India: Narratives of division and hate

 

A documentary edition of the show looks at rising intolerance and xenophobia in India as toxic narratives flood the airwaves and the internet.

India is at a dangerous moment.

The voices of Hindutva – Hindu supremacy – are ascending, spreading division and hate speech.

You will NEVER be Chinese!

There are many reasons that a foreigner will never be Chinese, and it is not limited to only the citizenship restrictions. It boils down to cultural and racial identity. In this episode we talk about why Winston and I have not received a Chinese Green Card, nor citizenship in China; despite having lived here for so long.

How the coronavirus pandemic fuels racism | COVID-19 Special

"The virus does not discriminate." - It's a line many have used to describe the fact that anyone can catch COVID-19. But when it comes to human behaviour, discrimination has reigned supreme in this pandemic. Around the world, various groups have been maligned and accused of spreading the virus.

How wildlife trade is linked to coronavirus

As our expert Peter Li points out in the video, “The majority of the people in China do not eat wildlife animals. Those people who consume these wildlife animals are the rich and the powerful –a small minority.” This video explains how the people of China are themselves victims of the conditions that led to coronavirus. The virus is affecting many different countries and cultures, and there is never justification for xenophobia or racism.

'Not racist at all': Donald Trump defends calling coronavirus the 'Chinese virus'

The US president has dismissed accusations that his use of the term 'Chinese virus' to refer to the coronavirus is racist. Speaking at his daily coronavirus taskforce briefing, he said it was 'not racist at all. It comes from China; I want to be accurate.' The World Health Organization has advised against terms that link the virus to China to avoid stigmatisation 

He uses that term because he's a racist, ethnocentric and xenophobic.  

Donald Trump's reaction to coronavirus: from calm to closing borders

On 11 March, Donald Trump delivered a rare, live televised address to the nation to announce that travel to the US from most of Europe would be banned for 30 days in an attempt to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. 

The US president has called Covid-19 a 'foreign' virus and attempted to deflect blame over its spread – here's a look back at some of his key statements as the number of cases rose in America

Japanese React to "Japanese Only" Restaurant (Because of Coronavirus)

There's a ramen restaurant in Japan who put up a "Japanese Only" sign as a way to combat against coronavirus. The owner tweeted about it and he got a lot of criticism. But what do random Japanese people in the street think of it?

Trump says he'll sign spending deal on border security, declare national emergency

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell has announced that Donald Trump will sigh the compromise government spending bill and then declare a national emergency at the U.S. Southern border.   What began as an applause line, somehow morphed into a wall at the U.S. Mexico border which Mexico would pay for to one which the U.S. tax payer will now foot the bill.  The wall is unnecessary and won't halt migrants attempting to reach the U.S.  That isn't the point.  Donald Trump who, upon announcing his candidacy didn't use the normal platitudes. Instead he launched into a racist attack on Mexicans who come to the U.S.   Donald Trump, the Republican party and its hard core aupporters are racists.  People who live in abject fear of the other and any kind of change.  Especially that which leads to the empowerment of minorities.  For Donald Trump and his sycphants its all about white privilege.


       Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Thursday afternoon that President Donald Trump will sign a government spending package that resulted from bipartisan negotiations over border security and also will declare a national emergency, which Trump has intended to use to obtain more money for his proposed wall.

"I just had an opportunity to speak with President Trump and he’s prepared to sign the bill," McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor. "He will also be signing a national emergency declaration at the same time."

After the Senate votes, the House is also expected to pass the spending package.

America's cocaine habit fueled its migrant crisis

Today, the US is facing a migration crisis on its southern border with Mexico. Thousands of people from Central America, especially Guatemala and Honduras are fleeing their home countries, taking a dangerous journey north through Mexico, and claiming asylum in the US. How did this crisis begin? Much of it can be traced back to the 1970s cocaine trade. Cocaine, which is mostly produced in Colombia, used to be shipped by boat and plane across the Caribbean. But in the 80s and 90s, the US cracked down on this route, so traffickers started shipping their drugs through central america and overland to Mexico. This created a violent and competitive turf war between gangs and organizations in Guatemala and Honduras. After the governments cracked down, violence only increased, which is forcing people to flee, to the US, today.

Trump Slams Protections For Immigrants From ‘Shithole’ Countries: Reports

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” the president reportedly asked lawmakers.

In an Oval Office meeting with lawmakers on Thursday, President Donald Trump slammed the idea of restoring protections for immigrants from “shithole” countries, sources told The Washington Post and NBC News.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” the president reportedly asked, by which he was referring to African nations and Haiti, the Post’s sources said.

As if anyone needed confirmation that Donald Trump is an out and out racist.  

Most Decorated Unit In U.S. History Fought For A Country That Didn’t Accept Them

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was made up of Japanese-Americans, many of whom served when their families were imprisoned behind barbed wire.

As Americans look back and honor service members across the country on Veterans Day, one unit’s work is largely left out of the mainstream conversation. 

But the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s contributions to the country are nothing short of remarkable. 

With the motto “Go for broke,” the unit was made up of Japanese-Americans who served the U.S. during World War II ― a time of rampant anti-Japanese sentiment. As many of their civilian loved ones were imprisoned behind barbed wire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the team accrued an impressive combat record, becoming the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service.

And they did this all the while enduring racism and xenophobia at home, said Mitch Maki, president of Go For Broke National Education Center, which spreads awareness around the Japanese-American soldiers.

They also racked up 21 Medals of Honor, 4,000 Purple Hearts, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, 588 Silver Stars and more than 4,000 Bronze Stars. The group’s immense contributions in the war include helping to liberate several towns, including Bruyeres and Biffontaine, France, as well as the sub-camps of the Nazi concentration camp Dachau.

The Japanese-American soldiers took on incredible risks. In one particularly memorable engagement, the 442nd was ordered to rescue the “Lost Battalion,” white U.S. soldiers who were stranded on a ridge near Saint-Dié, France, attempting to withstand heavy enemy fire. Two other battalions had already failed to rescue the battalion, which was running low on food, water and supplies, according to Densho. The military decided to send in the 442nd. 

Don't Bother Seeking Asylum In Japan: You'll never Get It

If you come from a conflict zone or you're member of minority group persecuted by your government or its security services.

— Taro Aso (@Nishinasuno) May 4, 2017

Don't come to Japan seeking asylum the government will never grant it to you.

— Taro Aso (@Nishinasuno) May 4, 2017

Not welcome: Japan tough to crack for refugees

Donald Trump Orders The Wall To Built And Bans Muslim Refugees From Entering America

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the executive branch to:

(a) secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and acts of terrorism;

(b) detain individuals apprehended on suspicion of violating Federal or State law, including Federal immigration law, pending further proceedings regarding those violations;

(c) expedite determinations of apprehended individuals' claims of eligibility to remain in the United States;

(d) remove promptly those individuals whose legal claims to remain in the United States have been lawfully rejected, after any appropriate civil or criminal sanctions have been imposed; and

(e) cooperate fully with States and local law enforcement in enacting Federal-State partnerships to enforce Federal immigration priorities, as well as State monitoring and detention programs that are consistent with Federal law and do not undermine Federal immigration priorities.

Sec. 3. Definitions. (a) "Asylum officer" has the meaning given the term in section 235(b)(1)(E) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(1)).

(b) "Southern border" shall mean the contiguous land border between the United States and Mexico, including all points of entry.

(c) "Border States" shall mean the States of the United States immediately adjacent to the contiguous land border between the United States and Mexico.

(d) Except as otherwise noted, "the Secretary" shall refer to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

(e) "Wall" shall mean a contiguous, physical wall or other similarly secure, contiguous, and impassable physical barrier.

(f) "Executive department" shall have the meaning given in section 101 of title 5, United States Code.

(g) "Regulations" shall mean any and all Federal rules, regulations, and directives lawfully promulgated by agencies.

(h) "Operational control" shall mean the prevention of all unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband.

Sec. 4. Physical Security of the Southern Border of the United States. The Secretary shall immediately take the following steps to obtain complete operational control, as determined by the Secretary, of the southern border:

(a) In accordance with existing law, including the Secure Fence Act and IIRIRA, take all appropriate steps to immediately plan, design, and construct a physical wall along the southern border, using appropriate materials and technology to most effectively achieve complete operational control of the southern border;

(b) Identify and, to the extent permitted by law, allocate all sources of Federal funds for the planning, designing, and constructing of a physical wall along the southern border;

(c) Project and develop long-term funding requirements for the wall, including preparing Congressional budget requests for the current and upcoming fiscal years; and

(d) Produce a comprehensive study of the security of the southern border, to be completed within 180 days of this order, that shall include the current state of southern border security, all geophysical and topographical aspects of the southern border, the availability of Federal and State resources necessary to achieve complete operational control of the southern border, and a strategy to obtain and maintain complete operational control of the southern border.

Sec. 5. Detention Facilities. (a) The Secretary shall take all appropriate action and allocate all legally available resources to immediately construct, operate, control, or establish contracts to construct, operate, or control facilities to detain aliens at or near the land border with Mexico.

(b) The Secretary shall take all appropriate action and allocate all legally available resources to immediately assign asylum officers to immigration detention facilities for the purpose of accepting asylum referrals and conducting credible fear determinations pursuant to section 235(b)(1) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(1)) and applicable regulations and reasonable fear determinations pursuant to applicable regulations.

(c) The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action and allocate all legally available resources to immediately assign immigration judges to immigration detention facilities operated or controlled by the Secretary, or operated or controlled pursuant to contract by the Secretary, for the purpose of conducting proceedings authorized under title 8, chapter 12, subchapter II, United States Code.

Sec. 6. Detention for Illegal Entry. The Secretary shall immediately take all appropriate actions to ensure the detention of aliens apprehended for violations of immigration law pending the outcome of their removal proceedings or their removal from the country to the extent permitted by law. The Secretary shall issue new policy guidance to all Department of Homeland Security personnel regarding the appropriate and consistent use of lawful detention authority under the INA, including the termination of the practice commonly known as "catch and release," whereby aliens are routinely released in the United States shortly after their apprehension for violations of immigration law.

Sec. 7. Return to Territory. The Secretary shall take appropriate action, consistent with the requirements of section 1232 of title 8, United States Code, to ensure that aliens described in section 235(b)(2)(C) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(2)(C)) are returned to the territory from which they came pending a formal removal proceeding.

Sec. 8. Additional Border Patrol Agents. Subject to available appropriations, the Secretary, through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall take all appropriate action to hire 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents, and all appropriate action to ensure that such agents enter on duty and are assigned to duty stations as soon as is practicable.

Sec. 9. Foreign Aid Reporting Requirements. The head of each executive department and agency shall identify and quantify all sources of direct and indirect Federal aid or assistance to the Government of Mexico on an annual basis over the past five years, including all bilateral and multilateral development aid, economic assistance, humanitarian aid, and military aid. Within 30 days of the date of this order, the head of each executive department and agency shall submit this information to the Secretary of State. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall submit to the President a consolidated report reflecting the levels of such aid and assistance that has been provided annually, over each of the past five years.

Sec. 10. Federal-State Agreements. It is the policy of the executive branch to empower State and local law enforcement agencies across the country to perform the functions of an immigration officer in the interior of the United States to the maximum extent permitted by law.

(a) In furtherance of this policy, the Secretary shall immediately take appropriate action to engage with the Governors of the States, as well as local officials, for the purpose of preparing to enter into agreements under section 287(g) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1357(g)).

(b) To the extent permitted by law, and with the consent of State or local officials, as appropriate, the Secretary shall take appropriate action, through agreements under section 287(g) of the INA, or otherwise, to authorize State and local law enforcement officials, as the Secretary determines are qualified and appropriate, to perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to the investigation, apprehension, or detention of aliens in the United States under the direction and the supervision of the Secretary. Such authorization shall be in addition to, rather than in place of, Federal performance of these duties.

(c) To the extent permitted by law, the Secretary may structure each agreement under section 287(g) of the INA in the manner that provides the most effective model for enforcing Federal immigration laws and obtaining operational control over the border for that jurisdiction.

Sec. 11. Parole, Asylum, and Removal. It is the policy of the executive branch to end the abuse of parole and asylum provisions currently used to prevent the lawful removal of removable aliens.

(a) The Secretary shall immediately take all appropriate action to ensure that the parole and asylum provisions of Federal immigration law are not illegally exploited to prevent the removal of otherwise removable aliens.

(b) The Secretary shall take all appropriate action, including by promulgating any appropriate regulations, to ensure that asylum referrals and credible fear determinations pursuant to section 235(b)(1) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1125(b)(1)) and 8 CFR 208.30, and reasonable fear determinations pursuant to 8 CFR 208.31, are conducted in a manner consistent with the plain language of those provisions.

(c) Pursuant to section 235(b)(1)(A)(iii)(I) of the INA, the Secretary shall take appropriate action to apply, in his sole and unreviewable discretion, the provisions of section 235(b)(1)(A)(i) and (ii) of the INA to the aliens designated under section 235(b)(1)(A)(iii)(II).

(d) The Secretary shall take appropriate action to ensure that parole authority under section 212(d)(5) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)) is exercised only on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the plain language of the statute, and in all circumstances only when an individual demonstrates urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit derived from such parole.

(e) The Secretary shall take appropriate action to require that all Department of Homeland Security personnel are properly trained on the proper application of section 235 of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1232) and section 462(g)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 279(g)(2)), to ensure that unaccompanied alien children are properly processed, receive appropriate care and placement while in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, and, when appropriate, are safely repatriated in accordance with law.

Sec. 12. Authorization to Enter Federal Lands. The Secretary, in conjunction with the Secretary of the Interior and any other heads of agencies as necessary, shall take all appropriate action to:

(a) permit all officers and employees of the United States, as well as all State and local officers as authorized by the Secretary, to have access to all Federal lands as necessary and appropriate to implement this order; and

(b) enable those officers and employees of the United States, as well as all State and local officers as authorized by the Secretary, to perform such actions on Federal lands as the Secretary deems necessary and appropriate to implement this order.

Sec. 13. Priority Enforcement. The Attorney General shall take all appropriate steps to establish prosecution guidelines and allocate appropriate resources to ensure that Federal prosecutors accord a high priority to prosecutions of offenses having a nexus to the southern border.

Sec. 14. Government Transparency. The Secretary shall, on a monthly basis and in a publicly available way, report statistical data on aliens apprehended at or near the southern border using a uniform method of reporting by all Department of Homeland Security components, in a format that is easily understandable by the public.

Sec. 15. Reporting. Except as otherwise provided in this order, the Secretary, within 90 days of the date of this order, and the Attorney General, within 180 days, shall each submit to the President a report on the progress of the directives contained in this order.

Sec. 16. Hiring. The Office of Personnel Management shall take appropriate action as may be necessary to facilitate hiring personnel to implement this order.

Sec. 17. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

• Block refugee admissions from the war-torn country of Syria indefinitely.
   
• Suspend refugee admissions from all countries for 120 days. After that period, the U.S. will only accept refugees from countries jointly approved by the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and the Director of National Intelligence.
• Cap total refugee admissions for fiscal year 2017 at 50,000 ― less than half of the 110,000 proposed by the Obama administration.
• Ban for 30 days all “immigrant and nonimmigrant” entry of individuals from countries designated in Division O, Title II, Section 203 of the 2016 consolidated appropriations act: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. These countries were targeted last year in restrictions on dual nationals’ and recent travelers’ participation in the visa waiver program.
• Suspend visa issuance to countries of “particular concern.” After 60 days, DHS, the State Department and DNI are instructed to draft a list of countries that don’t comply with requests for information. Foreign nationals from those countries will be banned from entering the U.S.
• Establish “safe zones to protect vulnerable Syrian populations.” The executive order tasks the secretary of defense with drafting a plan for safe zones in Syria within 90 days. This would be be an escalation of U.S. involvement in Syria and could be the first official indication of how Trump will approach the conflict there.
• Expedite the completion of a biometric entry-exit tracking system for all visitors to the U.S. and require in-person interviews for all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa.
• Suspend the visa interview waiver program indefinitely and review whether existing reciprocity agreements are reciprocal in practice.

The normalisation of Donald Trump

And how the extreme became the mainstream...

Marwan Bishara is correct. Americas media outlets are trying to,  continue to try to make Donald Trump seem presidential when he clearly is not.  Since capturing the Republican nomination back in May America's media and its pundits have vainly sought to normalize Donald Trump. Make him seem presidential as if he could ever have been a normal candidate or even presidential.   

Donald Trump isn't capable of being presidential. Why?  He's needy, insecure, lacks self confidence, a racist, xenophobic, a religious bigot, a nativist and has authoritarian beliefs.   Then there is the criticism that comes with being a political candidate and if elected a being the representative of a nation. When criticized Donald Trump lashes out unable to control his emotions.  If a world leader criticizes him will his reaction be a twitter rant or a war? There's no way of knowing that until he's already crossed the rubicon and then it will be too late.    

   

America Elects A Demagogue : Donald Trump

In a complete repudiation of good governance and what can only be seen as a longing for an authoritarian ruler  American voters elected Donald Trump President.

Here's a person who's embolden racists, isolationists and bigots of all stripes.  A man who has no understanding of how the American government works or how policy is implemented.  A man who doesn't understand or want to know any of the basic concepts affecting domestic and foreign policy.  In the area of domestic policy Donald Trump has advocated for the deportation of all 11 million people living in America who are undocumented  and for building a wall along America's southern border.  (The Berlin Wall lives.)  In the area of foreign policy he has on several occasions stated that America's military wouldn't just go after the world's terrorists but their families as well, stating they should also be killed. (That's a war crime.)  As for America's military alliances? Well, you'd better pay up.   He once pronounced NATO as obsolete and that America's continued involvement would be predicated upon member states paying fees to America.  Can a like a protection racket.   Donald Trump thinks that South Korea and Japan should have their own nuclear arsenals even though neither country wants them. He also wonders why America can't  just use its nuclear weapons simply because the U.S. has them.


During the second Presidential debate Donald Trump stated that if elected he would arrest and imprison Hillary Clinton even though she's never been charged with any criminal offense.  Authoritarian rulers do that not American President's unless you're  Donald Trump.

He's called America's press liars and claimed they were biased against him.  During the campaign Donald Trump has advocated going after those media outlets he believes have broadcast or printed unfavourable stories about him.  Will he go the way of Turkey's Erdogan and start shutting down opposition media  outlets and arresting and imprisoning journalists?  To say that he won't would be a fool's errand.  

Donald Trump has no business leading America or the world.  He's incapable of doing so because he's thin skinned,  can't handle criticism, views any slight as a personal attack and if wronged has the extremely bad habit of wanting revenge and won't stop until he has it.

Welcome To Donald Trump's America.

'People have self-immolated to get to Australia' – immigration minister's response to Nauru files

Peter Dutton dismisses revelations and accuses asylum seekers of making false claims of sexual assault

Peter Dutton is to put it mildly an ass hole, a racist, xenophobic and believes that people fake sexual assaults and self harm  in an attempt to reach Australia.    Peter Dutton would've been at home in America's Ku Klux Klan, The John Birch Society or various white supremacists groups.  How else does one explain his indifference to the plight of refugees being held in Nauru.   Why isn't he Minister of Truth or Minister Love as they would better fit his inhumanity and lack of awareness.  I'm sure given Australia's history of racism that Peter will continue to be praised for his fine work as racist in chief of Australia.

Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has accused asylum seekers of setting themselves on fire, deliberately self-harming, or making false allegations of sexual assault in order to come to Australia.

On Thursday Dutton dismissed the revelations contained in the Nauru files published by the Guardian, which contain graphic reports of sexual assault, child abuse and self-harm written by detention centre staff and said: “Most of that’s been reported on before.”

He said: “I won’t tolerate any sexual abuse whatsoever. But I have been made aware of some incidents that have been reported, false allegations of sexual assault, because in the end people have paid money to people smugglers and they want to come to our country.

When Demagoguery Captures The Political Process

In 1987 Slobodan Milosevic was a Serbian communist party official sent to Kosovo to quell the unease of the ethnic Serbs living there.  Milosevic taking advantage of the situation assured Kosovo's Serbian population that their abuse by the Kosovo government would end.  His actions and comments helped fuel the rise of Serbian nationalism.

"At home and abroad, Serbia's enemies are massing against us. We say to them 'We are not afraid'. 'We will not flinch from battle'." Slobodan Milošević, 19 November 1988.

In a private conversation he made this statement:

"We Serbs will act in the interest of Serbia whether we do it in compliance with the constitution or not, whether we do it in compliance in the law or not, whether we do it in compliance with party statutes or not." Slobodan Milošević

Comments such as the one below are often used by politicians as a means to further insight their supporters.   As they describe those not like "them" as others.

The loss of national identity is the greatest defeat a nation can know, and it is inevitable under the contemporary form of colonization. Slobodan Milosevic

Today in America similar language is spewing forth, not from a fringe candidate seeking a low level elected office, but the Presidency of  the United States.  When demagoguery is used to propel one to the highest office violence often becomes part of the discourse with the candidates most ardent supporters willing to inflict bodily harm on those whom they feel threatened by.  

When Donald Trump launched his campaign for president last year he made derogatory remarks about Mexico and Mexicans.  Accusing the government of Mexico shipping criminals to the U.S. that were rapists, drug dealers and murders.  Going further he stated that a wall would be built along America's southern border and he, Donald Trump would force the Mexican government to pay for its construction.   Donald Trump wouldn't stop with making derogatory comments about only Mexicans his repertoire would expand to women, the Chinese, the Japanese and Muslims.  When in December of last year he proposed banning all Muslim's entrance into the U.S.   As these statements and speeches became more profane protesters began showing up at his campaign events.  While he would make disparaging remarks about these protesters it wasn't until this last week and half that his remarks would become even more incendiary leading to a series of violent attacks by his supporters egged on by him against those protesting against his run for the presidency.

Here are some quotes from Donald Trump made while speaking at his various campaign events.    

"I'd like to punch him in the face,"  Las Vegas Nevada

"He was a rough guy, and he was punching. And we had some people - some rough guys like we have right in here - and they started punching back," Mr Trump said. "It was a beautiful thing."  Fayetteville, North Carolina 

Republican frontrunner praises supporters and blames ‘these other people’ for disorder after protests forced him to call off Chicago appearance on Friday  Following the cancellation of a campaign event in Chicago 

In the above quote he uses the term these other people to describe the protesters. That's how demagogues incite their followers to violence.  Donald Trump is dangerous as he continues to play upon the unfounded fears of his followers about the changing demographics of America,  fear of foreigners and minorities in America.  If elected would Donald Trump adhere to the U.S. Constitution? Given his authoritarian attitudes it's highly likely that he would suspend the constitution declaring that what America needs is a strong leader unconstrained by the rule of law.









 

U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio Is One Transparent Fool

Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida today condemned the Chinese government over the prosecution of Pu Zhiqiang a well respected human rights lawyer in China.  Anyone with an ounce of humanity would rightly criticize the Communist Party over their treatment of those who advocate for or defend the rights of others. Except that Senator Rubio in making these statements isn't too concerned with the rights of the accused. He's trying to prove he has a firm grasp of foreign policy.

“Even by China’s standards, the spectacle both inside and outside the court surrounding the trial of Pu Zhiqiang … was a mockery of justice and rule of law,” Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said.
    
Except that the good senator had a completely different assessment of the current Syrian refugee crisis and what should be done to help them.

“It’s not that we don’t want to,” Rubio said in an interview with ABC. “It’s that we can’t.”

“You can have a thousand people come in and 999 of them are just poor people fleeing oppression and violence,” Rubio said. “But one of them is an Isis fighter – if that’s the case, you have a problem.

“There’s no way to vet that out. There’s no background check system in the world that allows us to find that out because who do you call in Syria to background check them?”

Senator Rubio fails to mention is that it takes anywhere from 18 to 24 months before anyone is granted refugee status.  The entire process takes place outside of the U.S.

Donald Trump Wants To Bring The Germany Of The 1930's To America

Donald Trump today channeled his inner Nazi as he called for "special" identification papers, spying on mosques and warrantless searches all in effort, to not fight against a small minority of terrorists but to instill fear and hatred into the wider American populace because he  Donald Trump is racist, xenophobic, anti-muslim and an isolationist.    Will next advocate that a coloured M be sewn onto their clothing so that they be readily, will organize groups of his supports to protect Americans from this threat similar to the Brown Shirts, will ask for a special police force to keep track of  them or will he take that next step and force them into camps?

From The Guardian

Donald Trump would not rule out tracking Muslim Americans in a database or giving them “a special form of identification that noted their religion”, Yahoo news reports in a long interview with the Republican presidential candidate.

“Some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule.”

He said he would consider warrantless searches of Muslims and increased surveillance of mosques. “Certain things will be done that we never thought would happen in this country in terms of information and learning about the enemy.”

Asked whether this might mean registering Muslims in a database or giving them a form of special identification that noted their religion, the candidate would not rule it out.

South Africa, xenophobia and the media

The politics and coverage of xenophobia in South Africa; and TV regulation in the UK ahead of a contentious election.



A recent upsurge of violence against foreign nationals in South Africa has raised contentious questions about how to talk about the issue in the media.

When the influential King of the Zulus, Goodwill Zwelithini, was quoted as saying that foreigners "should pack their bags and go" many saw it as a precursor to the attacks which have mainly been targeted at migrants from other African states. The king has refuted these allegations and says that the media have taken his words out of context.

Others too have singled out the media for blame. South African President Jacob Zuma, has said emphasising the "xenophobic" nature of the attacks casts the country in a bad light. The question remains of whether the media are fulfilling their responsibility to prompt the government and the South African people to face tough questions about inequality and jobs.