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I feel your frustration.
I see a lot of people who mistake a photo of, say, a painting as „#art“. This is the first mistake in a series of mistakes that ends in the belief, image files produced by a diffusion network would be art (or even just photos).
I for myself finally understood that mistake once I stood in front of VanGogh‘s painting „Wheatfield with Crows“.
It has a third dimension. It is a relief! I feel like seeing the fingerprints of the artist on the thick paint, as if I could have a handshake with Vincent. The noise and light of the room reflects in a certain way. The crowd in the room blocking the view of the painting is testing my patience. *All* these sensations open the sphere that is called „art“.
The calluses on my fingers after playing guitar every day for a couple of weeks practicing the Dorian mode. The faces of listeners hearing the wrong notes I play nevertheless.
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Only one week away. May Day 2023.
Boston May Day 2023 will be on May 1st , with a rally at 5pm at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common, followed by a march throughout the city.
Over 40+ speakers of cosponsoring organizations for May Day 2023 include;
Boston May Day Coalition
Green Rainbow Party of Massachusetts
Cambridge City Growers
New Democracy Coalition
United American Indians of New England
Jewish Voice for Peace
Black Lives Matter Rhode Island
Workers World Party - Boston
Refuse Fascism
North American Indian Center of Boston
Community Church of Boston
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front of Massachusetts
Encuentro 5
Tecschange
African People’s Socialist Party
Anarchist Black Cross - Boston
Community Advocates for Justice and Equality
COS New England
DSA Socialist Feminism Working Group
Little Liberty
Progressive Labor Party
Revolutionary Blackout Network
Natick Black Lives Matter
Boston Independent Socialist Group
Red Strike Project
International Marxist Tendency
Communities Responding to Extreme Weather
Inspiring Today’s Youth.
Extinction Rebellion Boston
Palestinian Youth Movement
Boston South Asian Coalition
Julian Assange Defense - Boston
Boston Teachers Union
St. Vincents' Nurses Union
Justice is Global
Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health
Battle First Aid Responder Services
Activate Media
Burhan Rebels / Trans rights /LGBTQIAS2+
Boston Education Justice Alliance
Starbucks Workers United Massachusetts
Bishop of the Diocese Of Saint Francis of Assisi
July 26 Coalition - Boston Cuba Solidarity
Massachusetts Peace Action
Mass Action Against Police Brutality
Massachusetts Nurses Union of Brigham & Women's Hospital
In addition to the above endorsing organizations, additional speakers include the families of victims of police brutality & murder in Massachusetts
Eric Mack ( Anthony Harden's family)
Dimex (Larry Ruiz Hernandez's family)
Carla Sheffeild (Burrell Ramsey White's mother)
Dyani Tisdol (sister of William Tisdol)
Tina Degree (Moses Harris's family)
Jenelle Ambroise (Christopher Diven’s mother).
There will also be music: 4:30pm-5pm
Joe Messina - will perform revolutionary punk rock
Kristin Turgeon - will perform revolutionary folk
Food will be available courtesy Boston Food Activists
more info @ https://www.litakelley.com/blog/boston-may-day2023/
#Boston #BostonMA #Massachusetts #mayday #mayday2023 #classwar #unionize #union #workers #workersrights #freepalestine #policebrutality #blacklivesmatter #internationalworkersday #immigrantrights #transrights #abortionrights #antiwar #bostonprotest #protest #rally #march #generalstrike #strike #solidarity #unitedfront #indigenousrights #ClimateEmergency #xrboston #ExtinctionRebellion #nurses #starbucks #racialjustice #SocialJustice #marxism #marxist #socialism #socialist #anarchist #anarchism
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#Milton #FLwx #Florida 10/14/24
#PascoCounty is providing food and water to Hurricane Helene and Milton victims at multiple locations throughout the county..,
All sites are open to drive-in customers daily, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the following locations:
Hudson Library Parking Lot | 8012 Library Road, Hudson
Dade City Fairgrounds Parking Lot | 36722 County Road 52, Dade City
St. Vincent DePaul Parking Lot | 4843 Mile Stretch, Holiday
Zephyrhills Location | 5435 Gall Blvd, ZephyrhillsSupplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while they last.
Questions? Please contact Pasco County Customer Service at 727.847.2411 or chat with us online at MyPasco.net.
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Lo Jorn de la Nuèch
« Velhada castanhas, contes e estelas »
Dissabte 11 d'octobre de 2025 – 19 oras
La Baleine du Mont
Aimostier« Venètz pelar las castanha en tot ausissent d’istòrias, de cançons e autres racontes tradicionals de las velhadas lemosinas, en companhiá de Sandrine Gniady, contaira e Vincent Brusel, mandolinista-cantaire. Puèi tastatz-las rostidas […]
#Sortida #Velhada #castanhas #LaBaleineDuMont #Aimostier #NautaVinhana #Lemosin
@lama https://social.tmprs.net/objects/f0e4522e-c420-461c-85b5-7dfd12b2c76c
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Marine #Tondelier https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Tondelier à un dîner lié à l’ #extrêmedroite #catholique : la venue de #MarineTondelier au Dîner des bâtisseurs https://www.ledinerdesbatisseurs.fr/ fin 2025, ne passe toujours pas chez #LesÉcologistes Cet événement, réunissant 600 leaders catholiques, a des liens avec les milliardaires réactionnaires Pierre-Édouard #Stérin et Vincent #Bolloré https://reporterre.net/Marine-Tondelier-a-un-diner-catholique-lie-a-l-extreme-droite-la-gene-persiste-chez-Les-Ecologistes
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Marine #Tondelier https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Tondelier à un dîner lié à l’ #extrêmedroite #catholique : la venue de #MarineTondelier au Dîner des bâtisseurs https://www.ledinerdesbatisseurs.fr/ fin 2025, ne passe toujours pas chez #LesÉcologistes Cet événement, réunissant 600 leaders catholiques, a des liens avec les milliardaires réactionnaires Pierre-Édouard #Stérin et Vincent #Bolloré https://reporterre.net/Marine-Tondelier-a-un-diner-catholique-lie-a-l-extreme-droite-la-gene-persiste-chez-Les-Ecologistes
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Marine #Tondelier https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Tondelier à un dîner lié à l’ #extrêmedroite #catholique : la venue de #MarineTondelier au Dîner des bâtisseurs https://www.ledinerdesbatisseurs.fr/ fin 2025, ne passe toujours pas chez #LesÉcologistes Cet événement, réunissant 600 leaders catholiques, a des liens avec les milliardaires réactionnaires Pierre-Édouard #Stérin et Vincent #Bolloré https://reporterre.net/Marine-Tondelier-a-un-diner-catholique-lie-a-l-extreme-droite-la-gene-persiste-chez-Les-Ecologistes
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Marine #Tondelier https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Tondelier à un dîner lié à l’ #extrêmedroite #catholique : la venue de #MarineTondelier au Dîner des bâtisseurs https://www.ledinerdesbatisseurs.fr/ fin 2025, ne passe toujours pas chez #LesÉcologistes Cet événement, réunissant 600 leaders catholiques, a des liens avec les milliardaires réactionnaires Pierre-Édouard #Stérin et Vincent #Bolloré https://reporterre.net/Marine-Tondelier-a-un-diner-catholique-lie-a-l-extreme-droite-la-gene-persiste-chez-Les-Ecologistes
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Daredevil: Una nueva etapa
Los productores de la nueva serie del «demonio» aceptan que tienen grandes planes para el prsonaje
Esto fue lo que dijo el productor Brad Winderbaum en la conferencia de prensa de Daredevil: Born Again, en donde quedó claro que esta serie que podría marcar un antes y un después en el MCU.
La serie está lista para traer de vuelta a personajes icónicos, con Charlie Cox retomando su papel como Matt Murdock, Vincent D’Onofrio como Kingpin (visto recientemente en Echo) y Jon Bernthal como Frank Castle, el vigilante conocido como The Punisher.
Las expectativas están por los cielos, especialmente por el gran potencial que tienen los personajes en el Universo de Marvel.
“Queríamos cumplir con las expectativas de los fans y las nuestras, así que decidimos ir lo más lejos posible» comentó Winderbaum.
El sentimiento general del gran talento en la conferencia de prensa fue que Daredevil: Born Again logró encontrar un gran balance entre salvaguardar la esencia de la serie de Netflix, pero llevando más allá la mitología del personaje.
En conferencia de prensa, se reveló que Frank Miller, legendario escritor de cómics que hizo las historias más icónicas del personaje.
«Intentamos seguir su estándar» confesó también el productor Dario Scardapane, «pero también con un poco de arrogancia, superarlo».
Por esa razón, la primera escena del primer episodio es un homenaje directo a la portada de los cómics de Born Again. Pero eso sólo es una de las muchas referencias que hacen sentir a la serie con un mundo muy rico, que se mueve a su propio ritmo.
Para lograrlo, Charlie Cox mencionó que «el secreto era entender de dónde vienen esos personajes, intentar honrar eso, pero luego analizar hacia dónde pueden ir».
Y la mejor forma que encontraron, según el protagonista «fue encontrar una nueva dinámica para Daredevil y Wilson Fisk, y desde siempre pensamos: sería un reto muy grande si ellos se encuentran en una posición donde deben colaborar juntos».
Las dos identidades de los protagonistas saldrán a la luz, y eso «es un peso muy grande» de acuerdo con Vincent D’Onofrio «Wilson sigue siendo el mismo, pero ahora para expandir su visión, tiene que ser una cara pública, y creo que eso crea un dilema muy interesantes».
Aun así, el director aseguró que, considerando todas estas variables, “es sin duda algo creativamente emocionante y que estamos explorando mucho». Además, confirmó que Daredevil: Born Again será una serie de varias temporadas, por lo que más adelante podríamos verlos.
Fuente: Fuera de Foco
#Cine #CinemaGizmo #CinemaGizmo #Daredevil #Destacado #Disney #Movies #NEWS #Noticias #PermanenciasVoluntarias #PermanenciasVoluntariasRadio #PermanenciasVoluntarias #Podcast #SeriementeCine #Series
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Introduction
On May 25, 2020, police in Minneapolis Minnesota murdered George Floyd in cold blood. Responding to allegations of counterfeit money, police arrested Floyd, with one officer kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes, ultimately suffocating him. The killing was captured on video and quickly spread across the internet.
Protests soon followed. The first protest organized in Minneapolis was on May 26. By May 28 the protests had spread to the nearby cities of St Paul and Duluth with riots occurring in Minneaopolis that evening. Mostly notably, the third precinct of the Minneapolis Police Department was besieged and burned. Minnesota activated the National Guard on May 29 in response to the unrest.1 The American state’s disastrous response to COVID-19, massive unemployment, and indiscriminate police killings that disproportionately target people of colour provided the impetus for an enormous and unprecedented outpouring of rage; protests, many of them violently targeting the police, spread across the United States like wildfire.
While the initial uprising was ferocious in its explosive anger and militancy, within just three weeks the protests seem to have been channeled largely into the decidedly less militant demand of “Defund the police.” What happened? I largely agree with what Kandist Mallett wrote in a brilliant article in Teen Vogue, in which she argued that: “those in power…are working tirelessly to destroy this wave of unrest before it becomes a tsunami they cannot control.… They are trying to kill this movement.”2 The defanging of the George Floyd Uprising was not accidental but was rather a deliberate attempt on the part of the American ruling class to regain social control in the wake of the most militant protests in recent memory—and, as a movement, possibly the largest in U.S. history.
What I want to do in this article is to examine the dimensions of how this defanging took place: how, within the space of two weeks, we went from burning down a police station to making small budgetary demands. I argue that the massive effort to defang the George Floyd Uprising should be understood as a deliberate counter-insurgency operation, combining the (sometimes coordinated) efforts of: various police forces, the capitalist media, the American military, NGOs, the Democrats, both state and federal governments, and other liberal establishment figures. What I also want to show is that these efforts were not extraordinary: there was no shadowy conspiracy to intervene. Rather, each of these apparatuses functioned exactly as intended to in order to defend the existing capitalist order. By examining the response to the George Floyd Uprising, the left can gain a better understanding of just how difficult it will be to overthrow capitalism and the capitalist state and potentially avoid pitfalls in the future.
Before continuing, I want to address the initial and most obvious opposition to my argument. If the efforts to defang the protests should be understood as a counter-insurgency, then it stands to reason that the George Floyd Uprising should be considered an insurgency. Is this not hyperbolic? Given the extent of the crisis of legitimacy the protests created for the American state, I do not think it is hyperbolic at all. As Kristian Williams argued in “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing”, insurgency and counter-insurgency is precisely the lens through which the American state views much of its domestic policing activity, from gang-related operations through to protest management.3
The uprising truly created a crisis of legitimacy for the American state. It needs to be stated outright that the burning of a police station and the forced retreat, under siege, of the police inside is unprecedented in the history of modern American protest. The vulnerability of the police was put on full display: the following night police were attacked in Los Angeles and New York, among other locations. The National Guard was deployed throughout the United States. While not as historically unprecedented for dealing with dissent, there were concerns, at least in Minnesota, that the National Guard would be insufficient to quell the uprising. Governor Tim Walz on May 30 in the Minneapolis Star Tribune: “We do not have the numbers… We cannot arrest people when we are trying to hold ground.”4 Three days later, a Senior Airman in the Minnesota National Guard said in an interview that he was “waiting for the scales to tip” with regards to the “riot purgatory” that existed; the National Guard had, as of June 2, been unable to gain control of the city.5 Trump was even rushed to his White House bunker in response to protests in Washington D.C.; the last time those bunkers were used was during the September 11 attacks.6 Transit workers used their collective power to refuse to transport arrested protestors.7 Inspired by the protests, longshore workers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union struck and shut down ports across the West Coast in mid-June.8 And in terms of putting numbers to the crisis of legitimacy faced by the American state, on June 3 a Monmouth University survey reported that 54% of Americans thought that the burning of the precinct was justified, higher than the level of support enjoyed by either Biden or Trump.9
Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency
The United States military, in Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, defines an insurgency as: “The organized use of subversion and violence to seize, nullify, or challenge political control of a region.” Counter-insurgency then is defined as “Comprehensive civilian and military efforts designed to simultaneously defeat and contain insurgency and address its root causes.”10
It is worth quoting from the manual at length to demonstrate the sophistication with which the U.S. Military approaches counter-insurgency operations.
Highlighting the specificity of counter-insurgency operations, the manual argues that:
COIN [counter-insurgency] is distinguished from traditional warfare due to the focus of its operations—a relevant population—and its strategic purpose—to gain or maintain control or influence over—and the support of that relevant population through political, psychological, and economic methods.11
Central to how the U.S. Military sees insurgency is the question of political legitimacy:
The struggle for legitimacy with the relevant population is typically a central theme of the conflict between the insurgency and the HN [host nation] government. The HN government generally needs some level of legitimacy among the population to retain the confidence of the populace and an acknowledgment of governing power. The insurgency will attack the legitimacy of the HN government while attempting to develop its own legitimacy with the population. COIN should reduce the credibility of the insurgency while strengthening the legitimacy of the HN government.12
And in turn, central to the question of legitimacy is the task of building and controlling narratives:
COIN planners should compose a unifying message (the COIN narrative) that is consistent with the overarching USG narrative, which is coupled to the USG [U.S. government] objective. Narrative is a structure of planned themes from which both messages and actions are developed. Narrative provides a common thread of communicative influence. The objective speaks to desired outcome; narrative communicates the story of the how and why of an operation. Common themes within a COIN narrative may be: reinforcing the credibility and perception of legitimacy of the HN and USG COIN operation, exploiting the negative aspects of the insurgent efforts, and preemptively presenting the expected insurgent argument along with counter-arguments. … The COIN narrative should be the result of meticulous target-audience analysis conducted by cultural and language subject matter experts … The COIN narrative should provide the guidance from which themes, actions, and messages can be planned in support of the COIN objectives.13
Narrative construction and control is reiterated in practical terms later in the Manual:
In COIN, the information flow can be roughly divided into information which the USG requires to guide its political-military approach (i.e., knowledge of local conditions) and information which the USG wishes to disseminate to influence populations. At the same time, counterinsurgents also seek to impede the information flow of insurgent groups—both their intelligence collection and their ability to influence the relevant population. 14
One of the tactics emphasized to impede the ability of insurgents to influence the target population is working with local authorities—especially non-governmental ones like religious leaders, and NGOs- to coopt the message of the insurgency and explicitly to moderate it.15 This latter point is extremely important; while moderate movements may enjoy more popular support, they are also far less successful at winning their demands.16 It is therefore in the interest of those defend the existing order to support the moderate elements of a movement.
All this is to say then that the U.S. Military understands insurgency and counter-insurgency as being not just a military question, but rather a question of politics. To this end, the Manual heavily emphasizes the importance of political action in counter-insurgency operations:
To be effective, officials involved in COIN should address two imperatives—political action and security—with equal urgency, recognizing that insurgency is fundamentally an armed political competition…. COIN functions, therefore, include informational, security, political, economic, and development components, all of which are designed to support the overall objective of establishing and consolidating control by the HN government. … This is the core of COIN, because it provides a framework around which all other programs and activities are organized. As described above, depending on the root causes of the insurgency, the strategy may involve elements of political reform, reconciliation, popular mobilization, and governmental capacity building.17
If we understand insurgency and counter-insurgency as involving both a military and political aspect, in which the political is primary, with insurgency being primarily about building a counter-legitimacy to the state and counter-insurgency being primarily about the political isolation of insurgents through the creation of narratives, we can begin to see how such an understanding is useful to apply to American domestic politics. The George Floyd Uprising saw insurgents directly undermine the legitimacy of the existing state, especially the police, through both armed and political action. In turn, the state and establishment responded with both armed and political actions, the latter in the form of co-optation and narrative control.
But the connections between American counter-insurgency and domestic politics are not just on the discursive level. In “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing”, Kristian Williams provides an excellent overview of the material relationship between American military counter-insurgency programs and American policing. This is specifically evident with regard to trends towards the militarization of the police and so-called “Community Policing” initiatives. Williams demonstrates how, in a modern example of the “imperial boomerang”18, many of the methods employed by modern police forces were developed and refined by the American military, including during its occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. In turn, the military partnered with police forces to learn how to better control conquered populations, be they black people living in American cities or Iraqis living under American occupation in Iraq.19
Of particular interest is the role that NGOs play in this process. As was noted earlier, the U.S. Military makes special mention of NGOs in the process of counter-insurgency. An earlier version of the Manual, published in 2006 and authored by David Petraeus, is more explicit, remarking that “some of the best weapons for counterinsurgents do not shoot” and referring to NGOs as “force-multipliers”. Williams is able to show how NGOs were directly involved in de-escalating responses of the community to murders committed by American police in Oakland, as well as involved in anti-gang activities in Boston. Both of these separate efforts fall under the playbook of counter-insurgency.20
Before going in depth into the George Floyd Uprising, it is worthwhile looking at the “why” of counter-insurgency. Why is it that the police and military have developed a comprehensive strategy intended to undermine threats to the existing order? Fundamentally, the modern state exists to protect the interests of the capitalist class—namely the continuation of capital accumulation and exploitation—against the interests of everyone else. In turn, specific states exist to protect the specific interests of their specific capitalist classes. Thus anything that attempts to undermine capitalism, or the ability of capitalists to exploit, must be itself undermined. The state has a myriad of tools at its disposal to help with this process. Some are ideological (they convince people exploitation is in their own interest) whereas others, like the police, are repressive. Insofar as the goal of counter-insurgency is ultimately to protect the accumulation of capital, we should understand counter-insurgency as extending beyond just the actions of the repressive apparatuses of the state. What I will explore below is that in this case, counter-insurgency was a joint effort of the entire American ruling class, both inside and outside the state, to defang the George Floyd Uprising. The American ruling class used both violent and non-violent means to defang the uprising: they deployed what could be called a carrot-and-stick approach in order to protect the social order.
The Carrot…
The Media Narrative
In the days following the murder of George Floyd, the media worked tirelessly to defang the George Floyd Uprising. They did this not by creating reality through discourse, but by selectively and pointedly reporting on certain aspects of reality. As a result, they encouraged people to think about the uprising in specific ways, and in turned called them into action in specific ways. I will focus primarily on the Minneapolis Star Tribune; the narrative trends developed there were later repeated in media across the United States.
Initial media reaction to the uprising directly condemned property destruction. After a Target was looted on the night of May 27, the Star Tribune spent the following day reporting on the impact that riots would have on small businesses.21 True to form, the Star Tribune printed a call for peace from the family and partner of George Floyd22 as well as from “political, faith, community leaders” calling for an “end to riots.”23 The latter story was particularly interesting insofar as the group was called together for a conference by Minnesota governor Tim Walz, and included both church leaders and NGO managers. Here is an example of a top state official picking and choosing who counts as a “community leader” without direct input from the community. In turn, the Star Tribune reported on the meeting treating these externally hand-picked “community leaders” as though their legitimacy derived from the community itself.
In the following days, the Star Tribune shifted focus to the human cost of the riots to the local community. The publication blamed the riots for creating a food desert due to the closing of large corporate grocery stores.24 Rioters were also blamed for the lack of access to medicine now faced by the local community due to the closure of pharmacies.25 Rioters were alleged to have burned down nearly 200 units of affordable housing, thus exacerbating the housing crisis.26 The riots were also allegedly responsible for devastating Minneapolis’ famed Lake Street, home to immigrant-owned business and a hub, according to the Star Tribune, of multi-culturalism.27
In its discussion of the immediate impact of the uprising on the local community, not once did the Star Tribune go beyond surface-level condemnations of the rioters. Suddenly concerned with access to food and medication, the stories did not include discussions as to why the closure of a few grocery stores could create a food desert. There was no discussion on the increased price of food and wealth-disparity. There was no discussion on the monopolization of food sources by large chains. There was no discussion on the effects of for-profit healthcare on access to medicine. No discussions on gentrification and stagnant wages leading to the necessity of specifically designated “affordable” housing. No discussions on the context of the riots: namely 40 million unemployed Americans staring down a pandemic with miniscule government relief. No discussion of looting as a means of getting necessities such as medicine, food, and clothing; no discussion as to why Target and pharmacies became targets. Instead the riots were presented largely without context, as simply an irrational outburst of anger, alone causing problems to the community. Those fighting back against the existing order were blamed for the worst effects of the very order they fought against.
In addition to direct condemnation, the Star Tribune also took a more nuanced approach to the riots. Instead of the riots being an organic expression of community anger, they were presented—both by the media, and the government—as being the work of (usually white) “outside agitators”. Rioting was purported to be the work of secret white-supremacists that had infiltrated the protests in order to cause mayhem. In that same meeting of community leaders called together by Tim Walz on May 30, the executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage put it succinctly: “White people from other communities are coming into my community, our communities as some kind of perverse poetry, as if it wasn’t bad enough already. … Go home now. The fascists on the plan right now, turn around.”28 The Star Tribune reported on an Illinois man who had been arrested with explosives in Minneapolis, who had specifically traveled there to riot.29 The mayor of St Paul and the governor of Minnesota had each tweeted that the vast majority -80% to all- of the arrestees in the week preceding June 6 had been from out-of-state despite the fact that there was no evidence to back up such claims. The claims were so ludicrous that the Star Tribune ran a story walking back many of the claims about outside agitators; well after the damage had been done to the protests.30
The goal of these various media narratives—first, condemning the riots; second, emphasizing the damage to the community; and third, blaming outside agitators- was to drive a dual process of bifurcation within the protest movement. The goal of the ruling class was on the one hand to separate “peaceful” liberal protestors from the more radical element, both to avoid radicalization of the moderate protestors but also to isolate the radicals within the movement. Second, the goal was to lump the radical protestors together with apolitical opportunist looters, whether or not the latter group actually existed, and in turn ignore the radical critiques of both policing and society as a whole that the radicals put forward. Thus the establishment attempted to call into being two groups: a group of good, peaceful, moderate protestors; and a second group of opportunist, violent protestors who did not care about the injustice the protests were about. The tactics and message of the first group was to be lauded, whereas the tactics and message of the second group was to be condemned.
Meanwhile, seemingly out of nowhere, another narrative appeared in the media. Across both social and traditional media outlets, stories appeared showing police supporting the protests. Most famous were the images of police (and sometimes National Guard) kneeling with the protestors. Often times this was displayed as the result of a request from the “good protestors”, who were then portrayed as applauding police initiative. However, in this case reality cut through the media spin: the American police were simply too vicious for their “spontaneous” (more on this below) outpouring of empathy to be taken seriously. There were abundant accounts of the same police transitioning from kneeling to attacking protestors within the space of hours.
As the protests spread in the early weeks of June, it was no longer possible for the media to rely on the “outside agitator” platitude. Indeed, with protests in literally every major city in the United States, there was no “outside” for the agitators to come from. And with the utter inhumanity of the police on full display, stories of police taking a knee simply didn’t hold water. The media then turned to focusing almost exclusively on the efforts of liberal NGOs engaged in “rebuilding” efforts31, and the activities of the “good” protestors. The degree to which the “good” protestors were signal-boosted by the media is evident in the speed at which the “Defund the Police” slogan, itself a moderated version of the already moderate “abolish the police” demand, became the public rallying cry of the movement as a whole.32 Finally, towards mid-June, with the protests now largely contained and the radical element isolated, the media began largely ignoring the massive protests that are still occurring, instead only providing local coverage of incidental events.
While I have focused largely on the narrative created in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the same pattern (from demonization, to outside agitators, to focusing on the community cost, the good/bad protestor division, the police sympathy, to NGOs and liberals, to ultimately ignoring the movement) was a pattern that was repeated more-or-less within all major media sources in North America. Why was this the case? The similarity in editorial line between media companies does not indicate direct coordination between media onwers nor does it point to state intervention or censorship. Rather, insofar as media in North America is either owned by large corporations or run by the state, the commonality of interests that exists between rich owners and rich state managers is inevitably reflected in the editorial line of the media which they run.33 It makes total sense then that the media would relay a narrative which had as its effect the defanging of the George Floyd Uprising; such an action was absolutely within the interests of the large capitalists which control the media. The capitalist class, by owning the media and therefore controlling its content, was able to utilize media narratives as part of the counter-insurgency effort against the George Floyd Uprising.
In the case of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the connection between ownership and editorial line could not be clearer. Glen Taylor, the billionaire former state senator, admitted as much when he bought the newspaper in 2014. In an interview with MinnPost, he stated that his ownership of the paper would result in the editorial line being less liberal.34 It is unsurprising then that the overall editorial position of the paper reflects Taylor’s public position, namely that the problem is not specifically law enforcement and that protests are only legitimate if they are peaceful.35 Insofar as the George Floyd Uprising threatened the existing order in Minneapolis, an order that Glen Taylor benefitted from, the Star Tribune would come out against the uprising. This same process played out across the United States over the course of the uprising.
The Copaganda Machine
No account of how the media treated the George Floyd Uprising would be complete without a discussion of something that is often overlooked in accounts of reactionary media spin: the absolutely massive public relations machine employed by the police themselves. While it is possible that the speed with which stories of police “taking a knee” with protestors went viral was entirely natural, it is far more likely that in the wake of the largest anti-police protests in a generation that the police PR machine jumped into overdrive.
The goal of police public relations (PR) is, like any public relations campaign, to influence how the public views the police. In one article written for Police One, the largest English-language online community of police boasting literally tens of thousands of members, the point of police PR is described as “to establish a positive relationship with the community before an incident occurs.” The point of PR is directly contextualized to counteract the public’s reactions to racist police terror: “Events dating back to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, Rodney King, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray and others have been covered extensively in the media and have tarnished the reputation of many agencies. The public relations team must establish or repair the image of the agency within the community.”36 In another article on the same website, another officer describes the utility of “branding” (using a PR campaign to build a police “brand”) insofar as it allows police departments to control messaging and make clear a department’s “value proposition.”37 The goal of branding is to build preconceptions about the role of police, thus filtering any observations through the preconceived image of how police should act. This allows the police to have greater impunity in their actions, as anything they do is seen immediately through the lens of police being good and necessary protectors.
On the surface this seems fairly obvious and innocuous. All firms employ PR strategies in one form or another, in which the firm seeks to use the media to influence public reaction to the firm. However if we consider the social role of police, namely a repressive apparatus of the capitalist state designed to protect the conditions which allow for exploitation, the police use of PR becomes more sinister. Police directly attempt to manipulate public perceptions of their actions in their favour, including racist murder.
How widespread is the police use of PR? It is difficult to say. An examination of several police budgets over the past years of cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Toronto turned up little information; the police are remarkably good at concealing precisely what they spend their money on. There is some scattered information though that suggests that the police spend a staggering amount on PR. For instance, in 2016 the Denver Police Department was revealed to have spent $1.3 million over three years on its “media relations unit”.38 The Metropolitan Police in the UK had, in 2015, a 10 million pound annual PR budget that employed 100 communications staff, with a police across the UK spending 36 million pounds annually on PR.39 The LAPD, rather than just employing a Public Information Officer (PIO), has an entire Public Relations Unit.40 In Toronto, the 2019 police budget requested an additional $7.9 million to be partially used on nine new positions in the Corporate Communications Unit, increasing the total staff from 16 to 25, to be used to “help increase capabilities in public relations, internal communication and digital strategy.”41 And in 2020, the NYPD allotted $3.2 million for public relations, in order to tell their “side of the story.”42
Direct police department expenses on PR are just one of the PR avenues available to police. Police unions also hire PR firms to improve the image of their officers or to advance specific goals.43 Individual police officers can also hire PR firms to represent them in times of need. One such service, Cop PRotect, allows officers to pay $50 per month for guaranteed representation if something should go wrong. In a story placed in Police Magazine, the need for such a service is related directly to the Ferguson Uprising:
Cops today are completely at the mercy of activists who don’t care about the truth … Darren Wilson was nearly murdered and now lives in hiding, while the man who tried to kill him is declared a hero by activists. Cop PRotect gives cops like Darren Wilson a trusted friend to tell their stories in ways agency information officers, union representatives and the media cannot or will not.44
In this case, the firm was created directly to mitigate community blowback against individual officers in the wake of racist police terror.
While the amount that is spent on pro-police PR is hard to find, the indirect effects make it more obvious. Indeed, there exists an entire parasitic cottage industry of pro-police PR firms and consulting services, which exist solely to increase public perceptions in the police. For instance, a quick search turned up John Guilfoil Public Relations which specializes in the public sector, including the police. A testimonial from the chief of the Massachusetts Police Department states that the firm “provides an extremely valuable service to those agencies that want to be proactive in … getting out a positive message to the community.”45 PolicePR in Indiana offers a Public Information Officer boot camp, in partnership with the Greenwood Police Department.46 Melissa Agnes, a crisis management strategist who has been featured on Police One, has a whole series of articles and talks dealing specifically with police misconduct, ranging from “Discussing the Divide Between Police and Their Communities” to “Discussing The #Ferguson Crisis with Tim Burrows”.47 None of these firms or services would exist if the police were not paying for them.
Police PR strategies are not limited to traditional media. To give the strategies a more organic feel, police forces and their hired PR firms make frequent use of social media in order to help control the narrative around their actions. Police Chief Magazine warns officers that “Hiding and Hoping is Not a PR Strategy”; police forces not only need to monitor social media to see what perception of the police force is after an incident, but must also build “a social media presence”. This latter point can include spreading information about a suspect in the event that video showing police misconduct spreads.48 As part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s ‘Community Oriented Policing Services’ (COPS) Strategic Communication Practices guide, there is an entire section on the importance of social media.49 Another article on Police One suggests that police departments send officers onto Reddit, both to get ahead of a story, but also to intervene in the discussions as police.50 These efforts can be bolstered by using “community outreach programs” to “build an online army of supporters.”51
Lest anyone think that the police simply use social media to inform their audience about their activities, the police consciously use social media to manipulate public opinion during moments of crisis. Taken from another Police One article (a fantastic resource for those wanting to understand the mindset of police), this one published ominously on May 28, 2020, titled “12 things every police department’s civil unrest plan needs”, there is an entire section on social media. Departments are instructed to be aware that protestors can use social media to amplify and coordinate their activity; departments should also be aware and be ready to counter those that would “lower the perception of [their] department.” If that fails, there’s always the National Guard.52 Force Science News published an article/advertisement featuring Melissa Agnes in 2018, which advised departments to have prepared a ‘Communications Bible’ to help navigate crises such as “officer-involved shootings”.53 In a mid-June Police One leadership briefing, after weeks of anti-police protests, authors mockingly reflected: “Now do you recognize the power of social media?” arguing that police “must start viewing… social media as an integral tool in policing.”54
All this is to say there exists a massive and highly coordinated police PR machine, which the police use to try and directly control media narratives in their favour. They do this as part of a broader effort to maintain the current social order. While it is impossible to prove this soon, I strongly suspect that it was this machine which was responsible for the flood of sympathetic stories about the police that featured prominently across traditional and social media in early June. Despite the best efforts of the police, their unions, and their employed PR firms, they were unable to shift the broader media narrative for more than a few days; the brutal actions of police across the United States spoke for themselves and undermined attempts to portray the police in a positive light.
While ultimately unsuccessful, the wave of pro-police media in early June gave credibility to the more moderate argument that the institution of policing itself is not the problem, but rather that it is only some “bad apples” amidst an otherwise salvageable police force. This in turn gave more ideological power to moderate and liberal elements, the so-called “good protestors”, within the broader protest movement. To tie this back into counter-insurgency, control over information in the form of both narrative construction and information dissemination is one of the main tools of counter-insurgency strategies. The police consciously did just this, and in the process strengthened the moderates within the movement.
The Non-Profit Industrial Complex
As noted earlier, the U.S. military considers NGO partnerships to be a vital part of counter-insurgency efforts. Much has been written about the negative effects of non-profits on social movements. In the classic collection of essays titled The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, Andrea Smith argues that capital and the capitalist state use nonprofits to: monitor and control social movements, divert public resources into private hands, manage and control dissent, redirect activist efforts towards careerism and away from mass-based modes of organizing, allow corporations to mask exploitation through philanthropy, and encourage social movements to model themselves in terms of structure and politics after capitalist models.55 For the purposes of this essay, I want to focus on two areas: first, how NGOs have a moderating effect on the politics of a movement. Second, I will talk about how NGOs frequently work with the police to protect the current social order under the guise of changing it.
How is it that non-profits are able to moderate social movements? The capitalist class is well aware of their own interests and spends an inordinate amount of money defending them. In the process, they create philanthropic foundations. These philanthropic foundations not only allow capitalists to transfer wealth inter-generationally without taxation (giving their children positions in the foundations) but also fund charitable activities, such as non-profits. There is a catch though: the capitalists will not fund anything that does not fit their interests, namely the continuation of exploitation. They are happy, for instance, to fund affordable housing initiatives insofar as those initiatives do not tackle the root causes of homelessness, namely private property. Capitalist foundations therefore provide resources to NGOs which act in line with their interests. In turn, NGOs knowingly moderate themselves in order to better secure resources. Furthermore respectable NGOs can become the public face of a movement, effectively forcing the more radical organizations out of the public eye.
The Civil Rights and anti-police movements are full of examples of the moderating effects of NGOs. For instance, in the 1960s white philanthropist Stephen Currier set up the Council for United Civil Rights Leadership in order to channel foundation funding to Civil Rights groups. The so-called ‘Big Six’ were brought together; of the six, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, the most radical of the groups, received the least amount of funding. More radical groups, such as the Nation of Islam, were completely excluded. In 1963 Malcolm X specifically criticized the Big Six and the Council for United Civil Rights Leadership in his famous ‘Message to the Grass Roots’ speech in which he reflected on the March on Washington which had taken place earlier that year.56 The goal of these maneuvers by white philanthropists was clear: fund the more moderate element of the Civil Rights movement to avoid the movement taking a radical turn and undermining the ability for American capitalism to operate.57
Fast forward 50 years, and the same pattern reoccurs. In Oakland in 2009, non-profits directly intervened to deradicalize the response to the killing of Oscar Grant. Ahead of a major rally in January 2009, the Oakland police arranged meetings with various nonprofit and church leaders in order to defang the protests before they even began.58 Religious leaders asked their congregations to not attend the protests. A coalition of NGOs came together and formed the Coalition Against Police Execution (CAPE). CAPE explicitly called for a lack of militancy in their protests, and stood as a physical barrier between police and protestors. 59 In turn, CAPE became the public, legitimate face of the protests, which was reinforced through media coverage.
The uprising in 2014 in Ferguson saw a similar process play itself out. There the NGO influence was given an organizational existence in the form of Black Lives Matter. I want to be clear here; when speaking of Black Lives Matter I am talking about the official organization and not the broader movement of the same name. Black Lives Matter, while first conceived of in 2013, organized its first major action in 2014 with the Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride in response to the killing of Michael Brown by the Ferguson police. Black Lives Matter became the public face of the movement. Despite the Ferguson uprising originating in riots, Black Lives Matter and other organizations planned a series of actions over the course of the summer of 2014 that channeled local activism into safer and less rebellious avenues.
Following the Ferguson uprising, moderate elements of the Black Lives Matter movement became a relatively safe outlet for liberals to support and into which the capitalist class could channel outrage. Black Lives Matter and the constellation of new organizations and networks around it received an absolutely immense amount of donations from larger donors like The Ford Foundation and George Soros.60 The more liberal elements of the movement, able to secure donations, were able to take centre-stage. For instance, one recipient, the Organization for Black Struggle, used some of its funding to create the Hands Up Coalition. This coalition popularized the “hands up, don’t shoot” slogan used by protestors; this ran against slogans by more militant black power activists such as “arms up, shoot back” and “fists up, fight back”. More radical yet equally active groups, such as the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, received no funding. In 2016, Black Lives Matter and 27 other organizations, as part of the Movement for Black Lives, issued a platform of demands titled A Vision for Black Lives. Rather than a comprehensive plan and program to mobilize the masses to fight for their own liberation, the document is a set of policy guidelines. The effect is that efforts are taken off the streets and channeled into traditional power structures where they are ultimately destined to fail.
The founders of Black Lives Matter were first introduced to each other through an NGO known as Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (BOLD). The board of directors of BOLD, those who decide its political direction, is made up of managers of other NGOS.61 BOLD also receives an immense sum of money from private donors, such as through the “philanthropic intermediary” known as Borealis Philanthropy62 and through Funders for Justice.63 This latter group, also created in response to the Ferguson Uprising, in turn receives funding from The Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations; hardly groups interested in a radical transformation of the social order or the end of exploitation. I don’t bring this up to allege a conspiracy that Black Lives Matter is being secretly run by The Ford Foundation, but rather to show that even Black Lives Matter has its origins within the non-profit industrial complex milieu, which in turn effects its politics. Turning back to the George Floyd Uprising, it is unsurprising that in a recent Reddit Ask-Me-Anything, Kailee Scales, the Managing Director for Black Lives Matter, condemned the riots and announced efforts to channel the George Floyd Uprising into voter registration and “civic engagement” through the #WhatMatters2020 campaign.64
The ways in which non-profits have attempted to moderate explosions of rage during the George Floyd Uprising are too many to list. One example I want to focus on, however, is particularly telling. On May 30, two days after the burning of the Third Precinct in Minneapolis, a local non-profit called Pillsbury United Communities had a press conference. Pillsbury United Communities is an incredibly well established NGO; founded in 1879, it runs a number of outreach and education programs, community programs (such as free COVID-19 testing), as well as “social enterprises” including a grocery store. The press conference on May 30 brought together Jamie Foxx, Stephen Jackson, BLM activist Tamika Mallory, alongside George Floyd’s family. Speakers were explicit in their calls for peaceful protests, but generally did not condemn the riots. A peaceful rally followed.65 Thus at the height of the militant protests, people were asked by “legitimate” community leaders to temper their anger and engage in traditionally and easily ignored protests. These calls were amplified by liberals outside the community and the media.
A few days after the rally, Pillsbury United Communities used George Floyd’s death to issue a fundraising call; it is unclear from their website how the money will be used to ensure “Justice for George Floyd”.66 But individual donations are not the only way that Pillsbury United Communities raises funds. It also receives donations from massive foundations such as the Greater Twin Cities United Way, the Minneapolis Foundation, and the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation. The United Way, for instance, acts as a “philanthropic intermediary”, collection donations from large corporations, and then granting money to non-profits. In this specific case, the money given to Pillsbury United Communities comes from sources such as 3M, U.S. Bank, Cargill, and Target.67 The latter, notably, also provides hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to police foundations.68 One can see the issue of an organization fighting for justice against the police having similar funding sources to the police themselves. It is also unlikely that the capitalist class would fund those capable of truly undermining it.
That an NGO intervened in a mass struggle to both channel the movement in a more liberal direction while monopolizing resources is not particularly surprising. What is particularly interesting though is Pillsbury United Communities’ connection to community policing. A 2006 report by the Minneapolis Department of Health & Family Support lists Waite House, a Pillsbury United Communities site, as a “Weed & Seed Safe Haven”.69 Weed and Seed programs, for context, gained prominence in 1992 after the Rodney King riots as a way to connect police and community leaders in order to ostensibly combat gang violence70; they made cohesive the militarization tactics (weed) and community policing tactics (seed) employed in counter-insurgency efforts.71 In December 2014, the FBI gave Pillsbury United Communities its “Director’s Community Leadership Award”, an annual award given to groups for crime prevention efforts.72 Then-president and chief executive, Chanda Smith Baker, accepted the award. Coincidentally, Chanda Smith Baker—now working for the Minneapolis Foundation—also sits on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s newspeak titled “Working Group on Police-Involved Deadly Force Encounters”. The goal of the working group was to “identify ways to reduce deadly force encounters with law enforcement”73. Members of the group included the Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, the Minnesota Attorney General, Philando Castile’s (killed by police in Minnesota in 2016) uncle, and other judge’s, academics, politicians, and NGO managers. Tragically and ironically, the working group released its findings in February 2020; that George Floyd was murdered, just a few months later in a “police-involved deadly force encounter”, demonstrates the extent to which so-called community policing is useful to the community.
One final interesting link between NGOs and the police in Minneapolis: as mentioned earlier, Chanda Smith Baker, after working for Pillsbury United Communities, went on to work as the Senior Vice President, Impact for The Minneapolis Foundation. The current president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation is R.T. Rybak, who was also the former mayor of Minneapolis. R.T. Rybak also sits on the board of a company called Benchmark Analytics: an IT company which has designed a system capable of predicting when officers will become problematically violent. Rybak therefore has a direct material interest in “reforming” the police. In an article written on June 2, titled “I Was the Mayor of Minneapolis and I Know Our Cops Have a Problem”, Rybak recalls surveying the damage to Minneapolis after the riots with Chanda Smith Baker, before advertising his firm’s solution to police violence.74 Unsurprisingly he emphasizes the humanity of the police, and he sees the solution as being community policing informed by predicative behavior technology.
The organizational and interpersonal links between NGO managers, politicians, police leadership, “community leaders”, and the board members of large capitalist firms points to the existence of a ruling capitalist class. The above is just a small illustration of how the ruling class rules in Minneapolis.
To summarize all of this: Pillsbury United Communities is an established, well-respected local NGO. It is part of the non-profit industrial complex, relying on philanthropic intermediaries for much of its funding, which in turn are funded by massive corporations. It came out very vocally in the early stages of the George Floyd Uprising, urging a more liberal and institutional approach to activism as opposed to the riots. And, it has close ties to the Minneapolis Police Department and state police through community policing programs. It is just one textbook example of many of how NGOs act as elements of a counter-insurgency strategy.
The Democrats
The Democrats have been referred to as the “graveyard of social movements” insofar as they absorb, coopt, and disorganize them.75 Their approach to the George Floyd Uprising is no different. What the Democratic Party sought to do in the wake of the George Floyd Uprising was a combination of repression (in those places in which it exercised power, such as Minneapolis, New York, L.A., etc.) and coopt its energies into the Biden 2020 campaign. Given the unpopularity of Biden and the overall increasing disinterest in electoral politics by much of the left the attempt to coopt the movement, at least ostensibly, has been unsuccessful. It is, however, still worth examining in order to paint a full picture of the counter-insurgency campaign against the uprising.
At the beginning of the uprising, the Democratic Party machine jumped into motion but was unsure how to act. While top Democrat strategists spoke to media about how the uprising could affect the election76 (indicating that they were in fact working on a response), there was little in the way of official high-level statement or actions for almost a week. Then on June 2 two fairly major events occurred. First, Biden publicly brought Julian Castro into his campaign; Castro had been a vocal proponent of liberal police reforms during his bid to become the Democratic nominee for president.77 Second, Pelosi, the multi-millionaire Speaker of the House, asked the Congressional Black Caucus to draft a series of police reforms.78
On June 8, following a ridiculous display in which Pelosi and other top Democrats took a knee wearing Ghanaian kente cloths, the Justice in Policing Act was revealed. The act is fairly milquetoast—far behind the nebulous demands of the uprising—and includes provisions for more easily prosecuting police in cases of brutality, mandatory body cameras, as well as a ban on chokeholds. The Act does absolutely nothing to abolish or even defund police departments. 79 Nor is the act likely to become law; even if the act was to pass the Republican-majority Senate, Trump has announced his attention to veto it.80
Rather than an accident, the unlikelihood of the bill passing is a feature, one of the ways in which so-called “checks and balances” help protect the current order. The Democrats know this; had it been likely to pass the bill would have been even more muted. The inaction of the Democrats in the face of the George Floyd Uprising is not surprising; they are one of the two parties that have overseen the construction and maintenance of the white-supremacist order in the United States. Biden is himself a career segregationist and author of a 1994 crime bill81 which was a cornerstone in the construction of the modern for-profit prison behemoth.82 The Congressional Black Caucus has itself helped to make the police a “protected class”, and also contributed to the militarization of police through the 1033 program.83
Despite the lack of success of the official Democrat cooptation attempt of the George Floyd Uprising, I want to point out one of the more insidious ways that the Democrats are attempting to coopt outrage against police murders through social movements themselves. It is worth first pointing out that Alicia Garza, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter, is a supporter of the centrist-wing of the Democrats, specifically Elizabeth Warren.84 Black Lives Matter has recently launched a campaign called #WhatMatters2020. The goal of the campaign is to bring “BLM supporters and allies to the polls in the 2020 U.S Presidential Election to build collective power and ensure candidates are held accountable for the issues that systematically and disproportionately impact Black and under-served communities across the nation.”85 A campaign video calls on people to vote for an America where “police are held accountable” and “where we have access to quality healthcare”. The problem with this campaign, of course, is that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are even pretending to deliver on promises like this. Biden does not support medicare for all, and was an architect of the current racist criminal justice system. The #WhatMatters2020 campaign is a cynical sheepdog campaign, bringing black people angry at the current injustices of American white-supremacist capitalism back into the Democrats.
Invasion of the Liberals
Earlier in this article, I mentioned that the media was attempting to call into existence a group of “good”, peaceful protestors. I want to spend more time now talking about this process. Ideology is both produced by practice, but also exists as a way of calling particular types of people into activity.86 When the media began focusing almost exclusively on “good” protestors, it was at first inventing this category out of almost thin air; the line it was drawing was an artificial one. But by putting forward this ideological pole, the media called into action people who had hitherto not been involved. The media, alongside notable liberal politicians and other establishment figures, created a group of liberal protestors out of inactive liberals who now saw themselves and their own political predilections reflected in the ongoing uprising. Included in these efforts by the media and liberal establishment figures is a now-famous essay by former president Barrack Obama, posted to Medium on June 1, in which he said he supported the protests, condemned violence, and urged reform efforts to be focused on institutional channels.87
The flip side of the liberal “call to action” is that it also acts as a safeguard against radicalization. When reality confronts ideology, it is often ideology that is changed. Reality forces a rupture in one’s worldview which can lead to radicalization. In this case it became difficult to substantiate the story of a good, neutral, and protective state in the face of ubiquitous police violence against even peaceful protestors. If reality can be changed or if powerful narratives can reinforce ideology, ideology is cemented rather than discarded. In this case, liberalism as a worldview was able to escape challenge due to the emergence of establishment liberals in support of the protests.
The result of the liberalization of the protests on public opinion is interesting. By mid-June, 67% of Americans reportedly supported the ongoing protests. The racial breakdown was more stark: 60% of white people supported the protests, whereas 86% of black people supported them. Despite this, 59% of Americans (including 62% of white Americans compared with 43% of black Americans) believed that the protests were spurred on at least in part as a means for people to engage in criminal behavior.88 Thus the liberalization of the protests resulted in a situation in which the majority of a country deeply enmeshed in white supremacy supported protests proclaiming the value of black lives, despite the majority of the country materially benefitting from that same unjust racial hierarchy. That major politicians like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former Governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate Mitt Romney joined the protests—both politicians with significant power to change the conditions against which they protested- signals only that the political message of the uprising had shifted in the popular consciousness away from “dismantle white supremacy” to the base level of “black people are human”. That nearly one third of America could not even support such a basic affirmation of humanity is telling.
The liberal invasion had three main effects on the uprising. First, the influx of liberals into the rallies not only led to the proliferation of protests and an increase in attendance, but also to their pacification. Protestors began to self-police, modifying their tactics in line with the interests of the existing order. Protestors made sure to demarcate themselves and their actions as “peaceful”, thus robbing themselves of even the specter of militancy. To a certain extent there is a degree of “selection bias” here; militant protestors are more likely to be arrested, and therefore over time the composition of a protest will naturally become more liberal. Police are aware of this and consciously seek to tie up activist time and resources in legal proceedings.
Internally to the protests, liberal protestors acted like “peace police”, disrupting the activities of militants. Examples included liberals in Washington DC turning over a “rioter” to the police (at an anti-police march!) at the end of May,89 as well as the doxxing by liberal activists of Rayshard Brook’s girlfriend, pegged as an outside agitator.90 She is accused of setting fire to the Wendy’s outside of which her partner was murdered by police. Another high-profile example of the liberalization of the protests on the tactical level is Al Sharpton’s call for a march on Washington in August, which took place at the height of militant protests occurring in Washington D.C..91 Such a call, not to support the existing protests but to postpone them, was a calculated attempt to de-escalate the uprising.
Second, the influx of liberals into the movement has paved the way for false victories. By this I mean superficial gains that ultimately leave the underlying power structure which gave rise to the protests unchallenged. Included here is the “Black Lives Matter” street mural in Washington D.C., various corporate black-washing campaigns, the changing of band names, and the cancelling of shows like COPS. One notes the irony of the mayor of New York ordering that “Black Lives Matter” be painted outside of Trump Towers while overseeing a police department which brutalizes black people and and while also opposing efforts to defund the NYPD.
Third, the influx of liberals into the movement had an effect on defanging the demands of the movement. Black Lives Matter was quick to issue the demand to defund the police in the early days of the George Floyd Uprising: they explicitly pushed for a defunding of the police, without going into detail as to what that would entail.92 Other activists seized on the space this opened up and stated that “defund” meant “defund everything”. They argued that the police were not reformable and therefore had to be abolished.93 What followed was a discussion in the media about whether or not “defund” actually meant “defund”. There was no shortage of liberals assuring other concerned liberals that defunding didn’t actually mean that there would be no police.94 While Minneapolis has since begun steps to disband their police force, demands in other locations seem to ask for a portion of police budgets to be re-allocated to community resources, in line with the Movement for Black Lives policy demands.95
The conceptual slippage of “defund” has not gone unnoticed by the police themselves. In a June 18 article on Police One, Mike Walker, a police officer for 27 years, wrote that “defunding is really just a way of saying reduced funding.”96 In the same article he offers assurance to worried police officers by noting that budget cuts were already on the agenda due to COVID-19, and that most municipalities legally cannot function without police due to their municipal charters.
That at least some police are fine with temporarily defunding the police speaks to the heart of just how defanged a demand “defund the police” actually is. But “abolish the police” as a slogan absent a critique of the conditions that give rise to the police is itself a demand that does not cut to the heart of the matter. The police exist because capitalism requires force to defend inequality and exploitation. Without ending exploitation, there will still need to be some form of coercive apparatus to ensure the continued existence of exploitation. Thus the coercive functions of the police will be offloaded to other state apparatuses; there will still be violent, racist coercion whether or not the police exist. This is something that already happens; consider, for instance, the racist terror that child welfare services across Canada (not armed, not police) put Indigenous people through for years. The George Floyd Uprising opened the space for discussions about the fundamental nature of society, about capitalism, imperialism, and racial inequality in America. Liberals shifted the overton window to exclude visions of radical transformation, instead focusing on the degree to which police should be defunded. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s now viral Instagram post which stated that police abolition looks like white suburbia, an atomized capitalist dystopia, makes total sense in this context.97
The liberal invasion resulted in a defanging of protest tactics, results, and even the demands themselves. This process, which was aided by the police, the media, and “legitimate” community leaders, was nothing less than the political side of a counter-insurgency campaign by the American ruling class directed against the George Floyd Uprising. Thus a movement which began with the burning of a police station has been transformed into one of requesting minor amendments to municipal budgets.
…And the Stick
The majority of the article has focused on the less-obvious methods that the American ruling class has used in its counter-insurgency efforts against the George Floyd Uprising. However, while counter-insurgency is more effective if it involves elements of soft power, no counter-insurgency effort is complete without open repression. The efforts against the George Floyd Uprising are no exception.
It is hard to overstate the scale of the police operation against protestors over the past month. For instance, by June 2 there already been over 11 000 arrests of protestors.98 The volume of arrests was used as an excuse to temporarily suspend habeus corpus in New York.99 There have been numerous documented arrests and attacks on journalists from even liberal platforms such as CNN. To my knowledge there are no up to date figures on the total number of arrests. In terms of the intensity of the police response, over the past month there have been countless scenes of police using tear gas and pepper spray to clear otherwise peaceful protests. An online database has logged over 670 individual incidents of police brutality caught on video.100 Police have killed at least four protestors over the course of the uprising. Many more have been maimed.101 As a result there are at least 40 different lawsuits currently underway against police departments for brutality during the George Floyd Uprising.102
As if the level of direct repression was not enough, there has also been an increase in surveillance of activists. A recent leak, titled “Blue Leaks”, has revealed that the FBI monitored social media extensively during the protests and forward information it thought relevant to local police departments.103 FBI agents have also harassed activists after they attended recent protests against police brutality.104 The goal of FBI harassment in general is to intimidate protestors and organizers into inactivity as a means of disorganizing movements. These most recent incidents are reminiscent of FBI surveillance and intimidation of the anti-war movement and COINTELPRO.
The extraordinary level of police terror was not enough to contain the uprising. The National Guard was deployed to 31 states and Washington D.C.. This involved over 62 000 soldiers.105 The National Guard was itself involved in the violent repression of the protests.106 Over 200 cities imposed a curfew, which affected more than 60 million people.107 Trump went as far as to threaten to use the American military to impose order on cities where the protests could not be contained by conventional repression.108
One final aspect to overt repression of protests which needs to be included is the role of far right organizations and militia groups. While these are ostensibly distinct from the state, there is significant overlap and cooperation between police forces and far right organizations; a now infamous 2006 FBI report details the extent to which white supremacists have infiltrated police departments.109 For instance, in early June police in Oregon were caught on video coordinating with the far-right Proud Boys to help them avoid arrest after they intimidated George Floyd protestors.110 Much has also been written about the so-called Boogaloo Movement, which has targeted anti-police brutality protests.111
There have been many attacks by the far right on recent protests. Incidents include a mob of armed counter-protestors in Bethel, Ohio which attacked a black lives matter rally searching for “antifa”.112 The KKK has also been active in these efforts: they attacked a black lives matter rally in Nevada,113 and a local KKK leader in Virginia drove his car into a protest in mid-June.114 The autonomous zone set up in Seattle has also been a magnet for far-right attacks; on June 15 the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer entered the zone and beat a man,115 and there have been five shootings directed at the zone in recent weeks, somehow allowed by police. The most recent one resulted in the death of two attackers and injuries to a 14 year old boy.116 Far right groups have also announced a plan to “retake” the zone on July 4.117
Police and national guard brutality, police harassment and surveillance, threats of military intervention, and attacks by the far right all serve as the coercive elements to the American establishment’s counter-insurgency efforts against the George Floyd Uprising. Without the threat of violence the “carrot” side of the “carrot and stick” formula would not be as attractive. The end goal however, is the same: the maintenance and defense of an order defined by exploitation and white supremacy.
Conclusion
Over the course of this article what I have sought to do is outline some of the ways that the American ruling sought to defend itself during the course of one of the largest threats to its own existence in recent years. I have shown how combined and coordinated efforts by: police forces, the military, capitalist media, NGOs, the Democrats, far-right groups, and liberal establishment figures have all combined to undermine the George Floyd Uprising. Thus far these efforts seem to have been rather successful.
The beautiful thing about history, however, is that it is never predetermined. The future is not written. While the establishment has a mind-boggling array of resources and sophisticated counter-insurgency techniques at its disposal, it is not infallible. Indeed, it does (and has!) made mistakes. It is these mistakes that provide openings for revolutionary forces to intervene and change the existing social order. Even the outcome of these protests is not yet decided: they continue, and the protestors become increasingly sophisticated in fighting back. The massive uprising of the past few weeks has shown the degree to which the people do possess power. But the events have also shown the pitfalls into which movements of resistance can fall. By writing this article I hope to have exposed some of these pitfalls, so that liberation struggles now and in the future can avoid them.
Notes
- ↩ VOA News, “Minnesota Calls National Guard to Quell Violent Protests in Minneapolis”.
- ↩ Kandist Mallett, “The Black Lives Matter Revolution Can’t Be Co-Opted By Police and Lawmakers”.
- ↩ Kristian Williams, “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing,” Interface, Vol 3, No 1, May 2011.
- ↩ Aaron Morrison and Tim Sullivan, “Minneapolis overwhelmed again by protests over Floyd death,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Reid Forgrave, “On patrol in St. Paul, National Guard waits ‘for the scales to tip’”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Jamie Ehrlich, “The hidden history of the secret presidential bunker,” CNN Politics.
- ↩ Hilary Hanson, “NYC Transit Union Backs Bus Drivers Who Refuse To Transport Protestors For NYPD”. HuffPost U.S., May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Joe DeManuelle-Hall, “West Coast Dockers Stop Work to Honor George Floyd”. Labor Notes, June 11, 2020.
- ↩ Matthew Impelli, “54 Percent of Americans Think Burning Down Minneapolis Police Precinct Was Justified After George Floyd’s Death,” Newsweek, June 6, 2020.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, GL-5.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, xiii.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, I-7.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, I-8.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, III-6.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, III-14.
- ↩ Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Kovacheff, C. (2020). “The activist’s dilemma: Extreme protest actions reduce popular support for social movements”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, III-5.
- ↩ Connor Woodman, “The Imperial Boomerang: How colonial methods of repression migrate back to the metropolis”.
- ↩ Kristian Williams, “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing,” Interface, Vol 3, No 1, May 2011.
- ↩ Williams, “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing”.
- ↩ Kavita Kumar and Miguel Otarola, “Small-business owners pick up the pieces after night of rage, destruction”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ Paul Walsh, “Seeing his city on fire would ‘devastate’ George Floyd, girlfriend says”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ Briana Bierschbach, “Minnesota’s political, faith, community leaders plead for an end to riots”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ John Ewoldt, “Minneapolis neighborhoods face food desert after looting closes multiple stores”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Kavita Kumar and Adam Belz, “In riot-hit Twin Cities neighborhoods, a hole where pharmacies used to be”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Jim Buchta, “Minneapolis vandalism targets include 189-unit affordable housing development.” Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ Kathleen Hennessy and Tim Sullivan, “Unrest devastates a city’s landmark street of diversity.” Minneapolis Star Tribune. May 31, 2020.
- ↩ Briana Bierschbach, “Minnesota’s political, faith, community leaders plead for an end to riots”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Andy Mannix, “’We came to riot’: Illinois man livestreamed lighting fires, handing out explosives in Minneapolis, charges say”. Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ Torey Van Oot. “’Fog of conflict’: Minnesota officials responding to George Floyd protests, violence helped spread of misinformation”. Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 6, 2020.
- ↩ Kelly Smith, “Minneapolis, St. Paul foundations aim at rebuilding, criminal justice reform after riots.”. Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 5, 2020; “How To Give Back To Your Besieged Community”. CBS Minnesota, June 9, 2020.
- ↩ Sam Levin. “Movement to defund police gains ‘unprecedented’ support across U.S..” The Guardian, June 4, 2020; Jack Kelly. “The Movement To Defund Or Disband Police: Here’s What You Need To Know Now.” Forbes, June 9, 2020.
- ↩ Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent. Michael Parenti, Inventing Reality: The Politics of News Media.
- ↩ Britt Robson, “New owner Glen Taylor: less liberal Star Tribune ahead.” MinnPost, April 16, 2014.
- ↩ Chris Haynes. “Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor calls George Floyd’s death ‘a shame’ and ‘a tragedy’”. Yahoo Sports, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ Dan Grossi, “Public relations in law enforcement: Is the PIO obsolete?” Police One, January 8, 2020.
- ↩ W. Michael Phibbs, “Why your police department needs a brand.” Police One, September 7, 2017.
- ↩ John Ferrugia, Brittany Freeman, Jason Foster. “Denver police defend public relations spending”. The Denver Channel, February 17, 2016.
- ↩ William Turvill. “UK police forces spend more than £36m a year on PR and communications”. Press Gazette, May 1, 2015.
- ↩ Los Angeles Police Department. “Public Relations Unit”, Official Site of The Los Angeles Police Department.
- ↩ Mark Saunders, Chief of Police. “Toronto Police Service—2019 Operating Budget Request”.
- ↩ Jake Offenhartz, “NYPD Defends Its Massive Budget As Social Services And Youth Programs Are Cut”. The Gothamist, May 15, 2020.
- ↩ Joel Rub, David Zahniser. “L.A. police union hires PR firm in bid to win pay raises”. Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2015.
- ↩ POL Staff. “PR Firm Launches Service to Defend Police Officers from Anti-Cop Activists.” Police Magazine, November 17, 2015.
- ↩ John Guilfoil Public Relations. “Sectors We Serve”.
- ↩ PolicePR.
- ↩ Melissa Agnes. “Discussing the Divide Between Police and Their Communities, on The Police Podcast”. Melissa Agnes: Crisis Management Strategist. January 27, 2015; Melissa Agnes. “TCIP #011—Discussing The #Ferguson Crisis with Tim Burrows”. Melissa Agnes: Crisis Management Strategist. August 17, 2014.
- ↩ Julie Parker. “Hiding and Hoping Is Not a PR Strategy.” Police Chief Magazine.
- ↩ Darrel W. Stephens, Julia Hill, Sheldon Greenburg. Strategic Communication Practices: A Toolkit for Police Executives.
- ↩ Sean Whitcomb, Jonah Spangenthal-Lee. “3 reasons your agency should be on Reddit.” Police One, May 2, 2019.
- ↩ P1 Staff. “Roundtable: How to match your agency’s social media strategy with community needs”. Police One, May 2, 2019.
- ↩ Heather R. Cotter. “12 things every police department’s civil unrest plan needs”. Police One, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ “Are you ready for the crisis that may be heading your way?” Police One, July 5, 2018.
- ↩ Yael Bar-tur, Mathew Rejis, “Now do you recognize the power of social media?”. Police One, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ Andrea Smith, “Introduction”, The Revolution Will Not Be Funded, 3.
- ↩ Malcolm X, “Message to the Grass Roots”. Black Past.
- ↩ Netfa Freeman, “Movement Ferguson, Beware the Nonprofit Industrial Complex”. Black Agenda Report, January 21, 2015.
- ↩ George Ciccariello-Maher, “Chronicle of a Riot Foretold”. Counterpunch, June 29, 2010.
- ↩ Advance the Struggle. “Justice for Oscar Grant: A Lost Opportunity?”. Advance the Struggle, July 15, 2009.
- ↩ Netfa Freeman, “Movement Ferguson, Beware the Nonprofit Industrial Complex”. Black Agenda Report, January 21, 2015.
- ↩ BOLD. “Board”. BOLD.
- ↩ Borealis Philanthropy. “Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity”.
- ↩ BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity) Funding Page.
- ↩ “Let me be clear: we do not advocate violence in protests of any kind—not by any protester and not by police. We do not advocate or condone destruction of property. We believe in the value of human lives.” Reddit.
- ↩ Patrick Reusse. “Stephen Jackson, other activists score with straight talk at Minneapolis City Hall rotunda.” Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Adair Mosley. “Justice for George Floyd”. Pillsbury United Communities, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Corporate Partners” .
- ↩ Kari Paul. “How Target, Google, Bank of America and Microsoft quietly fund police through private donations”. The Guardian, June 18, 2020.
- ↩ Minneapolis Department of Health & Family Support. “City of Minneapolis Weed & Seed Initiative”.
- ↩ Community Capacity Development Office, U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs. Weed and Seed Implementation Manual.
- ↩ Kristian Williams, “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing,” Interface, Vol 3, No 1, May 2011.
- ↩ “FBI recognizes Pillsbury United Communities for its service to diverse neighborhoods.” Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 15, 2014.
- ↩ Working Group on Police-Involved Deadly Force Encounters. “Executive Summary of Recommendations”, 2.
- ↩ R. T. Rybak. “I Was the Mayor of Minneapolis and I Know Our Cops Have a Problem”. Benchmark Analytics, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ August H. Nimtz. “The Graveyard of Progressive Social Movements: The Black Hole of the Democratic Party”. MR Online, May 9, 2017.
- ↩ Brian Schwartz, “How Joe Biden’s leading VP contenders stack up in the wake of protests over George Floyd’s death”. CNBC, June 1, 2020; Daniel Strauss, “’A national crisis’: how the killing of George Floyd is changing U.S. politics”. The Guardian, May 30, 2020; Nicholas Fandos, “Congress Plans Hearings on Racial Violence and Use of Force by the Police”. New York Times, May 29, 2020.
- ↩ Suzanne Gamboa, “Joe Biden pulls Julian Castro into campaign, asks for help to ‘tackle police reform’”. NBC News, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Kelsey Snell, Claudia Grisales. “Pelosi Asks Black Caucus To Come Up With Police Reforms Following Protests”. NPR, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Catie Edmondson, “Democrats Unveil Sweeping Bill Targeting Police Misconduct and Racial Bias”, The New York Times, June 8, 2020.
- ↩ Lisa Mascaro, “Police overhaul dims, but House Democrats push ahead on vote”. Police One, June 25, 2020.
- ↩ German Lopez, “The controversial 1994 crime law that Joe Biden helped write, explained”. Vox, June 20, 2019.
- ↩ Glen Ford, “The Movement Gets BIG—and Its Enemies Reveal Themselves”. Black Agenda Report, June 4, 2020.
- ↩ Danny Haiphong, “The Rebellion Against Police Repression Must Guard Against ALL Enemies, Whether Red, Blue, or Green”, Black Agenda Report, June 17, 2020.
- ↩ Justine Coleman, “Warren endorsed by Black Lives Matter co-founder’s Black to the Future Action Fund”, The Hill, February 20, 2020.
- ↩ “BLM’s #WhatMatters2020”, Black Lives Matter.
- ↩ Louis Althusser, On the Reproduction of Capitalism.
- ↩ Barack Obama, “How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change”, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ Kim Parker, Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Monica Anderson. “Amid Protests, Majorities Across Racial and Ethnic Groups Express Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement”. Pew Research Center, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ TooFab Staff, “DC Protestors Drag Rioter Into Police Custody”. Too Fab, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ Vincent Barone, “Accused Wendy’s arsonist Natalie White was Rayshard Brooks’ ‘girlfriend’: lawyer”. New York Post, June 23, 2020.
- ↩ Lisa Hagen, “Al Sharpton Calls for Aug. 28 March on Washington at George Floyd Memorial”. U.S. News, June 4, 2020.
- ↩ “#DefundThePolice”. Black Lives Matter, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Miarame Kaba, “Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police.” The New York Times, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ Sean Boynton, “What does ‘defund the police’ really mean? Experts say confusion harming progress”. Global News, June 18, 2020; Amanda Arnold, “What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police?”. The Cut, June 12, 2020; Andrew Ferguson, “‘Defund the Police’ Does Not Mean Defund the Police. Unless It Does.”. The Atlantic, June 14, 2020.
- ↩ “Invest-Divest”. Movement for Black Lives.
- ↩ Mike Walker, “The difference between police defunding and police disbanding”. Police One, June 18, 2020.
- ↩ Emily Dixon, “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Was Asked About Defunding the Police and Her Answer Went Viral”. Marie Claire, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ Scott Pham, “Police Arrested More Than 11,000 People At Protests Across The U.S.”. BuzzFeed News, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Jan Ransom, “Despite Virus, Hundreds Arrested in Unrest Are Held in Cramped Jails”. The New York Times, June 4, 2020.
- ↩ Greg Doucette, George Floyd Protest Police Brutality Videos.
- ↩ “Violence and controversies during the George Floyd protests”. Wikipedia.
- ↩ Stephen Gandel, “At least 40 lawsuits claim police brutality at George Floyd protests across U.S.”. CBS News, June 23, 2020.
- ↩ Rainer Shea, “Intelligence leaks reveal just how ready the police state is to crack down on dissent.” June 25, 2020.
- ↩ Chris Brooks, “After Barr Ordered FBI to “Identify Criminal Organizers,” Activists Were Intimidated at Home and at Work”. The Intercept_, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ Katie Warren and Joey Hadden, “How all 50 states are responding to the George Floyd protests, from imposing curfews to calling in the National Guard”. Business Insider, June 4, 2020.
- ↩ Dylan Lovan, Bruce Schreiner. “Investigators: Man fatally shot on night of protests was killed by Kentucky National Guard rifle”. Military Times, June 9, 2020.
- ↩ Maria Sacchetti, “Curfews follow days of looting and demonstrations.” The Washington Post, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ Christina Wilkie, Amanda Macias. “Trump threatens to deploy military as George Floyd protests continue to shake the U.S.”. CNBC, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ FBI Counterterrorism Division. “(U) White Supremacist Infiltration of Law Enforcement”.
- ↩ Rachel E. Greenspan, “Oregon police told armed white men that they didn’t want to look like they were ‘playing favorites’ when they advised them to stay inside after curfew”. Insider, June 5, 2020.
- ↩ Craig Timberg, “As Trump warns of leftist violence, a dangerous threat emerges from the right-wing boogaloo movement”. The Washington Post, June 17, 2020.
- ↩ Rachel E. Greenspan, “Violent counter-protesters mobbed a small-town BLM demonstration in Ohio amid false rumors of antifa”. Insider, June 16, 2020.
- ↩ Lee Brown, “Men in Ku Klux Klan-style hoods crash Nevada Black Lives Matter rally”. New York Post, June 11, 2020.
- ↩ “KKK ‘leader’ charged for attack on Black Lives Matter protesters”. BBC News, June 9, 2020.
- ↩ Kelly Weill, “The Far Right Is Stirring Up Violence at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”. The Daily Beast, June 16, 2020.
- ↩ Konstantin Toropin, “Another shooting in Seattle’s police-free autonomous zone kills man and critically injures boy”. CNN, June 29, 2020.
- ↩ “‘American Patriots’ are planning to retake the so-called Seattle “autonomous zone” from CHAZ insurrectionists”. Law Enforcement Today, June 16, 2020.
Source: MROnline
#copaganda #CounterInsurgency #Ferguson #GeorgeFloyd #GeorgeFloydRebellion #GeorgeFloydUprising #insurgency #WhatMatters2020
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Introduction
On May 25, 2020, police in Minneapolis Minnesota murdered George Floyd in cold blood. Responding to allegations of counterfeit money, police arrested Floyd, with one officer kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes, ultimately suffocating him. The killing was captured on video and quickly spread across the internet.
Protests soon followed. The first protest organized in Minneapolis was on May 26. By May 28 the protests had spread to the nearby cities of St Paul and Duluth with riots occurring in Minneaopolis that evening. Mostly notably, the third precinct of the Minneapolis Police Department was besieged and burned. Minnesota activated the National Guard on May 29 in response to the unrest.1 The American state’s disastrous response to COVID-19, massive unemployment, and indiscriminate police killings that disproportionately target people of colour provided the impetus for an enormous and unprecedented outpouring of rage; protests, many of them violently targeting the police, spread across the United States like wildfire.
While the initial uprising was ferocious in its explosive anger and militancy, within just three weeks the protests seem to have been channeled largely into the decidedly less militant demand of “Defund the police.” What happened? I largely agree with what Kandist Mallett wrote in a brilliant article in Teen Vogue, in which she argued that: “those in power…are working tirelessly to destroy this wave of unrest before it becomes a tsunami they cannot control.… They are trying to kill this movement.”2 The defanging of the George Floyd Uprising was not accidental but was rather a deliberate attempt on the part of the American ruling class to regain social control in the wake of the most militant protests in recent memory—and, as a movement, possibly the largest in U.S. history.
What I want to do in this article is to examine the dimensions of how this defanging took place: how, within the space of two weeks, we went from burning down a police station to making small budgetary demands. I argue that the massive effort to defang the George Floyd Uprising should be understood as a deliberate counter-insurgency operation, combining the (sometimes coordinated) efforts of: various police forces, the capitalist media, the American military, NGOs, the Democrats, both state and federal governments, and other liberal establishment figures. What I also want to show is that these efforts were not extraordinary: there was no shadowy conspiracy to intervene. Rather, each of these apparatuses functioned exactly as intended to in order to defend the existing capitalist order. By examining the response to the George Floyd Uprising, the left can gain a better understanding of just how difficult it will be to overthrow capitalism and the capitalist state and potentially avoid pitfalls in the future.
Before continuing, I want to address the initial and most obvious opposition to my argument. If the efforts to defang the protests should be understood as a counter-insurgency, then it stands to reason that the George Floyd Uprising should be considered an insurgency. Is this not hyperbolic? Given the extent of the crisis of legitimacy the protests created for the American state, I do not think it is hyperbolic at all. As Kristian Williams argued in “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing”, insurgency and counter-insurgency is precisely the lens through which the American state views much of its domestic policing activity, from gang-related operations through to protest management.3
The uprising truly created a crisis of legitimacy for the American state. It needs to be stated outright that the burning of a police station and the forced retreat, under siege, of the police inside is unprecedented in the history of modern American protest. The vulnerability of the police was put on full display: the following night police were attacked in Los Angeles and New York, among other locations. The National Guard was deployed throughout the United States. While not as historically unprecedented for dealing with dissent, there were concerns, at least in Minnesota, that the National Guard would be insufficient to quell the uprising. Governor Tim Walz on May 30 in the Minneapolis Star Tribune: “We do not have the numbers… We cannot arrest people when we are trying to hold ground.”4 Three days later, a Senior Airman in the Minnesota National Guard said in an interview that he was “waiting for the scales to tip” with regards to the “riot purgatory” that existed; the National Guard had, as of June 2, been unable to gain control of the city.5 Trump was even rushed to his White House bunker in response to protests in Washington D.C.; the last time those bunkers were used was during the September 11 attacks.6 Transit workers used their collective power to refuse to transport arrested protestors.7 Inspired by the protests, longshore workers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union struck and shut down ports across the West Coast in mid-June.8 And in terms of putting numbers to the crisis of legitimacy faced by the American state, on June 3 a Monmouth University survey reported that 54% of Americans thought that the burning of the precinct was justified, higher than the level of support enjoyed by either Biden or Trump.9
Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency
The United States military, in Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, defines an insurgency as: “The organized use of subversion and violence to seize, nullify, or challenge political control of a region.” Counter-insurgency then is defined as “Comprehensive civilian and military efforts designed to simultaneously defeat and contain insurgency and address its root causes.”10
It is worth quoting from the manual at length to demonstrate the sophistication with which the U.S. Military approaches counter-insurgency operations.
Highlighting the specificity of counter-insurgency operations, the manual argues that:
COIN [counter-insurgency] is distinguished from traditional warfare due to the focus of its operations—a relevant population—and its strategic purpose—to gain or maintain control or influence over—and the support of that relevant population through political, psychological, and economic methods.11
Central to how the U.S. Military sees insurgency is the question of political legitimacy:
The struggle for legitimacy with the relevant population is typically a central theme of the conflict between the insurgency and the HN [host nation] government. The HN government generally needs some level of legitimacy among the population to retain the confidence of the populace and an acknowledgment of governing power. The insurgency will attack the legitimacy of the HN government while attempting to develop its own legitimacy with the population. COIN should reduce the credibility of the insurgency while strengthening the legitimacy of the HN government.12
And in turn, central to the question of legitimacy is the task of building and controlling narratives:
COIN planners should compose a unifying message (the COIN narrative) that is consistent with the overarching USG narrative, which is coupled to the USG [U.S. government] objective. Narrative is a structure of planned themes from which both messages and actions are developed. Narrative provides a common thread of communicative influence. The objective speaks to desired outcome; narrative communicates the story of the how and why of an operation. Common themes within a COIN narrative may be: reinforcing the credibility and perception of legitimacy of the HN and USG COIN operation, exploiting the negative aspects of the insurgent efforts, and preemptively presenting the expected insurgent argument along with counter-arguments. … The COIN narrative should be the result of meticulous target-audience analysis conducted by cultural and language subject matter experts … The COIN narrative should provide the guidance from which themes, actions, and messages can be planned in support of the COIN objectives.13
Narrative construction and control is reiterated in practical terms later in the Manual:
In COIN, the information flow can be roughly divided into information which the USG requires to guide its political-military approach (i.e., knowledge of local conditions) and information which the USG wishes to disseminate to influence populations. At the same time, counterinsurgents also seek to impede the information flow of insurgent groups—both their intelligence collection and their ability to influence the relevant population. 14
One of the tactics emphasized to impede the ability of insurgents to influence the target population is working with local authorities—especially non-governmental ones like religious leaders, and NGOs- to coopt the message of the insurgency and explicitly to moderate it.15 This latter point is extremely important; while moderate movements may enjoy more popular support, they are also far less successful at winning their demands.16 It is therefore in the interest of those defend the existing order to support the moderate elements of a movement.
All this is to say then that the U.S. Military understands insurgency and counter-insurgency as being not just a military question, but rather a question of politics. To this end, the Manual heavily emphasizes the importance of political action in counter-insurgency operations:
To be effective, officials involved in COIN should address two imperatives—political action and security—with equal urgency, recognizing that insurgency is fundamentally an armed political competition…. COIN functions, therefore, include informational, security, political, economic, and development components, all of which are designed to support the overall objective of establishing and consolidating control by the HN government. … This is the core of COIN, because it provides a framework around which all other programs and activities are organized. As described above, depending on the root causes of the insurgency, the strategy may involve elements of political reform, reconciliation, popular mobilization, and governmental capacity building.17
If we understand insurgency and counter-insurgency as involving both a military and political aspect, in which the political is primary, with insurgency being primarily about building a counter-legitimacy to the state and counter-insurgency being primarily about the political isolation of insurgents through the creation of narratives, we can begin to see how such an understanding is useful to apply to American domestic politics. The George Floyd Uprising saw insurgents directly undermine the legitimacy of the existing state, especially the police, through both armed and political action. In turn, the state and establishment responded with both armed and political actions, the latter in the form of co-optation and narrative control.
But the connections between American counter-insurgency and domestic politics are not just on the discursive level. In “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing”, Kristian Williams provides an excellent overview of the material relationship between American military counter-insurgency programs and American policing. This is specifically evident with regard to trends towards the militarization of the police and so-called “Community Policing” initiatives. Williams demonstrates how, in a modern example of the “imperial boomerang”18, many of the methods employed by modern police forces were developed and refined by the American military, including during its occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. In turn, the military partnered with police forces to learn how to better control conquered populations, be they black people living in American cities or Iraqis living under American occupation in Iraq.19
Of particular interest is the role that NGOs play in this process. As was noted earlier, the U.S. Military makes special mention of NGOs in the process of counter-insurgency. An earlier version of the Manual, published in 2006 and authored by David Petraeus, is more explicit, remarking that “some of the best weapons for counterinsurgents do not shoot” and referring to NGOs as “force-multipliers”. Williams is able to show how NGOs were directly involved in de-escalating responses of the community to murders committed by American police in Oakland, as well as involved in anti-gang activities in Boston. Both of these separate efforts fall under the playbook of counter-insurgency.20
Before going in depth into the George Floyd Uprising, it is worthwhile looking at the “why” of counter-insurgency. Why is it that the police and military have developed a comprehensive strategy intended to undermine threats to the existing order? Fundamentally, the modern state exists to protect the interests of the capitalist class—namely the continuation of capital accumulation and exploitation—against the interests of everyone else. In turn, specific states exist to protect the specific interests of their specific capitalist classes. Thus anything that attempts to undermine capitalism, or the ability of capitalists to exploit, must be itself undermined. The state has a myriad of tools at its disposal to help with this process. Some are ideological (they convince people exploitation is in their own interest) whereas others, like the police, are repressive. Insofar as the goal of counter-insurgency is ultimately to protect the accumulation of capital, we should understand counter-insurgency as extending beyond just the actions of the repressive apparatuses of the state. What I will explore below is that in this case, counter-insurgency was a joint effort of the entire American ruling class, both inside and outside the state, to defang the George Floyd Uprising. The American ruling class used both violent and non-violent means to defang the uprising: they deployed what could be called a carrot-and-stick approach in order to protect the social order.
The Carrot…
The Media Narrative
In the days following the murder of George Floyd, the media worked tirelessly to defang the George Floyd Uprising. They did this not by creating reality through discourse, but by selectively and pointedly reporting on certain aspects of reality. As a result, they encouraged people to think about the uprising in specific ways, and in turned called them into action in specific ways. I will focus primarily on the Minneapolis Star Tribune; the narrative trends developed there were later repeated in media across the United States.
Initial media reaction to the uprising directly condemned property destruction. After a Target was looted on the night of May 27, the Star Tribune spent the following day reporting on the impact that riots would have on small businesses.21 True to form, the Star Tribune printed a call for peace from the family and partner of George Floyd22 as well as from “political, faith, community leaders” calling for an “end to riots.”23 The latter story was particularly interesting insofar as the group was called together for a conference by Minnesota governor Tim Walz, and included both church leaders and NGO managers. Here is an example of a top state official picking and choosing who counts as a “community leader” without direct input from the community. In turn, the Star Tribune reported on the meeting treating these externally hand-picked “community leaders” as though their legitimacy derived from the community itself.
In the following days, the Star Tribune shifted focus to the human cost of the riots to the local community. The publication blamed the riots for creating a food desert due to the closing of large corporate grocery stores.24 Rioters were also blamed for the lack of access to medicine now faced by the local community due to the closure of pharmacies.25 Rioters were alleged to have burned down nearly 200 units of affordable housing, thus exacerbating the housing crisis.26 The riots were also allegedly responsible for devastating Minneapolis’ famed Lake Street, home to immigrant-owned business and a hub, according to the Star Tribune, of multi-culturalism.27
In its discussion of the immediate impact of the uprising on the local community, not once did the Star Tribune go beyond surface-level condemnations of the rioters. Suddenly concerned with access to food and medication, the stories did not include discussions as to why the closure of a few grocery stores could create a food desert. There was no discussion on the increased price of food and wealth-disparity. There was no discussion on the monopolization of food sources by large chains. There was no discussion on the effects of for-profit healthcare on access to medicine. No discussions on gentrification and stagnant wages leading to the necessity of specifically designated “affordable” housing. No discussions on the context of the riots: namely 40 million unemployed Americans staring down a pandemic with miniscule government relief. No discussion of looting as a means of getting necessities such as medicine, food, and clothing; no discussion as to why Target and pharmacies became targets. Instead the riots were presented largely without context, as simply an irrational outburst of anger, alone causing problems to the community. Those fighting back against the existing order were blamed for the worst effects of the very order they fought against.
In addition to direct condemnation, the Star Tribune also took a more nuanced approach to the riots. Instead of the riots being an organic expression of community anger, they were presented—both by the media, and the government—as being the work of (usually white) “outside agitators”. Rioting was purported to be the work of secret white-supremacists that had infiltrated the protests in order to cause mayhem. In that same meeting of community leaders called together by Tim Walz on May 30, the executive director of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage put it succinctly: “White people from other communities are coming into my community, our communities as some kind of perverse poetry, as if it wasn’t bad enough already. … Go home now. The fascists on the plan right now, turn around.”28 The Star Tribune reported on an Illinois man who had been arrested with explosives in Minneapolis, who had specifically traveled there to riot.29 The mayor of St Paul and the governor of Minnesota had each tweeted that the vast majority -80% to all- of the arrestees in the week preceding June 6 had been from out-of-state despite the fact that there was no evidence to back up such claims. The claims were so ludicrous that the Star Tribune ran a story walking back many of the claims about outside agitators; well after the damage had been done to the protests.30
The goal of these various media narratives—first, condemning the riots; second, emphasizing the damage to the community; and third, blaming outside agitators- was to drive a dual process of bifurcation within the protest movement. The goal of the ruling class was on the one hand to separate “peaceful” liberal protestors from the more radical element, both to avoid radicalization of the moderate protestors but also to isolate the radicals within the movement. Second, the goal was to lump the radical protestors together with apolitical opportunist looters, whether or not the latter group actually existed, and in turn ignore the radical critiques of both policing and society as a whole that the radicals put forward. Thus the establishment attempted to call into being two groups: a group of good, peaceful, moderate protestors; and a second group of opportunist, violent protestors who did not care about the injustice the protests were about. The tactics and message of the first group was to be lauded, whereas the tactics and message of the second group was to be condemned.
Meanwhile, seemingly out of nowhere, another narrative appeared in the media. Across both social and traditional media outlets, stories appeared showing police supporting the protests. Most famous were the images of police (and sometimes National Guard) kneeling with the protestors. Often times this was displayed as the result of a request from the “good protestors”, who were then portrayed as applauding police initiative. However, in this case reality cut through the media spin: the American police were simply too vicious for their “spontaneous” (more on this below) outpouring of empathy to be taken seriously. There were abundant accounts of the same police transitioning from kneeling to attacking protestors within the space of hours.
As the protests spread in the early weeks of June, it was no longer possible for the media to rely on the “outside agitator” platitude. Indeed, with protests in literally every major city in the United States, there was no “outside” for the agitators to come from. And with the utter inhumanity of the police on full display, stories of police taking a knee simply didn’t hold water. The media then turned to focusing almost exclusively on the efforts of liberal NGOs engaged in “rebuilding” efforts31, and the activities of the “good” protestors. The degree to which the “good” protestors were signal-boosted by the media is evident in the speed at which the “Defund the Police” slogan, itself a moderated version of the already moderate “abolish the police” demand, became the public rallying cry of the movement as a whole.32 Finally, towards mid-June, with the protests now largely contained and the radical element isolated, the media began largely ignoring the massive protests that are still occurring, instead only providing local coverage of incidental events.
While I have focused largely on the narrative created in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the same pattern (from demonization, to outside agitators, to focusing on the community cost, the good/bad protestor division, the police sympathy, to NGOs and liberals, to ultimately ignoring the movement) was a pattern that was repeated more-or-less within all major media sources in North America. Why was this the case? The similarity in editorial line between media companies does not indicate direct coordination between media onwers nor does it point to state intervention or censorship. Rather, insofar as media in North America is either owned by large corporations or run by the state, the commonality of interests that exists between rich owners and rich state managers is inevitably reflected in the editorial line of the media which they run.33 It makes total sense then that the media would relay a narrative which had as its effect the defanging of the George Floyd Uprising; such an action was absolutely within the interests of the large capitalists which control the media. The capitalist class, by owning the media and therefore controlling its content, was able to utilize media narratives as part of the counter-insurgency effort against the George Floyd Uprising.
In the case of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the connection between ownership and editorial line could not be clearer. Glen Taylor, the billionaire former state senator, admitted as much when he bought the newspaper in 2014. In an interview with MinnPost, he stated that his ownership of the paper would result in the editorial line being less liberal.34 It is unsurprising then that the overall editorial position of the paper reflects Taylor’s public position, namely that the problem is not specifically law enforcement and that protests are only legitimate if they are peaceful.35 Insofar as the George Floyd Uprising threatened the existing order in Minneapolis, an order that Glen Taylor benefitted from, the Star Tribune would come out against the uprising. This same process played out across the United States over the course of the uprising.
The Copaganda Machine
No account of how the media treated the George Floyd Uprising would be complete without a discussion of something that is often overlooked in accounts of reactionary media spin: the absolutely massive public relations machine employed by the police themselves. While it is possible that the speed with which stories of police “taking a knee” with protestors went viral was entirely natural, it is far more likely that in the wake of the largest anti-police protests in a generation that the police PR machine jumped into overdrive.
The goal of police public relations (PR) is, like any public relations campaign, to influence how the public views the police. In one article written for Police One, the largest English-language online community of police boasting literally tens of thousands of members, the point of police PR is described as “to establish a positive relationship with the community before an incident occurs.” The point of PR is directly contextualized to counteract the public’s reactions to racist police terror: “Events dating back to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, Rodney King, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray and others have been covered extensively in the media and have tarnished the reputation of many agencies. The public relations team must establish or repair the image of the agency within the community.”36 In another article on the same website, another officer describes the utility of “branding” (using a PR campaign to build a police “brand”) insofar as it allows police departments to control messaging and make clear a department’s “value proposition.”37 The goal of branding is to build preconceptions about the role of police, thus filtering any observations through the preconceived image of how police should act. This allows the police to have greater impunity in their actions, as anything they do is seen immediately through the lens of police being good and necessary protectors.
On the surface this seems fairly obvious and innocuous. All firms employ PR strategies in one form or another, in which the firm seeks to use the media to influence public reaction to the firm. However if we consider the social role of police, namely a repressive apparatus of the capitalist state designed to protect the conditions which allow for exploitation, the police use of PR becomes more sinister. Police directly attempt to manipulate public perceptions of their actions in their favour, including racist murder.
How widespread is the police use of PR? It is difficult to say. An examination of several police budgets over the past years of cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Toronto turned up little information; the police are remarkably good at concealing precisely what they spend their money on. There is some scattered information though that suggests that the police spend a staggering amount on PR. For instance, in 2016 the Denver Police Department was revealed to have spent $1.3 million over three years on its “media relations unit”.38 The Metropolitan Police in the UK had, in 2015, a 10 million pound annual PR budget that employed 100 communications staff, with a police across the UK spending 36 million pounds annually on PR.39 The LAPD, rather than just employing a Public Information Officer (PIO), has an entire Public Relations Unit.40 In Toronto, the 2019 police budget requested an additional $7.9 million to be partially used on nine new positions in the Corporate Communications Unit, increasing the total staff from 16 to 25, to be used to “help increase capabilities in public relations, internal communication and digital strategy.”41 And in 2020, the NYPD allotted $3.2 million for public relations, in order to tell their “side of the story.”42
Direct police department expenses on PR are just one of the PR avenues available to police. Police unions also hire PR firms to improve the image of their officers or to advance specific goals.43 Individual police officers can also hire PR firms to represent them in times of need. One such service, Cop PRotect, allows officers to pay $50 per month for guaranteed representation if something should go wrong. In a story placed in Police Magazine, the need for such a service is related directly to the Ferguson Uprising:
Cops today are completely at the mercy of activists who don’t care about the truth … Darren Wilson was nearly murdered and now lives in hiding, while the man who tried to kill him is declared a hero by activists. Cop PRotect gives cops like Darren Wilson a trusted friend to tell their stories in ways agency information officers, union representatives and the media cannot or will not.44
In this case, the firm was created directly to mitigate community blowback against individual officers in the wake of racist police terror.
While the amount that is spent on pro-police PR is hard to find, the indirect effects make it more obvious. Indeed, there exists an entire parasitic cottage industry of pro-police PR firms and consulting services, which exist solely to increase public perceptions in the police. For instance, a quick search turned up John Guilfoil Public Relations which specializes in the public sector, including the police. A testimonial from the chief of the Massachusetts Police Department states that the firm “provides an extremely valuable service to those agencies that want to be proactive in … getting out a positive message to the community.”45 PolicePR in Indiana offers a Public Information Officer boot camp, in partnership with the Greenwood Police Department.46 Melissa Agnes, a crisis management strategist who has been featured on Police One, has a whole series of articles and talks dealing specifically with police misconduct, ranging from “Discussing the Divide Between Police and Their Communities” to “Discussing The #Ferguson Crisis with Tim Burrows”.47 None of these firms or services would exist if the police were not paying for them.
Police PR strategies are not limited to traditional media. To give the strategies a more organic feel, police forces and their hired PR firms make frequent use of social media in order to help control the narrative around their actions. Police Chief Magazine warns officers that “Hiding and Hoping is Not a PR Strategy”; police forces not only need to monitor social media to see what perception of the police force is after an incident, but must also build “a social media presence”. This latter point can include spreading information about a suspect in the event that video showing police misconduct spreads.48 As part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s ‘Community Oriented Policing Services’ (COPS) Strategic Communication Practices guide, there is an entire section on the importance of social media.49 Another article on Police One suggests that police departments send officers onto Reddit, both to get ahead of a story, but also to intervene in the discussions as police.50 These efforts can be bolstered by using “community outreach programs” to “build an online army of supporters.”51
Lest anyone think that the police simply use social media to inform their audience about their activities, the police consciously use social media to manipulate public opinion during moments of crisis. Taken from another Police One article (a fantastic resource for those wanting to understand the mindset of police), this one published ominously on May 28, 2020, titled “12 things every police department’s civil unrest plan needs”, there is an entire section on social media. Departments are instructed to be aware that protestors can use social media to amplify and coordinate their activity; departments should also be aware and be ready to counter those that would “lower the perception of [their] department.” If that fails, there’s always the National Guard.52 Force Science News published an article/advertisement featuring Melissa Agnes in 2018, which advised departments to have prepared a ‘Communications Bible’ to help navigate crises such as “officer-involved shootings”.53 In a mid-June Police One leadership briefing, after weeks of anti-police protests, authors mockingly reflected: “Now do you recognize the power of social media?” arguing that police “must start viewing… social media as an integral tool in policing.”54
All this is to say there exists a massive and highly coordinated police PR machine, which the police use to try and directly control media narratives in their favour. They do this as part of a broader effort to maintain the current social order. While it is impossible to prove this soon, I strongly suspect that it was this machine which was responsible for the flood of sympathetic stories about the police that featured prominently across traditional and social media in early June. Despite the best efforts of the police, their unions, and their employed PR firms, they were unable to shift the broader media narrative for more than a few days; the brutal actions of police across the United States spoke for themselves and undermined attempts to portray the police in a positive light.
While ultimately unsuccessful, the wave of pro-police media in early June gave credibility to the more moderate argument that the institution of policing itself is not the problem, but rather that it is only some “bad apples” amidst an otherwise salvageable police force. This in turn gave more ideological power to moderate and liberal elements, the so-called “good protestors”, within the broader protest movement. To tie this back into counter-insurgency, control over information in the form of both narrative construction and information dissemination is one of the main tools of counter-insurgency strategies. The police consciously did just this, and in the process strengthened the moderates within the movement.
The Non-Profit Industrial Complex
As noted earlier, the U.S. military considers NGO partnerships to be a vital part of counter-insurgency efforts. Much has been written about the negative effects of non-profits on social movements. In the classic collection of essays titled The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, Andrea Smith argues that capital and the capitalist state use nonprofits to: monitor and control social movements, divert public resources into private hands, manage and control dissent, redirect activist efforts towards careerism and away from mass-based modes of organizing, allow corporations to mask exploitation through philanthropy, and encourage social movements to model themselves in terms of structure and politics after capitalist models.55 For the purposes of this essay, I want to focus on two areas: first, how NGOs have a moderating effect on the politics of a movement. Second, I will talk about how NGOs frequently work with the police to protect the current social order under the guise of changing it.
How is it that non-profits are able to moderate social movements? The capitalist class is well aware of their own interests and spends an inordinate amount of money defending them. In the process, they create philanthropic foundations. These philanthropic foundations not only allow capitalists to transfer wealth inter-generationally without taxation (giving their children positions in the foundations) but also fund charitable activities, such as non-profits. There is a catch though: the capitalists will not fund anything that does not fit their interests, namely the continuation of exploitation. They are happy, for instance, to fund affordable housing initiatives insofar as those initiatives do not tackle the root causes of homelessness, namely private property. Capitalist foundations therefore provide resources to NGOs which act in line with their interests. In turn, NGOs knowingly moderate themselves in order to better secure resources. Furthermore respectable NGOs can become the public face of a movement, effectively forcing the more radical organizations out of the public eye.
The Civil Rights and anti-police movements are full of examples of the moderating effects of NGOs. For instance, in the 1960s white philanthropist Stephen Currier set up the Council for United Civil Rights Leadership in order to channel foundation funding to Civil Rights groups. The so-called ‘Big Six’ were brought together; of the six, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, the most radical of the groups, received the least amount of funding. More radical groups, such as the Nation of Islam, were completely excluded. In 1963 Malcolm X specifically criticized the Big Six and the Council for United Civil Rights Leadership in his famous ‘Message to the Grass Roots’ speech in which he reflected on the March on Washington which had taken place earlier that year.56 The goal of these maneuvers by white philanthropists was clear: fund the more moderate element of the Civil Rights movement to avoid the movement taking a radical turn and undermining the ability for American capitalism to operate.57
Fast forward 50 years, and the same pattern reoccurs. In Oakland in 2009, non-profits directly intervened to deradicalize the response to the killing of Oscar Grant. Ahead of a major rally in January 2009, the Oakland police arranged meetings with various nonprofit and church leaders in order to defang the protests before they even began.58 Religious leaders asked their congregations to not attend the protests. A coalition of NGOs came together and formed the Coalition Against Police Execution (CAPE). CAPE explicitly called for a lack of militancy in their protests, and stood as a physical barrier between police and protestors. 59 In turn, CAPE became the public, legitimate face of the protests, which was reinforced through media coverage.
The uprising in 2014 in Ferguson saw a similar process play itself out. There the NGO influence was given an organizational existence in the form of Black Lives Matter. I want to be clear here; when speaking of Black Lives Matter I am talking about the official organization and not the broader movement of the same name. Black Lives Matter, while first conceived of in 2013, organized its first major action in 2014 with the Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride in response to the killing of Michael Brown by the Ferguson police. Black Lives Matter became the public face of the movement. Despite the Ferguson uprising originating in riots, Black Lives Matter and other organizations planned a series of actions over the course of the summer of 2014 that channeled local activism into safer and less rebellious avenues.
Following the Ferguson uprising, moderate elements of the Black Lives Matter movement became a relatively safe outlet for liberals to support and into which the capitalist class could channel outrage. Black Lives Matter and the constellation of new organizations and networks around it received an absolutely immense amount of donations from larger donors like The Ford Foundation and George Soros.60 The more liberal elements of the movement, able to secure donations, were able to take centre-stage. For instance, one recipient, the Organization for Black Struggle, used some of its funding to create the Hands Up Coalition. This coalition popularized the “hands up, don’t shoot” slogan used by protestors; this ran against slogans by more militant black power activists such as “arms up, shoot back” and “fists up, fight back”. More radical yet equally active groups, such as the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, received no funding. In 2016, Black Lives Matter and 27 other organizations, as part of the Movement for Black Lives, issued a platform of demands titled A Vision for Black Lives. Rather than a comprehensive plan and program to mobilize the masses to fight for their own liberation, the document is a set of policy guidelines. The effect is that efforts are taken off the streets and channeled into traditional power structures where they are ultimately destined to fail.
The founders of Black Lives Matter were first introduced to each other through an NGO known as Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (BOLD). The board of directors of BOLD, those who decide its political direction, is made up of managers of other NGOS.61 BOLD also receives an immense sum of money from private donors, such as through the “philanthropic intermediary” known as Borealis Philanthropy62 and through Funders for Justice.63 This latter group, also created in response to the Ferguson Uprising, in turn receives funding from The Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations; hardly groups interested in a radical transformation of the social order or the end of exploitation. I don’t bring this up to allege a conspiracy that Black Lives Matter is being secretly run by The Ford Foundation, but rather to show that even Black Lives Matter has its origins within the non-profit industrial complex milieu, which in turn effects its politics. Turning back to the George Floyd Uprising, it is unsurprising that in a recent Reddit Ask-Me-Anything, Kailee Scales, the Managing Director for Black Lives Matter, condemned the riots and announced efforts to channel the George Floyd Uprising into voter registration and “civic engagement” through the #WhatMatters2020 campaign.64
The ways in which non-profits have attempted to moderate explosions of rage during the George Floyd Uprising are too many to list. One example I want to focus on, however, is particularly telling. On May 30, two days after the burning of the Third Precinct in Minneapolis, a local non-profit called Pillsbury United Communities had a press conference. Pillsbury United Communities is an incredibly well established NGO; founded in 1879, it runs a number of outreach and education programs, community programs (such as free COVID-19 testing), as well as “social enterprises” including a grocery store. The press conference on May 30 brought together Jamie Foxx, Stephen Jackson, BLM activist Tamika Mallory, alongside George Floyd’s family. Speakers were explicit in their calls for peaceful protests, but generally did not condemn the riots. A peaceful rally followed.65 Thus at the height of the militant protests, people were asked by “legitimate” community leaders to temper their anger and engage in traditionally and easily ignored protests. These calls were amplified by liberals outside the community and the media.
A few days after the rally, Pillsbury United Communities used George Floyd’s death to issue a fundraising call; it is unclear from their website how the money will be used to ensure “Justice for George Floyd”.66 But individual donations are not the only way that Pillsbury United Communities raises funds. It also receives donations from massive foundations such as the Greater Twin Cities United Way, the Minneapolis Foundation, and the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation. The United Way, for instance, acts as a “philanthropic intermediary”, collection donations from large corporations, and then granting money to non-profits. In this specific case, the money given to Pillsbury United Communities comes from sources such as 3M, U.S. Bank, Cargill, and Target.67 The latter, notably, also provides hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to police foundations.68 One can see the issue of an organization fighting for justice against the police having similar funding sources to the police themselves. It is also unlikely that the capitalist class would fund those capable of truly undermining it.
That an NGO intervened in a mass struggle to both channel the movement in a more liberal direction while monopolizing resources is not particularly surprising. What is particularly interesting though is Pillsbury United Communities’ connection to community policing. A 2006 report by the Minneapolis Department of Health & Family Support lists Waite House, a Pillsbury United Communities site, as a “Weed & Seed Safe Haven”.69 Weed and Seed programs, for context, gained prominence in 1992 after the Rodney King riots as a way to connect police and community leaders in order to ostensibly combat gang violence70; they made cohesive the militarization tactics (weed) and community policing tactics (seed) employed in counter-insurgency efforts.71 In December 2014, the FBI gave Pillsbury United Communities its “Director’s Community Leadership Award”, an annual award given to groups for crime prevention efforts.72 Then-president and chief executive, Chanda Smith Baker, accepted the award. Coincidentally, Chanda Smith Baker—now working for the Minneapolis Foundation—also sits on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s newspeak titled “Working Group on Police-Involved Deadly Force Encounters”. The goal of the working group was to “identify ways to reduce deadly force encounters with law enforcement”73. Members of the group included the Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, the Minnesota Attorney General, Philando Castile’s (killed by police in Minnesota in 2016) uncle, and other judge’s, academics, politicians, and NGO managers. Tragically and ironically, the working group released its findings in February 2020; that George Floyd was murdered, just a few months later in a “police-involved deadly force encounter”, demonstrates the extent to which so-called community policing is useful to the community.
One final interesting link between NGOs and the police in Minneapolis: as mentioned earlier, Chanda Smith Baker, after working for Pillsbury United Communities, went on to work as the Senior Vice President, Impact for The Minneapolis Foundation. The current president and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation is R.T. Rybak, who was also the former mayor of Minneapolis. R.T. Rybak also sits on the board of a company called Benchmark Analytics: an IT company which has designed a system capable of predicting when officers will become problematically violent. Rybak therefore has a direct material interest in “reforming” the police. In an article written on June 2, titled “I Was the Mayor of Minneapolis and I Know Our Cops Have a Problem”, Rybak recalls surveying the damage to Minneapolis after the riots with Chanda Smith Baker, before advertising his firm’s solution to police violence.74 Unsurprisingly he emphasizes the humanity of the police, and he sees the solution as being community policing informed by predicative behavior technology.
The organizational and interpersonal links between NGO managers, politicians, police leadership, “community leaders”, and the board members of large capitalist firms points to the existence of a ruling capitalist class. The above is just a small illustration of how the ruling class rules in Minneapolis.
To summarize all of this: Pillsbury United Communities is an established, well-respected local NGO. It is part of the non-profit industrial complex, relying on philanthropic intermediaries for much of its funding, which in turn are funded by massive corporations. It came out very vocally in the early stages of the George Floyd Uprising, urging a more liberal and institutional approach to activism as opposed to the riots. And, it has close ties to the Minneapolis Police Department and state police through community policing programs. It is just one textbook example of many of how NGOs act as elements of a counter-insurgency strategy.
The Democrats
The Democrats have been referred to as the “graveyard of social movements” insofar as they absorb, coopt, and disorganize them.75 Their approach to the George Floyd Uprising is no different. What the Democratic Party sought to do in the wake of the George Floyd Uprising was a combination of repression (in those places in which it exercised power, such as Minneapolis, New York, L.A., etc.) and coopt its energies into the Biden 2020 campaign. Given the unpopularity of Biden and the overall increasing disinterest in electoral politics by much of the left the attempt to coopt the movement, at least ostensibly, has been unsuccessful. It is, however, still worth examining in order to paint a full picture of the counter-insurgency campaign against the uprising.
At the beginning of the uprising, the Democratic Party machine jumped into motion but was unsure how to act. While top Democrat strategists spoke to media about how the uprising could affect the election76 (indicating that they were in fact working on a response), there was little in the way of official high-level statement or actions for almost a week. Then on June 2 two fairly major events occurred. First, Biden publicly brought Julian Castro into his campaign; Castro had been a vocal proponent of liberal police reforms during his bid to become the Democratic nominee for president.77 Second, Pelosi, the multi-millionaire Speaker of the House, asked the Congressional Black Caucus to draft a series of police reforms.78
On June 8, following a ridiculous display in which Pelosi and other top Democrats took a knee wearing Ghanaian kente cloths, the Justice in Policing Act was revealed. The act is fairly milquetoast—far behind the nebulous demands of the uprising—and includes provisions for more easily prosecuting police in cases of brutality, mandatory body cameras, as well as a ban on chokeholds. The Act does absolutely nothing to abolish or even defund police departments. 79 Nor is the act likely to become law; even if the act was to pass the Republican-majority Senate, Trump has announced his attention to veto it.80
Rather than an accident, the unlikelihood of the bill passing is a feature, one of the ways in which so-called “checks and balances” help protect the current order. The Democrats know this; had it been likely to pass the bill would have been even more muted. The inaction of the Democrats in the face of the George Floyd Uprising is not surprising; they are one of the two parties that have overseen the construction and maintenance of the white-supremacist order in the United States. Biden is himself a career segregationist and author of a 1994 crime bill81 which was a cornerstone in the construction of the modern for-profit prison behemoth.82 The Congressional Black Caucus has itself helped to make the police a “protected class”, and also contributed to the militarization of police through the 1033 program.83
Despite the lack of success of the official Democrat cooptation attempt of the George Floyd Uprising, I want to point out one of the more insidious ways that the Democrats are attempting to coopt outrage against police murders through social movements themselves. It is worth first pointing out that Alicia Garza, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter, is a supporter of the centrist-wing of the Democrats, specifically Elizabeth Warren.84 Black Lives Matter has recently launched a campaign called #WhatMatters2020. The goal of the campaign is to bring “BLM supporters and allies to the polls in the 2020 U.S Presidential Election to build collective power and ensure candidates are held accountable for the issues that systematically and disproportionately impact Black and under-served communities across the nation.”85 A campaign video calls on people to vote for an America where “police are held accountable” and “where we have access to quality healthcare”. The problem with this campaign, of course, is that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are even pretending to deliver on promises like this. Biden does not support medicare for all, and was an architect of the current racist criminal justice system. The #WhatMatters2020 campaign is a cynical sheepdog campaign, bringing black people angry at the current injustices of American white-supremacist capitalism back into the Democrats.
Invasion of the Liberals
Earlier in this article, I mentioned that the media was attempting to call into existence a group of “good”, peaceful protestors. I want to spend more time now talking about this process. Ideology is both produced by practice, but also exists as a way of calling particular types of people into activity.86 When the media began focusing almost exclusively on “good” protestors, it was at first inventing this category out of almost thin air; the line it was drawing was an artificial one. But by putting forward this ideological pole, the media called into action people who had hitherto not been involved. The media, alongside notable liberal politicians and other establishment figures, created a group of liberal protestors out of inactive liberals who now saw themselves and their own political predilections reflected in the ongoing uprising. Included in these efforts by the media and liberal establishment figures is a now-famous essay by former president Barrack Obama, posted to Medium on June 1, in which he said he supported the protests, condemned violence, and urged reform efforts to be focused on institutional channels.87
The flip side of the liberal “call to action” is that it also acts as a safeguard against radicalization. When reality confronts ideology, it is often ideology that is changed. Reality forces a rupture in one’s worldview which can lead to radicalization. In this case it became difficult to substantiate the story of a good, neutral, and protective state in the face of ubiquitous police violence against even peaceful protestors. If reality can be changed or if powerful narratives can reinforce ideology, ideology is cemented rather than discarded. In this case, liberalism as a worldview was able to escape challenge due to the emergence of establishment liberals in support of the protests.
The result of the liberalization of the protests on public opinion is interesting. By mid-June, 67% of Americans reportedly supported the ongoing protests. The racial breakdown was more stark: 60% of white people supported the protests, whereas 86% of black people supported them. Despite this, 59% of Americans (including 62% of white Americans compared with 43% of black Americans) believed that the protests were spurred on at least in part as a means for people to engage in criminal behavior.88 Thus the liberalization of the protests resulted in a situation in which the majority of a country deeply enmeshed in white supremacy supported protests proclaiming the value of black lives, despite the majority of the country materially benefitting from that same unjust racial hierarchy. That major politicians like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former Governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate Mitt Romney joined the protests—both politicians with significant power to change the conditions against which they protested- signals only that the political message of the uprising had shifted in the popular consciousness away from “dismantle white supremacy” to the base level of “black people are human”. That nearly one third of America could not even support such a basic affirmation of humanity is telling.
The liberal invasion had three main effects on the uprising. First, the influx of liberals into the rallies not only led to the proliferation of protests and an increase in attendance, but also to their pacification. Protestors began to self-police, modifying their tactics in line with the interests of the existing order. Protestors made sure to demarcate themselves and their actions as “peaceful”, thus robbing themselves of even the specter of militancy. To a certain extent there is a degree of “selection bias” here; militant protestors are more likely to be arrested, and therefore over time the composition of a protest will naturally become more liberal. Police are aware of this and consciously seek to tie up activist time and resources in legal proceedings.
Internally to the protests, liberal protestors acted like “peace police”, disrupting the activities of militants. Examples included liberals in Washington DC turning over a “rioter” to the police (at an anti-police march!) at the end of May,89 as well as the doxxing by liberal activists of Rayshard Brook’s girlfriend, pegged as an outside agitator.90 She is accused of setting fire to the Wendy’s outside of which her partner was murdered by police. Another high-profile example of the liberalization of the protests on the tactical level is Al Sharpton’s call for a march on Washington in August, which took place at the height of militant protests occurring in Washington D.C..91 Such a call, not to support the existing protests but to postpone them, was a calculated attempt to de-escalate the uprising.
Second, the influx of liberals into the movement has paved the way for false victories. By this I mean superficial gains that ultimately leave the underlying power structure which gave rise to the protests unchallenged. Included here is the “Black Lives Matter” street mural in Washington D.C., various corporate black-washing campaigns, the changing of band names, and the cancelling of shows like COPS. One notes the irony of the mayor of New York ordering that “Black Lives Matter” be painted outside of Trump Towers while overseeing a police department which brutalizes black people and and while also opposing efforts to defund the NYPD.
Third, the influx of liberals into the movement had an effect on defanging the demands of the movement. Black Lives Matter was quick to issue the demand to defund the police in the early days of the George Floyd Uprising: they explicitly pushed for a defunding of the police, without going into detail as to what that would entail.92 Other activists seized on the space this opened up and stated that “defund” meant “defund everything”. They argued that the police were not reformable and therefore had to be abolished.93 What followed was a discussion in the media about whether or not “defund” actually meant “defund”. There was no shortage of liberals assuring other concerned liberals that defunding didn’t actually mean that there would be no police.94 While Minneapolis has since begun steps to disband their police force, demands in other locations seem to ask for a portion of police budgets to be re-allocated to community resources, in line with the Movement for Black Lives policy demands.95
The conceptual slippage of “defund” has not gone unnoticed by the police themselves. In a June 18 article on Police One, Mike Walker, a police officer for 27 years, wrote that “defunding is really just a way of saying reduced funding.”96 In the same article he offers assurance to worried police officers by noting that budget cuts were already on the agenda due to COVID-19, and that most municipalities legally cannot function without police due to their municipal charters.
That at least some police are fine with temporarily defunding the police speaks to the heart of just how defanged a demand “defund the police” actually is. But “abolish the police” as a slogan absent a critique of the conditions that give rise to the police is itself a demand that does not cut to the heart of the matter. The police exist because capitalism requires force to defend inequality and exploitation. Without ending exploitation, there will still need to be some form of coercive apparatus to ensure the continued existence of exploitation. Thus the coercive functions of the police will be offloaded to other state apparatuses; there will still be violent, racist coercion whether or not the police exist. This is something that already happens; consider, for instance, the racist terror that child welfare services across Canada (not armed, not police) put Indigenous people through for years. The George Floyd Uprising opened the space for discussions about the fundamental nature of society, about capitalism, imperialism, and racial inequality in America. Liberals shifted the overton window to exclude visions of radical transformation, instead focusing on the degree to which police should be defunded. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s now viral Instagram post which stated that police abolition looks like white suburbia, an atomized capitalist dystopia, makes total sense in this context.97
The liberal invasion resulted in a defanging of protest tactics, results, and even the demands themselves. This process, which was aided by the police, the media, and “legitimate” community leaders, was nothing less than the political side of a counter-insurgency campaign by the American ruling class directed against the George Floyd Uprising. Thus a movement which began with the burning of a police station has been transformed into one of requesting minor amendments to municipal budgets.
…And the Stick
The majority of the article has focused on the less-obvious methods that the American ruling class has used in its counter-insurgency efforts against the George Floyd Uprising. However, while counter-insurgency is more effective if it involves elements of soft power, no counter-insurgency effort is complete without open repression. The efforts against the George Floyd Uprising are no exception.
It is hard to overstate the scale of the police operation against protestors over the past month. For instance, by June 2 there already been over 11 000 arrests of protestors.98 The volume of arrests was used as an excuse to temporarily suspend habeus corpus in New York.99 There have been numerous documented arrests and attacks on journalists from even liberal platforms such as CNN. To my knowledge there are no up to date figures on the total number of arrests. In terms of the intensity of the police response, over the past month there have been countless scenes of police using tear gas and pepper spray to clear otherwise peaceful protests. An online database has logged over 670 individual incidents of police brutality caught on video.100 Police have killed at least four protestors over the course of the uprising. Many more have been maimed.101 As a result there are at least 40 different lawsuits currently underway against police departments for brutality during the George Floyd Uprising.102
As if the level of direct repression was not enough, there has also been an increase in surveillance of activists. A recent leak, titled “Blue Leaks”, has revealed that the FBI monitored social media extensively during the protests and forward information it thought relevant to local police departments.103 FBI agents have also harassed activists after they attended recent protests against police brutality.104 The goal of FBI harassment in general is to intimidate protestors and organizers into inactivity as a means of disorganizing movements. These most recent incidents are reminiscent of FBI surveillance and intimidation of the anti-war movement and COINTELPRO.
The extraordinary level of police terror was not enough to contain the uprising. The National Guard was deployed to 31 states and Washington D.C.. This involved over 62 000 soldiers.105 The National Guard was itself involved in the violent repression of the protests.106 Over 200 cities imposed a curfew, which affected more than 60 million people.107 Trump went as far as to threaten to use the American military to impose order on cities where the protests could not be contained by conventional repression.108
One final aspect to overt repression of protests which needs to be included is the role of far right organizations and militia groups. While these are ostensibly distinct from the state, there is significant overlap and cooperation between police forces and far right organizations; a now infamous 2006 FBI report details the extent to which white supremacists have infiltrated police departments.109 For instance, in early June police in Oregon were caught on video coordinating with the far-right Proud Boys to help them avoid arrest after they intimidated George Floyd protestors.110 Much has also been written about the so-called Boogaloo Movement, which has targeted anti-police brutality protests.111
There have been many attacks by the far right on recent protests. Incidents include a mob of armed counter-protestors in Bethel, Ohio which attacked a black lives matter rally searching for “antifa”.112 The KKK has also been active in these efforts: they attacked a black lives matter rally in Nevada,113 and a local KKK leader in Virginia drove his car into a protest in mid-June.114 The autonomous zone set up in Seattle has also been a magnet for far-right attacks; on June 15 the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer entered the zone and beat a man,115 and there have been five shootings directed at the zone in recent weeks, somehow allowed by police. The most recent one resulted in the death of two attackers and injuries to a 14 year old boy.116 Far right groups have also announced a plan to “retake” the zone on July 4.117
Police and national guard brutality, police harassment and surveillance, threats of military intervention, and attacks by the far right all serve as the coercive elements to the American establishment’s counter-insurgency efforts against the George Floyd Uprising. Without the threat of violence the “carrot” side of the “carrot and stick” formula would not be as attractive. The end goal however, is the same: the maintenance and defense of an order defined by exploitation and white supremacy.
Conclusion
Over the course of this article what I have sought to do is outline some of the ways that the American ruling sought to defend itself during the course of one of the largest threats to its own existence in recent years. I have shown how combined and coordinated efforts by: police forces, the military, capitalist media, NGOs, the Democrats, far-right groups, and liberal establishment figures have all combined to undermine the George Floyd Uprising. Thus far these efforts seem to have been rather successful.
The beautiful thing about history, however, is that it is never predetermined. The future is not written. While the establishment has a mind-boggling array of resources and sophisticated counter-insurgency techniques at its disposal, it is not infallible. Indeed, it does (and has!) made mistakes. It is these mistakes that provide openings for revolutionary forces to intervene and change the existing social order. Even the outcome of these protests is not yet decided: they continue, and the protestors become increasingly sophisticated in fighting back. The massive uprising of the past few weeks has shown the degree to which the people do possess power. But the events have also shown the pitfalls into which movements of resistance can fall. By writing this article I hope to have exposed some of these pitfalls, so that liberation struggles now and in the future can avoid them.
Notes
- ↩ VOA News, “Minnesota Calls National Guard to Quell Violent Protests in Minneapolis”.
- ↩ Kandist Mallett, “The Black Lives Matter Revolution Can’t Be Co-Opted By Police and Lawmakers”.
- ↩ Kristian Williams, “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing,” Interface, Vol 3, No 1, May 2011.
- ↩ Aaron Morrison and Tim Sullivan, “Minneapolis overwhelmed again by protests over Floyd death,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Reid Forgrave, “On patrol in St. Paul, National Guard waits ‘for the scales to tip’”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Jamie Ehrlich, “The hidden history of the secret presidential bunker,” CNN Politics.
- ↩ Hilary Hanson, “NYC Transit Union Backs Bus Drivers Who Refuse To Transport Protestors For NYPD”. HuffPost U.S., May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Joe DeManuelle-Hall, “West Coast Dockers Stop Work to Honor George Floyd”. Labor Notes, June 11, 2020.
- ↩ Matthew Impelli, “54 Percent of Americans Think Burning Down Minneapolis Police Precinct Was Justified After George Floyd’s Death,” Newsweek, June 6, 2020.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, GL-5.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, xiii.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, I-7.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, I-8.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, III-6.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, III-14.
- ↩ Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Kovacheff, C. (2020). “The activist’s dilemma: Extreme protest actions reduce popular support for social movements”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication.
- ↩ Joint Publication 3-24: Counterinsurgency, III-5.
- ↩ Connor Woodman, “The Imperial Boomerang: How colonial methods of repression migrate back to the metropolis”.
- ↩ Kristian Williams, “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing,” Interface, Vol 3, No 1, May 2011.
- ↩ Williams, “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing”.
- ↩ Kavita Kumar and Miguel Otarola, “Small-business owners pick up the pieces after night of rage, destruction”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ Paul Walsh, “Seeing his city on fire would ‘devastate’ George Floyd, girlfriend says”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ Briana Bierschbach, “Minnesota’s political, faith, community leaders plead for an end to riots”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ John Ewoldt, “Minneapolis neighborhoods face food desert after looting closes multiple stores”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Kavita Kumar and Adam Belz, “In riot-hit Twin Cities neighborhoods, a hole where pharmacies used to be”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Jim Buchta, “Minneapolis vandalism targets include 189-unit affordable housing development.” Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ Kathleen Hennessy and Tim Sullivan, “Unrest devastates a city’s landmark street of diversity.” Minneapolis Star Tribune. May 31, 2020.
- ↩ Briana Bierschbach, “Minnesota’s political, faith, community leaders plead for an end to riots”, Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Andy Mannix, “’We came to riot’: Illinois man livestreamed lighting fires, handing out explosives in Minneapolis, charges say”. Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ Torey Van Oot. “’Fog of conflict’: Minnesota officials responding to George Floyd protests, violence helped spread of misinformation”. Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 6, 2020.
- ↩ Kelly Smith, “Minneapolis, St. Paul foundations aim at rebuilding, criminal justice reform after riots.”. Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 5, 2020; “How To Give Back To Your Besieged Community”. CBS Minnesota, June 9, 2020.
- ↩ Sam Levin. “Movement to defund police gains ‘unprecedented’ support across U.S..” The Guardian, June 4, 2020; Jack Kelly. “The Movement To Defund Or Disband Police: Here’s What You Need To Know Now.” Forbes, June 9, 2020.
- ↩ Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent. Michael Parenti, Inventing Reality: The Politics of News Media.
- ↩ Britt Robson, “New owner Glen Taylor: less liberal Star Tribune ahead.” MinnPost, April 16, 2014.
- ↩ Chris Haynes. “Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor calls George Floyd’s death ‘a shame’ and ‘a tragedy’”. Yahoo Sports, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ Dan Grossi, “Public relations in law enforcement: Is the PIO obsolete?” Police One, January 8, 2020.
- ↩ W. Michael Phibbs, “Why your police department needs a brand.” Police One, September 7, 2017.
- ↩ John Ferrugia, Brittany Freeman, Jason Foster. “Denver police defend public relations spending”. The Denver Channel, February 17, 2016.
- ↩ William Turvill. “UK police forces spend more than £36m a year on PR and communications”. Press Gazette, May 1, 2015.
- ↩ Los Angeles Police Department. “Public Relations Unit”, Official Site of The Los Angeles Police Department.
- ↩ Mark Saunders, Chief of Police. “Toronto Police Service—2019 Operating Budget Request”.
- ↩ Jake Offenhartz, “NYPD Defends Its Massive Budget As Social Services And Youth Programs Are Cut”. The Gothamist, May 15, 2020.
- ↩ Joel Rub, David Zahniser. “L.A. police union hires PR firm in bid to win pay raises”. Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2015.
- ↩ POL Staff. “PR Firm Launches Service to Defend Police Officers from Anti-Cop Activists.” Police Magazine, November 17, 2015.
- ↩ John Guilfoil Public Relations. “Sectors We Serve”.
- ↩ PolicePR.
- ↩ Melissa Agnes. “Discussing the Divide Between Police and Their Communities, on The Police Podcast”. Melissa Agnes: Crisis Management Strategist. January 27, 2015; Melissa Agnes. “TCIP #011—Discussing The #Ferguson Crisis with Tim Burrows”. Melissa Agnes: Crisis Management Strategist. August 17, 2014.
- ↩ Julie Parker. “Hiding and Hoping Is Not a PR Strategy.” Police Chief Magazine.
- ↩ Darrel W. Stephens, Julia Hill, Sheldon Greenburg. Strategic Communication Practices: A Toolkit for Police Executives.
- ↩ Sean Whitcomb, Jonah Spangenthal-Lee. “3 reasons your agency should be on Reddit.” Police One, May 2, 2019.
- ↩ P1 Staff. “Roundtable: How to match your agency’s social media strategy with community needs”. Police One, May 2, 2019.
- ↩ Heather R. Cotter. “12 things every police department’s civil unrest plan needs”. Police One, May 28, 2020.
- ↩ “Are you ready for the crisis that may be heading your way?” Police One, July 5, 2018.
- ↩ Yael Bar-tur, Mathew Rejis, “Now do you recognize the power of social media?”. Police One, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ Andrea Smith, “Introduction”, The Revolution Will Not Be Funded, 3.
- ↩ Malcolm X, “Message to the Grass Roots”. Black Past.
- ↩ Netfa Freeman, “Movement Ferguson, Beware the Nonprofit Industrial Complex”. Black Agenda Report, January 21, 2015.
- ↩ George Ciccariello-Maher, “Chronicle of a Riot Foretold”. Counterpunch, June 29, 2010.
- ↩ Advance the Struggle. “Justice for Oscar Grant: A Lost Opportunity?”. Advance the Struggle, July 15, 2009.
- ↩ Netfa Freeman, “Movement Ferguson, Beware the Nonprofit Industrial Complex”. Black Agenda Report, January 21, 2015.
- ↩ BOLD. “Board”. BOLD.
- ↩ Borealis Philanthropy. “Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity”.
- ↩ BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity) Funding Page.
- ↩ “Let me be clear: we do not advocate violence in protests of any kind—not by any protester and not by police. We do not advocate or condone destruction of property. We believe in the value of human lives.” Reddit.
- ↩ Patrick Reusse. “Stephen Jackson, other activists score with straight talk at Minneapolis City Hall rotunda.” Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Adair Mosley. “Justice for George Floyd”. Pillsbury United Communities, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Corporate Partners” .
- ↩ Kari Paul. “How Target, Google, Bank of America and Microsoft quietly fund police through private donations”. The Guardian, June 18, 2020.
- ↩ Minneapolis Department of Health & Family Support. “City of Minneapolis Weed & Seed Initiative”.
- ↩ Community Capacity Development Office, U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs. Weed and Seed Implementation Manual.
- ↩ Kristian Williams, “The other side of the COIN: counterinsurgency and community policing,” Interface, Vol 3, No 1, May 2011.
- ↩ “FBI recognizes Pillsbury United Communities for its service to diverse neighborhoods.” Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 15, 2014.
- ↩ Working Group on Police-Involved Deadly Force Encounters. “Executive Summary of Recommendations”, 2.
- ↩ R. T. Rybak. “I Was the Mayor of Minneapolis and I Know Our Cops Have a Problem”. Benchmark Analytics, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ August H. Nimtz. “The Graveyard of Progressive Social Movements: The Black Hole of the Democratic Party”. MR Online, May 9, 2017.
- ↩ Brian Schwartz, “How Joe Biden’s leading VP contenders stack up in the wake of protests over George Floyd’s death”. CNBC, June 1, 2020; Daniel Strauss, “’A national crisis’: how the killing of George Floyd is changing U.S. politics”. The Guardian, May 30, 2020; Nicholas Fandos, “Congress Plans Hearings on Racial Violence and Use of Force by the Police”. New York Times, May 29, 2020.
- ↩ Suzanne Gamboa, “Joe Biden pulls Julian Castro into campaign, asks for help to ‘tackle police reform’”. NBC News, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Kelsey Snell, Claudia Grisales. “Pelosi Asks Black Caucus To Come Up With Police Reforms Following Protests”. NPR, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Catie Edmondson, “Democrats Unveil Sweeping Bill Targeting Police Misconduct and Racial Bias”, The New York Times, June 8, 2020.
- ↩ Lisa Mascaro, “Police overhaul dims, but House Democrats push ahead on vote”. Police One, June 25, 2020.
- ↩ German Lopez, “The controversial 1994 crime law that Joe Biden helped write, explained”. Vox, June 20, 2019.
- ↩ Glen Ford, “The Movement Gets BIG—and Its Enemies Reveal Themselves”. Black Agenda Report, June 4, 2020.
- ↩ Danny Haiphong, “The Rebellion Against Police Repression Must Guard Against ALL Enemies, Whether Red, Blue, or Green”, Black Agenda Report, June 17, 2020.
- ↩ Justine Coleman, “Warren endorsed by Black Lives Matter co-founder’s Black to the Future Action Fund”, The Hill, February 20, 2020.
- ↩ “BLM’s #WhatMatters2020”, Black Lives Matter.
- ↩ Louis Althusser, On the Reproduction of Capitalism.
- ↩ Barack Obama, “How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change”, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ Kim Parker, Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Monica Anderson. “Amid Protests, Majorities Across Racial and Ethnic Groups Express Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement”. Pew Research Center, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ TooFab Staff, “DC Protestors Drag Rioter Into Police Custody”. Too Fab, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ Vincent Barone, “Accused Wendy’s arsonist Natalie White was Rayshard Brooks’ ‘girlfriend’: lawyer”. New York Post, June 23, 2020.
- ↩ Lisa Hagen, “Al Sharpton Calls for Aug. 28 March on Washington at George Floyd Memorial”. U.S. News, June 4, 2020.
- ↩ “#DefundThePolice”. Black Lives Matter, May 30, 2020.
- ↩ Miarame Kaba, “Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police.” The New York Times, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ Sean Boynton, “What does ‘defund the police’ really mean? Experts say confusion harming progress”. Global News, June 18, 2020; Amanda Arnold, “What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police?”. The Cut, June 12, 2020; Andrew Ferguson, “‘Defund the Police’ Does Not Mean Defund the Police. Unless It Does.”. The Atlantic, June 14, 2020.
- ↩ “Invest-Divest”. Movement for Black Lives.
- ↩ Mike Walker, “The difference between police defunding and police disbanding”. Police One, June 18, 2020.
- ↩ Emily Dixon, “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Was Asked About Defunding the Police and Her Answer Went Viral”. Marie Claire, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ Scott Pham, “Police Arrested More Than 11,000 People At Protests Across The U.S.”. BuzzFeed News, June 2, 2020.
- ↩ Jan Ransom, “Despite Virus, Hundreds Arrested in Unrest Are Held in Cramped Jails”. The New York Times, June 4, 2020.
- ↩ Greg Doucette, George Floyd Protest Police Brutality Videos.
- ↩ “Violence and controversies during the George Floyd protests”. Wikipedia.
- ↩ Stephen Gandel, “At least 40 lawsuits claim police brutality at George Floyd protests across U.S.”. CBS News, June 23, 2020.
- ↩ Rainer Shea, “Intelligence leaks reveal just how ready the police state is to crack down on dissent.” June 25, 2020.
- ↩ Chris Brooks, “After Barr Ordered FBI to “Identify Criminal Organizers,” Activists Were Intimidated at Home and at Work”. The Intercept_, June 12, 2020.
- ↩ Katie Warren and Joey Hadden, “How all 50 states are responding to the George Floyd protests, from imposing curfews to calling in the National Guard”. Business Insider, June 4, 2020.
- ↩ Dylan Lovan, Bruce Schreiner. “Investigators: Man fatally shot on night of protests was killed by Kentucky National Guard rifle”. Military Times, June 9, 2020.
- ↩ Maria Sacchetti, “Curfews follow days of looting and demonstrations.” The Washington Post, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ Christina Wilkie, Amanda Macias. “Trump threatens to deploy military as George Floyd protests continue to shake the U.S.”. CNBC, June 1, 2020.
- ↩ FBI Counterterrorism Division. “(U) White Supremacist Infiltration of Law Enforcement”.
- ↩ Rachel E. Greenspan, “Oregon police told armed white men that they didn’t want to look like they were ‘playing favorites’ when they advised them to stay inside after curfew”. Insider, June 5, 2020.
- ↩ Craig Timberg, “As Trump warns of leftist violence, a dangerous threat emerges from the right-wing boogaloo movement”. The Washington Post, June 17, 2020.
- ↩ Rachel E. Greenspan, “Violent counter-protesters mobbed a small-town BLM demonstration in Ohio amid false rumors of antifa”. Insider, June 16, 2020.
- ↩ Lee Brown, “Men in Ku Klux Klan-style hoods crash Nevada Black Lives Matter rally”. New York Post, June 11, 2020.
- ↩ “KKK ‘leader’ charged for attack on Black Lives Matter protesters”. BBC News, June 9, 2020.
- ↩ Kelly Weill, “The Far Right Is Stirring Up Violence at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”. The Daily Beast, June 16, 2020.
- ↩ Konstantin Toropin, “Another shooting in Seattle’s police-free autonomous zone kills man and critically injures boy”. CNN, June 29, 2020.
- ↩ “‘American Patriots’ are planning to retake the so-called Seattle “autonomous zone” from CHAZ insurrectionists”. Law Enforcement Today, June 16, 2020.
Source: MROnline
#copaganda #CounterInsurgency #Ferguson #GeorgeFloyd #GeorgeFloydRebellion #GeorgeFloydUprising #insurgency #WhatMatters2020
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Quels KPI voulons-nous pour nous vies ?
Que ça soit le kidnapping de Maduro au Vénézuela et la tentative de mainmise sur les terres rares du Groenland, Trump n'a que deux obsessions : le PIB des USA et son patrimoine. Le premier croit vite, moins que le second, qui a augmenté d'1,4 milliard depuis son retour à la Maison Blanche. La croissance américaine affole les esprits des éditocrates qui en sont persuadés "l'Europe décroche.
L'Europe est finie". Il y a 10 jours dans le Monde, Arnaud Leparmentier commençait ainsi une chronique : "Pour Google-Alphabet, 125 milliards de dollars, pour Apple, 112 milliards, pour Microsoft, 105 milliards, pour Nvidia, 100 milliards, pour Amazon, 76, pour Meta, 58, et pour Tesla, un malheureux 5 milliards, soit au total 580 milliards de dollars (499 milliards d’euros). Pas du chiffre d’affaires, pas de la marge, non, du résultat net après impôt au cours de douze derniers mois.
Les Sept Magnifiques, ces géants de la tech américaines, sont riches à milliards, invulnérables. Que l’on compare les chiffres : LVMH a un profit annuel de l’ordre de 13 milliards de dollars et la pépite française Mistral AI a crié victoire lorsqu’elle a pu lever, à l’automne, 1,7 milliard d’euros".
Vous voyez le refrain, nous sommes des nains et nous allons dans le mur. En réalité, LVMH et consorts nous coûtent très cher : ils sont gavés d'aides publiques, ne payent quasi aucun impôt, créent très peu d'emplois, ne consomment pas local... Ils jouent beaucoup sur la santé financière des actionnaires de ces boîtes, des cadres dirigeants, pas du pays.
Le graph ci-dessous, #stats #OCDE et Eurostat, pas d'organes de propagande rappellent qu'il n'y a pas match et de moins en moins. Les États-Unis s'enfoncent dans la ploutocratie, où la vie devient inhumaine pour l'immense majorité des autres habitants du pays. (I)moralité : ça n'est parce que ce sont les milliardaires racontent l'histoire (grâce à leurs médias) qu'il faut les croire sur parole.
- Vincent Édin
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Good Day!!
Autumn Portrait of Lydia Cassatt, by Mary Cassatt, 1880
Last night, Lawrence O’Donnell opened his show with a scathing rant on the results of the Republican crusade against legal abortion titled, “Women are dying. They got what they wanted.” He talked about the ProPublica article about Amber Nicole Thurman, who died in a Georgia hospital because doctors were afraid to give her the basic procedure (dilation and curettage or D&C) that would have saved her life. They then continued to withhold treatment until she died of sepsis. As a result, Thurman’s 6-year-old son has been left without a mother. O’Donnell then talked about what happened to his own mother when he was 6 years old. His mother had a miscarriage and was immediately given a D&C. This was before abortion was legal. O’Donnell choked up as he told this story. You can watch the video at MSNBC.
Today, Kavita Surana posted the story of the second Georgia woman known to have died because of the state’s anti-abortion laws: Afraid to Seek Care Amid Georgia’s Abortion Ban, She Stayed at Home and Died.
Candi Miller’s health was so fragile, doctors warned having another baby could kill her.
“They said it was going to be more painful and her body may not be able to withstand it,” her sister, Turiya Tomlin-Randall, told ProPublica.
But when the mother of three realized she had unintentionally gotten pregnant in the fall of 2022, Georgia’s new abortion ban gave her no choice. Although it made exceptions for acute, life-threatening emergencies, it didn’t account for chronic conditions, even those known to present lethal risks later in pregnancy.
At 41, Miller had lupus, diabetes and hypertension and didn’t want to wait until the situation became dire. So she avoided doctors and navigated an abortion on her own — a path many health experts feared would increase risks when women in America lost the constitutional right to obtain legal, medically supervised abortions.
Miller ordered abortion pills online, but she did not expel all the fetal tissue and would need a dilation and curettage procedure to clear it from her uterus and stave off sepsis, a grave and painful infection. In many states, this care, known as a D&C, is routine for both abortions and miscarriages. In Georgia, performing it had recently been made a felony, with few exceptions.
Her teenage son watched her suffer for days after she took the pills, bedridden and moaning. In the early hours of Nov. 12, 2022, her husband found her unresponsive in bed, her 3-year-old daughter at her side.
An autopsy found unexpelled fetal tissue, confirming that the abortion had not fully completed. It also found a lethal combination of painkillers, including the dangerous opioid fentanyl. Miller had no history of drug use, the medical records state; her family has no idea how she obtained them or what was going through her mind — whether she was trying to quell the pain, complete the abortion or end her life. A medical examiner was unable to determine the manner of death.
Her family later told a coroner she hadn’t visited a doctor “due to the current legislation on pregnancies and abortions.”
The conclusion of experts:
When a state committee of experts in maternal health, including 10 doctors, reviewed her case this year at the end of August, they immediately decided it was “preventable” and blamed the state’s abortion ban, according to members who spoke to ProPublica on the condition of anonymity.
They came to that conclusion after weighing the entire chain of events, from Miller’s underlying health conditions, to her decision to manage her abortion alone, to her reticence to seek medical care. “The fact that she felt that she had to make these decisions, that she didn’t have adequate choices here in Georgia, we felt that definitely influenced her case,” one committee member told ProPublica. “She’s absolutely responding to this legislation.”
This is the second preventable death related to abortion bans that ProPublica is reporting this week. Amber Thurman, 28, languished in a suburban Atlanta hospital for 20 hours before doctors performed a D&C to treat sepsis that resulted from an incomplete abortion. It was too late. “This young mother should be alive, raising her son and pursuing her dream of attending nursing school,” Vice President Kamala Harris said of Thurman on Tuesday. “This is exactly what we feared when Roe was struck down.”
There are almost certainly other deaths related to abortion access. Georgia’s committee, tasked with examining pregnancy-related deaths to improve maternal health, has only reviewed cases through fall 2022. Such a lag is common in these committees, which are set up in each state; most others have not even gotten that far.
Path in the garden of the asylum, Vincent Van Gogh
The situation women are dealing with now is far worse than what happened in the years before Roe. Old right-wing men without even basic knowledge of the female anatomy and medical procedures are making decisions that can condemn women to death and their families to the loss of a mother or daughter who becomes pregnant in a red state. Of course none of this could have happened without six monsters on the Supreme Court. As Lawrence O’Donnell said, “Women are dying. They got what they wanted.”
Here’s another horror story out of Georgia; this one is about election interference. Justin Glawe at The Guardian: Network of Georgia election officials strategizing to undermine 2024 result.
Emails obtained by the Guardian reveal a behind-the-scenes network of county election officials throughout Georgia coordinating on policy and messaging to both call the results of November’s election into question before a single vote is cast, and push rules and procedures favored by the election denial movement.
The emails were obtained by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew) as a result of a public records request sent to David Hancock, an election denier and member of the Gwinnett county board of elections. Crew shared the emails with the Guardian.
Spanning a period beginning in January, the communications expose the inner workings of a group that includes some of the most ardent supporters of the former president Donald Trump’s election lies as well as ongoing efforts to portray the coming election as beset with fraud. Included in the communications are agendas for meetings and efforts to coordinate on policies and messaging as the swing state has once again become a focal point of the presidential campaign.
The communications include correspondence from a who’s who of Georgia election denialists, including officials with ties to prominent national groups such as the Tea Party Patriots and the Election Integrity Network, a group run by Cleta Mitchell, a former attorney who acted as an informal adviser to the Trump White House during its attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
The group – which includes elections officials from at least five counties – calls itself the Georgia Election Integrity Coalition.
These emails go way back:
Among the oldest emails released are those regarding a 30 January article published by the United Tea Party of Georgia. Headlined “Georgia Democratic Party Threatens Georgia Election Officials”, the article was posted by an unnamed “admin” of the website, and came in response to letters sent to county election officials throughout Georgia who had recently refused to certify election results.
“In what can only be seen as an attempt to intimidate elections officials,” the article began, “the Georgia Democratic party sent a letter to individual county board of elections members threatening legal action unless they vote to certify upcoming elections – even if the board member has legitimate concerns about the results.”
The letter had been sent by a lawyer representing the Democratic party of Georgia to county election board members in Spalding, Cobb and DeKalb counties. Election board members in each of those counties had refused to certify the results of local elections the previous November. In their letter, Democrats sought to warn those officials that their duty to certify results was not discretionary in an attempt to prevent further certification refusals, including in the coming presidential election. In response, the United Tea Party of Georgia took issue with the letter, calling it “troubling” and saying that it was “Orwellian to demand that election officials certify an election even if they have unanswered questions about the vote”.
While the author of the article was not named on the United Tea Party of Georgia’s website, the emails obtained by Crew show that it was Hancock, an outspoken election denier and member of the Gwinnett county board of elections, who has become a leading voice in the push for more power to refuse to certify results.
There’s more at the link.
Autumn in Honfleu Cote de Grace, cir. 1906, byEmile-Othon Friesz
More efforts at election interference were reported by ABC News: Suspicious mail containing white powder was sent to election offices in at least 16 states.
The FBI and Postal Service are investigating suspicious mail containing a white powder substance that was sent to election offices in at least 16 states this week, according to an ABC News canvass of the country.
None of the mail has been deemed hazardous so far – and in one case, the substance was determined to be flour – but the scare prompted evacuations in some locations.
Election offices in New York, Tennessee, Wyoming, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Colorado received the suspicious packages. Similar suspicious mail was addressed to offices in additional states – Arizona, Georgia, Connecticut and Maryland among them – but investigators intercepted them before they reached their destination.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service said in a statement Tuesday that they were investigating letters containing white powdery substances. A law enforcement source said at this point none of the packages were believed to be hazardous.
“We are also working with our partners to determine how many letters were sent, the individual or individuals responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters,” the statement read.
At least some of the packages were signed by the “United States Traitor Elimination Army,” according to a copy of a letter sent to members of the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center obtained by ABC News.
The Saga of Springfield goes on and on. The Wall Street Journal learned that before he began spreading rumors of dogs and cats being eaten, he was told by city officials that the stories were baseless. We know this from a story in The Wall Street Journal. It’s behind the paywall, so this is a summary from Raw Story: J.D. Vance shared pet-eating claims after being told ‘point blank’ they were lies: report.
A representative for J.D. Vance was told “point blank” that the Republican vice presidential nominee’s claims about Haitian immigrants in Ohio were not true, but he continued to smear them anyway as bomb threats were called in to local schools and government offices.
The Republican senator posted about the rumors on X, where he’s got 1.9 million followers, and he did not delete the post even after one of his staffers called Springfield city manager Bryan Heck on the morning of Sept. 9 to ask whether Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating cats and dogs, as other social media users had alleged, reported the Wall Street Journal.“
He asked point-blank: ‘Are the rumors true of pets being taken and eaten?’” Heck told the newspaper. “I told him no. There was no verifiable evidence or reports to show this was true. I told them these claims were baseless.” [….]
Vance has admitted the claims are false, but he continues to make dubious and debunked claims about Haitian immigrants in the state he represents in the U.S. Senate, such as his claim that communicable diseases have spiraled out of control in Springfield.“Information from the county health department, however, shows a decrease in infectious disease cases countywide, with 1,370 reported in 2023 — the lowest since 2015,” the Journal reported.
“The tuberculosis case numbers in the county are so low (four in 2023, three in 2022, one in 2021) that any little movement can bring a big percentage jump. HIV cases did increase to 31 in 2023, from 17 in 2022 and 12 in 2021. Overall, sexually transmitted infection cases decreased to 965 in 2023, the lowest since 2015.”
Another claim by Vance fell apart after a spokesperson provided the Journal reporter with a police report involving a woman who alleged that a Haitian immigrant may have taken her cat.“But when a reporter went to Anna Kilgore’s house Tuesday evening, she said her cat Miss Sassy, which went missing in late August, had actually returned a few days later — found safe in her own basement,” the newspaper reported. “Kilgore, wearing a Trump shirt and hat, said she apologized to her Haitian neighbors with the help of her daughter and a mobile-phone translation app.”
The Autumn, by Alphonse Mucha, 1896
Trump says he wants to visit Springfield, but the mayor would prefer that he didn’t. NBC News: After false pet claims, Springfield mayor says Trump visit would be ‘an extreme strain’ on resources.
The Republican mayor of Springfield, Ohio, the city that has been the target of unfounded claims from former President Donald Trump and his running mate about Haitian immigrants’ eating residents’ pets said Tuesday that a visit from Trump would tax the city’s resources.
“It would be an extreme strain on our resources. So it’d be fine with me if they decided not to make that visit,” Mayor Rob Rue said at a news conference at City Hall.
NBC News reported Sunday that Trump planned to visit the city “soon,” according to a source familiar with his planning, after he amplified during the presidential debate a baseless claim that had circulated in right-wing spheres online for weeks, saying Haitian immigrants were “eating the dogs” and cats of local residents.
Officials in Springfield have said the allegations are meritless, with city police issuing a statement that said there were “no credible reports” of Haitian immigrants’ harming pets.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, had also “panned the claims as “garbage,” and he visited Springfield Tuesday as the city responds to dozens of bomb threats, deemed hoaxes that have led to temporary closings and evacuations of schools and city buildings.
DeWine said a campaign visit from a presidential candidate is “generally very, very welcomed,” but he acknowledged that it would pose challenges.
“I have to state the reality, though, that resources are really, really stretched here,” he said.
Trump and Vance should stay the hell out of Springfield, Ohio.
Trump is holding a rally on Long Island tonight–a strange use of campaign resources in a blue state this close to the election. Anyway, there’s been a “suspicious occurrence.” Newsweek: ‘Suspicious Occurrence’ Near Donald Trump New York Rally: What We Know. “
Nassau County police responded to a “suspicious occurrence” near the location of former President Donald Trump‘s Wednesday night rally in Long Island, noting that no explosives were located, the department confirmed to Newsweek.
“We did respond to a suspicious occurrence in the vicinity of the Nassau Coliseum, however there was no validity of an explosive device being found,” a public information officer told Newsweek after a report about an explosive device at the rally site circulated online.
“We’re unsure where this information originated, but we can confirm that no explosives were discovered.”
I suppose we’ll be dealing with these false alarms from now on.
More Republicans are backing Kamala Harris every day now. This is from The New York Times: 111 Former G.O.P. Officials Back Harris, Calling Trump ‘Unfit to Serve.’
More than 100 former national security officials from Republican administrations and former Republican members of Congress endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday after concluding that their party’s nominee, Donald J. Trump, is “unfit to serve again as president.”
In a letter to the public, the Republicans, including both vocal longtime Trump opponents and others who had not endorsed Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020, argued that while they might “disagree with Kamala Harris” on many issues, Mr. Trump had demonstrated “dangerous qualities.” Those include, they said, “unusual affinity” for dictators like President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and “contempt for the norms of decent, ethical and lawful behavior.”
John Everett Millais, Autumn Leaves, 1855–1856
“As president,” the letter said, “he promoted daily chaos in government, praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans, prioritized his personal interest above American interests and betrayed our values, democracy and this country’s founding documents.”
The letter condemned Mr. Trump’s incitement of the mob attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, aimed at allowing him to hold onto power after losing an election, saying that “he has violated his oath of office and brought danger to our country.” It quoted Mr. Trump’s own former vice president, Mike Pence, who has said that “anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.”
The letter came not long after former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, both said they would vote for Ms. Harris. Democrats featured a number of anti-Trump Republicans at their nominating convention last month, including former Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. Mr. Pence has said he will not endorse Mr. Trump but has not endorsed Ms. Harris.
The 111 signatories included former officials who served under Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush or George W. Bush. Many of them had previously broken with Mr. Trump, including two former defense secretaries, Chuck Hagel and William S. Cohen; Robert B. Zoellick, a former president of the World Bank; the former C.I.A. directors Michael V. Hayden and William H. Webster; a former director of national intelligence, John D. Negroponte; and former Gov. William F. Weld of Massachusetts. Miles Taylor and Olivia Troye, two Trump administration officials who became vocal critics, also signed.
But a number of Republicans who did not sign a similar letter on behalf of Mr. Biden in 2020 signed the one for Ms. Harris this time, including several former House members, like Charles W. Boustany Jr. of Louisiana, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Dan Miller of Florida and Bill Paxon of New York.
I’ll end with this piece by conservative Stuart Rothenberg in Roll Call: So, you’re sure the presidential race will be close?
If there is one thing on which liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, journalists and political partisans all agree, it’s that the 2024 presidential race is too close to call.
Vice President Kamala Harris may have a slight advantage nationally and in a couple of competitive states, but polling in at least half a dozen swing states – including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan and Wisconsin – shows that the presidential race between Harris and former president Donald Trump is separated by only a percentage point or two.
As the New York Times wrote on Sept. 8 and updated three days later, “The national results are in line with polls in the seven battleground states that will decide the presidential election, where Ms. Harris is tied with Mr. Trump or holds slim leads, according to New York Times polling averages. Taken together, they show a tight race that remains either candidate’s to win or lose.”
But if you are something of a gambler and everyone you know believes the 2024 presidential contest is and will remain extremely close, you probably should put a few dollars on the possibility that November will produce a clear and convincing win for Harris.
That assessment isn’t based on the most recent survey numbers but on the current dynamics of the race and the advantage of taking a contrarian position.
Harris has plenty of momentum going into the fall election. She has become a strong speaker at her rallies, and she should have a considerable financial advantage over the next couple of months.
Her coalition, which includes some high-profile Republicans and conservatives, stretches from former Vice President Dick Cheney and conservative intellectual Bill Kristol on the right to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the left.
Harris clobbered Trump in their first (and possibly only) debate, and another debate would be extremely risky for Trump, who can’t afford another bad performance.
Harris wasn’t merely good on one or two topics during the debate. She successfully deflected Trump’s attacks and baited him so that he spent more time defending himself than defining his opponent. Harris was particularly effective on abortion/reproductive rights and foreign policy/national security.
The Democratic ticket is drawing huge crowds in the key states where Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, are campaigning, and it’s quite possible that pollsters are underestimating the turnout that the Democrats will generate in the fall.
Read the whole thing at the link.
Have a nice Wednesday, everyone!!
https://skydancingblog.com/2024/09/18/wednesday-reads-69/
#abortion #AmberThurman #CandiMiller #DC #electionInterference #Georgia #JDVance #LawrenceODonnell #SpringfieldOhio
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SOCFIN’s African Empire of Colonial Oppression: Billionaires Profit from Palm Oil and Rubber Exploitation
An investigation by Bloomberg exposed that despite being RSPO members, #SOCFIN plantations in #WestAfrica are the epicentre of #humanrights abuses, sexual coercion, environmental destruction, and #landgrabbing. Operating in #Liberia, #Ghana, #Nigeria, and beyond, SOCFIN’s #rubber and #palmoil plantations continue historical colonial legacies of exploitation. Despite widespread evidence of abuse and deforestation, SOCFIN and its partners benefit from weak sustainability certifications such as #FSC and #RSPO. Europe and the US buy products directly linked to these violations, greenwashing the destruction in the process. Indigenous communities and workers are actively resisting this huge injustice —They seek proper redress in the form of stricter #EUDR regulations and better protections of their health, livelihoods and families. Consumers can boycott palm oil and rubber in solidarity. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
#News: 🚨 #SOCFIN #palmoil and #rubber is linked to sexual #violence, forced #labour, #landgrabbing #deforestation in #WestAfrica🌴🔥🤢☠️🙊🚫 French tycoon Vincent Bolloré profits while communities suffer. 💀✊🏽 #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/10/22/socfins-african-empire-of-colonial-abuse-how-billionaires-profit-from-palm-oil-and-rubber-exploitation/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterA recent Bloomberg investigation into SOCFIN, a plantation empire co-owned by French billionaire Vincent Bolloré, reveals ongoing human rights violations, sexual exploitation, deforestation, and colonial-style land grabs across West Africa. SOCFIN, based in Luxembourg and co-owned by Bolloré, operates sprawling palm oil and rubber plantations in Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and elsewhere. The investigation uncovered systemic abuses and environmental destruction, exposing the toxic greenwashing reality behind RSPO corporate sustainability claims.
According to Bloomberg’s extensive report published in April 2025, SOCFIN plantations in Liberia and Ghana are sites of widespread sexual coercion, rape and sexual abuse.
Women workers at the Liberian Agricultural Company (LAC) plantation, one of SOCFIN’s largest operations, routinely face demands for sex from supervisors as a condition for securing daily work. Women like Rebecca (a pseudonym) describe daily harassment and abuse, forced to accept demands out of economic necessity. Contract workers earn as little as $3.50 a day and face threats of dismissal if they refuse sexual advances.
Similar accounts emerge from SOCFIN’s Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC), recently sold after violent worker protests over labour abuses, inadequate medical care, and poor housing conditions. Women workers have described supervisors openly demanding sexual favours in exchange for continued employment. Mamie, a former SRC worker, described being violently raped by her supervisor after repeatedly refusing his advances. Such experiences remain common, despite superficial anti-harassment measures like “No Sexual Harassment” signs erected by the company (Bloomberg, 2025).
SOCFIN’s operations are rooted deeply in colonial history. Established in the Belgian Congo in the late 1800s, SOCFIN expanded aggressively during colonialism, exploiting rubber and palm oil resources across Africa and Asia. Today, its co-owners, Vincent Bolloré and Belgian businessman Hubert Fabri, control vast landholdings, perpetuating neo-colonial dynamics of wealth extraction. According to an article by Tony Lawson for Shoppe Black, the plantations replicate exploitative plantation models, extracting wealth from African land and labour for European profit, reminiscent of colonial rubber plantations and antebellum slave operations like Louisiana’s Nottoway Plantation.
This neo-colonial exploitation is glaringly evident in Nigeria, where SOCFIN’s subsidiary, Okumu Oil Palm Company, operates 19,062 hectares of palm plantations and 7,335 hectares of rubber plantations. Palm Oil Detectives (2024) documented widespread displacement of local Indigenous communities due to plantation expansion. Villages such as Lemon, Agbeda, and Oweike have been forcibly dismantled, leaving hundreds homeless. The affected communities received no compensation or consultation—violating international human rights standards on Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Austin Lemon, whose family established Lemon village in 1969, recounted witnessing his ancestral land seized by SOCFIN and converted into plantations without consent or compensation. The trauma from losing their homes, livelihoods, and ancestral heritage remains profound, with many residents still unable to recover decades later.
In Ghana, SOCFIN’s Plantations Socfin Ghana (PSG) has systematically destroyed vital rainforests, despite clear warnings from environmental assessments. PSG admitted clearing over 1,089 hectares of natural forest between 2012 and 2016. The loss of biodiversity and increased carbon emissions from these activities directly exacerbate the climate crisis, severely impacting local rainfall patterns and agricultural productivity. Farmers around PSG’s plantations suffer reduced yields, poverty, and food insecurity.
Meanwhile, the EU continues to import vast quantities of palm oil and rubber from SOCFIN, despite mounting evidence of human rights violations and deforestation. Europe’s reliance on SOCFIN’s supply chains for products such as Michelin tyres, Nestlé’s consumer goods, and numerous cosmetic brands implicates major companies in these abuses. Investigations show European tyre manufacturers purchasing rubber sourced from plantations like Liberia’s LAC and SRC, despite credible allegations of labour abuses, sexual coercion, and land theft.
SOCFIN and its partners rely heavily on weak and ineffective sustainability schemes like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). But investigations repeatedly reveal these certifications as ineffectual greenwashing tools. For example, SOCFIN’s Cameroon plantations—RSPO-certified—face lawsuits alleging severe environmental damage and community displacement. Water pollution tests conducted near these plantations revealed dangerous contamination levels, threatening public health (Bloomberg, 2025).
Vincent Bolloré, despite his influential position as a major shareholder and board member, consistently denies responsibility, claiming limited involvement. Yet Bolloré’s role remains central. Known for his vast media empire and conservative political influence in France, Bolloré has maintained his SOCFIN stake despite decades of documented abuses. Lawsuits brought under French duty-of-vigilance laws now challenge Bolloré directly, arguing that his oversight constitutes effective control, making him legally responsible for SOCFIN’s actions.
Public pressure is growing. In 2024, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund excluded Bolloré Group and strongly recommended divestment from Bolloré and SOCFIN, citing overwhelming evidence of abuse. Luxembourg’s stock exchange delisted SOCFIN the same year, further isolating the company. Despite these actions, European governments and multinational corporations including the RSPO continue to support SOCFIN financially, facilitating ongoing abuses in Africa.
Communities across West Africa resist despite enormous personal risk. Liberian union leader Mary Boimah was jailed after protests against SRC’s labour conditions. Nigerian community member Iyabo Batu was shot by SOCFIN-affiliated security personnel while protesting environmental contamination and blocked access to her village. Despite these risks, communities persist in their demands for justice, compensation, and the return of their lands.
SOCFIN’s stated commitments to human rights and sustainability remain hollow. Decades of documented abuses, superficial responses to audits, and persistent denial illustrate systemic failure and wilful negligence. As long as global markets reward SOCFIN’s rubber and palm oil, the cycle of violence and exploitation will continue.
The time has come to demand real accountability. Regulators and law-makers in the EU and USA must recognise their complicity in human rights abuses and ecocide in palm oil and rubber supply chains. Until this time, people and landscapes will continue to suffer from forced labour, sexual coercion, and environmental destruction. SOCFIN’s ecocide and human rights abuses—must end now.
Learn more
Bloomberg. (2025, April 17). The Rubber Barons. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-socfin-plantations
Palm Oil Detectives. (2024, July 31). Socfin’s Destructive Empire: Palm Oil Deforestation and Human Rights Abuses in West Africa. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/07/31/socfins-destructive-empire-palm-oil-deforestation-and-human-rights-abuses-in-west-africa/
Shoppe Black. (2025). Labor Abuses: Nottoway and Liberia Plantations. Retrieved from https://shoppeblack.us/labor-abuses-nottoway-and-liberia-plantations/
ENDS
Read more about human rights abuses and child slavery in the palm oil industry
Palm Oil Threatens Ancient Noken Weaving in West Papua
Colonial palm oil and sugarcane causing the loss of West Papuans’ cultural identity. Land grabs force communities from forests, threatening Noken weaving
Family Ties Expose Deforestation and Rights Violations in Indonesian Palm Oil
An explosive report by the Environment Investigation Agency (EIA) details how Indonesia’s Fangiono family, through a wide corporate web, is linked to ongoing #deforestation, #corruption, and #indigenousrights abuses for #palmoil. Calls mount for…
West Papuan Indigenous Women Fight Land Seizures
Indigenous Melanesian women in West Papua fight land seizures for palm oil and sugar plantations, protecting their ancestral rights. Join #BoycottPalmOil
Greasing the Wheels of Colonialism: Palm Oil Industry in West Papua
A landmark study published in Global Studies Quarterly in April 2025 has revealed that the rapid expansion of the #palmoil industry in #WestPapua is not only fuelling #deforestation, #ecocide and environmental destruction but…
Palm Oil Practices Resemble Colonial Exploitation
Indonesian palm oil workers expose industry practices that mirror colonial exploitation: land grabbing, bad conditions, ecocide. Systemic change is needed!
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3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
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5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #childLabour #childSlavery #deforestation #EUDR #FSC #Ghana #greenwashing #humanRights #HumanRights #indigenousRights #labour #landRights #landgrabbing #Liberia #News #Nigeria #PalmOil #palmoil #RSPO #rubber #slavery #SOCFIN #violence #WestAfrica
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Basement Announce New Record; Share “WIRED” And “Broken By Design”
Photo by Adam PowellOn May 8th, British alternative rock mainstays Basement will return with WIRED marking their first new album in eight years as well as a reunion with their original label Run For Cover Records. Across the LP’s 12 tracks fans will hear a return to the unbridled passion and creative intuition that’s always animated their best material.
Today the band — vocalist Andrew Fisher, guitarists Alex Henery and Ronan Crix, bassist Duncan Stewart, and drummer James Fisher — tease Wired with the release of lead singles “WIRED” and “Broken By Design” which together showcase the album’s dynamic breadth. The title-track is the most urgent they’ve ever sounded, a surefire live staple propelled by needling guitars, a slugging drumbeat, and a skyscraping hook that finds Fisher’s voice in peak form. “Broken By Design” has the opposite temperament: dusky, delicate, bass-led, but still quintessentially Basement in its immediate catchiness and moody character.
Speaking of the singles the band’s Andrew Fisher says, “‘WIRED’ is about how sometimes it feels that we are set up to feel and behave in certain ways beyond our control. That no matter how hard you try to hide it, eventually it will come out – either by choice or by force. This song was almost lost – a few of us were into it, but it sort of lost traction for a bit. Then one day it cropped back up and we put it at the forefront of our minds and it ended up being one of my favourite songs to perform and record.”
He continues, “‘Broken By Design’ is about giving something your absolute best and realising it’s destined to fail. Getting to the other side of the situation, looking back and deciding to do everything differently and feeling grateful for the opportunity to grow. We’ve all done a lot of work on getting better at talking to each other as friends and as band mates. Sometimes that’s an easy distinction – or rather, not a distinction at all. Other times, the lines are blurred and we lose track of who we are and why we do this. When I’m singing, ‘let’s go back to the start’ I mean to when we did this purely for fun. For an excuse to see each other, to travel, to be creative, to express ourselves through music. We all feel so lucky to be in a position to still get to do this and this album and this song in particular, is us trying to go back to how it should be.”
Listen to “WIRED” and “Broken By Design” and watch the videos below, with the former directed by Ashley Rommelrath and the latter by Tas Wilson.
https://youtu.be/Sr-TsPc20N8?si=8BXzXTo1lEq0gxOo
https://youtu.be/p83I-tkLcSo?si=MiMCLCVJMfa_0sCO
This summer Basement will embark on a European tour followed by an appearance at London’s All Points East Festival in August. All shows are listed below with North American dates to be announced soon.
Basement were adamant that Wired had to be their most decisive artistic statement yet. A bold musical swing that people will either love or hate, but that absolutely can’t elicit a muted reaction from their fans. The group spent years writing and refining the 12 no-bloat songs, working closer and communicating better than ever while building out the tracklist as a group in various studios long before they began recording. Therefore, the songs were fully formed by the time they hit the studio with powerhouse producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Mannequin Pussy), who helped the band manifest the heightened version of Basement that they’d always dreamt of. Imperfections were celebrated, each member’s ideas were incorporated, and Congleton ensured that every moment on Wired sounds both precise and enervated.
“I never thought Basement could sound like this,” says guitarist Alex Henery. “But in my head, it’s what I’ve always wanted Basement to sound like.”
Every time Basement take a break, their band gets bigger. The quintet’s 2011 debut, I Wish You Could Stay Here, gave them a foothold in the post-hardcore groundswell of the early 2010s, but Basement had already decided to call it quits before their far more evolved follow-up, Colourmeinkindness, had even hit the shelves. Upon disbanding in late 2012 so vocalist Fisher could get his teaching degree, Basement’s underground following ballooned in their absence, and when they eventually reformed in 2014, they were welcomed back as mainstays of the scene.
Basement charged forward with two more LPs, 2016’s snappier Promise Everything and 2018’s sleeker Beside Myself, but after the latter record, which was released on a major label, Basement knew they needed to take a year off to recalibrate. “We were all left with a really weird, sour taste in our mouth after signing to a major label and having all these people control things,” Fisher admits. During their COVID-era hiatus, each member questioned whether the band should even continue as they spent time pursuing their own creative outlets. It was a period of serious existential reflection for the guys in Basement, and at one point, Henery considered stepping away from the band altogether before Fisher intervened, knowing that everyone in Basement needed the band to persevere. ”Alex saying that he was ready to cut the cord was what I needed to be like ‘Nope, we cannot do that,’” Fisher says.
After some deep conversations that reaffirmed their creative alliance, Henery and Fisher reconvened to begin writing again with no label pressures and no strings attached. Instantly, the seeds of Wired began to take shape, and soon enough, the whole band knew they had something special in the works. Coincidentally, not long after Basement began properly sculpting LP5, the Colourmeinkindness song “Covet” caught wind on TikTok and swiftly became a viral hit, earning a Gold certification in 2024 — 12 years after its release — and introducing Basement’s music to a whole new generation of internet-savvy fans.
Once again, Basement find themselves re-emerging with new music bigger and more beloved than ever before.
Basement tour dates
#BASEMENT #GRUNGE #MUSIC #NEWS #POSTHARDCORE #RUNFORCOVERRECORDS
6/5 – Rock Am Ring – Nürburg, RP, Germany (Sold Out, Join Waitlist)
6/6 – Rock im Park – Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany
6/8 – Loppen – Copenhagen, DK (with Glare)
6/9 – Kollektivet Livet – Stockholm, Sweden (with Glare)
6/14 – TAMA – Poznań, Poland (with Glare)
6/15 – Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, HE, Germany (with Glare)
6/17 – zakk – Düsseldorf, Germany (with Glare)
6/19 – Hurricane Festival – Scheeßel, NDS, Germany
6/20 – Southside Festival – Neuhausen ob Eck, BW, Germany
6/21 – Farewell Youth Fest 2 – Dresden, Germany
6/23 – Magazzini Generali – Milan, Lombardy, Italy (with Fiddlehead)
6/24 – Dynamo Zürich (Dynamo) – Zürich, ZH, Switzerland (with Fiddlehead)
6/25 – Jera on Air – Ysselsteyn, Limburg, Netherlands
6/26 – Mia Mao – Paris, France (with Fiddlehead)
6/28 – Bowlers Exhibition Centre – Manchester, UK (Outbreak Festival headline)
8/23 – Victoria Park – London, UK (All Points East)
8/27–8/29 – Canela Party – Torremolinos, Spain -
Primevère 2026 : conférences et ateliers de l’espace numérique
Halle Tony Garnier – Espace Numérique
Chaque conférence dure environ 45 minutes, questions incluses. Pour approfondir les différents sujets, les intervenant•e•s vous inviterons à les retrouver sur leur stand.
Présentation des intervenant•e•s et programme complet du salon accessibles à partir de ce lien :
https://www.salonprimevere.org/exposants/envie-d-agir/numeriqueVendredi 20/02
Ve. 12h – Qu’est-ce qu’un logiciel libre ?
Intervenant•e : ALDIL
Pour lancer le weekend, l’association ALDIL vous donne les clés pour
répondre à ces questions : Qu’appelle-t-on un logiciel ? Comment
savoir s’il est libre ? Et quels sont les avantages et inconvénients
des logiciels libres ?>> À prolonger sur le stand : F22, ALDIL – Ancestris – LALIS
Ve. 14h – Les projets frères de Wikipédia
Intervenant•e : Lucas Lévêque, Wikimedia
L’encyclopédie Wikipédia fait partie d’un ensemble de projets soutenus par la Fondation Wikimédia. Cette présentation vous montrera les autres plateformes à votre disposition comme un dictionnaire, une bibliothèque, une médiathèque, etc.
>> À prolonger sur le stand : G30, Wikimédia France
Ve. 15h – OpenStreetMap, utiliser et améliorer !
Intervenant•e : Thibaut Maïto
OpenStreetMap, le Wikipédia de la carte ! Venez découvrir comment utiliser les cartes libres et communes des contributeurs et aussi comment améliorer, corriger et renseigner les éléments. Au travers d’exemples et d’échanges, on vous présentera cet écosystème utile à toutes et tous, de 6 à 99 ans (voir plus).
>> à prolonger sur le stand : G32, OpenStreetMap France
Ve. 16h – Atelier démailnagement
Intervenant•e : Hadoly
Bye-bye Gmail et ses amis :
https://www.demailnagement.net/le-demailnagement/>> à prolonger sur le stand : G33, Hadoly
Ve. 17h – Panorama du Libre en AuRA
Intervenant•e : ALDIL
Situer les différents acteurs du numérique libre en Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
>> À prolonger sur le stand : F22, ALDIL – Ancestris – LALIS
Ve. 18h – [Atelier] Réparation d’ordinateurs/consoles/tablettes et Install’Party
Intervenant•e : Linux et Populus, Eisenia
Atelier de réparation d’ordinateurs et de consoles de jeux avec le projet Linux et Populus d’Eisenia. Également : installation et initiation à GNU/Linux.
>> à prolonger sur le stand : G35, Eisenia
Samedi 21/02
Sa. 12h – 30 min pour avoir un téléphone plus performant
Intervenant•e : Anaïs Dubois, TeleCoop
Venez vous laisser guider par l’équipe TeleCoop pour mieux paramétrer votre smartphone : stockage, batterie, optimisation des paramètres du téléphone et des applications. À la fin, vous aurez un téléphone plus performant et potentiellement moins addictif ! 🙂
>> à prolonger sur le stand : G31, TeleCoop – Commown
Sa. 13h – Réparation d’électroménager sans démontage
Intervenant•e : Ikona
Cet atelier a pour mission de vous donner les bases pour tenter de réparer un appareil en panne.
– Suggestions pour aborder un appareil en panne.
– Principes électriques élémentaires
– Quelles observations ont accompagné la survenance de la panne ?
– Pannes décelables et corrigibles sans démontage.Sa. 14h – Ancestris : Présentation
Intervenant•e : Yannick Voyeaud, Ancestris
Présentation des possibilités du logiciel de généalogie libre Ancestris via les rapports.
>> À prolonger sur le stand : F22, ALDIL – Ancestris – LALIS
Sa. 15h – Quelle fiabilité pour Wikipédia ?
Intervenant•e : Lucas Lévêque, Wikimedia
Quelles sont les règles qui régissent l’information sur Wikipédia ? Venez les découvrir et en discuter pour qu’on améliore collectivement la description du savoir du monde.
>> à prolonger sur le stand : G30, Wikimédia France
Sa. 16h – Quelles solutions pour dégafamiser votre organisation ?
Intervenant•e : Vincent Mabillot, ICOM Lyon
Pourquoi et comment libérer son collectif, son association, son entreprise des industriels du numérique avec des solutions modernes et libres.
>> À prolonger sur le stand : G34, Campus du Libre – CoLibre
Sa. 17h – Atelier démailnagement
Intervenant•e : Hadoly
Bye-bye Gmail et ses amis :
https://www.demailnagement.net/le-demailnagement/>> À prolonger sur le stand : G33, Hadoly
Dimanche 22/02
Di. 13h – Comment participer à Wikipédia ?
Intervenant•e : Lucas Lévêque, Wikimedia
Vous voulez améliorer Wikipédia, mais vous ne savez pas comment faire ? Vous voulez des idées d’articles ? Vous voulez découvrir l’interface de contribution ? Cette présentation est faite pour vous ! 🙂
>> À prolonger sur le stand : G30, Wikimédia France
Di. 14h – La gare centrale, un espace pour favoriser la coop
Intervenant•e : Louise – formatrice Animacoop et Yeswiki
Vous faites face à l’éparpillement des infos et des outils dans votre collectif ? Ça rend difficile l’accueil des nouveaux ou nouvelles ? le suivi des projets ? l’implication des personnes ? Venez discuter de la gare centrale – l’espace qui donne facilement la direction vers toutes les infos utiles au projet – et de ses enjeux d’animation. Méthodes et concepts issus de notre Abécédaire de la coopération, paru aux éditions Chronique sociale.
>> À prolonger sur le stand : E33, Animacoop – Les écolohumanistes
Di. 15h – Le numérique et la planète
Intervenant•e : SERA
Au travers du parcours d’une donnée et les étapes de fabrication d’un smartphone, nous vous proposons de découvrir les impacts environnementaux présents et futurs du numérique. Le Rapport « A la recherche du temps perdu » remis en gouvernement au printemps 2025 fait le point sur les connaissances scientifiques des conséquences liées à l’usage du numérique dans nos sociétés. Venez tester vos connaissances et débattre de ces questions sur le stand de Santé Environnement Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (SERA).
>> À prolonger sur le stand : G06, SERA
Di. 16h – Tour d’horizon des outils pour se protéger des GAFAM
Intervenant•e : Lyon Café Vie Privée
Comment discuter sans que Facebook nous lise ? Comment dégoogliser son téléphone ? Comment se passer de Windows 11 ? Comment se protéger du pistage sur le web ? Nous vous proposons une présentation de nos recommandations pour se protéger d’un système techno-fasciste et pour regagner de l’indépendance numérique.
>> À prolonger sur le stand : F22, ALDIL – Ancestris – LALIS
#adieuwindows #ALDIL #ancestris #endof10 #gnulinux #hadoly #installPaty #logicielsLibres #Primevère #viePrivée #wikipedia #yeswiki -
This started off as a baseline post regarding generative artificial intelligence and it’s aspects and grew fairly long because even as I was writing it, information was coming out. It’s my intention to do a ’roundup’ like this highlighting different focuses as needed. Every bit of it is connected, but in social media postings things tend to be written of in silos. I’m attempting to integrate since the larger implications are hidden in these details, and will try to stay on top of it as things progress.
It’s long enough where it could have been several posts, but I wanted it all together at least once.
No AI was used in the writing, though some images have been generated by AI.
The two versions of artificial intelligence on the table right now – the marketed and the reality – have various problems that make it seem like we’re wrestling a mating orgy of cephalopods.
The marketing aspect is a constant distraction, feeding us what helps with stock prices and good will toward those implementing the generative AIs, while the real aspect of these generative AIs is not really being addressed in a cohesive way.
To simplify this, this post breaks it down into the Input, the Output, and the impacts on the ecosystem the generative AIs work in.
The Input.
There’s a lot that goes into these systems other than money and water. There’s the information used for the learning models, the hardware needed, and the algorithms used.
The Training Data.
The focus so far has been on what goes into their training data, and that has been an issue including lawsuits, and less obviously, trust of the involved companies.
…The race to lead A.I. has become a desperate hunt for the digital data needed to advance the technology. To obtain that data, tech companies including OpenAI, Google and Meta have cut corners, ignored corporate policies and debated bending the law, according to an examination by The New York Times…
“How Tech Giants Cut Corners to Harvest Data for A.I.“, Cade Metz, Cecilia Kang, Sheera Frenkel, Stuart A. Thompson and Nico Grant, New York Times, April 6, 2024 1
Of note, too, is that Google has been indexing AI generated books, which is what is called ‘synthetic data’ and has been warned against, but is something that companies are planning for or even doing already, consciously and unconsciously.
Where some of these actions are questionably legal, they’re not as questionably ethical to some, thus the revolt mentioned last year against AI companies using content without permission. It’s of questionable effect because no one seems to have insight into what the training data consists of, and there seems no one is auditing them.
There’s a need for that audit, if only to allow for trust.
…Industry and audit leaders must break from the pack and embrace the emerging skills needed for AI oversight. Those that fail to address AI’s cascading advancements, flaws, and complexities of design will likely find their organizations facing legal, regulatory, and investor scrutiny for a failure to anticipate and address advanced data-driven controls and guidelines.
“Auditing AI: The emerging battlefield of transparency and assessment“, Mark Dangelo, Thomson Reuters, 25 Oct 2023.
While everyone is hunting down data, no one seems to be seriously working on oversight and audits, at least in a public way, though the United States is pushing for global regulations on artificial intelligence at the UN. The status of that hasn’t seemed to have been updated, even as artificial intelligence is being used to select targets in at least 2 wars right now (Ukraine and Gaza).
There’s an imbalance here that needs to be addressed. It would be sensible to have external auditing of learning data models and the sources, as well as the algorithms involved – and just get get a little ahead, also for the output. Of course, these sorts of things should be done with trading on stock markets as well, though that doesn’t seem to have made as much headway in all the time that has been happening either.
Some websites are trying to block AI crawlers, and it is an ongoing process. Blocking them requires knowing who they are and doesn’t guarantee bad actors might not stop by.
There is a new Bill that being pressed in the United States, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, that is worth keeping an eye on:
“…The California Democratic congressman Adam Schiff introduced the bill, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, which would require that AI companies submit any copyrighted works in their training datasets to the Register of Copyrights before releasing new generative AI systems, which create text, images, music or video in response to users’ prompts. The bill would need companies to file such documents at least 30 days before publicly debuting their AI tools, or face a financial penalty. Such datasets encompass billions of lines of text and images or millions of hours of music and movies…”
“New bill would force AI companies to reveal use of copyrighted art“, Nick Robins-Early, TheGuardian.com, April 9th, 2024.
Given how much information is used by these companies already from Web 2.0 forward, through social media websites such as Facebook and Instagram (Meta), Twitter, and even search engines and advertising tracking, it’s pretty obvious that this would be in the training data as well.
The Algorithms.
The algorithms for generative AI are pretty much trade secrets at this point, but one has to wonder at why so much data is needed to feed the training models when better algorithms could require less. Consider a well read person could answer some questions, even as a layperson, with less of a carbon footprint. We have no insight into the algorithms either, which makes it seem as though these companies are simply throwing more hardware and data at the problem than being more efficient with the data and hardware that they already took.
There’s not much news about that, and it’s unlikely that we’ll see any. It does seem like fuzzy logic is playing a role, but it’s difficult to say to what extent, and given the nature of fuzzy logic, it’s hard to say whether it’s implementation is as good as it should be.
The Hardware
Generative AI has brought about an AI chip race between Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Nvidia, which definitely leaves smaller companies that can’t afford to compete in that arena at a disadvantage so great that it could be seen as impossible, at least at present.
The future holds quantum computing, which could make all of the present efforts obsolete, but no one seems interested in waiting around for that to happen. Instead, it’s full speed ahead with NVIDIA presently dominating the market for hardware for these AI companies.
The Output.
One of the larger topics that has seemed to have faded is regarding what was called by some as ‘hallucinations’ by generative AI. Strategic deception was also something that was very prominent for a short period.
There is criticism that the algorithms are making the spread of false information faster, and the US Department of Justice is stepping up efforts to go after the misuse of generative AI. This is dangerous ground, since algorithms are being sent out to hunt products of other algorithms, and the crossfire between doesn’t care too much about civilians.2
The impact on education, as students use generative AI, education itself has been disrupted. It is being portrayed as an overall good, which may simply be an acceptance that it’s not going away. It’s interesting to consider that the AI companies have taken more content than students could possibly get or afford in the educational system, which is something worth exploring.
Given that ChatGPT is presently 82% more persuasive than humans, likely because it has been trained on persuasive works (Input; Training Data), and since most content on the internet is marketing either products, services or ideas, that was predictable. While it’s hard to say how much content being put into training data feeds on our confirmation biases, it’s fair to say that at least some of it is. Then there are the other biases that the training data inherits through omission or selective writing of history.
There are a lot of problems, clearly, and much of it can be traced back to the training data, which even on a good day is as imperfect as our own imperfections, it can magnify, distort, or even be consciously influenced by good or bad actors.
And that’s what leads us to the Big Picture.
The Big Picture
…For the past year, a political fight has been raging around the world, mostly in the shadows, over how — and whether — to control AI. This new digital Great Game is a long way from over. Whoever wins will cement their dominance over Western rules for an era-defining technology. Once these rules are set, they will be almost impossible to rewrite…
“Inside the shadowy global battle to tame the world’s most dangerous technology“, Mark Scott, Gian Volpicelli, Mohar Chatterjee, Vincent Manancourt, Clothilde Goujard and Brendan Bordelon, Politico.com, March 26th, 2024
What most people don’t realize is that the ‘game’ includes social media and the information it provides for training models, such as what is happening with TikTok in the United States now. There is a deeper battle, and just perusing content on social networks gives data to those building training models. Even WordPress.com, where this site is presently hosted, is selling data, though there is a way to unvolunteer one’s self.
Even the Fediverse is open to data being pulled for training models.
All of this, combined with the persuasiveness of generative AI that has given psychology pause, has democracies concerned about the influence. A recent example is Grok, Twitter X’s AI for paid subscribers, fell victim to what was clearly satire and caused a panic – which should also have us wondering about how we view intelligence.
…The headline available to Grok subscribers on Monday read, “Sun’s Odd Behavior: Experts Baffled.” And it went on to explain that the sun had been, “behaving unusually, sparking widespread concern and confusion among the general public.”…
“Elon Musk’s Grok Creates Bizarre Fake News About the Solar Eclipse Thanks to Jokes on X“, Matt Novak, Gizmodo, 8 April 2024
Of course, some levity is involved in that one whereas Grok posting that Iran had struck Tel Aviv (Israel) with missiles seems dangerous, particularly when posted to the front page of Twitter X. It shows the dangers of fake news with AI, deepening concerns related to social media and AI and should be making us ask the question about why billionaires involved in artificial intelligence wield the influence that they do. How much of that is generated? We have an idea how much it is lobbied for.
Meanwhile, Facebook has been spamming users and has been restricting accounts without demonstrating a cause. If there were a video tape in a Blockbuster on this, it would be titled, “Algorithms Gone Wild!”.
Journalism is also impacted by AI, though real journalists tend to be rigorous in their sources. Real newsrooms have rules, and while we don’t have that much insight into how AI is being used in newsrooms, it stands to reason that if a newsroom is to be a trusted source, they will go out of their way to make sure that they are: They have a vested interest in getting things right. This has not stopped some websites parading as trusted sources disseminating untrustworthy information because, even in Web 2.0 when the world had an opportunity to discuss such things at the World Summit on Information Society, the country with the largest web presence did not participate much, if at all, at a government level.
Then we have the thing that concerns the most people: their lives. Jon Stewart even did a Daily Show on it, which is worth watching, because people are worried about generative AI taking their jobs with good reason. Even as the Davids of AI3 square off for your market-share, layoffs have been happening in tech as they reposition for AI.
Meanwhile, AI is also apparently being used as a cover for some outsourcing:
Your automated cashier isn’t an AI, just someone in India. Amazon made headlines this week for rolling back its “Just Walk Out” checkout system, where customers could simply grab their in-store purchases and leave while a “generative AI” tallied up their receipt. As reported by The Information, however, the system wasn’t as automated as it seemed. Amazon merely relied on Indian workers reviewing store surveillance camera footage to produce an itemized list of purchases. Instead of saving money on cashiers or training better systems, costs escalated and the promise of a fully technical solution was even further away…
“Don’t Be Fooled: Much “AI” is Just Outsourcing, Redux“, Janet Vertesi, TechPolicy.com, Apr 4, 2024
Maybe AI is creating jobs in India by proxy. It’s easy to blame problems on AI, too, which is a larger problem because the world often looks for something to blame and having an automated scapegoat certainly muddies the waters.
And the waters of The Big Picture of AI are muddied indeed – perhaps partly by design. After all, those involved are making money, they have now even better tools to influence markets, populations, and you.
In a world that seems to be running a deficit when it comes to trust, the tools we’re creating seem to be increasing rather than decreasing that deficit at an exponential pace.
- The full article at the New York Times is worth expending one of your free articles, if you’re not a subscriber. It gets into a lot of specifics, and is really a treasure chest of a snapshot of what companies such as Google, Meta and OpenAI have been up to and have released as plans so far. ↩︎
- That’s not just a metaphor, as the Israeli use of Lavender (AI) has been outed recently. ↩︎
- Not the Goliaths. David was the one with newer technology: The sling. ↩︎
https://knowprose.com/2024/04/10/from-inputs-to-the-big-picture-an-ai-roundup/
#AI #amazon #artificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #facebook #generativeAi #Google #influence #LargeLanguageModel #Meta #openai #socialMedia #socialNetwork #trainingData #trainingModel #twitter #x
-
This started off as a baseline post regarding generative artificial intelligence and it’s aspects and grew fairly long because even as I was writing it, information was coming out. It’s my intention to do a ’roundup’ like this highlighting different focuses as needed. Every bit of it is connected, but in social media postings things tend to be written of in silos. I’m attempting to integrate since the larger implications are hidden in these details, and will try to stay on top of it as things progress.
It’s long enough where it could have been several posts, but I wanted it all together at least once.
No AI was used in the writing, though some images have been generated by AI.
The two versions of artificial intelligence on the table right now – the marketed and the reality – have various problems that make it seem like we’re wrestling a mating orgy of cephalopods.
The marketing aspect is a constant distraction, feeding us what helps with stock prices and good will toward those implementing the generative AIs, while the real aspect of these generative AIs is not really being addressed in a cohesive way.
To simplify this, this post breaks it down into the Input, the Output, and the impacts on the ecosystem the generative AIs work in.
The Input.
There’s a lot that goes into these systems other than money and water. There’s the information used for the learning models, the hardware needed, and the algorithms used.
The Training Data.
The focus so far has been on what goes into their training data, and that has been an issue including lawsuits, and less obviously, trust of the involved companies.
…The race to lead A.I. has become a desperate hunt for the digital data needed to advance the technology. To obtain that data, tech companies including OpenAI, Google and Meta have cut corners, ignored corporate policies and debated bending the law, according to an examination by The New York Times…
“How Tech Giants Cut Corners to Harvest Data for A.I.“, Cade Metz, Cecilia Kang, Sheera Frenkel, Stuart A. Thompson and Nico Grant, New York Times, April 6, 2024 1
Of note, too, is that Google has been indexing AI generated books, which is what is called ‘synthetic data’ and has been warned against, but is something that companies are planning for or even doing already, consciously and unconsciously.
Where some of these actions are questionably legal, they’re not as questionably ethical to some, thus the revolt mentioned last year against AI companies using content without permission. It’s of questionable effect because no one seems to have insight into what the training data consists of, and there seems no one is auditing them.
There’s a need for that audit, if only to allow for trust.
…Industry and audit leaders must break from the pack and embrace the emerging skills needed for AI oversight. Those that fail to address AI’s cascading advancements, flaws, and complexities of design will likely find their organizations facing legal, regulatory, and investor scrutiny for a failure to anticipate and address advanced data-driven controls and guidelines.
“Auditing AI: The emerging battlefield of transparency and assessment“, Mark Dangelo, Thomson Reuters, 25 Oct 2023.
While everyone is hunting down data, no one seems to be seriously working on oversight and audits, at least in a public way, though the United States is pushing for global regulations on artificial intelligence at the UN. The status of that hasn’t seemed to have been updated, even as artificial intelligence is being used to select targets in at least 2 wars right now (Ukraine and Gaza).
There’s an imbalance here that needs to be addressed. It would be sensible to have external auditing of learning data models and the sources, as well as the algorithms involved – and just get get a little ahead, also for the output. Of course, these sorts of things should be done with trading on stock markets as well, though that doesn’t seem to have made as much headway in all the time that has been happening either.
Some websites are trying to block AI crawlers, and it is an ongoing process. Blocking them requires knowing who they are and doesn’t guarantee bad actors might not stop by.
There is a new Bill that being pressed in the United States, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, that is worth keeping an eye on:
“…The California Democratic congressman Adam Schiff introduced the bill, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, which would require that AI companies submit any copyrighted works in their training datasets to the Register of Copyrights before releasing new generative AI systems, which create text, images, music or video in response to users’ prompts. The bill would need companies to file such documents at least 30 days before publicly debuting their AI tools, or face a financial penalty. Such datasets encompass billions of lines of text and images or millions of hours of music and movies…”
“New bill would force AI companies to reveal use of copyrighted art“, Nick Robins-Early, TheGuardian.com, April 9th, 2024.
Given how much information is used by these companies already from Web 2.0 forward, through social media websites such as Facebook and Instagram (Meta), Twitter, and even search engines and advertising tracking, it’s pretty obvious that this would be in the training data as well.
The Algorithms.
The algorithms for generative AI are pretty much trade secrets at this point, but one has to wonder at why so much data is needed to feed the training models when better algorithms could require less. Consider a well read person could answer some questions, even as a layperson, with less of a carbon footprint. We have no insight into the algorithms either, which makes it seem as though these companies are simply throwing more hardware and data at the problem than being more efficient with the data and hardware that they already took.
There’s not much news about that, and it’s unlikely that we’ll see any. It does seem like fuzzy logic is playing a role, but it’s difficult to say to what extent, and given the nature of fuzzy logic, it’s hard to say whether it’s implementation is as good as it should be.
The Hardware
Generative AI has brought about an AI chip race between Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Nvidia, which definitely leaves smaller companies that can’t afford to compete in that arena at a disadvantage so great that it could be seen as impossible, at least at present.
The future holds quantum computing, which could make all of the present efforts obsolete, but no one seems interested in waiting around for that to happen. Instead, it’s full speed ahead with NVIDIA presently dominating the market for hardware for these AI companies.
The Output.
One of the larger topics that has seemed to have faded is regarding what was called by some as ‘hallucinations’ by generative AI. Strategic deception was also something that was very prominent for a short period.
There is criticism that the algorithms are making the spread of false information faster, and the US Department of Justice is stepping up efforts to go after the misuse of generative AI. This is dangerous ground, since algorithms are being sent out to hunt products of other algorithms, and the crossfire between doesn’t care too much about civilians.2
The impact on education, as students use generative AI, education itself has been disrupted. It is being portrayed as an overall good, which may simply be an acceptance that it’s not going away. It’s interesting to consider that the AI companies have taken more content than students could possibly get or afford in the educational system, which is something worth exploring.
Given that ChatGPT is presently 82% more persuasive than humans, likely because it has been trained on persuasive works (Input; Training Data), and since most content on the internet is marketing either products, services or ideas, that was predictable. While it’s hard to say how much content being put into training data feeds on our confirmation biases, it’s fair to say that at least some of it is. Then there are the other biases that the training data inherits through omission or selective writing of history.
There are a lot of problems, clearly, and much of it can be traced back to the training data, which even on a good day is as imperfect as our own imperfections, it can magnify, distort, or even be consciously influenced by good or bad actors.
And that’s what leads us to the Big Picture.
The Big Picture
…For the past year, a political fight has been raging around the world, mostly in the shadows, over how — and whether — to control AI. This new digital Great Game is a long way from over. Whoever wins will cement their dominance over Western rules for an era-defining technology. Once these rules are set, they will be almost impossible to rewrite…
“Inside the shadowy global battle to tame the world’s most dangerous technology“, Mark Scott, Gian Volpicelli, Mohar Chatterjee, Vincent Manancourt, Clothilde Goujard and Brendan Bordelon, Politico.com, March 26th, 2024
What most people don’t realize is that the ‘game’ includes social media and the information it provides for training models, such as what is happening with TikTok in the United States now. There is a deeper battle, and just perusing content on social networks gives data to those building training models. Even WordPress.com, where this site is presently hosted, is selling data, though there is a way to unvolunteer one’s self.
Even the Fediverse is open to data being pulled for training models.
All of this, combined with the persuasiveness of generative AI that has given psychology pause, has democracies concerned about the influence. A recent example is Grok, Twitter X’s AI for paid subscribers, fell victim to what was clearly satire and caused a panic – which should also have us wondering about how we view intelligence.
…The headline available to Grok subscribers on Monday read, “Sun’s Odd Behavior: Experts Baffled.” And it went on to explain that the sun had been, “behaving unusually, sparking widespread concern and confusion among the general public.”…
“Elon Musk’s Grok Creates Bizarre Fake News About the Solar Eclipse Thanks to Jokes on X“, Matt Novak, Gizmodo, 8 April 2024
Of course, some levity is involved in that one whereas Grok posting that Iran had struck Tel Aviv (Israel) with missiles seems dangerous, particularly when posted to the front page of Twitter X. It shows the dangers of fake news with AI, deepening concerns related to social media and AI and should be making us ask the question about why billionaires involved in artificial intelligence wield the influence that they do. How much of that is generated? We have an idea how much it is lobbied for.
Meanwhile, Facebook has been spamming users and has been restricting accounts without demonstrating a cause. If there were a video tape in a Blockbuster on this, it would be titled, “Algorithms Gone Wild!”.
Journalism is also impacted by AI, though real journalists tend to be rigorous in their sources. Real newsrooms have rules, and while we don’t have that much insight into how AI is being used in newsrooms, it stands to reason that if a newsroom is to be a trusted source, they will go out of their way to make sure that they are: They have a vested interest in getting things right. This has not stopped some websites parading as trusted sources disseminating untrustworthy information because, even in Web 2.0 when the world had an opportunity to discuss such things at the World Summit on Information Society, the country with the largest web presence did not participate much, if at all, at a government level.
Then we have the thing that concerns the most people: their lives. Jon Stewart even did a Daily Show on it, which is worth watching, because people are worried about generative AI taking their jobs with good reason. Even as the Davids of AI3 square off for your market-share, layoffs have been happening in tech as they reposition for AI.
Meanwhile, AI is also apparently being used as a cover for some outsourcing:
Your automated cashier isn’t an AI, just someone in India. Amazon made headlines this week for rolling back its “Just Walk Out” checkout system, where customers could simply grab their in-store purchases and leave while a “generative AI” tallied up their receipt. As reported by The Information, however, the system wasn’t as automated as it seemed. Amazon merely relied on Indian workers reviewing store surveillance camera footage to produce an itemized list of purchases. Instead of saving money on cashiers or training better systems, costs escalated and the promise of a fully technical solution was even further away…
“Don’t Be Fooled: Much “AI” is Just Outsourcing, Redux“, Janet Vertesi, TechPolicy.com, Apr 4, 2024
Maybe AI is creating jobs in India by proxy. It’s easy to blame problems on AI, too, which is a larger problem because the world often looks for something to blame and having an automated scapegoat certainly muddies the waters.
And the waters of The Big Picture of AI are muddied indeed – perhaps partly by design. After all, those involved are making money, they have now even better tools to influence markets, populations, and you.
In a world that seems to be running a deficit when it comes to trust, the tools we’re creating seem to be increasing rather than decreasing that deficit at an exponential pace.
- The full article at the New York Times is worth expending one of your free articles, if you’re not a subscriber. It gets into a lot of specifics, and is really a treasure chest of a snapshot of what companies such as Google, Meta and OpenAI have been up to and have released as plans so far. ↩︎
- That’s not just a metaphor, as the Israeli use of Lavender (AI) has been outed recently. ↩︎
- Not the Goliaths. David was the one with newer technology: The sling. ↩︎
https://knowprose.com/2024/04/10/from-inputs-to-the-big-picture-an-ai-roundup/
#AI #amazon #artificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #facebook #generativeAi #Google #influence #LargeLanguageModel #Meta #openai #socialMedia #socialNetwork #trainingData #trainingModel #twitter #x
-
This started off as a baseline post regarding generative artificial intelligence and it’s aspects and grew fairly long because even as I was writing it, information was coming out. It’s my intention to do a ’roundup’ like this highlighting different focuses as needed. Every bit of it is connected, but in social media postings things tend to be written of in silos. I’m attempting to integrate since the larger implications are hidden in these details, and will try to stay on top of it as things progress.
It’s long enough where it could have been several posts, but I wanted it all together at least once.
No AI was used in the writing, though some images have been generated by AI.
The two versions of artificial intelligence on the table right now – the marketed and the reality – have various problems that make it seem like we’re wrestling a mating orgy of cephalopods.
The marketing aspect is a constant distraction, feeding us what helps with stock prices and good will toward those implementing the generative AIs, while the real aspect of these generative AIs is not really being addressed in a cohesive way.
To simplify this, this post breaks it down into the Input, the Output, and the impacts on the ecosystem the generative AIs work in.
The Input.
There’s a lot that goes into these systems other than money and water. There’s the information used for the learning models, the hardware needed, and the algorithms used.
The Training Data.
The focus so far has been on what goes into their training data, and that has been an issue including lawsuits, and less obviously, trust of the involved companies.
…The race to lead A.I. has become a desperate hunt for the digital data needed to advance the technology. To obtain that data, tech companies including OpenAI, Google and Meta have cut corners, ignored corporate policies and debated bending the law, according to an examination by The New York Times…
“How Tech Giants Cut Corners to Harvest Data for A.I.“, Cade Metz, Cecilia Kang, Sheera Frenkel, Stuart A. Thompson and Nico Grant, New York Times, April 6, 2024 1
Of note, too, is that Google has been indexing AI generated books, which is what is called ‘synthetic data’ and has been warned against, but is something that companies are planning for or even doing already, consciously and unconsciously.
Where some of these actions are questionably legal, they’re not as questionably ethical to some, thus the revolt mentioned last year against AI companies using content without permission. It’s of questionable effect because no one seems to have insight into what the training data consists of, and there seems no one is auditing them.
There’s a need for that audit, if only to allow for trust.
…Industry and audit leaders must break from the pack and embrace the emerging skills needed for AI oversight. Those that fail to address AI’s cascading advancements, flaws, and complexities of design will likely find their organizations facing legal, regulatory, and investor scrutiny for a failure to anticipate and address advanced data-driven controls and guidelines.
“Auditing AI: The emerging battlefield of transparency and assessment“, Mark Dangelo, Thomson Reuters, 25 Oct 2023.
While everyone is hunting down data, no one seems to be seriously working on oversight and audits, at least in a public way, though the United States is pushing for global regulations on artificial intelligence at the UN. The status of that hasn’t seemed to have been updated, even as artificial intelligence is being used to select targets in at least 2 wars right now (Ukraine and Gaza).
There’s an imbalance here that needs to be addressed. It would be sensible to have external auditing of learning data models and the sources, as well as the algorithms involved – and just get get a little ahead, also for the output. Of course, these sorts of things should be done with trading on stock markets as well, though that doesn’t seem to have made as much headway in all the time that has been happening either.
Some websites are trying to block AI crawlers, and it is an ongoing process. Blocking them requires knowing who they are and doesn’t guarantee bad actors might not stop by.
There is a new Bill that being pressed in the United States, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, that is worth keeping an eye on:
“…The California Democratic congressman Adam Schiff introduced the bill, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, which would require that AI companies submit any copyrighted works in their training datasets to the Register of Copyrights before releasing new generative AI systems, which create text, images, music or video in response to users’ prompts. The bill would need companies to file such documents at least 30 days before publicly debuting their AI tools, or face a financial penalty. Such datasets encompass billions of lines of text and images or millions of hours of music and movies…”
“New bill would force AI companies to reveal use of copyrighted art“, Nick Robins-Early, TheGuardian.com, April 9th, 2024.
Given how much information is used by these companies already from Web 2.0 forward, through social media websites such as Facebook and Instagram (Meta), Twitter, and even search engines and advertising tracking, it’s pretty obvious that this would be in the training data as well.
The Algorithms.
The algorithms for generative AI are pretty much trade secrets at this point, but one has to wonder at why so much data is needed to feed the training models when better algorithms could require less. Consider a well read person could answer some questions, even as a layperson, with less of a carbon footprint. We have no insight into the algorithms either, which makes it seem as though these companies are simply throwing more hardware and data at the problem than being more efficient with the data and hardware that they already took.
There’s not much news about that, and it’s unlikely that we’ll see any. It does seem like fuzzy logic is playing a role, but it’s difficult to say to what extent, and given the nature of fuzzy logic, it’s hard to say whether it’s implementation is as good as it should be.
The Hardware
Generative AI has brought about an AI chip race between Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Nvidia, which definitely leaves smaller companies that can’t afford to compete in that arena at a disadvantage so great that it could be seen as impossible, at least at present.
The future holds quantum computing, which could make all of the present efforts obsolete, but no one seems interested in waiting around for that to happen. Instead, it’s full speed ahead with NVIDIA presently dominating the market for hardware for these AI companies.
The Output.
One of the larger topics that has seemed to have faded is regarding what was called by some as ‘hallucinations’ by generative AI. Strategic deception was also something that was very prominent for a short period.
There is criticism that the algorithms are making the spread of false information faster, and the US Department of Justice is stepping up efforts to go after the misuse of generative AI. This is dangerous ground, since algorithms are being sent out to hunt products of other algorithms, and the crossfire between doesn’t care too much about civilians.2
The impact on education, as students use generative AI, education itself has been disrupted. It is being portrayed as an overall good, which may simply be an acceptance that it’s not going away. It’s interesting to consider that the AI companies have taken more content than students could possibly get or afford in the educational system, which is something worth exploring.
Given that ChatGPT is presently 82% more persuasive than humans, likely because it has been trained on persuasive works (Input; Training Data), and since most content on the internet is marketing either products, services or ideas, that was predictable. While it’s hard to say how much content being put into training data feeds on our confirmation biases, it’s fair to say that at least some of it is. Then there are the other biases that the training data inherits through omission or selective writing of history.
There are a lot of problems, clearly, and much of it can be traced back to the training data, which even on a good day is as imperfect as our own imperfections, it can magnify, distort, or even be consciously influenced by good or bad actors.
And that’s what leads us to the Big Picture.
The Big Picture
…For the past year, a political fight has been raging around the world, mostly in the shadows, over how — and whether — to control AI. This new digital Great Game is a long way from over. Whoever wins will cement their dominance over Western rules for an era-defining technology. Once these rules are set, they will be almost impossible to rewrite…
“Inside the shadowy global battle to tame the world’s most dangerous technology“, Mark Scott, Gian Volpicelli, Mohar Chatterjee, Vincent Manancourt, Clothilde Goujard and Brendan Bordelon, Politico.com, March 26th, 2024
What most people don’t realize is that the ‘game’ includes social media and the information it provides for training models, such as what is happening with TikTok in the United States now. There is a deeper battle, and just perusing content on social networks gives data to those building training models. Even WordPress.com, where this site is presently hosted, is selling data, though there is a way to unvolunteer one’s self.
Even the Fediverse is open to data being pulled for training models.
All of this, combined with the persuasiveness of generative AI that has given psychology pause, has democracies concerned about the influence. A recent example is Grok, Twitter X’s AI for paid subscribers, fell victim to what was clearly satire and caused a panic – which should also have us wondering about how we view intelligence.
…The headline available to Grok subscribers on Monday read, “Sun’s Odd Behavior: Experts Baffled.” And it went on to explain that the sun had been, “behaving unusually, sparking widespread concern and confusion among the general public.”…
“Elon Musk’s Grok Creates Bizarre Fake News About the Solar Eclipse Thanks to Jokes on X“, Matt Novak, Gizmodo, 8 April 2024
Of course, some levity is involved in that one whereas Grok posting that Iran had struck Tel Aviv (Israel) with missiles seems dangerous, particularly when posted to the front page of Twitter X. It shows the dangers of fake news with AI, deepening concerns related to social media and AI and should be making us ask the question about why billionaires involved in artificial intelligence wield the influence that they do. How much of that is generated? We have an idea how much it is lobbied for.
Meanwhile, Facebook has been spamming users and has been restricting accounts without demonstrating a cause. If there were a video tape in a Blockbuster on this, it would be titled, “Algorithms Gone Wild!”.
Journalism is also impacted by AI, though real journalists tend to be rigorous in their sources. Real newsrooms have rules, and while we don’t have that much insight into how AI is being used in newsrooms, it stands to reason that if a newsroom is to be a trusted source, they will go out of their way to make sure that they are: They have a vested interest in getting things right. This has not stopped some websites parading as trusted sources disseminating untrustworthy information because, even in Web 2.0 when the world had an opportunity to discuss such things at the World Summit on Information Society, the country with the largest web presence did not participate much, if at all, at a government level.
Then we have the thing that concerns the most people: their lives. Jon Stewart even did a Daily Show on it, which is worth watching, because people are worried about generative AI taking their jobs with good reason. Even as the Davids of AI3 square off for your market-share, layoffs have been happening in tech as they reposition for AI.
Meanwhile, AI is also apparently being used as a cover for some outsourcing:
Your automated cashier isn’t an AI, just someone in India. Amazon made headlines this week for rolling back its “Just Walk Out” checkout system, where customers could simply grab their in-store purchases and leave while a “generative AI” tallied up their receipt. As reported by The Information, however, the system wasn’t as automated as it seemed. Amazon merely relied on Indian workers reviewing store surveillance camera footage to produce an itemized list of purchases. Instead of saving money on cashiers or training better systems, costs escalated and the promise of a fully technical solution was even further away…
“Don’t Be Fooled: Much “AI” is Just Outsourcing, Redux“, Janet Vertesi, TechPolicy.com, Apr 4, 2024
Maybe AI is creating jobs in India by proxy. It’s easy to blame problems on AI, too, which is a larger problem because the world often looks for something to blame and having an automated scapegoat certainly muddies the waters.
And the waters of The Big Picture of AI are muddied indeed – perhaps partly by design. After all, those involved are making money, they have now even better tools to influence markets, populations, and you.
In a world that seems to be running a deficit when it comes to trust, the tools we’re creating seem to be increasing rather than decreasing that deficit at an exponential pace.
- The full article at the New York Times is worth expending one of your free articles, if you’re not a subscriber. It gets into a lot of specifics, and is really a treasure chest of a snapshot of what companies such as Google, Meta and OpenAI have been up to and have released as plans so far. ↩︎
- That’s not just a metaphor, as the Israeli use of Lavender (AI) has been outed recently. ↩︎
- Not the Goliaths. David was the one with newer technology: The sling. ↩︎
https://knowprose.com/2024/04/10/from-inputs-to-the-big-picture-an-ai-roundup/
#AI #amazon #artificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #facebook #generativeAi #Google #influence #LargeLanguageModel #Meta #openai #socialMedia #socialNetwork #trainingData #trainingModel #twitter #x
-
This started off as a baseline post regarding generative artificial intelligence and it’s aspects and grew fairly long because even as I was writing it, information was coming out. It’s my intention to do a ’roundup’ like this highlighting different focuses as needed. Every bit of it is connected, but in social media postings things tend to be written of in silos. I’m attempting to integrate since the larger implications are hidden in these details, and will try to stay on top of it as things progress.
It’s long enough where it could have been several posts, but I wanted it all together at least once.
No AI was used in the writing, though some images have been generated by AI.
The two versions of artificial intelligence on the table right now – the marketed and the reality – have various problems that make it seem like we’re wrestling a mating orgy of cephalopods.
The marketing aspect is a constant distraction, feeding us what helps with stock prices and good will toward those implementing the generative AIs, while the real aspect of these generative AIs is not really being addressed in a cohesive way.
To simplify this, this post breaks it down into the Input, the Output, and the impacts on the ecosystem the generative AIs work in.
The Input.
There’s a lot that goes into these systems other than money and water. There’s the information used for the learning models, the hardware needed, and the algorithms used.
The Training Data.
The focus so far has been on what goes into their training data, and that has been an issue including lawsuits, and less obviously, trust of the involved companies.
…The race to lead A.I. has become a desperate hunt for the digital data needed to advance the technology. To obtain that data, tech companies including OpenAI, Google and Meta have cut corners, ignored corporate policies and debated bending the law, according to an examination by The New York Times…
“How Tech Giants Cut Corners to Harvest Data for A.I.“, Cade Metz, Cecilia Kang, Sheera Frenkel, Stuart A. Thompson and Nico Grant, New York Times, April 6, 2024 1
Of note, too, is that Google has been indexing AI generated books, which is what is called ‘synthetic data’ and has been warned against, but is something that companies are planning for or even doing already, consciously and unconsciously.
Where some of these actions are questionably legal, they’re not as questionably ethical to some, thus the revolt mentioned last year against AI companies using content without permission. It’s of questionable effect because no one seems to have insight into what the training data consists of, and there seems no one is auditing them.
There’s a need for that audit, if only to allow for trust.
…Industry and audit leaders must break from the pack and embrace the emerging skills needed for AI oversight. Those that fail to address AI’s cascading advancements, flaws, and complexities of design will likely find their organizations facing legal, regulatory, and investor scrutiny for a failure to anticipate and address advanced data-driven controls and guidelines.
“Auditing AI: The emerging battlefield of transparency and assessment“, Mark Dangelo, Thomson Reuters, 25 Oct 2023.
While everyone is hunting down data, no one seems to be seriously working on oversight and audits, at least in a public way, though the United States is pushing for global regulations on artificial intelligence at the UN. The status of that hasn’t seemed to have been updated, even as artificial intelligence is being used to select targets in at least 2 wars right now (Ukraine and Gaza).
There’s an imbalance here that needs to be addressed. It would be sensible to have external auditing of learning data models and the sources, as well as the algorithms involved – and just get get a little ahead, also for the output. Of course, these sorts of things should be done with trading on stock markets as well, though that doesn’t seem to have made as much headway in all the time that has been happening either.
Some websites are trying to block AI crawlers, and it is an ongoing process. Blocking them requires knowing who they are and doesn’t guarantee bad actors might not stop by.
There is a new Bill that being pressed in the United States, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, that is worth keeping an eye on:
“…The California Democratic congressman Adam Schiff introduced the bill, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, which would require that AI companies submit any copyrighted works in their training datasets to the Register of Copyrights before releasing new generative AI systems, which create text, images, music or video in response to users’ prompts. The bill would need companies to file such documents at least 30 days before publicly debuting their AI tools, or face a financial penalty. Such datasets encompass billions of lines of text and images or millions of hours of music and movies…”
“New bill would force AI companies to reveal use of copyrighted art“, Nick Robins-Early, TheGuardian.com, April 9th, 2024.
Given how much information is used by these companies already from Web 2.0 forward, through social media websites such as Facebook and Instagram (Meta), Twitter, and even search engines and advertising tracking, it’s pretty obvious that this would be in the training data as well.
The Algorithms.
The algorithms for generative AI are pretty much trade secrets at this point, but one has to wonder at why so much data is needed to feed the training models when better algorithms could require less. Consider a well read person could answer some questions, even as a layperson, with less of a carbon footprint. We have no insight into the algorithms either, which makes it seem as though these companies are simply throwing more hardware and data at the problem than being more efficient with the data and hardware that they already took.
There’s not much news about that, and it’s unlikely that we’ll see any. It does seem like fuzzy logic is playing a role, but it’s difficult to say to what extent, and given the nature of fuzzy logic, it’s hard to say whether it’s implementation is as good as it should be.
The Hardware
Generative AI has brought about an AI chip race between Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Nvidia, which definitely leaves smaller companies that can’t afford to compete in that arena at a disadvantage so great that it could be seen as impossible, at least at present.
The future holds quantum computing, which could make all of the present efforts obsolete, but no one seems interested in waiting around for that to happen. Instead, it’s full speed ahead with NVIDIA presently dominating the market for hardware for these AI companies.
The Output.
One of the larger topics that has seemed to have faded is regarding what was called by some as ‘hallucinations’ by generative AI. Strategic deception was also something that was very prominent for a short period.
There is criticism that the algorithms are making the spread of false information faster, and the US Department of Justice is stepping up efforts to go after the misuse of generative AI. This is dangerous ground, since algorithms are being sent out to hunt products of other algorithms, and the crossfire between doesn’t care too much about civilians.2
The impact on education, as students use generative AI, education itself has been disrupted. It is being portrayed as an overall good, which may simply be an acceptance that it’s not going away. It’s interesting to consider that the AI companies have taken more content than students could possibly get or afford in the educational system, which is something worth exploring.
Given that ChatGPT is presently 82% more persuasive than humans, likely because it has been trained on persuasive works (Input; Training Data), and since most content on the internet is marketing either products, services or ideas, that was predictable. While it’s hard to say how much content being put into training data feeds on our confirmation biases, it’s fair to say that at least some of it is. Then there are the other biases that the training data inherits through omission or selective writing of history.
There are a lot of problems, clearly, and much of it can be traced back to the training data, which even on a good day is as imperfect as our own imperfections, it can magnify, distort, or even be consciously influenced by good or bad actors.
And that’s what leads us to the Big Picture.
The Big Picture
…For the past year, a political fight has been raging around the world, mostly in the shadows, over how — and whether — to control AI. This new digital Great Game is a long way from over. Whoever wins will cement their dominance over Western rules for an era-defining technology. Once these rules are set, they will be almost impossible to rewrite…
“Inside the shadowy global battle to tame the world’s most dangerous technology“, Mark Scott, Gian Volpicelli, Mohar Chatterjee, Vincent Manancourt, Clothilde Goujard and Brendan Bordelon, Politico.com, March 26th, 2024
What most people don’t realize is that the ‘game’ includes social media and the information it provides for training models, such as what is happening with TikTok in the United States now. There is a deeper battle, and just perusing content on social networks gives data to those building training models. Even WordPress.com, where this site is presently hosted, is selling data, though there is a way to unvolunteer one’s self.
Even the Fediverse is open to data being pulled for training models.
All of this, combined with the persuasiveness of generative AI that has given psychology pause, has democracies concerned about the influence. A recent example is Grok, Twitter X’s AI for paid subscribers, fell victim to what was clearly satire and caused a panic – which should also have us wondering about how we view intelligence.
…The headline available to Grok subscribers on Monday read, “Sun’s Odd Behavior: Experts Baffled.” And it went on to explain that the sun had been, “behaving unusually, sparking widespread concern and confusion among the general public.”…
“Elon Musk’s Grok Creates Bizarre Fake News About the Solar Eclipse Thanks to Jokes on X“, Matt Novak, Gizmodo, 8 April 2024
Of course, some levity is involved in that one whereas Grok posting that Iran had struck Tel Aviv (Israel) with missiles seems dangerous, particularly when posted to the front page of Twitter X. It shows the dangers of fake news with AI, deepening concerns related to social media and AI and should be making us ask the question about why billionaires involved in artificial intelligence wield the influence that they do. How much of that is generated? We have an idea how much it is lobbied for.
Meanwhile, Facebook has been spamming users and has been restricting accounts without demonstrating a cause. If there were a video tape in a Blockbuster on this, it would be titled, “Algorithms Gone Wild!”.
Journalism is also impacted by AI, though real journalists tend to be rigorous in their sources. Real newsrooms have rules, and while we don’t have that much insight into how AI is being used in newsrooms, it stands to reason that if a newsroom is to be a trusted source, they will go out of their way to make sure that they are: They have a vested interest in getting things right. This has not stopped some websites parading as trusted sources disseminating untrustworthy information because, even in Web 2.0 when the world had an opportunity to discuss such things at the World Summit on Information Society, the country with the largest web presence did not participate much, if at all, at a government level.
Then we have the thing that concerns the most people: their lives. Jon Stewart even did a Daily Show on it, which is worth watching, because people are worried about generative AI taking their jobs with good reason. Even as the Davids of AI3 square off for your market-share, layoffs have been happening in tech as they reposition for AI.
Meanwhile, AI is also apparently being used as a cover for some outsourcing:
Your automated cashier isn’t an AI, just someone in India. Amazon made headlines this week for rolling back its “Just Walk Out” checkout system, where customers could simply grab their in-store purchases and leave while a “generative AI” tallied up their receipt. As reported by The Information, however, the system wasn’t as automated as it seemed. Amazon merely relied on Indian workers reviewing store surveillance camera footage to produce an itemized list of purchases. Instead of saving money on cashiers or training better systems, costs escalated and the promise of a fully technical solution was even further away…
“Don’t Be Fooled: Much “AI” is Just Outsourcing, Redux“, Janet Vertesi, TechPolicy.com, Apr 4, 2024
Maybe AI is creating jobs in India by proxy. It’s easy to blame problems on AI, too, which is a larger problem because the world often looks for something to blame and having an automated scapegoat certainly muddies the waters.
And the waters of The Big Picture of AI are muddied indeed – perhaps partly by design. After all, those involved are making money, they have now even better tools to influence markets, populations, and you.
In a world that seems to be running a deficit when it comes to trust, the tools we’re creating seem to be increasing rather than decreasing that deficit at an exponential pace.
- The full article at the New York Times is worth expending one of your free articles, if you’re not a subscriber. It gets into a lot of specifics, and is really a treasure chest of a snapshot of what companies such as Google, Meta and OpenAI have been up to and have released as plans so far. ↩︎
- That’s not just a metaphor, as the Israeli use of Lavender (AI) has been outed recently. ↩︎
- Not the Goliaths. David was the one with newer technology: The sling. ↩︎
https://knowprose.com/2024/04/10/from-inputs-to-the-big-picture-an-ai-roundup/
#AI #amazon #artificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #facebook #generativeAi #Google #influence #LargeLanguageModel #Meta #openai #socialMedia #socialNetwork #trainingData #trainingModel #twitter #x
-
Offener Brief: AfD auf Verfassungswidrigkeit prüfen
Kurz vor dem Ende der Legislaturperiode fordern Menschen, die sich seit Jahren für Demokratie und gegen Rechtsextremismus engagieren, endlich ein Verbotsverfahren gegen die AfD anzustoßen.
Von Redaktion Belltower.News| 29. Januar 2025
Auf einer Demo gegen Rechtsextremismus fordern Teilnehmende ein Verbot der AfD.
(Quelle: picture alliance/dpa | Hannes P Albert)Angesichts der bevorstehenden Beratungen im Deutschen Bundestag in dieser Woche fordert ein breites Bündnis aus der ostdeutschen Zivilgesellschaft die demokratischen Abgeordneten des Bundestages auf, die Prüfung eines AfD-Verbotsverfahrens entschlossen voranzutreiben. Das Prüfverfahren sei ein klares Signal gegen die rechtsextreme Bedrohung, dazu fordern die Engagierten umfassendere Maßnahmen gegen Rassismus, Antisemitismus und Demokratiefeindlichkeit zu ergreifen.
Timo Reinfrank, Geschäftsführer der Amadeu Antonio Stiftung, unterstreicht die Dringlichkeit: „Die Debatte über ein Verbot der AfD zeigt, wie unklar und unentschlossen viele Demokrat*innen agieren. Für zivilgesellschaftlich Engagierte und Minderheiten wirkt diese Diskussion wie ein Feigenblatt, um sich nicht mit den für sie unmittelbar gefährlichen Erzählungen der AfD auseinanderzusetzen. Doch genau diese Erzählungen prägen längst die politische Realität. Wir dürfen nicht zulassen, dass diese rechtsextreme Partei weiter demokratische Institutionen aushöhlt und ein Klima der Angst schafft. Ein Prüfverfahren ist ein wichtiges Signal, doch ohne eine umfassende Strategie gegen rechtsextreme Hetze und Gewalt bleibt es Stückwerk.“
Einschüchterungen und Angriffe gegen demokratisch Engagierte
Die Unterzeichnenden berichten von gezielten Einschüchterungen und Angriffen durch die AfD, die nicht nur Minderheiten und Geflüchtete, sondern auch demokratisch Engagierte treffen, insbesondere in den ostdeutschen Bundesländern. Robert Kusche ehrenamtlicher VBRG-Vorstand betont: „Die AfD trägt aktiv zur Eskalation politischer Gewalt bei. Ihre Funktionär*innen beteiligen sich durch Rhetorik und Handlungen an der existenziellen Bedrohung ‚politischer Feinde‘ wie demokratisch Engagierten und Kommunalpolitiker*innen. Sie sendet Botschaften, die Gewalt gegen vulnerable Gruppen legitimieren. Für die Betroffenen bedeutet das eine ständige Bedrohung ihrer Sicherheit. Diese Entwicklung erfordert eine entschlossene Haltung aller Demokrat*innen, um die Werte einer offenen und sicheren Gesellschaft zu verteidigen.”
Kalkulierter Raubzug zum Abbau der Demokratie
Die zunehmende Vernetzung von AfD Mitgliedern mit Reichsbürger*innen und Rechtsextremen zum gewaltbereiten Angriff gegen Engagierte und Repräsentantinnen auf die Infrastruktur der Demokratie sind besorgniserregend und fordern zum Handeln auf, so Renate Sternatz, Vorsitzende von Mobit e.V. Thüringen. „Wir erleben vielerorts wiederholte Angriffe gegen die Menschenwürde auf Einzelpersonen und Gruppen, z. B. auf Menschen mit Migrationserfahrung, Journalist*innen, Gewerkschafter*innen und viele weitere demokratisch Engagierte. Die systematische Verunsicherung erfolgt in den Kommunen, in Vereinen, im Alltag, in den sozialen Netzwerken und auf der Straße. Die AfD zielt programmatisch auf die Abschaffung der freiheitlich demokratischen Grundordnung und sie missbraucht ihre parlamentarischen Mandate zur gezielten Einschüchterung der Zivilgesellschaft. In Thüringen hat die AfD zuletzt durch die Eröffnung des Landtagsparlaments ihre gefährliche Präsenz und symbolische Macht unter Beweis gestellt. Der kalkulierte Raubzug zum Abbau unserer demokratischen Prinzipien darf nicht länger toleriert werden.“
Verbotsverfahren darf nicht verschleppt werden
Die Engagierten fordern die Bundesregierung und die demokratischen Abgeordneten des Bundestages auf, ein klares Signal gegen die rechtsextreme Bedrohung zu setzen und die Prüfung eines Verbotsverfahrens aktiv auf die Tagesordnung zu bringen und nicht bis nach der Bundestagswahl zu verschleppen. Gleichzeitig sei es unerlässlich, umfassendere Strategien zu entwickeln, um die Demokratie gegen Angriffe von rechts zu schützen.
„Nie wieder ist jetzt“ – mit diesen Worten schließen die Verfasser*innen des Briefes und fordern von den Abgeordneten des Bundestages eine entschlossene Haltung und klare Maßnahmen gegen die AfD und die von ihr ausgehenden Gefahren.
Belltower.News dokumentiert den Brief im Wortlaut.
Offener Brief:
Sehr geehrte Abgeordnete des Deutschen Bundestags,
wir wenden uns an Sie als Vertreter*innen zahlreicher zivilgesellschaftlicher Initiativen, Organisationen und Gruppen aus Ostdeutschland, die sich tagtäglich für eine demokratische, weltoffene und pluralistische Gesellschaft einsetzen. Mit großer Sorge beobachten wir, wie die AfD ihre Position in kommunalen Gremien und Parlamenten missbraucht, um nicht nur jene zu attackieren, die vor Ort für das Gemeinwohl und den gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt eintreten, sondern auch die Grundwerte unseres Grundgesetzes. Sie fördert ein Klima der Angst und Spaltung und nutzt unsere Demokratie, um systematisch demokratische Prinzipien zu untergraben.
Wir erleben hautnah, wie die AfD gezielt gegen Minderheiten, Andersdenkende und demokratische Institutionen vorgeht. Ihre Hetze vergiftet nicht nur das gesellschaftliche Klima, sondern fällt auf fruchtbaren Boden und erzeugt reale Gewalt. Besonders betroffen sind hiervon viele Regionen in den ostdeutschen Bundesländern, in denen die AfD besonders stark ist und zugleich anderen rechtsextremen und neonazistischen Kräften Auftrieb verschafft. Der Hass und die Gewalt treffen die Schwächsten, Minderheiten, Geflüchtete, Frauen, aber auch Engagierte der demokratischen Zivilgesellschaft und in der Kommunalpolitik.
Neben der Verbreitung von offenem Antisemitismus, völkischem Rassismus und wahnhaften Verschwörungserzählungen richtet die AfD gezielte Angriffe auf die Erinnerungskultur an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus. Führende Mitglieder der Partei sprechen von einem „Schuldkult“ und relativieren damit bewusst die größten Menschheitsverbrechen unserer Geschichte.
Wir, die Unterzeichnenden, wollen diese Entwicklungen nicht hinnehmen. Wir stellen uns daher täglich Antisemitismus, Rassismus und Geschichtsrevisionismus entgegen. In Sachsen, Thüringen und Sachsen-Anhalt wird die AfD bereits jetzt als gesichert rechtsextrem eingestuft. Sie hat sich von einer rechtspopulistischen Oppositionspartei zu einer system- und demokratiefeindlichen Kraft entwickelt, die gezielt das Vertrauen in Parlamente, Gerichte, Medien und zivilgesellschaftliche Strukturen untergräbt und diese offen angreift.
Tagtäglich erfahren wir, was es bedeutet, durch Rechtsextreme, Rassisten und Antisemiten beleidigt und bedroht zu werden. Daher fordern wir Sie auf, Ihren Beitrag im Kampf gegen Rechtsextremismus zu leisten: Leiten Sie ein Prüfverfahren vor dem Bundesverfassungsgericht ein, um unabhängig festzustellen, ob die AfD auf dem Boden des Grundgesetzes steht. Lassen Sie uns gemeinsam entschlossen dafür eintreten, die demokratischen Werte unseres Landes zu schützen. Mehr denn je gilt: „Nie wieder ist jetzt.“ Unsere Verfassung gibt uns dieses Mittel zum Schutz der Demokratie an die Hand; wir sollten es nutzen.
Seit langem dokumentieren wir unsere Erfahrungen und Einschätzungen, um ein umfassendes Bild der Situation zu vermitteln. Wir laden Sie ein, mit uns zu diskutieren und gemeinsam Lösungen zu erarbeiten. Drücken Sie sich nicht aus parteitaktischen Gründen vor Ihrer Verantwortung gegenüber der Demokratie und den Menschen – insbesondere in den ostdeutschen Bundesländern.
Ja, ein mögliches Verbot der AfD wird das Problem mit Rassismus, Antisemitismus und Rechtsextremismus nicht lösen. Doch ein Prüf- und Verbotsverfahren wäre ein wichtiges Signal und ein Baustein, um auf die Bedeutung der AfD und die von ihr ausgehenden Gefahren zu reagieren. Es ist ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung. Wir sind offen für weitere Ideen und Vorschläge.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Unterzeichner*innen in alphabetischer Reihenfolge:
Achim Radau-Krüger
Alex Schuster
Alexander Grau
Alexander Poesche
Alexandra Riha
Alma Flamm
Andrea Baldauf
Andrea Hübler
Andrea Krüger
Andrea Nienhuisen
Andrea Stiehler
Andreas Froese
Anett Wendler
Angela Giersch
Angela Keßler
Angela Koini
Angela Müller
Anita Resch
Anja Rammer
Anka Jahneke
Anna Groschwitz
Anna Heide-Konrad
Annabel Beckmann
Anne Grökel
Anne Nitschke
Anne Piotrowski
Anne Schmidt
Anne Wältken
Annett Taube
Antje Walter
Arnold Paduch
Astrid Förster
Barbara Freudenthal
Barbara Hansen
Barbara Koschatzky
Bastian Lämmler
Bayar Aziz
Beate Gütschow
Beate Schiewer
Bella Liebermann
Benno Baumbauer
Bernd Faller
Bernhard Otto
Bernhard Wanner
Bettina Pistor
Björn Schreiber
Carina Ludwig
Carl-Josef Virnich
Carola Nebe
Cathrin Kameni Monkam
Cherin Mahmoud
Christian Paul Schröer
Christian Wehner
Christian Torenz
Christina Brzynczek
Christina Lange
Christina Maria Grafe
Christine Wehner
Claudia Bamberg
Claudia Heise
Claudia Kostka
Claudia Salooja-Günz
Claudia Weier
Corinna Hägele
Corinna Züge
Cornelia Hülseberg
Cornelia Lotthammer
Cosima Santoro
Damian Koenig
Daniel Bahrmann
Daniel Bogenstahl
Daniel Kraut
Daniel Kurz
Daniel Steinbach
David Paraschiv
Denise Ney
Dennis Hanauer
Dennis Ries
Dennise Remmle
Diane Steinkrauß
Dirk Freudenthal
Dirk Kendziorczyk
Dirk Kotelmann
Dominik Schneider
Doritta Kolb-Unglaub
Dorothea Feuerbach
Dorothea Gintz
Dorothee Antos
Dr. Axel Salheiser
Dr. Greta Reeh
Dr. Harald Lamprecht
Dr. Hellena Horst
Dr. Silke Riekmann
Dr. Thorsten Hindrichs
Edeltraud Kotzanek
Edith Alef
Eleonore Lubitz
Elio Galen
Elisabeth Eschweiler
Elsbeth Hoeck
Ena Cumurovic
Erik Voß
Estera Sara Stan
Eva Bock
Evelyn Illgen
Evelyn Kranz
Fanny Klemm
Felica Körfgen
Florian Winkler
Franca Postel
Franz Zobel
Franz-Xaver Federhen
Franzi Böhm
Franziska Göpner
Franziska Marten
Franziska Herold
Friederike Theile
Gereon Leifeld
Giò Di Sera
Giulia Tonelli
Gregor Mennicken
Grit Klück
Grit Schedalke-Bree
Gudrun Winkler
Gundula Sell
Günter Burkhardt
Han Ostbomk
Hannes Stuwe
Heike Anders
Heike Horstmann
Helena Daniel
Helmut Thein
Henning Wötzel-Herber
Henriette Schreiber
Hiltrud Körfgen
Holger Joswig
Homa Moradi
Hubert Poell
Ibrahim Al-Wattar
Ina Gross-Bajohr
Ingrid Bergschmidt
Ingrid Kunkel
Ingrid Hansen
Jacqueline Georgius
Jan Stahlhut
Jana Rosenfeld
Jana Steiger
Jana Clemen
Janek Hesse
Janika Sebastian
Janina Baumbauer
Janine Busch
Janosch Salzl
Japheth Kohl
Jaromar von Bormann
Jasmin Dean
Jasmin Kröber
Jasper Pommerin
Jennifer Adler
Jenny Meyer
Jens Müller
Jessica Schumacher
Johanna Knote
Johanna Licht
Johanna Sprengel
Johannes Hartmann
John Venghaus
Jolanda Krok
Jona Schapira
Jonas Schlosser
Jonas Steinleitner
Jonas Thibaut
Jonathan Lübke
Jörg Finus
Jörg Kalensee
Jörn Krug
Judith Porath
Julia Härtel
Julia Sachs
Julia Seemann
Julia Wolfrum
Julian Matthias Adalberto Quispe Heider
Julian Petermann
Julian Wüster
Julius Grimmig
Julius Schulz
Jürgen Schmidt
Jutta Schultheiß
Jutta Simon-Karrenberg
Karin Forbrig
Karin Heino
Karla Marek
Karola Jaruczewski
Karola Kunkel
Karsten Wagner
Katarina Schröter
Katharina Grüttner
Katharina König-Preuss
Katharina Mühlhoff
Käthe Eisoldt
Katja Kinder
Katrin Hödl
Kerstin Fettweis
Kevin Zöller
Kira Ayyadi
Klaus Friedrich Schulz
Klaus Tröster
Kora Dust
Lars Repp
Lasse Charlier
Laura Meinen
Lea Nassim Tajbakhsh
Leah Carola Czollek
Lena Frenzel
Lena Marleaux
Lilly Hickisch
Lisa Glauche
Lisa Wiedemuth
Luca Schliemann
Lucia Milad
Lukas Pellio
Magdalena Otto
Magdalena Sankowska
Magnus Rembold
Maike Limprecht
Manuel Schabel
Manuel Schulz
Manuela Coker
Manuela Knopp
Marcel Loeb
Marco Förster
Margarete Wittner-Koester
Margret Gelzenleuchter
Maria Müller
Maria Nelz
Marianna Schmidt
Marie Heide
Marie Mechtild Gillissen
Marie Sommer
Marie-Theres Lämmler
Marieke Jahneke
Mario Geisen
Marion Wegner
Markus Spintig-Wehning
Markus Weber
Marlen Neumann
Marlene Schultz
Marlies Dietrich
Marta Marszewska
Martin Folz
Martin Kasprzak
Martin Langbecker
Martin Schmiedler
Martin Raue
Martina Backes
Mathias Birsens
Matthias Hoffmann
Maximilian Kalinsky
Maximilian Storch
Maya Liqokeli
Melanie Keller
Melanie Leykauf
Melanie Wündsch
Merline Bratenstein
Michael Forbrig
Michael Hohenadler
Michael Pettrup
Michael Reckordt
Michael Sexauer
Michael Thinius
Milena Otte
Mio Meyer
Nadine Höhn
Nadine Stiebitz
Najat Ibrahim
Nancy Meyer
Nassr Rahman
Nat Net
Natalie Brosch
Natalie Floreck
Nicole Hartmann
Niklas Amani Schäfer
Nils Huxoll
Nina Adams
Nina Gbur
Nora Oehmichen
Olaf Traute
Oliver Heise
Paola Carega
Pascal Kalensee
Patricia Mattes
Patrick Schuck
Paul Hirsch
Paul Obermeyer
Paula Gleißner
Paula Tusetschläger
Peter Gerwinat
Peter Grohmann
Peter Wolf
Petra Holldorf
Petra Meinzer
Prof. Dr. Thorsten Geisler-Wierwille
Rainer Lewe
Raja Goltz
Ralf Dietrich
Ralf Hron
Ramon Tausch
Rebecca Freyer
Reinhild Benfer
Renate Fippl
Renate Sternatz
Rene Attila Adiyaman
René Stich
Rita Rosenkranz
Robert Kusche
Robert Zenker
Roman Guski
Rudolf Müller
Sabine Boddien
Sabine Günscht
Sabrina Giesen
Sandra Karbowiak
Sandra Kendziorczyk
Sandra Lorbach
Sandrine Kuntzag
Sarah Annika Schiller
Sascha Siry
Saskia Körner
Saskia Mette
Sebastian Hammer
Sebastian Hofmann
Sebastian Mauer
Sebastian Strobl
Sharon Adler
Silke Mayer
Silvia Ribes
Silvia Schaak
Silvia Schürmann-Ebenfeld
Simone Mertsch
Sonja Taubert
Sophia Athié
Sophia Chimaoge Nelz
Sophia Wagenlehner
Sophia Nitsch
Stefan Demling
Stefan Diefenbach-Trommer
Stefanie Kalensee
Stefanie Wagner
Steffen Richter
Stephan Schoeneich
Stephane Lelarge
Stephanie Luther
Steve Beckmann
Susann Rüthrich
Sylke Fritzsche
Sylvia Zenz
Tabea Germo
Tahera Ameer
Teresa Suendermann
Theresa Steinhäuser
Thomas Gey
Thomas Häcker
Thomas Klisch
Thomas Postel
Till Thomas
Tim Carow
Tim Honscha
Timo Reinfrank
Tina Jana Wittrich
Tine Laufer
Tino Hain
Tobias Oertel
Tom Schaak
Toni Heise
Toni Marer
Udo Knickelmann
Ulrike Warncke
Ursula Böttcher
Ursula Laue
Ursula Pier
Ursula Schmidt
Ute Bach
Vanessa Fischer
Vanessa Pettrup
Veit Hannemann
Verena Haug
Veronika Patočková
Viktoria Heick
Vincent Seeberger
Virginia Zaccagnini
Vivien Buckendahl
Volker Vödisch
Walid Malik
Werner Philippi
Willy Vetter
Winkler Moritz
Wolfgang Länder
Wolfgang Rothe
Wolfram Kattanek
Views: 8 -
Alla fine del 1979 in Italia agivano 4.337 emittenti radio private
In seguito all’approvazione della legge 14 aprile 1975, n. 103, dal ministero delle Poste e telecomunicazioni parte il seguente telegramma:
“Disponesi virgola a sensi articoli 1 et 2 legge 14 aprile 1975 n 103 virgola che responsabili aut esercenti impianti diffusione via etere programmi radiofonici e televisivi privati vengono denunciati at autorita giudiziaria competente con contestuale richiesta sequestro impianto medesimo soprattutto se trasmissioni interferiscano con servizio pubblico radiodiffusione et con altri servizi pubblica utilita punto necessari accertamento [sic] dovranno essere effettuati da ispettori compartimentali collaborazione con circo tel [sic] et organi rai virgola che dovranno fornire mezzi tecnici per acquisizione materiale probatorio punto” <1.
La legge in questione ribadisce infatti, come si è detto, la riserva statale delle trasmissioni via etere, sancendo l’illegalità delle prime emittenti “libere”, che in quegli anni iniziano a infrangere il monopolio. Tale previsione farà scattare la lunga teoria di denunce e le successive pronunce di incostituzionalità. Ciò che ora preme rilevare è la sottolineatura che viene fatta della necessità di riferire all’autorità giudiziaria «soprattutto se trasmissioni interferiscano con servizio pubblico radiodiffusione et con altri servizi pubblica utilita».
La liberalizzazione di fatto dell’etere che, sulla spinta delle innovazioni tecnologiche e delle pressioni all’accesso, investe il panorama radiotelevisivo italiano conduce infatti a una corsa all’accaparramento selvaggio delle frequenze che fa coniare ai commentatori espressioni quali «giungla», «fungaia», «far west» in riferimento alla situazione venutasi a determinare <2. In effetti, in molti casi si registrano sconfinamenti, sovrapposizioni, interferenze, una congerie di segnali che induce Eco a parlare di «ascolto patchwork», una «marmellata» all’interno della quale l’identità delle singole stazioni è irriconoscibile per l’utente che muove la manopola della radio e si imbatte in un profluvio di musica e parole senza soluzione di continuità <3.
Al ministero delle Poste e telecomunicazioni giungono numerose lamentele a proposito delle difficoltà di ricezione del segnale in alcuni contesti locali – in particolar modo per quel che riguarda il terzo canale, varato in quegli anni in attuazione della legge di riforma del 1975 -, dovute principalmente all’insufficienza dei ripetitori installati ma anche all’affollamento delle frequenze verificatosi a partire dalla liberalizzazione dell’etere <4. Sulla questione prendono parola anche i comitati di redazione Rai-tv, riuniti in assemblea a St. Vincent tra il 13 e il 15 giugno 1977, che nel comunicato conclusivo denunciano ““con preoccupazione” che il vuoto di intervento parlamentare sta determinando una situazione al limite dell’ingovernabilità, con sovrapposizione delle frequenze, con una caccia sfrenata ai messaggi pubblicitari, con violazione delle normative di legge sulla produzione giornalistica, con gravi fenomeni di sfruttamento ai danni dei dipendenti di una parte di tali emittenti” <5.
Un caso particolare è costituito dalle denunce provenienti dagli aeroporti civili e dalle forze dell’ordine, cui pure fa riferimento il telegramma riportato. In diversi casi, come a Torino e a Fiumicino <6, vengono segnalate interferenze del segnale fra la torre di controllo e velivoli in fase di atterraggio; malgrado tale evenienza sia teoricamente possibile e non è da escludere che nella situazione caotica prodotta dalla deregolamentazione siano accaduti episodi di sovrapposizione delle frequenze, c’è da dire che i controlli effettuati non forniscono riscontri alle denunce <7. Anche per quel che riguarda il rischio di interferenze a danno delle radiovolanti della polizia non vi sono dati certi e inoppugnabili; in alcuni scambi epistolari fra organi centrali e periferici dello stato si rimarca che «vengono […] continuamente rappresentate at questo ministero da organi operativi difficoltà nell’espletamento servizi istituzionali at causa continue et reiterate interferenze emittenti private nelle frequenze radio utilizzate da forze di polizia» <8, ma le preoccupazioni sembrano fortemente condizionate dai dibattiti parlamentari in corso sull’emanazione di una nuova disciplina di regolamentazione del settore, alla quale il ministero dell’Interno, come si vedrà, vorrebbe dare un contributo specifico riguardo la commissione di condotte illecite a mezzo apparecchi radiotrasmittenti.
I numeri del fenomeno delle radio libere, per come emergono dalle indagini realizzate per conto dei ministeri delle Poste e dell’Interno a qualche anno dal boom, sono decisamente significativi: “Alla fine del 1979 in Italia agivano 4.337 emittenti radio private (598 in più rispetto all’anno precedente con un incremento del 16%), con un rapporto di una emittente per 13.000 abitanti circa, distribuite geograficamente come segue: ̵ 906 (73 in più rispetto al 1978) nelle regioni nord-occidentali, in ragione di una emittente per 17.000 abitanti circa; – 583 (52 in più rispetto al 1978) nelle regioni nord-orientali, con un rapporto di una emittente per 18.000 abitanti circa; – per un totale, nell’intera area Nord del Paese, di 1.489 (125 in più rispetto al 1978) e un rapporto di utenza media di una emittente per poco più di 17.000 abitanti. […] – 603 (104 in più rispetto al 1978) nelle regioni centrali, con un rapporto di una emittente per 18.000 abitanti circa. […] – 1.325 (177 in più rispetto al 1978) in quelle meridionali, con un rapporto di una emittente per 10.000 abitanti circa; – 920 (192 in più rispetto al 1978) in quelle insulari, con un rapporto di una emittente per 7.000 abitanti circa; – 2.245 (369 in più rispetto al 1978) nelle regioni meridionali e insulari, complessivamente considerate, con un rapporto di una emittente per 9.000 abitanti circa” <9.
La fase espansiva è in realtà già alle spalle; i tassi di incremento delle emittenti private sono molto più ridotti che in passato <10 e presto il panorama si assesterà in virtù di diversi fattori: da un lato l’attenuazione della spinta alla partecipazione che ha caratterizzato gli anni precedenti, dall’altro l’obiettiva saturazione dell’etere, dall’altro ancora le difficoltà di natura principalmente economica incontrate dalle esperienze più artigianali e la tendenza alla concentrazione in grandi network <11. Proprio il massiccio ingresso dei potentati privati nel mercato radiofonico – con l’obiettivo puntato su quello pubblicitario e sulla spartizione della relativa torta – diviene un punto centrale del dibattito sulla regolamentazione che si sviluppa in quegli anni <12. Da più parti giungono valutazioni allarmistiche <13 sul rischio che la creazione di oligopoli finisca per soffocare le esperienze più genuine di partecipazione e richiami al legislatore affinché disciplini la materia, ponendo dei paletti alle possibilità di concentrazione; la rivista «Altrimedia», ad esempio, dedica diversi numeri alla questione <14.
Per tutto il periodo qui considerato si susseguono progetti di legge più o meno organici, i quali finiscono però per arenarsi nelle secche dei dibattiti parlamentari. La riforma della Rai rientra fra i punti del programma sottoscritto dai partiti dell’“accordo a sei” in funzione di indirizzo politico del governo delle astensioni; il governo è impegnato «ad assecondare la definizione di una disciplina delle emittenti locali private, in applicazione della sentenza della Corte Costituzionale n. 202 del 1976, che preveda la applicazione per legge del piano nazionale di ripartizione delle frequenze e delle modalità e criteri per la concessione delle autorizzazioni» <15. Numerosi sono però gli ostacoli che si frappongono alla definitiva approvazione di una legge in materia: i tentennamenti dei principali partiti in merito all’emittenza privata e alle modalità di regolamentazione della stessa; la presenza di altri temi considerati prioritari per l’azione di governo; le fibrillazioni in ambito politico-sociale e la relativa fragilità dello stesso accordo fra i partiti.
Quanto le posizioni siano ondivaghe e in alcuni casi molto distanti l’una dall’altra è constatabile dalle esternazioni delle personalità politiche direttamente coinvolte nella questione, in primis dei membri della Commissione parlamentare di vigilanza dei servizi radiotelevisivi. Nell’ottobre 1977, ad esempio, gli orientamenti conservatori di Vittorino Colombo, ministro delle Poste e telecomunicazioni della Dc, vengono bollati come «assolutamente personali» da Mauro Bubbico, membro della Commissione in quota allo stesso partito <16. Le divergenze fra i partiti dell’accordo riguardano la nozione di ambito locale; la percentuale di ripartizione delle frequenze fra ente concessionario, radiotelevisioni commerciali ed emittenti locali; la regolamentazione del regime autorizzatorio; la disciplina del mercato pubblicitario; le garanzie professionali richieste alle private e il destino da riservare alla situazione esistente <17.
Tra il 10 e il 12 marzo 1978 si tiene a Livorno un convegno nazionale indetto da Arci-Enars e Acli-Endas su “Sistema radiotelevisivo e territorio”, al quale intervengono, oltre alle associazioni promotrici, esperti del settore e redattori di alcune esperienze televisive e radiofoniche sorte in ambito locale <18. L’ampia discussione enuclea le principali tematiche concernenti la comunicazione locale, con un’attenzione al ruolo delle forze sociali e alla necessità che la regolamentazione del settore contemperi la salvaguardia della libertà d’impresa dei privati e del pluralismo partecipativo.
[NOTE]
1 Telegramma del 20 giugno 1975 inviato dal ministro delle Poste e telecomunicazioni Orlando ai direttori compartimentali PT ufficio II Repubblica, ai circostel, alla Direzione generale Rai e, p.c., all’Ispettorato generale per le telecomunicazioni, alla Direzione centrale ispezione, alla Direzione centrale servizi telegrafici e radioelettrici, al gabinetto del ministero dell’Interno e a quello della Difesa, all’Ispettorato generale di Ps, in Acs, Mi – gab., 1976-80, b. 334, f. «Radio e televisione. Impianti privati (1)».
2 Cfr. S. Dark, Libere!, cit. p. 132.
3 U. Eco, Con qualche radio in più, cit.
4 Cfr. Acs, Mi – gab., 1976-80, b. 334, f. «Radio e televisione. Affari vari»: vi è conservato il carteggio fra organi centrali e periferici riguardante l’installazione di ripetitori Rai in territorio friulano, stanti le proteste di comunità non raggiunte dal segnale. È significativo che le segnalazioni da parte delle autorità locali muovano dalla preoccupazione per la penetrazione ideologica realizzata tramite la ricezione di programmi della Jugoslavia comunista, in una zona di confine delicata dal punto di vista geopolitico.
5 Ivi, lettera del 20 giugno 1977 indirizzata dal questore della Valle d’Aosta Barbagallo al gabinetto del ministro e alla Direzione generale di pubblica sicurezza; in allegato il comunicato stilato al termine dell’assemblea nazionale dei comitati di redazione, 15 giugno 1977.
6 Gli esempi sono riportati rispettivamente in Davide Giacalone, Antenna libera. La RAI, i privati, i partiti, Edizioni di comunità, Milano 1990, p. 31 e in Roberto Morrione, La RAI nel paese delle antenne. Uomini e vicende del più discusso dei mass media, dall’era di Bernabei all’era della riforma, Napoleone, Napoli 1978, p. 115.
7 Cfr. la lettera del prefetto di Varese Vitelli-Casella del 21 maggio 1977, indirizzata ai gabinetti del ministero dell’Interno e delle Poste e telecomunicazioni e alla Direzione generale di pubblica sicurezza, in Acs, Mi – gab., 1976-80, b. 338, f. «Radio e tv libere. Affari vari». Il funzionario – in seguito alla segnalazione del 14 maggio 1977 fatta dall’ufficio regionale Icao (International civil aviation organization) di Parigi al ministero della Difesa, relativa ai potenziali pericoli derivanti dalle interferenze – ha effettuato dei controlli all’aeroporto di Milano Malpensa, risultati negativi.
8 Ivi, f. «Radio libere. Legislazione», fonogramma urgente del 7 novembre 1977 indirizzato dal ministero dell’Interno al gabinetto del ministero delle Poste e telecomunicazioni e, p.c., alla presidenza del Consiglio dei ministri e al ministero di Grazia e giustizia – Uffici legislativi.
9 Ivi, f. «Radio e tv libere. Affari vari», rapporto del servizio di documentazione generale afferente alla Direzione generale affari generali e del personale del ministero dell’Interno indirizzato al gabinetto del ministro il 26 maggio 1980. Nello stesso rapporto si rileva «l’accentuata polverizzazione nel Sud e nelle Isole della radiodiffusione esercitata da privati, sembra rispondere ad una esigenza di diffusione capillare in aree caratterizzate dalla frantumazione su vaste aree di centri abitati di modeste dimensioni, fuori dall’orbita dei grandi agglomerati urbani». Il dato è collegato alla «differente presenza e, quindi, il diverso ruolo dell’informazione tradizionale identificabile essenzialmente con la cosiddetta grande stampa, nei cui confronti le emittenti private, almeno in questa prima fase di attività, si collocano come strumenti alternativi o sussidiari ovvero complementari rispetto a contenuti dell’informazione imperniati sulla peculiarità delle problematiche locali». L’analisi degli esperti ministeriali sembrano a tal proposito confermare quanto suggeriva McLuhan, Capire i media, cit., p. 275: «[…] la radio ha potuto diversificarsi e dar vita a un servizio a livello regionale o locale come non aveva mai fatto neanche all’epoca ormai lontana dei radioamatori. Si è insomma rivolta alle necessità personali dell’individuo nelle diverse ore del giorno […]».
10 Si consideri che «a fine giugno 1977 in Italia agivano 244 emittenti televisive e 1641 emittenti radio», di 93 delle quali «è stato possibile accertare il carattere prevalentemente politico»: documento a cura della Direzione generale degli affari generali e del personale – Servizio di documentazione generale, Le emittenti radio e televisive private in Italia, novembre 1977, in Acs, Mi – gab., 1976-80, b. 338, f. «Radiotelevisive private. Censimento». 11 Cfr. F. Monteleone, Storia della radio e della televisione, cit., pp. 428-33 e P. Murialdi, Il “decennio concentrone”. Appunti per una storia delle concentrazioni negli anni Ottanta, «Problemi dell’informazione», f. 2, 1990, pp. 169-85.
12 Già il 23 e il 24 ottobre 1976 si tiene ad Aosta un convegno su Sistema radiotelevisivo e Regioni, con la partecipazione di delegazioni ufficiali della giunta e dei consigli di varie regioni, nonché di un’ampia rappresentanza dei quadri dirigenti della Rai e del ministro delle Poste Vittorino Colombo; nella mozione conclusiva, che testimonia indirettamente del colore politico della maggior parte degli intervenuti, nel rispecchiare la posizione assunta dal Pci in riferimento alla liberalizzazione dell’etere, si sottolinea che «le contraddizioni e i ritardi nella riforma della RAI-TV, il recupero delle forze conservatrici, l’attacco privatistico al monopolio pubblico radiotelevisivo e la Sentenza n° 202 della Corte Costituzionale, hanno concorso a determinare una situazione, che rischia, se non superata tempestivamente, di risolversi in ulteriori limitazioni all’esercizio delle libertà di espressione e di comunicazione di tutti i cittadini per il prevalere di potenti concentrazioni monopolistiche private». Il documento è rinvenibile in Acs, Mi – gab., 1976-80, b. 334, f. «Radio e televisione. Affari vari», sf. «Riforma della RAI TV».
13 Lo svolgimento più coerente e articolato della tesi secondo la quale la liberalizzazione dell’etere sarebbe il presupposto per l’ingresso di grandi trust privati nel sistema radiotelevisivo è costituito da F. Siliato, L’antenna dei padroni, cit. Per un compendio cfr. la sua intervista, C’è un futuro per le radio. Ma quale?, «Millecanali», n. 71, 1980, pp. 70-72, in particolare p. 72: «[…] al di là delle speranze di molti poeti dell’alternativa le emittenti private sono servite al grande capitale per rompere il monopolio statale e introdurre la logica di mercato nel sistema radio televisivo italiano».
14 Cfr. E. Fleischner, Gli emarginati prendono microfono e antenna, «Altrimedia», n. 1, 1976, pp. 2-3; le interviste a Umberto Eco, Radio locali, cit. e a Pio Baldelli, Riprendiamoci la radio, la televisione e il cinema, «Altrimedia», n. 2, 1976, pp. 9-10; In Europa le reti radio-tv sempre più private sempre meno locali (sintesi dell’intervento Il sistema italiano e la rete globale di controllo di Index Milano tenuto da Francesco Siliato al convegno internazionale di S. Vincent, Sistemi radiotelevisivi in Europa e prospettive della dimensione locale degli anni ’80), «Altrimedia», n. 24-25, 1979, pp. 5-9; 3000 emittenti pronte a concentrarsi, «Altrimedia», n. 26, 1979, pp. 5-11; Albino Pedroia, Un’onda per tutti, «Altrimedia», n. 27, 1979, pp. 4-7.
15 Cfr. Atti parlamentari, Camera dei deputati, VII legislatura, discussioni, seduta del 12 luglio 1977, pp. 8869-72, in particolare p. 8872.
16 Cfr. Dibattito sulla legge, «Millecanali», n. 34, 1977, pp. 101-03. Al dibattito organizzato dalla rivista partecipano, oltre a Bubbico, Pietro Valenza del Pci, Luciana Castellina di Dp, tutti membri della Commissione di vigilanza, e Di Domenico, della commissione sui problemi dell’informazione del Psi.
17 Cfr., oltre al dibattito citato in precedenza, Sandro Silvestri (a cura di), Verso quale legge?, «Altrimedia», n. 5, 1977, pp. 9-11: intervengono Bubbico, Valenza, Marco Pannella per i Radicali (anch’egli membro della Commissione parlamentare di vigilanza); Francesco Tempestini, responsabile del settore informazione del Psi; Vincenzo Vita, suo omologo per Dp e Renzo Rossellini, della segreteria nazionale della Federazione radio emittenti democratiche. Il dibattito è andato in onda sulle frequenze di Radio città futura, in collaborazione con «Altrimedia».
Salvatore Corasaniti, Quando parla Onda Rossa. I Comitati autonomi operai e l’emittente romana alla fine degli anni settanta (1977-1980), Tesi di dottorato, Sapienza – Università di Roma, Anno accademico 2017-2018#1975 #1978 #1979 #emittenti #etere #Italia #legge #liberalizzazione #radio #riforma #SalvatoreCorasaniti
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Let’s have a look at this patch of central Glasgow as drawn by George McCulloch in 1852. It’s not spectacular; there are only a handful of recognisable buildings; but it tells a few tales about the growth of Glasgow and the human lives — and deaths — that underpinned it.
Detail from George McCulloch’s View of Glasgow (1853). [Photo from the copy in the Mitchell Library.]First, let’s orient ourselves. Hope Street runs diagonally across the map; near the centre is the junction with Gordon Street. Near the bottom is Argyle Street, and rising towards the top left is the ridge of Blythswood Hill.
Detail from Joseph Swan’s map of Glasgow (1854-5). [National Library of Scotland]The empty plots in the middle lie between Bothwell Street and Waterloo Street. They would be the last part of central Glasgow’s grid to be completed, and to understand that we need to look at how the city spread.
By the early nineteenth century, Argyle Street was an urban tentacle running parallel to the Clyde, toward the village of Anderston. The space between it and the river, with easy access to the quays, was filling up with works and warehouses. To the north and west lay a feued but undeveloped region, belonging to the Campbell family and marked on the map as the Blythswood Building Ground.
Extract from Peter Fleming’s “reduced” map of Glasgow (1807). [National Library of Scotland.]Development of the Blythswood lands had been projected by the entrepreneur William Harvey, who in 1802 had purchased the estate of Sauchy Hall and anglicised it to Willowbank. (The ubiquitous James Cleland also had property nearby.)
Detail from Fleming’s (1807) map showing Willowbank to the west and Baillie Cleland’s wee pad a little to the north of “Sauchyhall Road”. [National Library of Scotland.]To the south was Grahamston: an odd enclave shaped by Alston Street and Union Place, defiantly squint — as it still is — to the Blythswood grid.
Left: Grahamston in Fleming’s map (1807) [National Library of Scotland]. Right: the same area in satellite view [Bing Maps].Grahamston, just beyond the old city limits, was largely owned by John Alston, heir of the maltman John Miller who’d developed Miller Street. It was also the site, from 1764-80, of one of Glasgow’s earliest theatres.
Grahamston in James McArthur’s map of Glasgow (1778). [National Library of Scotland]As Glasgow grew, the commercial zone edged northwards. On Alston Street lay Alexander Galloway’s brewery, and next to it Wilson, Strang & Co.’s sugar house. (The sugar house was built in 1809, a reminder that Glasgow’s involvement with enslaved labour didn’t end with the slave trade.)
James Lumsden’s map of Glasgow (1830). [National Library of Scotland.]Meanwhile, the elegant townhouses of Blythswood were advancing downhill towards Grahamston. The awkward area between the residential and commercial districts saw a few changes of street plan before it was soldered together, and the grid still takes a wobble there.
Detail from McCulloch’s View, showing the awkward join at the end of Gordon Street.McCulloch’s View also bears witness to Scotland’s national genius for inventing new flavours of Protestant. In sight are seventeen churches from nine denominations, all building keenly for the future, and offering over eighteen thousand seats between them.
Extract from McCulloch’s View with all seventeen churches marked.A decade on from the Disruption there were five Free Churches to three Established. Others — United Presbyterian, Reformed Presbyterian, Original Secession, Episcopal — reflect earlier splits. Others still, like David Dale’s Old Scotch Independents, followed their own course.
Three of those seventeen churches were Gaelic-speaking, serving generations of new Glaswegians displaced from the Gàidhealtachd. The most prominent was St Columba’s, originally the Gaelic Chapel on Ingram Street, which in 1904 would be displaced again to St Vincent Street. Gàidhlig-language worship in the “Highland Cathedral” lasted until 2021. A few decades later, the stretch of Argyle Street to the east of Hope Street would become a less official gathering-place for Gaels: the Hielanman’s Umbrella.
Missing entirely from the scene is any Roman Catholic church, despite the city’s growing Irish population. (There were at this time eleven Catholic churches in the city and surrounding burghs. The Free Kirk had 37; the Established Church had 38.)
On the corner of Waterloo Street and Hope Street is the Corn Exchange, opened in the 1840s, and conveniently located near the great grain stores towards the wharves.
Detail from McCulloch’s View: the Corn Exchange and some of the grain stores.There’s also evidence of the labour behind the ongoing building boom. There are about a dozen timber, slate and stone-yards: much of the land that looks empty on the maps was anything but.
Detail from the OS map of Glasgow (1857) with timber, slate and stone-yards shaded. [National Library of Scotland.] Detail from McCulloch’s View: timber yards on Waterloo Street and Cadogan Street. Detail from McCulloch’s View: the timber yard opposite St Columba’s on Hope Street.With wealth being generated in the quays and factories and flowing uphill into Blythswood, raising churches and public buildings on the way, the city was a model of Victorian prosperity — the model Thomas Sulman would present a decade later.
Extract from Thomas Sulman’s Bird’s Eye View of Glasgow (1864), showing roughly the same area as our extract from McCulloch. [Glasgow City Heritage Trust.]But.
Let’s turn our attention more closely to the blocks either side of Alston Street. In the 1870s everything in these blocks would disappear, replaced by the first phase of the Caledonian Railway’s Central Station.
Detail from McCulloch’s View showing the area surrounding Alston Street.Much of the area is occupied by warehouses. The line of low buildings along Hope Street include a smithy, a reminder that it was not just human labour that kept the city running.
Behind St Columba’s Church is the windowless bulk of a gas holder, three or four storeys high and surrounded by highly inflammable grain and bonded warehouses. (Glasgow’s dire reputation for fire deaths was probably not helped by urban design like this.)
Dominating the block, with its tall chimney gushing smoke, is the Wilson sugar refinery, a legacy of the original industries of Grahamston that we’ve seen already. It was not, though, the original building, and the fate of its predecessor opens a grim but informative window into the age.
At about 7am on October 30, 1848, the sugar house on Alston Street suddenly collapsed. It took more than a week to clear the rubble and recover the bodies of the fourteen workers who had died, either crushed by debris or scalded to death by molten sugar.
Many of the victims were Irish. They ranged from middle-aged men with families who had been in Scotland for decades to Andrew Broadley, a lad of twenty who was sending money home each week to support his widowed mother in Tyrone.
Many of the victims’ dependents were left destitute. We know this because the Chief Superintendent of Police was sent to investigate their circumstances, to make sure charity went to those who deserved it. His appraisals — “dissipated habits”; “well spoken of” — appeared in the newspapers while they were still grieving.
Article from the Glasgow Chronicle (8 November 1848) describing the victims.Even before the last body had been recovered, rumours started. The building had been repaired a few years earlier; there were hints that corners had been cut. The authorities found, and tersely reported, that there were no grounds for prosecution.
Nevertheless, the Dean of Guild’s Court – the equivalent of the Planning Committee – embarked on a programme of inspection, ordering the demolition of other dangerous buildings across the city. Many of the buildings they targeted were in the slum areas where the immigrant workers lived, and it seems that “being full of Irish people” was considered to be a risk factor. It’s the story of economic migrants through the ages: the young men come first; they do the dangerous, badly paid jobs; they send money home to their families; and everybody blames them for everything.
In total, the appeal for the victims’ families raised around £400. (For comparison, the cost to property was estimated at £15000.) The refinery, as we’ve seen, was soon rebuilt.
I came across the story of the Alston Street disaster by accident; it’s mentioned in passing in a few books. I don’t doubt that there are other disasters less well known. Cities rise on wealth; and wealth, too often, rises because we place too low a price on human lives.
Detail from George McCulloch’s View of Glasgow (1853). [Photo from the copy in the Mitchell Library.]The last thing to notice in McCulloch’s picture: the thousands upon thousands of dotted windows.
Imagine the folk behind them. The natives, the immigrants; the workers, the wealthy; the citizens by whom, or for whom, this city rose.
What price on them?
Main sources
My access to McCulloch’s View was granted by the Mitchell Library. I’ve made heavy use, as ever, of the Post Office Directories and maps digitised by the National Library of Scotland, and of newspapers supplied by the British Newspaper Archive. Fhuair mi eachdraidh nan Gàidheal bho glaschu.net.
I’ve also used assorted information from Senex’s Glasgow Past and Present (vol. 1). After the Alston Street disaster, the Glasgow Herald ran a series of columns following the work of the Dean of Guild Court and commenting on the old buildings they were examining. These columns were written by Robert Reid, aka Senex, and when compiled as Glasgow Past and Present they became the basis for practically everything that’s since been written about Glasgow built heritage. If it weren’t for that atrocious industrial accident, you might not be reading this now.
https://newcleckitdominie.wordpress.com/2023/12/28/danger-city-under-construction/
#alstonStreet #blythswood #centralStation #gaelic #GeorgeMcCulloch #grahamston #history #stColumbaS #sugarRefinery
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Colquitt, Daniel J @danielcolquitt
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Riveni, Mirela @mirela
Virgo, Nathaniel @NathanielNumber Theory
Chambert-Loir, Antoine @antoinechambertloir
Garcia Moreno-Esteva, Enrique @Egarcia
Lama, Vishal @vishallama
Litt, Daniel @littmathProbability
Taleb, Nassim Nicholas @nntaleb
Varma, Akshar @aksharvarma
Wenmackers, Sylvia @SylviaFysica
Whelan, John T @jtwsmaStatistics
Albers, Casper J @caal
Apiolaza, Luis A @ojala
Betancourt, Michael @betanalpha
Bolker, Ben @bbolker
Borrell, Luisa N @lborrell
Butler, Ken @nxskok
Charpentier, Arthur @freakonometrics
Dellago, Christoph @CHHDellago
Donnachie, Ewan R @ERDonnachie
Eddelbuettel, Dirk @eddelbuettel
Falk, Markus @falk
Fijten, Rianne @riannefijten
Greer, Phil J @pgreer
Harrell Jr, Frank E @f2harrell
Honner, Patrick @phonner
Hunt, Emily Lauren @emilydoesastro
Jenkins, James S @ProfDoubleJ
Kline, David @DavidKline
Kuhn, Max @topepo
Mackinnon, Sean P @spmackinnon
Marcum, Christopher Steven @csmarcum
Meys, Joris Fa @JorisMeys
Montenegro-Montenegro, Esteban @montenegro
Moss, Rob @rob_models
Schork, Joachim @StatisticsGlobe
Schwarz, Ulrich S @UlrichSchwarz
Tanaka, Emi @emitanaka
Viechtbauer, Wolfgang @wviechtb
Wang, Steve C @SteveWang251
Weissgerber, Tracey L @T_Weissgerber
Whelan, John T @jtwsmaSystems Theory
Allbright, Jef @jef
Roberts, Pauline @systemspractitioner
Wahl, Christian @chrwahl
Wildani, Avani @avaniMore extensive lists on Mastodon can be found exploring the following
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L’infolettre du 3 novembre 2025 : les difficultés du cyclisme féminin, l’Euro de cyclo-cross…
Après le boom du cyclisme féminin, la gueule de bois ?
Quinze équipes au niveau WorldTour, des budgets qui grandissent par millions, des partenaires qui se battent pour s’afficher auprès du peloton : le cyclisme féminin a connu depuis une dizaine d’années une fameuse marche en avant, principalement grâce à une amélioration de la couverture télévisuelle et à une décision des grandes organisations (ASO, Flanders Classics…) d’enfin offrir des courses dignes de ce nom à ces femmes qui n’avaient jusqu’ici droit à des épreuves réduites, voire aucune classique du tout. L’avènement du Tour de France Femmes, qui est passé à neuf étapes cette année, a encore accéléré cette mise en avant d’un cyclisme qui n’attendait que cette professionnalisation pour dévoiler ses meilleurs atouts : des courses souvent plus indécises, plus animées que sur leurs parallèles destinés aux hommes. Cet essor s’est accompagné d’un grand festival de transferts, l’hiver dernier, confirmant le souhait de nombreuses équipes de se placer au sommet pour attirer de nouveaux partenaires, de l’argent frais, et poursuivre ainsi le cercle vertueux.
Sauf que la bulle qui n’a cessé de gonfler pourrait bien éclater, au risque de voir le peloton féminin subir une terrible gueule de bois. Quinze équipes feront toujours bien partie du WorldTour la saison prochaine, et huit formations seront au niveau inférieur, les ProTeams, soit une de plus qu’en 2025. Cela ne signifie toutefois pas forcément une augmentation du nombre de professionnelles au plus haut niveau. FDJ-Suez, qui avait marqué le mercato 2024-2025 avec les arrivées de Demi Vollering, Elise Chabbey ou Juliette Labous, a annoncé réduire son effectif à 16 coureuses, contre 18 en 2025, afin d’”optimiser (ses) coûts”, selon les mots du manager Stephen Delcourt dans La Nouvelle République. Il évoque cette décision par la difficulté de trouver des partenaires, alors que la crise couve dans de nombreuses entreprises, dans un climat mondial incertain.
La Néerlandaise Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) à l’attaque dans le finale des Strade Bianche féminin 2025. – Photo : RCS Sport/La PresseL’analyse de Natascha Knaven-den Ouden, qui a fondé NXTG Racing avant sa reprise par Soudal Quick-Step et qui poursuit la formation de jeunes cyclistes dans la structure relacée sous ce nom, est similaire. Sur Instagram, la Néerlandaise s’inquiète de cette réduction des effectifs et du manque de moyens évoqué par certaines formations. “Certaines équipes du WorldTour reviennent à des effectifs de 14 à 16 cyclistes, simplement parce que les salaires montent plus rapidement que les budgets. Alors que c’était censé créer plus d’espaces, cela devient de plus en plus restreint”, explique-t-elle. “Les équipes de développement réduisent leurs effectifs, les équipes continentales disparaissent et le calendrier en dessous du WorldTour demeure fragile”. Car il devient de plus en plus difficile pour les plus jeunes du peloton de se faire une place parmi les professionnelles quand les seules courses qui restent au calendrier sont destinées aux meilleures. “Le cyclisme féminin grandit en termes de visibilité et de budget, mais pas en profondeur. La base reste trop étroite pour supporter le poids de cette croissance”, déplore Natascha Knaven-den Ouden.
La manager dénonce notamment l’absence de calendrier complet pour les espoirs, voire les juniores, alors que la Coupe des nations de l’UCI vient encore d’être réimaginée, avec seulement cinq courses au programme. C’est simple : le calendrier international pour les moins de 19 ans consiste pour l’heure en une douzaine d’épreuves, sans plus. Impossible de grandir dans de telles conditions. Si les espoirs ont enfin droit à une course pour le titre de championne du monde, il n’y a toujours aucune autre course professionnelle (en dehors des championnats nationaux et continentaux) spécifiquement dédiée aux moins de 23 ans. Là encore, c’est une étape supplémentaire manquée pour des cyclistes qui ne peuvent compter que sur le bon vouloir d’équipes qui voudront croire en leur potentiel. Avec l’espoir que ce potentiel s’affiche directement dans les résultats, au risque de se retrouver sans contrat au bout d’une ou deux saisons, faute d’avoir fait leurs preuves.
Voir cette publication sur InstagramUne publication partagée par Natascha Knaven-den Ouden MSc (@natascha_knaven)
La solution proposée par Natascha Knaven-den Ouden est celle de l’arrivée d’un partenaire important qui pourrait bousculer la discipline avec une nouvelle manne financière dans l’organisation de courses et la formation de jeunes cyclistes. L’idée est séduisante, mais elle manque de sérieux pour assurer une base suffisante. L’important est effectivement de mettre en place une politique de formation au même niveau que les hommes, avec des catégories juniors et espoirs qui permettront de bien développer les jeunes talents. Il est par ailleurs important de promouvoir les structures de développement et de rendre la catégorie “ProTeams” plus intéressante pour permettre à la pyramide de retrouver sa forme. Plus de place en seconde division, cela signifiera une catégorie WorldTour plus solide à terme.
La mise en place de salaires minimum est une première étape, mais l’UCI devrait également réguler ces paies mensuelles, afin d’éviter des écarts trop importants entre la base et le sommet (cela vaut également pour les hommes) et assurer aux équipes des budgets plus raisonnables pour leur croissance prochaine.
Autant de solutions qui permettront au cyclisme féminin d’être plus pérenne et de ne pas craindre une disparition encore plus rapide que son essor. Cela serait triste de voir tous ces efforts réduits à néant en raison d’une économie mal réglée par ses dirigeants.
Grégory Ienco
➡️ S’inscrire à l’infolettre pour la recevoir gratuitement tous les lundis ⬅️
Cyclo-cross : Brand domine encore et toujours, le double visage de Nys
À une semaine des championnats d’Europe, le Koppenbergcross suivi du Rapencross de Lokeren ont été l’un des révélateurs des prochains favoris au maillot bleu et blanc étoilé. Le difficile cyclo-cross tracé sur les pentes du mont le plus redouté des Ardennes flamandes, aux abords d’Audenarde, n’a pas manqué sa réputation avec un circuit boueux à souhait et de nombreuses glissades pour émailler la journée de Toussaint. Le lendemain, sur un circuit technique mais moins usant que la veille, Lokeren accueillait seulement pour la cinquième fois de son histoire une épreuve qui devait sourire aux plus constants.
La Néerlandaise Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) a confirmé sur les deux courses la domination qu’elle compte poursuivre tout l’hiver. Sans faute sur le Koppenberg, elle a tout de même dû affronter un problème mécanique et une chute dans le sable à Lokeren pour finalement s’isoler dans les deux derniers tours et s’imposer brillamment. Victime de la boue la veille, la championne de Belgique Marion Norbert-Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon) a maintenu le lendemain sa réputation de bonne finisseuse, capable de deuxièmes moitiés de course canons pour s’offrir la deuxième place à Lokeren devant l’Italienne Sara Casasola (Crelan-Corendon), déjà troisième à Audenarde.
Les trois s’annoncent comme les favorites de la course européenne, samedi prochain à Middelkerke, alors que les Néerlandaises feront sans Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, blessée, et Puck Pieterse, en vacances, mais aussi peut-être Fem van Empel (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), diminuée depuis le week-end dernier et contrainte à l’abandon sur le Koppenberg avant de renoncer à Lokeren. À Aniek van Alphen (Seven Racing) et Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) d’assurer la présence “orange” sur la Côte belge.
Côté masculin, le champion d’Europe en titre Thibau Nys (Baloise Glowi Lions) a adressé un sacré message sur le Koppenberg en s’y imposant en costaud devant la surprise britannique, Cameron Mason (Seven Racing). Mais le lendemain, après avoir manqué sa pédale dès le coup de feu du départ, le Belge a enchaîné les erreurs et les changements de vélo, pour finir péniblement 15e à Lokeren. Le Belge Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw), victime d’un jour sans la veille, s’est pour sa part réveillé sur le Rapencross et conclu en deuxième position derrière un impressionnant Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley Racing Team), qui a pris une option sur une place de favori pour le titre européen. Le Néerlandais Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Glowi Lions), troisième samedi, le Belge Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck), troisième dimanche, ne sont pas non plus à effacer, pas plus que le Belge Emiel Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon), en verve depuis le début de saison. Les deux courses pour le titre continental s’annoncent en tout cas bien plus ouvertes que par le passé !
Les nouvelles des derniers jours
✍ Transferts
- Faute de prolongation chez Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale, après deux saisons, le sprinter irlandais Sam Bennett trouvera refuge en 2026 chez Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, où il a signé un contrat d’un an. Le coureur de 30 ans, auréolé de 71 succès, avait marqué cette saison par deux succès sur le Tour de la Provence et deux sur le Région Pays de la Loire Tour. Il compte aussi à son palmarès deux étapes du Tour de France, cinq sur le Tour d’Espagne et trois sur le Tour d’Italie.
- Alors que la fusion entre Lotto et Intermarché-Wanty n’a toujours pas officiellement révélé ses détails, le Belge Arjen Livyns (Lotto) a décidé de ne pas attendre et de rejoindre, pour une saison, l’équipe XDS Astana. Le coureur de 31 ans, connu pour sa pointe de vitesse et sa résilience dans les courses difficiles, espère ainsi avoir une opportunité de s’afficher sur les classiques flandriennes. Le trentenaire n’a pas encore signé de succès professionnel, mais s’est distingué cette saison par une quatrième place sur le championnat de Belgique sur route et une huitième sur À Travers la Flandre.
- La ProTeam belge Team Flanders-Baloise, spécialisée dans le développement d’espoirs flamands vers le WorldTour, a dévoilé son effectif pour la saison 2026. Huit coureurs arriveront dans le groupe la saison prochaine. Henri Vandenabeele, 26 ans et venu de chez Lotto, sera de ceux-ci, au côté de jeunes pousses âgées de 22 ans et moins : Ferre Geeraerts (DL Chemicals-Experza), Nolan Huysmans (Bahrain-Victorious Development), Senne Thonnon (Urbano Vulsteke Bumaco), Arthuur Torney (Mini Discar) et Milan Van den Haute (Atom 6 Bikes-Decca). Michiel Lambrecht et Leander Van Hautegem seront eux rescapés de Wagner-Bazin WB et poursuivront leur carrière au sein du Team Flanders-Baloise, dont l’avenir au-delà de 2026 est menacé en raison de la décision du gouvernement flamand de cesser les subsides pour l’équipe sur route.
- L’équipe Cofidis poursuit son recrutement avec les arrivées des Français Hugo Page, venu d’Intermarché-Wanty, et Camille Charret, ancien champion de France junior sur route et sur piste. Le premier, âgé de 24 ans, s’est transformé en poisson-pilote sur ces dernières années, après un passé de puncheur-sprinter qui l’ont notamment permis de gagner une étape du Tour du Limousin en 2023. Le second, 19 ans, est l’un des grands espoirs du cyclisme français, avec cinq succès chez les juniors en 2024, et une récente place de stagiaire chez Arkéa-B&B Hôtels. La formation française a également signé le grimpeur italien Edoardo Zamperini, venu de l’équipe de développement d’Arkéa B&B Hôtels. Le coureur de 22 ans, champion d’Italie espoir, a signé pour deux saisons et sera ainsi le 30e coureur de l’effectif 2025 de la structure nordiste.
- L’Irlandais Ryan Townsend, surprenant vainqueur de la classique d’Hambourg en août dernier, quitte l’équipe Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team et rejoindra en 2026 la ProTeam franco-néerlandaise Unibet Rose Rockets. Le rouleur de 30 ans, par ailleurs champion d’Irlande sur route, a également terminé cette saison 6e des Boucles de la Mayenne et avait remporté la Roue Tourangelle en 2023.
- La Néerlandaise Nina Buijsman fera son retour en 2026 chez Human Powered Health. Celle qui a porté le maillot de la FDJ-Suez ces deux dernières saisons a signé un contrat d’une saison avec la formation américaine, pour laquelle elle avait déjà coureur en 2022 et 2023. La coureuse de 27 ans a remporté l’an dernier une étape du Tour de l’Ardèche et s’est classée troisième de la Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race en 2023. Toujours chez Human Powered Health, la Néerlandaise Jente Koops y fera ses débuts professionnels à l’âge de 18 ans. La cycliste venue de NXTG Racing a signé pour deux saisons. Elle a terminé cette saison troisième du Tour des Flandres chez les juniors, deuxième du Grand Prix de Plouay ou troisième de Gand-Wevelgem.
➡️ Prolongations
- XDS Astana Team a annoncé cette semaine deux nouvelles prolongations de contrat. Le vice-champion du Kazakhstan sur route Anton Kuzmin, 28 ans, a signé pour une saison supplémentaire, tandis que l’Italien Simone Velasco (29 ans), quatrième de Liège-Bastogne-Liège et huitième du Tour du Pays basque, restera jusqu’à fin 2027.
- Outre les huit arrivées annoncées plus haut, le Team Flanders-Baloise a prolongé le contrat de neuf coureurs pour 2026. Font partie de cette liste : Dylan Vandenstorme, Elias Maris, Jules Hesters, Noah Vandenbraden, Siebe Deweirdt, Tuur Dens, Victor Vercouillie, Vincent Van Hemelen et Ward Vanhoof. Brem Deman, Milan Lahove et Tom Crabbé disposaient, eux, déjà d’un contrat jusqu’à la fin de la prochaine saison. Le récent champion du monde de l’américaine Lindsay De Vylder, Aaron Van Poucke, Alex Colman, Jasper Dejaegher, Jonas Geens, Toon Clynhens, Vince Gerits et Yentl Vandevelde quittent, pour leur part, l’équipe cet hiver.
🏥 Sur la touche
- Victime d’infections à répétition qui l’ont contraint à mettre un terme à sa saison après les classiques canadiennes de la mi-septembre, l’Allemand Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) a révélé au média public allemand ARD qu’il avait été opéré du nez pour limiter ces infections. Il a été contraint à un repos complet de six semaines avant de reprendre, désormais, l’entraînement pour la saison prochaine. Lipowitz, 25 ans, a conclu le Tour de France en troisième position, comme meilleur jeune, outre une troisième place sur le Critérium du Dauphiné, une quatrième sur le Tour de Romandie et une deuxième sur Paris-Nice.
- Une fracture de la main et du poignet : voilà le tarif pour la Britannique Zoe Bäckstedt, victime d’une chute à l’occasion de la reprise de ses entraînements pour la prochaine saison de cyclo-cross. Elle n’a pas hésité à remercier directement… son casque, qui a effectivement été amoché dans l’embardée. La championne du monde espoir de cyclo-cross, par ailleurs championne du monde espoir du contre-la-montre en septembre dernier, doit dès lors retarder sa reprise dans les labourés.
❌ Sur le départ
- C’est la fin d’une ère qui s’annonce, comme l’indique l’équipe Baloise Glowi Lions sur son compte Instagram : le Néerlandais Lars van der Haar mettra un terme à sa carrière professionnelle à la fin de la saison de cyclo-cross 2025-2026. L’ex-champion d’Europe de la discipline, 34 ans, pendra son vélo au clou au bout de quatorze hivers dans les labourés, couronnés de 37 succès dont deux titres européens, quatre titres nationaux. Auxquels on peut ajouter une victoire finale en Coupe du monde et un titre mondial chez les espoirs, avant deux deuxièmes places parmi les élites. Un sacré palmarès donc qui va quitter le peloton hivernal.
Voir cette publication sur InstagramUne publication partagée par Lars van der Haar (@larsvanderhaar)
- Le Portugais Rui Costa, champion du moinde à Ponferrada en 2013, a annoncé sa fin de carrière à l’âge de 39 ans, au bout d’une saison sous le maillot d’EF Education-EasyPost. Le puncheur-grimpeur a ainsi conclu 17 saisons avec 35 victoires professionnelles, dont trois Tours de Suisse consécutifs, trois étapes du Tour de France, une sur la Vuelta, un Grand Prix de Montréal, trois titres de champion du Portugal sur route et un titre national sur le contre-la-montre. Il a également terminé troisième du Tour de Lombardie en 2014 et troisième de Liège-Bastogne-Liège en 2016.
- C’en est fini pour Jakub Mareczko : le sprinter naturalisé polonais de 31 ans a confirmé sur les réseaux sociaux qu’il ne rempilera pas pour une saison supplémentaire, après onze années au plus haut niveau. Le trentenaire originaire d’Italie a cumulé 50 succès professionnels, principalement en Asie : 18 succès d’étape sur le Tour du Lac Taihu (et deux fois le général), 8 victoires d’étape sur le Tour de Hainan, 4 sur le Tour de Langkawi, 3 sur le Tour du Lac Qinghai… Il a disputé une dernière saison sous le maillot de l’équipe continentale polonaise Mazowsze Serce Polski.
Voir cette publication sur InstagramUne publication partagée par Jakub Mareczko (@jakubmareczko)
📅 Programme
- L’E3 Saxo Classic, souvent considéré comme une répétition générale au Tour des Flandres, disputé neuf jours plus tard, s’arrêtera durant les six prochaines années à Harelbeke, ont confirmé les autorités locales et l’organisation. Dans le même temps, le parcours de l’édition 2026, prévue le vendredi 27 mars prochain, a été dévoilé avec deux nouveautés : une double ascension de la Karnemelkbeekstraat, le fameux col de l’E3, et deux montées du Vieux Quaremont, dont l’une par un versant inédit. La course sera ainsi plus longue d’une quinzaine de kilomètres et passera d’un dénivelé positif de 2.800 à 3.000 mètres.
🖤 Carnet noir
- L’ex-cycliste belge Frans Melckenbeek, vainqueur de Liège-Bastogne-Liège en 1963 et du Circuit Het Volk en 1964, est décédé mardi dernier à l’âge de 84 ans, a fait savoir l’agence Belga. L’homme de Flandre orientale a été professionnel de 1962 à 1972, sur la route et la piste, accumulant quatre succès d’étape sur la Vuelta et une sur le Tour de France.
- L’information a été mise en avant dimanche par la championne de Belgique Marion Norbert-Riberolle, après sa deuxième place sur le cyclo-cross de Lokeren. “Il est temps de dire non aux violences”, a-t-elle lancé après avoir rendu hommage à Cindy Morvan, qui l’a “aidée à commencer le vélo en France”. Cindy Morvan, âgée de 39 ans et mère de deux enfants, a été violemment assassinée vendredi dernier dans le hall de son immeuble à Calais, dans le nord de la France. Les premiers éléments de l’enquête indiquent que la meurtrière présumée, qui a laissé une lettre d’excuses derrière elle, s’est donné la mort après les faits. Cindy Morvan, ancienne championne de France sur piste chez les jeunes était une figure du cyclisme dans le nord de l’Hexagone et a aidé de nombreuses cyclistes à se lancer ces dernières années.
🤑 Économie
- La structure australienne Green Edge Cycling, derrière les équipes Jayco AlUla et Liv AlUla Jayco, serait-elle en difficulté, expliquant son absence de la liste des candidats au WorldTour en 2026 ? Le média Escape Collective a révélé cette semaine que cette absence était due à un problème de garantie bancaire qui n’aurait pas été versée à temps auprès de l’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Brent Copeland, directeur de l’équipe, a simplement évoqué des “problèmes administratifs” à régler, sans les citer précisément. L’inquiétude grandit cependant après le départ, en cours d’année, de l’un des directeurs sportifs historiques du groupe, Matthew White. Ce dernier a fait sa réapparition en tant que responsable du nouveau département “compétition” de la Movistar, au côté de José Vicente Garcia. Le journaliste Daniel Benson a finalement eu une bonne nouvelle de la part de Brent Copeland, vendredi dernier, indiquant que les documents nécessaires pour assurer son avenir pour les trois prochaines saisons avaient bien été rendus auprès de l’UCI. “Quelques jours de plus, et cela aurait été la fin”, a-t-il toutefois commenté, confirmant les inquiétudes précédentes.
- La chaîne allemande de supermarchés Lidl est devenu actionnaire majoritaire de l’équipe cycliste Lidl-Trek, a fait savoir cette dernière par communiqué. La volonté d’une telle opération avait déjà été évoquée cet été, mais l’opération devait encore être officiellement finalisée. “Ce partenariat est basé sur l’objectif stratégique de transférer l’excellence organisationnelle de Lidl chez Lidl-Trek et de combiner l’expertise des deux co-propriétaires afin d’atteindre d’ambitieux objectifs. Cela doit permettre d’accélérer le développement des performances de l’équipe dans les prochaines saisons”, a commenté Thomas Rohregger, responsable des partenariats et de la branche cyclisme chez Lidl. Selon le journaliste Daniel Benson, cela signifie une probable augmentation de budget de 30/33 millions d’euros à 33/37 millions pour la structure masculine. “Désormais, nous sommes dans le Top 4” des budgets du WorldTour masculin, a confié le manager général Luca Guercilena.
📺 Télévision
- Comme l’an dernier, le groupe RTL Belgium a récupéré les droits de diffusion d’une série de cyclo-cross grâce à un partenariat conclu avec l’organisateur Golazo. Ce sont ainsi huit épreuves qui seront diffusées tout au long de l’hiver sur la chaîne privée RTL Club et le média en ligne RTL Play. Chaque course (féminine, puis masculine) sera commentée dès 13h40 par Gordon De Winter et son consultant Frédéric Amorison. Cela a débuté samedi avec le Trophée X2O Badkamers sur le Koppenberg, et cela se poursuivra le 16 novembre à Hamme, le 13 décembre pour l’Exact Cross de Courtrai, le 22 décembre à Hofstade, le 29 décembre à Loenhout, le 1er janvier à Baal, le 2 janvier à Mol et le 15 février à Bruxelles. Ce dernier cyclo-cross était jusqu’ici diffusé sur la RTBF.
- Une nouvelle offre a fait son apparition en France : le groupe L’Équipe a lancé un partenariat avec les chaînes d’Eurosport (du groupe Warner Bros. Discovery) afin de permettre la diffusion des deux chaînes Eurosport et de canaux additionnels dans un abonnement combiné avec les contenus écrits, audios et vidéos de L’Équipe. Ce pack n’inclut cependant pas les flux sans commentaire et sans publicité proposé sur la plateforme HBO Max. L’offre n’est pas encore disponible en Belgique à l’heure actuelle.
💉 Dopage
- Absent des pelotons depuis Paris-Roubaix, en avril dernier, l’Espagnol Oier Lazkano (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) a été provisoirement suspendu par l’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) en raison d’anomalies non expliquées sur son passeport biologique en 2022, 2023 et 2024. Aucun autre détail n’a été révélé sur ces anomalies. Lazkano avait affiché des résultats prometteurs en 2023 et 2024 avec une deuxième place sur À Travers la Flandre, une troisième sur Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, un titre de champion d’Espagne sur route et une victoire sur la Clasica Jaen. Il n’a toutefois pas confirmé ces résultats après son transfert chez Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, l’hiver dernier.
- La Movistar a réagi le lendemain à ces informations, affirmant que tous les tests antidopage réalisés sur Lazkano durant ses trois saisons chez Movistar se sont révélés négatif et et qu’elle n’avait aucune information quant à une éventuelle tricherie de la part du coureur basque, entraîné à l’époque par l’Italien Leonardo Piepoli, déjà pris pour dopage durant ses années professionnelles et toujours dans le staff de Movistar aujourd’hui. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe a de son côté décidé de mettre fin au contrat de Lazkano, ajoutant que les faits concernés datent d’avant son arrivée dans l’équipe.
- Oier Lazkano a attendu le week-end dernier pour publier un communiqué dans lequel il clame son innocence. “Ma carrière s’est construite sur l’effort, le dévouement, l’honnêteté et le travail quotidien”, a-t-il commenté. Il a confié avoir mandaté une équipe médico-légale pour prouver qu’il n’a usé d’aucune méthode illicite. “Je vais continuer, avec détermination et transparence, à défendre mon nom et ma dignité professionnelle”, a-t-il conclu.
- Le Brésilien Vinícius Rangel Costa, ex-membre de la Movistar aujourd’hui sociétaire de Swift Pro Cycling, a été suspendu par l’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) pour une période de 20 mois en raison de trois manquements aux obligations de localisation en moins de douze mois. Le coureur de 24 ans, qui a encore terminé deuxième du Tour d’Uruguay en avril, est dès lors privé de compétitions jusqu’au 26 avril 2027.
🌈 Sélections
- Belgian Cycling a révélé les sélections belges pour les championnats d’Europe de cyclo-cross sur la Côte belge, à Middelkerke, les 7 et 8 novembre prochains. On y retrouve peu de surprises, alors que seule Marion Norbert-Riberolle représentera les francophones. Elle sera accompagnée, au sein des élites femmes, de Julie Brouwers, Kiona Crabbé, Jinse Peeters et Laura Verdonschot. Du côté des élites hommes, Thibau Nys sera chargé de prolonger son maillot étoilé, avec Michael Vanthourenhout, Toon Aerts, Laurens Sweeck, Emiel Verstrynge, Joran Wyseure, Niels Vandeputte et Jente Michels. Toon Vandebosch, Gerben Kuypers, Witse Meeussen et Victor Van de Putte sont en réserve.
- Du côté des jeunes, Yordi Corsus, Sil De Brauwere, Kay De Bruyckere, Kenay De Moyer, Fabian Maes, Viktor Vandenberghe, Arthur Van den Boer et Mats Vanden Eynde forment le groupe des espoirs hommes, alors qu’elles ne seront que deux, côté féminin : Shanyl De Schoesitter et Ilken Seynave. Chez les juniors, Giel Lejeune sera présent avec Lars Corsus, Arthur Janssens, Brent Lippens, Emiel Osaer, Bas Vanden Eynde, Jari Van Lee et Thomas Verdonck. Zita Peeters sera la seule représentante belge parmi les juniors femmes.
📌 Autres
- Et si Israël accueillait le départ du Tour de France, après le départ du Tour d’Italie en 2018 ? L’idée est lancée par Dafna Lang, la présidente de la Fédération israélienne de cyclisme, dans L’Équipe, à l’occasion d’un dossier sur le traitement du conflit israélo-palestinien dans le sport. L’accueil du Giro à Jerusalem et ses alentours avait notamment été aidé par le milliardaire Sylvan Adams, désormais ex-co-propriétaire de l’équipe Israel-Premier Tech. L’homme fortuné serait également derrière l’idée du passage du Tour sur ces routes. Encore faudra-t-il qu’ASO, société organisatrice du Tour, accepte une telle candidature, au vu de la situation géo-politique actuelle et du danger sur place. Rien n’indique toutefois qu’un dossier a effectivement été rentré ou est en cours d’examen.
À lire, voir, écouter…
- Thibaut Bernard a-t-il été écarté de la sélection belge pour les récents championnats du monde de cyclisme sur piste en raison de son origine wallonne ? C’est ce que le jeune cycliste de l’équipe Lotto Development affirme dans un entretien à Voo Sports Club, à Sudinfo et au Soir accordé cette semaine. Les temps du Hesbignon confirment en effet qu’il est l’un des meilleurs poursuiteurs belges du lot, mais il n’a pu faire partie de l’équipe nationale à Santiago du Chili, ni un an plus tôt aux Jeux olympiques de Paris. “Si je veux avoir ma chance, je dois être nettement meilleur que les autres ; sinon, je reste à la porte”, déplore-t-il. “Quand je suis quatrième chrono de l’équipe, donc en balance pour un choix, je sais déjà que ce n’est pas moi qu’on retiendra.” Un entretien à lire, en plus d’un constat similaire établi par un responsable de Belgian Cycling, en cliquant sur ce lien (sous abonnement).
- L’interview date du 8 octobre dernier, mais elle reste très intéressante quant à la personnalité et l’avenir de Juan Ayuso : l’Espagnol s’est longuement entretenu avec le journaliste Daniel Benson avant la course en ligne de l’Euro de cyclisme sur route (qu’il a conclu en sixième place). Il y a évoqué les problèmes avec le management d’UAE Team Emirates-XRG et la pression qu’il a subie pour prolonger au début de la saison 2025, avant de finalement trouver un terrain d’entente pour rejoindre Lidl-Trek pour cinq saisons, moyennant un paiement d’environ 10 millions d’euros de la part de l’équipe américaine. Il parle également de la perception du public à son égard, qu’il estime principalement construite par la communication d’UAE Team Emirates-XRG, et de sa relation avec ses futurs équipiers de Lidl-Trek. C’est rare de lire ainsi Ayuso en long et en large, sans être bloqué par son équipe ou d’éventuels intérêts sportifs. L’Espagnol n’est d’ailleurs pas avare en auto-critiques. C’est à lire (sous abonnement et en anglais) en cliquant sur lien).
- Le média Cyclocross Social propose depuis plusieurs saisons un podcast, mais aussi une infolettre, en anglais, afin de ne rien manquer de l’actualité du cyclo-cross et découvrir une analyse détaillée de cet écosystème particulier. Je retiens notamment en ce début de saison le papier sur le regard arriéré des dirigeants de Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw par rapport au peloton féminin, le portrait de jeunes coureurs qui émergent comme l’Éthiopien Tofik Beshir (qui a gagné son premier cyclo-cross pro le week-end dernier) ou le Hongrois Szelasi Dániel. Les articles complets sont disponibles derrière abonnement, les podcasts sont, eux, disponibles gratuitement. Le tout est à lire et écouter en anglais en cliquant sur ce lien.
Pour profiter des retransmissions télévisées des courses cyclistes depuis l’étranger, n’hésitez pas à utiliser NordVPN, un programme vous permettant de rejoindre des réseaux privés virtuels protégés dans le monde entier. Pour accéder à ces retransmissions télévisées depuis le monde entier, un VPN peut vous aider, tout en vous protégeant. NordVPN vous propose un abonnement de deux ans avec une réduction allant jusqu’à 73%. Chaque nouvel abonné recevra par ailleurs trois mois d’abonnement offerts. Des offres combinées avec NordPass et du stockage cloud sont par ailleurs disponibles ! Tout abonnement à NordVPN est un soutien supplémentaire à CyclismeRevue.
Le coin promo
- Comme chaque année, CyclismeRevue vous propose un calendrier complet pour ne rien manquer des cyclo-cross jusqu’à fin février 2026. C’est disponible en cliquant sur ce lien.
- Comme chaque année, nous vous proposons un calendrier à télécharger et à installer sur votre téléphone ou votre ordinateur, pour ne rien manquer des différentes courses professionnelles sur route de l’année, que ce soit chez les femmes ou les hommes. Tous les détails pratiques sont sur ce lien.
- Découvrez le programme TV complet des courses cyclistes (route, piste, cyclo-cross, VTT…) diffusées ces prochaines semaines en Belgique et en France sur notre page spéciale, mise à jour quotidiennement : c’est à voir sur ce lien.
- Notre photographe Alain Vandepontseele a repris le chemin des labourés pour une nouvelle saison de cyclo-cross ! Il était à Overijse pour la deuxième manche du Superprestige et dévoile ses plus beaux clichés dans nos galeries, à retrouver en cliquant sur ce lien.
Les résultats des derniers jours
Route
- Tour du Guatemala 🇬🇹 (2.2)
- 4e étape (27/10) : Carlos Macpherson 🇲🇽 (Olinka Specialized)
- 5e étape (28/10) : José Canastuj 🇬🇹 (ECA Electricidad Ciclismo)
- 6e étape (29/10) : Yeison Reyes 🇨🇴 (Orgullo Paisa)
- 7e étape (30/10) : José Ramon Muniz 🇲🇽 (Olinka Specialized)
- 8e étape (31/10) : Rodrigo Contreras 🇨🇴 (Nu Colombia)
- 9e étape (01/11) : Carlos Gutiérrez 🇨🇴 (Movistar-Best PC)
- 10e et dernière étape (02/11) : Alejandro Osorio 🇨🇴 (Orgullo Paisa)
- Classement général : Santiago Garzon 🇨🇴 (GW Erco Shimano)
Cyclo-cross
- Trophée X2O Badkamers #1 – Koppenbergcross à Audenarde 🇧🇪 (C1)
- Élites femmes (01/11) : Lucinda Brand 🇳🇱 (Baloise Glowi Lions)
- Élites hommes (01/11) : Thibau Nys 🇧🇪 (Baloise Glowi Lions)
- HSF System Cup #4 – Jicin 🇨🇿 (C2)
- Élites femmes (01/11) : Barbora Bukovská 🇨🇿 (-)
- Élites hommes (01/11) : Vaclav Jezek 🇨🇿 (-)
- Copa de España #3 – Amurrioko Ziklokrossa 🇪🇸 (C2)
- Élites femmes (01/11) : Lucia Gonzalez Blanco 🇪🇸 (Nesta-MMR CX Team)
- Élites hommes (01/11) : Kevin Suarez Fernandez 🇪🇸 (Nesta-MMR CX Team)
- Trophée de la ville de Florence 🇮🇹 (C2)
- Élites femmes (01/11) : Lucia Bramati 🇮🇹 (FAS Airport Services-Guerciotti)
- Élites hommes (01/11) : Filippo Fontana 🇮🇹 (-)
- Cycle-Smart Northampton Cyclocross – Day 1 🇺🇸 (C2)
- Élites femmes (01/11) : Sidney McGill 🇨🇦 (-)
- Élites hommes (01/11) : Dylan Zakrajsek 🇺🇸 (Competitive Edge Cycling)
- Trophée X2O Badkamers #2 – Rapencross à Lokeren 🇧🇪 (C2)
- Élites femmes (02/11) : Lucinda Brand 🇳🇱 (Baloise Glowi Lions)
- Élites hommes (02/11) : Joris Nieuwenhuis 🇳🇱 (Ridley Racing Team)
- Copa de España #4 – Ciclocross Internacional de Karrantza 🇪🇸 (C2)
- Élites femmes (02/11) : Sofia Rodriguez Revert 🇪🇸 (Nesta-MMR CX Team)
- Élites hommes (02/11) : Gonzalo Inguanzo Macho 🇪🇸 (G.D. Supermercados Froiz)
- National Trophy Series #3 – Clanfield 🇬🇧 (C2)
- Élites femmes (02/11) : Ffion Drake 🇬🇧 (-)
- Élites hommes (02/11) : Thomas Mein 🇬🇧 (Hope Factory Racing)
- Cyclo-cross des Remparts de Langres 🇫🇷 (C2)
- Élites femmes (02/11) : Line Burquier 🇫🇷 (Trinity Racing)
- Élites hommes (02/11) : Théo Thomas 🇫🇷 (Sebmotobikes CX Team)
- Rund um die Chemnitzer Radrenbahn 🇩🇪 (C2)
- Élites femmes (02/11) : Katerina Douderová 🇨🇿 (Dukla Women Cycling)
- Élites hommes (02/11) : Hannes Degenkolb 🇩🇪 (Heizomat-Cube)
- DSI Cross Debrecen 🇭🇺 (C2)
- Élites femmes (02/11) : Zuzanna Krzystala 🇵🇱 (Pho3nix Cycling Team)
- Élites hommes (02/11) : Zsombor Takács 🇭🇺 (MBH Bank-Ballan-CSB Colpack)
- Cycle-Smart Northampton Cyclocross – Day 2 🇺🇸 (C2)
- Élites femmes (02/11) : Lizzy Gunsalus 🇺🇸 (-)
- Élites hommes (02/11) : Henry Coote 🇺🇸 (Competitive Edge Racing)
- Championnats de Norvège de cyclo-cross à Skien 🇳🇴 (CN)
- Élites femmes (02/11) : Oda Laforce 🇳🇴 (-)
- Élites hommes (02/11) : Kevin Andre Sandli Messel 🇳🇴 (-)
L’agenda des prochains jours
Mardi 4 novembre
- Aucune course UCI prévue ce jour
Mercredi 5 novembre
- Aucune course UCI prévue ce jour
Jeudi 6 novembre
- Aucune course UCI prévue ce jour
Vendredi 7 novembre
- Aucune course UCI prévue ce jour
Samedi 8 novembre
CYCLO-CROSS
- Championnats d’Europe de cyclo-cross à Middelkerke 🇧🇪 (CC)
- Infos et partants
- 📺 Direct dès 14h50 sur VRT 1, Sporza.be, VRT Max, Eurosport 2 et HBO Max
- Championnats panaméricains de cyclo-cross à Washington 🇺🇸 (CC)
BMX
- Championnats du monde de BMX Freestyle à Riyadh 🇸🇦 (CM)
- 📺 Direct dès 12h55 puis dès 17h55 sur HBO Max, et dès 15h30, puis dès 18h00 sur Eurosport 1
Dimanche 9 novembre
- Tour de Okinawa 🇯🇵 (1.2)
- Nago > Nago (200 km)
- Liste des partants
CYCLO-CROSS
- Championnats d’Europe de cyclo-cross à Middelkerke 🇧🇪 (CC)
- Infos et partants
- 📺 Direct dès 14h50 sur La Une, RTBF Auvio, VRT 1, Sporza.be, VRT Max, Eurosport 2 et HBO Max
- Ormaiztegiko ZikloKrossa 🇪🇸 (C2)
- DCCX 🇺🇸 (C2)
BMX
- Championnats du monde de BMX Freestyle à Riyadh 🇸🇦 (CM)
- 📺 Direct dès 15h30 puis dès 18h00 sur HBO Max
Lundi 10 novembre
- Aucune course UCI prévue ce jour
Merci pour votre lecture !
Vous retrouverez votre prochaine infolettre le lundi 10 novembre dans votre boîte aux lettres numérique !
N’hésitez pas à partager cette infolettre avec vos proches et à nous suivre sur CyclismeRevue.be ainsi que nos réseaux sociaux pour ne rien manquer de l’actualité cycliste.
➡️ Pour recevoir gratuitement notre infolettre tous les lundis, inscrivez-vous sur ce lien.
#1 #2 #3 #4 #ChampionnatsDEurope #CyclismeFéminin #CyclismeSurRoute #cycloCross #Euro #middelkerke #Transferts
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Logic of the Thicket and the Unsearchable Web
There is a particular kind of stillness found in the villa overlooking the Giardino all’italiana, a silence that is less about the absence of noise and more about the absolute presence of a plan. Standing upon a belvedere in the sixteenth century, one did not merely look at nature; one looked through a specific geometry that had already decided what nature was allowed to be. Leon Battista Alberti and Niccolò Tribolo did not view the wild landscape as an entity to be met, but as a rough draft to be corrected. The axial symmetry, the squares, and the circles of the Renaissance garden were not merely aesthetic choices; they were the visual grammar of a new kind of mastery. The medieval walls of the hortus conclusus fell away, not to invite the wilderness in, but to expand the reach of the human eye, establishing a panoramic viewpoint where the owner sat as the rational conductor of the visible world.
By Vincent van Gogh – History of the Red Vineyard by Anna Boch.com, 2nd upload: wikipaintings, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3073079It is difficult not to notice how this impulse to map and master—to treat the organic as a design scheme—has slowly migrated from the soil into the fabric of human relation. What began as the pruning of a hedge eventually became the pruning of the social universe. One senses this lineage in the early twentieth century, when the sociogram first began to translate the messy, opaque attractions between people into the clean lines of nodes and links. Jacob L. Moreno’s belief that we could re-engineer social life through these visualizations mirrors the Renaissance gardener’s conviction that an unruly vine is simply a line that has lost its way. We began to treat the human spirit as a series of vertices and edges, a conceptual apparatus that promised to prevent social disorder by making every connection visible, measurable, and, ultimately, manageable.
This terraforming instinct has a way of smoothing out the world until it becomes a mirror. When Henri de Saint-Simon conceptualized society as a network where resources flowed like blood to reach equilibrium, he was drafting the blueprint for a mechanical harmony. Yet, as Henri Bergson would later observe, this drive toward a perfect mechanism often results in a certain uniformity of things—a state where humanity ceases to climb toward diversity and instead settles into a rhythmic, predictable stasis.
One might see this most clearly in the way we have come to treat the global digital ecosystem, which functions with the quiet, devastating efficiency of a pesticide. A pesticide is remarkable because it is effective everywhere; it operates on a biological structure that it assumes to be universal. But in its success, it betrays an indifference to locality. It ignores the specific alchemy of the soil, the peculiar behavior of the local insect, and the necessary shadows that allow a system to breathe. Our centralized platforms operate on this same logic of the universal standard. They apply a single, closed grammar of interaction to the entire globe, acting as a chemical wash that removes the noodiversity—the thick, varied textures of thought—required for a culture to sustain its own weight.
We find ourselves in a race toward an automated general intelligence, a fantasy of efficiency that finds its most intimate expression in the large language model. This model begins to resemble a probabilistic belvedere—a panoramic viewpoint not over physical terrain, but over the sum of our recorded expression. By ingesting the vast, unkempt archives of global culture, it offers back a statistical mean, a smooth and authoritative consensus that prunes the idiosyncratic and the jagged until only the most probable remains. If our thoughts are shaped by this statistical average, we lose the technodiversity required to maintain different ways of being in the world. The danger is not that the machine mimics us, but that we begin to inhabit its statistical center, trading the difficult work of dwelling in our own perspective for the ease of an automated, uniform prose. We are left with a social atomism where the individual is no longer a person in a place, but a social atom vibrating within a pre-programmed apparatus. The platforms we inhabit have become exhausted because they are structurally incapable of fostering anything but disindividuation. They chop attention into marketable fragments—short cries for notice—leaving no room for a collective projectuality that might actually endure.
What emerges instead is the possibility of the digital garden, a material practice of collective individuation. It begins to resemble something closer to Gilbert Simondon’s vision, where the individual and the collective are not opposing forces but a constant, transforming process. A digital garden is less a profile and more a dwelling; it is a space where one does not merely update a status but coordinates and produces data. By moving away from the walled enclosures of the social graph and toward open standards and linked data, we transition from being passive nodes to active participants in a transindividual reality. It is a shift from connectivity—the mere touching of wires—to a more profound sense of inhabiting the information we create.
Cultivating this diversity is perhaps the only way to push back against the homogenizing forces that have been accelerating since the industrial age. Biodiversity, noodiversity, and technodiversity are not separate concerns but a single, tangled knot. If our technologies remain uniform, our actions upon the Earth will remain uniform, leading to a predictable kind of collapse. To resist this, we might need to embrace what could be called planetary thinking—an acknowledgement that we inhabit the earth as diverse peoples coexisting with non-human beings, plants, and the elements.
This requires a cosmotechnics that is bespoke and localized, a recovery of the relationship between the technical tool and the cosmic order it inhabits. What begins to emerge is a sense of terroir for the digital, where the architecture of a network might reflect the specific ancestral rhythms or local moralities of the community that tends it. We might find that the tools we build are not merely instruments of utility but modes of orientation, helping us find our place within a wider world rather than attempting to conquer it. This re-enchantment of the tool moves us away from the cold, industrial universalism of the “global” and toward a variety of local cosmotechnics that align with the specific spirit of the soil.
Ultimately, the metaphor of the garden begins to feel too brittle, its walls too high to allow for the kind of life we now require. The Renaissance garden was, at its heart, a space of enclosure designed to keep the plague of the outside world at bay, yet today the plague is the enclosure itself; it is the very uniformity that was once our pride. To step away from the belvedere is to complete the descent from sight into touch, moving from the panoramic mastery of the graph toward a mode of navigation that relies on the immediate texture of the undergrowth. In this digital forest, we find the quiet virtue of opacity—a space where the individual is not fully mapped or categorized, but allowed to remain partially in shadow, away from the gardener’s eye. The silence of the statistical mean begins to give way to a different kind of sound, a generative noise that resembles the rustle of a distributed reasoning rather than the hum of a server. It is a state of being that is less about reaching a destination and more about the persistent effort of dwelling, where one might plant a single, idiosyncratic seed that the model cannot predict, watching as it takes its own stubborn shape in the dark.
Coda: A Lineage of Shadows
To navigate this landscape is to encounter the echoes of those who first sensed the limits of the enclosure. One cannot speak of the descent into the forest without Gilbert Simondon, for whom the individual was never a fixed substance but a phase of being, a process of becoming that carries with it a pre-individual charge. His refusal of the hylemorphic schema—of form merely imposed upon matter—finds a contemporary resonance in Yuk Hui, whose concepts of cosmotechnics and technodiversity remind us that the machine and the moral order were once, and must again be, a single tangled knot. We feel here, too, the weight of Bernard Stiegler’s pharmakon, that dual nature of technology as both the poison of disindividuation and the potential cure for a new collective life.
The architecture of our current enclosures has its own long history, a lineage of mastery stretching from Pliny the Younger’s classical retreats to Alberti’s axial gardens, and into the modern social physics of Auguste Comte and Saint-Simon. The clean lines of our social graphs trace a direct path back to the institutional maps of Jacob L. Moreno, who first thought to fix the human spirit into the static geometry of nodes and links. Against this “enframing,” as Heidegger might have termed it—the reduction of the world to a standing reserve—one finds an alternative in the immanence of Spinoza and the multiplicities of Deleuze, thinkers who saw the individual as a relation of forces rather than a solitary atom.
The possibility of a different web—a distributed reasoning machine—owes its spirit to the early visions of Tim Berners-Lee and the cybernetic distinctions of Norbert Wiener, alongside the contemporary critiques of Geert Lovink and the swarm-logics of Rick Falkvinge. We are reminded by Foucault of the quiet power of documentation to fix us in place, and by Marx of the deep alienation that occurs when we are severed from our collective potential. Throughout these reflections, these voices serve not as definitive authorities, but as orientations—the markers on a trail that is still being blazed, reminding us that to dwell is to participate in a reality that is always, stubbornly, in the process of becoming.
Hat tip to the wonderful thinkers in the Contraptions Book Club for seeding these ideas.
#BernardStiegler #CollectiveIndividuation #Cosmotechnics #DigitalGarden #DigitalTerroir #DistributedReasoning #GilbertSimondon #JacobLMoreno #LargeLanguageModels #Noodiversity #Opacity #OpenStandards #PlanetaryThinking #RenaissanceGardens #SocialGraph #Sociometry #Technodiversity #TheUnsearchableWeb #YukHui
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Des conseils en cyptomonnaie aux astuces de drague, le logiciel masculiniste s’infiltre partout sur la Toile. Quand de jeunes hommes tombent dedans, souvent, leur couple n’y résiste pas.
APTiger ‒ Chat FELINT27 🙀 🐱 wrote the following post Sat, 24 May 2025 15:35:59 +0200 « Un mec comme lui, sombrer là-dedans ? Aussi vite ? » : comment les comptes masculinistes ont tué leur couple
Des conseils en cyptomonnaie aux astuces de drague, le logiciel masculiniste s’infiltre partout sur la Toile. Quand de jeunes hommes tombent dedans, souvent, leur couple n’y résiste pas.
https://www.lemonde.fr/m-perso/article/2025/05/24/un-mec-comme-lui-sombrer-la-dedans-aussi-vite-comment-les-comptes-masculinistes-ont-tue-leur-couple_6608180_4497916.html
Article complet : Sur Tinder, la photo de Marc (le prénom a été changé) est classique, la bio ne dit pas grand-chose. Un peu désœuvrée lors du confinement, Sarah (le prénom a été changé) swipe à droite. Comme elle, Marc a la quarantaine et, bonus, ce directeur commercial habite à 500 mètres de son appartement. Très vite, Marc s’installe chez Sarah. Entre les soirées Netflix et les repas partagés avec leurs enfants respectifs, ces premiers mois en vase clos se déroulent sans heurt. « En temps normal, jamais je ne me serais arrêtée sur lui, reconnaît Sarah, universitaire. Mais là, cela m’a amusée de me frotter à lui, il était très différent de moi et des hommes progressistes que je côtoie. »
Marc est chauvin et affiche volontiers ses penchants machistes, mais rien qui semble insurmontable pour Sarah. Elle y voit plutôt une forme de piquante altérité. Pourtant, ses amies la mettent en garde : elles trouvent que Marc est irascible, hargneux quand on le contredit… Et ce ressenti se confirme. Celui que Sarah considérait avec amusement comme un « boubour » (un bourgeois bourrin, sorte d’antithèse du bobo) se transforme rapidement en tyran domestique. Lorsque l’universitaire démarre la promotion de son dernier livre, Marc ne supporte vite plus son indisponibilité croissante et, alors qu’elle multiplie conférences et interviews, se met à jalouser sa réussite sociale. « C’est là que ça a vrillé », dit-elle.
Hurlements, intimidations, violence. « Il faisait tout pour asseoir son emprise. » Mais Marc a-t-il toujours été comme ça ou s’est-il, d’une certaine manière, radicalisé ? Quand les positions de Marc se durcissent, Sarah se rend compte que son compagnon passe ses soirées, dès que le couvert est débarrassé, à écouter des podcasts et à regarder des vidéos YouTube d’influenceurs masculinistes américains. « Pour comprendre la logique de ces mecs cinglés », affirme-t-il d’abord. Au fil des semaines, ce qui semblait être de la curiosité se transforme en adhésion : « Certains trucs qu’ils disent ne sont pas complètement cons », répète Marc. Confiante, Sarah n’y prête pas attention… « A l’époque, la manosphère était moins médiatisée qu’aujourd’hui. Je ne mesurais pas la gravité de la situation, et je ne saisissais pas à quel point Marc s’enfonçait. »
Peu à peu, les discours de Marc commencent à se confondre avec ceux des influenceurs, comme s’il était devenu un autre. Lorsqu’elle décide de rompre, elle doit le faire partir de chez elle en faisant appel à la police. « Il me harcelait dans la rue, mais aussi en ligne. Il menait une guerre totale contre moi, les femmes et le féminisme, énumère Sarah. Il m’a accusée de choses horribles, a déposé une lettre de menaces de mort. On ne se rend pas nécessairement compte que le monde a déjà changé. Et pourtant. Les masculinistes jouent le rôle de miroir grossissant, annonçant la société qui s’installe, de plus en plus totalitaire et autoritaire, fruit de la radicalisation de certains partis politiques surmédiatisés. »
En novembre 2022, Sarah porte plainte. En juin 2024, Marc est reconnu coupable de harcèlement. Il est condamné à un an de prison avec sursis et au versement de 18 000 euros de dommages et intérêts. Il voit de son côté les cinq plaintes déposées contre Sarah (avec des motifs très hétéroclites) classées sans suite. Marc a fait appel, et Sarah a déménagé. Même s’il n’a plus le droit de l’approcher en raison d’une ordonnance de protection, elle regarde sans cesse par-dessus son épaule. « On se dit qu’il finira par nous buter. »
« Cryptobros », homme « sigma »…
Début 2024, le Haut Conseil à l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes avançait qu’un quart des hommes entre 25 et 34 ans pensent qu’il faut parfois être violent pour se faire respecter. Une donnée qui n’étonne pas Alba (le prénom a été changé), interne en médecine. Quand elle rencontre Benjamin (le prénom a été changé), le jeune homme de 27 ans suit des comptes féministes sur Instagram, milite pour des associations écologistes et soutient avec admiration sa copine. En quelques mois, l’atmosphère change. Alors qu’il décide timidement d’investir dans les cryptomonnaies, le chef de projet découvre, courant 2024, les chaînes YouTube anglophones Coin Bureau ou Craig Percoco. La première entend « faciliter l’adoption massive de la cryptomonnaie », tandis que la seconde documente le parcours de Craig, qui a abandonné l’université pour poursuivre son rêve : devenir tradeur.
Au début, Benjamin se contente de prendre des notes. Désireux de gagner de l’argent pour s’acheter un appartement, il passe de plus en plus de temps en ligne chez les « cryptobros », ces hommes fans de bitcoins et autres cryptomonnaies, souvent enclins à embrasser des valeurs virilistes et individualistes.
« Après une journée crevante à l’hôpital, je m’endormais vite, mais lui continuait la soirée sur son téléphone. Je fermais les yeux et j’entendais parler de revenus passifs et d’intelligence artificielle », rapporte Alba. Petit à petit, les conseils avisés dispensés à coups de phrases exclamatives et d’émojis « fusées » conduisent Benjamin vers les vidéos d’enthousiastes technosolutionnistes officiant sur TikTok, YouTube et Twitter, dont les plus endurcis admirent les ultrariches de la Silicon Valley. « Lui qui avait toujours voté à gauche commençait à me dire que les entreprises étaient les mieux placées pour résoudre les problèmes et que les gouvernements, trop bien-pensants, devraient leur laisser les mains complètement libres. »
Parmi ces nouvelles idoles : Marc Andreessen, entrepreneur, investisseur milliardaire et soutien de Donald Trump, que Benjamin découvre dans le podcast de l’animateur américain Joe Rogan, connu pour recevoir régulièrement d’éminents membres de la manosphère. La cryptomonnaie comme cheval de Troie d’un virilisme à la sauce numérique ? Sonnée et ébahie, Alba se rend compte que Benjamin s’approprie le langage et les théories masculinistes. Jusqu’au jour où ce dernier lui confie sans sourciller être un homme « sigma ».
Populaire chez les adeptes de douches glacées et de boissons protéinées, l’homme sigma incarne pour la manosphère le pendant intello et presque sociopathique du « mâle alpha », une sorte de loup solitaire persuadé qu’il peut s’optimiser et se mettre à jour comme un smartphone. « Là, je suis tombée de ma chaise, admet l’étudiante. Un mec comme lui, sombrer là-dedans ? Aussi vite ? C’était incompréhensible. » Après avoir essayé, « pour ne pas le braquer », de démonter avec humour et légèreté ses nouvelles positions, Alba quitte Benjamin. « Il n’est jamais sorti de ce terrier de lapin, et insinuait régulièrement que je ferais mieux d’arrêter mes études pour trouver un emploi qui me laisserait plus de temps pour élever des enfants… alors qu’il savait très bien que je n’en voulais pas. Plus jeune, je lui aurais peut-être laissé le bénéfice du doute. Mais je n’ai plus 21 ans, nos avis sont irréconciliables. »
« Trajectoires opposées »
Des deux côtés de l’Atlantique, de multiples études soulignent l’émergence d’un clivage idéologique de plus en plus marqué en fonction des genres. « Les femmes sont plus féministes, et les hommes plus masculinistes, surtout les jeunes », résume Bérangère Couillard, présidente du Haut Conseil à l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, dans son dernier rapport sur l’état du sexisme en France, publié en janvier.
L’étude Un fossé idéologique grandissant entre jeunes femmes et jeunes hommes, publiée en mars, souligne que les jeunes hommes sont moins enclins que les femmes à adhérer à des valeurs progressistes en matière d’immigration, de droit des minorités, d’égalité de genre et de redistribution. « Ces trajectoires opposées se traduisent dans les orientations politiques », expliquaient les auteurs dans une tribune au Monde en avril. Sept ans après le début de #MeToo, l’hebdomadaire britannique The Economist a, lui, fait une compilation des sondages réalisés dans une vingtaine de pays, incluant la Pologne et la Corée du Sud, pour arriver à la même conclusion.
Cette polarisation genrée donne à la vie intime des airs de foire d’empoigne bipartisane. A Séoul, dans une société hautement patriarcale, les Sud-Coréennes ont lancé, en 2019, le mouvement 4B, une forme de féminisme radical qui refuse les relations avec les hommes. L’étiquette fait référence aux piliers traditionnels de la culture du pays que les jeunes femmes récusent : recherche de partenaire romantique, sexe hétérosexuel, mariage et procréation. En France comme aux Etats-Unis, pour nombre de jeunes femmes, il est désormais évident de s’afficher comme misandre. Une aversion assumée pour la gent masculine qui trouve sa source dans le rejet du patriarcat et le dégoût provoqué par les féminicides et les violences sexuelles endémiques dans le monde. Cette polarisation des genres, qui semble signaler un certain essoufflement du mythe de la fluidité, n’est pas sans effet sur les psychés.
Dans le sillage de la série Adolescence diffusée sur Netflix, chercheurs et essayistes attirent l’attention sur la santé mentale en berne des jeunes hommes. En mars, le rapport Lost Boys (« les garçons perdus ») du Centre pour la justice sociale, un think tank britannique, soulignait que le siècle dernier a été marqué par « de grandes avancées en matière de droits des femmes », mais qu’aujourd’hui « ce sont les garçons qui sont laissés pour compte ».
Avec un rapport plus compliqué aux études et un accès plus chaotique à l’emploi, ces derniers développent un logiciel de pensée réactionnaire. En découle un « fossé grandissant » entre les deux sexes. « Dans une existence de plus en plus en ligne, les garçons et les filles ne suivent plus le même chemin de l’enfance à l’âge adulte, leurs intérêts, leurs valeurs et leurs objectifs de vie étant de plus en plus incompatibles les uns avec les autres », souligne l’étude.
« Des contenus misogynes profitables pour les plateformes »
Cette vision du monde assombrie, chez les hommes, se traduit dans leurs interactions sociales. D’après une étude publiée en 2023 par Equimundo, une ONG spécialisée dans la promotion de l’égalité entre les genres et la prévention des violences, la majorité des hommes américains âgés de 18 à 23 ans ne jouissent d’aucune relation amicale significative et ont la sensation que personne ne les comprend. Lorsqu’ils se tournent vers Internet, ils sont rapidement exposés à des contenus violents.
Selon Pauline Ferrari, autrice de l’essai Formés à la haine des femmes (JC Lattès, 2023), il suffirait de dix minutes sur TikTok pour qu’un jeune homme identifié comme triste se voie proposer un contenu présentant une vision étriquée de la masculinité et de la féminité. « Pour les plateformes, il n’est pas question d’endiguer le phénomène, puisque ces contenus ouvertement misogynes leur sont très profitables : ils font réagir, engagent l’internaute et permettent aux créateurs de contenu et aux réseaux de capitaliser sur un malaise, en vendant des formations pour apprendre à séduire, à investir dans les cryptomonnaies ou développer sa musculature », précise Alice Apostoly, codirectrice de l’Institut du genre en géopolitique. En d’autres termes, alimenter le sentiment de déclassement masculin pour mieux vendre d’illusoires solutions clés en main ? « Que ce soit à travers les sports de combat ou l’entrepreneuriat, il s’agit de promouvoir la domination masculine, mais aussi l’individualisme. Cela implique une certaine porosité avec les programmes de droite, d’extrême droite et réactionnaires », poursuit Alice Apostoly.
Pour évoquer ces communautés, des universitaires mentionnent une « intersectionnalité des haines », reprenant la terminologie de Christine Bard. Spécialiste de l’histoire des femmes et du genre, cette historienne note que l’antiféminisme s’accompagne volontiers d’homophobie, de xénophobie et de racisme.
Sur Internet, des clans finissent par se faire face, avec le même sentiment que c’est l’autre qui est allé trop loin et qu’il est temps de réagir. Le journaliste Vincent Cocquebert, qui publie en octobre un ouvrage intitulé La Guerre de Sexcession (Arkhé), s’interroge : « Et si les sexes n’avaient plus envie de cohabiter ? Et si, après la mixité contrainte, venait le temps d’une séparation consentie ? Une nouvelle ère s’ouvre, sous le signe de la non-mixité, de l’évitement et de la scission. »
Lasse de voir l’insulte « tana » (« pute », « salope », issu de l’argot du rap) envahir la section commentaires des vidéos de tiktokeuses dont le maquillage ou les tenues sont jugés inappropriés par des internautes masculins énervés, la lycéenne Sali Matou appelle, fin 2024, à rallier le Tanaland : un pays virtuel à la géolocalisation floue et au drapeau rose et blanc strictement réservé aux femmes. En quelques jours, des milliers de jeunes filles annoncent boucler leur valise pour rejoindre ce pays imaginaire où les femmes ne se feront pas cyberharceler. Sur les réseaux, des hommes ripostent en lançant Charoland, une terre peuplée de femmes nues envers lesquelles les règles de bienséance les plus élémentaires ne s’appliquent pas.
« On en vient à culpabiliser en permanence »
Une réaction qui a bien fait rire Thibaud (le prénom a été modifié), 29 ans, banquier à Annecy. « Je soutiens les femmes, mais là ça va trop loin », estime-t-il, convaincu qu’il est devenu « très difficile » d’être un homme blanc et hétéro. « Les féministes nous rabâchent toujours les mêmes trucs, nous blâment pour tout. On en vient à culpabiliser en permanence, on finit par craindre de se faire attaquer ou accuser à tort. Et tout ça pour que le monde aille de plus en plus mal. » Sur les conseils d’un contact en ligne, Thibaud s’est procuré le livre 12 règles pour une vie. Un antidote au chaos (Michel Lafon, 2018), écrit par Jordan Peterson, psychologue clinicien canadien et figure de proue des masculinistes. « Cela m’a ouvert les yeux. »
Studieusement, il épluche aussi les vidéos de créateurs de contenu français. D’abord celles du pick-up artist (« artiste de la séduction ») Léo, qui, sur sa chaîne Les Philogynes, met « la psychologie au service de la séduction ». Ensuite, celles de Julien Rochedy, essayiste identitaire et ancien président du Front national jeunesse entre 2012 et 2014, qui sermonne les féministes sur sa chaîne YouTube et y affirme que le « wokisme » détruira l’Occident. « Cela m’a permis de mieux assumer des positions que je n’osais pas vraiment formuler. Comme le fait que ma copine ne correspondait pas à ce que doit être une compagne vraiment féminine », témoigne Thibaud.
Même histoire pour Emeric (le prénom a été modifié), 31 ans, qui, « après beaucoup de temps passé en ligne », a choisi de quitter sa petite amie. « Il ne faut pas tomber dans la caricature, je ne suis pas un gros lourd qui rêve d’une tradwife [“épouse traditionnelle”], mais il me semble qu’on gagnerait tous à ce que les femmes redeviennent plus douces, plus lucides sur leur rôle et ce qu’elles peuvent apporter », observe le consultant, heureux qu’Internet procure aux hommes un endroit où exercer leur « droit de réponse ».
« Ce qui est sûr, c’est que, même dans les soirées bobos à Paris, on entend des choses qu’on n’entendait pas avant. Comme quoi il ne serait plus possible de draguer, et qu’on ne pourrait plus rien dire… », observe Leslye Granaud, trentenaire féministe créatrice du podcast « C’est pas toi, c’est moi » et du compte Instagram SPM ta mère. Célibataire depuis cinq ans, elle a fait le choix de ne plus fréquenter d’hommes. A ses yeux, pas de doute, même ceux qui se revendiquent féministes se nourrissent parfois inconsciemment des théories « incels » (involuntary celibate, « célibataire involontaire ») proliférant en ligne.
C’est le cas de Thomas (le prénom a été modifié), médecin que la jeune femme rencontre sur l’application de rencontre Hinge. D’après lui, les hommes seraient programmés pour savoir, dès le premier rapport sexuel, si la femme avec qui ils couchent est, ou non, celle avec qui ils feront leur vie. Une théorie qui circule sur certains forums masculinistes au côté de celle du body count, qui stipule que la valeur d’une femme décroît quand le nombre de ses partenaires augmente. « Bref, c’est bien pratique pour passer la nuit avec toi après t’avoir récité les bons éléments de langage féministes et te “ghoster” [“disparaître sans explication”] ensuite », relève Leslye Granaud.
Un constat partagé par Julie (le prénom a été modifié), 28 ans. Cadre à Paris, elle n’hésite pas à filtrer les profils proposés sur Hinge en fonction de leurs opinions politiques. « Le piège, c’est que beaucoup de mecs se pensent déconstruits. A deux doigts de citer Virginie Despentes, ils se sentent pousser des ailes. Pourtant, leur comportement demeure problématique… Tout le monde est si tendu, il est bien plus difficile qu’à l’époque de nos parents d’être en couple avec une personne qui n’est pas de son bord politique. »
Pour qualifier le phénomène, médias, essayistes et chercheurs parlent souvent de polarisation. Une lecture qui ne convient pas à Alice Apostoly. « Il n’est pas question de polarisation, je trouve même dangereux d’utiliser ce terme. Ici, ce n’est pas deux extrêmes qui créent une fracture, mais la radicalisation des jeunes hommes. On ne peut pas mettre sur le même plan les féministes, qui militent pour leur sécurité et l’égalité des droits, et les masculinistes, qui veulent les dominer. » Une chose est sûre : l’ambiance est polaire.
Par Laure Coromines, publié le 24 mai 2025 à 06h30
#machisme #masculinisme #incels #cryptomonnaies #trading -
Arrêt de Skype : quelles alternatives ?
Skype va couper, Chérie…
Microsoft annonce1 l’arrêt de Skype en mai 2025. Un outil encore utilisé par grand nombre de personnes, y compris sous « Linux ». Mais cela ne doit pas instiller, dans la Cité, de la peur. C’est au contraire l’occasion pour la communauté du Libre de rappeler quelles sont les alternatives.
À chaque cas son Frama*
L’un des premiers réflexes sera d’interroger framalibre.org qui recense plusieurs solutions de remplacement, auxquelles il faut ajouter Signal. La messagerie chiffrée n’est pas proposée spontanément par le moteur de recherche, mais elle est bien référencée et même recommandée par Framasoft.
L’alternative pour « déframatiser internet » étant alternativeto.net. C’est moins convivial pour une partie du public parce qu’uniquement en langue anglaise. Mais le catalogue est riche et les commentaires souvent éclairants.
Récit de chat
L’autre réflexe évident, c’est de demander autour de soi. J’ai donc lancé le sujet sur le Framateam de l’ALDIL, et voici ce que cela a donné.
@anth.o. « Bonjour @here. Microsoft annonce l’arrêt de Skype. […] quelles sont les alternatives. Des suggestions ? »
Pour @nouckey « c’est Jitsi, mais ça dépend des usages : https://alternativeto.net/software/skype/?license=opensource&p=2«
@alain.i a « l’impression que beaucoup de personnes vont migrer vers Zoom… Sinon Signal ?
Dans mes recherches sur des alternatives à Jit.Si, je trouve Mirotalk, Briefing et Wire (payant).
https://brie.fi/ng
https://p2p.mirotalk.com/«@esteban.vaissiere propose « BigBlueButton sinon ? »
« plus galère à trouver des instances en accès libre et plus adapté à un format asymétrique… au sens d’une conférence avec un speaker et des spectateurs. » répond @nouckey qui complète : « j’utilise jitsi pour la plupart des réunions en visio, et même pour notre podcast dis-cor-dia (on utilise l’enregistrement de la room en secours, et chacun s’enregistre de son côté séparément) ».@vincent.mabillot précise que « La différence entre jitsi, bbb, c’est que ce sont des solutions de « rendez-vous » et on n’est pas en réception d’appel. Il vaut mieux en effet regarder du côté de jami, element ou signal qui ont des fonctionnalités de réception d’appel. »
Vincent : avez-vous testé « Jami » ? https://jami.net
Mes premiers tests :
– Application pour appeler des contacts (sans passer par la création d’un rendez-vous dans un salon)
– Micro-chat, partage d’écran, audio et vidéo configurable
– Invitation d’autres contacts dans la conversation.
– Multi-environnement : (avec des déclinaisons optimisées pour de nombreuses distributions)
– Fonctionne en peer2peer (pas de serveur centralisé) et chiffré de bout en bout
– Open source, libre et gratuit
– Développer à Montréal (Canada) et Rennes (France) par « Savoir-Faire Linux »À mon Signal…
Pour les usages « Skype« , Signal est une alternative populaire et jugée sûre. Seul inconvénient, l’application de bureau (pour Linux, Mac, Windows) ne fonctionne qu’à condition d’avoir d’abord installé l’application mobile sur un smartphone avec une SIM active.
« Impatient d’utiliser l’appli Signal Desktop sur ordinateur ? On vous comprend ! Mais ne brûlons pas les étapes : si ce n’est pas déjà fait, commencez par installer Signal sur votre téléphone. », nous dit-on sur https://signal.org/fr/download/.
Et ça tombe bien, puisqu’il y a un atelier pour apprendre à installer des applications sur mobile prévu en avril au Rize avec le collectif Lyon Café Vie Privée : https://www.agendadulibre.org/events/31919Où se faire aider à installer des applications libres à Lyon
- Les soirées d’entraide et bidouille de l’ALDIL : https://www.aldil.org/agenda-activites/nos-activites/bidouilles/
- Les soirées pizza de lalis.fr chaque mardi à partir de 18h au 7 place Louis Chazette (gare aux doigts gras ).
- Les soirées d’aide à la Croix-Rousse avec aldi4.org (sur inscription)
- Vous pouvez plus largement guetter les événements « signal« , « vie-privée« , « logiciels-libres » ou « smartphone » sur l’agenda du Libre.
- Le pôle install party et flash party aux Journées du Logiciel Libre : jdll.org
- Vous pouvez plus largement guetter les événements annoncés sur l’agenda du Libre. Et plus particulièrement ceux étiquetés « vie-privée« , « install-party« , « flash-party« , « logiciels-libres« , « signal » ou « smartphone« .
L’image de mise en avant a été partagée par Mees Groothuis sur Pixabay.
#ALDIL #bidouille #bigbluebutton #entraide #installPaty #jitsi #logicielsLibres #mattermost #signal #smartphone #viePrivée #viePrivée
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#ConnieWillis on #trump #Elon, #Tesla and the whole #uspol mess. #liberated from FB
Social Security, the Smithsonian, and Saturday Night Live's Cold Open
March 30, 2025
By Connie Willis
There were over 300 Tesla Takedown rallies all over the world yesterday:
-- People have been posting pictures from San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, Watertown, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Seattle, Washington, Miami, Florida, San Jose, California, and Austin and Southlake, Texas. And from London, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Ireland.
--They had hoped for protests at all 277 Tesla dealerships in the country, and they came close to achieving that goal. (For some it’s not practical. The Tesla dealership in Greeley is tucked away on a back road which nobody ever travels, and any protest couldn’t be seen from the highway, but there were protests in Denver, Colorado Springs, Littleton, Broomfield, Boulder, Westminster, and the Eagle County Airport.)
--Mokurai: "All the protest organizations around the country are getting the idea of protesting EVERYWHERE, notably on every college and university campus, not just in the biggest cities. Indivisible, 50501, Tesla Takedowns, you name it."
Some people have asked, what’s the point of protesting? It doesn’t accomplish anything. But I disagree. I think protesting--including town halls and rallies and rallies--accomplish a lot:
--They make news. People complain that the mainstream media doesn’t cover them, but they do if the rallies and protests are big enough, and besides, there are lots of other forms of media, from Facebook to Bluesky and Twitter and TikTok. People are sharing their protest pictures like crazy and posting videos of the town halls.
--They send a message to our representatives in Congress. This goes especially for town halls, which the GOP is scared to death of. The national party sent out a memo telling them to stop having them because they just produced bad video clips and soundbites the Dems could use. (Which proves they’re getting news coverage.)
--They send a message to Wall Street and the stock market, who actually both pay attention to what’s going on. Tesla sales are tanking and Target sales are way down.
--They send a message to the rest of the world, who are definitely watching us and wondering whether we’re all going along with this or are just as upset as they are about what’s happening.
--They put you in touch with other groups and activities. At the rallies and protests, there are places for people to sign up for Indivisible and ActBlue and their local Democratic Party so you can get even more involved.
--They raise your own morale. People who’ve participated in the protests and rallies talk about being energized and happy to meet other people and realize they’re not alone, that lots of other people are as upset as they are.
--They play an important part in fighting the Trump regime. Resistance movements require two things--tinder and a spark. You’re providing the tinder.
In SignalGate News:
--Saturday Night Live’s cold open was about--you guessed it--the Signal chat. It was dead-on. My favorite moment was when they listed Pete Hegseth’s emojis. He texted a fist, a flag, and a flame. They read it as "Fist, Flag, Tesla." But you MUST see the whole thing:
youtube.com/watch?v=hLtI9mvgSr…
--Ben Dreyfuss: "It’s very serious, obviously, but I do think it’s very funny imagining how they all felt when they saw the ‘Jeffrey Goldberg has left the chat’ notification."
--There’s been another security leak. Two Trump administration spreadsheets with highly sensitive information on programs funded by the State Department and USAID were sent to Congress and leaked online, endangering workers working under repressive regimes. The groups had pressed the Trump administration to keep sensitive information in the spreadsheets private and were assured that it would.
--An International non-profit executive said, "In all our years of securing grants, we have never seen the safety of government partners treated with such reckless abandon. People will lose their liberty, and possibly even more, because of this."
--Trump announced he’s not firing anybody over the Signal chat. He said: "I have no idea what Signal is. I don’t care what Signal is. All I can tell you is it’s just a witch hunt, and it’s the only thing the press wants to talk about because you have nothing else to talk about. Because it’s been the greatest 100-day Presidency in the history of our country."
--Mike Waltz told Trump he never met Jeffrey Goldberg. Now a photo has surfaced showing them standing right next to each other at a public function.
--I told you yesterday that Pete Hegseth kept bringing his wife to work. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the reason is to keep others from asking him about his alleged sexual misconduct.
--Trump’s people have all gone into hiding. Not a single one of them was on the Sunday shows. (They know just how deadly this is for them.)
TrumpsTaxes: "My hope is that when career prosecutors at Defense, NSA, CIA, State, and other agencies absorb the sheer hypocrisy of their bosses getting away with sharing classified information, with zero punishment, they will anonymously leak every sordid story, rumor, and detail about their bosses to the press."
--First Dog on the Moon cartoon: "What fun things did we learn from the super secret chat? 1. These might be some of the most powerful people in the world, but they are a long way from being the smartest. 2. There are no longer any consequences for anything ever. 3. European freeloading is PATHETIC. 4. Emojis are good again? 5. Be right back, just playing Candy Crush."
In deportation news:
--A University of Minnesota student was detained. Nothing else is known, not even the student’s name, which ICE agents refuse to reveal.
--ICE agents went to an elementary school in Washington, D.C. to grab a contract employee, but they left without making an arrest after school officials required ID and a warrant. (Translation: What they’re doing is totally illegal and they know it.)
--Bill Kristol: "MAGA Congresswoman in America: ‘You violated the law, you don’t get due process.’ Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland: ‘Sentence first, verdict afterward.’"
--Judge Patricia Millett: "Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act than has happened here."
--Immigration lawyer: "The administration is looking for numbers. Without actually reviewing if it was legal, if it was right, if it was morally correct to do what they’ve done. They don’t care about that."
--Adam Serwer: "Trump and his advisers simply hope the public is foolish or shortsighted enough to believe that if they are not criminals or deviants or terrorists or foreigners or traitors, then they have no reason to worry. Eventually no one will have any rights that the state need respect, because the public will have sacrificed them in the name of punishing people it was told did not deserve them."
Trump’s now going after the Smithsonian and the National Zoo:
--He signed an executive order yesterday saying that he was taking them over to root out "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology."
--He particularly targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Women’s History Museum, and the American Art Museum. He said the National Museum of African American History and Culture "espouses a corrosive ideology."
--The Smithsonian was created by an Act of Congress. It has funding from private endowments, but it gets 2/3 of its budget from the federal government.
--The employees now face the same terrible dilemma other agencies have faced, whether to stay and try to protect as much as you can or quit. "If they stay in their jobs, they’re in effect working for an authoritarian takeover of what they do." But if they go, they’ll be risking leaving it in the hands of people who’ve had no compunction about deleting websites. Will they also try to destroy paintings, pottery, historical artifacts and documents?
--The Zoo thing apparently involves the Chinese pandas--and evolution.
--The executive order also demands that all Confederate statues and monuments be put back up and a statue of an anti-slavery Supreme Court justice.
--Lauren Wolfe: "This is unabashed fascism."
--Jeff Stein: "Trump goes full-on Soviet with intent to scrub the Smithsonian, museums, etc., of ‘improper ideology.’"
--David Blight of the Organization of American Historians: "It’s a declaration of war. It’s arrogant and appalling for them to claim they have the power and the right to say what history actually is and how it should be exhibited, written, and taught. "
In Social Security news:
--Trump has told Musk and DOGE he wants the Social Security cuts speeded up.
--People all over the country are reporting long waits, waves of calls, and website crashes. In many cases Social Security administrators are telling people who call that the wait time is over 2 hours long and then hanging up on them.
--Social Security says they’ve delayed plans to cut phone services by 2 weeks and ditched a proposal that would have forced the disabled and elderly to visit a physical office to deal with problems with their benefits or apply for benefits.
--Musk and DOGE’s plan at Social Security has been leaked. It is to completely redo the Social Security Administration’s code in a matter of months. Experts say the payments are currently made using 40-year-old COBOL code, which has had 40 years of additions and corrections, and that safely converting COBOL and rewriting code takes years, including months of analysis, years of coding, and rigorous testing for functionality and performance. The attempt to do this in mere months is likely to break the entire thing.
--Social Security employees say they will be doing their beta testing on vulnerable seniors.
--Musk is now claiming that "As a result of the work of DOGE, legitimate recipients of Social Security will receive more money, not less money."
--Paul Krugman, talking about the elimination of Social Security: "On this as on other issues, above all rule of law and the survival of democracy, the ‘alarmists’ whose warnings were dismissed by the supposedly savvy have been completely vindicated."
In cowardly, sniveling capitulation news:
--The White House Correspondents Association (the group that hosts the Correspondents Dinner, you know, the one where Obama OBLITERATED Trump and so did Stephen Colbert) has fired the comedian they hired for this year, Amber Ruffin, because Trump officials complained about her.
--A federal prosecutor in Los Angeles was fired at the behest of the White House, after lawyers for a fast-food executive he was prosecuting pushed Trump officials to drop all charges against him.
--Johns Hopkins told their faculty not to intervene in ICE detainments on campus.
In non-cowardly, Standing Up to the Bastards news:
--At the opening performance of the season for the Buffalo Philharmonic, a woman from M and T Bank (who sponsors the concerts) came out before the performance started and spoke about the orchestra’s support for IDEA--Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. She got a two-minute standing ovation.
In other news:
--As of this point, ALL USAID employees have been fired. The last ones got an e-mail Friday night.
--Trump has now sicced the FCC against Disney for "promoting diversity."
--Musk just sold Twitter to Twitter AI in a $33 billion stock deal. He owns both companies. (No idea what he’s up to.)
--Florida passed a child labor law so that little kids can take the place of the immigrants who’ve been deported in the fields and the orange orchards. (What does that remind me of? Oh, wait, I know. Oliver Twist, anyone?)
In good news:
--A new treatment involving amyloid removal delays the progress of Alzheimer’s Disease.
--The Yankees hit 9 home runs in their first game!
--I had a crown put on after a root canal last week and was expecting the usual awful procedure, where they put that goop in your mouth that makes you gag so they can make an impression, then you get a temporary crown that you have to be really careful of for two weeks before you get the crown. Not any more! They took a picture of the tooth with a 3-D laser, 3-d printed out the new crown, and had it on within an hour. So, see, 3-D printers ARE good for something besides making ghost guns!
In historical news: Today is Charles Lightoller’s birthday. He’s one of my heroes. He was the lieutenant on the Titanic who saved more lives than anybody else, insisting on loading the boats to capacity before they were launched. He stayed on board trying to get one of the collapsible boats untied until a wave swept him and the collapsible into the water. (At the American hearing, an idiot Senator asked him snidely, "When did you live the boat, Lieutenant Lightoller?" and he replied, "I didn’t leave the boat, the boat left me.") The collapsible was upside down, and he clambered aboard, then helped dozens of others to climb up and stood there, keeping the boat balanced, till the Carpathia got there. He was the last person to board the Carpathia, insisting on waiting till everyone else had been picked up. Then, nearly 30 years later and retired, he took a boat over to Dunkirk and brought back 127 stranded soldiers. I have always said that if I’m in a maritime disaster, my survival plan is to keep as close to Lightoller as possible.
It’s also Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday. I love Van Gogh, partly because he was so humble. He took an art class on color because, he explained, "I have never been very good at color." Oh, my God! In honor of his birthday, you need to go look at "Starry Night" and Almond Blossoms" and ":Irises" and "Sunflowers." And you definitely need to watch the Dr. Who episode where the Doctor takes Van Gogh to the Musee de Beaux Arts in Paris to see his legacy. It will bring you to tears:
youtube.com/watch?v=ubTJI_UphP…
Best line of the day, from MattZ: "Are we allowed to listen to Cassandra yet?" -
LISTA | Filmes e séries baseadas em quadrinhos que chegarão em 2026
2026 vai ser um ano eletrizante para fãs de adaptações de quadrinhos, com uma mistura de filmes e séries que prometem agitar tanto cinemas quanto plataformas de streaming. No cinema, a DC segue com seu novo Universo Compartilhado, enquanto a Marvel iniciará sua mais grande conclusão épica até agora.
Confira a seguir os títulos mais aguardados do ano:
LISTA | Filmes que chegarão aos cinemas em 2026
Vale lembrar: assim como sempre acontece, algumas datas de estreia podem ser alteradas pelas distribuidoras ao longo do calendário.
Magnum (Wonder Man)
Criação: Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Guest
Estúdio: Marvel Studios (Television), Family Owned, Onyx Collective, Disney
Estreia: 27 de janeiro de 2026O ano de 2026 da Marvel começa já em janeiro com o lançamento de “Wonder Man” ou como é conhecido no Brasil “Magnum“, a 17ª série de televisão do Universo Cinematográfico Marvel (MCU), produzida pela Marvel Studios através de seu selo Marvel Television. A série também é produzida pela Family Owned e Onyx Collective.
Nesta minissérie de oito episódios criada por Destin Daniel Cretton e Andrew Guest, acompanhamos Simon Williams — vivido por Yahya Abdul-Mateen II — um ator frustrado e cheio de ambições que vai de rejeições em audições até a chance de uma vida: interpretar o icônico Wonder Man numa nova versão do filme de super-herói dos anos 1970.
O showrunner Andrew Guest descreveu o personagem como “incrivelmente poderoso de uma forma que nem ele mesmo tem plena consciência”, com o executivo da Marvel Studios, Brian Gay, acrescentando que Simon “nem sabe a extensão de seus poderes”, embora ambos tenham observado que o personagem não se importa de ter poderes e simplesmente quer ser um ator de sucesso como Daniel Day-Lewis.
Abdul-Mateen explicou que Simon esconde seus poderes porque eles são malvistos na Hollywood ficcional do MCU. O personagem permitiu que ele explorasse “alguma tridimensionalidade” entre seu passado e seu relacionamento com a família, enquanto ainda era um super-herói.
Ben Kingsley retorna como Trevor Slattery, ator que fracassado que anteriormente assumiu a identidade do Mandarim , trabalhando para Aldrich Killian em Homem de Ferro 3, e que mais tarde foi sequestrado pela organização Dez Anéis de Xu Wenwu em Shang-Chi e a Lenda dos Déz Anéis, que também está fazendo testes para o filme do Wonder Man.
Slattery retorna a Hollywood após o rompimento com o Mandarim e os Dez Anéis para encontrar uma “segunda chance” como ator e provar à sua mãe, Dorothy, que ele era “o ator que [ela] sempre esperou que ele fosse”, com o Wonder Man mostrando Slattery assumindo a responsabilidade por seu comportamento passado.
Guest chamou Slattery de um “personagem tipo Forrest Gump , tipo Chauncey Gardiner ” que consegue se “envolver em coisas maiores”. O produtor executivo e presidente da Marvel Television, Brad Winderbaum disse que o personagem tinha uma “estrutura de três atos muito interessante” dentro da série, que era “muito sincera, muito séria [e] não cínica”, com Kingsley acrescentando que Slattery é “puxado em duas direções”, incluindo a busca por sua ambição, mas “a um custo terrível”.
O elenco ainda conta com Arian Moayed como P. Cleary, um agente do Departamento de Controle de Danos, Zlatko Burić como Von Kovak, diretor célebre que está dirigindo o remake de Wonder Man, Demetrius Grosse como Eric Williams/Ceifador, o irmão mais velho “estável” de Simon, X Mayo, Olivia Thirlby, Byron Bowers, Josh Gad, Lauren Glazier, Béchir Sylvain, Manny McCord, Simon Templeman, Joe Pantoliano,Dane Larsen, Phumzile Sitole, Jere Burns e Ed Harris como o agente de Simon, Neal Saroyan.
“Magnum” é descrito como autoconsciente e metalinguístico, uma sátira que comenta, com humor e sensibilidade, sobre a própria cultura dos super-heróis e a saturação do gênero, sem perder de vista a jornada humana de seus protagonistas.
“Magnum” (Wonder Man) estreia com todos os oito episódios em 27 de janeiro no catálogo do Disney+.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j4NvyIHCs0
Invencível (Invincible) – 4ª temporada
Criação: Robert Kirkman
Estúdio: Amazon MGM Studios, Wind Sun Sky Entertainment, Skybound Animation, Point Grey Pictures,
Estreia: Março de 2026Agora, com a quarta temporada da série animada “Invencível (Invincible) chegando em março de 2026 ao Prime Video, parece que a série está pronta para elevar ainda mais a barra, misturando tudo aquilo que os fãs amam.
Após o final explosivo da 3ª temporada, que terminou com confrontos brutais e reviravoltas que deixaram o destino de Mark Grayson mais incerto do que nunca, nesta temporada, Mark é testado para ver até onde ele deve ir para proteger aqueles que ama, juntamente com seu pai e irmão , enquanto eles devem se unir à Coalizão de Planetas para derrotar o Império do planeta natal de seu pai de uma vez por todas.
O elenco principal Steven Yeun (Mark Grayson/Invencível), Sandra Oh (Deborah “Debbie” Grayson), JK Simmons (Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man), Christian Convery (Oliver Grayson/Jovem Omni-Man) e Gillian Jacobs (Samantha Eve Wilkins/Eve Atômica) retornam.
O elenco secundário que também retornarão:
- Andrew Rannells como William Francis Clockwell
- Walton Goggins como Cecil Stedman
- Chris Diamantopoulos como Donald Ferguson, Isotope
- Jonathan Banks como Brit
- Ross Marquand como The Immortal, Rex Conners
- Jason Mantzoukas como Rex Conners
- Zachary Quinto como Robot
- Malese Jow como Kate Cha/Dupli-Kate
- Grey Griffin como Amanda/Monster Girl (human form), Rachel/Shrinking Rae, Betsy Wilkins, Thula
- Khary Payton como Markus Grimshaw/Black Samson
- Kevin Michael Richardson como Amanda/Monster Girl
- Mark Hamill como Arthur “Art” Rosenbaum
- Seth Rogen como Allen the Alien
- Clancy Brown como Damien Darkblood, Kregg
- Bruce Campbell como Great Beast
- Fred Tatasciore como Giant, Adam Wilkins
- Luke Macfarlane como Rick Sheridan
- Jay Pharoah como Zandale Randolph/Bulletproof
- Ben Schwartz como Shapesmith, Rus Livingston
- Cleveland Berto como Bolt
- Cliff Curtis como Paul
- Calista Flockhart como April Howsam
- Todd Williams como Titan
- Tzi Ma como Mister Liu
- Simu Liu como Multi-Paul
- Mae Whitman como War Woman II
- Eric Bauza como D.A. Sinclair
- Michael Dorn como Thokk/Battle Beast
- Peter Cullen como Thaedus
- Tatiana Maslany como Telia
- Phil LaMarr como Lucan
- Shantel VanSanten como Anissa
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan como Conquest
Entre as novidadades estão Matthew Rhys na voz do Dinossauro e Lee Pace como Thragg, o líder supremo do Império Viltrumita, preparando o terreno para o arco da Guerra Viltrumita.
A 4ª temporada de “Invencível” (Invincible) estreia com os três primeiros episódios em março de 2026 no catálogo da Prime Video, e deve ser lançados semanalmente até abril de 2026.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYyFgM0XTuc
Minhas Aventuras com o Superman – 3ª temporada
Criação: Jake Wyatt, Brendan Clougher, Josie Campbell
Estúdio: Warner Bros. Animation, Studio Mir, DC Studios, Adult Swim
Estreia: Primeiro trimestre de 2026A série animada “Minhas Aventuras com o Superman” transforma cada episódio numa celebração do coração por trás da capa vermelha do Homem de Aço. E agora, com a 3ª temporada chegando em 2026, essa animação promete elevar ainda mais essa mistura de ação, emoção e humor.
A terceira temporada de promete levar Clark Kent (Voz de Jack Quaid) ainda mais aos desafios de equilibrar seu crescente heroísmo como Superman com sua vida como repórter do Planeta Diário e parceiro de Lois Lane (Voz de Alice Lee).
Os novos episódios incluirão a chegada de um Lex Luthor (Voz de Max Mittelman) completamente careca e a tão aguardada transformação de Hank Henshaw no Superman Ciborgue. O Superboy também entrará na história pela primeira vez.
A temporada dará continuidade à jornada de Kara Zor-El (Voz de Kiana Madeira) enquanto ela se adapta à vida na Terra após se libertar do controle de Brainiac (Voz de Michael Emerson). Além disso, a 3ª temporada pode plantar as sementes para o spin-off em desenvolvimento “Minhas Aventuras com a Lanterna Verde”, sugerindo um universo animado mais amplo no futuro.
A 3ª temporada de “Minhas Aventuras com o Superman” estreia no primeiro trimestre de 2026 no Cartoon Network e no catálogo da HBO Max (e daqui à alguns anos na Netflix).
Demolidor: Renascido – 2ª temporada
Criação: Dario Scardapane, Matt Corman, Chris Ord
Estúdio: Marvel Studios (Television), Disney
Estreia: 4 de março de 2026“Demolidor: Renascido” (Daredevil: Born Again) retorna para sua 2ª temporada, prometendo não apenas ação visceral, mas uma revolta narrativa que vai além dos punhos e da lei.
Depois do final da 1ª temporada, onde o prefeito Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) assumiu o controle de Nova York, proibiu o vigilantismo e transformou o Homem Sem Medo no criminoso mais procurado da América. Agora, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) está se escondendo, e ao mesmo tempo montando sua própria equipe capaz de derrubar esse tirano.
O retorno de personagens icônicos aumenta ainda mais a chama dessa narrativa intensa: Krysten Ritter volta como Jessica Jones, reunindo suas forças com Murdock em uma dinâmica crua e cheia de ironia lá dos tempos de “Defensores” (2017). Os detalhes específicos da presença de Jessica Jones na história permanecem em segredo, mas Brad Winderbaum, chefe da Marvel Television, confirma que é comparável à presença do Justiceiro de Jon Bernthal na primeira temporada.
Ao lado de Cox, Ritter e D’Onofrio, outros nomes como Margarita Levieva (Heather Glenn), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson), Wilson Bethel (Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter/Mecernário), Zabryna Guevara (Sheila Rivera), Nikki M. James (Kirsten McDuffie), Genneya Walton (BB Urich), Arty Froushan (Buck Cashman), Clark Johnson (Cherry), Michael Gandolfini (Daniel Blake), e Ayelet Zurer (Vanessa Fisk) retornam da primeira temporada.
Matthew Lillard entrou para o elenco da nova temporada interpretando Sr. Charles, , um oponente político de Fisk.
A 2ª temporada de Demolidor: Renascido” (Daredevil: Born Again) estreia em 4 de março de 2026 no catálogo do Disney+, e deve ser lançados semanalmente até abril de 2026.
Batman: A Queda do Morcego (Knightfall)
Direção: Jeff Wamester
Estúdio: Warner Bros. Animation, DC,
Estreia: A definirUma adaptação cinematográfica animada em várias partes de uma das histórias mais populares do Batman dos anos 1990, “Batman: A Queda do Morcego” (Knightfall) está atualmente em produção na Warner Bros. Animation, e segundo informações a primeira parte será lançada em 2026.
O filme é baseado na saga em quadrinhos do Batman de mesmo nome, lançada em três partes entre 1993 e 1994. Foi criada por Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Dennis O’Neil, Peter David, Jo Duffy, Jim Aparo, Graham Nolan, Norm Breyfogle e Jim Balent.
Segundo a sinopse oficial, a primeira parte adaptará o primeiro arco da história: “Quando o misterioso gigante conhecido apenas como Bane liberta toda a galeria de vilões do Batman do Asilo Arkham, o Cavaleiro das Trevas é levado ao seu limite físico e mental.”
O longa tem direção de Jeff Wamester e roteiro de Jeremy Adams. Rick Morales atua como produtor supervisor, ao lado dos produtores Jim Krieg e Kimberly S. Moreau. Sam Register e Michael Uslan são os produtores executivos.
“Batman: A Queda do Mocergo – Parte 1” estreia em algum momento de 2026 no catálogo da HBO Max (e daqui à alguns anos na Netflix).
O Justiceiro (Especial)
Criação: Reinaldo Marcus Green, Jon Bernthal
Estúdio: Marvel Studios (Television), Disney
Estreia: a definirO retorno de Jon Bernthal como Justiceiro não vai se bastar apenas na série do Demolidor. Além de aparecer no próximo filme do Homem-Aranha de Tom Holland, “Um Novo Dia“, o personagem estrelará seu próprio especial para o streaming.
Dirigido por Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richards), que co-escreveu o roteiro ao lado de Bernthal, o elenco também conta com Jason R. Moore como Curtis Hoyle, um amigo próximo de Frank Castle e ex-SARC da Marinha dos EUA, que se tornou o líder de um grupo de terapia depois de perder a parte inferior da perna esquerda em combate.
Além disso, Roe Rancell foi escalado como Dennis, e espera-se que a personagem Ma Gnucci apareça no especial.
Ainda sem título. o Especial do Justiceiro, estreia em algum momento de 2026 no catálogo do Disney+.
X-Men ’97 – 2ª temporada
Criação: Beau DeMayo, (Atuais showrunners: Larry Houston, Eric Lewald, Julia Lewald
Estúdio: Marvel Studios (Animation), Disney
Estreia: Entre Junho e agosto de 2026“X-Men ’97“, um dos maiores (e poucos) sucesso recentes da Marvel referente aos Mutantes está voltando em 2026 par uma nova temporada.
Assim como sua antecessora, a série apresenta uma formação de equipe semelhante à dos quadrinhos dos X-Men do início dos anos 90, incluindo Ciclope, Jean Grey, Tempestade, Wolverine, Morfo, Vampira, Fera, Gambit, Jubileu e Bishop; em grande parte semelhante à Equipe Azul de Ciclope, estabelecida nas primeiras edições de X-Men (Vol. 2) . No entanto, diferentemente de sua antecessora, a formação muda de episódio para episódio e é refletida nos créditos de abertura.
Nesta temporada, A série seguirá diretamente de onde parou, com Magneto no comando e os X-Men lidando com um mundo que os teme. os X-Men estão espalhados pelo tempo e precisam encontrar o caminho de volta para a década de 1990 enquanto exploram as consequências emocionais da tragédia de Genosha e introduzindo o vilão Apocalypse, prometendo uma trama mais intensa e expandida.
A série manterá o espírito da animação clássica dos anos 90, mas com uma narrativa mais madura e uma escala maior, com personagens usando uniformes inspirados na fase de Grant Morrison a frente dos X-Men.
O criador e roteirista principal Beau DeMayo foi demitido pela Marvel Studios em março de 2024, após uma investigação que levou a descobertas “graves”, com isso os créditos de roteirista da 2ª temporada de DeMayo foram removidos devido a violações de seu acordo de rescisão. Matthew Chauncey, roteirista da primeira série animada da Marvel Studios, “What If…?” (2021–2024), foi contratado para substituir DeMayo como roteirista principal da série a partir da 3ª temporada que já está confirmada.
A 2ª temporada de “X-Men ’97” estreia semanalmente entre junho e agosto de 2026 no catálogo do Disney+.
The Boys – 5ª Temporada
Criação: Eric Kripke
Estúdio: Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, Point Grey Pictures
Estreia: 8 de abril de 2026A guerra final entre os Sups e humanos tem data para começar. 2026 é o ano que acontece a 5ª e última temporada de “The Boys“, encerrando uma das produções mais provocativas, violentas e politicamente afiadas da Prime Video.
A 5ª temporada acontece em um mundo totalmente dominado pelo Capitão Pátria (Antony Starr). Hughie (Jack Quaid), Leitinho (Laz Alonso) e Frenchie (Tomer Capone) aparecem presos em um campo militar conhecido como “Campo da Liberdade”, enquanto Annie/Luz Estrela (Erin Moriarty) tenta organizar uma resistência contra o império dos Supers. Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) está desaparecida, e o destino dos rapazes parece selado até o retorno de Billy Bruto (Karl Urban).
No trailer exibido na CCXP em dezembro de 2025, Bruto surge disposto a recorrer à sua arma mais extrema: um vírus capaz de exterminar todos os super-humanos do planeta. “Mesmo que eu tenha que arrastar seus cadáveres quebrados até a linha de chegada, vamos até o fim, custe o que custar”, diz ele em uma fala que já entrou para o hall das frases mais marcantes da série.
Jessie T. Usher (Trem-Bala), Chace Crawford (Profundo), Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir II), Colby Minifie (Ashley Barrett), Cameron Crovetti (Ryan), Susan Heyward (Jessica “Sage” Bradley/Irmã Sage), Valorie Curry (isty Tucker Gray/Firecracker), e Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Joe Kessler) retornam para temporada final.
Para o quinto ano, Daveed Diggs se junta ao elenco, assim como Mason Dye (‘Stranger Things’), que interpretará Bombsight. Além disso, a série reunirá as estrelas de ‘Supernatural’: Jared Padalecki e Misha Collins, ao lado de Jensen Ackles, que retorna como Soldier Boy.
A 5ª e última temporada de “The Boys” estreia em 8 de abril de 2026, exclusivamente no catálogo da Prime Video, com os dois primeiros episódios. Os seis episódios restantes serão lançados semanalmente até 20 de maio..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzbWryxxn0c
4 Kids Walk Into a Bank
Direção: Frankie Shaw
Estúdio: Amazon MGM Studios, Miramax, Picturestart, Point Grey Pictures, Black Mask Studios, Uncle Pete Productions
Estreia: 17 de abril de 2026 (Estados Unidos)Frankie Shaw, roteirista, diretora e estrela da subestimada série da Showtime , “ SMILF ”, estreia na direção de longas-metragens com “4 Kids Walk Into a Bank”, adaptação da graphic novel de Matthew Rosenberg e Tyler Boss.
Ambientado na década de 1990, o filme acompanha uma garota de 11 anos extremamente inteligente, cujo grupo de desajustados elabora um assalto maluco após descobrir as ligações criminosas de seu pai distante. O filme combina humor negro com a engenhosidade de uma criança, levando o gênero de aventura adolescente para um território mais bruto e engraçado.
Liam Neeson lidera o elenco, acompanhado por Talia Ryder , Whitney Peak, Jack Dylan Grazer, Spike Fearn, Teresa Palmer e Jim Sturgess, além de George Basil , Sam Strike, Caylee Cowan e Deacon Phillippe.
“4 Kids Walk Into a Bank” estreia em 17 de abril de 2026 nos cinemas dos Estados Unidos, com distribuição da Amazon MGM Studios (Orion Pictures). Sem data de lançamento no Brasil.
Supergirl
Direção: Craig Gillespie
Estúdio: DC Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures
Estreia: 25 de junho de 2026“Supergirl” é o segundo longa-metragem do novo Universo DC (DCU), que foi iniciado com “Superman“, e adaptará a minissérie em quadrinhos “Supergirl: A Mulher do Amanhã” de Tom King e Bilquis Evely, com direção de Craig Gillespie (“Cruella”, “Eu, Tonya”).
Com roteiro escrito por Ana Nogueira (que irá escrever o futuro filme da Mulher-Maravilha), o longa acompanha Kara Zor-El viajando pela galáxia par comemorar seu 23º aniversário com a companhia do seu cachorro Krypto, como vimos no final do filme do Superman. Ao longo do caminho, ela conhece a jovem Ruthye Marye Knoll e se depara com uma tragédia que a leva a uma “busca assassina por vingança”.
Milly Alcock estrela como Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, prima de Kal-El / Superman, criada em um pedaço do planeta destruído Krypton e que viu todos ao seu redor morrerem, tornando-a uma pessoa mais cínica do que seu primo, que foi criado na Terra por pais amorosos. Como os kryptonianos são curados e ganham poderes com sóis amarelos, a Supergirl gosta de festejar em planetas com sóis vermelhos, onde pode se embriagar.
O produtor do filme e co-CEO da DC Studios, James Gunn imaginou a Supergirl como uma “personagem meio fada , mas com muita atitude”. Tanto Gunn quanto Gillespie a descreveram como uma anti-heroína, já Alcock descreveu a Supergirl como uma heroína relutante. “Ela não aceita esse papel. Ela não quer ser uma heroína, ela é relutante.”
O elenco também conta com Eve Ridley como Ruthye Marye Knoll, a jovem que recruta a Supergirl em sua jornada para vingar a morte de seu pai, Matthias Schoenaerts como o vilão Krem das Colinas Amarelas, além de David Krumholtz e Emily Beecham, que viverão Zor-EL e Alura In-Ze, os pais da Kara, enquato David Corenswet reprisa seu papel como o primo de Kara, Superman em uma participação especial.
Jason Momoa, que viveu o Aquaman no antigo DCEU (informalmente nomeado de Snyderverso) retornará interpretando um personagem que ele sempre quis viver, o caçador de recompenças intergalático do planeta Czarnia, Lobo.
“Supergirl” estreia nos cinemas brasileiros em 25 de junho de 2026, com distribuição da Warner Bros. Pictures, e após sua jornada nos cinemas, o filme chegará no catálogo da HBO Max (e daqui à alguns anos na Netflix).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyYffSLpWqM
Homem-Aranha: Um Novo Dia
Direção: Destin Daniel Cretton
Estúdio: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, Pascal Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
Estreia: 30 de julho de 2026“Homem-Aranha: Um Novo Dia” (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) marca uma nova fase para o Peter Parker (Tom Holland) acompanhando o esforço de Peter para reconstruir sua vida após os eventos de “Sem Volta para Casa”, onde ele foi completamente apagado da memória de todos, incluindo dos seus amigos, MJ e Ned. Ambientado no submundo do crime de Nova York, o filme expande as conexões do Homem-Aranha com o universo Marvel, ligando-o a personagens como Bruce Banner/Hulk e Frank Castle/Justiceiro.
No elenco de apoio, tem os retornos de Zendaya como Michelle “MJ” Jones, Jacob Batalon como Ned Leeds e Michael Mando como o vilão Escorpião, além das adições de Sadie Sink (Stranger Things), Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear) e Tramell Tillman (Ruptura) em papéis ainda mantidos em sigilo. Marvin Jones III (Raio Negro) foi contratado para viver o vilão Lápide.
Os veteranos do MCU, Mark Ruffalo e Jon Bernthal foram escalados para reprisarem seus papeis como Bruce Banner/Hulk e Justiceiro respectivamente, e segundo fontes, o trio de heróis entrará em conflito antes de unirem forças contra os verdadeiros vilões.
Dirigido por Destin Daniel Cretton e escrito por Chris McKenna e Erik Sommers, o filme é novamente produzido por Kevin Feige e Amy Pascal.
“Homem-Aranha: Um Novo Dia” (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) estreia nos cinemas brasileiros em 30 de julho de 2026, com distribuição da Sony Pictures Releasing, e após sua jornada nos cinemas, o filme chegará no catálogo da HBO Max.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5uEprvZ8zA
VisionQuest
Criação: Terry Matalas
Estúdio: Marvel Studios (Television), Disney
Estreia: Segundo semestre de 2026Imagine um herói que sempre esteve no meio do Universo Cinematográfico Marvel, mas que agora precisa olhar para dentro de si mesmo para descobrir quem ele realmente é. Essa é a proposta de “VisionQuest“, a minissérie, pronta para fechar uma trilogia iniciada por “WandaVision” (2021) e continuada em “Agatha Desde Sempre” (2024).
Paul Bettany reprisa seu papel como Visão Branco — a versão reconstruída do androide Visão. Após os eventos de WandaVision, ele carrega todas as memórias do Visão original, mas luta para conectar essas lembranças com emoções reais, iniciando uma jornada profunda de autodescoberta que promete ser ao mesmo tempo introspectiva e surpreendentemente humana.
Criada por Terry Matalas (Star Trek: Picard), o enredo mergulha no psicológico, levando o espectador literalmente para dentro da mente de Visão, onde programas de inteligência artificial criados por Tony Stark — como Ultron, J.A.R.V.I.S., F.R.I.D.A.Y. e E.D.I.T.H. — ganham formas humanas e conversam com ele de maneiras inesperadas e até perturbadoras.
Além disso, a série promete reunir personagens que marcaram décadas do UCM, com James Spader retornando como Ultron e um elenco que inclui Todd Stashwick como Paladino, um caçador de recompensas que está caçando Visão, T’Nia Miller como Jocasta, Emily Hampshire como EDITH, Orla Brady como FRIDAY, Henry Lewis como DUM-E, Jonathan Sayer como U e James D’Arcy como JARVIS, a primeira IA criada por Stark.
Além disso, Faran Tahir reprisa seu papel como Raza, o líder da facção Dez Anéis que sequestrou Stark no filme “Homem de Ferro” (2008). Também aparecem Lauren Morais como Lisa Molinari, Diane Morgan como uma associada de Paladin; e Mary McDonnell em um papel não revelado.
O ator Ruaridh Mollica vai interpretar Tommy Maximoff, filho velocista de Visão e Wanda Maximoff , cuja alma foi colocada no corpo adolescente de Thomas Shepherd por seu irmão gêmeo Billy Maximoff na série Agatha Desde Sempre (2024).
“VisionQuest” estreia no segundo semestre de 2026 no catálogo do Disney+.
Lanternas
Criação: Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, Tom King
Estúdio: DC Studios, Warner Bros. Television, HBO
Estreia: Entre Julho e Setembro de 2026Após anos de desenvolvimento, iniciado originalmente em 2019 como uma produção da HBO Max, com envolvimento de Greg Berlanti, e estrelada por Finn Wittrock como Guy Gardner e Jeremy Irvine como Alan Scott em 2021, a série dos Lanternas Verdes foi completamente reformulada com a chegada de James Gunn e Peter Safran como co-presidentes e co-CEOs da recém-formada DC Studios em outubro de 2022.
Desta vez a produção que veremos neste ano se concentrar em John Stewart fazendo dupla com a lenda da Tropa Hal Jordan. Com criação de Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof e Tom King, a série “Lanternas” acompanha o experiente Lanterna Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) e o recruta novato John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) enquanto investigam um assassinato no Nebraska, o que os leva a mistérios e acertos de contas mais sombrios.
Kyle Chandler viverá Hal Jordan, um ex-piloto de testes e membro lendário da Tropa dos Lanternas Verdes que está se aproximando da aposentadoria, e está treinando John Stewart. Os roteiristas se inspiraram na interpretação de Sam Shepard como Chuck Yeager no filme “Os Eleitos” (1983).
O showrunner Chris Mundy sentiu que Chandler tinha as mesmas qualidades, bem como um humor seco que eles consideravam importante para Jordan.
Aaron Pierre será John Stewart, um novo recruta dos Lanternas Verdes que Jordan está treinando para substituí-lo. Mundy disse que irão adaptar as duas origens do personagem, em que ele era tanto um fuzileiro naval quanto um arquiteto, e sentiu que Pierre poderia retratar ambos os aspectos.
Ele disse que Pierre era um “ator de teatro sério, mas também parece ter sido construído em um laboratório para ser uma estrela de ação”. O diretor James Hawes disse que Pierre tinha “uma presença magnífica. Ele parece tão imponente, tão frio, tão discreto.”
O elenco também conta com Kelly Macdonald como a xerife Kerry, Poorna Jagannathan como Zoe, possível interesse amoroso de John Stewart, Garrett Dillahunt como William Macon, Jason Ritter como Billy Macon, Nicole Ari Parker e Jasmine Cephas Jones como versões adulta e jovem de Bernadette Stewart, mãe de John, Sherman Augustus e J. Alphonse Nicholson como versões de John Stewart Sr., Chris Coy como Waylon Sanders, Ulrich Thomsen como o supervilão Sinestro e Paul Ben-Victor como Antaan, com rumores de que seja Atrocitus, vilão líder da Tropa dos Lanternas Vermelhos.
Outro nome especulado é o de Laura Linney, indicada três vezes ao Oscar e ao Emmy, como possível Carol Ferris, interesse romântico de Hal Jordan que também assume o papel de Safira Estrela nos quadrinhos.
A 1ª temporada de “Lanternas” estreia entre julho e setembro de 2026 na HBO e no catálogo da HBO Max (e daqui à alguns anos na Netflix).
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSLYt_zjBWz/
Cara-de-Barro (Clayface)
Direção: James Watkins
Estúdio: DC Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures
Estreia: 10 de setembro de 2026Fazendo parte do novo Universo DC (DCU) de James Gunn, o terror corporal “Cara-de-Barro” (Clayface) vem mostrar a versatilidade de gêneros do Universo.
Com roteiro inicial foi escrito por Mike Flanagan (A Maldição da Residência Hill, A Maldição da Mansão Bly, Missa da Meia-Noite, A Queda da Casa de Usher, Doutor Sono), com revisões de Hossein Amini (Drive), e dirigido por James Watkins (“Não Fale o Mal”) o filme se baseará tanto no clássico A Mosca (1986), de David Cronenberg, quanto no icônico episódio Feat of Clay (Perito em Formas Humanas) de “Batman: A Série Animada“.
Tom Rhys Harries viverá Matt Hagen, um ator promissor que, após ter o rosto desfigurado por um gângster, se submete a um experimento da cientista Caitlin Bates (interpretada por Naomi Ackie), CEO de uma start-up de biotecnologia. O tratamento, no entanto, o transforma em uma criatura capaz de remodelar o corpo como argila e assumir múltiplas formas humanas. Max Minghella e Eddie Marsan também estão no elenco.
O filme é produzido por James Gunn e Peter Safran da DC Studios, com Matt Reeves (The Batman) e Lynn Harris pela 6th & Idaho. Chantal Nong Vo e Lars P. Winther atuam como produtores executivos.
“Cara-de-Barro” (Clayface) estreia nos cinemas brasileiros em 10 de setembro de 2026, com distribuição da Warner Bros. Pictures, e após sua jornada nos cinemas, o filme chegará no catálogo da HBO Max (e daqui à alguns anos na Netflix).
Seu Amigão da Vizinhança, Homem-Aranha – 2ª temporada
Criação: Jeff Trammell
Estúdio: Marvel Studios (Animation), Disney
Estreia: Segundo semestre de 2026A versão alternativa do Homem-Aranha do MCU retorna para a 2ª temporada, continuando com a premissa “e se a mentoria fosse ao contrário?” — com Norman Osborn como a influência orientadora (e possivelmente corrosiva) de Peter, em vez de Tony Stark.
O criador e showrunner Jeff Trammell permanece como o pilar tonal da série, mantendo-a fiel ao DNA clássico do Homem-Aranha em sua jornada de amadurecimento, enquanto permite que a premissa do multiverso reinvente a mitologia familiar.
Hudson Thames volta a dublar Peter Parker/Homem-Aranha, ao lado de vozes importantes que retornam, incluindo Colman Domingo como Norman Osborn e Charlie Cox como Demolidor. Personagens que também retornam da 1ª temporada incluem Nico Minoru, Harry Osborn, Otto Octavius, Dmitri Smerdyakov/Camaleão e Mac Gargan/Escorpião.
A personagem Gwen Stacy e o seu alter-ego Spider-Gwen, deve finalmente aparecer, mas ainda não se sabe quem a dublará.
A 2ª temporada de “Seu Amigão da Vizinhança, Homem-Aranha” estreia no segundo semestre de 2026 no catálogo do Disney+.
Vought Rising
Criação: Eric Kripke (showrunner: Paul Grellong)
Estúdio: Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, Point Grey Pictures
Estreia: A definirJensen Ackles retorna como Soldier Boy, contracenando com Aya Cash como Stormfront (Tempesta), a heróina nazista em “Vought Rising“, a nova série derivada do Universo “The Boys“, que se passa na década de 1950.
Criada por Eric Kripke, com Paul Grellong atuando como showrunner, a série ambientada na década de 1950, a prequela apresenta um mistério de assassinato intrigante nos primórdios da Vought, acompanhando as primeiras experiências de Soldier Boy e as “manobras diabólicas” da Tempesta enquanto a mitologia da empresa nasce.
O elenco principal da série também inclui Mason Dye, que aparecerá na 5ª temporada da série principal como o herói Bombsight, Elizabeth Posey como a heróina Private Angel, Will Hochman como o herói Torpedo, além de Jorden Myrie, Nicolò Pasetti, Ricky Staffieri, Brian J. Smith e KiKi Layne.
O elenco recorrente inclui Cecily Strong, Mark Pellegrino, Eric Johnson, Annie Shapero, Raphael Sbarge, Romi Shraiter, Aaron Douglas e David Hewlett.
A 1ª temporada de “Vought Rising” estreia em algum momento de 2026, exclusivamente no catálogo da Prime Video.
Batman: Cruzado Encapuzado – 2ª temporada
Criação: Bruce Timm
Estúdio: Warner Bros. Animation, Amazon MGM Studios, Bad Robot Productions, 6th & Idaho, DC Entertainment
Estreia: A definirQuando Bruce Wayne decide que Gotham não vai sucumbir à criminalidade sem lutar, ele veste sua capa e mergulha de cabeça em uma guerra que é tão psicológica quanto física — e é exatamente essa intensidade que a 2ª temporada de “Batman: Cruzado Encapuzado” (Batman: Caped Crusader) promete elevar ao máximo.
A animação, uma das mais intrigantes releituras do mito do Homem-Morcego, foi criada por nomes lendários como Bruce Timm (Batman: A Série Animada), com produção de J.J. Abrams e Matt Reeves, trazendo uma Gotham de espírito noir dos anos 1940.
Na 1ª temporada, vimos um Bruce Wayne em sua cruzada solitária contra o crime, enfrentando gangues e vilões clássicos em uma cidade corroída pela corrupção e pelo medo, um retrato que chamou atenção por misturar estética retrô com narrativa moderna e sombria.
Agora, na 2ª temporada, essa tonalidade ganhará ainda mais profundidade quando o Coringa assume o papel de antagonista principal. James Tucker, co-showrunner da série, revelou que esta nova interpretação do Palhaço do Crime será bastante diferente das vertentes mais conhecidas.
A pré-produção já está em andamento, com roteiros sendo trabalhados e a equipe cumprindo os primeiros passos da produção, o que reforça a dedicação em entregar uma sequência digna do legado que a série instaurou.
A 2ª temporada de “Batman: Cruzado Encapuzado” (Batman: Caped Crusader) estreia em algum momento de 2026, exclusivamente no catálogo da Prime Video.
Aranha-Noir (Spider-Noir)
Criação: Oren Uziel
Estúdio: Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Lord Miller Productions, Pascal Pictures
Estreia: A definirPor anos, a Sony tentou estabelecer um universo live-action de vilões e personagens secundários do “Homem-Aranha”, (“Venom, Morbius, Madame-Teia, Kraven, o Caçador“) apesar de inúmeras tentativas os projetos se mostraram ser um tremendo fracasso, tendo apenas uma trilogia de sucesso.
Mas, de repente, o Homem-Aranha Noir, personagem imortalizado por Nicolas Cage no sucesso de animação “Homem-Aranha no Aranhaverso”, ganhou vida excepcionalmente rápido em 2024.
Desenvolvida por Oren Uziel e Steve Lightfoot, a série “Aranha-Noir (Spider-Noir)” traz Cage de volta ao papel de Noir, mas não interpretando Peter Parker, e sim Ben Riley, um investigador particular azarado que luta contra seu passado como o único super-herói da cidade na Nova York dos anos 1930.
Brendan Gleeson viverá um chefe da máfia de Nova York. Gleeson descreveu o personagem como um filósofo com “uma visão panorâmica” que é igualmente perigoso; Lamorne Morris será como Robbie Robertson, um jornalista trabalhador que busca histórias mais arriscadas para atrair atenção e progredir na carreira. O personagem apareceu na trilogia do Homem-Aranha, de Sam Raimi.
O elenco também inclui Jack Huston, Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Lukas Hass, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, Amanda Schull, Andrew Lewis Caldwell, Amy Aquino, e Andrew Robinson.
A série é produzida pelos produtores do “Aranhaverso”, Phil Lord e Christopher Millerpela Lord Miller Productionse pela Amy Pascal, da Pascal Pictures.
“Aranha-Noir (Spider-Noir)” estreia em algum momento de 2026, exclusivamente no catálogo da Prime Video.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJkn3w7p881/
Criminal
Criação: Ed Brubaker
Estúdio: Amazon MGM Studios, Legendary Television, Beautiful Trash, Car Beans, Big Indie Pictures
Estreia: A definirUma história intergeracional de famílias conectadas por um passado criminal em comum, “Criminal”, adaptação da série de quadrinhos de mesmo nome de Ed Brubaker e Sean Phillips, que será produzida pelo próprio Brubaker ao lado de Jordan Harper (“ The Mentalist ”) para o Prime Video.
Com direção da dupla Anna Boden e Ryan Fleck (“Capitã Marvel”), e do diretor Dee Rees, a série de oito episódios acompanha várias gerações de famílias criminosas e explora os assassinatos que conectam seus passados.
Charlie Hunnam estrelará como Leo, também conhecido como Coward, um gênio do crime que planeja seus trabalhos sem usar armas ou violência, ao contrário de seu pai Tommy, Richard Jenkins interpretará Ivan, um ex-ladrão que agora sofre de demência; ele é o melhor amigo do pai de Leo, Adria Arjona viverá Greta, uma motorista e ladra de carros que não consegue se livrar da vida criminosa mesmo depois de ficar viúva em um trabalho, Kadeem Hardison viverá Gnarly, um ex-boxeador e amigo de Leo e Ivan, Logan Browning como Jenny, uma detetive de Assuntos Internos que foi criada com Leo.
Além deles, Emilia Clarke interpretará Mallory, uma ladra armada em uma equipe e relacionamento com Ricky Lawless (Gus Halper) e Luke Evans como Tracy Lawless, um ex-criminoso forçado a entrar para o exército para evitar a prisão e que eventualmente se junta às Forças Especiais do Exército.
O elenco de apoio inclui Pat Healy, John Hawkes, Taylor Selé, Aliyah Camacho, Michael Mando, Marvin Jones III, Michael Xavier, Dominic Burgess, Garrett Hedlund, Chris Diamantopoulos, Lawrence Kao, Katie Stevens, John Pyper-Ferguson, Robert Lee Hart, Aina Brei’yon, e Kyle Davis.
A 1ª temporada de “Crimanal” estreia em algum momento de 2026, exclusivamente no catálogo da Prime Video.
Look Back (Live-action)
Direção: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Estúdio: K2 Pictures
Estreia: Segundo semestre de 2026 no JapãoAlém de “Sheep in the Box“, o premiado diretor Hirokazu Kore-eda também será o diretor da adaptação live-action do mangá de Tatsuki Fujimoto “Look Back“.
O projeto marca a primeira versão em live-action da história de amadurecimento de Fujimoto sobre duas jovens que perseguem o sonho de se tornarem artistas de mangá e evolui ao longo de anos de crescimento silencioso e perdas.
Kore-eda, cujos créditos incluem o vencedor da Palma de Ouro “Assunto de Família (Shoplifters)“, os filmes da competição de Cannes “Monster“, “Broker” e “Pais e Filhos“, está atualmente em pós-produção do longa-metragem após as filmagens em Nikaho City.
Fujimoto, criador do mangá de sucesso “Chainsaw Man“, que vendeu mais de 34 milhões de cópias em todo o mundo, disse: “Se o diretor Kore-eda for mesmo filmar ‘Look Back‘, não tenho mais nada a dizer. Estou ansioso para ver o filme.”
Publicado originalmente na Shonen Jump+ em 2021, “Look Back” gerou grande repercussão após seu lançamento, registrando mais de 2,5 milhões de visualizações no primeiro dia e vendendo 900.000 cópias no Japão. Desde então, o mangá foi publicado em 37 países e vendeu mais de 750.000 cópias internacionalmente.
A obra ganhou uma adaptação para animação em 2024, dirigida por Oshiyama Kiyotaka e produzida pelo Studio Durian. O filme liderou as bilheterias japonesas por duas semanas consecutivas e arrecadou cerca de US$ 12,8 milhões durante sua exibição nos cinemas.
“Look Back” estreia no segundo semestre de 2026 nos cinemas do Japão. Sem data de lançamento no Brasil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JuFzykd75c
Vingadores: Doutor Destino (Avengers: Doomsday)
Direção: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Estúdio: Marvel Studios, AGBO, Disney
Estreia: 17 de dezembro de 2026“Vingadores: Doutor Destino” (Avengers: Doomsday) será o grande filme evento da Marvel Studios para o final de 2026, reúnindo os diretores Anthony e Joe Russo para sua primeira produção no MCU desde “Vingadores: Ultimato”, de 2019. O roteiro é assinado por Stephen McFeely, veterano da franquia e Michael Waldron, que trabalhou em produções como Loki e Doutor Estranho no Multiverso da Loucura.
O blockbuster serve como o penúltimo capítulo da Saga do Multiverso da Marvel, equilibrando heróis veteranos com novos herós que vimos nos últimos filmes como “Thunderbolts*” e “Quarteto Fantástico: Primeiros Passos“, marcando um importante reencontro com os X-Men da trilogia dos anos 2000.
O elenco de “Doomsday” inclui o retorno de diversos rostos conhecidos do MCU, como Robert Downey Jr., agora interpretando o grande vilão Victor von Doom/Doutor Destino e Chris Evans voltando à interpretar Steve Rogers como foi confirmado no primeiro teaser.
- Benedict Cumberbatch como Stephen Strange/Doutor Estranho
- Chris Hemsworth como Thor
- India Rose Hemsworth como Amor (Love)
- Tom Hiddleston como Deus Loki
- Anthony Mackie como Sam Wilson/Capitão América
- Sebastian Stan como Bucky Barnes/Soldado Invernal
- Danny Ramirez como Joaquín Torres/Falcão
- Letitia Wright como Shuri/Pantera Negra
- Winston Duke como M’Baku
- Tenoch Huerta Mejía como Namor
- Mabel Cadena como Namora
- Alex Livinalli como Attuma
- Simu Liu como Shang-Chi
- Paul Rudd como Scott Lang/Homem-Formiga
- Xochitl Gomez como America Chavez
- Florence Pugh como Yelena Belova
- Lewis Pullman como Robert “Bob” Reynolds/Sentinela
- David Harbour como Alexei Shostakov/Guardião Vermelho
- Wyatt Russell como John Walker/Agente Americano
- Hannah John-Kamen como Ava Starr/Fantasma
- Hayley Atwell como Peggy Carter
A produção também contará com a presença dos X-Men clássicos, incluindo
- Patrick Stewart como Charles Xavier/Professor X
- Ian McKellen como Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto
- James Marsden como Scott Summers/Ciclope
- Rebecca Romijn como Raven Darkhölme/Mística
- Alan Cumming como Kurt Wagner/Noturno
- Kelsey Grammer como Hank McCoy/Fera
Além das presenças de Channing Tatum como Remy LeBeau/Gambit, personagem que foi introduzido em “Deadpool & Wolverine” e o próprio Deadpool, de Ryan Reynolds em uma participação especial.
O Quarteto Fantástico também integrará a narrativa, com Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Sr. Fantástico), Vanessa Kirby (Susan Storm/Mulher Invisível), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/O Coisa), Joseph Quinn (Johnny StormTocha Humana) e Matthew Wood como H.E.R.B.I.E. (voz) . O elenco ainda não está oficialmente completo e outros atores estão sendo especulados à retornarem.
Produzido por Kevin Feige, “este filme serve como o penúltimo capítulo levando suas conscequências diretamente a “Vingadores: Guerras Secretas”, que estreia em dezembro de 2027.
“Vingadores: Doutor Destino” (Avengers: Doomsday) estreia nos cinemas brasileiros em 17 de dezembro de 2026, com distribuição da Disney, e após sua jornada nos cinemas, o filme chegará no catálogo da Disney+.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAy7K91ZRgY
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