Reader’s Links for May 10, 2020

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Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

128 Replies to “Reader’s Links for May 10, 2020”

  1. Chinese Journalist Jailed for 15 Years for Criticizing CCP | CCP Virus | COVID-19 | Coronavirus

  2. The Truth About Being A 2A Social Media Influencer w/ Garand Thumb | CNP #2

  4. Deutsche Pravda – Germany: Catholic chiefs reject cardinals’ coronavirus ‘conspiracy theories’

    Germany’s top Catholic body has repudiated a warning by several high-ranking church figures that the coronavirus crisis is a pretext for creating a world government. Such conspiracy theories are rife on social media.

    Catholic bishops in Germany have dissociated themselves from a letter in which several prominent Catholic clergy question the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic and the measures taken by governments across the world to stem it.

    “The German Bishops’ Conference’s assessment of the coronavirus pandemic is fundamentally different than the appeal published yesterday,” Bishop Georg Bätzing, who heads the influential body, told the Catholic KNA news agency.

    Other German Catholic clergy chose harder words in their criticism of the appeal. The vicar general of the city of Essen, Klaus Pfeffer, said on Facebook that he was “simply speechless at what was being published there in the name of the Church and Christianity: crude conspiracy theories without facts or evidence, combined with aggressive right-wing populist rhetoric that sounds alarming.”

    ‘Odious technological tyranny’

    The letter, signed by such Catholic notables as the German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano from Italy and Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the former bishop of Hong Kong, claims that the pandemic is being exploited to restrict basic rights “disproportionately and unjustifiably.” It also maintains that the contagiousness of the novel coronavirus has been overstated by authorities, referring to unnamed “authoritative voices in the world of science and medicine” to back its claim.

    It strongly criticizes governments around the world for the lockdowns imposed in a bid to stem the spread of the virus, saying that “the imposition of these illiberal measures is a disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.”

    In one strongly worded sentence, it claims that “centuries of Christian civilization” could be “erased under the pretext of a virus” and an “odious technological tyranny” established in its place.

    The arguments presented in the document strongly resemble those currently making the rounds on social media, particularly in far-right and far-left milieus. They also underpin the recent “Hygiene Demonstrations” taking place across Germany.

    The German Bishops’ Conference had earlier stated that the restrictions in Germany, which also led to the temporary cancelation of church services, were “sensible and responsible,” while urging a “responsible and proportionate” relaxation of the measures when appropriate.

    https://www.dw.com/en/germany-catholic-chiefs-reject-cardinals-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories/a-53384164

    • APPEAL
      MAY 7, 2020

      APPEAL FOR THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD
      to Catholics and all people of good will

      n this time of great crisis, we Pastors of the Catholic Church, by virtue of our mandate, consider it our sacred duty to make an Appeal to our Brothers in the Episcopate, to the Clergy, to Religious, to the holy People of God and to all men and women of good will. This Appeal has also been undersigned by intellectuals, doctors, lawyers, journalists and professionals who agree with its content, and may be undersigned by those who wish to make it their own.

      The facts have shown that, under the pretext of the Covid-19 epidemic, the inalienable rights of citizens have in many cases been violated and their fundamental freedoms, including the exercise of freedom of worship, expression and movement, have been disproportionately and unjustifiably restricted. Public health must not, and cannot, become an alibi for infringing on the rights of millions of people around the world, let alone for depriving the civil authority of its duty to act wisely for the common good. This is particularly true as growing doubts emerge from several quarters about the actual contagiousness, danger and resistance of the virus. Many authoritative voices in the world of science and medicine confirm that the media’s alarmism about Covid-19 appears to be absolutely unjustified.

      We have reason to believe, on the basis of official data on the incidence of the epidemic as related to the number of deaths, that there are powers interested in creating panic among the world’s population with the sole aim of permanently imposing unacceptable forms of restriction on freedoms, of controlling people and of tracking their movements. The imposition of these illiberal measures is a disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.

      We also believe that in some situations the containment measures that were adopted, including the closure of shops and businesses, have precipitated a crisis that has brought down entire sectors of the economy. This encourages interference by foreign powers and has serious social and political repercussions. Those with governmental responsibility must stop these forms of social engineering, by taking measures to protect their citizens whom they represent, and in whose interests they have a serious obligation to act. Likewise, let them help the family, the cell of society, by not unreasonably penalizing the weak and elderly, forcing them into a painful separation from their loved ones. The criminalization of personal and social relationships must likewise be judged as an unacceptable part of the plan of those who advocate isolating individuals in order to better manipulate and control them.

      We ask the scientific community to be vigilant, so that cures for Covid-19 are offered in honesty for the common good. Every effort must be made to ensure that shady business interests do not influence the choices made by government leaders and international bodies. It is unreasonable to penalize those remedies that have proved to be effective, and are often inexpensive, just because one wishes to give priority to treatments or vaccines that are not as good, but which guarantee pharmaceutical companies far greater profits, and exacerbate public health expenditures. Let us also remember, as Pastors, that for Catholics it is morally unacceptable to develop or use vaccines derived from material from aborted fetuses.

      We also ask government leaders to ensure that forms of control over people, whether through tracking systems or any other form of location-finding, are rigorously avoided. The fight against Covid-19, however serious, must not be the pretext for supporting the hidden intentions of supranational bodies that have very strong commercial and political interests in this plan. In particular, citizens must be given the opportunity to refuse these restrictions on personal freedom, without any penalty whatsoever being imposed on those who do not wish to use vaccines, contact tracking or any other similar tool. Let us also consider the blatant contradiction of those who pursue policies of drastic population control and at the same time present themselves as the savior of humanity, without any political or social legitimacy. Finally, the political responsibility of those who represent the people can in no way be left to “experts” who can indeed claim a kind of immunity from prosecution, which is disturbing to say the least.

      We strongly urge those in the media to commit themselves to providing accurate information and not penalizing dissent by resorting to forms of censorship, as is happening widely on social media, in the press and on television. Providing accurate information requires that room be given to voices that are not aligned with a single way of thinking. This allows citizens to consciously assess the facts, without being heavily influenced by partisan interventions. A democratic and honest debate is the best antidote to the risk of imposing subtle forms of dictatorship, presumably worse than those our society has seen rise and fall in the recent past.

      Finally, as Pastors responsible for the flock of Christ, let us remember that the Church firmly asserts her autonomy to govern, worship, and teach. This autonomy and freedom are an innate right that Our Lord Jesus Christ has given her for the pursuit of her proper ends. For this reason, as Pastors we firmly assert the right to decide autonomously on the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments, just as we claim absolute autonomy in matters falling within our immediate jurisdiction, such as liturgical norms and ways of administering Communion and the Sacraments. The State has no right to interfere, for any reason whatsoever, in the sovereignty of the Church. Ecclesiastical authorities have never refused to collaborate with the State, but such collaboration does not authorize civil authorities to impose any sort of ban or restriction on public worship or the exercise of priestly ministry. The rights of God and of the faithful are the supreme law of the Church, which she neither intends to, nor can, abdicate. We ask that restrictions on the celebration of public ceremonies be removed.

      We should like to invite all people of good will not to shirk their duty to cooperate for the common good, each according to his or her own state and possibilities and in a spirit of fraternal charity. The Church desires such cooperation, but this cannot disregard either a respect for natural law or a guarantee of individual freedoms. The civil duties to which citizens are bound imply the State’s recognition of their rights.

      We are all called to assess the current situation in a way consistent with the teaching of the Gospel. This means taking a stand: either with Christ or against Christ. Let us not be intimidated or frightened by those who would have us believe that we are a minority: Good is much more widespread and powerful than the world would have us believe. We are fighting against an invisible enemy that seeks to divide citizens, to separate children from their parents, grandchildren from their grandparents, the faithful from their pastors, students from teachers, and customers from vendors.

      Let us not allow centuries of Christian civilization to be erased under the pretext of a virus, and an odious technological tyranny to be established, in which nameless and faceless people can decide the fate of the world by confining us to a virtual reality. If this is the plan to which the powers of this earth intend to make us yield, know that Jesus Christ, King and Lord of History, has promised that “the gates of Hell shall not prevail” (Mt 16:18).

      Let us entrust government leaders and all those who rule over the fate of nations to Almighty God, that He may enlighten and guide them in this time of great crisis. May they remember that, just as the Lord will judge us Pastors for the flock which he has entrusted to us, so will He also judge government leaders for the peoples whom they have the duty to defend and govern.

      With faith, let us beseech the Lord to protect the Church and the world. May the Blessed Virgin, Help of Christians, crush the head of the ancient Serpent and defeat the plans of the children of darkness.

      8 May 2020

      https://veritasliberabitvos.info/appeal/

    • Ecuador: Virgin of Schoenstatt flies over Guayaquil in helicopter during COVID-19 outbreak

  5. 598 days timelapse | Military cathedral in Moscow is finally completed!

    Russia completes the military cathedral, dedicated to the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, in Moscow after 598 days of construction – just in time to mark the 75th adversary of Victory Day.

  6. Countries rethink ties to China; US tightens visas for Chinese journalists; How China infiltrated UN

  12. Opposition Parties Reject Any Turkish Activity in Tunisia
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2276631/opposition-parties-reject-any-turkish-activity-tunisia

    “Six opposition parties announced their absolute rejection of any Turkish activity on Tunisian soil, urging authorities to avoid their vague approach towards Turkish actions in Tunisia that are aimed at supporting militias and terrorists.

    The parties also demanded on authorities to take “a clear stance that rejects foreign military presence in the region.”

    The leftist Workers’ Party, the Popular Front, the Socialist Party, Baath Movement, as well as the Tunisia Forward and al-Qutb party denounced any attempt “to involve Tunisia in the regional hubs’ game at the expense of its national security as well as the Libyan people’s security and stability.”

    Head of the Workers’ Party Hamma Hammami called on the President, Kais Saied, to take a clear stance on Turkey’s military efforts in the region that pose major threat to regional peace and security.

    He stressed that: “Turkey is indirectly participating by sending mercenaries from Syria to Libya and directly by providing aid to one of the parties to the conflict.”

    Head of the opposition Project of Tunisia Movement Mohsen Marzouk, for his part, considered the presidency’s approval on the landing of a Turkish plane at one of Tunis’s airports “a deviation in Tunisia’s position, which was supposed to be neutral in the Libyan conflict.”

    He noted that the plane was loaded with medical equipment destined for a specific party in the Libyan internal conflict.

    Marzouk said the presidency’s decision may raise doubts that Tunisia is involved in a specific international hub led by Turkey, which has been militarily involved in the Libyan conflict, “without any noticeable humanitarian action there.”

    Turkey has been using Libyan sea and airports for a while now to transport weapons and terrorist elements to fight in Libya.”

  14. Yemen appeals for international help to stem coronavirus
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200510-yemen-appeals-for-international-help-to-stem-coronavirus/

    “The Yemeni government on Sunday appealed for help from the international community to combat the spread of coronavirus, Anadolu Agency reports.

    Yemeni authorities have confirmed seven fatalities and 34 infections from the virus in areas under the government’s control.

    “Medical reports refer to the death and infection of scores of civilians in the light of the crippling health system resulting from the continued war and scarcity of resources,” the Ministry of Human Rights said in a statement.

    It appealed to world countries to “urgently intervene to save civilians through a package of arrangements that help provide medical care”.

    Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including Sanaa.

    The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

    Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including numerous civilians, are since believed to have been killed in the conflict, while another 14 million are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.”

  15. Iraq protests erupt hours after formation of new al-Khadimi government
    https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/5/10/iraq-protests-erupt-after-formation-of-new-al-khadimi-government

    “Protests erupted across a number of southern cities in Iraq on Sunday, just hours after the formation of the new government by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

    Angry demonstrations broke out at dawn across the capital and southern governates, including Baghdad, Babel and Wasit, the latter of which saw protesters burn down the Badr Organisation’s party headquarters, according to Arabi21.

    Videos that emerged online showed demonstrators in Baghdad call for the downfall of the regime, which they accuse of being part of the same “corrupt” former government.

    The protests were triggered by the announcement of a new government led by al-Kadhimi, who with 15 of his proposed 22 ministers won the confidence of Parliament on Wednesday evening, promised “the truth about everything that happened” during the months-long protests.

    He vowed to “hold to account all those who shed Iraqi blood”.

    Kadhimi was Iraq’s spy chief when the October protests broke out. His address to the nation was quickly followed by calls on social media for renewed demonstrations on Sunday.

    The government of his predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi had since October repeatedly said it could not find the “unidentified gunmen” who fired on protesters who took to the streets to demand the overhaul of the political system.

    At the start of the protests that would become the largest and bloodiest social movement in Iraq’s recent history, many demonstrators carried portraits of General Abdulwahab al-Saadi – a highly popular figure in the military campaign to dislodge the Islamic State from Mosul in 2017. He had been dismissed by Abdel Mahdi in September.

    Kadhimi on Saturday reinstated the general as the head of counter-terrorism, putting him back in charge of units created and armed by the Americans.

    The new Iraqi premier has long been seen as Washington’s man in Baghdad, but he has also forged close ties with America’s arch-foe Iran.

    Kadhimi also called on parliament to adopt a new electoral law needed for early elections that had been promised by his predecessor.

    The new government had presented itself as a “transitional” cabinet on Wednesday evening.

    It rescinded a decision taken by the outgoing government just before it stepped down that blocked all state spending, including civil servants’ salaries and pension payments – relied on by one in five Iraqis.

    Pensions will be paid out in the coming days, Kadhimi promised.

    But an implosion of oil prices amid the coronavirus pandemic indicates that Iraq will have little option but to impose austerity policies that could give rise to renewed protests.”

  16. Massive bombardment hits Tripoli as water supplies threatened
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-airport/massive-bombardment-hits-tripoli-as-water-supplies-threatened-idUSKBN22M0N9

    “A withering bombardment shook Tripoli on Sunday as the eastern-based forces of Khalifa Haftar fought overnight for new territory in the southern suburbs after losing ground recently around the city.

    Adding to the misery of Tripoli residents, the main water supplier to northwest Libya said armed men in the south had stormed one of its facilities, reducing supply.

    “My father said we should be ready to leave at any moment… the fighting last night was heavier than at any time before,” said a resident of Abu Salim district, near a frontline.

    “We would leave to survive, but where can we go?… we will be on the street. It’s hopeless,” the resident added by phone.

    Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) has been trying to capture Tripoli for 13 months, but Turkish military aid this year for the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) has helped it regain some ground.

    The LNA, backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, last week announced a new air campaign, but most bombardment since then has been through artillery.

    Last month the pro-GNA forces recaptured a string of towns in the northwest from the LNA, re-establishing their control between Tripoli and the Tunisian border.

    They have also made two attempts to seize the LNA’s strategic al-Watiya airbase, but have been repelled, and have moved towards the LNA’s main northwestern stronghold of Tarhouna.

    An LNA military source said late on Saturday that the fighting was the fiercest so far. Eastern forces briefly took some ground in Abu Salim.

    Tripoli residents described the bombardment as the worst so far after weeks of fighting as the GNA attempts to end Haftar’s campaign to seize the capital and push his forces out of artillery range.

    Mitiga, the only functioning airport in the Libyan capital, was targeted by rockets for a second day after shelling on Saturday destroyed fuel tanks and sprayed shrapnel across a passenger jet being readied for take off.

    The U.N. Libya mission condemned what it called “indiscriminate attacks”, which it said were mostly attributable to pro-LNA forces. It said last month that the LNA was responsible for four fifths of civilian deaths in the first quarter of 2020.

    Turkey said on Sunday it would regard Haftar’s forces as “legitimate targets” if attacks on its interests continued.

    Water pressure in Tripoli was already starting to decline on Sunday afternoon after the Great Man-Made River Project, the main water utility, said one of its power stations in the south had been stormed by armed men.

    Ahmed al-Deeb, head of its western region committee, said the men had switched off the electricity because of a shortage of cooking gas and a lack of cash in local banks, and that tribal elders were negotiating with them to restore power.

    The state-run National Oil Corporation said last week it was carrying out work to supply cooking gas from the country’s main Sharara oil field.”

  17. Three killed and 79 wounded in tribal clashes in eastern Sudan
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-violence/three-killed-and-79-wounded-in-tribal-clashes-in-eastern-sudan-idUSKBN22M0U8

    “Clashes between two tribes in Sudan’s eastern city of Kassala killed three people and wounded 79 others, the state’s acting governor said on Sunday.

    Violence between members of the Beni Amer and Nuba ethnic groups, which has flared in the past, reignited on Thursday and escalated on Friday when houses were set ablaze, Brigade Mahmoud Baker Homd said in a statement.

    It was not immediately clear what caused Thursday’s clash.

    Violence between the Beni Amer and Nuba was reported in Port Sudan in January by a local doctors’ group that said eight people were killed and dozens injured.

    The two groups had made peace in September 2019 after Sudan’s top military commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, threatened to expel both tribes from the country if they did not commit to reconciliation.”

  18. Twenty killed in attacks on villages in western Niger
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-niger-security/twenty-killed-in-attacks-on-villages-in-western-niger-idUSKBN22M0R2

    “At least 20 people were killed in attacks by unidentified gunmen on several villages in the Tillaberi region of western Niger, the governor of the region said on Sunday.

    Ibrahim Tidjani Katchella told national radio Saturday’s attacks were carried out by assailants on motorcycles. He gave no further details.

    Tillaberi is in the tri-border region of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali known as Liptako-Gourma, where Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have strengthened their foothold, making swathes of the arid Sahel area ungovernable.

    France, several European and African countries have set up a new task force made up of special forces to fight insurgent groups in the region alongside the Mali and Niger armies.”

  19. Taliban appoints new leader in military leadership following recent upheavals
    https://www.khaama.com/taliban-appoints-new-leader-in-military-leadership-following-recent-upheavals-07791/

    “The Taliban group has appointed Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founder of the Taliban group, as the new military chief of the group following recent upheavals, involving a spike in attacks against Afghan forces.

    The Telegraph reported that senior militant figures confirmed the political reshuffle to check the power of the predecessor of Sardar Ibrahim, the predecessor of Mullah Yaqoob as the movement closes in on negotiations with the Afghan government.

    The report further added that Mulla Yaqoob will keep his previous post as deputy to the movement’s overall leader Mulla Haibatullah Akhunzada, but will now also oversee military operations.

    Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban group, confirmed the appointment but did not elaborate further.

    Meanwhile, the Telegraph reported that Ibrahim will remain as Mullah Yaqoob’s deputy.”

  20. Turkish agency aids families in Philippines’ Bangsamoro
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/turkish-agency-aids-families-in-philippines-bangsamoro/1836064

    “A Turkish humanitarian agency distributed food packages among 500 families in the Philippines’ self-governing Muslim-majority Bangsamoro region during the month of Ramadan, it said on Sunday.

    In a statement, the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) said around 2,000 people benefited from food packages in Bangsamoro’s Kamimpilan region, where there is no road or transport and the region is only accessible through boats.

    Each Ramadan package contained cooking oil, dried fish, rice, coffee, and canned food.

    Appreciating Turkey for its help, one of the persons who received the food package in the region said: “It is very meaningful to send this help here especially when the world is passing through a difficult time with the coronavirus.”…”

  21. Libyan army neutralizes 10 members of Haftar militia
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/libyan-army-neutralizes-10-members-of-haftar-militia-/1836147

    “At least 10 members of warlord Khalifa Haftar’s militia were neutralized Sunday in shelling by the Libyan army.

    The army destroyed four observation posts on the Mashru front in southern Tripoli, killing or wounding a total of 18 militia and mercenaries, the media office of the government-led Burkan Al-Ghadab (Volcano of Rage) operation said in a statement.

    On Saturday, at least six civilians were killed when Haftar’s militia launched rocket attacks on Mitiga International Airport in the capital.

    The attacks came hours after the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Tripoli, saying they “may amount to war crimes.”

    Haftar, the leader of illegal armed forces in eastern Libya, has intensified attacks on civilians since the beginning of May as the Libyan army recently gained an advantage and inflicted severe losses on his militants.

    The government has been under attack by Haftar’s forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence. It launched Operation Peace Storm on March 26 to counter attacks on the capital.

    Following the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya’s government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led political deal.”