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Liberal Studies – California State University, Dominguez Hills

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Liberal Studies, COE 1412

Preparing well-rounded future elementary school teachers.

An interdisciplinary program, Liberal Studies at CSUDH provides a broad-based, well-rounded education for students aspiring to become elementary and special education school teachers. The Liberal Studies degree from CSUDH provides an excellent entry into our Teacher Education and Special Education Programs so students can earn preliminary teaching credentials that are required by California public schools.

The Liberal Studies curriculum covers a broad spectrum of liberal arts and sciences to give future teachers a solid foundation of knowledge and ideas to use in diverse Multiple Subject classrooms.

CSUDH's Liberal Studies Program is designed to prepare future elementary school teachers for the challenges and rewards of teaching in our communities' highly diverse urban public schools.

Students pursue concentrated studies in an approved Option within the Liberal Studies Program. This allows them to add more specialized knowledge in a particular area to their well-rounded liberal education.

Students emerge from the Liberal Studies Program well prepared to pass the CSET (California Subject Examinations for Teachers) in order to enter Teacher Education or Special Education Programs and complete preliminary teaching credentials in order to teach in California public schools.

To learn more about this program, including how to apply, please contact the Liberal Studies Office at (310) 243-3832 or email lbs@csudh.edu.

James H. Gilliam, Jr. College of Liberal Arts

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

College of Liberal Arts COVID-19 Update

As a response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) the Office of the Dean, College of Liberal Arts will be operating remotely from an off-campus location. Our on-campus offices will remain closed until further notice. You may still contact our offices by calling 443.885.3090 during business hours or by emailing CLA@morgan.edu. Our faculty and staff remain committed to student success.

The James H. Gilliam, Jr. College of Liberal Arts has a two-fold mission. Through its general education offerings, the College provides the foundation for all student learning at the University by assisting in the development of students' critical and analytical skills, foundational oral and written skills in both English and other world languages, and awareness of the global forces that have shaped, and continue to shape, the modern world. In its major programs, the College aspires to provide high-quality, student-focused teaching and research opportunities in communication and media studies, the humanities, the fine and performing arts and the social sciences. The College's programs should both instill in its majors an appreciation for liberal learning and prepare students for the professions and/or for advanced academic study.

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James H. Gilliam, Jr. College of Liberal Arts

Liberal Party of Canada – Marcus Powlowski | Team Trudeau

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Marcus is a Physician in the Emergency Room at Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre. In addition to being a medical doctor, he has two law degrees- LL.B, LL.M from the universities of Toronto and Georgetown, respectively.

He also attended Harvard University and obtained a Masters of Public Health in Health Law and Policy.

Born in Fort William 59 years ago, Marcus has deep roots in Thunder Bay. His grandmother (Baba) ran Annies Confectionary on East Brock Street for over 60 years. His grandfather Michael at one time repaired shoes on Simpson St and later became a lineman on the CPR. His parents Peter and Elizabeth owned and operated Strawberry Hill Workshop in Kaministiquia.

Marcus worked as a doctor for two years in northern First Nations communities, and for seven years practicing medicine in several developing countries in Africa and Oceania.

For several years, he worked as a consultant in health legislation for the World Health Organization. More recently Marcus has worked, periodically, as a lecturer at Lakehead University (Faculties of Law, Medicine, and Arts and Science) and the University of San Francisco. He continues to do volunteer work on a medical project in Ethiopia. He is married with five children.

Marcus believes that his breadth of education and life experience allows him a unique perspective on the issues most important to the people of Thunder BayRainy River.

Marcus will pursue effectiveness in health care, climate action, efficiency in government, job creation/ poverty alleviation schemes with an added focus on Indigenous communities, and the betterment of all people.

When not practicing medicine, Marcus enjoys watching a hockey game (especially when his kids are playing!).

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Liberal Party of Canada - Marcus Powlowski | Team Trudeau

The Whole of Liberal Democracy Is in Grave Danger at This Moment – The New York Times

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Or consider a 2019 paper, False Equivalence: Are Liberals and Conservatives in the United States Equally Biased? by Jonathan Baron and John Jost, professors of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and N.Y.U., who write, Nowadays we read that liberals are every bit as authoritarian as conservatives; as rigid and simple-minded; as intolerant; as prejudiced.

The authors found it

ironic and more than a little bewildering that social psychologists are drifting into this relativistic view of morality and politics just as authoritarian conservatism (and illiberal hostility to democratic norms) seem to be reaching new heights of popularity and brazenness not only in Trumps America but also in Erdogans Turkey, Orbans Hungary, and Netanyahus Israel.

Baron and Jost also cite studies suggesting that those on the right are more susceptible to authoritarian appeals:

Conservatives score higher than liberals on measures of personal needs for order and structure, cognitive closure, intolerance of ambiguity, cognitive or perceptual rigidity, and dogmatism.

Liberals, they write, perform better than conservatives on objective tests of cognitive ability and intelligence while conservatives score higher than liberals on measures of self-deception and are more likely than liberals to spread fake news, political misinformation, and conspiracy theories throughout their online social networks.

In a 2018 paper, Baron argues for the necessity of flexible thinking in a democracy:

In order for a democracy to function well (both for its own citizens and outsiders), its citizens need to endorse three (somewhat synergistic) social norms, which I called cosmopolitanism, anti-moralism, and actively open-minded thinking.

In making his case, Baron cites John Stuart Mills essay On Liberty, specifically this famous passage:

The whole strength and value, then, of human judgment, depending on the one property, that it can be set right when it is wrong, reliance can be placed on it only when the means of setting it right are kept constantly at hand. In the case of any person whose judgment is really deserving of confidence, how has it become so? Because he has kept his mind open to criticism of his opinions and conduct. Because it has been his practice to listen to all that could be said against him; to profit by as much of it as was just, and expound to himself, and upon occasion to others, the fallacy of what was fallacious.

It may be, however, that the very complexity of thought and resolve proposed by Baron and Mill would be resisted, and indeed resented, by many on the right.

In a February 2019 paper, Liberals lecture, conservatives communicate: Analyzing complexity and ideology in 381,609 political speeches, four political scientists, Martijn Schoonvelde, Anna Brosius, Gijs Schumacher and Bert N. Bakker, argue that speakers from culturally liberal parties use more complex language than speakers from culturally conservative parties and that this variance in linguistic complexity is

rooted in personality differences among conservative and liberal politicians. The former prefer short, unambiguous statements, and the latter prefer longer compound sentences, expressing multiple points of view.

The authors cite studies suggesting that this linguistic divide is persistent: The Readability and Simplicity of Donald Trumps Language, published in The Political Studies Review and

Research on linguistic habits of American and British politicians shows that conservative politicians make less complex statements than liberal politicians.

One study showed that

the speeches of liberal US presidents score higher on integrative complexity than those of conservatives, as measured by the presence of words involved in differentiation (exclusive words, tentative words, negations) as well as integration of different perspectives (conjunctions).

Another found that

conservative political bloggers use less complex language than their liberal counterparts and conservative citizens use language that scores lower on integrative complexity than liberal citizens.

Separate studies of the language used by presidents both The Readability and Simplicity of Donald Trumps Language, and an analysis of the language used by the last 15 presidents on the blog Factbase concluded that President Trump speaks at the lowest level of all those studied, as measured on the on the Flesch-Kincaid index. As Factbase put it:

By any metric to measure vocabulary, using more than a half dozen tests with different methodologies, Donald Trump has the most basic, most simplistically constructed, least diverse vocabulary of any president in the last 90 years.

Some scholars argue that a focus on ideological conflict masks the most salient divisions in the era of Donald Trump: authoritarians versus non-authoritarians.

Karen Stenner, the author of The Authoritarian Dynamic, emailed me on this point to say that

Its really critical to help people understand the difference between conservatives and authoritarians. Conservatives are by nature opposed to change and novelty, whereas authoritarians are averse to diversity and complexity. Its a subtle but absolutely critical distinction.

What were facing, she continued,

is an authoritarian revolution not a conservative revolution, the term is inherently contradictory which in the U.S. has been creeping up since the 1960s.

Authoritarianism, Stenner continued, is

clearly distinct from what I call laissez faire conservatism. In fact, in cross-national research I consistently find that these two dimensions are actually negatively related. If anything, authoritarians tend to be wary of free markets and more supportive of government intervention and redistribution, perhaps even schemes of equalization and progressive taxation.

For Stenner, the overriding objective of the authoritarian is always to enhance oneness and sameness; to minimize the diversity of people, beliefs and behaviors.

In a 2009 paper, Conservatism, Context-Dependence, and Cognitive Incapacity, Stenner wrote:

Authoritarianism is a functional disposition concerned with maximizing oneness and sameness especially in conditions where the things that make us one and the same common authority, and shared values appear to be under threat.

Threat, she continued, sets in motion an authoritarian dynamic that activates

latent predispositions to authoritarianism and increases their expression in manifest intolerance. That is to say, intolerance is a function of the interaction of authoritarian predisposition with conditions of normative threat.

In her email, Stenner argued that non-authoritarian conservatives, opposed to change, dedicated to upholding laws, and to the defense of legitimate political and social institutions that underpin societal stability and security are a crucial pillar of democratic governance.

In the real world, she continued, it is the authoritarians who are the revolutionaries.

Because of this authoritarian revolution, here and abroad, Stenner contends that

the whole of liberal democracy is in grave danger at this moment. But the fault lies with authoritarians on both the right and the left, and the solution is in the hands of non-authoritarians on both sides.

Stenner makes the case that the authoritarian revolution began in the 1960s: Once the principle of equal treatment under the law was instituted and entrenched by means of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, traditional conservatism fidelity to the laws of the land and defense of legitimate institutions took a back seat to authoritarianism as a factor driving expressions of racial, moral and political intolerance.

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The Whole of Liberal Democracy Is in Grave Danger at This Moment - The New York Times

Tom Ragle: The future of liberal learning and the demise of Marlboro College – Brattleboro Reformer

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

By Tom Ragle

So the other shoe has fallen: as expected, the Vermont Attorney General has approved the merger of Marlboro College with Emerson College in Boston, and the sale of its campus to Democracy Builders Fund Inc. The Marlboro we knew is gone forever. We are all in some form of mourning. Emerson is an honest institution, and I wish the best for the Institute there, but while our academic program may be largely reproducible in an urban setting, the rural setting close to nature plus the sense of community with the town meeting form of self-government, all of which helped define us, are not.

Perhaps the merger had to be, but I am still not convinced. After all, when the college was first accredited in 1965 (on its first attempt rare), it had 29 faculty members, 16 staff members, 140 students (all headcount, not full-time equivalent, all close to the student enrollment in recent years), and if I remember correctly, virtually no endowment (well under $1 million).

I yield that conditions have changed radically since the period after the war when there was a surplus of students because of the backlog followed by the baby boom after the war. But I am still not convinced a merger was necessary. Of course, I also yield that both fees and expenses have increased exponentially since that time, government regulations have proliferated, the college now has a plant and staffing for 250-300 students, not 150, and there are fewer students in the college-going cohort because college age demographics are changing. Most significant, liberal education is devalued and vocational education put in its place to the point that I understand how much graduates earn five years after graduating has become a factor.

It seems to many of us, nevertheless, that with between a $30 and $35 million endowment (it once approached $45 million) and with radical re-imagining, a college of approximately 150 students true to Marlboro's founding principles should be financially viable today on Potash Hill. Was there ever a real attempt to figure out what kind of a liberal arts college true to Marlboro's principles could be reconfigured with 150 students and an endowment of that size? As we look back, the procedure appears faulty and communication inadequate.

"As 'tis, 'tis," however. It is time to turn from the past, which we can no longer affect, and turn to the future, which we can. I am still in deep mourning and will be for the rest of my life, for did I not spend over half my working years at Marlboro? Marlboro is in my blood, as it is for many of you, to the extent my wife keeps pointing out to me that when I refer to the college I still, after 39 years away, unconsciously refer to it as "we." Mourning is inevitable and important.

My great concern at the moment, however, is not the past, not the painful loss of Marlboro, but the future, the future of liberal learning in our nation. It will probably survive in the leading independent universities such as the Ivies, Chicago, Stanford, and even the public Berkeley, but what about the loss of many of the best small residential liberal arts colleges which traditionally have fed the best graduate schools? What about the loss of the wide variety of liberal arts colleges? Of small colleges, will only the vocational ones remain? Will that lead to an exaggerated class distinction based on money and privilege?

The status of the nation today reveals that our educational system as a whole has failed. Look at our malfunctioning government in Washington, our response to the pandemic, our racial strife. A liberal education had its source in ancient Athens, where it was the education for the free man as opposed to the slave. What does that mean in the 21st century, where in the United States, "man" now means all people and where slavery is illegal? A liberal education teaches us to think, think for ourselves, so important in an age which is faced not only with material threats such as nuclear stockpiles, global warming, and COVID-19, but cultural ones.

Lectures and distance learning can transmit facts and some procedures, but only small classes and seminars with intense dialogue "I disagree," "Did you also consider?" "What about ..." teach us to think. At a time when the world is becoming more multi-racial, more multi-cultural; at a time when centrifugal forces are trumping centripetal forces; at a time when we are experiencing a cultural change in the West of tectonic proportions (after 1700 years a Western culture based on Christian values is being replaced by a secular culture based on materialism just as paganism was replaced by Christianity in the 4th century CE); we need to come together thoughtfully. Our leaders of all kinds need what a liberal education can give them: more than a vocational, more than even a theoretical, education. Ask institutions from business corporations to government agencies to non-profits what they are looking for in leadership positions and they will say people who are articulate, can think for themselves, and can interact with many different kinds of people. The institutions themselves can provide the practical training necessary for what they do. What prepares their leaders is liberal learning such as Marlboro provided. We must see that liberal learning survives.

Tom Ragle is president emeritus of Marlboro College, having worked there from 1958 to 1981. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer.

Scheer says Liberal MPs signalling they’re OK with ‘corruption’ if they don’t demand Trudeau’s resignation – CBC.ca

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said todayLiberal MPs should push for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation as he faces his third ethics investigation this time for his handling of the multi-million dollar WE Charity student grants contract.

Scheer said thatif Liberal backbenchers don't call for Trudeau's departure now, they'll becomplicit in his alleged "corruption."

"If they allow him to continue, if they don't demand that he resign, then they are telling Canadians that they are comfortable with his corruption," Scheer told reporters during a press conference on Parliament Hill.

"Each and every one of them has a choice to make," he said of Liberal MPs.

Scheer said the Liberal backbench should be demanding thatTrudeau explain why he approved such a large contract (a "contribution agreement," according to the public service)with a charity that had been paying his family members.

"Either the Liberals were aware of these issues and still approved the decision, or they were incompetent," he said.

"It's either corruption or incompetence. Which is it?"

Trudeau has apologized for not recusing himself from cabinet talks about the WE Charity deal after it was revealed his mother and brother received some $300,000 in speaking fees from the group.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau alsohas saidhe made a mistake by participating in those talks when his daughter works for the charity in its travel department.

Parliament returned today to debate new pandemicrelief legislation. Trudeau was not in attendance.

According to his official itinerary, Trudeau took a"personal" day.

"He chose the date in which the House of Commons would reconvene and he's not showing up for work today," Scheer said.

The opposition leader called for aspecialemergency debate on the WE scandal but Speaker Anthony Rota said the topic didn't meet the bar for such a request.

Under the Commons rules, an emergency debate is only allowable if the Speaker finds the matter relates to a "genuine emergency."

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freelandfielded questions from the oppositionon Trudeau's behalf in question period.

"Asdeputy prime minister,part of my job is to be accountable to this chamber when the prime minister is not here," she said.

Pressed on the WE contract, Freeland said it was the non-partisan public service that recommended WE as program administratorbecause the charity has the nationwide reach to pair students with volunteeropportunities. Sheconceded the program'srollouthas been problematic.

Watch:Scheer questions Freeland about WE Charity and failed student grants program:

Rachel Wernick, a senior bureaucratwith Employment and Social Development Canada, said last week she recommended WE for the job after one of its co-founders, Craig Kielburger, presented her with a grants plan the day the PM announced a substantial aid package for out-of-work students.

"Obviously, the way this unfolded was regrettable, and that is why the charity is no longer administering the project," Freeland said.

Asked if Trudeau would appear before the finance committee to testify about his role in this affair, Freeland said "we are cooperating as we ought to."

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the $912-million summer grants initiative wasn't really a program to help students but rather a lifelinefor a charity facing a dip in donations because of the pandemic.

"There were lots of ways to help students. This was not it,"Singh said.

"What was it? Itwas a billion-dollar bailout of close friends of the Liberal Party and of the prime minister."

Conservative MP Michael Barrett saidthe program which could have been worth as much as $43.5 million in administrative fees for the WE Charity was about Trudeau "rewarding his friends, punishing his enemies and always letting Canadians down."

Kevin Lamoureux, the Liberal deputy House leader, said the opposition was engaging in "character assassination." Freeland said the program was always about protectingthe current cohort of college and university students from becoming a "lost generation."

Watch: Singh says summer student grants program was a 'billion-dollar bailout'

Scheer's comments about "corruption" came after Liberal MPs filibustered the House of Commons ethics committee meeting last Friday with 30-minute long monologues on various topics their personal resumes, democracy, ancient Greece, French political theory and the virtues of the University of Sherbrooke, among others that pushed the committee meeting's duration well past its scheduled end time.

Liberal MP Greg Fergus then moved to adjourn the committee before there could be a vote on an ethics probe.

Scheer said he hopestheMPs behind the filibuster are punished by their constituents at the ballot box during the next federal election. He said their behaviour was "shameful."

"We're going to appeal to Canadians to put pressure on Liberal MPs to do the right thing," Scheer said.

During a members' statement in the Commons, Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant called Trudeau the "most corrupt prime minister in the history of Canada."

"Three strikes and you're out. That's what my constituents are saying," Gallant said, referring topast reports from the ethics commissioner that found Trudeau had contravened the ethics code onceby vacationing on the Aga Khan's private island and onceagain during the SNC-Lavalin scandal.

The Commonsis todaydebatinga new piece of government legislation, C-20. If adopted, the billwill make changes to the federal wage subsidy program and send one-time payments to disabled Canadians.

The legislation has the support of the Bloc Qubcois but Scheer said he's concerned that the Liberals'tweaks to the wage subsidy have made the program too "complex."

Scheer says Liberal MPs signalling they're OK with 'corruption' if they don't demand Trudeau's resignation - CBC.ca

I disagree with Liberals, so I guess I must be a racist – Wyoming Tribune

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

I can't understand why everyone is so afraid of being called a racist. That's all we hear in the news: He's a racist, she's a racist, everyone is a racist.

The Liberal definition of a racist is anyone who disagrees with them. Well, I certainly disagree with them, so I guess that makes me a racist.

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I disagree with Liberals, so I guess I must be a racist - Wyoming Tribune

Junior Fellowship in the SUSTech Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts job with Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) | 278050 -…

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

The Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts at SouthernUniversity of Science and Technology (SUSTech) invites applicationsfor Junior Fellowships in the social sciences and humanities. Thesepostdoctoral fellowships aim at fostering the academic careers ofscholars who have recently received their Ph.D. degrees byproviding a competitive package and membership in aninterdisciplinary scholarly community.

About the Society and Junior Fellowships

The Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts at SUSTech isdedicated to stimulating innovative interdisciplinary research inthe humanities and social sciences, offering opportunities forscholars of the highest caliber to develop their professionalcareers.

The Society will select a cohort of up to nine Junior Fellowsfor the class of 2020. Those selected will be offered a two-yearpostdoctoral appointment beginning in September 2020. Fellowshipsare awarded to recent Ph.D. recipients in the humanities and socialsciences who have demonstrated intellectual excellence and thepotential for outstanding academic achievement.

Junior Fellows are expected to devote their time to productivescholarship, focusing on publishing their dissertation research,undertaking new research in accordance with their proposed project,and engaging in other original work that will further theiracademic careers. The Society aims to foster teaching excellence inthe humanities and social sciences, and the fellowships carry withthem a teaching responsibility of four 2-credit courses over thetwo-year period, one course per term.

Junior Fellows are required to be in residence during the falland spring academic terms, and to attend all of the Societysactivities. They are also encouraged to regularly participate inevents (such as seminars, workshops, and lectures) organized by theSchool of Humanities and Social Sciences, and other departments andprograms at the University. Junior Fellows are appointed for twoyears, and no extensions are granted.

Eligibility

The Junior Fellowship competition is open to recent Ph.D.recipients from all areas of specialization in the humanities andsocial sciences; candidates must have received their doctoraldegree no later than June 30, 2020 but no earlier than December 1,2016. They should demonstrate outstanding original scholarship anda strong capacity for independent work, and preferably haveacquired solid teaching experience.

Both English and Chinese are commonly used by all of theacademic programs and in most events at SUSTech. Courses at bothundergraduate and graduate levels are taught in either English orChinese. The Society encourages applications from non-Chinesecitizens and scholars who conduct their teaching and research inEnglish. Satisfactory knowledge of Chinese is preferable but notrequired.

All qualified applicants will receive equal considerationwithout regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, gender identity,nationality, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits and Resources

Junior Fellows receive an annual stipend totaling 300,000(approximately US $42,630) plus additional research and housingallowances (up to 100,000). The Society will also provide Fellowswith office space, as well as access to library resources andlaboratory facilities at SUSTech, health insurance and otherbenefits.

Application Procedure

Applicants should provide the following materials:

a curriculum vitae

a personal statement (of 1000 2000 words) outlining yourdissertation or other major research projects, professional goals,and any other information relevant to your candidacy

a dissertation abstract

a writing sample (one chapter of the dissertation, or onepublished article related to your dissertation or most recentresearch project)

a research plan (no longer than 1000 words) for the two-yearfellowship period at SUSTech

three letters of recommendation, to be sent directly by thereferees to SUSTech via email (fellows@sustech.edu.cn)

All materials above should be sent by email tofellows@sustech.edu.cn.

For more information about Society of Fellows in the LiberalArts at SUSTech, please visit:https://ias.sustc.edu.cn/institution/english-nkdryxh/?lang=zh

About SUSTech

Southern University of Science and Technology is a publicuniversity located in Shenzhen, China, a vibrant mega-city andhigh-tech center adjacent to Hong Kong, with a population of over10 million people. The university is rapidly developing into atop-tier international university that excels in conductinginterdisciplinary research, nurturing innovative talents, anddelivering new knowledge to the world. For more information pleasevisithttps://www.sustech.edu.cn/en/.

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Junior Fellowship in the SUSTech Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts job with Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) | 278050 -...

It’s the economy, stupid – The Jakarta Post – Jakarta Post

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

For the educated middle class, more often than not democracy means freedom of speech and freedom from government oppression. After all, it was members of this middle class who were responsible for kick-starting a democratic transition.

But for the majority of people, democracy is but a means to achieve a greater purpose, with economic prosperity being one of the primary objectives. For the majority of the working class, the basic question is whether or not a deliberative mode of governance can create more equitable wealth for a greater number of people.

Even in places where democracy has long matured and essentially become the only game in town, a decline in economic growth, which in the long run could adversely impact standards of living, has now led to the working class electing populist leaders politicians who they think have a quick fix to their economic woes.

In places where democratic traditions have deep roots, some of these populist leaders are beginning to take measures akin to those preferred by dictators and their banana republics.

For young democracies like Indonesia, the loss of faith in democracy could bring disastrous consequences.

There are just too many people here who dont think democracy is a good idea, although people from outside deem democracy is needed and can work in this plural nation.

Even when the economy is relatively stable and steady economic growth brings jobs and improves the quality of lives for millions as seen in the past 20 years in Indonesia under democratic governance many have continued to long for the stability and prosperity of Soeharto's 32-year-long New Order regime.

Look carefully and one can find graffiti or posters with the stenciled face of a smiling general Soeharto, next to the question:Enak jamanku tho? (It was better during my time, right?).

These people, who are pining for the good old days, are certainly disappointed that now a multiparty democratic system has worked against their interests. There are now too many centers of power and the presence of too many holders of veto power has made it difficult for the crafting of quick and effective policies that could solve bread-and-butter problems for the majority of people.

The fragmented nature of Indonesias political party system has also compromised the government's ability to make decisions during emergency situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. Fearing a political backlash from the House of Representatives, which is controlled by too many political factions, many key decision makers in the government are reluctant to make decisions over the disbursement of COVID-19 funds.

It is no wonder then that in May this year, at the height of the pandemic, only 49.5 percent of those surveyed by Indikator Politik Indonesia said they were satisfied with how democracy works in this country.

The question now is whether we, the people, and politicians still have the conviction to carry on with this democratic experiment. We should not take no for an answer.

Originally posted here:

It's the economy, stupid - The Jakarta Post - Jakarta Post

‘We are all equal’ – The Recorder

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Published: 7/27/2020 8:23:46 AM

On the front page of The Greenfield Recorder we read about the mistreatment of people because of the color of their skin. I have to remind you that people arent just judged by the color of their skin, but also because of where they come from. The Jews are harassed also. That one I dont understand because Jesus was born Jewish. I know, the majority of pictures of Jesus you see are white, but he was born in Bethlehem to a Jewish woman.

Years ago the Irish were treated just as badly when they came to America. Why? Because of where they came from.

This country was formed to offer safety for any nationality who came here looking for freedom from oppression. So, who decided we should go against the laws of our land and look down on people? The Blacks, in the beginning, didnt come here by their own free will. They were stolen from their own country and sold into slavery.

Women have been brought here and either sold into slavery as housekeepers or for sexual satisfaction for men. At one time women could be accused of being witches and killed by town government.

When God created the world he did not do it to promote one nationality over another. I believe he did it for variety. Can you imagine looking down from above and seeing only one color? I believe variety is the reason for all the nationalities on this earth. We are all created equally. No matter our color, our nationality, our gender, our status, our religion we are all equal. NO ONE has the right to look down on anyone else. So, kindly knock it off. NO ONE is better than anyone else.

Gods blessings.

Darlene Clark

Greenfield

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'We are all equal' - The Recorder

Hong Kong Protesters Are Still Fighting the Good Fight – National Review

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Supporters raise blank white paper to avoid slogans banned under the national security law as they support an arrested anti-law protester outside Eastern court in Hong Kong, China, July 3, 2020.(Tyrone Siu/Reuters)Theyve switched up their tactics to outsmart their oppressors, whose tyranny is clearer by the day.

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLEIt has been almost a month since the Chinese Communist Party enacted its invasive security law better called the oppression law. If there had been any doubt before the laws taking effect that its purpose was not to protect the people of Hong Kong from instability but rather to subject an innocent populace to Beijings despotism, there can be none now even to the most optimistic onlooker.

After the oppression bill became law for Hong Kongers, a chilling effect spread throughout the commercial hub: Pro-democracy activists quieted down, faced with the once-unthinkable reality of being arrested for standing peacefully in public places and voicing their desire for freedom. Shopkeepers were compelled to remove customers protest artwork and pro-democracy sticky notes from their shops lest the government punish them for endorsing the democracy camps message. Protesters deleted their social-media accounts, as speech that had been legal just days previously was now a potential crime against the government. Members of the press in Hong Kong began to feel as though they could not write freely and objectively without punitive consequences; the New York Times, over the next year, will relocate a third of its staff to Seoul.

These many fears are warranted: The oppression law outright bans any activity that the Chinese government arbitrarily deems subversive, secessionist, or terrorist, as well as what it deems collusion with foreign forces. Indeed, on the anniversary of Hong Kongs return to its status as a Chinese territory a day that would normally be marked by mass demonstrations only a few thousand brave souls took to the streets. Police wielding pepper spray and water cannons nevertheless promptly forced the small crowd to disperse. Almost 400 protesters were arrested, including a 15-year-old girl who was simply waving an independence flag. It is perhaps only a matter of time before the authorities start handing out life-imprisonment sentences for their political enemies such harsh punishments are permitted under the oppression law or even worse.

But if there is any silver lining to Hong Kongs terrifying condition, it is the resilience with which Hong Kongs democracy activists have met the restrictions of the CCP. Like true Darwinian specimens adapting to adverse conditions, Hong Kongs protesters have switched up their tactics, bending the measures of the oppression law without breaking them. Since colorful posters with pro-democracy slogans have become synonymous with subversion a big red target for authorities on the prowl activists have begun to display crafty signs that appear, when seen from afar, to convey pro-democracy messages, but that, on closer inspection, are nothing but squiggles and odd shapes. At least a few activists have already stumped police with such signs, evading arrest. Others have begun to hold up blank white signs, or to put up blank white sticky notes in their shops.

Perhaps such tactics, once they, too, have become synonymous with democracy, will likewise be banned by the CCP and its proxy government officials in Hong Kong. But if so, the activists will have won a significant moral victory: They will have shown to the world that the Chinese Communists under President Xi Jinping are so desperate for power that they are literally willing to ban people from displaying blank white pieces of paper.

The protesters symbolic measures are far from their only strong response to the oppression law. On July 10, authorities sent a sinister message to voters by raiding an independent polling station on the eve of an unofficial primary vote for the citys pro-democracy camp. The raid came only hours after the same station released a survey finding that 61 percent of Hong Kongers view their city as no longer being free. But over 600,000 voters showed up the next day to vote anyway, resoundingly nominating pro-democracy and pro-demonstration candidates. These voters were emboldened by the courage of the most visible activists, whose sustained efforts yielded one of the biggest victories to date for the pro-democracy camp.

Of course, as with many autocratic regimes, voters could find their choices invalidated in the general elections. In that case, though, the CCP, which normally prefers to operate in secrecy, would have its despotism unmasked for all to see.

Standing up for their beliefs against a superpower with no respect for individual rights and little regard for the essential preciousness of human lives, Hong Kongs protesters are an example of bravery, creativity, and resourcefulness in the face of adversity. For Americans long accustomed to having our freedoms safeguarded by our centuries-old Constitution this is a bracing reminder of whats at stake in the fight for liberty. Whatever actions the allies of freedom are willing or able to muster against Communist China, advocates for Hong Kongs autonomy should hope that the activists continue to resist to the point that Beijing finds the unrest so damaging to its global image that it decides that dominating Hong Kong is not worth the cost.

If you think there should be a corner of our journalistic and intellectual life that defends right reason and is an alternative to the unhinged mainstream media, and if you have been alarmed at the sound of the American mind slamming shut at so many institutions recently, please lend National Review your support.SUPPORT NR TODAY

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Hong Kong Protesters Are Still Fighting the Good Fight - National Review

This is what happens when the war on terror is turned inward, on America – The Guardian

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

A strange and necessary ingredient of Americas descent towards fascism is that it will have little impact on the majority of people. As militarized federal agents are deployed into major cities to snatch protesters and charge them with harsh federal crimes for daring to deface the ruling partys monuments, most Americans will continue living their normal lives with no discernible changes, at least for the time being. People wake up and eat breakfast and spend their days doing mundane tasks in fascist countries, too.

If there was ever a tipping point, we are past it. Trying to stare hard at the daily news to determine the exact point at which we slip into fascism is like staring at a baby to see when it turns into an adult. By the time you perceive it, its already happened. It is important to understand that the crackdown phase that we are now in the unaccountable government forces, the riot police, the teargas, the targeted political prosecutions that will come next are not something new, but something old. This isnt about Donald Trump. This is about America, baby. This is what we do.

Trying to determine when we slip into fascism is like staring at a baby to see when it turns into an adult. Once you perceive it, its already happened

Trump, a fool ruled by impulse rather than strategy, did not build the fearsome machine of government oppression that is now being aimed at his political opponents. This machine was systematically assembled and lovingly tended to by generations of presidents before him Democratic, Republican, Whig. Trump is only broadening its aperture. All of these tools have been sharpened on the bones of Native Americans and Black people and immigrants and Muslims overseas. America has always needed someone to oppress. Mostly so that we could steal their stuff, but also so that the rest of us didnt turn against one another. This country has managed to avoid a class war by giving poor white people an array of minorities to abuse, a trick that has benefited rich white people for centuries. We have used injustice not just as a way to get ahead, but as a release valve. Our leaders have long calculated that it is safer to subjugate and mistreat a minority of the population than to risk dissatisfaction in the majority. In doing so, the government has become very adept at creating enemies and wielding power against them in flagrant shows of force.

These are trivial observations, basic facts that will only be disputed by those who are destined to land on the side of fascism anyhow. The question is what they mean for our present moment, which is distinguished not by the existence of government oppression but by its direction. We are finding out what happens when the war on terror is turned inward on ourselves. In addition to the federal agents already in Portland, more are coming to Chicago, Albuquerque, and Kansas City; that may well be just the beginning of a national rollout. Protecting federal property and maintaining law and order are twin fig leaves wafting in a cloud of teargas. The Department of Homeland Security has effectively become a White House-controlled paramilitary and domestic surveillance service unaccountable to anyone except Trump and his loyalists. (If were being honest, this moment has been inevitable since DHS was panic-created in the days after the September 11 attacks. If there is any more fascist word than homeland, I havent heard it.)

The basic logic behind gun control is that if there are a bunch of guns lying around, sooner or later someone will get shot. The same holds true for the security state. If you build it, it will eventually come for you. Cloaked in the banality of federal bureaucracy, we have tolerated the creation of a terrifying set of powers that now rest in the small hands of a man who has been waiting his entire life to take revenge on each and every enemy who has slighted him. Barack Obama sat in the White House for eight years and did nothing to dismantle this bureaucracy of soldier-cops. He was too busy using it in foreign drone wars. Its too seductive to have that power, when you are the one who controls it. Now a worse president has it, and it will be turned, at last, against a bigger chunk of us than ever before.

The trick now is convincing that tranquil majority that their interests are more aligned with the protesters than with the cops in fatigues

Every new outrage is a test of what we will tolerate. If the government can roll out troops to a large swath of major cities and shoot the eyes out of protesters with rubber bullets all under the guise of stopping some kids from spray-painting some courthouse, it is a fairly good indicator that the spirit of the broader American public will not rouse itself to stand in the way of fascisms tightening grip. In a nation this big, you can make 100 million people official Enemies of the State and still leave a comfortable majority blissfully unaffected. The trick now is convincing that tranquil, all-American majority that their interests are actually more aligned with the protesters wielding spray-paint outside the courthouse than with the militarized cops in fatigues.

That shouldnt be an impossible task. When there is actual justice being done inside the courthouses, the protesters and the storm troopers will both disappear.

Excerpt from:

This is what happens when the war on terror is turned inward, on America - The Guardian

Four arrested at NAACP event Saturday in Alamance County – Burlington Times News

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

GRAHAM Four people, including Alamance NAACP President Barrett Brown, were arrested Saturday morning at an NAACP speakers meeting.

Brown and Noah Read, who has been active in the NAACP and is a member of the county Board of Elections, were arrested along with NAACP members Amie "Trina" Harrison and the Rev. Walter Allison, according to police records. They were charged with misdemeanor resisting a public officer and impeding traffic, and released on written promises to appear in court, according to jail records.

The four were standing inside barricades around the Confederate monument in Court Square. They were there as part of Alamance NAACPs Call to Action speaker meeting Saturday morning at Sesquicentennial Park, across the street.

A series of speakers talked about removal of the monument, police reform and voting, while attendees held signs calling for equity. Brown was on the speakers list circulated before the event.

Ian Baltutis, mayor of Burlington, read from the open letter signed by a number of Alamance County government, business, education and healthcare leaders advocating removal of the monument.

"While this artifact is undeniably part of our history, for many in our community, it represents an ideology incompatible with equality," Baltutis read.

The letter originally had 50 signatures, but Baltutis said more than 300 people have signed it now.

Next, Mebane City Council member Sean Ewing spoke about removing the monument from his perspective as a veteran.

He said how being in the military required him to trust those serving with him and created a sense of unity. He called for that same unity now and for people to stand together and remove the monument. He emphasized that the NAACPs position is against violence, and that the call is for peaceful removal of the monument.

The arrests

During Ewings speech, arrests began of those standing next to the monument on the other side of the street, and the crowd shouted support for them.

Brown said later that he was the first to cross over to the monument. It wasnt planned, but he did it after seeing the flag at half staff for Congressman John Lewis, who died recently and was a leader during the Civil Rights Movement.

"It just struck me that it was so disrespectful to have this flag lowered at half staff for John Lewis right behind a monument memorializing the Confederacy and the Confederate creation and intentions to preserve slavery," Brown told the Times-News.

Brown said he was standing there peacefully, holding a sign to protest the monument. He was asked to move, but said he had a right to be there.

Brown said he was given multiple reasons for why he couldnt stand there, including that the courthouse was closed, and that he was obstructing traffic, although he was inside the barriers in front of the monument and on the curb.

The Sheriffs Office could not be reached for comment about why the protesters were not allowed to stand in front of the monument.

Deputies put Brown in a van to take him to the county jail, but Brown said as soon as they left, the deputies received a call to turn around and pick up more people. He was shocked, he said, that other people had followed him to that side of the street and also had been arrested.

Brown, Read and Allison all rode together, singing "We Shall Overcome" on the way to the jail, Brown said.

Read sent a statement to the Times-News calling for the removal of the Confederate monument and reiterating that it is a monument to an "exploitative power structure" in government and other institutions.

"There is no greater symbol of mans inhumanity to humankind in this county, and the elected leaders of this county and their supporters have allowed it to remain for decades at the most conspicuous spot in our shared civic landscape," he wrote. "The wisdom of its removal should be unquestioned, but here we are. Take it down."

The speeches

After Ewing finished speaking, the Rev. Jay Kennett of Down Home N.C. and pastor of Hillsborough United Church of Christ spoke about justice from a Christian perspective.

"I follow a radical revolutionary rabbi named Jesus, whose political platform is justice and mercy, he said, quoting Rev. Tracy Blackman of the United Church of Christ.

Kennett spoke about how Jesus stood up for those who were oppressed, and dismantled symbols and systems of oppression. Kennett called for all, no matter their religion, to follow Jesus example and to fight not only for justice but also to build up a community focused on inclusion and love.

After Kennetts speech, Pam Scwingl of the Friends Committee on North Carolina Legislation, a Quaker organization, spoke about police violence.

She spoke about the Quaker beliefs rooted in nonviolence, and urged attendees to advocate regarding militarization of police and school resource officers role in the school-to-prison pipeline.

After her speech, the Rev. Kendall McBroom represented Alamance Agents for Change in calling for police reform.

His demands included sensitivity training for all members of law enforcement, enacting the open records act which would make police misconduct records public removing officers for discriminatory behavior, and banning no-knock warrants.

Juan Miranda of Siembra, a Latinx advocacy organization, next spoke about issues related to immigration and the intersection of immigration reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Last, Dorothy Yarborough, who serves on the Board of Elections, spoke about the importance of voting.

"A change is going to come," she said, "but its going to take all of us to make that change happen. If we dont vote, everything that we are doing now is for naught."

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Four arrested at NAACP event Saturday in Alamance County - Burlington Times News

Letter to the editor: hypocrisy in Student Government – The Independent Florida Alligator

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Editor's note: All letters to the editor will be considered, but not every one will be published. Please allow 24 hours for a response regarding your submission.

Complacency benefits oppression, which I think makes Trevor Pope a beneficiary.

When I heard that Student Body President Trevor Pope was working to expand funding for the CARES Act to include students who previously couldnt receive it, I was pleased. It helps create an even playing field for our international and DACA students. But the more I read, the more dismayed I was.

Any effort to extend funding is important and should be recognized, but this new hope we can graciously thank Pope for was asking the staffer of a senator for more money. Despite being unsure who would get additional funding if it even came, it appeared that he was being lauded as a hero for something that hasnt even happened yet.

I have a problem with that narrative. Forty-one days ago I spoke in UF Student Government Senates public comment period about his nominee for Internal Affairs Agency Head using a homophobic slur to a personal friend of mine in the past.

Anxious and shaking, I repeated the phrase he used word for word, including the slur that is used against me and my community, to make sure everyone knew just how bigoted he was. The majority Gator Party caucus overwhelmingly approved him anyways.

So where was that hero when fellow senator Colin Solomon and I came forward about his Internal Affairs nominee using homophobic slurs? Well, he wasnt asking for his resignation.

Where was that hero when concerned students emailed him over his unwillingness to remove that nominee? Sending almost completely copied and pasted identical emails to those students claiming he heard their voice (of which I have attached screenshots).

Where was that hero when screenshots surfaced of that same nominee using racist slurs? Not apologizing or even giving a statement. Instead, he deleted the only post he made on the matter.

And where was that hero when he was asked to listen to Black Student Unions list of demands to make UF more inclusive and improve race relations in our own backyard? In a diversity and programming committee meeting saying that diversity is much more encompassing than just our Black population at UF.

Telling students with pronouns in your email signature that you hear their voice in nearly identical emails while not listening to the ones coming forward about the use of a homophobic slur is performative activism. I was asked to provide proof of a verbal altercation when I had nothing to gain by coming forward except anxiety and fear.

Not actively advocating for BSUs list of demands, and diminishing their importance in the process, is being complacent in their marginalization.

Why are we looking to him for hope when he did the bare minimum and cant even issue an apology to our Black, queer, and Latinx students for the pain his nominee caused?

Wheres the hope for these communities that Pope wont nominate another racist homophobe? Its been 41 days, and we cant even hope for a statement. In my opinion, its way too late.

This is why everyone needs to pay attention to politics, even on a scale as small as Student Government at UF. When people dont pay attention to who they vote for and dont advocate for marginalized communities, things like this happen and people get away with it. Theyre even branded as heroes.

Ryan Wilder isa Student Senator (Independent, District C) at UF as well as the LGBTQ+ caucus co-leader in Senate.

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Letter to the editor: hypocrisy in Student Government - The Independent Florida Alligator

Night 57 of Portland protests brings ‘refocus’ and new limits on federal response – KLCC FM Public Radio

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

E.D.Mondain did not hold back his criticism of ongoing demonstrations in Portland.

In an opinion piece published in the Washington Post on Thursday, the president of Portland's NAACP chapterwrote recent demonstrations had in some ways become a theatrical display of "white privilege dancing vainly on a stage that was originally created to raise up the voices of my oppressed brothers and sisters."

And soMondain organized a "Stand on Portland" that opened the city's 57th straight night of demonstrations. Speaking from the steps of the Multnomah County Justice Center, the Portland pastor touched on what has become an increasing focus for some protesters: the presence of federal officers on city streets.

"I want you to know something Portland. We are at war,"Mondain said over a loud speaker. "Federal agents have descended upon our streets. Armed in camouflage clothing, and ready to do battle with anyone who stands in the voice of the opposition to oppression."

Federal officers have been in Portland throughout July and have regularly used so-called less lethal weapons on peaceful demonstrators when a small number of people have thrown objects orspray painted federal property.

Though the law enforcement response has been disproportionate and indiscriminate toward crowds,Mondain admonished protesters who have engaged in property damage or alleged criminal activity. He said those actions do little to achieve justice for Black Americans killed by police.

"The focus has been moved out from where it is supposed to be, and made to be a spectacle a debacle," he said.

As the NAACP event ended around 9 p.m., increasingly large crowds returned to Portland streets to hear speeches about racial justice.

Speakers at the Justice Center led the crowd in chants of "Black lives matter" and in calls for Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler to either take action to end police brutality or to resign. The night before, Wheeler joined the crowd and was tear gassed outside the federal courthouse. He did not return for Thursday night's demonstration.

Speaking to the crowd, Kinsey Smyth said she was proud to be a Black woman at this moment in time. She said the people who had gathered had a chance to "shift the narrative."

"This is as American as it gets," Smyth said. "This is scary. This is uncomfortable. ... Embrace it, let's change it."

Earlier Thursday, a federal judge ruled that officers from the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies working in Portland could not use force against or arrest journalists and legal observers at protests. Previously, that restriction had only applied to the Portland police.

Around midnight, protesters continued to gather at the reassembled and reinforced fence surrounding the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse. The Federal Protective Serviceperiodically warned people when they began to shake or hit the fence, and around12:30 a.m. officers began firing pepper balls through the fence and into the crowd.

A little after1 a.m., officers used tear gas and impact munitions to disperse the crowd after a fewprotesters breached the fence.Protesters used umbrellas to shield each other from pepper balls while othersused leaf blowers to blowthe tear gas back towards the court house. Someone played The Imperial March over a loudspeaker.

By 3 a.m., protesters had regatheredat the fence and once again breached it, though few entered.

Originally posted here:

Night 57 of Portland protests brings 'refocus' and new limits on federal response - KLCC FM Public Radio

What Does It Mean to Be an Anti-racist? – CitiesSpeak

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

The current protests and uprisings across the country have elevated the term anti-racism and have prompted the question: What does it mean to be anti-racist?

We commonly reserve the term racist for those who actively discriminate based on the color of someones skin. Additionally, we refer to racism as an interpersonal display of prejudice toward Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

The reality: Racism is not only about individuals and their actions. Racism is a system.

It is a system of oppression that is based in and upholds the superiority of White people and the inferiority of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Racism was created by and upheld through policies, practices, and procedures to create inequities between racial groups

Current leaders in positions of authority in government, private, and non-profit institutions have inherited and upheld racist institutions and structures. These leaders have historically diluted the term racism to reflect only overt interpersonal racist actions so that the full system of racism can continue to grow and persist, unseen and unchallenged.

With this definition of racism, what does it mean to be anti-racist? Is it the same as not racist?

Not racist often refers to a passive response to the generational trauma and pain inflicted on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the United States. It does not require action for example proactively challenging a system that has operated in this country since its founding.

To be not racist is to ignore 400 years of history that informs the root causes of inequities we see in all aspects of American life. These inequities in education, criminal justice, housing, healthcare, and all policy areas are the result of intentional and racist institutional policies, practices, and procedures. They exist on purpose.

Because racism is the foundation upon which our society and institutions stand, choosing to interact with these institutions in a neutral way allows them to thrive. Racism can result from racist action and/or inaction, which results in complicity that creates or maintains racial inequities.

Being not racist does not require active resistance to and dismantling of the system of racism. Being anti-racist does.

Anti-racism is also a system a system in which we create policies, practices, and procedures to promote racial equity. Anti-racism generates antiracist thoughts and ideas to justify the racial equity it creates by uplifting the innate humanity and individuality of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Anti-racism recognizes that there are no traits inherent within a racial group solely because of the color of their skin. Anti-racism forces us to analyze the role that institutions and systems play in the racial inequities we see, rather than assign the blame to entire racial groups and their behavioral differences for those inequities.

When, as individuals, we contribute to racism and racial inequities, we are racist. If we push to dismantle racism and promote racial equity, we are anti-racist. These words are descriptive, not fixed.

We can be racist in one moment, anti-racist in the next, and racist once again. Anti-racism shifts our focus from the intent of our actions to the outcome of our actions whether we advance racial equity or uphold racial inequity.

It is not enough to believe that being not racist will eliminate racism and racial inequities. Instead, we must work within ourselves, our networks, and our institutions to challenge racism with each decision we make. The practice of anti-racism is everyones ongoing work. How do we do that?

Anti-racism is a practice that people and institutions must continue to employ, moment by moment, to fight against the system of racism. Anti-racist policy creates systems that center the lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, produce targeted strategies that account for the disparate harm caused these communities, and, in the end, improve outcomes for all.

About the Authors:

Jordan Carter is the Program Manager for the Race, Equity, and Leadership (REAL) department at NLC.

Ian Snyder is a Senior Program Specialist with NLCs Race, Equity, And Leadership (REAL) Initiative

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What Does It Mean to Be an Anti-racist? - CitiesSpeak

GreenStar Biosciences Completes Acquisition of 100% of Eleusian Biosciences Corp. and Appoints Jonathan Gilbert to Board of Directors and Maghsoud…

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Strategic acquisition by GreenStar adds innovative company focused on the development of effective therapeutics using psychedelic medicine

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 27, 2020) - GreenStar Biosciences Corp. (CSE: GSTR) (OTC Pink: GTSIF) ("GreenStar" or the "Company") is pleased to announce, further to its press release dated July 21, 2020, that it has completed the acquisition of 100% of Toronto, Ontario-based Eleusian Biosciences Corp. ("Eleusian") (the "Transaction") through the issuance of common shares of GreenStar. In addition, the Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jonathan Gilbert to the Company's board of directors and Mr. Maghsoud Dariani as its Chief Science Officer.

Highlights:

With the acquisition of Eleusian and appointments of Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Dariani, GreenStar believes it represents a new standard for excellence within the psychedelic medicine industry. GreenStar will now have a very strong business development team complemented by experts to identify new market growth opportunities.

Jonathan Gilbert, is an accomplished business executive with a successful exit in the psychedelics sector. Previously, he was the CEO of Scythian Biosciences, Inc., a publicly traded research and development company focusing on the prevention and treatment of concussions and traumatic brain injury using a proprietary cannabinoid combination. Mr. Gilbert is also experienced in strategic investments and partnerships related to the cultivation, distribution and retail sale of legal cannabis.

"I am very pleased to join the board of directors of GreenStar. This is an exciting step as GreenStar and Eleusian come together to realize our common objective of building a premier therapeutic wellness business focused on development of effective therapeutics using psychedelic medicine," said Jonathan Gilbert. "I look forward to working with the board and management team to further expand new opportunities and development initiatives."

"We are extremely pleased to complete the acquisition of Eleusian and add such well-regarded industry executives as Jonathan and Maghsoud to our board of directors and senior management team. Eleusian's focus on developing proprietary technologies in addition to development work involving psilocybin, NAC and MDMA for mTBI, PTSD and brain injuries is extremely exciting," said Thomas Baird, GreenStar CEO.

The Transaction was completed pursuant to exemptions from the prospectus and registration requirements under applicable securities laws. None of the GreenStar Shares issued to Eleusian shareholders in connection with the Transaction were registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and none may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any GreenStar Shares, nor shall there be any distribution of GreenStar Shares in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About GreenStar

GreenStar is a growth-oriented technology and services company that provides real estate, financial, management, IP and branding support to businesses. The Company operates a growing portfolio of tenant partner companies focused on transformational medicine and applies refined strategies to help partner companies reach their full potential. Based in Vancouver, BC, GreenStar intends to facilitate growth through acquisitions and development of additional assets, products and technologies by leveraging its capital markets, branding and operational expertise.

About Eleusian

Eleusian Biosciences Corp., a Toronto based company, is focused on development of therapeutics for multiple pathological psychological diseases based on psilocybin plus N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) compounds. Eleusian is collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and physicians at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami to develop effective therapeutics for the treatment of mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury/concussion) with PTSD or PTSD alone based on Psilocybin (the active ingredient of psychedelic mushrooms) and NAC. NAC has been shown to have efficacy in treating mTBI, particularly in reducing neuronal losses and also reducing impaired cognitive and neurological symptoms after injury to head. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.eleusian.bio.

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For further information please contact:

GreenStar Biosciences Corp.Thomas Baird, CEOinfo@greenstarbiosciences.comTel: (604) 834-9499

THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Disclaimer for Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company, the acquisition of Eleusian, the Company's expansion initiatives and pursuit of M&A activity are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of the forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including changes to the regulatory environment; and that the current Board and management may not be able to attain the Company's corporate goals and objectives. As a result, the Company cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and the Company does not intend to update any of the included forward-looking statements except as expressly required by applicable Canadian securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60524

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GreenStar Biosciences Completes Acquisition of 100% of Eleusian Biosciences Corp. and Appoints Jonathan Gilbert to Board of Directors and Maghsoud...

Finding Freedom: Everything we’ve learned so far from upcoming biography of Harry and Meghan – The Independent

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

A new biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has offered a unique insight into what led the couple to step down from royal duties.

Finding Freedom, by royal reporters Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie, describes the wall of resentment that slowly built up between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family.

Neither Harry nor Meghan have contributed to the book; it is based on the authors own experiences as members of the royal press and incorporates quotes from sources close to the couple.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Extracts from the biography are being serialised in The Times and The Sunday Times ahead of its publication in August.

From the rumoured rift between Meghan and the Duchess of Cambridge to how the Duke of Cambridge allegedly told Harry not to rush things with Meghan, heres everything we know so far about Finding Freedom.

The book states that Meghan told a friend in March that she had given up her entire life for the royal family and was hurt by reports that leaving the royal family was purely her idea.

The courtiers blame Meghan, and some family do, a source is quoted as saying in Finding Freedom.

But the source adds that Meghan sacrificed a lot to slot into royal life.

As Meghan tearfully told a friend in March: I gave up my entire life for this family. I was willing to do whatever it takes. But here we are. Its very sad, the book states.

The Duke of Cambridge was cautious of his brothers relationship with Meghan at the start, the book claims, and was keen to make sure that Meghan had the right intentions with Harry.

After all, these are two brothers that have spent their whole lives with people trying to take advantage of them, the source is quoted as saying in the book.

Theyve both developed a radar to detect that type of person, but as William didnt know a whole lot about Meghan, he wanted to make sure Harry wasnt blindsided by lust.

In the early days of their relationship Prince Harry was given a closer picture of the ugly realities of racism than he had ever previously seen, the books authors say.

And when those close to him began to question the suitability of his relationship, he was quick to consider whether their critiques came from a place of prejudice.

The authors write: When some questioned his new relationship, and whether she was suitable, he would wonder, Is this about race? Is it snobbery?

An old friend of Harrys spent an afternoon gossiping about Meghan, making disparaging remarks about her Hollywood background. Word got back to Harry, and the prince immediately cut him off.

Finding Freedom claims there was no feud between the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex they simply had nothing in common.

The book states that the press were too quick to blame the decision of the Sussexes to move to Windsor removing themselves from the Kensington Palace umbrella on the duelling duchesses, the authors say, when it was Harry who felt suffocated by his brother.

Ms Durand and Mr Scobie write: The truth was that Meghan and Kate just didnt know each other that well.

They address one particular rumour that Meghan made Kate cry during a bridesmaids dress fitting for Princess Charlotte, stating that it is completely false.

Reports that Meghans strict demands had left Kate in tears puzzled those who were present, the book states.

A source who was there said: Some of the children werent cooperating, and there was a lot going on.

Everyone tried to help where they could, but its never easy with kids at fittings. There were no tears from anyone.

And in the end, the fitting was fine. Kate and Meghan were both a little stressed but professional in the room, and there were other people there.

William is said to have sat Harry down at the start of his relationship with Meghan and urged him to take things slowly with her.

Dont feel you need to rush this, he said, according to sources.

Take as much time as you need to get to know this girl.

The words this girl are said to have irritated Harry, leading him to describe his brother as a snob.

Harry could see through Williams words. He was being a snob, a source close to Harry is quoted as saying in the book.

The book details how several members of the royal family did not trust Meghan, or have faith in her relationship with Harry.

At least two other family members also voiced concerns to each other over the pace at which Harrys relationship had moved, the book states.

Meanwhile, when Meghan and Harry started dating, one senior royal allegedly referred to the Suits actor as Harrys showgirl.

Another is reported to have told an aide, She comes with a lot of baggage, while one high-ranking courtier was overheard telling a colleague, Theres just something about her I dont trust.

The authors write that an unnamed trusted confidant of Meghan expressed to them that she blamed the media for corrupting her father, Thomas Markle, from whom she is estranged.

According to the source, Meghan told them: My dad never sought this out. I really believe that hes the victim, and now I feel sad because I believe hes been fully corrupted.

The book states that the couple grew frustrated that they often took a back seat to other family members when they were part of the royal family.

While they both respected the hierarchy of the institution, it was difficult when they wanted to focus on a project and were told that a more senior ranking family member, be it Prince William or Prince Charles, had an initiative or tour being announced at the same time so they would just have to wait, the book reads.

The Duke of Sussex told his future wife that he loved her three months into their relationship, the co-authors of Finding Freedom have claimed in their new book.

According to a friend of Meghan, Prince Harry was the first to profess his love, with the former Suits actor immediately replying I love you, too.

For Meghan, she was all in. Nothing could get her to slow down, not even a friend who cautioned her about getting involved with Harry, the book states.

Three months into their relationship, a Meghan friend said [sic], they had already begun swapping the words I love you.

This prompted the couple to begin talking in non-oblique terms about their future, it added.

Meghan reportedly left clues on social media hinting at her relationship with Prince Harry, including a photograph on Instagram of a Love Hearts sweet inscribed with the words Kiss Me alongside the caption Lovehearts in London on the night she and Prince Harry went on a date.

Link:

Finding Freedom: Everything we've learned so far from upcoming biography of Harry and Meghan - The Independent

For his next trick, the showman might make freedom disappear | Column – Tampa Bay Times

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

We are watching a show. Its important to keep that in mind.

It has its villains Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago, Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland and other supporters of the liberal, radical left idea that people have the right peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

It has its victims, people in towns where they dont have or need symphony orchestras and art museums and the very idea of street protests fills them with existential horror.

And the show has its hero, too, Donald John Trump, getting tough with those lawless cities, standing between the victims and their fears and not bothering overmuch about constitutional niceties while he does.

Thats how you end up with the recent spectacle of at least one person reportedly snatched off the streets of Portland by federal agents bearing no badges or identifying insignia and stuffed into an unmarked van on no probable cause, or even an allegation of crime. At this writing, Trump is sending federal agents using, presumably, the same tactics to Chicago, which, in his telling, teeters on the edge of criminal anarchy, and he, alone, can save it.

If it smacks of despotism, this idea of government seizing those who it bears repeating are accused of no crime, well, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf tells Fox News that sometimes you have to proactively arrest people. Its a nicely dystopian term that might have come out of The Minority Report, the 1956 novella by Philip K. Dick (also a 2002 film starring Tom Cruise), which posits a world where precogs divine the future, enabling police to prevent crime instead of just solving it. Dick provides other terms Wolf might find useful: precrime, potential criminals, prophylactic pre-detection.

If it occurs to you theres no such thing as precogs, if this all seems to you like a civil liberties nightmare, well, youre missing the point. Again, this is a show.

And give him his due. Trump may have failed as a businessman, an educator, an airline mogul, a casino operator, a steak salesman and a human being, but he knows how to put on a show. He also knows every moment we spend talking about American fascism is a moment not spent talking about Russia putting a price on American heads, which in turn keeps us from talking about the more than 144,000 whove died of a virus Trump said would magically disappear.

Even his distractions have distractions.

In fairness, this march toward fascist dystopia didnt begin in Portland. For years, we saw Black and Hispanic men stopped and frisked in New York City without probable cause. Weve seen cops empowered to take your money and border agents empowered to seize and search your laptops and smartphones, also without probable cause. In 2015, we saw a woman named Charnesia Corley subjected to a police search of her vagina on the pavement at a gas station.

What we havent seen so much is public outrage.

So Trumps innovation is not stomping the Constitution, but making the stomping a show. If it doesnt seem like much of one to you, well, youre not the intended audience. For them, this is Dirty Harry and Rambo all rolled into one. For the rest of us, this show isnt about a tough guy. Rather, its about a second-rate magician whose act has seen better days, whose top hat is worn, whose cards are frayed, whose every move reeks of flop-sweat desperation, the terror that he might be seen as he really is.

Which makes this magician dangerous in the same way a cornered animal is. And if we arent careful, he may pull off one last trick.

He may make freedom disappear.

Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 3511 NW 91st Ave., Miami, Fla., 33172. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com.

2020 Miami Herald. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Original post:

For his next trick, the showman might make freedom disappear | Column - Tampa Bay Times

Halo Infinite Is Halo CE with Walls Knocked Down and Freedom to Explore, Says Dev – Wccftech

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Halo Infinite will usher the series towards open-ended gameplay, as glimpsed in the gameplay showcased a few days ago. As part of a recent press Q&A session we were a part of, 343 Industries Studio Head Chris Lee described the approach as taking Halo Combat Evolved, knocking walls down, and giving players complete freedom to explore the ringworld.

The campaign in Halo Infinite is the most ambitious campaign we have ever created in a Halo game. It's this open, expansive experience for players, and it's several times larger than our last two campaigns put together. I think the way to think about it is this is Halo's take on open gameplay and what kind of providing the player with unprecedented levels of freedom can feel like. We really wanted to capture that moment of players being able to kind of feel what it would be like to be on a foreigner ring and unlock secrets and kind of new equipment or upgrades along the way as they're playing through the campaign. And I have one way to kind of give them more concrete examples when you're looking at the demo. We showed and you're on the elevator looking out over that vista. There's a ton of the ring that you can see there and that is just part of the space that players will be able to explore and where Master Chief's story will take you throughout our campaign experience.

One way to think about it that we talked about sometimes is to think about taking Halo CE, knocking the walls down and then giving players the freedom to explore. And while we have that kind of open experience, we do want there to be equipment and upgrades that you can find in the world along the way, so there are things that you can engage with along the way to do that as you traverse the world and continue Master Chief's story.

Halo Infinite is coming out this Holiday on PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Check back later today for our full transcript of the Q&A with 343 Industries.

Halo Infinite Multiplayer Not Delayed Devs Insist, But There Are Rumors its Free-to-Play

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Halo Infinite Is Halo CE with Walls Knocked Down and Freedom to Explore, Says Dev - Wccftech

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