Monday, May 02, 2022

Truest statement of the week

In arguing in favor of censorship, Alter engages in a heavy  use of historical revisionism, claiming that ";free speech' in the 21st century means something very different than it did in the 18th, when the Founders enshrined it in the Constitution. The right to say what you want without being imprisoned is not the same as the right to broadcast disinformation to millions of people on a corporate platform. This nuance seems to be lost on some techno-wizards who see any restriction as the enemy of innovation.”

It is also lost on me.

Censorship has always been based on the notion that the underlying speech was false or harmful. Calling it “disinformation” does not materially change the motivation or the impact. What Alter calls a “Tech Bro obsession” was the obsession of the Framers.

Alter is confusing free speech values with the rationale for the First Amendment. For years, anti-free-speech figures have dismissed free speech objections to social media censorship by stressing that the First Amendment applies only to the government, not private companies. The distinction was always a dishonest effort to evade the implications of speech controls, whether implemented by the government or corporations.

The First Amendment was never the exclusive definition of free speech. Free speech is viewed by many of us as a human right; the First Amendment only deals with one source for limiting it. Free speech can be undermined by private corporations as well as government agencies. This threat is even greater when politicians openly use corporations to achieve indirectly what they cannot achieve directly.

 

 

-- Jonathan Turley, "Time Columnist Denounces Free Speech as a White Man's 'Obsession'" (JONATHANTURLEY.ORG).

 

 

 

Truest statement of the week II

Now Obama has to live with his handiwork in Ukraine. He and Joe Biden began the crisis when they partnered with right wing forces there in 2014 and overthrew the elected president. They are struggling to prop up the Ukrainians with billions of dollars while also trying to keep the American people from asking why they don’t have child tax credits, minimum wage increases, or student loan debt relief.

Obama’s answer is to cut off debate. It took him a long time to say he wants big tech to censor their social media platforms. Instead he trotted out the usual tropes of authoritarian strongmen, China, Russia, and Trump, as threats to democracy. Of course, the lack of democracy in this country has nothing to do with any one individual or foreign government but they are useful targets and everyone is fair game. Lest anyone forget, Trump’s Twitter account was removed while he was still in the white house.

The only way out for discredited liberalism is to shut down anyone who might utter inconvenient truths. They have been doing just that for quite some time, and while their targets are ostensibly right wingers such as Trump supporters who claim he didn’t lose, it is radical Black and other leftists who bear the brunt of the attack. RT and Sputnik are branded “Russia state affiliated,” and they have been disappeared from many platforms. Programs such as By Any Means Necessary, which present a Black left point of view, are disappeared along with them.

 

-- Margaret Kimberley, "Obama Wants Censorship" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).

 

 

A note to our readers

Hey -- 

Sunday!!!

Are you shocked?  We are too.


Let's thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:



The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen, Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.


And what did we come up with?

 

 

Peace.

 

-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.

 

 

TV: GRACE AND FRANKIE winds down while THE OFFER never should have started

It's not easy being NETFLIX these days.  Subscribers are leaving and big money deals have not paid off.  A lot of money has been wasted.

3 JESS

 

Let's look at the high profile deals.  Kenya Barris walked out on his $100 million deal with NETFLIX to move over to VIACOM when NETFLIX complained about his programs not delivering a large enough audience.  He responded that he did not want to make in-your-face programming.  BLACK-ISH, his most famous show, was delivering, on a good week, four million viewers with a new episode. In syndication (which includes on two basic cable networks), the show has not made much of an impact.  It was a mistake for NETFLIX to pour that much money into a deal when the biggest success the creator had ever delivered did not justify the money.  Shonda Rhimes, when Kenya's deal was announced, was quick to insist that her own deal with NETFLIX was even better in terms of money.  She really hasn't delivered either. BRIDGERTON has yet to deliver the following GREY'S ANATOMY Has -- in fact, BRIDGERTON's numbers aren't even as good as NETFLIX's numbers for GREY'S ANATOMY streaming of repeats.  She's delivered nothing like SCANDAL or HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER.  All she's offered was BRIDGERTON and explained that she's never very smart without ABC guiding her.  How else to explain that, when she's supposed to be building a long running show, she loses Rege-Jean Page after only one season -- the main reason the show had any buzz at all.  Now it's just another middling, pathetic period drama.  Not exactly what NETFLIX wanted her to create.  

 

The huge money deal that has come the closest to paying off for NETFLIX?  Ryan Murphy's deal since at least he's delivered product, right?  HOLLYWOOD, RATCHED and HALSTON didn't set the streaming world on fire but HALSTON did get Emmy attention which might have made up for the underwhelming response to the series if NETFLIX was just trying to garner nominations.  RATCHED underwhelmed as well but also got some Emmy nominations (RATCHED got over a million views per NETFLIX however that number is primarily based upon when a person is on the main page of the site and a video starts playing to promote a show -- the number NETFLIX provided the press is not a number of how many people watched an episode).  HOLLYWOOD did alright and received ten Emmy nominations.  THE POLITICIANS delivered a number of viewers in its first season but tanked in season two while receiving 8 Emmy nominations. None of the shows commands the attention of any Ryan Murphy show airing on FOX or FX.


Channing Dungey should be included on huge deals.  Her spectacular failure was predicted here when she signed the deal -- we also noted that the press had inflated her position at NETFLIX pretending she was the only vice president in charge of new programming.  She was brought in after destroying ABC's biggest and most profitable hit (ROSEANNE).  That was your first clue that you didn't want anything to do with her.  An executive is not supposed to kill the network's number one program.  Instead, he or she is supposed to smooth over problems and keep the hit in production.  Her lies to NETFLIX included that she could "manage" (her term) Shonda Rhimes and that she had a great relationship with Kenya Barris.  She did not have a great relationship with Kenya who never felt she gave his BLACK-ISH the support it needed.  Her ability to 'handle' Shonda was inflated and Channing failed to earn the big salary she was getting as she was no help developing new shows and as she actually harmed some deals in the pipeline.  (Name the actress she tried to get fired from a NETFLIX property to carry favor with Shonda.  She didn't succeed and the producers complained loudly about Channing's interference.)  Channing was fired from NETFLIX and the same press friends tried to again spin that as a success like they did when she'd earlier been fired from ABC.


Barack Obama's all about the greed.  That's why he and Michelle walked away from SPOTIFY last week when the streamer refused to hand over money that the Obamas didn't and couldn't earn.  So he'll stay with his outrageous NETFLIX deal as long as they pay him.  But they should stop paying him.  He's not delivering and his heavily promoted narration series is a failure.  They are currently attempting to promote it as a hit with children -- it's not.  Nor was it made for children.  It never hit number one on NETFLIX's own self-reported daily top ten and, a week after it's release, it had vanished from the top ten.  If they had any brains, they'd cancel the contract.




grace and frankie


What they've done instead is cancel GRACE AND FRANKIE, the Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin sitcom.  It's been at number one or number two since the last episodes from season seven dropped.  The Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris program has delivered eyes and its garnered eleven Emmy nominations.  The program also was one that other media followed and Jane and Lily were on multiple programs promoting the show (including CBS THIS MORNING, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, THE LATE LATE SHOW and ELLEN just last week).  


Unlike the big money deal shows, GRACE AND FRANKIE was popular beyond new episodes.  The show has a devoted streaming base at NETFLIX that continues to watch previous seasons.  It is the kind of success a streamer should be building upon.  Instead, they are ending the program and have announced that three seasons is enough of any show going forward.  That will mean less than 50 episodes of these shows as they try to build up a reason for people to subscribe.


Do they grasp that?


People, over the last decade, have gone to NETFLIX to stream full seasons, multi-seasons, of programs such as GREY'S ANATOMY, FAMILY GUY, CHARMED, AMERICAN DAD, NIKITA . . .  Those shows delivered for NETFLIX.  All are gone except GREY'S ANATOMY.  And NETFLIX is no longer the only streamer in town.  So this notion that they can attract people who want to binge with a three season show is laughable.  


GRACE AND FRANKIE wrapped up with 12 episodes (for a 16 episode, 7th season).  And?


It really needed an eighth season.  


The show was funnier in season seven than it's ever been.  Much funnier.  We're talking Lily in THE LATE SHOW funny.  Jennifer Nightingale, Frankie's fake persona, was one hilarious moment after another.  Around the time Frankie announced, "I'm finally living up to my bumper sticker," Lily hit a zany high that she never came down from.  


grace and frankie

Jane was also in fine form and her showing up jangling the keys Lily forgot when Lily's about to solo on a crime run recalled Jane doing the same with the late George Segal in their comedy classic FUN WITH DICK AND JANE.  


Two pros delivering, that's the final season.  And a meet up in the final episode with their 9 TO 5 co-star Dolly Parton.  A testament to the friendship and to the ability to continue to change and grow, GRACE AND FRANKIE had a lot to impart while delivering all those laughs. 


And the zany highs kept the whole thing from being maudlin because this was the final season and we all knew we working towards an ending.  Frankie's psychic predicted Frankie would be dead in three months.  Frankie tried to figure out how and seized upon someone she knew murdering her -- she kept Grace on the vision board even when Grace objected.  There were solid moments for all the characters and June Diane Raphael, Ethan Embry,  Baron Vaughn, Brooklyn Decker, Peter Cambor, Marsha Mason, Millicent Martin, Martin Sheen, Tim Bagley and Sachin Batt all ran with every moment they were provided.  


Notice a name missing?  Yep.  Sam Waterston. He's been a problem from the start.  Dropping back to our 2015 review:


More than anything else, the show needed a studio audience.

If it had one, Sam Waterston wouldn't be mincing.

The immediate reaction from the studio audience would have forced Waterston to reconfigure his character.

Did no one have the guts to tell the actor to stop it?

Did no one have the guts to tell him that he was portraying an offensive stereotype?

He's all popped-eyes, raised eyebrows and high pitched voice.

That's how he plays his gay character (Lily Tomlin's ex-husband).

It's insulting.

Martin Sheen, by contrast, doesn't feel he needs to reconfigure his voice or pop his eyes.

Watching Waterston mince it up, you're not only offended, you're also asking yourself, "Wait?  No one knew he was gay?"

Because that is the premise, that Grace and Frankie have no idea their husbands are gay or having been having a 20 year affair.


Sol started out an insulting stereotype and that's how he concluded.  Sam Waterston was one long offense, season after season.  That he was gay was supposed to be a surprise that he hid.  Not only are we not seeing that but we're also wondering how he was a high-powered lawyer in court with that voice?


Sol was an embarrassment to the very end.  Over the years, we've learned to ignore him.  And, as Waterston and Martin had their last scene together, we regretted it.  The two were at a hotel, stepped into an elevator and, as they were about to kiss, the doors closed.  Did they ever kiss?


That's the only reason we regretted ignoring the offensive Sol all these episodes, we don't remember them ever kissing romantically, but did they?  


The show's gotten a lot of credit for its portrayals of women in thee their third act still being romantic and sexual beings.  But what did they go for elderly gay men?  Anything?


"What's tragic," insists Juno Temple as Bettye in THE OFFER about Janis Joplin's death, "is o.d.ing over a cancelled menage a trois with two other women."


That's what's being offered on PARAMOUNT+ -- a straight woman making homophobic comments. So, yeah, it does matter whether or not GRACE AND FRANKIE used their seven seasons to advance the portrayals of gay men.  


And it does matter what is getting a green light.


THE OFFER got one and, as any reviewer can tell you, it didn't warrant one.  It's referred to as unneeded, navel gazing at the making of PARAMOUNT's film THE GODFATHER.  


And that is true but it's committing a bigger crime and what The Water Cooler Set ignores, we don't.


Sal Mineo.  


Remember him?  Two time Academy Award nominee (REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE and EXODUS).  His other films include GIANT, THE OTHER WAR OF MAJOR BENSON, THE LONGEST DAY, WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR?, CHEYENNE AUTUMN, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD and ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES.  Sal was Sicilian. 


If there's a reason to tell the story about the making of THE GODFATHER all these years later, it's to correct the past.  A two-time Academy Award nominee who happened to be Sicilian was denied a role in the film.  Did people not think Sal could act?


Sal's acting was not in question.  Francis Ford Coppola was prepared to cast Sal until one actor had a hissy fit.  PARAMOUNT was high on James Caan and wanted him for Michael but would settle for him as Sonny.  What Caan would not do was work with a bi-sexual actor.  He would quit, he insisted if they cast the "f*g" in the film.


He got away with that.  Sal's career, his life, might have been so much different but for Caan and for PARAMOUNT rewarding Caan's homophobia.


Forty years later, they're making a mini-series about the making of THE GODFATHER and they can't even center around what everyone now knows was discriminatory and illegal hiring practices.  James Caan has always been a disgusting person.  He's 82 now.  He's not going to live much longer.  Before he dies, it would be great if the world knew what he did and held him accountable.  It would be great if, unlike in the early 70s when he'd tell this story while laughing, he was forced to address what he did. 


That's the only reason PARAMOUNT+ should have made the series.  Instead, they've mad a dull and plodding mini-series about men that doesn't question sexism, racism or homophobia.  Exactly why are we looking back decades to retell story no one needed if we're not going to right a few wrongs?  And exactly why are streamers creating new content if the content doesn't reflect the world today?




Book Bargain (Dona)

Berry Gordy at the piano playing a song he's working on, Janie Bradford chiming in, "Your love gives me such a thrill but it don't pay my bills gimmie' some money, baby,"  Barrett Strong rushing in and starts singing. And a classic song is born.



 "Money (That's What I Want)."  The story behind that classic is only one of the many exciting moments captured by Berry Gordy in his memoir TO BE LOVED.  

What Berry loved most was music.  It's what he believed in.  And he believed in himself.  Which is how he could, and did, walk away from writing for Jackie Wilson when Wilson's manager was ripping them off 


That's how he was able to build MOTOWN from scratch, the label that defined so many of our musical memories.  We learn how he and Smokey Robinson bonded sitting on the floor in his living room after Smokey and the Miracles ended a performance due to violence in a bar.


And, of course, we learn about how a girl group's singing one day and one member stands out:

She was on the skinny side with great big eyes and a lot of self-confidence.

Just as they were finishing the song I stopped.

"Would you sing that again?" I asked, motioning to the lead singer, with my hand.

"Okay," she smiled in a bashful way.  


Yep, she's Diana Ross.  You can't talk MOTOWN and not talk the queen of the label Diana Ross.  She broke one racial barrier after another starting with the Supremes and continuing on through her solo career: night club bookings, Vegas booking, radio airplay, Academy Award nomination for Best Actress . . . 


And as fascinating as that it, I should point out that the early section of the book, where he's discussing his father and growing up, the house his father thought was a great deal that was falling apart and that they would end up losing, the small home they'd move into, his parents, his sisters and him, his father's acting on the fact that people always need food, all of it was vividly captured and as interesting as stories about the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Ashford & Simpson, the Marvelettes, the Temptations, Mary Wells, Kim Weston and Smokey.


Diana meant more to me than she could ever imagine.  It is absolutely true that at one time I was obsessed with her.  In the heyday of the Supremes.  I saw the butterfly emerge from the cocoon and I was dazzled.  She was magic and she was mine.  Diana was willing to let me make her a star and I knew she had the talent, drive and stamina to go the distance.  It was, in retrospect, a perfect arrangement and as long as we were a team we were invincible.  We treated setbacks the same way we treated success.  They were both opportunities.  

I loved her because she gave everything to our mission.  She had a willingness to discipline herself, to work like a maniac to get it right.  All of a sudden I wasn't the only perfectionist.  I had a wonderful counterpart and she wanted what I wanted and so we set off to get it . . . and we did.

And along with all of that getting we got each other.  The good, the bad and finally, the big good-bye.

We did fall for each other in a way that is more complicated than most relationships.  How did it happen?  People are always asking me that.


Because they did build the label together.  Diana closed out the sixties with her 12th lead vocal on a number one, "Someday We'll Be Together."  Those twelve were part of twenty-five top forty pop hits.  The success was huge for any label but it's what she made of the opportunities.  Many MOTOWN acts went on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW.  Diana made her group a staple of the show -- she had a spark and a life that came across onscreen and captured viewers which is why she'd go on to guest as a musical act on other shows, then to guest star on TARZAN and then to co-host a special with Lucille Ball and Dinah Shore (LIKE HEP!) and so much more.

 

Berry realized he was falling for her.  He wondered what would happen to them?  She was becoming popular and well known.  Should he help her become famous and a legend and would he lose his chance with her if he did?  It all led to "Try It Baby" which ended up a  top 15 pop hit and a number six R&B hit.  They would begin their non-business relationship in Paris in April of 1965.

In terms of business, the relationship would lead them both to highs.  Berry Gordy, the boxer, would become the head of one of the biggest music labels in the country.  It would be one giant step for them both, one after another.  "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You."  A standard Berry knew was important, a song that left the audience bored.  Diana didn't like it and wanted to drop it.  Berry knew it was a key and told her she had to.  She gave it her all and it's the song that broke MOTOWN onto primetime TV beyond the hits shows like AMERICAN BANDSTAND and HULLABALU onto variety shows -- with the prime time programs lining up for Diana to sing a standard on their show, any standard.

 

She was now at the threshold of becoming the superstar we had always dreamed she could be.  And, as she began her solo career, Berry observes:

 

For the past five years, she and I had been intensely involved both professionally and romantically.  They were interchangeable.  One fed off the other.  We had success after success together.  I don't think there was a question in either of our minds that we would always be together.  I felt certain that our dream was within reach.  And I wanted to go for it all the way.  So did she.  But as in any long-term relationship the question of marriage had come up.  Could our romantic relationship continue without it or would marriage destroy our dream, everything we'd worked for?  We both knew that the conflict between our personal relationship as lovers and the roles we played professionally was taking its toll.

I was her mentor, her manager, her boss.  She was my protege, my artist, my star.  We both recognized that my role had become too defined, too demanding and too unyielding to exist in a loving marriage.  And in order to take the dream all the way my role would have to become even more intense.  Emotionally, we were on a collision course.  We ended our personal relationship sadly and by mutual agreement so we could focus completely on the professional role. 

 

He built a mountain of a music label, tore down barriers and became a film director.  It's a ride and it's one that provides a lot of joy.  It's currently $11.99 as a KINDLE book and that's a bargain.  Bad news?  When I bought it Saturday, it was on sale for $2.99.  Remember to check KINDLE books daily on AMAZON because something's always on sale.

 

 

#Iraq : #DustStorm engulfs the country, #Baghdad & #Najaf airports suspend flights

 

 

 

 

 

Wesley Everest and US Labor

May Day.  It is International Workers' Day.  In honor of that day, let's note this from WIKIPEDIA:

 

Nathan Wesley Everest (December 29, 1890, in Newberg, Oregon — November 11, 1919, in Centralia, Washington) was an American member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and a World War I era veteran. He was lynched during the Centralia Massacre after killing Dale Hubbard in what the union called self-defense, though the American Legion called it murder.[1]

 

Spartacus Education notes:


Wesley Everest was a rank and file member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) who served the the US Army during the First World War.

After the war Everest worked as a lumberjack in Centralia, Washington. The lumber trust became concerned that the activities of the IWW would lead to a strike. It was decided to use the American Legion to force members of the IWW to leave the area.

On 11th November, 1919, the American Legion paraded through the street carrying rubber hoses and gas pipes. They then attacked the IWW Hall. Everest, who was inside, shouted: "I fought for democracy in France and I'm going to fight for it here. The first man that comes in this hall, why, he's joining to get it." Shots were fired by both side and during the fight four men were killed.

Everest was one of the men arrested. That night a mob broke into the jail and as he was dragged out of his cell, Everest shouted: "Tell the boys I died for my class." Wesley Everest was taken to Chehalis River, where he was lynched.

 

WE NEVER FORGET explains:

 

On November 5th, 1916, The Everett Massacre took place. We shall not try to describe this terrible tragedy of the class struggle. We refer every body to the account of it, issued in a book of 302 pages by the I. W. W. This book, “The I. W. W. Massacre,” is written by Walker C. Smith and sold by the I. W. W. Should be read by every red- blooded worker. Five were killed and scores wounded.

The Everett Massacre was one of the foulest deeds ever committed by the dirty hirelings of the capitalist class. It can be compared only to the indescribable horrors of Armistice day in Centralia, Wash., on November 11, 1919. The gruesome death of our Fellow Worker Wesley Everest on that day is enough to stagger the world. We cannot go into details. Read the book “The Centralia Conspiracy,” by Ralph Chaplin. It describes in word and illustration those terrible days.

Fellow Worker Bert Bland, who with a number of others is now serving a sentence equal to life imprisonment in Montesano as a result of the Centralia conspiracy, writes a touching tribute to the memory of the martyr Wesley Everest, which is published herewith.

Wesley Everest’s last greeting was: “Tell all the boys I did my best.” Joe Hill’s last message was: “Don’t mourn. Organize!” Frank Little’s last message is known only to his murderers, but we have no doubt it was like Joe Hill’s.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two rockets target a base hosting US-led coalition troops in Iraq’s western province of al-Anbar

 

From THE COMMON ILLS:

 

BOL NEWS reports, "Two rockets aimed at a facility in western Iraq hosting US-led coalition soldiers crashed near the complex on Saturday, causing no injuries or damage, according to security sources."  RUDAW adds, "The facility, home to Iraqi army troops as well, has been subjected to at least three rocket and drone attacks since the start of the year."



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace and Frankie | A Farewell to 7 Seasons with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin | Netflix

 Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin and showrunners Marta Kauffman, and Howard Morris take us on a fun trip down memory lane of the 7 incredible seasons of Grace and Frankie. For 7 years, two unlikely friends made us laugh, made us cry, and made us question what it means to act your age. The final episodes of Grace and Frankie premiere April 29th, only on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/graceandfrankie SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/29qBUt7

 

 

 

 

 

HUMILIATING: Spotify DROPS Obama's Podcast | Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Party says U.S. complicit in Yemen humanitarian crisis; arms sales to Saudis must end

 From the Green Party:


WASHINGTON – Green Party leaders called on President Biden to take advantage of the April 2nd cease-fire among warring parties in Yemen, to follow through on his promise to end support for all offensive operations, to end weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and to help end the blockade of Saudi warships off the coast of Yemen to allow humanitarian aid to enter the country. The war between the Saudi-led coalition and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history.


Green Party of the United States
www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
April 25, 2022

Contact:
Michael O'Neil, Communications Manager, meo@gp.org, 202-804-2758
Diana C. Brown, Co-Chair, Media Committee, media@gp.org, 202-804-2758
Philena Farley, Co-Chair, Media Committee, media@gp.org, 202-804-2758


The U.S. has provided logistical and intelligence support and sold weapons to the coalition of Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia since 2015. As a result of the conflict and blockade, hundreds of thousands of people have died, including from indirect causes such as lack of food, health services and infrastructure. More than 17 million Yemenis are currently food insecure, over 2 million children are now acutely malnourished, and the number of people experiencing famine is expected to increase five-fold by the end of the year.

In February 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden announced an end to U.S. support for Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen, a break from previous U.S. policy. Nevertheless, the United States has continued to sell weapons to countries in the region and has refrained from pushing Saudi Arabia to end its blockade on the coast of Yemen.

"President Biden must seize the opportunity offered by the cease-fire and make good on his promise," said Ahmed Eltouny, Green Party National Co-Chair. The war in Ukraine has resulted in heightened awareness of military activity throughout the world, renewing concern about the United States' role in facilitating the war in Yemen. Ending arms sales to the Saudis would be a major step in putting an end to the ability of warring parties to continue the war. Now is the time to stop the arms sales, stop the blockade, and support the warring parties' efforts to seek a diplomatic and fair resolution to end the war.

MORE INFORMATION

War in Yemen.
Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, April 19, 2022

Yemen facing 'outright catastrophe' over rising hunger, warn UN humanitarians
United Nations, UN NEws, March 14, 2022

Yemen's Warring Parties Begin First Cease-Fire in 6 Years 
Hubbard, Ben. New York Times, April 2, 2022

US Assistance to Saudi-Led Coalition Risks Complicity in War Crimes
Nasser, Afrah. Human Rights Watch, April 7, 2022

Greens demand Congress cut off military aid to Saudis, withdraw support for Yemen war
April 24, 2019

Platform, I. Democracy, D. Foreign Policy - Peace and Disarmament, a.
(repeal of AUMF)

US ending aid to Saudi-led forces in Yemen, but questions persist
Stepansky, Joseph. Al Jazeera, February 7, 2021

Netflix Plunges In The Market As Subscribers Leave, What Is Happening To Netflix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This edition's playlist

  Pretenders - Pretenders are pleased to announce brand new...



1) The Pretenders' HATE FOR SALE.

 

 

2) Ashford & Simpson's STREET OPERA.

 

 

3) Chase Rice's THE ALBUM

 

 

4) Pretenders' PACKED.

 

5) Dolly Parton's RUN, ROSE, RUN.


6) Diana Ross' THANK YOU.

 

6)  The Mamas and the Papas' THE PAPAS & THE MAMAS.

 
 

7)  Adele's 30.

 

 

8) Diana Ross' ANTHOLOGY (1983 version)

 

 

9) Bob Dylan's ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS.

 

 

10) Peggy Lee's 2 SHOWS NIGHTLY.

 

 

 

 

 

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