Category Archives: Government Oppression

MARYLAND More Confederate monuments were removed in 2020 across the United States than during the five previous years combined, the Southern Poverty Law Center said in its most recent "Whose Heritage?" report that tracks public displays related to the Confederacy.

Ninety-four of the 168 Confederate symbols removed or renamed nationwide in 2020 were monuments, the report found. Fifty-eight were removed from 2015 to 2019.

In Maryland, one Confederate symbol was removed in 2020, according to the Law Center.

The Jeb Stuart Trail at Woodstock Equestrian Park in Dickerson, in Montgomery County, was renamed the Northern Edge Trail in December. Stuart was a Confederate Army general.

Some residents said the name change didn't go far enough, and called it a missed opportunity to honor someone who fought against racism.

"Very negative names were deliberately placed on these signs for wrong-headed purposes, racist purposes," County Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission Member Okianer Christian Darktold Montgomery Community Media. "I think you put a name there that says 'we're not this way. This is not what we value.'"

The SPLC report said three monuments remain in Maryland, but did not specify where they are located.

The "Talbot Boys" monument dedicated to Talbot County residents who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War remains near the entrance of the county courthouse in Easton, the Baltimore Sun said. It is believed to be the only Confederate statue remaining on public ground in Maryland.

In 2017 Baltimore officials removed four Confederate monuments from public land overnight to avoid protests. They are: The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument on W. Mount Royal Avenue; the Confederate Women's Monument in Bishop Square Park, N.; the Roger B. Taney Monument on Mount Vernon Place and the Robert E. Lee and Thomas. J. "Stonewall" Jackson Monument in Wyman Park.

A statue to Maryland native Roger Taney, the U.S. Supreme Court justice who wrote the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision that upheld slavery, was taken from the State House grounds in Annapolis in 2017, and a plaque honoring a Confederate general was removed from the courthouse grounds in Wicomico County, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Lecia Brooks, chief of staff for the Law Center, called 2020 a "transformative" year in the movement to remove Confederate symbols nationally.

"Over the course of seven months, more symbols of hate were removed from public property than in the preceding four years combined," Brooks said in a statement.

The Law Center began tracking the movement to take the monuments down in 2015, when a white supremacist entered a South Carolina church and killed nine Black parishioners.

Virginia by far saw the most Confederate symbols removed in 2020 with 71, the Law Center's report found. The states with the next highest number are North Carolina with 24, and Alabama and Texas, both with 12.

While the greatest concentration of symbols remains in former Confederate and border states, many exist in Northern states and states formed after the Civil War. California, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington, Idaho and Montana all house a small number of monuments.

Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson are the top Confederates with statues, roads and schools named in their honor, according to BeenVerified.com.

Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Confederate general who was the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, has the sixth highest number of monuments.

Brooks praised Virginia, which changed its preservation law and, according to Brooks, "led by example" by removing so many Confederate symbols in 2020. Preservation laws in several other Southern states including Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina still exist and prohibit individual communities from removing certain displays.

The movement to remove these symbols from public spaces became part of the national reckoning on racial injustice following the killing last May of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for several minutes.

All but one of the 168 symbols that were removed last year came after Floyd's death. The symbol that was removed before May 30 was Virginia's decision to replace Lee-Jackson Day with Election Day in April.

The Law Center considers public Confederate symbols as any government buildings, monuments and statues, plaques, markers, schools, parks, counties, cities, military property and streets or highways named after anyone associated with the Confederacy.

The organization said 2,100 Confederate symbols remain in the country into 2021. Monuments account for 704 of the symbols, the Law Center said.

"These dehumanizing symbols of pain and oppression continue to serve as backdrops to important government buildings, halls of justice, public parks and U.S. military properties," she said.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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Confederate Symbols Removed From Maryland In 2020, What Remains - Patch.com

AS ANTI-GOVERNMENTprotests continue to grow,revolutionary forces in Turkey warned today of the states attemptsto break the backbone of their resistance.

Sixty-five people were detained in Istanbul last week after a press conferenceannouncing the launch of a new opposition alliance, theUnited Fighting Forces (BMG).

Many of those hauled into custodywill appear in court tomorrow.There have been allegations of torture during their fourdays ofinterrogation by security services.

The new alliance, which includes the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), Partizan, the Revolutionary Party and the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), has been hailed as a major step in uniting Turkeys revolutionary forces against state oppression.

The government routinely accuses its opponents of terrorism, but ina statementthe BMG said that the only terrorist organisation in this country is the ruling alliance between the ruling Justice & Development Party (AKP) headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the neofascist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), its junior partnerin government.

Your attacks will not be able to stop us. We are coming to destroy your terrorist gang, BMG promised.

ESP, founded in 2010 by jailed former Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Figen Yuksekdag, has bornethe brunt of the latest wave of government oppressionwith 48 of its leading members detained earlier this month.

After the latest wave of arrests at least 24 ESP members remain in custody, including co-chair Sahin Tumuklu;another eightare under house arrest.

Ozgur Gelecek reporter Taylan Oztas, Revolutionary Party President Elif Torun and HDP Istanbul co-chair Elif Bulutarealso being held.

But Mr Tumuklu insisted: We will overthrow fascism and gain political freedom.

And Revolutionary Party deputy leader MuratPircan Yaratantold the Morning Star that the state fears unity between Turks and Kurds and wants to break a movement that takes its power from the streets.

There is a pressure on the organisations that speak out, he said, explaining that Turkey is faced with a severe political and economic crisis.

But, he added,Mr Erdogan is afraid of thehuge protests that continue across Turkey, triggered by the appointment of a pro-Erdogan rector, Melih Bulu, at Istanbuls prestigious Bogazici University in January.

Students and other protesters have been targeted by snipers and subjected to sexual assault at the hands of security services with more than 500 detained over the course of last week alone.

We will not bow, we will not look down has become the slogan of a movement the government has vowed to put down at all costs, fearing it will become a new Gezi, the 2013 wave ofprotests that nearly brought down the government.

Mr Erdogan insists the students areterrorists taking instructions from those in the mountains.

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Turkish authorities arrest 65 revolutionaries in a bid to break the backbone of the growing anti-government resistance - Morning Star Online

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A day after three international celebrities kicked up a Twitter storm by supporting the ongoing farmers agitation on Delhi borders, the farmers at Tikri border, one of the epicentres of the protest, said the solidarity from abroad is a nail on the coffin for the government. The movement will only grow further, they claimed.

The issue has become an international embarrassment now. How does it reflect on a country when an American singer has to raise awareness on protests happening in India? Indian celebrities who did not post a comment in solidarity with the movement suddenly rushed to the governments aid to issue messages of unity on Twitter. They will oppose Rihannas statement but not condemn basic human rights violations like suspension of Internet and supplies being cut off for farmers.

The hypocrisy lies exposed now, said Varun Chouhan who hails from Madhya Pradeshs Shivpuri. On Wednesday, the Centre had put out a statement against the support lent to the movement by international personalities including American pop singer Rihanna, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and US Vice President Kamala Harris niece, Meena Harris.

Soon, several Union ministers and celebrity film stars retweeted the statement. Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar were among others who issued statements on how internal issues could be resolved amicably. Activist Sudesh Goyat said it was unfortunate for celebrities to let down youth who idolise them.

Jasbir Kaur Nat, state committee member of Punjab Kisan Union, said the reaction of international celebrities in support of the farmers was a nail in the coffin for the Indian government. The government stepping up oppression against farmers at the protest sites is attracting more international attention. They thought suspending Internet would help them twist the narrative. However, it turned out to be a move of political suicide for them, he said.

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Oppression against us attracting international attention: Farmers - The New Indian Express

25 years ago: IRA bombs London DocklandsDamage after the South Quay bombing. (Wikimedia Commons)

On February 9, 1996, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombed the London Docklands, killing two people and injuring over 100 others. In the incident also known as the South Quay bombing, the IRA had sent warnings prior to detonating the truck bomb, but the area was not completely evacuated.

The explosion took place just a few hundred yards from the Barkantine housing project on the Isle of Dogs, one of the most oppressed working-class neighborhoods in London. Windows were smashed and residents were showered with glass. Thousands of children attending a basketball game at the nearby London Arena narrowly missed serious injury. That the bomb did not result in a massive loss of life was purely accidental.

On February 18, a second bomb ripped apart a London bus traveling through the theater district of the city, killing the bomber himself and seriously injuring others aboard, including the driver.

The bombing campaign marked the end of a ceasefire that had lasted about 17 months. The ceasefire was agreed to in 1994 on the grounds that Sinn Fein, the IRAs political arm, would be involved in peace talks. However, as a precondition to formal talks, the British government had demanded a full and unilateral IRA disarmament. The IRA refused and eventually ended the ceasefire.

The bombings, carried out with total disregard for the lives of innocent working class people, were the acts of a politically bankrupt petty-bourgeois nationalist organization. The IRA was attempting, through means of random violence, to restore its bargaining position at the imperialist negotiating table. Its aim was to pressure the Tory government of Prime Minister John Major.

The conflict centered on Northern Ireland, which, comprising most of the province of Ulster, had remained in British possession after the Irish War of Independence concluded 75 years earlier. Catholics, predominately working class and comprising roughly 40 percent of the population, faced oppression in Northern Ireland at the hands of its right-wing Unionist government and British imperialist forces.

The IRAs targeting of the working class in Britain was not accidental. While claiming to represent the national interests of the oppressed Catholic minority in Northern Ireland, the IRA/Sinn Fein was actually representative of a very thin layer of the Catholic middle class which feared most of all united working-class action against the British government.

The violence was also directed at suppressing any political challenge to the claim that the IRA alone represented the Catholic minority in the North. Just a few weeks earlier, on January 30, the IRA assassinated Gino Gallagher, chief of staff of the Irish National Liberation Army, a rival nationalist group which had refused to support the ceasefire.

On February 2, 1971, a massive earthquake rocked the San Fernando Valley of southern California, killing 64 people and causing extensive damage to homes, hospitals, power lines, dams and other structures. The 6.6 magnitude quake hit just after 6:00 a.m. and lasted for 12 seconds, making it Californias third-largest earthquake in history after the quakes in San Francisco in 1906 and Long Beach in 1933.

The two most deadly building collapses were at Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals at Olive View and San Fernando, which housed hundreds of soldiers convalescing from Americas imperialist war in Vietnam.

The VA at San Fernando saw the most fatalities, with 44 deaths. Twenty-six buildings at the hospital campus were built before 1933, when new construction regulations had been put in place following the Long Beach disaster. Four hospital buildings totally collapsed. A nurse, Betty Van Decar, witnessed the earthquake just after leaving night shift. She spoke of the events in an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News on the 45th anniversary of the earthquake. It buckled down, caved in, the whole building, Van Decar recalled. There was an awful soundyou could hear the ground rumbling. I thought: Theyre not going to make it.

At Olive View, where three died, most of the buildings in the hospital complex had been built before 1933. Damage was concentrated in the basement and first floor, along with several stairwells. Two of the deaths were attributed to power outages that shut off life sustaining support to patients. A hospital worker was struck by falling debris as she attempted to evacuate the building.

Another structure that sustained significant damage was the Van Norman Dam. In the days after the earthquake 80,000 people living below the dam were forced to evacuate until the water could be pumped out. Engineers estimated that if the earthquake had happened one year earlier when the dam was full with 6.5 billion gallons of water, as many as 100,000 people living in the San Fernando Valley would have been killed.

In the aftermath of the earthquake engineers carried out investigations that concluded that current building codes for dams, bridges, highways, hospitals and other large buildings were dangerously inadequate to meet the threat of a major earthquake. Legislation was subsequently passed that created new building codes, restricted development near fault zones, and created the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program which allowed scientists to collect needed data to develop buildings that can withstand stronger earthquakes.

On February 10, 1946, the US governor of the Marshall Islands, in the central Pacific Ocean, informed all 167 residents of the Bikini Atoll that they would be permanently relocated as their former home became the scene of American military testing of nuclear weapons.

Over the following weeks, all civilian structures, including homes and a church, were dismantled and the villagers were permanently moved to Rongerik Atoll, some 125 miles away. Rongerik had long been uninhabited, due to inadequate water and food supplies. The Bikini Atoll residents were initially left there with only a few weeks of supplies.

The US seizure of the Bikini Atoll took place in the context of an emerging nuclear arms race following World War II. In the last stages of the war in the Pacific, the US had dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in August 1945. In addition to terrorizing the Japanese population, the attack was a threat to US rivals among the old colonial powers like Britain and France, but above all to the Soviet Union.

At the conclusion of the war, the US administration of President Harry Truman rapidly drew up plans for expanded testing of nuclear weapons. Experiments in the Pacific were particularly focused on how the devices could be used as an adjunct to naval warfare.

Between 1946 and 1958, the US military detonated 27 nuclear devices in and around the Bikini Atoll, including on the reef, underwater, on land and in the air. One of the first tests, in July 1946, involved the detonation of a massive nuclear bomb 95 feet under water. Dubbed Baker, the operation was described by one Atomic Energy Commission official as the the worlds first nuclear disaster, after it resulted in widespread radioactive contamination. The tests would render the Bikini Atoll uninhabitable.

On February 11, 1921, workers and peasants led by communists seized control of strategic locations in the Lori province of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, a capitalist state headed by the Social Democratic (Menshevik) Party. Lori, a predominantly Armenian-speaking region claimed by Georgia, had been occupied by the Georgian army after the withdrawal of Turkish forces in November 1920.

The uprising set up a Revolutionary Committee in the town of Shulaveri, led by the veteran Georgian Bolshevik Filipp Makharadze. The Committee sought to expand its influence into the rest of Georgia. It called upon the Soviet government to intervene and by February 14 the Red 11th Army had been sent to Georgia. After fierce fighting, the Red Army entered the capital of Tbilisi on February 25 and established the Soviet Republic of Georgia.

Menshevik-ruled Georgia, established in 1918, became a toehold of European imperialism in the Caucasus. The regime at first placed itself under German protection. It permitted German troops to occupy strategic areas and allowed Germany the unrestricted use of Georgian railways and ports. By June 1918, the German military was parading down the main thoroughfare of Tbilisi.

After the defeat of German imperialism in November 1918 by the Allies, Menshevik Georgia allowed British troops to enter the country in December.

The regime committed other crimes, including the suppression of the minority South Ossetians. It opposed land reform in South Ossetia by backing the local Georgian landowners. In a conflict between the South Ossetians and the Menshevik government in 1920, roughly 5,000 Ossetians were killed in a wave of ethnic cleansing.

Leon Trotsky summed up the Soviet experience with bourgeois Georgia in his famous work, Between Red and White (1922):

What took place was the result of long preparation. It was what, owing to the logic of events, could not but take place. The history of the relations between Georgia and Soviet Russia is only a chapter in the book of the blockade of Russia, of military interventions, of French gold, of British ships, and of the four fronts on which the best elements of the working class have been sacrificed. This chapter cannot be eliminated from the book. The Georgia which is being described today by the beaten Menshevik commanders of the civil war never existed. There has never been either a democratic, or a peaceful, or an independent, or a neutral Georgia. There was a Georgian fortress in the all-Russian class struggle. That fortress is today in the hands of the victorious proletariat.

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This week in history: February 8-14 - WSWS

Amid its ever-deepening foreign policy mess that has alienated the entire political establishment in Washington D.C, raised the tension in Eastern Mediterranean, and sanctions against it across the Atlantic, Turkeys troubled government seems to have found a useful ally for its continuity: Spain.

If the process of this rapprochement - which is a visible counter-dynamic to what the main bulk of the E.U members regard Erdoans Turkey as - continues according to the wishes of Ankara, it will not only weaken further the influence of European institutions (including the European Court of Human Rights), but also must be seen as a harbinger for an apparent conflict of interests with NATO and the U.S.A.

While Ankara is preparing for arm wrestling and a possible thorny cold war with the Biden administration, as well as an E.U sanctions regime looming in March, leaders of Turkey and Spain were busy in the past weeks, engaging in a diplomacy flourished with terms like positive agenda, constructive stance and - even - strategic partnership. No wonder why eyebrows are raised in various circles that realistically and critically observe the harmful demise of the Erdoan government.

Indeed, Spains deviant attitude, distanced from Brussels utterly cautious stance vis a vis Ankara, is striking. On January 18, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared that he wants to enhance ties with Turkey, which he called a strategic partner of the European Union and a NATO ally. An intergovernmental summit will also be held this year, he added.

The fact of the matter is, that there is not much of a strategic partnership between Turkey and the E.U left to speak of. Given what many observers see as an acrimonious display of expansionist agenda, the Erdoan governments deployment of a militarized foreign policy against Greece and Cyprus (both E.U members like Spain), makes such heavyweight terms utterly redundant. It was not a surprise that when Turkey engaged in naval seismic reasearch activities in Greek and Cypriot territorial waters, it quickly turned into a crisis between Turkey and the E.U.

Strategic partnership under normal circumstances requires a full package of agreements, and a common understanding, between the parts - on the entire spectrum of relations. A part which questions and challenges the territorial integrity of the other is not a strategic partner, but at best, only a transactional one. If anything, Turkey exists as such for the E.U, especially on the issues such as refugees and a battle against the COVID-19.

So one must speak of a mutual tactical approach rather than strategy, and similar ornate rhetoric between Madrid and Ankara.

It was clear that what defined Spains dissenting attitude from many other members, when the sanctions against Erdoans government was debated at the E.U Summit last December, was mainly due to its deep financial concerns - Madrid has high stakes (and risks) through its investments in Turkey. A possible collapse the of the Turkish economy -as a result of Erdoans erratic policies - is, understandably sending chills down the spines of some E.U member countries.

Erdoan, in a constant existential battle to cling to power, knows this aspect very well. Resolutely engaged in what the European Council President Charles Michel recently called a cat-and-mouse-game with the E.U, the Turkish president thrives on pinching the vulnerable nerve endings of the bloc- such as the fear of a refugee influx or an economic meltdown.

Like an X-ray device, he has seen through the weaknesses within the E.U which gives him possibilities to drive wedges between its members. Up to now, it can be said that his divide and rule policies has worked in favour of his power. He has taken every gesture of appeasement as a concession to be abused, and enjoyed its results, which only extended his oppressive rule. The remarkable delay of the E.U in responding to the case of Erdoans appointment of a lackey as the president of Bosporus University, prompting a massive unrest among students and their unlawful arrests, was utterly striking in this case.

Erdoan and his partner, Devlet Baheli, not only openly criminalize the students, and incite violence against them, but also demonize the entire LGTBQ+ community in Turkey. Despite the sensitivity on both issues, Brussels remained silent for days. Also, when a court extended the detention of Osman Kavala, one of the most ardent supporters of Turkeys E.U accession process as a civil society activist, the reactions remained nothing more than a blip.

That Erdoans top diplomat, Mevlut avuolu, recently sang full praises for the Sanchez government should be seen in this wide context. Ankara is constantly busy seeking and successfully finding new accomplices.

Recently, in an article for La Razon, titled Spain and Turkey: Mediterranean allies and partners, avuolu said Turkey-Spain relations have now reached an ideal level. Regarding economic relations, he pointed out that the two countries aim to increase their bilateral trade to 20 billion euros (about $24.5 billion) from its current level of 13 billion euros. Further on, on January 20, he met with Spain's Ambassador Francisco Javier Hergueta and a top official from a state-owned Spanish engineering firm, Navantia.

"We discussed our cooperation in the defense industry with Spain's Ambassador Hergueta and Pablo Menendez, the Eastern Mediterranean General Manager of Navantia Company, which provides design support to TCG Anadolu," Cavusoglu said on Twitter, referring to a new Turkish naval ship.

Navantia is responsible for designing and constructing the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship. It will be able to transport a force the size of a minimum battalion without needing home base support, according to Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries. It can carry four mechanized, two air-cushioned and two personnel landing vehicles as well as aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The ship, spanning 231 meters (758 feet) long and 32 m (105 ft.) wide, will have a full load displacement of about 27,000 tons, according to Anadolu Agency.

Will the ship be engaged in combat against the E.U members, if things eventually turn sour in the Aegean? We can only ask such questions, and perhaps receive only mumblings as responses. But the issue must certainly be seen in much broader context.

First, it is apparent that in the satisfaction expressed by the Erdoan government, something is not right.

Why avuolu is enthusiastic about the Spanish approach is telling enough: The longer the E.U remains divided about his government, the longer it may continue to rule. Turkeys foreign minister also knows very well that Erdoans proposal to Brussels of assembling a Mediterranean Conference - which the E.U seems to have in principle accepted - will be a non-starter. How will it go ahead with Turkey which does not officially recognize Cyprus? So, in a nutshell, each and every move, if backed by any E.U member, is regarded as a successful tactical move, by Ankara.

Seen from a higher altitude, what casts a dark shadow over the recent Spanish warming up to Erdoans government has to do with the principles and values of the E.U, moral pillars of any democracy vis-a-vis autocracy and, it should not come as a suprise, with the memory of Spain.

Ever since the attempted coup and the following state of emergency, Erdoan failed to fulfill his ancient pledge to establishing democracy; on the contrary, the country is a de-jure super-presidency or in other words, one man rule, following the referendum in 2017. Since then the separation of powers and the rule of law collapsed entirely. Media, academia and the judiciary have been seized almost entirely by the government. In the past five years, the country has turned practically into a slaughterhouse of justice.

In his latest report by Carnegie Europe, Marc Pierini, a former ambassador of the E.U to Turkey, reminds us of what he calls the dimensions of a massive and seemingly endless purge.

Around 150,000 civil servants have been fired, while some 70,000 others remain detained, many without any indictment. Among thousands of others, the baseless detentions of the journalists and authors Ahmet and Mehmet Altan, the Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirta, the journalist Nazl Ilcak, and the businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala illustrate the fundamental rift between Turkey and its Western partners. These cases are clear violations of Ankaras obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

According to a fresh report by Sezgin Tanrkulu, an MP of the main opposition party Peoples Republican Party (CHP), 1,855 citizens were tortured in police custody and the prisons in 2020, bringing the total of the since the beginning of AKPs tenure in 2002 to 27,493 citizens.

The most recent Bosporus University seizure case, accompanied by an open declaration of war against the LGBTQ+ community, should be a reminder that ever since the attempted coup, nearly 9 thousand academicians were fired from their jobs, with hundreds of them having to leave Turkey to seek jobs elsewhere.

These findings per se are telling enough of how problematic, ethically and morally, the official Spanish warming up to an oppressive regime is. That it is driven by a government of the Socialist Party, raises eyebrows. It only adds salt to the wound felt by large chunks of Turkish society, Turks and Kurds alike, who dissent and despise Erdoans massive abuse of power, which has left Turkey in solitude internationally and in systemic crisis domestically.

I cant help but remember how the Spanish socialists raised the flag of democracy in late 1970s and 80s, which I as a young journalist had followed closely, in envy. Sanchez can take it for granted, that I as an exiled journalist give voice to many in Turkey, when I see through the ethical questions current Spanish-Turkish relations raise.

On the other hand, we shall see the tide turning soon when the Biden administration will unleash new dynamics to promote human rights and democracy, especially in Turkey - a change of attitude that will require a tougher stance within the EU against all forms of oppression and injustice. We are already seeing strong signs of a sea change in terms of not tolerating such a massive oppression. Biden will find many strong allies within the EU to change the language into deeds.

I wonder if Sanchez government is prepared for the change thats a coming. To be on the rights side of history is a duty for any democracy, based on principles.

Spain, out of its painful past that ended not so long ago, should never deceive its memory. It has to choose to be on the side of the people of Turkey or the clique that rules over it. Democrats in Turkey, I am rather sure, want to remain hopeful that, the ever-dynamic segments of the Spanish society - Left, Women and the LGBTQ+ community - may be willing to say a word or two to their government.

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Spains enhancing ties with Turkey can only serve to strengthen Erdoans oppressive rule - Ahval

The White Tiger movie debuted this January after long-delayed plans for movie production, and is one of the largest international releases of an Indian movie in recent years. Its not hard to guess why: Despite its source material being over a decade old, it presents a story of class warfare, global inequality and crises of democracy that have become even more relevant today.

Based on the book of the same name, The White Tiger is a somewhat eclectic story of class struggle in a neoliberal world, a witty critique of the oppressive social hierarchies and government institutions in India, as well as a psychological study of the origins of crime and violence and its complicated morality.

At the center of these threads is protagonist Balram Halwai (played by Adarsh Gourav), who rises from his poor, lower caste, rural background destined to servitude to become his own master and own his own company. He does this all through the murder of the man he worked for: the upper caste, upper class, Americanized Mr. Ashok (Rajkummar Rao). Through Balrams own narration, we see how he grows from a precocious, talented boy into a young man who is constantly dehumanized, controlled and ignored. He is mistreated by his bosses, his family and his government, causing him to lash out in what he believes to be the only way to escape the jungle violence.

Several American reviews have noted that the movie is almost the opposing force to the last great international movie about India Slumdog Millionaire a grittier, more realistic vision of how the Indian poor live. As Balram himself says, no game-show prize awaits him (the crux of Slumdog Millionaire). He only has a life of running from his crimes and struggling to never fall back into poverty. While its true that The White Tiger is certainly darker, rawer and angrier, its not necessarily more real.

What really makes the story so cogent and interesting was that it takes the perspective of the murderer without us knowing that to be the case. All the violence and oppression he faces is filtered to us through him. We come to realize how close he was to his father, who died an early, preventable death due to manual labor and the lack of healthcare in his village. We see how Balram loved and worked for Ashok and his wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) like his parents, only to be let down when they allowed him to be the fall man for the death of a homeless girl that was the fault of Pinky, not Balram.

This, coupled with all the daily humiliations his accent being mocked, being treated as uneducated, the rundown and segregated living quarters he had to live in as a servant means that you cannot help but sympathize when he lashes out, freeing himself from oppression through revolution.

Yet the perspective leaves us purposefully fooled. Much as The Joker (2019) was not a justification for violent revolution against the rich, The White Tiger simply lays out a story of violence against the rich through the prism of a flawed person who faced and understood his oppression in very specific ways. Think, for example, about Kusum, Balrams grandmother and the matriarch of his family, who is considered one of the primary antagonists of the movie constantly pushing Balram to send nearly all of his money home to support the family, to marry, and to leave Delhi and come back to the village.

Balram, of course, resents these demands and wants to preserve his individualism and freedom to break out of the rooster coop of family and its related obligations, which he considers to be the main reason for the lack of lower-class revolt or resistance. Yet from Kusums perspective, a person who is undoubtedly facing the same oppression as Balram, the solution to break out is through the building of family wealth of gradual, stable improvement through the pooling of resources. At the end of the movie, its strongly suggested that Balrams murder of Ashok was met with the retributive murders of Kusum and the rest of his family in the village. I dont think Balram is to blame for those murders, but to Kusum, it wouldve undoubtedly seemed so.

Thus, the strongest point of the movie is that it is able to carry these same moral quandaries to the big screen, aided greatly by Gouravs performance as Balram. He really succeeds in bringing the character to life. His mannerisms, speech and expressions evolve throughout the movie from meek responsiveness to smoldering anger.

Yet by sticking so sincerely to the book, I think the movie does itself a disservice. Nearly all of the lines from the movie and all of the plot points are the same in the book itself, and a substantial amount of the movie just ends up being a narration chock full of Balrams sociological critique and dry humor. This works far better in the book than in the movie, where it has more space to be digested. Yet even with the voiceover, the movie still has a fast-paced, pulpy feel to it. For viewers who have not read the book, it should not be a significant issue.

Overall, The White Tiger provides a compelling and at times difficult watch. It forces you to consider the impact of global capitalism on the nuanced (and often unravelling) social hierarchies of third-world countries reacting to the forces of a changing economy and makes you deal with the moral weight of understanding and empathizing with a killer. While its brevity and overuse of the overbearing narration of Balram may weigh on its exploration of these ideas, its close to as good a recreation as you can get.

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The White Tiger tackles class struggle in the era of globalization - Johns Hopkins News-Letter

Jessica A. Johnson| Columnist

Ive been giving quite a bit of thought to an opinion piece that noted Chicago Tribune columnist Cal Thomas wrote last year regarding evangelical Christians disappointment with the 2020 election results.Evangelicals were, and many still are, some of former President Donald Trumps most steadfast supporters.

In his column, Thomas referenced an essay thatDr. Robert Jeffress, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, wrote for the Fox News website before the election results were confirmed.Jeffress, a fervent backer of Trump, called for evangelicals to continue trusting in God, stating that Our faith and our salvation lie not in any human ruler, but in the ruler of rulers, the King of kings.

Thomas further elaborated on these points by maintaining that although evangelicals are strongly at odds with the policies of the Biden and Harris administration, this disagreement should not prevent them from carrying out their ministry efforts to those in need in their communities.

Given where we are now during the aftermath of the election, American churches are in, to quote the book of Esther, a critical for such a time as this moment, as the country is still reeling from extreme political discord and racial strife while battling through the coronavirus pandemic. Many evangelical congregations were heavily into politics during Trumps term in the White House and were devastated and angry when he lost to Joe Biden.They thought, as Jeffress wrote, that the God of the evangelicals should be on the side of Republicans and conservatives.I believe that God wanted the church to acknowledge two significant issues in the wake of Trumps defeat.First, racial division needs to be addressed, and second, Christians need to refocus on the primary mission in ministry: to share the Gospel and draw souls into the kingdom of God.

When it comes to political headlines in the media regarding evangelicals, race is hardly an elephant in the room of discussion.White evangelicals have been called purveyors of white supremacy and hypocrites regarding their faith.Recent Fact Tank reports from the Pew Research Center list white in many titles in analysis of evangelical approval of Trumps stances on issues such as immigration and travel bans while he was in office.An NPR podcast last year titled Multiracial Congregations May Not Bridge Racial Divide did not offer an overly optimistic view of churches becoming more diverse.

The historical racial divide in American churches is deeply rooted in the South, with racist ideology infiltrating congregations since the days of slavery.The Black Church, also historically known as the Negro Church, formed out of necessity for blacks to have a haven of worship as early as the 1780s.A pertinent question we must ask ourselves today is how can the church be a true witness of the teachings of Christ when stark segregation remains?The ugliness of our politics in the past four years greatly exposed the longstanding racial rifts within the church, placing evangelicals at the forefront, and it is something that both white and Black pastors can no longer ignore.

During this time when so many people are suffering and on the brink of despair, it is imperative that ministers not let ongoing political disputes take their attention away from the work of the Gospel.In fact, when studying the Gospels, it is evident that Jesus really did not get completely immersed in the political debates of His day.For example, Mark 12:13-17 records the devious intention of the Pharisees and Herodians to bait Jesus into speaking against paying taxes to Caesar.Instead of getting into an argument about the oppression of the Roman government, Jesus simply said to render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods.

Now, Im by no means implying that churches should idly stand by in the face of injustice and not participate in civic discourse, but when we do take a public stand, Christ must remain in the center of our message.When we minister to those who are marginalized in our society, those in prison, sick, and poor, Jesus said we have ministered unto Him.

This is the ministry the church should be focusing on in this tumultuous political moment, our Esther moment, but we cannot effectively carry it out with the current division within the body of Christ.

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Opinion: Politics should not distract the church from its mission - Online Athens

Islamabad - Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has said that Pakistan will keep continue moral and political support for oppressed Kashmiris and resolve to remain resolute with Kashmiris fighting against Indian State terrorism, illegal military occupation and barbaric oppression.

Talking to the media, Senator Shibli Faraz expressed solidarity with oppressed Kashmiris and said, On this day, people of Pakistan reiterate their unflinching resolve to express solidarity with their Kashmiri brethren and vow to continue lending full political, diplomatic and moral support in their just struggle for right to self-determination.

He said Pakistan demands world leadership to take notice of Indian atrocities on oppressed and innocent people of Kashmir.

He said, this year Kashmir Solidarity Day is being observed with added enthusiasm as on August 5th, 2019,Indian government through atrocious and ferocious way tried to change status of Occupied Kashmir.

Information Minister said, Jammu and Kashmir dispute is the unfinished agenda of the Indian partition but unilateral and illegals acts of India on August 5, 2019 has enhanced the importance of February 5.

He said that Pakistan on this February 5, 2021 also demanded of the world leadership to take notice on Narender Moodis aggressive cruelties towards innocent people of Kashmir.

Minorities in India are going through a miserable and traumatic phase under Modis regime, said Information Minister.

He said that people of Kashmir are going through a very hard time since last one and half year and time has come to awake conscience of world community on miseries of Kashmiris.

He said world community should exert diplomatic, economic and social pressure on Indian government to allow plebiscite in accordance with UN resolutions.

He stated that world leadership should put pressure on Indian government to ensure implementation on UN resolutions to resolve Kashmir.

He said world community should force Indian government to bring change in their attitude and stop atrocities on people of Kashmir.

Although, unarmed and innocent Kashmiris have been subjected to inhumane Indian oppression for the last 7 decades yet the Kashmiris have demonstrated matchless courage in facing unabated military siege, communication blockade, media blackout and severe restrictions in the last 18 months, said Information Minister.

He said India has been unveiled as a oppressor and colonizer state which has not only deprived Kashmiris of basic human rights but it is also victimizing minorities in its country, particularly the Muslim community which is being subjected to racial discrimination.

Shibli Faraz said the international community must come forward to stop these inhuman and barbaric acts of India.

He said civilised world should play its role in helping Kashmiris to get their right as enshrined in the UN Security Council Resolutions.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan is siding with Kashmiris and he has raised his voice for Kashmiris on all international forums.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur and All Parties Huriyat Conference yesterday vowed to liberate Kashmir.

They said India will ultimately be defeated in its designs to keep Kashmiri under its illegal occupation. They maintained that the Kashmir Solidarity Day reminded of the just cause of the Kashmiris.

Speaking at a news conference here, Gandpaur said Pakistan would continue its moral, diplomatic and political support to the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for independence and against incr

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World must pressurise India to hold plebiscite - The Nation

Bills in several states want to limit teaching about racism and oppression, adopting the framing of the debunked 1776 Commission report.

By Anoa Changa, NewsOne

GOP-controlled state legislatures aim to pick up where the now-disbanded 1776 Commission left off. Republican lawmakers in several states are moving forward with legislation that would implement similar efforts.

Bills proposed in Arkansas, Iowa and Mississippi prevent the use of the 1619 project as a part of teaching the legacy of slavery.

The Arkansas legislature is considering two bills that would limit racial justice in the curriculum. House Bill 1231 would prevent schools from using the 1619 Project as a part of the curriculum.

House Bill 1218 goes a step further by preventing lessons that promote the overthrow of the U.S. Government, division between certain groups of people or social justice for certain groups including race, gender, political affiliation and social class.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has expressed a preference for maintaining local control and wanting parents to have opportunities to challenge curriculum locally.

An Oklahoma bill would target teachers directly for teaching so-called divisive topics, including the U.S. is a racist country at its core. Recently, a Georgia lawmaker launched an inquiry into whether public universities in the state are teaching about white privilege or oppression.

How violations of these proposed bills would be interpreted is unclear. As reported previously by NewsOne, similar to the 1776 Commission, these measures are fueled by a fear of accurate historical accounts.

Failing to teach history and prioritizing the feelings of white conservatives could be seen as a contributing factor to the January 6 attacks and a willingness to believe conspiracy theories and other fabrications.

Educators have also raised concerns about academic freedom and job security for teaching accurate history. Some even see the proposed laws as limiting student opportunities beyond the classroom.

Matthew Boedy, the state conference president of the American Association of University Professors and a University of North Georgia professor, called questions an effort to intimidate professors. In an interview with the Associated Press, Boedy called the request an attack on higher education.

It perpetrates a pernicious agenda, Boedy said. I dont know why a state representative who won his district by 40 points needs to throw red meat to his base, but this echoes national conservative discourse that has been laughed from the public square by historians and other experts.

If passed, such laws could interfere with educators abilities to join efforts such as the Black Lives Matter at School events taking place this week. Started in 2016, the week of action takes place during the first week of Black History Month. Encouraging lessons and conversations about Black history, anti-racist movements, and intersectional Black identities.

Opposition to teaching curriculum consistent with objectives of racial equity and social justice mimics Jim Crow-era tactics to control information.

This article originally appeared on NewsOne.

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Republican-Proposed Bills Want To Prevent Teaching Students About Injustice | The Crusader Newspaper Group - The Chicago Cusader

Joe Biden's presidency is well underway, and he has already taken to his new position by pulling back on many of the policies made during the Trump administration while continuing to appoint new members to his cabinet and other leading positions. One decision he doesn't seem to be budging on is the ban on companies like Huawei that have been placed on the Entity List for allegations of threats to U.S. security. Biden's nominee for Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, has stated (via Bloomberg) that she sees "no reason" to remove the company from the list, strongly suggesting the unlikely nature of the scenario.

I understand that parties are placed on the Entity List and the Military End-User List generally because they pose a risk to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests. I currently have no reason to believe that entities on those lists should not be there. If confirmed, I look forward to a briefing on these entities and others of concern.

That's not good news for Huawei, which has been dealing with U.S. sanctions for quite some time. After largely losing access to its high-end Kirin chips, the company has been struggling to produce flagship smartphones like the P40 Pro, which is one of the best Huawei phones you can't get. Recently Huawei had to give up ownership of its sub-brand, Honor, in order to keep it from facing the same fate as its parent company, a move that sees Honor free to challenge companies like Apple.

Huawei had hoped that the Biden administration would be more lenient than Trump, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has previously referred to the decision by the U.S. government to restrict Chinese companies as "oppressive," a sentiment that still stands today. "We urge you to stop this wanton oppression against Chinese companies."

Other Chinese companies that had faced government sanctions include ZTE as well as Xiaomi, the latter of which recently placed a lawsuit against the U.S. government for placing it on an investment block.

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Huawei's situation won't get any better with the Biden administration - Android Central