Internet freedom in China is like snakes in Ireland- none:
Since Xi Jinping became Communist Party secretary in late 2013, China has unleashed a broad crackdown on dissent, and netizens haven’t been spared. One example is Ilham Tohti, a Beijing scholar who used his blog to criticize the treatment of Uighurs in his native region of Xinjiang. Last September, a Chinese court sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges of promoting “separatism.”
Despite such consequences, said Xiao, numerous Chinese tipsters continue to supply China Digital Times with fodder for one of its popular features – “Minitrue,” short for Ministry of Truth. These are directives sent to state media to remove or tone down postings on sensitive matters.
In a typical posting, China Digital Times reported Wednesday that censors have instructed media not to play up coverage of recent explosions at a factory that produces paraxylene, a highly toxic chemical.
“Do not place news of the Zhangzhou, Fujian PX explosion in lead story sections of news agency websites,” the directive read. Several websites quickly complied.
The Chinese Digital Times works to break through China’s block of information. Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/09/262656/website-chronicles-chinas-massive.html#storylink=cpy
U.S. and Russian war-games in northern Europe rekindle Cold War tensions– but it’s more than that. These are countries that were occupied by Russia during the Cold War, so it really wasn’t a ‘cold’ war for them. It was occupation, domination, fear, life behind an iron curtain.
Obama tells children that bees don’t sting. The left predictably gushes. Lying to children is pretty much his foreign policy- except we aren’t children, and we know that bees do sting, sometimes even when you leave them alone.
Dutch soccer game marred by ugly anti-Jew chants:
“Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas,” sang a section of the home supporters towards the fans visiting from Amsterdam, a city historic in part for its Jewish community. “My father was in the commandos, my mother was in the SS, together they burned Jews, because Jews burn the best!”
The anti-Semitism was caught on video and quickly circulated among Dutch media. FC Utrecht issued an apology as Jewish organizations demanded action by soccer authorities.
The shocking chants weren’t an isolated incident, however. Instead, they were the latest in a string of anti-Semitic episodes that threaten to mar European soccer.
Obama is reportedly very proud of a deal he has brokered with Iran. Disturbingly, what he tells the American people about the deal is not comptible with what Iran says about the contents of that deal, and Iran says he’s lying, deceitful, and devilish.
Khamenei accused the Obama administration of “lying” about the proposed terms, being “deceptive,” and having “devilish” intentions, according to multiple published accounts of his speech, as well as posts on his official Twitter feed.
Khamenei also disputed the key terms Obama administration officials have said were agreed upon in principle. Economic sanctions will not be phased out once Iran’s compliance has been “verified,” according to the Ayatollah. Instead, Khamenei said that if the U.S. wants a deal, then all sanctions must be dropped as soon as the agreement is finalized. Khamenei also put strict limits on the reach of the inspectors who would be tasked with this verification process in the first place.
Major ISIS cyberattack in France
Another video of what certainly looks like an undue use of force and police brutality, this one ended after chasing a man on horseback through outlying parts of San Bernadino county (my husband’s hometown)
New records uncover more information about training exercises with the police and military working together in what certainly looks to me more like a Blue Thunder sort of exercise than training to ‘protect and serve’ the people.
New guidelines from the government nannies on what we should eat are predicted to emphasize a vegetarian diet. Republicans from meat-producting states predictably object, and I have my doubts about their reasons, but I agree with the political agenda point:
In its report, the DGAC calls for emphasizing an American diet less dependent on meat — in part because of meat production’s impact on the environment.
Environmental groups have cheered the proposal, which has not been officially adopted by the USDA. But cattle producers and lawmakers from agribusiness states are pushing back, criticizing the guidelines as the latest attempt by the administration to use federal agencies to push the president’s political agenda.
Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice hates democracy:
“After Wisconsinites vote to amend the state constitution to change how the state supreme court’s chief justice is selected, Shirley Abrahamson sues in federal court to keep her position under the old provision.”
NYT begins reporting of NRA convention with a giant whopper. Wish they had fact checkers who could stop them from embarrassing themselves like this.
A survivor of a gang rape explains exactly why the Rolling Stone needs to do far more than merely retract their tissue of lies story. You should know that the reporter, Erdely, was once disciplined by famed liar Stephen Glass for fabricating a story. Schow at the Washington Examiner wants to know if Erdely’s ever corraborated a story. Most of the media prefers to cover for its own and pretend Erdely is an otherwise reliable reporter- and in that cover, they further the lies.
Venezuela runs out of toilet paper- this is what socialism does for you.
Wikileaks shows US manipulated climate records
Isis in Yemen, Obama tells Americans trying to flee that they are on their own, maybe foreign governments can help.