The European Union has committed to the resettlement of 60,000 refugees in 2024-2025. Meanwhile, the German Ministry of the Interior announced that Germany will extend border controls until March of next year.
In other news, IDF soldiers mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza. The hostages had reportedly been abandoned by their captors, and were waving white flags when they were shot dead.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, LP, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
CNN Host Stunned as Data Exposes Reality of ‘Bidenomics’: ‘Depressing’
A CNN host was left stunned when the network’s data analyst revealed data that highlighted the true state of the economy under Democrat President Joe Biden.
During a Friday report, CNN’s Erica Hill after data reporter Harry Enten laid out the economic numbers that expose the reality of so-called “Bidenomics.”
As Enten explained the figures and broke the bad news to CNN’s viewers, Hill remarked that Biden’s economy is “kind of depressing.”
Enten explained that, despite other economic metrics trending in positive directions, the decline in disposable income largely explains Americans’ bleak view of the economy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Attempted Murder Charge in Tinley Park L.A. Fitness Shooting: PD
A Chicago man has been charged after police said he shot another man 5 times outside the fitness facility Thursday evening.
TINLEY PARK, IL — A 26-year-old man faces an attempted murder charge after shooting another man five times outside a Tinley Park L.A. Fitness after an argument over a basketball game escalated, police said Saturday.
Michael L. Gomire, 26, of the 9100 block of South Buffalo Avenue, Chicago, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder after the Thursday evening shooting in the parking lot at L.A. Fitness, 18400 Convention Center Drive in Tinley Park. Police originally said Gomire was a Richton Park resident.
The shooting occurred shortly after 8 p.m. when an argument over a basketball game inside the gym spilled into the parking lot. After the argument, Comire went to his car, retrieved a gun, and walked back to the man before shooting him five times, police said.
The victim was taken to Silver Cross Hospital, and his condition remains critical but stable.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Clinton Blasted Hillary’s 2016 Campaign: ‘These Eggheads… Don’t Understand Persuasion’
A new book has revealed that former President Bill Clinton blasted his wife Hillary’s 2016 election campaign.
This comes as news of Hillary Clinton’s possible involvement in President Joe Biden’s struggling reelection campaign surfaced this week.
Fox News reported that Bill Clinton wasn’t impressed with his wife’s 2016 campaign.
Bill Clinton reportedly made some nasty comments regarding his wife’s 2016 campaign that were revealed in “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution,” a book by The Intercept’s Ryan Grim.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu proudly shared a photo of the controversial “electeds of color” holiday party she hosted on Wednesday, showcasing all the smiling government officials of minority backgrounds at the “no whites” gathering.
“Last night was my turn to host the annual holiday dinner for Boston’s elected officials of color—a special moment to appreciate that our affinity group now includes leadership across city, state, county, and federal offices,” Wu wrote in a caption alongside the photo on Instagram.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elise Stefanik Hits DC Judge With Misconduct Complaint Over Jan. 6 Comments
House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) filed a misconduct complaint on Friday against a DC federal judge, alleging the jurist recently “gave a highly inappropriate speech” that called into question her impartiality in previous rulings against former President Donald Trump.
The complaint, which Stefanik posted in full on X, asks for an ethics probe of US District Judge Beryl Howell for having “suggested reelecting President Trump will lead to fascism in America” and for entertaining “cozy personal relationships” with President Biden’s deputy attorney general, Lisa Monaco.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Plans New University, Invests $100M
Elon Musk plans to launch a STEM-focused primary and secondary school and a new university in Austin and has allocated $100 million to the effort.
The tech billionaire and owner of X filed an application with the Internal Revenue Service to establish an elementary and high school dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and, ultimately, a university in the Texas capital, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
The IRS application, obtained by Bloomberg, was filed in October 2022 and approved in March.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Far-Left Publication Celebrates Violent BLM Activist’s Release After 9+ Year Prison Stint
Far-Left activists celebrated this week after violent Black Lives Matter (BLM) anarchist Eric G. King was released from federal prison on Tuesday after spending nearly 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to using explosive materials to commit arson in 2014.
Left-wing publication Unicorn Riot claimed King spent the last 9+ years as a “political prisoner” and shared images of King leaving prison with his wife and child, wearing a “protect trans kids” shirt with a knife in the center.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Georgia Investigating 17,000 Missing Ballot Images From 2020 Presidential Election
The Georgia State Board of Elections (SEB) is investigating the bombshell discovery of 17,000 missing ballot images from the 2020 presidential election in the state.
The investigation was launched after “2020 recount violations” were exposed.
SEB was scheduled to cover the results of the investigation (SEB2023-25) at its meeting this week, according to reporter Joe Hoft.
The investigation into the 2020 Election has been labeled “violations found.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Graphic Video: Senate Staffer Caught Filming Gay Sex Tape in Senate Room
Leaked video footage shows a congressional staffer having anal sex with an unknown man on a table in the Senate hearing room.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Hunter’s Scandals Are Having a ‘Heavy Toll’ on Joe Biden: ‘It Could Consume Him’
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles and mounting scandals are having a “heavy toll” on his father’s health, according to reports.
According to a new report from Politico, fears are mounting in the White House inner circle that the scandals “could consume” Democrat President Joe Biden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A JetBlue captain narrowly avoided a head-on collision on the runway at a Colorado airport. The plane’s tail struck the runway during the pilot’s quick-thinking maneuver, causing substantial damage to the aircraft, federal investigators said.
This incident comes as near-miss collisions surge at airports across the country due to air traffic controller shortages, Daily Mail reports.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Wednesday that the JetBlue Airbus A320 was taking off on the same runway as a Beechcraft King Air 350 that was about 5 miles from landing on the runway at the Yampa Valley Regional Airport on Jan. 22, 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Joe Biden Spikes Homelessness Back to George W. Bush’s Numbers
The number of homeless Americans rose by 12 percent to a record level in 2023 as President Joe Biden invited several million legal and illegal migrants into homes and jobs.
“More than 650,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2023, a 12% increase from 2022,” a Friday report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said.
The data is 11 months old, suggesting that the current homeless number is far higher.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority of Americans 18-24 Think Israel Should ‘Be Ended and Given to Hamas’
A majority of young Americans said they believe Israel should “be ended and given to Hamas,” according to a shocking poll.
The survey, conducted THIS WEEK by Harvard-Harris polling, found 51% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 said they believed the long-term answer to the Israel-Palestinian conflict was for “Israel to be ended and given to Hamas and the Palestinians.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mark Zuckerberg Plows $100 Million Into Building Survivalist Compound in Hawaii
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO and founder of Facebook and its parent company Meta, is reportedly building a $100 million survivalist compound in Hawaii
According to reports, the compound, located on Kauai, is being built to withstand any type of apocalyptic event.
However, rather (un)surprisingly, the “eco-warrior” won’t be building the compound to withstand a rise in sea levels — an alleged effect of the so-called “climate crisis.”
The ultimate apocalyptic bunker will apparently be called Koolau Ranch.
The compound isn’t just a pipe dream either as Wired is reporting that construction has already begun and it’s partially built.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Northwestern Employs 1 Administrator for Every 2 Undergrads: Analysis
Northwestern University employs more than one administrator for every two undergraduates, including several new DEI staff in its sports program, a College Fix analysis found.
In the past decade, the private Illinois school has created nearly 400 new administrative and support staff positions while also adopting a policy to hire more “diverse” staff.
Meanwhile, its student enrollment numbers remained relatively stagnant.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Senate Staffer Who Allegedly Filmed Public Sex in Congress Ousted From Ben Cardin’s Office
A US Senate staffer allegedly caught filming himself having sex in a Judiciary Committee hearing room no longer has his job, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) said on X.
“Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate. We will have no further comment on this personnel matter,” a Cardin spokeswoman told The Post.
Maese-Czeropski, a 24-year-old legislative aide, was accused of posting a video of himself in flagrante delicto with another man on a public X account. His face appeared to be clearly visible, according to The Spectator, which first broke the story Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Soaring Crime Pushes Wizards, Capitals Out of D.C.; Potential Revenue Loss $25m
Washington, DC’s, soaring crime rate pushed the Wizards and Capitals to relocate the professional basketball and hockey teams out of the nation’s capital, surrounding District residents say, potentially costing the District $25 million in yearly tax revenue.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s 2023 statistics show:
- Robbery increased by 69 percent
- Violent crime spiked by 40 percent
- Carjackings soared by 89 percent
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin reached a tentative agreement this week with the parent company of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to relocate the teams out of the crime-infested “war zone” of D.C. to the Virginia shore of the Potomac, just a ten-minute drive from the District’s border.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Top Biden Aide Linked to Radical ‘Climate Security’ Group Pushing EV Mandate
A top aid to Democrat President Joe Biden is linked to a radical group that lobbies for “climate change” to be classed as a “national security threat,” according to reports.
Elizabeth Alexander, a deputy assistant to President Biden and the spokesperson for Jill Biden, is the wife of David Wade.
Wade, the former chief of staff to Biden’s “Special Presidential Envoy for Climate” John Kerry, is on the board of directors for Washington D.C.-based American Security Project (ASP).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Top Expert Warns Public of America’s ‘Staggering’ Excess Deaths
A leading expert has appeared on national television to warn the American people about the “staggering” numbers of excess deaths that are being recorded across the country.
Dr. Pierre Kory, Chief Medical Officer of the Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, raised the alarm during an appearance on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show.
The critical care physician explained why insurance actuaries are showing a “staggering” spike in excess deaths.
Kory revealed during “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday night that 158,000 additional American deaths have been recorded in 2023 when compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Ignores GOP Rivals, Rips ‘Corrupt’ Biden as ‘Threat to Democracy’ During 90-Minute NH Rally
Former president Donald Trump treated the Republican nomination as a done deal Saturday at a New Hampshire rally that sharpened his attack on Joe Biden — while barely mentioning his GOP primary rivals.
“As long as Joe Biden is in the White House, the American Dream is dead,” Trump told a raucous crowd of about 5,000 in a hockey arena at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., five weeks ahead of the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation Republican primary.
Biden, Trump said, is “truly the worst, most incompetent, and most corrupt president in the history of our country” — promising that a second Trump term will “bring our country back from hell.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson Sends Trucks Emblazoned With ‘Corporate Media is Dead’ Near Media Offices
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson reportedly parked billboard trucks emblazoned with “corporate media is dead” outside the offices of major media outlets on Thursday after launching his own streaming service.
Mr. Carlson sent trucks to the offices of MSNBC, CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times on Dec. 14, the Daily Mail reported.
The trucks also advertised “a limited time offer” for people to access “exclusive content” through a $72 annual subscription fee and to become the “founding members” of his new website, Tucker Carlson Network.
During an interview with the Daily Mail on Dec. 14, Mr. Carlson suggested that “the era of dominance by a few big media companies” is over now “because they misused their monopoly.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Virtue Un-Signaled: San Francisco Halts Reparations Office Due to Budget Cuts
San Francisco has committed a dastardly act of racism, putting a halt to its virtuous office of reparations amid budget cuts.
Apparently there are more important things than transferring wealth to black people, despite everything we’ve been told. The office, which was set to launch this year, was eliminated as part of Mayor London Breed’s $75 million cuts to the city’s budget in preparation for a major deficit in 2024.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Deutsche Bank ATM Was Blown Up in Harsefeld, Germany
The attackers used brutal force and suddenly woke up residents with a powerful explosion in the peaceful town of Harsefeld, located in the Stade region, BILD reported.
Safecrackers attacked an ATM at a Deutsche Bank branch overnight on Saturday, leaving “several tens of thousands of euros” scattered across the center of the city of 12,000 people, police said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austrian Bankers Continue to Impede the Implementation of EU Sanctions Against Russia
Austria is currently utilizing EU sanctions as a means of “blackmail” against Ukraine, similar to Hungary, to safeguard a bank engaged in Russian business activities, as cited by EU Observer.
During a press inquiry in Brussels on Friday (15 December), Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed his “welcome” for the EU summit communiqué, which also endorsed the adoption of the 12th package of sanctions against Russia.
However, Nehammer simultaneously imposed a last-minute veto on the sanctions on Friday morning, preventing their legal adoption.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: Manager Salaries Exceed Chancellor’s
In Austria manager salaries in state-owned companies exceed the remuneration of the federal chancellor, as indicated by a report from the Audit Office.
According to Kurier, in 2022, 58 board or management members in 26 companies received annual compensation higher than the chancellor’s salary of approximately 317,000 euros. The Post and the Verbund paid the highest average executive salaries of 1.99 million euros and 1.46 million euros, respectively. The overall average for all board members was just under 219,000 euros, an increase compared to 2021 (214,500 euros) but a decrease compared to 2020 (220,600 euros).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria Backs EU Russia Sanctions After Ukraine Removes Raiffeisen From Blacklist
BRUSSELS, Dec 16 (Reuters) — Austria has given its approval to a 12th package of EU sanctions on Russia after Ukraine removed Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) from a blacklist, Ukraine’s government website and an EU diplomat said on Saturday.
Austria had been pushing to remove the bank from a Ukrainian list dubbed “international sponsors of war” — which sets out to shame companies doing business in Russia and supporting the war effort by, for instance, paying taxes.
“Austria’s sanctions reservation is lifted,” an EU diplomat said.
The blacklist has no legal standing, but it is symbolically important, reinforcing public pressure on Raiffeisen to quit Russia, something the Austrian bank has said it is willing to do but which has yet to happen.
“The status is suspended for the period of bilateral consultations involving representatives of the European Commission,” the Ukrainian government website said on Raiffeisen’s status on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Government Faces Sharp Decline in Public Trust, According to Recent Survey
A recent survey by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CVVM) reveals a notable erosion of public trust in the Czech government, particularly in the cabinet of Petr Fiala (ODS).
Only one-sixth of Czechs express trust in the government, marking the lowest level among constitutional institutions. President Petr Pavel, on the other hand, enjoys the trust of 52% of the population, while 18% trust the Chamber of Deputies and 29% trust the Senate. These figures represent a decline in trust across all institutions compared to the previous summer’s survey.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark to Introduce “Green” Tax on Air Tickets From 2025
The Danish government announced on Friday its decision to gradually introduce a “green” tax on air tickets from 2025 onwards, aimed at offsetting the environmental impact of air travel. The Danish Ministry of Transport made this announcement.
The tax on passenger air transport in Denmark will be phased in from 2025 to 2030, during which it will increase from 70 Danish crowns (9.4 euros) to 100 crowns (13.4 euros). These are average values, and the actual tax amount is determined by the duration of the flight.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Goes to Italy, Warns Public Not to ‘Import Woke Mind Virus From America’
Twitter/X boss Elon Musk has called on the people of Italy to resist efforts to “import the woke mind virus” from America.
Musk was speaking at a political event in Rome organized by supporters of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The tech entrepreneur discussed various hot topics during the event.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The following text is from a speech delivered by Martin Helme, the leader of the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) and the former Finance Minister of Estonia, at the recent party congress of Identity and Democracy (ID).
Firstly, I would like to express my admiration and unreserved support for our gracious hosts, to true Portuguese patriots, Andre Ventura and the Chega party. Also, I have to start by congratulating our Dutch friends. I do wish, I really, really wish that Geert Wilders has the wit, the will, and the strength to turn the will of the people into a government policy.
Now as we all know, of course, we are all gearing up for a fight. European elections are in six months’ time. It’s just around the corner. Of course, the conditions and the specifics are very different in each country. But there are two things that I think we should keep in mind when we are building our victory. Two important strategic principles. First, we must not let the left, the loony liberals, the other side define the issues. We must never swallow their bait and get into arguments over the stuff that they want to talk about… Because they want to talk about gender pay gaps or transgender bathrooms or bicycle lanes or banning plastic straws and at the same time we are seeing our countries burning down in front of us.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Parenthood Certificate Decision Set to Transform European Surrogacy Laws
LGBT groups were quick to rejoice in Strasbourg Thursday as an overwhelming majority of MEPs backed a hotly contested law establishing a new “ European Parenthood Certificate” and enforcing liberal surrogacy laws and gay adoption across the bloc.
While the legislation still requires the consent of individual member states at an EU Council level, the legislation would require states to grant recognition to families “irrespective of how a child was conceived, born or the type of family they have.”
Ostensibly meant to close legal loopholes in family law caused by the Ukrainian refugee crisis, the legislation has been lambasted by Catholic groups in particular as a direct legislative assault on the traditional family at the same time as opening the door to liberal surrogacy laws.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Requires High-Tech Assistance Features in All Cars
The EU is poised to approve requirements for assisted driving features in all new cars, ultimately making purchasing a car more expensive for everyone.
Though still to be approved by the commission, certain technologies will become part of every standard car features package from July 7, 2024.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU’s Failure to Allocate 50 Billion Euros to Ukraine Highlights Internal Division
The European Union’s (EU) inability to allocate 50 billion euros to Ukraine has exposed a deep divide within the union of 27 countries and raised doubts about the commitment to supporting Kyiv “as much as it takes,” according to The Washington Post.
The analysis comes in the wake of the EU leaders’ summit where the decision to initiate negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU was reached but financial assistance was blocked by Hungary’s veto.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland Faces 100-130 Million Euro Blow From Recent Strikes
Finland’s Minister of Employment Arto Satonen estimated that the strikes in Finland, which disrupted various essential services, incurred a cost ranging from 100 to 130 million euros, as reported by The Helsinki Times.
Satonen emphasized the necessity for government reforms to address the relatively low employment rate, expressing skepticism about labor market organizations’ ability to generate 100,000 new jobs as per the government’s goal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France’s Former Prime Minister Admits There is Anti-White Racism
Former French Prime Minister and Mayor of Le Havre, Édouard Philippe—affiliated with center-right establishment Les Républicains until 2017 and Horizons since 2021—has expressed concern about the emergence of a new form of “anti-white racism” in France.
In response to incidents like the one in Crépol, Philippe emphasized the need to candidly address the issue, stating that this racism is “reprehensible” and should be combated with the same determination as anti-Semitism or hostility towards blacks, the French press reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Sweden, on Average, One Person Dies at Work Every Week
In Sweden every week, on average, a fatal workplace accident occurs, but the ongoing criminal investigations rarely result in convictions, as reported by Dagens Nyheter.
During the current year, the Swedish Work Environment Authority has reported 52 fatal accidents in workplaces, making 2023 the deadliest work year in a decade. The construction industry is particularly affected with eleven fatalities recorded within the sector this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Vatican criminal court convicted an Italian cardinal once thought to be a contender for pope of embezzlement and sentenced him to more than five years in prison in what has been dubbed the Holy See’s “trial of the century.”
Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 75, was the first cardinal in history prosecuted by the Vatican criminal court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Manfred Weber: Pedro Sanchez “Disqualified for Any Future European Position”
Following a tense session in the EU parliament last week that included accusations between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and leader of the European People’s Party (EPP) Manfred Weber, Weber spoke to El Mundo about Sanchez.
“Sanchez is disqualified for any future European position after what he did in Strasbourg,” Weber told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo in an interview shortly after the plenary of the EU Parliament.
His harsh words followed Sanchez’s direct attack on the German MEP and leader of the centrist EPP.
Sanchez had been present in Strasbourg before the European Parliament on Wednesday to give an account to MEPs of his term in the rotating EU presidency, which ends in December. The session is also an opportunity for MEPs to give a critique of the outgoing president and their accomplishments.
Weber had nothing complimentary to say about this latest Spanish presidency of the EU.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands Launches Experiment to Potentially Fully Legalize Marijuana
In Breda and Tilburg, Netherlands, marijuana users can now smoke on legal grounds as the government has initiated an experiment that could lead to the complete legalization of marijuana in the country. Cafes, known as “coffeeshops,” where marijuana can be experienced will now sell “licensed” cannabis, as reported by The Guardian.
There is a misconception that marijuana is already fully legalized in the Netherlands, which is not the case. According to current legislation, possession, production, and trade of narcotics are criminal offenses in the Netherlands. However, the Dutch have a “policy of tolerance” that allows cafes to sell marijuana under certain conditions, one of which is not causing any disturbances.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Potential Geert Wilders Government Talks to Run Until February
Right-wing anti-Islamification populist Geert Wilders won a ‘mega victory’ in his national elections in November but there will be no news on him leading a government until early February, leaving the globalist Mark Rutte in power for months more.
Geert Wilders’ Party For Freedom (PVV) emerged out of November’s Dutch national elections as the largest party, but as is typical in European politics without enough seats to govern alone. The Netherlands traditionally experiences extremely long periods of discussion and horse-trading between election day and new governments being formed — the last such period lasted a record 299 days — and this time is likely to be no different, as legacy parties adjust to the new reality that they may have to play second fiddle to a populist they have long shunned as a political untouchable.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Polish Prime Minister Requests Payout From Blocked EU Funds
Poland’s new Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has formally requested a payout from almost €60 billion ($65.9 billion) in blocked EU funds, marking the first step to unlock aid that was suspended over concerns related to the rule of law.
Tusk’s pro-EU alliance secured victory in the October elections with a pledge to restore relations with European allies and address democratic concerns that emerged during eight years of populist rule.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Orban Can be Persuaded to Support a 50 Billion Euro Financing for Ukraine, Says Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban can be convinced to support a 50 billion euro financing for Ukraine, as reported by The Guardian.
According to Macron, he is also confident that in the new year, Orban can be persuaded to accept a financial aid package for Ukraine. Blocking it would mean blocking new funds not only for his own country but also for his neighbors and for migration border control.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Sanchez to Meet With Exiled Catalan Separatist Leader
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has, reportedly, finally agreed to a face-to-face meeting with Catalan separatists and fugitive of Spanish law, MEP Carles Puigdemont.
Puigdemont, who is still the leader of the largest Catalan secessionist party in Spain, Junts per Catalunya (Junts), has long clamored for a face-to-face meeting with Sanchez outside of Spain where Puigdemont has remained since fleeing Spanish authorities in 2017. The MEP was president of the Catalonia region and used his position to organize an illegal referendum on Catalan independence. The referendum saw weeks of riots and street violence.
Junts Secretary General Jordi Turull has announced that Pedro Sanchez and Puigdemont will hold a meeting on a date and place still to be determined, although the meeting will most certainly take place outside of Spain as Puigdemont is still subject to prosecution should he cross into Spanish territory.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Experts Raise Alarm About Soaring VAIDS Cases Among Vaxxed
Experts are raising the alarm over concerns about the rapid increase in the number of vaccinated people now suffering from Vaccine-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (VAIDS).
A new study from the world-renowned Cambridge University in England has found that there may be around a 1 in 10 chance that Pfizer’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will not generate spike proteins but something else.
The Cambridge researchers warn that a large number of those injected with the Pfizer shots may have suffered a negative autoimmune response.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Police Investigate Antisemitic Attacks as Menorahs Smashed in London
Hanukkah in London saw a series of antisemitic incidents, including members of the Jewish community abused at lighting ceremonies and menorahs vandalised in London neighborhoods.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a British charity that supports the safety and security of the Jewish community has reported a series of attacks on the Hannukah festival over the past week in London, expressing its regret at the upswing in antisemitism since the Hamas terror attack against Israel this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: The Little Boys Who Became Britain’s Most Notorious Childhood Killers…
— How Robert Thompson developed streak of cruelty and Jon Venables came from broken home before they kidnapped and murdered James Bulger in crime that shocked the nation
In February 1993, the toddler was snatched from his mother at New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside, by Jon Venables (pictured) and Robert Thompson.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine is Unlikely to Join the EU Before 2030 — The Times
The Times magazine expresses doubts about Ukraine’s accession to the European Union before the year 2030. The publication believes that obstacles such as war and poverty will hinder a swift entry. According to the editorial, priority should be given to admitting Serbia, Albania and Bosnia to the EU, as they are already in line for membership.
The European Union has officially agreed to commence membership negotiations with Ukraine, as Hungary refrained from vetoing the decision during a tense summit in Brussels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An Israeli hostage abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 from the Supernova music festival has been confirmed dead.
Inbar Haiman, described as a “creative girl full of joy,” was murdered at some point after she was kidnapped from the desert rave, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum said Friday.
Haiman’s cause of death was not confirmed by the Forum. Her body is still believed to be in the Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel added.
Haiman, 27, was a visual communications student from Haifa, in northern Israel, the Forum said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
IDF Says it Nabbed Some 90 Terror Operatives at North Gaza Hospital, Seized Weapons
Army says weapons hidden inside incubators; commandos raid schools where gunmen were holed up
The Israeli military continued its offensive against Hamas in the northern and southern Gaza Strip Saturday, amid ongoing rocket attacks on southern Israel and as the country continued to reel from the army’s accidental killing of three hostages and the growing number of hostages killed in captivity.
The IDF and Shin Bet security agency said that over the last few days, Israeli forces had detained some 90 terror operatives at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and seized numerous weapons.
The joint statement said some of those captured at the hospital, which allegedly served as a Hamas base, participated in the October 7 massacres in southern Israel.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Israel ‘Committed as Ever’ to War in Gaza After Soldiers Mistakenly Kill 3 Hostages
The account of how the hostages died also raised questions as to the Israeli military’s conduct during its ground offensive
Three Israeli hostages who were mistakenly shot by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip had been waving a white flag and were shirtless when they were killed, military officials said Saturday, in Israel’s first such acknowledgement of harming any hostages in its war against Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a nationwide address that the killings “broke my heart, broke the entire nation’s heart,” but he indicated no change in Israel’s intensive military campaign. “We are as committed as ever to continue until the end, until we dismantle Hamas, until we return all our hostages,” he said.
Anger over the mistaken killings is likely to increase pressure on the Israeli government to renew Qatar-mediated negotiations with Hamas over swapping more of the remaining captives, which Israel says number 129, for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
A senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, reiterated that there will be no further hostage releases until the war ends and Israel accepts the militant group’s conditions for an exchange. Netanyahu said Israel would never agree to such demands.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
The incident happened in an area of intense combat where Hamas operate in civilian attire and use deception tactics, the official said.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Israel is ‘Crying and Mourning’ Hostages Mistakenly Killed by IDF, PM Benjamin Netanyahu Says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two of his high-profile ministers shared their condolences to the families of the three hostages killed by the IDF at a press conference Saturday evening — and expressed their determination to demilitarize the Gaza Strip and bring the area under Israel’s purview.
“The state of Israel is crying and mourning the deaths of our three children,” Netanyahu said at the presser, referring to the shooting deaths of Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka, and Alon Shamriz in Gaza City on Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. and British warships on Saturday shot down 15 suspected attack drones over the Red Seas launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, fending off the latest onslaught by the Iranian-controlled group in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war threatened to spread.
The USS Carney, an American destroyer, intercepted 14 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. They “were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,” U.S. Central Command said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia’s Putin and France’s Macron Both Say They Are Open to Restarting Talks on Ukraine War
BRUSSELS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday he would still consider talking with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin if it helps creating a sustainable peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Macron and Putin enjoyed a good working relationship before Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. In weeks preceding the start of hostilities, Macron’s diplomatic efforts failed to stop the war but he then kept open a line of communication with the Russian president for months.
Their diplomatic and personal links deteriorated badly as the war dragged on. Earlier this year, Macron weighed the possibility of stripping Putin of France’s highest medal of honor
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sarah Murphy, 52, lost consciousness in a Melbourne 7-Eleven last year after being attacked by customer Sarah Franklin. Footage of the shocking encounter has been released.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
South Africa Mulls Drawing Half of $27 Billion Contingency Funds to Reduce Debt
South Africa’s National Treasury is reportedly considering withdrawing up to half of the 497 billion rand ($27.3 billion) in contingency reserves held by the central bank.
This move is aimed at reducing the government’s debt load or funding public-sector wages. The Treasury and the central bank are reportedly close to finalizing the terms of the draw-down from the Gold & Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account. Discussions include talks with development finance agencies to establish best practices and ensure sufficient buffers remain to guard against potential exogenous shocks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
30-Year-Old Singer Drops Dead on Stage During Concert
A popular 30-year-old Brazilian singer has dropped dead in the middle of a concert after suffering a sudden massive heart attack on stage.
Pedro Henrique collapsed and died during a performance in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil.
Henrique was performing at a private religious event for influencer Lôise Abreu.
The concert was broadcast live around the world on social media platforms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The presumed target of the attack was reportedly the Christmas market in Hannover. According to security authorities, a 20-year-old refugee had planned knife attacks on visitors to the Christmas market, reports BILD.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arizona to Send National Guard to US-Mexico Border Amid Biden Border Crisis
On Friday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed an executive order to deploy the state’s National Guard to back up law enforcement along its southern border with Mexico.
In a press release, Hobbs said, “Yet again, the federal government is refusing to do its job to secure our border and keep our communities safe.” She added, “With this Executive Order, I am taking action where the federal government won’t.”
“But we can’t stand alone, Arizona needs resources and manpower to reopen the Lukeville crossing, manage the flow of migrants, and maintain a secure, orderly, and humane border.” Hobbs continued, “Despite continued requests for assistance, the Biden administration has refused to deliver desperately needed resources to Arizona’s border.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A bakery along with its three workshops in the Merksem district of Antwerp has been temporarily closed under the orders of Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever, due to involvement in human trafficking and posing risks to public health and safety, reports The Brussels Times.
The closure was prompted by the discovery that twelve out of the thirteen employees had irregular immigration status. Shockingly, some of them were found living in deplorable conditions within one of the workshops. The bakery came under scrutiny as part of a broader investigation into illicit bakeries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Has Spent $138 MILLION on City’s Migrant Crisis in 14 Months After 26,000 Were Bused In…
— more cash than was given to city’s public library network
Chicago has spent $138million over the past 14 months to address the city’s migrant crisis, as 26,000 migrants arrived through hundreds of buses.
Official records seen by CBS reveal that Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has spent more money on migrants than the budgeted amount for the Chicago Public Library in 2024.
The city has paid out funds to various vendors, with the largest recipient being Favorite Healthcare Staffing, a private healthcare staffing company based in New York City
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Commits to Resettle 60,000 Refugees in 2024-2025
The European Union has pledged to resettle more than 60,000 of the most vulnerable refugees in 2024-2025, as announced by the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs during the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.
As reported by Info Migrants, this figure represents a slight increase compared to previous years. At the forum, Ylva Johansson revealed that 14 EU member states have committed to resettling almost 61,000 refugees over the next two years, although she did not specify which countries made these commitments out of the 27 EU member states.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland Closes Its Russian Border Again After More Than 300 Asylum Seekers Crossed in Two Days…
— as Helsinki says Putin is sending them over in revenge for joining Nato
Finland closed its border with Russia again last night after more than 300 asylum seekers entered from Russia within two days, the Finnish Border Guard said.
The Nordic country reopened two border crossings on Thursday to allow travel between the two countries after a two-week closure, but the Finnish government decided the same day to close them again on Friday for a month.
It came after the inflow of asylum seekers restarted as soon as the border restrictions were relaxed, with Finland accusing Russia of deliberately sending hundreds across its border in revenge for the nation joining Nato
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Will Extend Border Controls Until March 2024
Germany’s border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, which were introduced in October, will be extended at least until March 15, 2024, according to Bild.
The German Ministry of the Interior announced that the controls will continue to effectively combat smuggling and restrict illegal migration. The ministry informed the European Commission about this decision.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Global Pledges Exceed $2.2 Billion at UN Forum to Address Refugee Crisis
The United Nations refugee agency announced on Friday that a significant forum garnered commitments exceeding $2.2 billion to tackle the global refugee crisis, a move applauded by the UN chief as instrumental in “stemming the tide of misery,” as reported by Reuters.
Over three days in Geneva, Switzerland, thousands of participants from aid organizations, businesses, and civil society converged as the number of displaced individuals and refugees climbed to a record-breaking 114 million due to conflict, poverty, and climate change.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migrants Reject ‘Bad’ Sandwiches, Pancakes, Donuts and Chicken Dishes at NYC Shelters
Several migrants confessed to The Post Friday the meals served up at New York City asylum seeker shelters are so “bad” they often just trash them — with some opting to sneakily cook in their rooms instead.
Their claims of terrible food came a day after it was revealed thousands of uneaten, taxpayer-funded meals prepared for asylum seekers are tossed each day.
“No one likes the food,” Jesus Alberto, 31, from Venezuela, told The Post outside the Roosevelt Hotel — the Big Apple’s main migrant intake center.
“Without lying, it’s bad, bad.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Zoetermeer, it becomes painfully clear once again what is wrong with the current asylum policy of the Netherlands. State Secretary Van der Burg (VVD) continues to refuse to introduce an asylum stop, resulting in the Dutch asylum centers (AZCs) overflowing and now, in a desperate attempt to solve the problem, status holders are being accommodated in the local NH Hotel.
Too crazy for words because mopping with the tap open doesn’t work! What is happening now in Zoetermeer is an indication for the rest of the Netherlands.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migrant Arrivals to Lampedusa Not Sustainable Says Sunak
The irregular arrival of migrants and refugees to Lampedusa is unsustainable and immoral, British prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Saturday.
“(Former Conservative prime minister Margaret) Thatcher understood that ideas are only important if they can be implemented,” Conservative Sunak told the Atreju political festival of Premier Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party in Rome.
“She never backed down even when the fight was hard, and today we have to apply Thatcher’s radicalism to illegal immigration,” he continued.
“Our opponents want to put their heads in the sand and let the problem go away on its own, but it doesn’t work that way,” said Sunak.
“Go to Lampedusa, where 50% of immigrants arrived this year: it is no longer sustainable, it is not right and it is immoral,” he added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nearly 300 Migrants Arrived in UK on Same Day Person Died When Boat Sank in the Channel
Nearly 300 migrants arrived in the UK on the same day a person died when a boat sank in the English Channel, latest figures show.
Some 292 people made the crossing in seven boats on Friday, according to Home Office figures published on Saturday.
The data comes after it was confirmed a migrant died and another was left in a critical condition during an incident on Friday.
More than 60 people were on board a boat as it began to deflate about five miles off the northern coast of France in the early hours of the morning, the French coastguard said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gendering Critique and Right-Wing Extremism: A Perspective From the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Those critical of gendering initiatives should take heed: they might soon be branded as right-wing extremists and characterized as proponents of “muscular-aggressive white masculinity.” This assertion stems from a pamphlet circulated by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, reports Exxpress.
Linguist Stefan Weber strongly rebukes this perspective. In France’s administrative circles, gendering is strictly prohibited. A proposed law is now aiming to outlaw gender-neutral language. Emmanuel Macron has openly endorsed this initiative. The French President recently cautioned against “succumbing to prevailing trends” and pledged to “safeguard the French language from the extremes of so-called inclusive writing.” According to the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), Macron is thereby suspected of harboring right-wing extremist tendencies, as indicated in a pamphlet from the esteemed institution.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sunday Chronicle:
Corporate social responsibility
Posted on December 17, 2023
by Professor Emeritus Karl-Ölov Arnsberg (KOA).
One of Hollywood’s most iconic lines is when Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film Wall Street claims that Greed is Good. Greed is the best driving force for him, in the role of venture capitalist on Wall Street. Because he can’t mean that greed is something that is generally good, also for society?
Actually he does. That was also the opinion of national economist Milton Freeman. Let the market be free so that capitalism can do its job. Then it is the state’s job to regulate and distribute the profits. In other words, don’t mix up the roles. It is above all what he propagates for in the book that won him the Nobel Prize in Economics: Capitalism and Freedom (1988). Going back to 1970, he warned in the New York Times Magazine that if business embraced the doctrine of corporate social responsibility, it would undermine the foundations of a free society. It is an almost frighteningly lucid prediction, as I hope to demonstrate in this column.
Not all economists agreed with Freeman. In particular, Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum, did not. In 1973, Schwab wrote the first version of the so-called Davos Manifesto, in which he called for a new code of ethics for business leaders. Company managers would no longer only strive for returns for the company’s shareholders, but extend the responsibility to care for their employees and, not least, care for society. The watchword just became social responsibility.
So every January, a world elite of businessmen, politicians and other powerful people meet at a ski resort in Davos to lay out the guidelines for an ethical market capitalism. The definition of a good company should not be limited to the fact that it is profitable for the shareholders, but that it shoulders the responsibility as steward of both the environment and the world’s assets for future generations.
This thinking suited Europe better than the US and for a long time, especially in the US, it was not a competitive alternative to the regular market thinking.
Then came the financial crisis of 2008. The big banks had so much power in the financial market that they were considered “too big to fail” by the US government. It should be interpreted as saying that it was impossible to assess the consequences of a bankruptcy for one or more of the largest banks. Maybe the whole society would collapse, like a house of cards? In other words, a tax-funded bailout was required. US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, formerly CEO of Goldman Sachs, picked his favourites. He had Goldman Sachs bailed out while letting rival Lehman Brothers go bankrupt. One of the big ones must be sacrificed!
To this day, neither Paulson nor other policymakers have provided a satisfactory explanation for why they bailed out some big investment banks but not others. It was crony capitalism at its worst. Hank Paulson also became personally very wealthy by finding a loophole in the law, which allowed him to avoid paying taxes on his shares in Goldman Sachs. Citizens were understandably outraged at having to fatten bankers who, during the crisis they themselves were responsible for, made more money than they did in good times. Capitalism already had a bad reputation. Now it sank to rock bottom, opening the door wide for a socialist alternative. Senator and future presidential candidate Bernie Sanders highlighted Scandinavian social democracy as a role model. He calls himself a democratic socialist.
Socialism describes capitalism as a zero-sum game. The rich get richer at the expense of the poor. Generally speaking, this is not true but if we stick to the financial crisis in 2008, it was exactly that way. Many had to leave home while the rich could order even more champagne. Good times! Brilliant times!
The capitalists needed to raise their profile, primarily to keep socialism and other threats to the free market at bay. Becoming “a little more socialist” is not possible because socialism advocates a planned economy. It won’t get any easier with the mutual hatred between the proponents of capitalism and socialism. Socialism cannot compete with capitalism as an economic system. Planned economy corrupts, creates shortages and makes people poor. Capitalism is bad morals but good economics, socialism is good morals but bad economics. Plus that thing about good morals doesn’t apply in practice.
But there was another ideological movement with high tail: Woke. For Woke, the capitalists were not the problem. It was not evil corporations that were to be fought but the patriarchy, that is, the evil white heterosexual men. They are the real oppressors who have exercised their power not only since the birth of capitalism but throughout modern human history. By woke logic, capitalism rewards white people over black people. This injustice is built into the capitalist system that makes business possible at all. Any business that benefits from US capitalism therefore contributes to “systemic racism” and has a duty to remedy it. In came Woke capitalism. By embracing these new values, America’s business leaders had a unique opportunity to make the leap from destructive capitalists to morally upstanding and loyal community builders. The companies no longer existed only for the shareholders but for society at large, and especially for the oppressed, i.e. “people of color”, women, LGBTQ people and the victims of climate change. The Klaus Schwab people swerved into the outer lane and overtook the Milton Friedman people.
Something didn’t suit the old man up in the forest – he was nimble with the scissors…
Had the guts to read the Chronicle just wonder ?
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PART 2.
When Wall Street began its love affair with the Woke movement, it was not true love but a marriage of convenience where both parties saw the benefits. Greed is good as an election slogan was as bankrupt as Lehman Brothers. Wall Street needed to demonstrate that it, too, believed that social justice was important. Woke and the assumption of social responsibility simply work as a corporate reputation wash. Goldman Sachs preaches diversity in order to be at the front of the queue at the next government bailout. AstraZeneca talks eloquently about climate change so it can secure multi-billion dollar government contracts for vaccine production. State Street Corporation pays for feminist statues and diverts attention from its wage discrimination against female employees.
The Woke sect pricked up the ears, interesting! They wanted to spread their message. If they crawled into bed with big finance, they could even take over the whole world. However, a marriage where both parties secretly despise the other cannot end well.
Well, what’s wrong with companies becoming more socially conscious? Isn’t that good? The answer is that of course it is good, good for the companies. Whoever has the gold decides the rules. Previously, these rules were limited to financial transactions. Thanks to the marriage of woke and capitalism, the very rules of morality became for sale.
For ordinary mortals, it is the amount of money that limits what they can buy. But for multi-billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey, the limitation is different. It is not the amount of money they have, because it is effectively infinite. What else can be bought? Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter (now X) provides the answer: Power. When everything can be bought, things can turn out to be worse than previous centuries with robber barons like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie.
Woke opened the floodgates. Gordon Gekko’s heirs no longer have to limit themselves to seeking power in the market, but their power also spills over into other arenas of society, just what Milton Freeman warned against. Furthermore, when the woke capitalists create a system where corporate executives decide moral issues, they open the floodgates for unscrupulous colleagues to abuse the newfound power. And there are far more CEOs who, under the woke banner, are eager to grab money and power than there are CEOs who care about justice.
It was the companies that initiated this marriage, and they arranged it to divert attention from themselves after the financial crisis. If people talk about identity politics, they will stop talking about socialism. “Yes, big business is a problem, but what can you expect when they are run by white men? We all know that patriarchy is the real problem, along with racism.”
Robin DiAngelo is a white woman who in the bestseller White Fragility (2020, Swedish translation 2021) informs her fellow whites that they are racists and recommends both horsehair shirts and whips so that they can atone, not for their crimes but for their very existence. She is no threat to big business. But Karl Marx is. More of the same medicine can be found in Ibram X. Kendi’s books on diversity. One is called How to Be an Anti-Racist (Swedish translation available, So you become an anti-racist). In it he writes that if you claim to be a racist, you obviously are. If you claim you’re not racist, you’re hiding your racism, which is even worse. In other words, there is a catch 22. It is one of the paradoxical theses of diversity, that everyone is racist, analogous to Catholicism’s “we are all sinners”.
Goldman Sachs can pay diversity consultants to hold seminars on Wall Street about how bad whiteness is. It is much harder to buy principled Marxists, and the banks don’t like the seminars they would give. So corporations embrace woke to protect themselves from post-financial crisis criticism and to direct anger at white men instead of capitalism.
Under the guise of doing good, companies hide the bad things they do. Coca-Cola is fueling an epidemic of diabetes and obesity among black Americans through some of the products the company sells. Instead of dealing with that issue, Coca-Cola executives procure one Under the guise of doing good, companies hide the bad things they do. Coca-Cola is fueling an epidemic of diabetes and obesity among black Americans through some of the products the company sells. Instead of addressing that issue, Coca-Cola executives procure anti-racist training that teaches their employees to “be less white,” and they pay a small fortune to well-heeled diversity consultants to spread their nonsense.
In his book Woke, Inc. Inside the Corporate Social Justice Scam (2022), Vivek Ramaswamy writes that the taxi company Uber donated millions to fight racism:
The company announced it would promote black-owned businesses on its ride-sharing app and tie executive pay to “diversity goals.” Finally, company CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wrote: “Let me speak clearly and unequivocally: Black lives matter.” In the weeks that followed, he promised that Uber would be an “anti-racist company.” At the same time, he aggressively lobbied in California to pass Proposition 22, which allows Uber to classify its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. Uber said it would go out of business if it had to hire its drivers. /…/ Countless other companies did the exact same thing, right down to the exact words they chose. It was as if they had all hired the same PR consultant to copy and paste the same text for different clients (p. 58).
Authorities, media and politicians live in corrupt symbiosis with billionaires and investment companies. They censor their critics and the companies are allowed to enrich themselves on everything from the Ukraine war to global vaccine programs. The power of the ruling class is spreading like a plague in Sweden as well. It affects governments, non-profit organizations, universities and even hospitals. It is a cultural cancer that threatens each of these institutions from within.
Woke is most devastating in the colleges, where the next generation of elites are trained. The universities’ main task is to convey the best knowledge in various subjects. Or maybe not? A 2014 analysis found that between 1987 and 2012, the US higher education sector grew by more than half a million administrators, a doubling of the academic teaching staff. The balance of power in universities has shifted from the researchers and teachers to the administrators, who increasingly control academic policy. So the real problem with woke marriage is not just that the capitalists win and “common people” lose. It is that stupidity and incompetence are spreading. Real knowledge and real expertise must give way to intellectually inferior but identity-strengthening nonsense.
I opened with some prophetic words by Milton Freeman. I would therefore like to conclude with an even more prophetic statement that George Orwell made long before, back in 1946 (cited in the aforementioned Woke, Inc.) The Burham that Orwell refers to is James Burnham. Five years earlier, he published the bestseller The Managerial Revolution. This is how Orwell wrote:
Capitalism is disappearing, but socialism is not replacing it. What is now emerging is a new type of planned, centralized society that will be neither capitalist nor, in any accepted sense of the word, democratic. The rulers of the new society will be the business leaders, technicians, bureaucrats, and soldiers that Burnham lumped together under the name “bosses.” These will eliminate the old capitalist class, crush the working class, and organize society so that all power and economic privilege remain in their own hands (p. 89).
Karl-Olov Arnstberg
https://morklaggning.wordpress.com/2023/12/17/sondagskronika-foretagens-sociala-ansvar/
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Scott Ritter:
Hezbollah takes northern Israel,
Hamas wins in Gaza, this war is over
https://swebbtube.se/w/8bsEym1ofHt6icQgxZZe6z
2 minutes ago
“Scott Ritter:
Hezbollah takes northern Israel,
Hamas wins in Gaza, this war is over”
I presume Ritter’s got his tongue planted firmly in his cheek…