Tomorrow on #HMD2021 we remember victims of the genocidal Nazi regime and of the many acts of other governments in the years since and in today. As it’s @Humanists_UK 125th anniversary and a year for humanist history, I also want to think about the Nazis' humanist victims. 1/9

In 1933 the Nazi government banned humanist and other freethinking and secular groups. Hitler boasted he'd won his ‘fight against the atheist movement’ and ‘stamped it out’. That year Hitler made many speeches saying that only Christian organisations could be permitted 2/9

The largest organisation that found itself banned was the Deutscher Freidenkerbund. It had 600,000 members and was founded just 15 years before @Humanists_UK. Its headquarters were confiscated and given to the Protestant churches, who converted it into a Christian mission 3/9

This is Max Sievers, who was the last chair of the Deutscher Freidenkerbund. He was already in exile in Belgium at the time the ban came into effect. He fled to the USA in 1939 but was denied a visa and returned. He was guillotined for treason in Brandenburg Prison in 1943. 4/9

Humanist culture had long been thriving in Germany (even the English word humanism came to us in the 19th century from the German Humanismus) but the attempted annihilation of it as a culture was very successful, as it was across Europe by both Fascism and Marxist-Leninism 5/9

The morning was glorious like no other, for the August Sun was shining on Nehru-ji as it had never done before.

Wearing his trademark jacket, not a crease or a spot, and a lusty rose in the buttonhole, Nehru-ji looked as fresh as the morning dew, and this despite the midnight.

For, at the stroke of midnight, Nehru-ji had stepped on the podium, and had eloquently orated his speech, Tryst with Destiny.

Just like his intellectual descendant, Shashi-ji, Nehru-ji had spoken in English about India because his audience, like Shashi-ji's, was elsewhere.

As Nehru-ji basked in the morning Sun, he was envisioning - a man like Nehru-ji does not think, he envisions - the audience for the day, a day dedicated to his achievements since the speech.

Nehru-ji took out his Air Pods and instructed Siri in his clipped accent to play a song.

The title song from the movie Golmaal soon vibrated into his ears - no, not the one by Kishore Kumar for that was still far into the future, but the more contemporary one by Vishal Dadlani.

Unlike the blockheaded protagonists of the movie, Nehru-ji did not dance to the song.

Later, Nehru-ji was seated on a massive throne like that king of ancient India who he admired, Great the Akbar, and was flanked on both sides by celebrities he had personally known.

A Congress worker tied a pigeon to a rocket and launched it, signaling the start of celebrations.

1. Since many people seem to get the different strains of reaction in Taiwan mixed up, I thought I'd make a thread clearing things up. One thing that both supporters and detractors of China have in common is when they speak on Taiwan, they tend to get many facts wrong.

2. One of the things I've seen pro-China people do is mixing up the positions of the old-school KMT (think Chiang Kai-shek) with the current separatists. Little do they know that until the 1980s, separatism was illegal.

3. They'll say things like "haha, Taiwan thinks it's the REAL China." This is not entirely accurate for many reasons. For one, nobody seriously claims that the "Republic of China" is the sole legitimate government of all of China anymore.

4. Secondly, per the "ROC" constitution itself, Taiwan is but a province of the "ROC." The "ROC" and Taiwan are not one and the same, though there are certainly overlaps. Hardline separatists want to abolish the "ROC" and establish a "Republic of Taiwan."

5. Meanwhile, the DPP, though branding itself as the pro-independence party, is in reality a status-quo party (like the KMT is today). What it does nowadays is blur the line between the "ROC" and Taiwan, and say that Taiwan is already an independent country called the "ROC."

14 January 2020 #MAGAanalysis #Overturn

A Man Isolated, Does He Have The Power?

It's Thursday morning and we're not in a globalized war with China, far as I can tell. I was happy to give Simon, Charlie, and Danielle their time from Tuesday to Wednesday. Where to now?

EFCC Arraigns Ex-bayelsa Governor’s Aide, Two Others, for Alleged N864m Procurement Fraud

A former Senior Special Assistant on Millennium Development Goals to the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, Embelekpo Apere,...

...was on Thursday, January 28, 2021 arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Apere, was arraigned alongside Rollins Allison Amacree, Clever Loveday and a company: Oriazy Global Link Limited before Justice Jane E. Inyang of the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State...

...on 10-count charges bordering on alleged conspiracy and procurement fraud to the tune of N864,104,000. 00(Eight Hundred and Sixty Four Million, One Hundred and Four Thousand Naira only).

Count 2 of the charges read: "That you, Embelekpo Apere and Rollins Allision Amacree, on or about 2015 and 2016 in Bayelsa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court,...

Canton of Geneva - Wikipedia

Robespierre's death prompted the French invasion of 1798, and the annexation of Geneva which became the capital of the French département du Léman. The Napoleonic army left Geneva on December 30, 1813, and on the next day

David Garrard, a multi-millionaire pro-Israel lobbyist funded the UK Independent Group, also a major financial backer of Labour Friends of Israel, a front group for the Israeli embassy and was recently appointed to its board #LabourLeaks #TheLobby #LFI

Prior to Palestine solidarity activist Jeremy Corbyn becoming party leader in 2015, Garrard donated almost $2 million to Labour under former leaders Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband. #LabourLeals #TheLobby #LFI

Despite leaving the party, Garrard continued to fund individual anti-Corbyn MPs within Labour.

The Independent Group was formed by eight Labour MPs who quit the party.

While they were still in Labour, Garrard funded two of these eight. #LabourLeals #TheLobby #LFI

Garrard donated almost $28,000 to Ian Austin – a leading supporter of Labour Friends of Israel.

Austin to Sky News, “I’ve been campaigning against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership for years.” Joan Ryan resigned from Labour claiming Corbyn’s “hatred for Israel”.

The official register of donations to MP's shows that in 2016 and 2017, Garrard donated almost $9,000 to Ryan and more than $50,000 to Chuka Umunna. Garrard has also donated almost $20,000 to Tom Watson – who has long opposed Corbyn. #LabourLeaks #StarmerOut #LFI #TheLobby

Council Accountant Bags Jail Term for Fraud In Maiduguri

The Maiduguri Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today January 11, 2021 secured the conviction and sentencing of one Mala Mallam Yawudi to three and a half years in prison...

...before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the State High Court Maiduguri for forgery and stealing to the tune of N645,000.00 (Six Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand Naira).

The convict pleaded guilty to the three-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

One of the counts reads: "That you Mala Mallam Yawudi, while being an Accountant of Works Department in Dikwa Local Government Area, Maiduguri, Borno State, sometime in 2014 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court...

...dishonestly misappropriated certain property to wit; the sum of N645,000.00. (Six Hundred and Forty Five Thousand Naira) belonging to Bukar Wakil (now deceased) who was declared dead in November 2015...

...and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 and punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State of Nigeria."

THREAD
1/8
I want to ask the good people of #Irish Twitter to not share the article in today's Sunday @Independent_ie about the 'mother & baby home' investigation report. It's no scoop, the report will be publicly available from Tuesday. #RepealTheSeal #Stand4Truth

2/8
All today's article does is add to survivors trauma, yet again, by having our personal stories & information splashed across a national newspaper for clicks, likes & increased revenue before WE have read the report. There is zero empathy in the decision to publish.

3/8
Equally, there is zero empathy in the leak. The cynical part of me believes it to be a deliberate act to take the heat off the minister, @rodericogorman, by creating a distraction from the contents so that he, & others, are seen to be outraged. Good for PR.

4/8
I wish that weren't true, but going on the evidence I've witnessed with my own eyes over the last 40 years in terms of trying to access my own records, lobbying for legislative change, trying to find & connect with my birth family, trying to find my father,

5/ 8
I have zero faith left that any Irish government has the will & the ability to take responsibility for a full & proper investigation. The legislation being brought to government on the same day as the report is to be presented will, effectively, prohibit a single inquest on

How the Future of India and USA, was determined by the inability of the Austrian Kings Joseph I and Charles VI, to produce male heirs..

When Joseph 1, died of smallpox in 1711, he had two daughters but no son. As a result, his brother Charles VI, succeeded him on the throne

Given that it was 1700s and the presence of a Son was considered paramount for succession, and the Salic law, in effect at that time barred women from inheritance, Charles VI was the last male heir to the throne, unless Charles VI had a son.

Which he didn't.

But he had 2 daughters, Maria Theresa & Maria Anna. Realizing that his kingdom would be divided on his death, he decided to change the law, and allowed his daughters to inherit the kingdom

Which was pretty sad for thhe daughters of his elder brother, Joseph, who he disinherited

Every other European power was smacking their lips in anticipation, of devouring the wonderful Austro Hungarian empire as a sweet desert, as it's division was imminent.

Things came to head in 1740, when Charles VI died and Maria Theresa became the Empress of Austria.

Half the Europen powers, Like France, Prussia and Spain, sided with the daughters of Joseph, because they wanted to takeover Austria

Britain, Dutch and Russia, sided with Maria Theresa.

This resulted in an 8 year war called the war of Austrian Succession, in which 3,00,000 died

After presiding over the backward march of Kenya, politically and economically through the arrogant support of Jubilee, the Kikuyu now have a solution – TO EXTEND JUBILEE MANDATE THRU UHURU’S DEPUTY. seventh thread on Railaphobia

A joke is told of a very difficult restaurant customer who would complain over anything. One day he rejected a chapatti served to him because it was small. The waiter took the chapatti to the kitchen, flipped it over on the other side and returned it to the customer.

It was the same chapatti WITH AN ILLUSION OF CHANGE.I have argued in a past thread that the biggest political fraud unfolding in Kenya is the repackaging of William Ruto from a top Jubilee potentate to a saviour who will lift Kenya from the abyss Jubilee has sunk us

Who is doing this repackaging? You are right: its the Kikuyu community. We defied the call history over ICC. We should have stood with the court to ensure the dragon of impunity was slain once and for all.

We lost the opportunity and now the country is many years backward, almost worse than where it was in 2002. This time, Kikuyu have chosen the wrong side of history AGAIN. They want to renew Jubilee’s mandate with an illusion of change

Amid the hail of accusations that the EU wanted to put a hard border on the island of Ireland last Friday, it's worth pointing out what the ill-fated resort to Article 16 was about:

2/ Under the Commission's trade mechanism, any Covid vaccines leaving the EU for third countries would need export authorisations, ie to ensure vaccines were not being exported which were actually part of an avanced purchase agreement between member states + pharma companies

3/ Any movements of exports from one member state to another would NOT have required such an export authorisation

4/ Because of the NI Protocol, Northern Ireland would typically have availed of NOT having to had export authorisations for any vaccines being sent there from Belgium (or wherever)

5/ However, someone in the Commission spotted the fact that, also under the Protocol, there was unfettered movement of goods between NI and GB

1) MORE on #Saudi #UAE arms freeze: As we shift to reassuring Gulf dictators that we will continue to “defend” them and sell them “defensive” weapons, notwithstanding arms freeze and pending JCPOA, keep in mind that this is exactly what “propping up” abusive dictators means.

2) These dictators do not represent the people of their country, they’re not legitimately elected, and they’ve repeatedly shown that they see the freedom of their citizens as an existential threat. It’s a fallacy to confuse “defending” them with defending their “country”.

3) It’s also a fallacy to assume that their “security concerns” are national security concerns. They’re first and foremost personal concerns for survival and preservation. This is why they fear democracy and democratic Islamist including the Muslim Brotherhood most of all.

4) The US should have no interest in defending, protecting, and yes propping up abusive self appointed government leaders in the UAE Saudi Egypt. Or apartheid leaders in Israel, where the ruled Palestinians have no say, so also dictatorial.

5) The distinction that “defensive” weapons sold to them might be ok so long as @JoeBiden ends “offensive” weapons used in Yemen is a false one. The wrong is equal. The principle is the same & quite simple: the US should not aid abet support abusive, tyrannical government leaders

Perhaps Btselem was an important element to have in Israeli society. Even when I was a soldier I respected the need for a watch group. However, over time the increasingly moved away from legitimate criticism, in favor of demonization of soldiers, Israelis, and Israel.

Today they have shown that they are no longer a rights group, but a political group that is against the state of Israel and the right of Jewish self-determination itself.

Their newest policy paper is an announcement that they have adopted a antagonistic mindset.

They claim that the entire history of Israel and all the policies and actions that occurred from it have stemmed from a principle of Jewish Supremacy. They of course mean Zionism, and I expect in future statements they will conflate the two.

Jewish Supremacy is a term long used by white supremacist, Neo-Nazi, and Antizionist groups as a talking point. Btselem has fully adopted it. It contends that Jews are racist supremacists seeking to oppress others. This is simply false framing, and is not a position held by many.

The idea that all the Israel does is under a single principle is inane to anyone who has met an Israeli. Firstly, it implies that politicians, different parties, different people, have been acting in accordance to a general plan. Israeli governments barely plan for the year.

𝑨-𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈
#chengling #xicheng

Jin Ling learned at a very young age that sharing applies to not only his toys and his snacks but his favorite uncle, too.

So when Jiang Yanli and her husband dropped of their son at his uncle’s for their usual Friday night Uncle and Nephew quality time, Jin Ling did not expect he would be spending it with an additional person.

Jin Ling is always excited when Friday’s approaches and this Friday was no different from all the others he’s spent with his Uncle. Jin Ling waves goodbye to his parents as his Uncle picks him up and brings him inside his apartment.

This weekend, Jin Ling and his Uncle are going to finish building the dinosaur lego set. He was so excited he couldn’t contain himself. That is when they reached the inside of his Uncle’s apartment, Jin Ling suddenly felt all his happiness fly away.

There is someone else here and Jin Ling doesn’t know who he is but he already doesn’t like him.

“Jiujiu, who is that?” The six years old asked clinging tighter to Jiang Cheng.

Lan Xichen was politely nervous to meet the owner who has occupied Jiang Cheng’s heart since birth.

The Israeli government is asking Facebook to add “Zionist” to its hate speech policy, i.e. to equate "Zionist" with "Jew/Jewish.”

@facebook, we need to talk — and you’re not letting us. So we’re launching a campaign to make sure you do.

Learn more: https://t.co/CZfKIynlxX

1/9

treating "Zionist" as a proxy for "Jew" would undermine efforts to dismantle real antisemitism, deprive Palestinians of a venue for expressing their viewpoints to the world, and help the Israeli government avoid accountability for violations of Palestinian rights.

2/9

we need to talk about the best ways to dismantle antisemitism.

We need to talk as Jews, discussing and debating our many relationships to Zionist political ideology.

3/9

we need to talk as Palestinians, with our friends and families and with rest of the world, sharing our experiences about daily life under military occupation and the violence of Zionist settlers.

4/9

we need to talk about holding the Israeli government accountable, like all governments must be held accountable, by bringing to light human rights violations on the world’s biggest social media platform.

5/9