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robertreich · 2 months

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Who’s to Blame for Out-Of-Control Corporate Power?

One man is especially to blame for why corporate power is out of control. And I knew him! He was my professor, then my boss. His name… Robert Bork.

Robert Bork was a notorious conservative who believed the only legitimate purpose of antitrust — that is, anti-monopoly — law is to lower prices for consumers, no matter how big corporations get. His philosophy came to dominate the federal courts and conservative economics.

I met him in 1971, when I took his antitrust class at Yale Law School. He was a large, imposing man, with a red beard and a perpetual scowl. He seemed impatient and bored with me and my classmates, who included Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham, as we challenged him repeatedly on his antitrust views.

We argued with Bork that ever-expanding corporations had too much power. Not only could they undercut rivals with lower prices and suppress wages, but they were using their spoils to influence our politics with campaign contributions. Wasn’t this cause for greater antitrust enforcement?

He had a retort for everything. Undercutting rival businesses with lower prices was a good thing because consumers like lower prices. Suppressing wages didn’t matter because employees are always free to find better jobs. He argued that courts could not possibly measure political power, so why should that matter?

Even in my mid-20s, I knew this was hogwash.

But Bork’s ideology began to spread. A few years after I took his class, he wrote a book called The Antitrust Paradox summarizing his ideas. The book heavily influenced Ronald Reagan and later helped form a basic tenet of Reaganomics — the bogus theory that says government should get out of the way and allow corporations to do as they please, including growing as big and powerful as they want.

Despite our law school sparring, Bork later gave me a job in the Department of Justice when he was solicitor general for Gerald Ford. Even though we didn’t agree on much, I enjoyed his wry sense of humor. I respected his intellect. Hell, I even came to like him.

Once President Reagan appointed Bork as an appeals court judge, his rulings further dismantled antitrust. And while his later Supreme Court nomination failed, his influence over the courts continued to grow.

Bork’s legacy is the enormous corporate power we see today, whether it’s Ticketmaster and Live Nation consolidating control over live performances, Kroger and Albertsons dominating the grocery market, or Amazon, Google, and Meta taking over the tech world.

It’s not just these high-profile companies either: in most industries, a handful of companies now control more of their markets than they did twenty years ago.

This corporate concentration costs the typical American household an estimated extra $5,000 per year. Companies have been able to jack up prices without losing customers to competitors because there is often no meaningful competition.

And huge corporations also have the power to suppress wages because workers have fewer employers from whom to get better jobs.

And how can we forget the massive flow of money these corporate giants are funneling into politics, rigging our democracy in their favor?

But the tide is beginning to turn under the Biden Administration. The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission are fighting the monopolization of America in court, and proposing new merger guidelines to protect consumers, workers, and society.

It’s the implementation of the view that I and my law school classmates argued for back in the 1970s — one that sees corporate concentration as a problem that outweighs any theoretical benefits Bork claimed might exist.

Robert Bork would likely regard the Biden administration’s antitrust efforts with the same disdain he had for my arguments in his class all those years ago. But instead of a few outspoken law students, Bork’s philosophy is now being challenged by the full force of the federal government.

The public is waking up to the outsized power corporations wield over our economy and democracy. It’s about time.

#youtube #corporations #power #Robert Bork #economy #history #video #videos

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0alanasworld0 · 1 year

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Newbie (Pedri x reader)

Vague idea of request: “the reader joins FC barcelona and the rest of the team eventually warms up to her except Pedri. He’s a complete asshole to her: picking her apart during training, blanking her during matches etc etc etc. She obviously doesn’t know what's going on but just decides to deal with it. Maybe things go too far at one point and it just brings a lot of feelings bubbling to the surface”

Warnings: unwanted touching, mild violence, minor injuries

You’ve managed the impossible to say the least. You’ve spent your whole life playing football but you imagined a very different route for yourself before this moment. You thought that you would spend a gap year making some money for a rainy day and join your university’s football team while you got your degree, funny how things turn out huh? Because somehow, as you were beginning your first year of uni, well-rested from that gap year, things take a turn. Being called up by the talent representatives of FC Barcelona was nowhere near what you were expecting from the year. You think it's bogus until you see that the official accounts are now following you on your social media. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime and you just can’t find it in yourself to say no. Joining the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele is too good of a chance to pass up. So you accept. Your parents were sceptical to say the least: its a physically and mentally draining career and there are a lot of untrustworthy people within the ever-changing landscape of the sport. However, they understood that the vast majority of people may not even have received a call about these things, especially after a year out of the sport and as a woman.

When the media heard rumours of the news, football pundits laughed at the ludicrous idea. Some called out the fact that “wokeism” is destroying football, whatever that means. Most just write it off as a silly rumour. However when FC Barcelona themselves made the announcement, war broke out online. Supporters were embarrassed and rivals were laughing. People rushed to question your ability but some faceless saviours on twitter managed to get their hands on some of your highlights. Obviously they went viral, as had anything with your name on it for the past week. It hurt that people were being so vile to you but you also realised that almost every player receives a barrage of attacks for any mistake they make on the field. However you wished they’d give you a chance. You made all of your social media private in order to prevent your phone from blowing up with all kinds of threats and insults. But those highlights, people could not deny from those videos that you had something special. As did the other girls in the team. A couple of you were called up actually but none of you knew that at the time and they’d all declined, anticipating the reaction and preferring different things in their lives. Unfortunately, that left you as the last woman standing.

Those videos show you to be formidable in defence. You have a quick reaction time as well as excellent spatial awareness that allows you to deliver tackles that almost always end up in one of your teammates being able to repossess the ball (and fairly, much to your opponents dismay). You’ve got killer legs that allow you to kick the ball as far as you need, even setting a Gothia cup record with 60 metres. You’re a good sport even in victory; you make it your priority to congratulate the opposition for how they played and comfort your teammates in defeat. Some of your funniest moments include your (lack of) celebration upon scoring a goal. Your teammates are going wild around you as you smile and go back into position, waiting to continue the game. It pains a lot of people to say but you’re good. And you’re just what Barcelona needs. Any team would be lucky to have you but it's Barcelona that are brave enough to make such a controversial move. Cheap, young talent that will strengthen the defence and prevent another underwhelming score against a third league time from marring their status as a club.

You do not receive the warmest welcome from the team upon your arrival. The boys are awkward and Xavi is apologetic for their unfavourable reaction. He at least hoped you would go out for food with them since you arrived around 10 minutes before lunch. He frowns when he sees you on your own in the cafeteria but is relieved to see the girls sit with you instead. He’ll see this transfer through but hopes you would be willing to join the women’s team if the men don't try to behave… well like men.

The older members at least made an effort to include you during your first training sessions. You even got some compliments on your accuracy from the man himself: Robert Lewandowski. It's a shame that the moment was dampened by the eyes you could feel drilling into your skull. Gavi couldn’t care less, he had to focus on himself but the others were less than impressed. But, as you spent more time around each other, Xavi now grouping you guys himself (rather than trusting the boys to be mature enough to choose), they one-by-one become used to your existence. You dare not jinx it but you think that they actually like you on the team. You bring a much needed level of strength to the defence and reliable sport for the midfield. You’re kind in your critiques, taking as long they need for you to explain a certain trick or tactic. Their egos aren’t too bruised since you ask them a fair amount of questions as well, always willing to hear feedback for your work.

It’s all going swimmingly. All except one person. You and Pedri have had to partner up a few times and all of your attempts at conversation were met with eyerolls, snarky comments under his breath and a call for you to focus on the task at hand. Whenever you ask him for help, he sighs heavily in annoyance as he “explains” things to you as quickly as possible. Rolling his eyes and muttering under his breath when you ask for clarification. In any normal situation you would try your very best to get down to the bottom of it but your on-field chemistry during practice matches is actually rather promising. You dare not risk jeopardising that with a confrontation. so, you swallow your sadness and deal with his hissy fits.

Your first ever match with the team was actually a largely wonderful experience. With the highlights making their rounds as well as some training videos, people have largely warmed up to you, the fans have to. When you make your way to a position, you look at the crowd to see a group of teen girls and give them a wave. It warms your heart when they all wave back excitedly, big smiles on their faces as they make hearts with their hands and chant your name. It sends goosebumps down your arms and a chill down your spine. Finally, you gain some solid rapport with your team as the match goes perfectly and you prove that your highlights aren’t simply lucky moments. You’re good and they need you. You manage to make a tense run up and score from outside of the box despite the swarm of opposition making their way towards you. You do as per the faint yell by Lewandowski to just try. You look around at the crowd to see shocked faces all celebrating the moment. Maybe you weren’t such a bad transfer after all. You smile widely as your teammates pat you on the back, Gavi lifting you up and spinning you around before you all return to your starting positions. And not long after, you score another except this time, you managed an extremely tight angle from a corner kick. No one is sure how you did it but they’re all celebrating, nonetheless. You won’t tell them that it was a miscalculated curl that you intended for Dembele to finish. It's a big sigh of relief when the final whistle blows. It's over: 3-0. You’ve managed to get your name on the scoresheet in your debut match. The team pulls you into the centre of the celebration and throws you in the air and you hear the vague sound of your name being chanted by a jubilant, roaring crowd. As you reenter the bunkers, you’re given your MOTM award and smile brightly as you take a photo with it. You even manage to get a picture with the opposition’s goalkeeper who commends your ability at such a young age. It's a huge compliment that has your face flushing bright red as you’ve been a massive fan of his for such a long time.

Once you leave your locker room, you see Pedri waiting outside and he doesn’t look overjoyed, to say the least.

“Yeah, less of the hot-shot risk-taking next time. This isn’t about you, alright? we’re all here for a reason. It’s not that hard to just stay in position. that dumbassery could have cost us a goal.” he scoffs, walking away before you can even get a word in. Well the magical moment is over now. You don't want to let it get to you but it dampens your mood enough to want to take an early night. You’re caught by Gavi, whom you’ve actually grown quite close to.

“Hey! Where are you going, we have to celebrate this! I’m not even sure if Lewy could have managed a goal like that!” He’s jumping up and down which does bring a smile back to your face. Still, as he’s pulling you to the exit where the taxis wait, you decide to tell him.

“Pablito, I just don't feel great. I should probably take an early night so I’m ready for tomorrow.” He raises an eyebrow incredulously. It was a resounding victory, that means you guys get a 2 day rest break. Your eyes widen as you realise the hole in your story.

“Yeah no, we’re partying tonight. Meet us in the lobby at 6. You try to interject but he gives you those puppy dog eyes that you can’t say no to.

“Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaase? I know we got off on the wrong foot but we all really do appreciate what you bring to the team. We all feel really bad just please come along? It's your first ever match win and you’re kind of the reason it happened.” You relent, realising that Pedri’s mood swings shouldn't get in the way of your big moment with the team.

You crack a smile and he raises his fist in triumph with a little cheer. As he walks away, he turns back around, pointing to you with a ‘stern’ look on his face.

“Don't be late!”

You find that bodycon dress of your that you love. It’s a beautiful baby blue satin piece with spaghetti sleeves, reaching your lower thigh. You decide to throw your hair into a high ponytail and wear a pair of simple black heels, not having time to go any further because you’ve promised Gavi that you wouldn’t be late and you've procrastinated all but an hour of your time away.

You rush quickly to the elevator and wait to reach the ground floor. Clutching your purse tightly as you excitedly wait to see everyone. Some of the guys are already waiting with their plus ones and Gavi is among them.

“Look at you going all fancy!” he jokes, poking at your arm. It's your first night out with the team so no one has actually seen you outside of your athletic wear and hoodies.

“It would have looked a lot better if SOMEONE didn’t rush me.” you shake your head and roll your eyes playfully.

“Please, you had the whole afternoon to get ready and besides. You look gorgeous, I bet Pedri’s gonna be impressed!” he wiggles his eyebrows as you wack him on the shoulder, eyebrows furrowing as you wonder what could have possessed him to say that. Fashionably on time, you see Pedri exit the elevator and walk over to the group. He looks good with his arms exposed in the tank top and a pair of dark jeans. You think you see him look you up and down and Gavi seems to have seen the same as he nudges your shoulder. You wack him again as you wait for the rest of the group to show up.

The team’s popularity comes in handy as you’re all allowed into the club after the bouncer gets a photo with the group.

The music is blaring and the lights are flashing as everyone dances to the beat. Spending some time joking and dancing around with the girls, a few drinks in all of you. You’re so glad you came as you watch everyone stumble over each other clumsily. It's a right laugh and you’re glad you can spend some time bonding with the team. Pedri’s little diva strop is now left in the far back of your mind.

You return to the bar to get your head straight. It’s a fun time but you’re still not exactly used to this kind of environment and you need a moment to gather yourself before you return to the dancefloor. But as you’re slowly drinking your water, you're met with some unwanted attention.

A guy, very obviously wasted, stumbles up to you and grabs your waist. You flinch in shock, trying to remove his hand but he only comes closer, leaning onto you. Your hands are digging into his, trying to create a space but he doesn’t relent.

“C’mon baby, just one night. Let's have some fun, eh?” your nose wrinkles as you smell the alcohol in his breath.

“No thanks.” He’s not bothered to listen as he continues grabbing at you while you try to slap away his hands.

“Seriously, fuck off.” You respond angrily and this only spurs him to try and drag you away from the party all together. His grip is bruising your forearm and you yelp in pain and fear.

Thankfully someone stops things before they go further.

“Did you not hear her the first time?” Pedri asks sternly, towering over the creepy man. Wait… Pedri? You’re confused but grateful nonetheless as he gently ushers you to stand behind him.

“Hey man, she was mine first. I just want a good ti-” You hear something crack as Pedri punches the guy straight in the nose. He falls over and Pedri follows suit, delivering blow after blow to his face as a small crowd forms. Laura comes over to comfort you as you shake and Lewy and Gavi hauls him off the guy.

Pedri is asked to leave the club and the rest of the group ends up dispersing but you follow Pedri, tapping his shoulder gently. He turns around with an unusual soft look in his eyes.

“Look, thank you for doing that out there. I’m sorry it got us kicked out.” you look down, feeling bad for ruining the night. He reaches for your hand, rubbing circles into it.

“Hey, don’t think for a second that it was your fault. That creep had no right to be touching you like that, he deserved every punch and I dont regret being the one to give it to him. Not one bit.” He uses his other hand to hold your chin, gently bringing you to meet his gaze.

“The night is still young.”

“And your hand is still bruised. C’mon, you need some ice for that.” Lifting up his hand to examine, the various shades of purple and green were already forming. There also appear to be some cuts on his hand which makes your heart sink in concern. He smiles softly at the attention you’re giving him.

“It’ll be fine, I’ll do that once we get back to the hotel. C’mon let's get some ice cream.” He pinches your cheek lightly, your face twitches to a small smile as you nod softly at the idea. He keeps your hand in his as he takes you there. A blush makes its way onto your face as you realise.

Before you know it, you’ve arrived at the cute little parlour by the beach. It's still open despite the night falling onto the city. You both sit together at one of the booths, he opts to sit next to you rather than opposite, his thigh grazing yours. He takes your hand in his again.

“You’re okay, right?” he looks concerned again as he notices the light bruising on your wrist.

You nod enthusiastically, a smile making its way onto your face as you kiss his bruised knuckles in an attempt to reassure him. He blushes at that, you’re absolutely adorable. He isn’t quite sure how he managed to hold off for so long or why he did it in such a stupid way and he’s kicking himself for it.

You both order your flavours and you lay your head on his shoulder as you wait. The ice cream arrives soon after but you remain in place.

“Seriously, Pedri. I can’t thank you enough for today. I know we’re not the best of friends but I really appreciate you sticking up for me.” he leans his head onto yours.

“No one deserves to be treated that way. I was just doing what any decent guy would do.”

“I mean, I don't think I deserve to be nitpicked for making some dribbling errors in my first few months of training either but you know…” You let out a forced chuckle, lifting your head off his shoulder and opting to look down again, playing with your hands. You are genuinely baffled by the sudden change in dynamic.

His heart sinks at that, realising that he definitely took his means of distancing too far to the point where he was hurting you.

“I’m sorry, it was a stupid way of keeping myself distanced from you. I know that definitely isn’t enough to make up for the past few months but I promise, I’ll keep trying. I like you, alright? Like, a lot: you're an amazing person and player. We’re all so lucky to have you here.” He’s the one looking down now but you’re just glad you can put all the tension behind you. So, you move to give him a tight hug. Now that shocks him, you had every right to blow up at him, yell, call him names for adding to an already stressful situation. He wraps his arms around you hesitantly and you look at each other.

He really does have beautiful eyes. Flecks of hazel scattered in pools of honey. He’s just as mesmerised, everything about you is divine and his heart aches whenever he thinks about how he treated you.

You both can’t help but lean in for a kiss. His lips are soft against yours and he can taste the watermelon lip balm you applied. Everything about you is addictive, His hand cups your face gently and your arms wrap around his neck. It was the type of kiss that just took your breath away and gave it right back. His forehead is still touching yours and his warm hand remains on your face.

“Let’s go home, it's getting late.”

“Your room or mine?"

didn't put an end thing on this one for some reason but yay! my first ever Pedri fic!!! tysm for the wonderful reception and for the request xxx

#pedri gonzalez #pedri #pedri x reader #pedri imagine #footballer fic #footballer imagine

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shakespearenews · 27 days

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“Falstaff is a professional criminal,” says the director, 37. “He’s not a sort of jolly, velvet-clad Santa figure. The very consistent picture you’re given of Falstaff is somebody who, when he was a bit younger, would have been really quite frightening. And the problem is he is now fat and old. So what is the retirement plan? How do you deal with the fact that you can no longer dominate physically and the younger lions are snapping at your heels?”

---

“It occurred to me that Henry IV’s only been on the throne for four or five years,” says Icke. “And this situation was never the plan. It’s not like Hal is Prince Harry. It’s not like he was born into [the royal] family.” Instead, we should understand that Hal has long had this gang of friends. “You’re watching a group of people who sort of knew where they were and who he was. Then suddenly his dad’s the king. And nobody’s quite worked out how to assimilate that, including him. There’s something in the whole pattern of the play about people caught between the past and the future, trying to maintain a status quo which is not maintainable . . . That’s what I see as being the DNA structure of the story.”

#shakespeare #william shakespeare #player kings #henry iv #rober icke #ian mckellen #falstaff #theater #theatre

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skylarisaverage · 8 months

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i just finished Red Dead Revolver

I really liked it!

It greatly disheartens me that a lot of Red Dead fans don't really know a whole lot about Red Harlow and his story, and a few don't even want to give him the time of day at all. Sure, people come across him mentioned in RDR 1 and 2, but never really look further.

I get it if you don't want to play the game. It is hard, and VERY different to what we're used to in Redemption. Playing this game has reminded me time and time again that most modern video games tend to baby us quite a lot.

But anyway yes even if the game isn't your thing PLEASE pop onto the Red Dead wiki and give it a looksie, read up on the story of the game!

Revolver was originally a Capcom game and intended to have some supernatural elements and you can tell Rockstar kept a lot of those elements after they picked up the game.

There's so many cool bosses, a lot of the character's designs and concepts are so insanely cool(Mr. Kelley I'm lookin' at you, the drip is INSANE) and ultimately I am a SUCKER for the story.

I love how you get to play different characters to connect the dots on some plot points and such as well, you even get to play a stage as one of the main antagonists!!

My personal favourite stage is one where you have to take out a bounty, a gothic fella with a coffin on his back that has a gatling gun inside. You fight him in a cemetery. When being told about the bounty the sheriff says something to the effect of "I don't even know if this guy is alive or not.", implying he's an undead creature.

Anyway, Red Dead Revolver is an ESSENTIAL piece of Red Dead history. Robert T Bogue did an awesome job as Red and needs more recognition for it.

Red Harlow walked so that John Marston and Arthur Morgan could run!!!

Also I am a SUCKER for Annie Stoakes, that is all <3

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption #rdr #john marston #arthur morgan #rdr1 #red harlow #red dead revolver #red dead 2 #skylarisaverageposting #annie stoakes #jack swift

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sharpchinsimp · 11 months

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I can't believe I watched a soap opera with Robert Bogue in 240p to make a..

Steve Haines NSFW sounds compilation

#steve haines

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therogerclarkfanclub · 4 months

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Streamily will be having a mega RDR2 reunion on February 10, 2024!

I don't think I need to explain this. Most of you know how Streamily works.

Head over to Streamily and make your reservations today! Prints have run out before, especially with Roger, so don't wait for the last minute!

Even Noshir will be getting in on the action too! That's right y'all, Charles Smith himself will be having his own signing session!

Correction: I'm told Noshir has done one before, and this is not his first rodeo.

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silvyysthings · 1 year

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In one of the podcasts, James mentioned a well known Hollywood actor privately reached out in support of his article. There's some speculation going on on who may that actor be: Robert Downey Jr or Johny Depp or Leo DiCaprio. But I think this guy is our Timmy boy

Think about it: he told the TIME magazine that all surrounding this scandal deserved a "longer, thought out conversation" (which got him targeted by the psycho) being the only Armie neutral statement that let out that there was more in this that just bogus accusations. Then we also have that he lived with Armie and Lizardbeth for 5/6 months while working on Beautiful Boy, and lbr lizard cannot keep her "extraordinary mom and amazing wife" façade for long if we go by testimonies of those living in the Caymans, he probably saw what was truly going on between the two and it wouldn't surprise me if he got called to testify on lizard's or Armie's behalf during the psycho-legal eval.

And the last one (and it is one that pains me bc it makes it impossible for him to publicly support Armie) is that even though he's an A lister, he still Isn't that estsblished yet, and his fanbase in composed in a 97% of "progressive/feminist" women (like that Zoë chick that made fun of Armie's csa and attempted su1cide, ClubChalamet and Monika "I got cut out of the docu" Krasnorada amongst others) that would destroy his career completely if he were to say something slightly Armie positive. All his career would go down the drain, and he can't have that. So it's silent support and communicating this support through 3rd parties (such as Jamie) in a way that doesn't 100% point at his direction.

Unless Timmy and Armie work together on another film again (cmbyn 2 or whatever) we are not going to see public support from Timmy, bc his career is more important to him right now that defending a friend/brother-in-arms/soulmate. Is sad and dissapointing, but is what it is for now.

Anon you can't know how much I ' m loving you in this moment....fucking yes to all you said.

So tired for all the people and the anons writing to me that Timmy has to spoke for Armie. HE CAN'T! SIMPLY AND EASY , not that he doesn't want it but he can't!!! and Armie sure doesn't want that for him .

It' s not that difficult to comprehend this....

" all his career would go down the drain and he can't have that"

I' m virtually kissing you anon 😘

#timothée chalamet #armie hammer #anon ask

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justforbooks · 11 months

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Daniel Ellsberg, who has died aged 92, was the most important whistleblower of our times. His 1971 leaking of what became known as the Pentagon Papers showed conclusively that virtually everything the American public had been told by its leaders about the Vietnam war, from its origins to its current conduct, was false.

The leak itself did not end the war, and Ellsberg regretted not having come forward years earlier. He spent the rest of his life as a peace activist, encouraging others on the inside to reveal government malfeasance, and supporting those who did, including the 2003 GCHQ whistleblower Katharine Gun. But his leaks did result in a landmark decision in favour of freedom of the press, and, ironically, led to the downfall of the US president Richard Nixon. It is not unreasonable to set Ellsberg’s leak alongside President John F Kennedy’s assassination as the ground zero of today’s distrust of politics.

Before working on the Pentagon Papers, officially a study titled A History of Decision-Making in Vietnam 1945-68 commissioned from the Rand Corporation research organisation by the secretary of defense Robert McNamara, Ellsberg had spent two years at the US embassy in Saigon, advising on General Edward Lansdale’s “pacification” programme. As he sifted through the material gathered for the report, including evaluations which deemed the war unwinnable, he realised the enormity of the political fraud.

He began copying the documents, with the help of a former Rand colleague Anthony Russo, and in 1971, as the US extended the war with bombings of Laos and Cambodia, resolved to make them public. The chair of the senate foreign relations committee, William Fulbright, turned him down, as did the Washington Post’s editor Ben Bradlee and owner Katharine Graham; Graham was close to the secretary of state Henry Kissinger, who had known Ellsberg at Harvard; he advised her Ellsberg was “unbalanced and emotionally unstable”. Matthew Rhys played Ellsberg in the 2017 film The Post which loosely covers those events.

Neil Sheehan of the New York Times was a reporter Ellsberg admired in Vietnam; Sheehan convinced the Times to take the papers, the first instalment of which revealed that the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the casus belli which launched full-scale US participation in the conflict, had been bogus.

The Nixon administration obtained an injunction prohibiting further publication; the supreme court’s overturning of that injunction, dismissing the idea of “prior restraint”, remains a cornerstone of US journalistic freedom. But leakers themselves were not protected. Ellsberg was hidden by anti-war activists while Mike Gravel, the US senator from Alaska, entered most of the leaked papers into the congressional record, and the Post played catch-up.

Meanwhile Nixon, furious at the leaks, created the so-called “plumbers” covert special investigation unit, to discover if Ellsberg had further material that might affect him directly, and to discredit him. When the plumbers’ bungled break-in at the Watergate offices revealed an earlier burglary of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office, the ensuing chain of scandal and cover-up eventually forced Nixon’s resignation to avoid impeachment.

Ellsberg grew up the very definition of a true believer in America. Both his father, Harry, a structural engineer, and mother, Adele (nee Charsky), were the children of Russian Jewish immigrants, but had converted to Christian Science. When Daniel, born in Chicago, was six, his father found work in Detroit, building Ford’s massive Willow Run factory.

Daniel won a scholarship to the elite Cranbrook school in the Detroit suburbs; a talented pianist, he practised for four to six hours a day to fulfil his mother’s dream. But in 1946, rushing to Denver for a family gathering, his father fell asleep while driving and rammed into a bridge. His mother and younger sister, Gloria, both died; Daniel recovered from his severe injuries, but ceased playing the piano.

He won a scholarship to Harvard, where he studied economics, edited the college paper, and finished third in his class. Upon graduation he married a Radcliffe student, Carol Cummings, whose father was a colonel in the Marine Corps, and took up a Wilson fellowship for a year’s study at King’s College, Cambridge. In 1954, accepted as a Harvard junior fellow to pursue his doctorate, he instead joined the Marines, becoming a rare first lieutenant given command of a full company.

He returned to Harvard in 1957. His dissertation, Risk, Ambiguity and Decision, contained what is now known as the Ellsberg paradox, which delineated how the preference for well-defined probabilities, over the uncertainty of ambiguity, influences decision-making, especially as it reinforces preconceived ideas. It became an important part of game theory, and Ellsberg went to work for Rand on the Department of Defense’s Command and Control research, much of which was devoted to spit-balling Fail Safe/Dr Strangelove scenarios, as detailed in his 2017 book The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner.

In 1964 he went to the Department of Defense, as special assistant for international security to McNamara’s number two, John McNaughton, before moving to the State Department and Vietnam. In 1967 he rejoined Rand to work on McNamara’s project, but was increasingly tormented by Kissinger and Nixon’s Vietnam policy; they believed that if the US opened relations with China and entered into a detente with Russia, those countries would pressure North Vietnam to come to the table while the US bombed incessantly.

Ellsberg began joining anti-war campaigners, including the poet Gary Snyder, and was inspired by Randy Kehler, a draft-resister who spoke of welcoming imprisonment for his belief. Ellsberg left Washington for MIT’s Centre for International Studies a year before leaking the papers. His first marriage had ended in divorce; in 1970 he married Patricia Marx, a peace activist.

In June 1971, he surrendered himself to the US attorney in Boston; asked on the courthouse steps how he felt about going to prison, Ellsberg replied: “Wouldn’t you go to prison to end this war?” He became the first civilian charged with violating the 1917 Espionage Act, and faced a maximum sentence of 115 years. The District Court judge William Byrne ruled irrelevant his public-interest defence, that the documents were “illegally classified”, and so it has been for every whistleblower since. But Byrne eventually dismissed the case because of government malfeasance, including the plumbers’ break-ins, as well as Nixon’s wiretapping of Kissinger’s aide Morton Halperin, and John Ehrlichman’s offering Byrne the directorship of the FBI.

In 1974, Ellsberg’s moving interviews were a major part of the Oscar-winning Vietnam documentary Hearts and Minds. In 1978 he was awarded the Gandhi prize by Promoting Enduring Peace. In the next 40 years he was arrested around 50 times at anti-war protests. He likened the weapons of mass destruction excuse for invading Iraq in 2003 to the Gulf of Tonkin affair, and over the years supported leakers who revealed government deceptions, including Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning and Reality Winner, who was sentenced to five years in prison for leaking a single page from an in-house National Security Agency magazine showing the NSA had concluded Russia interfered in US elections, while the government was maintaining they had not.

He recognised a practical corollary to the Ellsberg paradox: the more secrets you are able to access, the less able you become to act sensibly with them. In 2021, Ellsberg released government memos from 1958, showing that the joint chiefs of staff had prepared a nuclear first-strike against Chinese bases on Quemoy and Matsu during the Taiwan Strait crisis, with a full nuclear attack planned on China should they respond. His point was that little had changed since the Pentagon Papers.

Ellsberg was played by James Spader in the 2003 film The Pentagon Papers, and was the subject of a 2009 documentary, The Most Dangerous Man in America. His memoir, Secrets, appeared in 2003 and in 2021 Risk Ambiguity and Decision was updated as a book, once again challenging the concept of rational decision.

Ellsberg is survived by his wife and their son, Michael, and his son, Robert, and daughter, Mary, from his first marriage.

Daniel Ellsberg, military analyst and political activist, born 7 April 1931; died 16 June 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

#JUST FOR BOOKS #Daniel Ellsberg #The Pentagon Papers #Vietnam war

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mariacallous · 6 months

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Following a mass shooting at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, yesterday evening that left at least 18 people dead, state police urgently warned residents to “stay inside your home with the doors locked” as they mounted a manhunt for the suspect.

Misinformation about the suspect flooded social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok moments after the shooting. On X, verified accounts pushed out bogus claims that the threat had been neutralized and a suspect had been arrested. Police have since identified 40-year-old Robert Card as a “person of interest” in the shooting. While Card remains at large as of 10 am ET this morning, posts featured videos of the supposed arrest that have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

A prolific verified X account with almost 300,000 followers was among the first to post the claim that the suspect had been arrested, and while the account subsequently posted an update stating that the suspect was still at large, the original post—which has been seen over 170,000 times—remains active.

The top result for the search term “Robert Card arrested” on X was a post featuring the same video that has been viewed over 1.9 million times, even though it had a Community Note attached making it clear the claims in the post were false.

The same video circulating on X was also being shared on TikTok, where one post had been viewed 80,000 times by this morning.

Another of the main false narratives circulating in the hours after Card was identified was that he had been arrested in 2016 for possessing and disseminating sexually explicit materials. This was also inaccurate: It refers to a different person named Robert Card, who is also 40 years old and from Maine.

Some accounts labeled Card “a far-left lunatic” based on the unverified claim that he voted for former US president Barack Obama. Others wildly tried to link the incident to the current crisis in the Middle East, claiming, without evidence, that Card “was a Hamas supporter.”

While misinformation about the mass shooting proliferated across social media, the problem was acute on X, where owner Elon Musk has incentivized people to post engaging and viral content even if it’s not accurate. As a result, users rushed to be the first to post updates about the shooting despite being blatantly false.

“It’s as if everyone thinks disinformation is a problem, but not for them personally—only for other people,” Caroline Orr, a behavioral scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland who tracks disinformation online, wrote on X, adding: “When 20+ people are murdered in a mass shooting, and the reaction of most people on this website is: ‘How can I use this to push a political agenda?’ or ‘How can I use this to attack XYZ person?’ … that reflects something far more disturbing.”

X, Meta, and TikTok did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

At 3 am ET this morning, Lewiston Police Department confirmed on its Facebook page that Card, a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army from Bowdoin, Maine, was still on the run. The department said Card “should be considered armed and dangerous” and that members of the public should not approach him.

Law enforcement believes the shooter killed at least 16 people and 13 more at around 7 pm yesterday at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley and the nearby Schemengees Bar and Grille. Officials said the death toll is expected to rise, with one local city councilor telling CNN that it could be as high as 22.

The incident was the nation’s worst mass shooting this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Card, whose own X profile was filled with conspiracy theories about trans mass shooters and pro-MAGA content, had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks earlier this year after he reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco, Maine,” according to a police bulletin circulated by law enforcement and reported by AP.

Notably, Card also liked two posts, one from Donald Trump Jr. and another by far-right personality Dinesh D'Souza, about their opposition to gun control.

The rapid unchecked spread of misinformation last night and into this morning mirrored the response earlier this month when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7. In the hours and days following the attack and the bombing of Gaza by the Israeli government, X was overrun by disinformation shared by verified users, who rehashed old footage, video game content, and photoshopped images to push partisan narratives.

Updated at 10:55 am ET, October 26, 2023, to include the latest casualty and wounded figures provided by Maine governor Janet Mills during a press conference this morning.

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tomorrowusa · 4 months

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There is an enormous amount of competition for PolitiFact's 2023 Lie of the Year award. But the decision has been made and the dubious honor goes to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

As pundits and politicos spar over whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign will factor into the outcome of the 2024 election, one thing is clear: Kennedy’s political following is built on a movement that seeks to legitimize conspiracy theories. His claims decrying vaccines have roiled scientists and medical experts and stoked anger over whether his work harms children. He has made suggestions about the cause of COVID-19 that he acknowledges sound racist and antisemitic. Bolstered by his famous name and family’s legacy, his campaign of conspiracy theories has gained an electoral and financial foothold. He is running as an independent — having abandoned his pursuit of the Democratic Party nomination — and raised more than $15 million. A political action committee pledged to spend between $10 million and $15 million to get his name on the ballot in 10 states. Even though he spent the past two decades as a prominent leader of the anti-vaccine movement, Kennedy rejects a blanket "anti-vax" label that he told Fox News in July makes him "look crazy, like a conspiracy theorist." But Kennedy draws bogus conclusions from scientific work. He employs "circumstantial evidence" as if it is proof. In TV, podcast and political appearances for his campaign in 2023, Kennedy steadfastly maintained:

Vaccines cause autism.

No childhood vaccines "have ever been tested in a safety study pre-licensing."

There is "tremendous circumstantial evidence" that psychiatric drugs cause mass shootings, and the National Institutes of Health refuses to research the link out of deference to pharmaceutical companies.

Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine were discredited as COVID-19 treatments so COVID-19 vaccines could be granted emergency use authorization, a win for Big Pharma.

Exposure to the pesticide atrazine contributes to gender dysphoria in children.

COVID-19 is "targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese."

His off the scale and totally unsupported conspiracy theories are not confined to autism, vaccines, immunity, and COVID-19.

For Kennedy, the conspiracies aren’t limited to public health. He claims "members of the CIA" were involved in the assassination of his uncle, John F. Kennedy. He doesn’t "believe that (Sirhan) Sirhan’s bullets ever hit my father," Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, D-N.Y. He insists the 2004 presidential election was stolen from Democratic candidate John Kerry. News organizations, including PolitiFact, have documented why those claims, and many others, are false, speculative or conspiracy-minded. Kennedy has sat for numerous interviews and dismissed the critics, not with the grievance and bluster of former President Donald Trump, but with a calm demeanor. He amplifies the alleged plot and repeats dubious scientific evidence and historical detail. Will his approach translate to votes? According to polls since November of a three-way matchup between President Joe Biden, Trump and Kennedy, Kennedy pulled 16% to 22% of respondents. Kennedy’s movement exemplifies the resonance of conspiratorial views. Misinformers with organized efforts are rewarded with money and loyalty. But that doesn’t make the claims true. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign based on false theories is PolitiFact’s 2023 Lie of the Year.

A Reminder: RFK Jr. has been politically disowned by other members of the Kennedy extended family. They do not support his bizarre conspiracy theories and other rantings. He is trying to capitalize on his family name even though he is a disgrace to the heritage of his uncles and father.

Nobody should vote for him thinking that he will bring back Camelot. RFK Jr. is basically an organic Trump without the makeup.

#politifact #rfk jr.#robert f. kennedy jr.#lies #liar of the year #conspiracy theories #autism #vaccines #covid-19 #atrazine #mass shootings #third parties #election 2024

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