as a slur.

Song: Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift, 2008

Choice lyric: So go and tell your friends that I'm obsessive and crazy / That's fine, I'll tell mine that you're gay.

Why it wouldn't fly today: Perrys frenemy Taylor Swift wasnt immune to the same kind of sophomoric homophobia, with Picture To Burn subscribing to the same backward view that the worst thing you could call a teenage boy is gay.

Song: Do They Know Its Christmas? by the Band Aid choir, 1984

Choice lyric: And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time / The greatest gift they'll get this year is life / Where nothing ever grows, no rain or rivers flow / Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Why it wouldn't fly today: Possibly the most culturally insensitive Christmas song of all time, the Band Aid supergroup may have raised money to alleviate an Ethiopian famine with the proceeds from Do They Know Its Christmas.But they did it with a song that declares the entire continent of Africa is bereft of water, trees or joy.

Song: Turning Japanese by The Vapors, 1980

Choice lyric: "I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese"

Why it wouldn't fly today: No, Turning Japanese isn't literally about turning Japanese. Still, it wouldn't be acceptable today to hear a group of white guys assuming the identity of Asian people.

Song: I'm an Indian Outlaw by Tim McGraw, 1994

Choice lyric: You can find me in my wigwam / I'll be beating on my tom-tom / Pull out the pipe and smoke you some / Hey and pass it around.

Why it wouldn't fly today: McGraw is certainly not an Indian outlaw, half Cherokee and Choctaw as he claims in the song. And even if he were, that wouldnt excuse the hilariously lazy Native American tropes he employs.

Song: Island Girl by Elton John, 1975

Choice lyric: Island girl, what you wanting with the white man's world / Island girl, black boy want you in his island world

Why it wouldn't fly today: The borderline fetishization in Johns chart-topping ode to a New York City prostitute whos black as coal but she burn like a fire is cringeworthy.

Song: Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, 1982

Choice lyric: Ebony and ivory / Live together in perfect harmony / Side by side on my piano keyboard / Oh lord, why don't we?

Why it wouldn't fly today: McCartney and Wonder meant well with their hyper-literal interpretation of race relations. But their message of people are the same, theres good and bad in everyone, so lets just get along would be interpreted as hilariously nave by the more woke factions of today's cultural discourse.

Song: Rape Me by Nirvana, 1993

Choice lyric: Rape me / Rape me, my friend

Why it wouldn't fly today: We get it. Kurt Cobain was a deeplytortured soul. He probably, in retrospect, couldve expressed this one better.

Song:Tonights the Night (Gonna Be Alright) by Rod Stewart, 1976

Choice lyric: Dont say a word, my virgin child, just let your inhibitions run wild"

Why it wouldn't fly today: In case the lyrics to this No. 1 hit werent cringe-inducing enough, try not feeling icky watching its video. In it, Stewart woos a faceless young woman and leads her up to his bedroom before she says in French, Im a little scared. What is my mother going to say?

Song:One in a Million by Guns N' Roses, 1988

Choice lyric: Immigrants and f****ts, they make no sense to me / They come to our country and think theyll do as they please"

Why it wouldnt fly today: Axl Rose attempts to win our sympathy with his story of a small-town white boy feeling lost when he moves to Los Angeles. But using derogatory language for gay and black men certainly doesnt help his case, nor do his wildly xenophobic lyrics about immigrants. (They talk so many (expletive) ways / its all Greek to me.)

Song: Kissin' Cousins by Elvis Presley, 1964

Choice lyric: "Well I've got a gal, she's as cute as she can be / She's a distant cousin but she's not too distant with me"

Why it wouldn't fly today: Nothing like a little casual incest to get the crowd up and dancing.This seemingly innocent but actually creepy doo-wop tune is taken from the King's 1964 movie musical, in which he plays an Air Force pilot whose two beautiful cousins compete for his affections.Different times?

Song: Age Ain't Nothing But a Number by Aaliyah, 1994

Choice lyric: "Age ain't nothing but a number / throwing down ain't nothing but a thang / This lovin' I have for you, it'll never change"

Why it wouldn't fly today: No disrespect to the late Princess of R&B, whose hypnotic vocals and idiosyncratic style remain timeless. But it's hard not to feel at least mildly uncomfortable listening to this song in retrospect: At the time she recorded it, a then-14-year-old Aaliyah was dating and would soon illegally marry her mentor/producer R. Kelly, who was 27.

Song: Illegal Alien by Genesis, 1983

Choice lyric:"It's no fun being an illegal alien"

Why it wouldn't fly today: Its message and story are seemingly well-intentioned, detailing a Mexican immigrant's struggle to cross the border in search of a better life. But the racist video puts the song in a whole different light, with stereotypical imagery of mariachi horns, ponchos, sombreros and oversize mustaches.

Song: Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed, 1972

Choice lyric:"Holly came from Miami, F-L-A/ Hitchhiked her way across the USA / Plucked her eyebrows on the way / Shaved her legs and then he was a she"

Why it wouldn't fly today: In a song filled with racy anecdotes, thisreference to Holly Woodlawn, a transgender actress who was bullied as a teenager and ran away from home, is alarmingly tone-deaf.

Song:Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, 1985

Choice lyric:"See the little f****twith the earring and the makeup? / Yeah buddy, that's his own hair / That littlef****t got his own jet airplane / That little f****t, he's a millionaire"

Why it wouldn't fly today: A slight at effeminate rock stars, once again using "gay" as an insult. It's no wonder this homophobic slur was omitted from the band's greatest-hits album,Sultans of Swing.

Song:Dude (Looks Like a Lady) by Aerosmith, 1987

Choice lyric:"She had the body of a Venus / Lord, imagine my surprise / Dude looks like a lady"

Why it wouldn't fly today:Guy walks into a bar and realizes the stripper he's been ogling is actually a man. Although the rock classic was co-written by openly gay songwriter Desmond Child, its questionable use in the media by Fox News when reporting on Chelsea Manning, for instance makes us think that it's not the homage to the LGBTQ community that he intended.

Song:He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)by The Crystals, 1962

Choice lyric:"He hit me and it felt like a kiss / he hit me and I knew he loved me"

Why it wouldn't fly today:Gerry Goffin and Carole King were inspired to write the doo-wop ballad by the tragic true-life story of singer Little Eva, who told them that her boyfriend's beatings were motivated by love. But without context, lyrics such as "he hit me and I was glad" are an off-putting endorsement of domestic abuse.

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20 politically incorrect songs that'd be wildly controversial today

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Politically Incorrect Leftist

Posted: at 8:01 am

Personalitydisorders are as common as clinical depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia, andcan be as devastating to their holders as are these mor recognized mentalillnessesalthough personality disorders are more overlooked, as theirsufferers seem more normal than those afflicted with depression, bipolar, orschizophrenia. The Mayo Clinics websitegives a good, concise overview of personality disorders, which are classifiedas mental disorders rather than, like depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia,mental illnesses. The Mayo Clinicslink, Personality Disorders, can be accessed here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/personality-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20354463. 2014s state-of-the-art handbook on what iscurrently known about personality disorders, Handbook of PersonalityDisorders: Second Edition (Livesley and Larstone, eds., Guilford Press;available both in hardback and paperback), notes that personality disorders areabout 55% genetic and 45% environmental, and, in line with what the Mayo Clinicstates above, can result both from parents with personality disorders, as wellas abusive or chaotic childhood social environments. There are many varieties of personalitydisorders, as both the Mayo Clinic and the Handbook of Personality Disordersattest, and sufferers from personality disorders can have problems withrelationships, with employment and employability, and with schooling andgraduation. As a sufferer frompersonality disorder myself, I can attest to having struggled over my lifetimewith all of these. As persons withpersonality disorders get older, however, many of their symptoms are attenuatedand they become more normal, though usually with ongoing relationshipproblems (for example, while I now have an intimate network of friends, theyare paltry in number), problems with unemployment and underemployment (again,in my case, although a college graduate, I work a steady blue-collar laborjob), and problems in schooling and graduation (it took me 11 years to finallycomplete the requirements for graduating with a Bachelors degree). Sufferers from personality disorders are alsotroubled by extreme, over-the-top, emotional overreactions (I suffered thesetoo, especially with anger, which triggered angry outbursts).

Whilepersonality disorders were described in the psychiatric literature as early as1938, for a long time they were considered incurable; however, that haschanged, and a variety of long-term psychotherapies have successfully been usedfor treatment (medication is not regarded as effective, except for symptomaticrelief). The Handbook of PersonalityDisorders list several psychotherapies that have proven effective; amongthem are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy,mentalization, and an eclectic approach that combines techniques from severalof the successful therapies (while the various schools of psychotherapy thatare useful have differing theoretical perspectives, in practice, theirtechniques are overlapping and similar).Personality disorders are also comorbid with other mental illnesses,particularly with depression and bipolar, according to the above-cited Handbook. The point of psychotherapy in treatingpersonality disorders is to enable the patient to see underlying defects inhis/her thinking, and to replace wrong thinking with more realistic thinking. This is a process that involves regularpsychotherapy for a year or two, although in my case, successful psychotherapyhas taken considerably longer, probably becausefor 47 years (1965-2012) the psychiatrictherapy I was subject to at CMHCs was considerably wrongheaded and malfeasant, leavingme chagrined as a desperate, dependent outpatientsomething that did not changeuntil I started in 2014 with a private psychotherapist who used his particularversion of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Asfor childhood social environment as a cause of personality disorders, the ACEstudy (Adverse Childhood Environment), based on a sample base of 17,000 clientsof Californias Kaiser Permanente health insurance program, provides importantclues to the kind of parents who are more likely to have children with mentalhealth issues. Specifically, there arefour kinds of parents who are high-risk for creating such children: parents who abuse, belittle, curse, or beratetheir children; parents who are mentally ill or have personality disordersthemselves; parents who are alcoholics or drug abusers; and parents who havebeen imprisoned, or who engage in illegal activities. In my particular case, both my parents definitelyfell into the first category, and may also have fallen into the second, as theywere both given to over-the-top outbursts of rage that would go on in tiradesfor 10-15 minutes at a time.

However,based on my experience as the holder of a personality disorder, with properpsychiatric treatment, with a stable job and a solid friendship network, evenif small, the prognosis for recovery is solid and strong, even at a laterage. Given the prevalence of personalitydisorders, it is a shame that NAMI and other mental health advocates dontrecognize and educate on them nearly as much as they need to.

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Washington Post Reporter Dave Weigel Suspended for Retweet of …

Posted: at 8:01 am

The Washington Post suspended political reporter Dave Weigel on Monday without pay for a month over a politically incorrect joke he retweeted last week that triggered a fellow Post employee, Felicia Sonmex. CNN was first to report on Weigels suspension. Weigel responded to Sonmez by deleting and apologizing yet she made a public spectacle and argued with another Post reporter, Jose Del Real who was trying to broker a peace but ended up getting attacked by Sonmez and deleted his Twitter account. Del Real reactivated his account after a cooling off period.

The Weigel controversy comes at the same time as another Post reporter, Taylor Lorenz, is embroiled in a scandal about false reporting and chaotic editing of her false reporting. Weigel has been suspended by the Post over a joke while Lorenzs false reporting and embarrassment for the Post has not drawn any apparent disciplinary action.

Dave Weigel, Washington Post promo photo.

The joke Weigel retweeted was, Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if its polar or sexual.

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Excerpt from CNN report by Oliver Darcy:

The Washington Post has suspended reporter David Weigel for one month without pay for retweeting a sexist joke, two people familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday.

Weigel did not respond to a request for comment, but an out-of-office reply from his Post email address said that he would return to work on July 5. Weigel apologized publicly last week for the retweet, saying he did not mean to cause any harm.

A spokesperson for The Post declined to comment, citing a need for privacy regarding personnel matters.

Darcy later added the suspension is for a month.

To be clear, the suspension is for one month, per sources.

Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) June 6, 2022

Earlier Monday Darcy tweeted about more dissension at the Post, Tension at WaPo remains high today. Video technician Breanna Muir, who was misidentified in a tweet from a colleague as Breanna Taylor, sent the following note to the entire newsroom this morning, replying all to Sally Buzbees Sunday memo. (Buzbee is the Executive Editor of the Post.)

Tension at WaPo remains high today. Video technician Breanna Muir, who was misidentified in a tweet from a colleague as "Breanna Taylor," sent the following note to the entire newsroom this morning, replying all to Sally Buzbee's Sunday memo. pic.twitter.com/HVMrsQJAf0

Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) June 6, 2022

Buzbees weekend memo:

We expect the staff to treat each other with respect and kindness both in the newsroom and online, she wrote in the all-newsroom email obtained by The Daily Beast. We are a collegial and creative newsroom doing an astonishing amount of important and groundbreaking journalism..

One of the great strengths of our newsroom is our collaborative spirit. The Washington Post is committed to an inclusive and respectful environment free of harassment, discrimination or bias of any sort. When issues arise, please raise them with leadership or human resources and we will address them promptly and firmly.

My best, Sally

In the wake of the recent social media dustups involving WaPo journalists, Executive Editor Sally Buzbee sends a memo to journalists admonishing them to treat each other with respect and kindness: pic.twitter.com/nRd5h0kLLD

Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) June 5, 2022

Del Real reactivated his Twitter account Sunday and posted a lengthy comment in which he played his social justice credential, saying he is the only Mexican-American on the national desk at the Post.

Last night I came under an unrelenting series of attacks intended to tarnish my professional and personal reputation. The cause? Some tweets I sent calling for compassion within our workplace. Those attacks continued this morning. 1/6 In hopes of de-escalating, I temporarily deactivated my account, amid a barrage of online abuse directed by one person but carried out by an eager mob. The one-sided attacks continued even after I stopped engaging. I know the old adage: Hurt people hurt people. But what then? 2/6 In such a situation, it is difficult to find the line between sympathizing and challenging with compassion. My instinct is to defend myself. But I talk a big game about kindness, and Im going to try to practice some of that now by simply moving on and not engaging. 3/6

I *will* just say that I am proud to be part of a workplace where, contrary to the impression created on this forum, many people are actively engaged in the work of dismantling systems of sexism, racism, and homophobia. Sometimes that work is loud, and sometimes it is quiet. 4/6 As the only Mexican American reporter on the national desk, I know the sting of discriminatory systems firsthand. Anyone who wants you to believe they alone are trying to fix it is doing a disservice to the amazing team effort unfolding, of which I am proud to a part. 5/6 Ill end where I began: Lets be kinder to each other. I really believe empathy is a necessary tool in this effort to improve our workplaces and our culture. We can all be better. I certainly will continue trying to be. 6/6

In hopes of de-escalating, I temporarily deactivated my account, amid a barrage of online abuse directed by one person but carried out by an eager mob. The one-sided attacks continued even after I stopped engaging. I know the old adage: Hurt people hurt people. But what then? 2/6

Jose A. Del Real (@jdelreal) June 5, 2022

I *will* just say that I am proud to be part of a workplace where, contrary to the impression created on this forum, many people are actively engaged in the work of dismantling systems of sexism, racism, and homophobia. Sometimes that work is loud, and sometimes it is quiet. 4/6

Jose A. Del Real (@jdelreal) June 5, 2022

Ill end where I began: Lets be kinder to each other. I really believe empathy is a necessary tool in this effort to improve our workplaces and our culture. We can all be better. I certainly will continue trying to be. 6/6

Jose A. Del Real (@jdelreal) June 5, 2022

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/pol/ – Politically Incorrect – Page 4 – 4chan

Posted: at 8:01 am

>>385931931but you are wrong, in each of all counts.

fire is the warmth begat from the heavens, the warmth that kept tribes alive in the coldness of winter, the warmth that cooks food and nourishes life. it is this fire that brought forth cooperation, thus community.blood is the life that beats within all man, for each man contains within them the essence of life, and from their wound bleeds out their life. it is this blood that teaches us each man is equal, that death claims us at the end.steel is the hardness begat from our hands, the hardness that gave us tools to fight off the beasts, and put them under our command. it is this steel that grants us power, the ability to shape and alter the world to our desire.

fire begat religion and truth and faithblood begat empathy and equality and virtuesteel begat philosophy and science and literature

a sword can kill a man, but it is man who wields the sword. without man, a sword is useless. a sword is a tool, just like any other. a sword is created by the hands of man, using materials extracted and refined by the hands of man. to live by the sword is to die by the swords, and outside of hobbyists, the sword itself has been rendered obsolete by the weapons created by human industry and human science.

fools such as yourself only see the world with such childish eyes, a limited and simplistic view that knows not of the mechanisms that brought it to fruition. this 'primordial truth' that you claim is but an extension of another, and is built upon truths that you have decried as 'irrelevant'. a single warrior cannot defeat an army, a single gunman cannot kill an entire nation, and they are both nothing if not for civilization.

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The Real Person Who Inspired Kung Pao Chicken – Mashed

Posted: at 8:01 am

As noted by MSN, Kung Pao chicken is said to have been named after a "19th-century Qin Dynasty official and governor of Sichuan Province" named Ding Baozhen. The name hails from "gong bao," which means Palace Guardian. Supposedly, the progenitor of kung pao chicken was one of his favorite meals. The origins of the dish, though and of Ding's reverence for it are often up for debate.

NPR states that it's unclear whether Baozhen ate the dish as a child before bringing it to Sichuan, or if he enjoyed it at a local restaurant. TheLos Angeles Times notes that he had a "penchant for stir-fried chicken ... [and] loved to eat it and often served it to guests." It is said that later in Ding's life, his chefs added "handfuls of dried chile and Sichuan pepper and a pleasing chord of sugar and vinegar," which is an approximation of the kung pao chicken of today.

Wu Maozhao a chef and cookbook author spoke with the LA Times, stating, "I think we can assume that the dish was originally based on Guizhou chicken with chiles, and acquired its name later because of Dig's fame." Guizhou chicken is in reference to a "Guizhou folk dish," which is a stew made of chicken, ciba chiles, and a sweet flour sauce.

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Go, Boris: Tories did the right thing – Deccan Herald

Posted: at 8:01 am

Boris Johnsons turbulent tenure as Britains Prime Minister is coming to an end. He has resigned as leader of the ruling Conservative Party but will remain Prime Minister until the party elects a new leader.His resignation was long overdue. Several times over the past three years, as one scandal after another -- some involving Johnsons own misconduct and disregard for ethics or the law -- rocked his government, he should have done the right thing and stepped down. He did not, using lies, hubris and bluster to remain in power. Last week, his government was mired in yet another scandal. It proved to be the last straw and triggered the resignation of nearly 60 members of his government, including top cabinet members. Even as his government disintegrated around him, Johnson fought to hang on, until it was no longer tenable.

Johnson had built up his image as a fun-loving, if bumbling, politically incorrect politician. It got him votes, and in December 2019 he led the Conservative Party to a historic win in parliamentary elections. However, his governance was scandal-ridden and morally bankrupt. It stirred a realisation among Tories that his leadership was undermining the partys credibility. Their quarrels with him were not over big policy matters but on issues of misconduct and impropriety on the part of the Prime Minister. Importantly, in the face of a weak Opposition, it was his own Conservative Party that took corrective action. A month ago, Tory MPs called for a no-trust vote against Johnson. He survived that vote. It took the mass resignation of senior members of his cabinet and government to force him out. Ruling party MPs the world over, including in the biggest democracies, are rarely willing to oust their own leader, preferring to hang on to power and enjoy the spoils as long as they can. They turn a blind eye, and even sycophantically defend and support the leaders misconduct and misgovernance. The Tories, on the other hand, ousted one of their own rather than defend the indefensible. That is in the finest tradition of democracy.

The race for leadership of the Conservative Party, and thus to be Britains next Prime Minister, has begun. Among the candidates are Rishi Sunak, Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, who are of Indian origin, Sajid Javid who is of Pakistani ancestry, and Nadhim Zahawi of Iraqi origin. Britain may not have fully resolved its problems of racism and discrimination, but it is heartening to see that people from its former colonies can aspire -- and perhaps rise -- to the countrys top office.

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History and gossip – The Manila Times

Posted: at 8:01 am

YOUNG actor Ella Cruz boldly, if not innocently, stated that history is just like gossip or "tsismis." And social media erupted in derision, with netizens pelting her with insults and unkind words. It did not help that she is coming from a position of playing one of the Marcos children in the upcoming movie "Maid in Malacaang," about the last three days of the Marcoses before they fled to Hawaii in 1986. The public criticism she received ended up being clothed with political color.

Indeed, likening history to gossip is sacrilege to academic historians. Gossip is commonly taken as untrue, even malicious. At a time when historical distortion has become a push-button issue that can easily rile the critics of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who fear an impending spree of rewriting history, Ella Cruz's comment was taken to unimaginable heights of political trash talk.

It is tempting to scold the poor young actor for being clueless not to know that the movie she is appearing in is already being treated as a harbinger of a vigorous cultural production to distort history, and her alluding to history as mere gossip would be seen as politically incorrect. But I would rather dwell on the fact that likening history to gossip is an interesting subject for theoretical reflection. And I, as one whose economic livelihood rests on political theorizing, wouldn't miss such an opportunity.

It is necessary to recuperate the word "tsismis" and redeem it from the dustbin of being treated as something that is universally derogatory. Simply put, it is a generic word that takes life from "kuwentuhan" or storytelling in ordinary spaces and places, either as a pastime for people or as means to cement their social bonds. We call these venues the "umpukan" that happens in street corners while drinking, near artesian wells or riverbanks as women wash their laundry, or during breaks from the daily grind of economic activity. It is in these social interactions that social meaning is produced, and where people communicate their opinions and derive their information. While it is a fertile ground for distortion and disinformation to thrive, it would simply be foolish for any social researcher to dismiss this avenue as a source of data. In fact, indigenous psychology, or "Sikolohiyang Pilipino," values the "umpukan" and the "kuwentuhan" as valid sources of grounded and authentic information.

Reliance on documents has been the conventional source of historical data in Western historiography. There is this unsaid privileging of the text as written, and not said. Yet, there is much to be learned from oral accounts, many of which were fertilized, nurtured and found meaning in the stories told by people in "kuwentuhan" as they communed in the many "umpukan." It is through these avenues that the "kuwentong bayan," or oral narratives and folklore, have emerged.

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The seeming preference for written accounts over oral narratives tells us of a power differential that finds expression in the way information being shared by ordinary people are given lesser legitimacy, and are simply dismissed as unreliable "tsismis" or gossip. It becomes even more pronounced when stories told and written by those who are able to write, because of their wealth and position of power and authority, which include academics, take on the mantle of legitimacy and are now labeled as history, while the stories told by ordinary people are considered as unworthy "tsismis."

Thus, the power to label as lie what is otherwise truth is held by those in power to delegitimize the weak. It becomes a convenient mechanism for the powerful and the well-entrenched to hide their flaws, corruption, illicit affairs and even crimes and to dismiss the circulation of these negative stories as simply pure gossip. It is common for Filipino politicians to label stories about their marital infidelity as mere rumors.

And when it is the strong and powerful who turn lies into truth, it can become part of written history, and may no longer be labeled as gossip. I can only cite the case of Macario Sacay who was written about as a bandit by dominant authority in official documents, even if for all intents and purposes this was later proven to be a lie, and the truth is the one held by ordinary people who celebrated him as a freedom fighter and a hero. Dominant male state power, operating through the official texts of state and church narratives, have delegitimize women seeking knowledge, food and healing by venturing into forests, labeling them as witches and burning them at the stake. Anyone should watch or read the Arthur Miller play "The Crucible," to witness an account of how state and church authority draw on the power of rumor and gossip to their advantage, and propel it as truth.

But in a different sense, the act of telling stories, some of which can be embellished, can in fact be appropriated by the oppressed to get back at their powerful oppressors, by relying on the cloak of anonymity and the displacement of an authoritative source. It is in this context that James Scott wrote about gossip and rumor as effective weapons of the weak. Gossip renders private secrets that would otherwise be hidden into public knowledge, and thus embeds these in public discourse. Aside from acting as a form of social control, gossip also enables the emergence of data that can be useful to social researchers and historians.

Ella Cruz may have pushed sensitive partisan buttons when she likened history to gossip. It may not have been her intention, but she actually did all of us a favor. She forces us to revisit our historical narratives to find out which are those that are actually true but are dismissed by the elites as simply gossip, and which are actually untrue but are celebrated as history because they are convenient to those in power. It is in doing these that we may just clear history of its cobwebs of distortion and lies.

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Given the State of Indian Muslims Today, the Possibility of Radicalisation Cannot be Ruled Out – The Wire

Posted: at 8:01 am

Terrorism, like viruses, is everywhere It is at the very heart of this culture which combats it as though every machinery of domination secreted its own counter apparatus, the agent of its own disappearance against that form of almost automatic reversion of its own power, the system can do nothing. And terrorism is the shock wave of its silent reversion. Jean Baudrillard

The horrific murder of a Hindu tailor in Udaipur, Rajasthan, and a chemist in Amaravati, Maharashtra by Muslim zealots has predictably resulted in a disingenuous debate on lines dictated by political expediency, deep-rooted biases and ideologial loyalties.

Since it is premature to speculate on whether these were isolated acts or the culmination of a larger conspiracy also involving foreign elements as the National Investigation Agency is set to look into let us state the politically incorrect obvious: radicalisation, now or later, among at least some sections of Muslim Indians is beyond any shadow of doubt.

Let us also add: if the number of zealots among Muslim Indians attracted to the phantasmagoria of global Islamic Jihad was minuscule, it was because of their countrys secular constitution and the largely salubrious lived experience of being in a plural society despite sporadic aberrations.

The arrival on the scene of belligerent, merciless and mirthless Hindutva in the 1980s launched the long process in which their sense of belonging slowly but steadily began to be replaced by an existential fear. They were suddenly being held accountable for the real and imagined crimes of medieval kings and sultans who bore names like theirs.

An Indian Muslims psyche today, regardless of their adherence or otherwise to the faith of Islam, is a minefield of rage, frustration, helplessness and fear. There is evidence now to surmise that many have begun to shed their fear and confront the reality head on. The elite among the community may be thinking of the first opportunity to migrate to safer shores where their children can build a decent future, while some perhaps secretly wish their forefathers had not believed in the promise of the republics founders that they would be treated as equal citizens.

Let us be clear about one thing: if the constituent assembly had envisaged India as a Hindu Pakistan which it is fast becoming many more among the Muslims of the country, or even most of them, would have taken the pains to cross the then bloody borders. They decided to stay put because they believed in the promise of pluralism, harmony and coexistence as well as a bright future. They genuinely refused to share Jinnahs apprehensions, which now sound so perspicacious even to the staunchly secular among the Muslims.

Their sense of trust in the idea of India must have been further reinforced when Mahatma Gandhi valiantly took three bullets in his frail chest, chanting Hey Ram in defence of their rightful place in the new Republic. To them, Nathuram Godse and Savarkar must have appeared as rare abominations in a sea of sanity. They cannot be faulted for an absence of clairvoyance in not foreseeing the cataclysmic turn the Republic would take a few decades down the line.

We are not at a crossroads now, but at a definitive U-turn which will inexorably push the nation down a spiral of violent metamorphosis in 2025, the centenary of the formation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Podcast: My Book Was Pro Hindu. Those Who Had Attacked Me Hadnt Read It: Wendy Doniger

Four characteristics of Indias Muslims make their plight even more vulnerable against the backdrop of their everyday humiliation, marginalisation, and stigmatisation.

First, the community does not have even a semblance of an enlightened leadership, either nationally or regionally. The most influential leaders of the community, without exception, belong to what can crudely be described as a class of mealy-mouthed, myopic, and incorrigibly un-modern opportunists clerics and non-clerics. Consider that the Muslim Personal Law Board is now more worried about the absence of an adequately retributive blasphemy law in the land than about the political storm that threatens to engulf the community.

Also worthy of note is the fact that this body, which comprises almost all religious and social organisations working among the Muslims in the country, has not so far bothered to convene a meeting of the communitys leaders from various states to discuss a wise, prudent, and pragmatic way to address the current situation, whereas it will catapult itself into the scene the moment some religiously emotive issue comes to the fore. This body thrived consistently on cheap, medievalist and obscurantist sentiments.

Second, all the so-called secular opposition parties have now concluded that words such as Muslim and minority are avoidable terms to be used only in private conversations. Using these words in public they, perhaps rightly, decided will cause further loss of votes among the Hindus, a major chunk of whom have already got on the Hindutva bandwagon. A leaderless and disjointed community, abandoned by parties and people they thought would stand by them, is a sure recipe for radical imaginations.

Third, every member of the community wakes up from disturbed sleep every morning to a new set of news stories involving them in one way or another pogroms and riots; arrests of people with Muslim names for crimes such as checking facts; shocking stories of videotaped lynchings; venomous pronouncements; calls for genocide or threats of rape by love mongers like Yati Narsinghanand, Bajrang Muni or other vocal patriots; attacks on mosques and worshippers followed by arrest and persecution disguised as prosecution of the attacked; yet another court case claiming a mosque was built on the ruins of a temple; one more city renamed or sought to be renamed because it reeked of Islamic domination in the past; one more Muslim home bulldozed as a retribution for rioting; filthy dirt thrown at the ultimate sanctities of the faith on social media or television debates by the ruling partys national spokespersons; dwindling representation of the community in state assemblies and Parliament; bans in different states on the hijab, aazan and so on; stories with all sorts of prefixes to jihad such as love, Corona, land et al; a meat seller arrested for selling chicken wrapped in newspapers which had pictures of Hindu deities; round-the-clock spewing of hate against the community by a large number of highly popular television channels.

The list is endless and the pain unbearable.

Also read: The Hindutva Ecosystem Has a New Anti-Muslim Narrative. This Time Street Vendors Are the Target

Fourth, and perhaps the most significant of all the reasons that makes the Muslim community vulnerable, is the worry about the future of their children in a country where they are being systematically turned into nobodies.

The Sangh parivar is not going to moderate its views, nor change its ways. You cannot throw away nearly 200 million people into the Arabian sea. The toothless and internally divided opposition is unlikely to get its act together and throw an effective challenge against the ruling dispensation. The Muslim religious, political and social organisations do not show any signs of coming up with a wise course of action within the bounds of the constitution and the law. If they come together as embattled citizens sans religious rhetoric and decide to fight constitutionally and politically, they still have a chance to regain lost ground and assert their equal citizenship, but one sees no such initiative from the communitys existing leadership.

Now, even the judiciary is increasingly appearing to be partisan, at all levels. In such a depressing scenario, the likelihood of radicalisation among some sections of the community cannot be ruled out. We may argue that it will be suicidal that it it will push even more Hindus to Hindutva and that the entire community will have to pay a heavy price for the thoughtless actions of a few, and so on. But the sad truth is that the community is staring at a situation where arguments, logic and debate seem to make no difference.

If you cannot live with dignity, you had better die with dignity is an argument that has the potential to persuade many, as happened in the context of internecine conflicts in several parts of the world, including in our close neighbourhood. Emotive religious rhetoric will serve as fuel to the fire of anger that is already spilling out into the open.

External forces will definitely fish in troubled waters and do all they can to foment a retaliatory course of action from the embattled minority. Many in the Pakistani establishment must be feeling ecstatic now as their founding fathers pet theory is being proven right in India, at long last.

Is it too late for us to make a last ditch attempt at saving the republic and redeeming the idea of India as a plural, democratic, harmonious and composite nation-state? The advent of another Gandhi may be an impossibility, but the likelihood of legions of citizens metamorphosing into little Gandhis may still be a potent counter to the forces of hatred.

Perhaps the time is ripe for the resurfacing of the old Gandhian slogan of Hindu-Muslim unity. Hate can be defeated only by love, but the public space in India right now is emptied of all noble human emotions. The Muslim is the principal whipping boy who is blamed for all the ills that plague the republic. The question that all right-minded Indians should ask themselves is whether or not we can set aside our minor differences and come together to defend the country.

If not, what awaits us is the ignominy of being clubbed together by future historians with ill-fated countries ranging from Nazi Germany, Rwanda, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and so on.

Shajahan Madampat is a cultural critic and commentator, writing in English and Malayalam. His book God is neither a Khomeini nor a Mohan Bhagwat: Writing against Zealotry came out in 2020.

The featured image is an illustration by Pariplab Chakraborty. To view more such illustrations, click here.

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