[blind-democracy] My comments on recent events

  • From: "Bob" <ebob824@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2017 18:12:21 +0200



Carl, this is exactly where the problem comes from. Abbas is expected to persistently stand firm with free speech for his people. But, if he has done so, he will offend Israelis. If the notable Qatari broadcast Al-Jazeera faces threats of complete shutdown because it endorses a particular political orientation, you will be shocked to know that Qatar's neighbors as of Egypt, Saudi, Emirates and Bahrain are practicing immense pressure upon Qatari authorities to force closing Al-Jazeera broadcast. My father is convinced that Al-Jazeera is a secretly made Israeli network. Well despite his unusual opinion, he watches soccer on Al-Jazeera sport. Egyptians diss Qatar and then, our president pauperises them for loan. This is how counterfeit and bootlickers Egyptians have became. After the military imposed the coup and deposed legitimately elected former president Morsi, state telivision and radio dominated the public with the notion of demonising rivals. Egyptians have actually surpassed Americans in being absurdly indoctrinated by mass media. Because of our fainthearted chiefs, our pride became a subject of relentless satirical mimicry. As for the latest heated exchange of belligerence between North Korean potentate and misanthrope Trump, it is time now to see the United States entering a genuinely nuclear war. Trump upped his threatening rhetoric to North Korea and I do not expect them to be silent. Despite who's instigated and who's the retaliator, I hope and pray we do not see a nuclear war soon. This is what egotism does to the mind folks. This is when arrogance dominates someone's head, he is then stun with his ego.

Bob


----- Original Message ----- From: "Carl Jarvis" <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "jamesjarvis98" <jamesjarvis98@xxxxxxxxx>; "delores selset" <dselset@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2017 4:26 PM
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Mahmoud Abbas decrees sweeping internet speech restrictions


Can we say, Muzzled?  Of course we can.  It's a Beautiful Day in Israel!
Kara remains committed to shutting Al Jazeera down, stating: "The safety of our
citizens and their well-being supersedes freedom of expression during times
of terror."
Back in the late 40's and 50's, "We" had to protect Americans from
those sneaky Commies, who slid out from under every rock and
infiltrated our Labor Unions, our National Teacher's Union, Hollywood
and "The Arts".  It seemed that the only people safe were the Ruling
Class!  Not since we beat back those Pesky Redskins, had honest, hard
working Americans been so threatened.  Oh sure, there was that brief
flutter over an invasion from Flying Saucers, but they seemed to lose
interest after they got stuck in mid day rush hour traffic in
Pasadena.
But it's so confusing.
I mean, how can we protect our Ruling Class, our beloved Corporate
Capitalism, when we are being taxed and worked into poverty already?
But that's dangerous talk, putting us close to being labeled "Homeland
Terrorists".  It's hard to know just who to believe.  But soon that
problem will be solved when all opinions other than those of our
Empire are ruled Terrorist Attacks, and they are shut down.  Then we
will be free to think whatever we want...as long as we keep our mouths
shut.
"God Bless America, Land of the Free and the Brave"...just so long as
we kiss the ring of the Empire.

Carl Jarvis


On 8/10/17, > From The Electronic Intifada

Mahmoud Abbas decrees sweeping internet speech restrictions

Charlotte Silver Rights and Accountability 9 August 2017

Decree by PA leader Mahmoud Abbas imposes fines, prison and hard labor on
Palestinians who violate "public manners" or harm "social harmony" with
online comments.
  (Wisam Hashlamoun /  APA images)

Palestinian media and human rights groups are calling on the Palestinian
Authority to suspend the new "Electronic Crimes" law that critics say is a
sweeping attack on the right to free expression and privacy.

Meanwhile, an Israeli minister is facing difficulties in his effort to shut
down Al Jazeera.

The law was approved in secrecy by PA leader Mahmoud Abbas on 24 June.
Without any public discussion, it reportedly went into effect just two
weeks
later.

Groups including the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the Independent
Committee for Human Rights and the Palestinian Center for Development and
Media Freedoms (MADA), have all denounced the law, warning it will further
erode Palestinians' rights.

Social Media Exchange, a group that monitors laws that affect digital
rights
in the Arab world, translated the most troubling parts of Abbas' decree.

It stipulates that acts online that harm "national unity" or "social
harmony" will be punishable by hard labor for three to 15 years.

The law allows for anyone to be imprisoned for one year and fined up to
$7,000 for violating "public manners" online.

It requires internet service providers to cooperate with Palestinian
intelligence agencies, and collect, store and share user information.

It also empowers the PA attorney general to block any website and allows
the
public prosecutor "to monitor and record online communications" deemed
"necessary for investigations."

Writing for Global Voices, digital rights researcher Marwa Fatafta reports
that the law extends to Palestinians living abroad, though it is not clear
how it would be enforced on people outside the occupied West Bank.

PA crackdown on journalists

Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which work together closely to
control the Palestinian population under military occupation, already jail
Palestinians for their postings on social media.

The decree's enactment comes as the PA oversees a wave of press violations
including arrests for statements made on social media.

At the beginning of June, the Palestinian Authority arrested 23-year-old
Nassar Jaradat for posting on his Facebook page a call for a "people's
revolution" against the Fatah leadership - Abbas' political faction.

This week, PA intelligence agencies in the occupied West Bank arrested four
journalists from several local outlets, accusing them of "leaking sensitive
information."

Speaking at a recent forum of groups concerned about the new decree, Mousa
Rimawi, the director of MADA, noted that the PA's press violations exceeded
Israel's in June and that authorities have blocked access to 29 news
websites that belong to political critics.

Trouble with Al Jazeera

Meanwhile, Israel's communications minister Ayoub Kara is running into
difficulties as he moves forward with his promise to shut down Al Jazeera's
Jerusalem bureau.

Following in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states that have
mounted a campaign against Qatar and its media network, Kara and Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have accused Al Jazeera of "incitement"
and vowed to shut it down.

Amnesty International has called Israel's attempt to shut down Al Jazeera a
"chilling message that Israeli authorities will not tolerate critical
coverage."

"This is a brazen attack on media freedom in Israel and the occupied
Palestinian territories," Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty's deputy Middle East
and North Africa director, said in a statement on Monday.

But the Tel Aviv newspaper Haaretz reports that Kara is meeting resistance
as he attempts to shutter the network in Israel, starting with his request
that the Government Press Office revoke the credentials of Al Jazeera
journalists.

According to Haaretz, the Government Press Office does not have the
authority to revoke press credentials. Israeli security agencies would have
to first make the recommendation on the basis that Al Jazeera would
"endanger national security."

"I have contacted these agencies, asking for a professional opinion
regarding Al Jazeera," said Government Press Office director Nitzan Chen,
who noted that credentials will not be revoked without an "an orderly
hearing, as specified by regulations."

Kara has asked broadcast companies for help, but they have so far failed to
express any willingness to remove Al Jazeera from their service.

He has also asked public security minister Gilad Erdan for assistance, but
Erdan referred him to the Israeli police, who sent Kara back to the public
security ministry.

This leaves Kara with the option to try to pass an amendment to the law, a
process that would not begin until the fall.

Bending over backwards

During Israel's regular attacks on Gaza, including the last major one three
years ago that killed more than 2,200 Palestinians, Al Jazeera has
regularly
provided Israeli officials with air time to justify their lethal attacks on
Palestinians.

Amid the recent increase in tension around the al-Aqsa mosque compound in
Jerusalem, Al Jazeera's Arabic channel interviewed Yoav Mordechai, the
Israeli military officer who governs the occupied West Bank.

Despite the network extensively providing Israel with a platform, Kara
remains committed to shutting Al Jazeera down, stating: "The safety of our
citizens and their well-being supersedes freedom of expression during times
of terror."

"The freedom of expression is not the freedom to incite and foment strife,"
he added. "Even democracy has its limits."









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