Why the Media is Drawn To Israel Alex Grobman, PhD

https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/analysis/why-the-media-is-drawn-is-to-israel/2021/08/04/

Have you ever wondered why the international media is drawn to Israel?

Arab/Israeli Conflict Offers a Compelling War Story

The late Tamar Liebes, a professor of communication at the Hebrew University, opined that the Israeli-Arab conflict offers a compelling war story in which the front lines are frequently shifting, the front and rear boundaries are not clearly defined, they cannot be excluded, there is often no clear winner, and the media’s focus is on “the unexpected within the expected.” The ongoing nature of the war has created a longstanding infrastructure of foreign correspondents, facilitating the opportunity for other reporters to file stories once they arrive on the scene.

The best method to evaluate the significance of a story to a news organization is to count the number of staff assigned to the country asserts Israeli Journalist Matti Friedman. When Friedman was a correspondent at the Associated Press, the agency hired more than 40 staffers to cover Israel, Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. This was considerably more than the AP employed in China, Russia, India, or in all the 50 countries of sub-Saharan Africa combined. It was even greater than the entire number in the nations where the “Arab Spring” ultimately broke out.

According to the Foreign Press Association in Israel, there are currently 380 members representing TV, radio, photojournalists, print and web media from 32 countries in the country. Journalist Stephanie Gutmann said this comparatively large number of permanently assigned journalists, which at times included a hundred or more free-lance journalists, writers, photographers, and film makers who were in search of a new angle on the conflict or an exposé.

Danny Seaman, who for approximately 10 years served as director of the Israel Government Press Office (GPO), which is part of the Office of the Prime Minister and responsible for the foreign media in Israel, is concerned that the large number of reporters come to Israel instead of other countries where there is a conflict, because Israel makes it very easy for them.  Israel is a modern, open, democratic state and in terms of size quite manageable. Though there are no new approaches to understanding the Arab/Israeli conflict, this does not stop the reporters from trying to find new ones in the hope of winning a Pulitzer Prize.  It is “like there’s nothing else going on in the world,” Seaman said.

He is also disturbed they come to Israel without the slightest notion of what is happening in the country. They meet Arabs and Israelis from the same socio-economic background, and the journalists “live off” what they learn from their colleagues and Haaretz, Israel’s oldest, most influential daily newspaper and the newspaper most critical of Israeli government policies.

Israel No Longer “Enjoys the Benefit of the Doubt”

Zev Chafets, a former director of the Israel Government Press Office (GPO) and a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, said there was a period in the Middle East, when American journalists and editorial writers favored Israel over the Arab states because Israel is an open society. Once reassessing Israel’s policies became in vogue, many editors and correspondents adopted a “neutral” and an “even handed” approach in their reporting. Israel no longer enjoyed “the benefit of the doubt.” those with “little or no ideological bent” relished in debunking “myths” about the Jewish state. In their quest for a new slant on the conflict, they found one. “Arabs biting Jews had long ceased to be news; but Jews biting Arabs—that was a story.”

Systematic Effort to Manipulate The Media

When Confidence in Our Institutions Collapses By Charles Lipson

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/08/04/when_confidence_in_our_institutions_collapses_146188.html

Sometimes, stories that appear unrelated share common foundations and have cumulative effects, far more serious than any one does individually. Highlighting these common features tells us something profound about our society and its troubles. That’s the case with four stories over the past few days.

The first two involve police. One concerns a New York City gang member who attacked multiple officers and shot one of them. The suspect had more than 25 prior arrests for guns, drug offenses, and other crimes. He was known to be part of a gang affiliated with the “Bloods.” Yet Jerome Roman was roaming the streets, gun in hand, out on bail. It is a story repeated dozens of times each week across the country. The second story involves the inability of Portland, Ore., to recruit police to fight the city’s stunning murder epidemic. For some reason, Portland just can’t find people willing to join the special unit designed to stop the killings.

The next two stories involve a subject that seems far removed from violent crime: COVID masks. One is a news report with photographs of Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrating maskless at an indoor party just hours after she had imposed a comprehensive mask mandate on her city, prohibiting exactly her kind of behavior. This was just the latest in a spate of “rules are for thee, not me” actions by Democratic mayors and governors. One of them, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, is facing a recall effort. The rest continue along their merry way.

Finally, the ubiquitous Dr. Anthony Fauci, our nation’s top official for infectious diseases, told ABC News this past weekend that wearing masks should not be an individual choice. That statement goes beyond saying masks are desirable, based on public health data. It portends a new round of mandates. President Biden also indicated new, stricter rules are coming.

Is there any connection among these stories about police, murder, hypocrisy, and public health advice? Yes, and it is a connection that illuminates our country’s deepest problems.

Adam Andrzejewski: Nearly 300 Billion in Foreign Aid Spent by US Government

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/08/04/new-report-nearly-300-billion-in-foreign-aid-spent-by-us-government/?sh=6d9463214374

Many Americans would rather spend their hard-earned money elsewhere, according to polling.

The American taxpayer has been generous to foreign countries. Between the years 2013 and 2018, nearly $300 billion in U.S. taxpayer money flowed as “aid” to countries outside the United States.

Each year, the U.S. spent about $47 billion. Half the aid went to Africa and the Middle East in FY2018, the latest year available for these statistics. Interestingly, despite President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, aid to foreign countries remained virtually unchanged in the first two years of his administration.

This week, our organization at OpenTheBooks.com published an oversight report, U.S. Foreign Aid – How And Where The U.S. Spent $282.6 Billion, Plus Updated COVID-19 Aid & Payments To The UN And Other Agencies. Sinclair Broadcast launched the report on their National Desk and 190 local affiliates with ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX.

Our auditors found that U.S. foreign aid dwarfs the federal funds spent by 48 out of 50 state governments annually. Only the state governments of California and New York spent more federal funds than what the U.S. sent abroad each year to foreign countries.

The Biden Military Witch-hunt Warren Beatty

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/08/the_biden_military_witchhunt.html

A manufactured panic over the January 6 rally has provided Biden and his flunkies with an excuse to attack the U.S. military.  The Biden administration has implemented an effort to root out political “extremism” in the military in order to work toward a military with more ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’, despite little evidence of any such extremists actually operating within the ranks:

“But a large majority of those charged have no known connections to established extremist groups… Experts say there’s little evidence that current or former members of the military are more susceptible to radicalization than the general population.  Still, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has called combating extremism in the ranks a top priority.”

So let’s examine what Austin has done.  As head of the Department of Defense (DoD), Austin created the Countering Extremism Working Group (CEWG).  However, the potential unintended consequences of its anti-extremism effort could harm recruiting if religious Americans or those on the political right feel unwelcome in the military ranks.  The DoD’s definition of extremism is so broad and imprecise that some retired officers and military analysts fear it could inadvertently include traditional Catholics, Republicans, and people who aren’t racist or violent but simply choose conservative, pro-life politics.  For example, DoD considers “‘patriot’ extremism” to include any non-extreme position, such as conservative views, religious teachings such as those against abortion or LGBTQ lifestyles, and failure to actively support gay rights demonstrations or mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations.  They are therefore legitimate targets for the CEWG.

Further, as a Revolver article says, if one accepts the DoD’s ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policy as a matter of national security, any conviction that doesn’t agree with Biden’s (or Austin’s) perspective of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the military can be considered a national security threat.  Thus all policies and personnel that supported Donald Trump’s border wall, illegal alien deportations, DACA criticism, the military’s transgender ban, and military bases named after Confederate generals can be considered an extremist and a threat to national security.  The CEWG is a mechanism for eliminating in the military anything or anybody Biden (or more likely his flunky Austin) doesn’t like.

Covid: It’s like smallpox! Alan Dershowitz says you must take the vaccine!! Or else! Diane Bederman

https://dianebederman.com/covid-its-like-smallpox-alan-dershowitz-says-you-must-take-the-vaccine-or-else/

I am not anti vaccines, nor do I believe for a moment that the mRNA gene therapy vaccine for Covid 19 constitutes a “crime against humanity.” However, listening to both sides and demanding a thorough and scientific statistical analysis deserves attention…..rsk

Remember when we were told 18 months ago that we needed a lockdown to flatten the curve for fear the medical establishment would be overwhelmed? And remember we were just told we must take the  vaccine or the medical establishment would be overwhelmed? This is the science? No one should be lockdown or coerced, if not forced, to take an experimental vaccine because of a failing health care system.

Seems We the People are not entitled to know everything there is about the Covid vaccine and side effects. If those promoting mandatory vaccination are so sure of themselves, why is there so much censorship of those with differing opinions?   Science by definition calls for the asking of questions. How do we know who is right or wrong if we cannot read all views? Have we in the West become that stupid that we need our government to tell us right from wrong via social media censorship?

The editor-in-chief, Julian Reichelt, of Germany’s top newspaper Bild has apologized for the news outlet’s fear-driven coverage of COVID, specifically to children who were told “that they were going to murder their grandma.”

“When a state steals the rights of a child, it must prove that by doing so it protects him against concrete and imminent danger. This proof has never been provided. It has been replaced by propaganda presenting the child as a vector of the pandemic.”

Julian Reichelt noted how moderate voices who attempted to offer calmer perspectives on the pandemic “were never invited to the expert table” and urged viewers “don’t believe this lie,” when encountering alarmist proclamations from the government.

Thankfully, a large team of more than 1,000 lawyers and more than 10,000 medical experts, led by Dr. Reiner Fuellmich, has initiated legal proceedings against the CDC, WHO and the Davos Group for crimes against humanity regarding the mRNA gene therapy vaccine for Covid 19.

AP and Reuters Team up with Twitter to Patrol Political Dissent as ‘Misinformation’ By Eric Lendrum

https://amgreatness.com/2021/08/03/ap-and-reuters-team-up-with-twitter-to-patrol-political-dissent-as-misinformation/

Two of the largest news publications in the country, the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters, have teamed up with one of the leading tech giants, Twitter, in a new partnership to crack down on “misinformation” and “elevate credible information,” the Daily Caller reports.

Twitter confirmed the new alliance in a blog post, saying that the two publications would be responsible for identifying “misleading” information, and to help Twitter expand its efforts to mediate trending stories, “especially where facts are in dispute.” The websites will also help Twitter staff whenever they lack “sufficient expertise or access to a high enough volume of reputable reporting.”

“This program is just part of our ongoing efforts to help people understand the conversation happening on our service,” the Twitter blog post continued. “People experience a range of public conversations on Twitter every day, and we’re committed to continuing our work to elevate credible information and context.”

Tom Januszewski, a spokesman for the Associated Press, said that the AP aims “to expand the reach of factual journalism.” Reuters’ Hazel Baker made the questionable claim that “trust, accuracy, and impartiality are at the heart of what Reuters does every day,” and that “those values drive our commitment to stopping the spread of misinformation.”

Twitter, along with other Big Tech platforms, have significantly increased their efforts to crack down on political dissent in recent months, most notably by permanently banning President Donald Trump in January, while he was still the sitting President of the United States. Other platforms such as YouTube and Facebook have either outright banned, or attached “warning labels” to, content that raises doubts about the 2020 presidential election, the efficiency of coronavirus restrictions, and other controversial subjects.

The most hypocritical birthday party ever? By Jeannie DeAngelis

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/08/the_most_hypocritical_birthday_party_ever.html

As we all know, conceited, narcissist Barack Obama has never been one pass up an opportunity to be worshipped by fawning sycophants, especially if the worshippers are rich and famous. That’s why, on August 7, the multi-millionaire/community organizer will host his own star-studded 60th birthday party.  

According to a source at The Hill, “It’s going to be big.” 

As the nation hurts, Hollywood’s crème de la crème will descend, en masse, on Martha’s Vineyard to attend a gazillion-dollar birthday party feting Kenya’s most famous imposter.

The swanky gala will take place on the grounds of Obama’s 30-acre/$12,000,000, summer compound located on the waterfront in Edgartown. Attending to the needs of A-list leftist race baiters and politically correct sympathizers will be 200 ethnically-diverse servants who will ensure the champagne flows and the hors d’oeuvres include racially sensitive cuisine.

Historically, aristocrats make merry while masked commoners struggle to breathe, subsist, and sustain a respectable lifestyle. With 500 guests, 200 servers, and a hairdresser on-site to style a Pearl Jam band member’s hair, Obama and Michelle’s haughty self-indulgence personifies the “rules for thee but not for me” mentality that is pervasive among a ruling class who parties while imposing despotic diktats on the peons.

Obama Birthday Bash to Smash All Known Woke Values By Jack Cashill

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/08/obama_birthday_bash_to_smash_all_known_woke_values.html

Forget about the violation of Covid protocols — those are a passing fancy on the left.  Barack Obama’s sixtieth birthday bash this coming weekend threatens to violate just about every progressive virtue the Obamas and their woke pals have ever signaled.

Officially, Obama’s birthday falls on August 4.  As I will explain, that may not be the real date, but the “optics” problem facing Barry and his bourgeois buddies is a more pressing one.

As planned, some 475 invited guests and at least 200 worker bees will swarm the Obamas’ waterfront estate on Martha’s Vineyard, a tony little island off the coast of Massachusetts.  In addition to their vax cards, I suspect the worker bees and even the guests will have to show a photo ID.  Apparently, birthday invites are more vulnerable than ballots in Obama world.

On a side note, rumor has it that the ever cautious Georgia congressman, Hank Johnson, passed on the invite for fear that the whole island would become so overly populated that it would tip over and capsize.

Among the invited guests are George Clooney, Steven Spielberg, and Oprah.  I could be wrong, but my guess is that these and the Obamas’ other jet-setting friends are not going to fly commercial.

The Obamas bought this nearly 7,000-square-foot waterfront home in the fall of 2019.  They paid nearly $12 million for their new digs.  No big deal.  They had pocketed a reported $65 million advance for their respective memoirs from Penguin Random House.

In his 2020 memoir A Promised Land, Obama worries that he did not do enough to deal with “America’s escalating inequality.”  He wonders if he should have tried “to exact more economic pain” on corporate America in the hope of creating a more just economic order.

Free State, Serf State: Kurt Schlichter

https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2021/08/04/free-state-serf-state-n2593491

I flew out to Texas and back to California last weekend, and boy, are my arms tired and my patience tested. To leave the sordid hellhole that is Los Angeles for the functioning area around Houston (the city itself is a blue stronghold and a failed state, though less comprehensively than LA) is to see a vivid contrast between red success and blue dystopia. If only someone had written a bestselling series of conservative action novels about that scenario.

Also, President Asterisk is getting more senile by the day. He’s recently claimed he was an 18-wheel rig driver; let’s get him a chimp and make a reality show called “JB and the Bear.” At least with a monkey, this appalling fiasco might be amusing.

The pride of the libs, sausage-esqe Alexander Vindman, wrote a book, of a sort, and astonishingly it’s not a cookbook.

Two Americas and One of Them Sucks

The first thing you notice in Houston is that the airport is not a complete disaster. It is a partial disaster, with a lot of construction, but it is not as comprehensively miserable as LAX. Everyone and his brother – excuse my gender assumptions – was flying on a recent Friday morning and I had to drop the family and go find some off-airport parking lot like a sucker. LAX was wall-to-wall with people leaving the Golden State. Houston was civilized, and the luggage was there when we got to baggage claim. Of course, it took a half-hour to walk there, but anyway…

There are few bums. I saw one or two, but I did not see the massive collections of shanties, lean-tos, and shebangs that make up the urban villages of the damned you see all over Los Angeles. It could be the weather – there’s this thing called humidity outside of Cali, and it rains in summer if you can believe it – but I think it’s that in Texas you’re just not allowed to be a hobo. Maybe in Austin, but not in the Houston suburbs.

You can carry a gun, like a citizen. That’s cool. And there are a bunch of awesome breweries. Maybe don’t mix those two. The food is good. And people are nice. People in LA are not mean. They just don’t care. They got their thing and you got yours. In Texas, people say “Hi.” They also don’t wear masks like a bunch of sissies. That right there is enough to grant this round of the competition to the Lone Star State. No wonder everyone is moving there.

Clean, Green and Absolutely Sustainable :Walter Starck

https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2021/08/clean-green-and-absolutely-sustainable/

One of history’s most valuable lessons is that much of what is widely believed at any one time will later be viewed as nonsense, and it is vanishingly unlikely that this does not still apply.  On the contrary, our current system of education is now actively pursuing an indoctrination in postmodern thought which seeks to deny, demean and dismiss the all-too-brief ascendancy of reason and evidence as embodied in the scientific method.  The impetus for this is simple. Reason and evidence threaten established careers, status and beliefs held dear in academia, and it is they who determine the content of education.

Resistance to this corruption of science is fading in favour of the notion of an innate, intuitively understood ‘higher’ morality.  Only the uncompromising clarity of the consequences of errors and false beliefs leaves engineering as one of the last remaining redoubts of simple evidence based truth.

A primacy of reason and evidence over authority and faith has been the essential foundation for the extraordinary advance in the human condition arising from Western Civilisation over the past few centuries.  However, this is now under existential threat by a rising surge of totalitarian ideology.  In a time of unprecedented prosperity, ease, and comfort, it appears a substantial slice of the populace is unhappy and seeking some greater meaning and purpose in life, albeit something which also requires minimal personal cost and effort. Public virtue signalling by conspicuously approving or disapproving ideas of negligible personal consequence has become epidemic, and there is a rich smorgasbord of such concerns from which to choose.  Environmental threats, various social inequalities and sexual aberrations, especially relating to gender, are currently the fashion.

The idea of an imminent and dire threat to the global climate from fossil fuel emissions and the necessity of a complete shift to wind and solar power is especially favoured. Although there is strong evidence to indicate the threat is far more uncertain and less severe than is being claimed and the limitations of the so-called renewable energy are manifold, reason and evidence rarely ever seem able to induce a committed believer to reconsider their faith. 

Fortunately, in this instance there is another option, and it offers a no-regrets solution that conforms far better to the unfolding reality.  It also affords the added bonus of avoiding a detour into the dustbin of history for those who cannot wake up and catch up.