Newsletter 4.24.18

Hi all! 

Here's this week's newsletter. Thanks as always for your support.

-- Florence, Adam, Nima 

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How the Border Patrol Faked Statistics Showing a 73 Percent Rise in Assaults Against Agents - Debbie Nathan, The Intercept (4/23/18)

The copiest of all cops, Border Patrol, are making up attacks on their agents to gain sympathy and stoke anti-immigrant panic. 

How the Human Rights Movement Failed - Samuel Moyn, New York Times (4/24/18)

An extremely polite critique of the human rights industry and its total abandonment of economic justice in our present “western” understanding of human rights (as discussed in Ep. 8). Pulls a lot of punches and assumes good faith where no evidence of good faith exists but worth reading. 

West Virginia Teachers and the Return of Labor Feminism - Rachel Johnson, In These Times (4/18/18)

Women are leading union actions throughout the country and subverting the false, cartoon image that the working class is primarily white men in hard hats. 

The Real Danger of Natalie Portman - Dahlia Scheindlin, +972 (4/24/18)

What’s really behind some of the epithets hurled at actress Natalie Portman following her decision to turn down the million-dollar Genesis Prize over disgust with Israeli policy?

Democrats, Too, Love Trump's Wars - Adam Johnson, TruthDig (4/16/18)

Adam takes aim at Democrats limp process complaints over Trump’s wars. 

Public Radio’s McCarthyite Smear of Black Activists Shows Danger of Russia Panic - Adam Johnson, FAIR (4/19/18)

WABE in Atlanta, Georgia targets two black activists for the sin of using (gasp!) Russian-backed media outlets. You can also skip this and read the account from the woman being attacked here:

I Was Smeared By Public Radio For Being A Black Activist Trying To Get My Message Out - Anoa Changa, Forward (4/23/18)

MSNBC’S Creepy Comcast Commercial Is Sinclair Lite - Adam Johnson, FAIR (4/23/18)

Apologies, another Adam piece. (He wrote a lot this week!) But MSNBC’s creepy Comcast commercial was bad and you should check out Al Sharpton––ever the team player––comparing Comcast to Nelson Mandela. 

Law Enforcement Has Quietly Backed Anti-Protest Bills in at Least 8 States Since Trump’s Election - Simon Davis-Cohen and Sarah Lazare, In These Times (4/16/18)

An investigation by In These Times finds police unions are actively participating in efforts to make mass protests a criminal offense.