Category Archives: Transhuman News

HARRISBURG (TNS) Democratic candidate for governor Josh Shapiros campaign narrative that his Republican foeDoug Mastrianois too extreme forPennsylvaniahas added a new count in the past week: Guilt by association.

Specifically, Shapiro and his surrogates are trying to draw state and national attention to Mastrianos use of the social media platform Gab as a voter outreach tool during the Republican primary.

Shapiro toldMSNBChost Rachel Maddow Monday night its the kind of association that should be a blinking red light to allPennsylvaniavoters.

This site, this Gab site, is a haven for white supremacy, Shapiro said. And yet this is whereDoug Mastrianobelieves he needs to go for support, for recruits to his campaign."

Gab is seen by some as a lastbastion of unfettered free speech on an Internet increasingly controlled by highly censorious Big Tech;to others, it has become a safe haven for hate speech.

A 2018 academic paper found that the site appears to be positioned at the border of mainstream social networks like Twitter and fringe Web communities like 4chans /pol/, and that its pro-free speech policies have in fact created a shield behind which some neo-Nazi and other alt-right groups recruit.

The study reported about 5.4% of its posts contained hate words, about twice the rate on Twitter, but less than half that on 4chans Politically Incorrect board.

LIGHTNING ROD

Gab is a particular lightning rod for many in the Jewish community because the shooter in the 2018 massacre at aPittsburghsynagogue had posted an anti-Jewish screed on the site in one of his last acts before committing the crimes. That shooting is said to be the deadliest attack on Jews in the history ofthe United States.

Not only that, but Gabs founder andLackawanna CountyresidentAndrew Torbahas openly and frequently called for a Christian-led takeback of American culture that does appear to advocate shutting Jews and others out of leadership positions.

A group of Jewish leaders amplified Shapiros concern about Mastrianos association with Torba, who has endorsed him in the governors race, inPhiladelphia Wednesday.

What really disturbs me is the regular, normal people who areRepublicans... who havent just screamed in horror and said: This is not myRepublican Party, saidBurt Siegel, a former director of theJewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia. You can be a staunch Republican. You can agree with theRepublican Partyabout any number of things... But there is someone running for governor of this state who has neither the emotional, the intellectual or the moral qualifications to be governor.

These particular alarm bells in the governors race were first triggered by news reports earlier this month that Mastrianos campaign paid $5,000 during the Republican primary campaign for ad placement on Gab, which markets itself as an alternative platform to sites like Facebook that some political conservatives perceive is more likely to muzzle their content.

The ad buy was first reported byMedia Matters, a non-profit organization dedicated to monitoring and correcting what it sees as conservative misinformationin American media.

PennLive reached out to Gab for a response to the criticisms Wednesday, and particulars of the Mastriano buy. The person who answered a texted query said: Sorry we only speak to Christian news organizations. Have a good day.

'NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS'

In a follow-up message, the Gab respondent said Particulars of the buy are none of your business, and then went on to steer the reporter to similar problems with some of the extreme content on Twitter and Facebook including incidents wheregunmen tried to livestream mass shootings in progress.

PennLive also asked Mastriano what he felt the benefit to his campaign was in using Gabs services, whether he feels he can reach people there that hed never reach on Facebook or Twitter, and how he balances any gains with concerns others would have with sentiments expressed by Torba like This is a Christian movement. Full stop, We dont want people who are atheists. We dont want people who are Jewish.

Mastriano and his campaign did not respond.

As has often been the case throughout his campaign, however, he did respond to the controversy in an interviewposted to his campaign Web page Tuesday evening.

There, Mastriano told interviewerChris Wyattit was a one-time buy, and there are no signs of further payments to Gab on his post-primary campaign finance report.

TheFranklin CountyRepublican state senator then noted that theAnti-Defamation Leaguehas documented millions of anti-Semitic comments on Twitter, and he posited that perhaps Shapiro should get off Twitter. Its all about the Great Suppression, Mastriano continued, adding he believes that Shapiro and his allies are using the Gab issue to further demonize his campaign and stop campaign contributions.

Yes, I have a lot of strong personal views, Mastriano said. I never imposed them on my soldiers and they will never be imposed on other people. What I do believe in... is for the right of people to live their lives as they see fit.

Torba, meanwhile,posted a sharp response to the Maddow shows segment on Gab Tuesday.

We have seen the fruits or lack thereof of our nation being led by Godless pagans, nonbelievers, Jews, and fake Christians-in-name-only, Torba wrote in part. Now it is time for our nation to be led by wise Christian warriors who fear God, read their Bible, and will not bend the knee to the wicked Establishment class.

2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Visitpennlive.com. Distributed byTribune Content Agency, LLC.

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What is Gab and why are Mastriano's foes blasting him for using it? - Olean Times Herald

As temperatures cool, outdoor events reign supreme. The East Passyunk Car Show and Street Fest returns to South Philly and a wine festival comes to Washington Crossing Historic Park. ABBA The Concert, a tribute band dedicated to the Swedish hitmakers, checks into Delaware, and Lady Alma with Vertical Current, Monica, and the Black Keys are among the weekend concert offerings.

Swedish band ABBA has maintained longevity through a combination of nostalgia, good looks, and catchy tunes that have stood the test of time. Though theyve all but retired since their 70s heyday, plenty of tribute bands have taken their place. One of them is ABBA The Concert, which has been around through several iterations, formerly as ABBA The Music and ABBA The Hits. By any name, theyre honoring the influence and reach of the original foursome Agnetha Fltskog, Bjrn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad who celebrated their 50th anniversary this year.

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Weekend things to do: festivals, music and more - WHYY

In a speech at the "America First" summit in Washington D.C. yesterday, Donald Trump gave us a glimpse into what kind of U.S. dictator he would like to be.

The former one-term president wants to "make America great again" by executing drug dealers in "quick trials" and sending the National Guard to states to "restore law and order" without the governor's consent. "We have to go beyond the governor," he said.

"The penalties should be very, very severe," he said about drug dealers (excluding the Sackler family). "If you look at countries throughout the world, the ones that don't have a drug problem are ones that institute a very quick trial death penalty sentence for drug dealers." (See first video below.)

"It's terrible to say, but you take a look at every country in this world that doesn't have a problem with drugs, they have a very strong death penalty for people that sell drugs," he continued. The countries he is referring to happen to be authoritarian/dictatorships such as China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

Trump then outlined how he would send the National Guard to states without a governor's approval to "restore law and order." (Second video below). "The Federal government can and should send the National Guard to restore order and secure the peace without having to wait for the approval of some governor that thinks it's politically incorrect to call them in we have to go beyond the governor."

And how to handle mass shootings? Using last weekend's deadly shooting in Chicago as an example, he said, "Only one option remains: the next president needs to send the National guard to the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago [and your city too] until safety can be successfully restored which can happen very very quickly." And it will be very quick if the authoritarian Trump camp gets their way in the next election or two.

(For more on how he would "make America 'great' again" here's a longer recap of his speech in Vanity Fair.)

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Donald Trump pushes for U.S. dictatorship: "We have to go beyond the governor" (video) - Boing Boing

Letters to the editor, July 27, 2022

Goodwin wrong about Medicaid expansion

Tim Goodwin offers the usual menu of non-arguments against Medicaid expansion, since its still politically incorrect to say the actual reason aloud, that some Republican politicians think its an election day winner to bash poor people.

Mr. Goodwin cant finish his first non-reason without acknowledging the federal government bankrupting is unthinkable, politically and technically cant happen. Instead of agreeing its a good thing, for all, that able bodied workers need not weigh risk of the hospital billing department garnishing wages when they decide whether to take kids or spouse to the ER, Goodwin sets up a false conflict based on having to define who is poor enough for Medicaid, while offering the usual sneer that if you work for a small business that cant pay exorbitant private insurance premiums, youre a lazy loser.

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See what happens if everybody who works without health insurance goes on strike, everybody free of the services of alleged sluggards. Regarding more jobs than workers in SD", workers are more likely to come to states with Medicaid when new jobs are benefit-free, so Medicaid expansion would help fill jobs and make the economy hum, compared to trashing workers and sending our Medicaid dollars to other states.

It smells of money

When the primary funder/mover of the proposed packing plant in Rapid City laughs at a concerned citizen's inquiry about odor, this sends major warning signals. It does not represent community nor leadership. She is right: 'It smells of money.'

Not enough help

With the influx of people dealing with post-covid syndrome and struggling to hold down a job because of it, do you think 22 people making decisions on disability claims is enough? Was it even enough before the pandemic? On average, according to South Dakota's Department of Human Services, these twenty two people make decisions for 9,000 cases annually.

That's about 400 cases per person. That's more than one case a day counting weekends. The amount of physicians on staff for Disability Decision Services is only 15. That comes out to 600 cases per physician per year. Which is around 2 cases per day that they would have to look at. Is it a wonder that the wait times for disability determination decisions take years? When looking up suicide statistics for disabled individuals, you will not find any.

You will, however, find that one of the reasons disabled people commit suicide is financial insecurity. It makes me worry for these newly disabled covid survivors and their families. It makes me worry about the wait times for all disabled individuals becoming excessively long and putting a strain on an already vulnerable population.

Why I left the party of evangelical nutjobs

I know this won't be published as it goes against the Rapid City Journal's (more than obvious) mantra of voicing the GOP's prevailing party line rhetoric, and does not publish any opinion that opposes that of the South Dakota Republican Party and/or Kristi Noem.

What I've learned over the past quarter century is that the GOP has become the political party of the extreme right, evangelical nutjobs, science deniers and white supremacists.

I once was a life-long republican voter; however the party lost my support when Newt Gingrich appointed himself the Supreme Poo-Bah of the "Moral Majority," nevermind that he was sleeping with two mistresses while his wife was dying of cancer.

I changed my party registration shortly after the 2000 election, the only election in this country's history that was truly stolen. The GOP has been sliding towards the dark morass of the extreme fringe right ever since.

By the way, for the record, I hold both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Political Science (Magna Cum Laude), a Master of Science in Leadership & Development, and a Doctor of Science in Physics / Atmospheric Science / Climate Science.

Trump doesn't deserve public trust

Donald Trump and Trumpism represent a far more serious threat of the seizure of power by an aspiring autocrat than did the criminality of Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. And yet, during that former episode I recall being proud of my country's response, namely, the strong bipartisan condemnation of a leader who considered himself above the law.

By contrast, Donald Trump until now has been spared the consequences of his egregious misuse of official powers resulting in two impeachments, each followed by the Senate's party-line failure to convict.

I believe these exonerations emboldened Mr.Trump, confirming his earlier claims of personal invulnerability, and leading to his horrendous misconduct following the 2020 presidential election

The acquiesence by many public officials (including our SD Congressional delegation) following Mr. Trump's previous transgressions has also led, I believe, to erosion of respect for civil norms, increased vilification of non-white and immigrant Americans, and a general loss of faith and cohesion in our society.

Surely this is the time when those leaders who previously excused and condoned this man's actions must assume the responsibility of informing still-loyal Trump supporters that this man of bigotry, megalomania and malice deserves no further public trust.

Lusting to control others

Prior to the Dobbs decision outlawing abortion rights, 80% of Americans supported a woman's rights to choose.

Last week in the House 99% of Republicans voted against a woman's right to choose abortion.

Last week in the House 96 % of Republicans voted against the right to use contraceptives (family planning).

Last week 77 % of House Republicans voted against marriage equality.

97% of House Republicans voted against a woman's right to travel across state lines to obtain an abortion.

More than 75 % of House Republicans voted against gay marriage recently.

Many GOP members join with Justice Clarence Thomas questioning the past Supreme Court rulings that different races may marry.

To me, Republicans are so consumed by sexual thoughts; who's having it with whom and where and how that they've totally become ignorant of real American's deep needs and wishes. They seem to lust over "control" of others, eh?

Jake Kammerer, Silver City

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Letters to the editor, July 27, 2022 | Opinion | rapidcityjournal.com - Rapid City Journal

Late July and August are usually considered the dog days, nothing to do but loll near the ocean and wait for fall. Apparently, Long Island theaters didnt get the message. The last months of summer bring a variety of interesting outdoor park productions from a few different takes on Shakespeare to an evening of one-acts by several accomplished playwrights. So get off the beach (but keep your blanket or chair) and see a show. At least you wont have to worry about sharks.

Members of the cast perform the play Ink and Paint during a dress rehearsal for Strongbox's "Festival ofStage and Song." Credit: Linda Rosier

Festival of Stage and Song

While putting final touches on its new East Rockaway theater(scheduled to open next year), Strongbox Theater heads to the park with an evening of eight one-act plays. Anthony Leone, who owns the theater with his wife, Marla DUrso, says more than 500 plays were submitted from all over the world. All but one of the eight selected is comedic picture everything from a trio of foul-mouthed squirrels to a woman who speaks only in cliches.The evening also includes music by local songwriters.

WHEN | WHERE 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Sundays through Aug. 7, Memorial Park, 376 Atlantic Ave., East Rockaway

INFO Pay what you wish, reservations required; 516-725-2078, strongboxtheater.com

The Taming of the Shrew

Northeast Stage has been trying to do this show since 2020, when it was shut down by the pandemic.Shakespeares comedy about the troubled and highly volatile relationship between Katherine and Petruchio can feel politically incorrect, acknowledges producer Amie Sponza, but adds the cast and directors have found a palatable way to present the problematic story. The question, as this interpretation goes, is exactly who tames who?

WHEN | WHERE 7 p.m. July 31, Riverhead waterfront (behind the East End Arts Council, 133 E. Main St.); 7 p.m. Aug. 3, Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber Train Car Park, Southeast corner of Route 112 and Route 347; 7 p.m. Aug. 4, Patchogue Shorefront Park bandshell, 49 Smith St.; and 7 p.m. Aug. 5-7, Greenport Mitchell Park, 115 Front St. (American Sign Language interpretation at Port Jefferson/Terryville and Patchogue shows).

INFO Free; 631-835-2727, northeaststage.org

Allen Winter, left, Kendra Perry, WIlliam Pope and Anjor Khadilkar in EastLine Theatres production of Two Gentlemen of Verona.Photo Credit: Danny Higgins Credit: Danny Higgins

Two Gentlemen of Verona

After last years intense Romeo and Juliet, EastLine Theatre decided to present one of Shakespeares lesser-known comedies for this summers touring production. Artistic directorNicole Savin says the play is genuinely funny, with its troupe of lovable bandits and a dog (played by an actor who, strangely enough, also portrays the romantic lead). The production is accompanied by original music.

WHEN | WHERE 6 p.m. July 30, Whitney Pond Park, 133 Valley Rd., Manhasset; 4 p.m. July 31, Wyandanch Plaza, 40 Station Dr.; 2 p.m. Aug. 6, Waterfront Park, 957 S. Long Beach Ave., Freeport

INFO Free; 515-749-5047, eastlinetheatre.org

Macbeth

For its fifth annual Shakespeare in the Gazebo, South Shore Theatre Experience takes on the bards famed Scottish play. But if you know this company, youll know to not expect the ordinary. Artistic director Deborah Cascio Plezia says the play, with a cast of nearly 20, tells the story from a totally new and innovative point of view. Without giving away too much, she says the production is not set in any particular time, that there are hints of New Orleans and steampunk and there may or may not be an insane asylum involved.

WHEN | WHERE 6:30 p.m. July 31 and Aug. 3 and 14, Lindenhurst Gazebo, 132 N. Wellwood Ave.; 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7 and 10, Argyle Gazebo, Argyle Park, Rte. 27A, Babylon

INFO Free, reservations required; 631-669-0506 southshoretheatre.com

The Soap Myth, a devastating drama about the Holocaust, returns to Long Island this summer, with a star-studded cast lead by two-time Tony Award nominee Bob Gunton, returning to the New York stage after 30 years. Hes joined in Jeff Cohens work by Tony winner John Rubinstein and Carolyn McCormick, best known as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet on Law and Order.

The play, by Jeff Cohen, deals with the way history is written as it explores the truth behind rumors of a horrific Nazi atrocity, that soap was made from the bodies of those who perished. The play, which asks who will tell the story once all the survivors are dead, was performed on Long Island in 2018 with the late Ed Asner in the lead role.

WHEN | WHERE Aug. 10-28, Southampton Cultural Center, 25 Pond Lane. Talkbacks with Cohen will follow every performance.

INFO $35-80; 631-287-4377, scc-arts.org

BARBARA SCHULER

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Outdoor theater that's a breath of fresh air - Newsday

Prosecuting the former president would enrage his supporters, no matter the outcome. But the Department of Justice simply cant ignore this kind of scheming against our democratic process. It must be vigorously investigated. And just as the Trumpist right will be livid if the former president is charged, the Democratic left will be furious if hes not.

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That puts Garland between a rock and a hard place.

Opinions vary about how easy it would be to convict Trump on criminal charges. Bill Weld, once the US attorney for Massachusetts and thereafter assistant attorney general for the DOJs criminal division under Ronald Reagan, thinks two criminal cases could be made against Trump.

Under current US criminal law, Mr. Trumps conduct around January 6, 2021, would appear to be fairly clearly a violation of 18 US Code section 371, Conspiracy against the United States (maximum penalty five years imprisonment), and also of 18 US Code section 2101, Incitement to Riot (maximum penalty five years imprisonment), he emailed. In a subsequent phone conversation, Weld, who ran against Trump in the 2020 Republican primary season, said that if it were up to him, hed bring a case. It should be a relatively easy conviction, unless there is jury nullification, he said in a follow-up interview.

But Richard Ben-Veniste, one of the lead prosecutors on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, disagreed.

With due deference to Bill Weld, a man I admire, these are not easy prosecutorial decisions, he said. They are complex, consequential, and have many moving pieces.

One obvious question is whether Garland would bring lesser charges against Trump or decline to move forward if he doesnt feel he could get a conviction on a major matter.

During his 2016 campaign and even his presidency, Trump called for the prosecution of Hillary Clinton, his 2016 opponent, as well as other Democrats. To their credit, his attorneys general largely refused. Over the last year or so, impatient Democrats have criticized Garland for not moving quickly or aggressively enough to investigate the skullduggery that emanated from the Trump White House after Trumps loss.

Now, no matter what happens, hard-core Trump loyalists will not quickly, or perhaps ever, accept that he was involved in criminal scheming or action as president. However, its important for Americans in the middle to see this process as fair, even-handed, and above politics.

The proper stance for the president and other prominent Democrats is to stress that the DOJ must be independent and that Garland and his prosecutors should make their decisions based on fact, and without taking politics or political demands into account.

In that regard, reasonable people should feel reassured that this investigation is being supervised by a careful, credible, measured figure like Garland, who even in these polarized times was confirmed by a Senate vote of 70 to 30 as attorney general. That strong endorsement came even though his 2016 Supreme Court nomination had been blocked by Republicans determined to keep Barack Obama from filling the vacancy.

In determining whether or not to recommend indictment, his job is not to make a political assessment as to whether it would be nice or not nice, or whether it would be politically correct or politically incorrect, said Ben-Veniste. His job is to assess whether there is evidence sufficient to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that an individual has violated the criminal law.

Garlands history as a prosecutor shows him to be possessed of good judgment, a sense of realism, and a determination to prosecute without fear or favor, added the former Watergate prosecutor. And I believe that is what hell do.

In other words, rather than being too cautious or insufficiently aggressive, Garland, a former prosecutor who became a widely respected appeals court judge before rising to the role of the nations top law enforcement officer, is the perfect man for the difficult times and decisions ahead.

Scot Lehigh is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at scot.lehigh@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeScotLehigh.

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Any prosecution of Donald Trump must be viewed as warranted, above board, and nonpolitical - The Boston Globe

Former US president Donald Trump made some harsh remarks on the contentious practice of allowing transwomen to participate in women's sports during theTurning Point USA's Student Action Summit in Tampa on Saturday, July 23. During his speech, Trump suggested that if he were a womens basketball coach, he would ask LeBron James to transition to a woman and become a star player on his team. Trump said, Id be the greatest womens basketball coach in history. I dont like LeBron James, I like Michael Jordan much better. But, Id go up to LeBron James. Id say, LeBron, did you ever have any desire to be a woman? Because what Id love for you to do is star on my team that Im building up. I will have the greatest team in history. They will never lose. Nobody will come within 70 points of this team.

While the comparison also highlights Trump's stance in the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan argument, his true intention was to indicate that he supported a move that would forbid trans women from participating in women's athletics. We have to change that. And we have to make it OK to talk about it, Trump added. Earlier, Donald Trump highlighted a swimming event where a person with a mans body competed and won the womens competition comfortably.

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According to the Daily Mail, he also joked how the female athlete competing in the same competition got injured when the contestant with male body swam by her. He also talked about weightlifting where a similar thing happened, and a contestant with a male body broke records in a womens competition. Trump said at the time, It is actually demeaning to women, and it should not be allowed. People do not like to talk about it. People think it is politically incorrect, I dont. Somebody has to do it.

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"I'd be the greatest women's basketball coach in history. I don't like LeBron James, I like Michael Jordan much better. But, I'd go up to LeBron James...I'd say, 'LeBron, did you ever have any desire to be a woman? Because what I'd love you to do is star on my team." pic.twitter.com/xU5lt6hPeH

Lia Thomas, a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania, made history earlier this year when she became the first transgender athlete to take home a Division I national title. Thomas claims that she became a transwoman not to get a competitive edge but because it made her 'happy'. Thomas said in an interview with ABC and ESPN, The biggest misconception, I think, is the reason I transitioned. People will say, Oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win. I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself.

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Meanwhile, the 'woke agenda' has been brought up by Trump at many of his recent rallies. On June 26, during a rally in Mendon, Illinois, We will get critical race theory out of our schools, out of our military, and out of every part of our federal, state, and local governments. They say it is politically incorrect but lets say it anyway. We will also keep men out of womens sports. Is that okay?He stated during his Texas Rally in February 2022 that if reelected, he will ban men from participating in women's sports. He referred to it as absurd and declared, We will ban men from participating in womens sports.

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'I'd be the greatest women's basketball coach': Donald Trump says he'd simply ask LeBron James to TRANSITION - MEAWW

One would be surprised at how many movies there are that perhaps will never see daylight again and won't be streamed on your favorite TV channel. You'd be amazed by, let alone, the number of movies banned in the US; over 50 films are currently or have previously been banned in the States. Why so? There are many reasons. Starting as early as when the first films were made, certain movies were banned or censored for political or moral reasons or for their controversial topics and content. Think extreme violence, graphic sex scenes, nudity, foul language, racist content, or homosexual themes.

However, we live in a very different age, and some of the movies on the list may appear mild and tame by today's standards. However, others continue to ooze a sense of danger. In contrast to today, filmmakers don't shy away from including a controversial topic in the plot. And actually, there have been plenty of rather controversial movies released in the past few years. Think of Cuties (2020), Mulan (2020), or Unplanned (2020). Even blockbusters such as Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) and Me Before You (2016) were deemed controversial. However, these films were never banned. If Fritz the Cat (1972) was never banned (in fact, it was banned and then un-banned in New Zealand and Spain), we could argue that films are allowed much more stretch and flexibility these days.

Nevertheless, what were considered disturbing movies back in the day could potentially be classified as simply thought provoking movies for the current audience. Today, there are fewer topics deemed taboo. People don't shy away from discussing uncomfortable and sometimes disturbing issues. However, certain things remain unchanged and still prevail as modern society's problems, more or less. And although open-mindedness is very much celebrated, a healthy discussion of controversial opinions is welcome and encouraged.

Below, we have assembled a list of the most controversial movies. Expect to see both old and more recent film releases. The movies below have raised an array of contentious opinions and discussions. And if there is one thing we can all compromise on, it is to agree to disagree. Have you seen any of these controversial, some even deemed the most disturbing movies? Let us know!

Excerpt from:
50 Controversial Movies That Provoked Outrage Upon Release - Bored Panda

The Congress leadership is under renewed pressure to change its leader in the Lok Sabha. Incumbent Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, currently in the eyes of the storm, is seen as a 'habitual offender' in making politically incorrect formulation and then retracting from it. Adhir is also heading the Bengal unit of Congress that violates the partys in-house norm of one man, one post.

Adhir may be right in admitting that his proficiency in Hindi is far from being perfect. The apology to the newly elected President of India is in order.

However, his insistence on seeking a personal audience with the lady occupying the high office in Rashtrapati Bhawan may not be met for a variety of reasons. A section of the Congress therefore thinks that Adhir should hold a press conference to put the records straight and write a letter of apology to her.

During the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests, Adhir had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as "migrants" -- hailing from Gujarat and living in Delhi. He had also created a flutter of sorts when the abrogation of Article 370 was being debated in Parliament, pointing out that the Jammu and Kashmir issue was being monitored by the United Nations (UN).

Adhir had also used disparaging references while comparing PM Modi with Indira Gandhi. The victims of his verbal indiscretion have been many -- from Governor Satya Pal Malik to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

ALSO READ| Suspended MPs mostly from South, not yet in BJP's sway

A number of well-meaning Congress leaders wonder why Rahul and Sonia Gandhi have been insisting upon Adhirs continuation as Congress leader in the Lok Sabha when the party has many more contenders, ranging from Rahul himself or Shashi Tharoor. The experience of Manish Tiwari and the freshness of Gaurav Gogoi can also be put to some good use, argue party leaders who are not members of the Lok Sabha.

The possibility of a change of guard in the leadership of the Congress cannot be ruled out as the party leadership is reportedly in conciliatory mood with 'G23' or the disgruntled Congress leaders.

It is not merely a coincidence that both Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma were yesterday invited to interact with the media at 24, Akbar Road after a gap of almost two years or since the time they inked a letter questioning the Gandhis [read Rahuls] style of functioning in August 2020. Both Azad and Sharma hail from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Himachal Pradesh, respectively, where Assembly polls are due in the next few months.

Incidentally, Sharma holds the distinction of being the first official spokesperson of a political party in 1989. Rajiv Gandhis move to appoint a party spokesperson was quickly borrowed by the Janata Dal and BJP. Prior to 1989, the party's point of view was articulated by the senior party leaders such as the general secretaries or other designated office bearers.

ALSO READ| Slip of tongue: Congress's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after referring to Prez as 'Rashtrapatni', BJP seeks apology

Internally and organisationally, Congress is currently witnessing a lull of sorts. However, every party leader of consequence has a sense of anticipation and change. All eyes are on the presidential poll which is scheduled to be held in August-September this year.

The million-dollar question is whether Rahul would throw his hat in the ring or let a non-Gandhi member hold the prestigious office. There is also a talk of some senior party leaders being appointed as working president of the party. In all such scenarios and speculation, Rajasthan-based leaders -- Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot -- figure prominently.

The Congress leadership is also sitting over the list of new party spokespersons. The newly appointed communication head Jairam Ramesh and his core team consisting of departmental heads, Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate, are generally seen as excellent choices, but naming of spokespersons is reportedly mired in perceived hierarchy, seniority and pecking order.

Some former ministers in Manmohan Singhs council of ministers and others who held executive posts are said to be reluctant to work under or report to Pawan, Supriya or Jairam. The Congress, it is said, is not in the habit of learning or changing.

--- ENDS ---

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Adhir Ranjan's 'rashtrapatni' remark could be an opportunity for Congress to set its house in order | VIEWS - India Today