Escaping the Mental Plantation

 

Image: TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AFP/Getty Images

The thought police want to suppress freedom of thought

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 22, 2018

there was a time when slavery was the trend and apparently that time is still upon us. But now it's a mentality.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 22, 2018

This past week, entertainer Kanye West set off a twitterverse supernova with a series of tweets promoting conservative causes, personal responsibility and freedom of thought in the African American community.  The gist of Kanye’s thesis imagines African Americans as the mental slaves of corporate elites; those who encourage people, particularly African Americans, to hate President Trump and disregard his many accomplishments.

Advertisements

Internet Bill of Rights

Milo Yiannopolus, Roger Stone, Paul Nehlen, Jared Taylor, Baked Alaska, Ricky Vaughn, and thousands of supposed “Russian bots” are just a few of those Twitter has permanently banned, seemingly for expressing unpopular political viewpoints.  Wikipedia chronicles the various prominent accounts Twitter has banned and suspended.  Nearly all belong to right wingers.  Internet viewpoint discrimination goes beyond Twitter. YouTube (Google) routinely deletes accounts and videos of right wingers, particularly in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting.  The problem of Internet censorship is also not isolated to social media.  Most notably, after featuring a joke about the woman who died at the Charlottesville protests, Andrew Anglin’s popular site The Daily Stormer has had to jump from host to host, prompting concerns among civil libertarians.  Once a last refuge for free speech, the Internet has become increasingly less so.  Perhaps we have reached the breaking point.  Is it time to adopt an Internet Bill of Rights to protect our God-given right of free speech on the web?

The Vicious Cycle

Gun control has become a cyclical issue.  A horrific shooting occurs.  The usual suspects vociferously demand gun control.  Then, after a period of time, we move on to other topics. 

Release the Memo

The abuses within the Deep State are finally coming to light.  As the sun rises tomorrow morning, we may all have access to the four page memo detailing rampant corruption and lawlessness within the FBI and DOJ.  President Trump confirmed this on a hot mic yesterday after delivering the State of the Union address.  As the truth shines through, many questions will be answered, and perhaps, the witch hunt of special prosecutor Robert Mueller will be exposed as the fraud it is.

NYC Mayoral Swear-In to Pair Potential 2020 Presidential Prospects

Originally published at Wikinews

Bill de Blasio
Image: Kevin Case

Bernie Sanders
Image: Gage Skidmore

On New Years Day 2018, on the steps of New York City Hall, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, runner-up for the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nomination and potential 2020 presidential candidate, is to conduct the swearing-in of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, himself a potential 2020 presidential contender.  In a statement, de Blasio, who was re-elected as Mayor this past November, claims to have invited Sanders due to the progressive icon’s Brooklyn, New York roots and advocacy on behalf of working people. Analysts say the invitation is a calculated political move on behalf of de Blasio to take advantage of Sanders’ popularity.

Third Party Connection in Kate Steinle Murder Case

Originally published at IPR

In the high profile murder case of illegal immigrant Garcia Zarate, the man who fired the fatal shot that killed San Francisco woman Kate Steinle three summers ago, the lead defense attorney may be someone with whom IPR readers are familiar.  Public defender Matt Gonzalez, a longtime Green Party activist, secured the “not guilty” verdict for Zarate on the two most serious of three charges Zarate faced.

The Establishment’s Worst Nightmare

When all the swamp critters flee your campaign and the most honest man in Washington is all who remains, you must be doing something right.  That is exactly what has happened to Judge Roy Moore this past month. After The Washington Post published a potentially defamatory article about Moore, and women with obvious axes to grind came forward with stories of sexual misconduct, nearly every Republican politician in the nation condemned Moore, retracted their endorsement and/or demanded he exit the US Senate race in Alabama.  One notable exception was Senator Rand Paul who maintained his support even as polls (some with questionable methodology) showed the Democratic nominee with the lead.  The reason Paul stayed loyal may lie in Moore’s political positions.

The War in Washington

The Outsider President

A War rages in Washington. The fate of a nation at stake. For decades one side sat silent as the other enriched itself, stagnated the culture and economy, and intervened unnecessarily in the never-ending cycle of violence worldwide.  In 2016 the American people had had enough.  They elected a President who stood against the established order and promised to “drain the Swamp” of corrupt influences.  In response, the established order doubled down in its war.  Through the news media, it brainwashed segments of the populace into believing the President fascist, white supremacist, and “literally Hitler.”  Suddenly, by virtue of his words alone, the President was worse than those who wrought actual death and destruction upon the nation.  But this was not enough.  It just made a coup more palatable.  The establishment had to invent a scandal to justify ousting the duly elected President and replacing him with one of their own.  Enter the Russia scandal and special prosecutor Robert Mueller, a general in the establishment’s war to regain power.

Trump NFL Comments Spark First Amendment Quandary

Credit: Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Ever since the NFL season started, there’s been constant discussion about  the decision of certain players not to stand during the national anthem and presentation of the flag before games.  This talk reached a fever pitch last week after President Trump, during an Alabama rally, referred to the players who refuse to stand as “son[s] of bitch[es].”  Detractors of the president and supporters of the players protesting the anthem are attempting to frame national discourse over the issue as a matter of the First Amendment.  They, of course, are correct, but perhaps not in the way they might expect.