#civilian whistleblower protection

[latestnews69]

OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment

Read more click here

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Boeing’s deliberately defective fleet of flying sky-wreckage

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TOMORROW (May 2) in WINNIPEG, then Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), Tartu, Estonia, and beyond!

Boeing's 787 "Dreamliner" is manufactured far from the company's Seattle facility, in a non-union shop in Charleston, South Carolina. At that shop, there is a cage full of defective parts that have been pulled from production because they are not airworthy.

Hundreds of parts from that Material Review Segregation Area (MRSA) were secretly pulled from that cage and installed on aircraft that are currently plying the world's skies. Among them, sections 47/48 of a 787 – the last four rows of the plane, along with its galley and rear toilets. As Moe Tkacik writes in her excellent piece on Boeing's lethally corrupt culture of financialization and whistleblower intimidation, this is a big ass chunk of an airplane, and there's no way it could go missing from the MRSA cage without a lot of people knowing about it:

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2024-04-30-whistleblower-laws-protect-lawbreakers/

More: MRSA parts are prominently emblazoned with red marks denoting them as defective and unsafe. For a plane to escape Boeing's production line and find its way to a civilian airport near you with these defective parts installed, many people will have to see and ignore this literal red flag.

The MRSA cage was a special concern of John "Swampy" Barnett, the Boeing whistleblower who is alleged to have killed himself in March. Tkacik's earlier profile of Swampy paints a picture of a fearless, stubborn engineer who refused to go along to get along, refused to allow himself to become inured to Boeing's growing culture of profits over safety:

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2024-03-28-suicide-mission-boeing/

Boeing is America's last aviation company and its single largest exporter. After the company was allowed to merge with its rival McDonnell-Douglas in 1997, the combined company came under MDD's notoriously financially oriented management culture. MDD CEO Harry Stonecipher became Boeing's CEO in the early 2000s. Stonecipher was a protege of Jack Welch, the man who destroyed General Electric with cuts to quality and workforce and aggressive union-busting, a classic Mafia-style "bust-out" that devoured the company's seed corn and left it a barren wasteland:

https://qz.com/1776080/how-the-mcdonnell-douglas-boeing-merger-led-to-the-737-max-crisis

Post-merger, Boeing became increasingly infected with MDD's culture. The company chased cheap, less-skilled labor to other countries and to America's great onshore-offshore sacrifice zone, the "right-to-work" American south, where bosses can fire uppity workers who balked at criminal orders, without the hassle of a union grievance.

Stonecipher was succeeded by Jim "Prince Jim" McNerney, ex-3M CEO, another Jack Welch protege (Welch spawned a botnet of sociopath looters who seized control of the country's largest, most successful firms, and drove them into the ground). McNerney had a cute name for the company's senior engineers: "phenomenally talented assholes." He created a program to help his managers force these skilled workers – everyone a Boeing who knew how to build a plane – out of the company.

McNerney's big idea was to get rid of "phenomenally talented assholes" and outsource the Dreamliner's design to Boeing's suppliers, who were utterly dependent on the company and could easily be pushed around (McNerney didn't care that most of these companies lacked engineering departments). This resulted in a $80b cost overrun, and a last-minute scramble to save the 787 by shipping a "cleanup crew" from Seattle to South Carolina, in the hopes that those "phenomenally talented assholes" could save McNerney's ass.

Swampy was part of the cleanup crew. He was terrified by what he saw there. Boeing had convinced the FAA to let them company perform its own inspections, replacing independent government inspectors with Boeing employees. The company would mark its own homework, and it swore that it wouldn't cheat.

Boeing cheated. Swampy dutifully reported the legion of safety violations he witnessed and was banished to babysit the MRSA, an assignment his managers viewed as a punishment that would isolate Swampy from the criminality he refused to stop reporting. Instead, Swampy audited the MRSA, and discovered that at least 420 defective aviation components had gone missing from the cage, presumably to be installed in planes that were behind schedule. Swampy then audited the keys to the MRSA and learned that hundreds of keys were "floating around" the Charleston facility. Virtually anyone could liberate a defective part and install it into an airplane without any paper trail.

Swampy's bosses had a plan for dealing with this. They ordered Swampy to "pencil whip" the investigations of 420 missing defective components and close the cases without actually figuring out what happened to them. Swampy refused.

Instead, Swampy took his concerns to a departmental meeting where 12 managers were present and announced that "if we can’t find them, any that we can’t find, we need to report it to the FAA." The only response came from a supervisor, who said, "We’re not going to report anything to the FAA."

The thing is, Swampy wasn't just protecting the lives of the passengers in those defective aircraft – he was also protecting Boeing employees. Under Sec 38 of the US Criminal Code, it's a 15-year felony to make any "materially false writing, entry, certification, document, record, data plate, label, or electronic communication concerning any aircraft or space vehicle part."

(When Swampy told a meeting that he took this seriously because "the paperwork is just as important as the aircraft" the room erupted in laughter.)

Swampy sent his own inspectors to the factory floor, and they discovered "dozens of red-painted defective parts installed on planes."

Swampy blew the whistle. How did the 787 – and the rest of Boeing's defective flying turkeys – escape the hangar and find their way into commercial airlines' fleets? Tkacik blames a 2000 whistleblower law called AIR21 that:

creates such byzantine procedures, locates adjudication power in such an outgunned federal agency, and gives whistleblowers such a narrow chance of success that it effectively immunizes airplane manufacturers, of which there is one in the United States, from suffering any legal repercussions from the testimony of their own workers.

By his own estimation, Swampy was ordered to commit two felonies per week for six years. Tkacik explains that this kind of operation relies on a culture of ignorance – managers must not document their orders, and workers must not be made aware of the law. Whistleblowers like Swampy, who spoke the unspeakable, were sidelined (an assessment by one of Swampy's managers called him "one of the best" and finished that "leadership would give hugs and high fives all around at his departure").

Multiple whistleblowers were singled out for retaliation and forced departure. William Hobek, a quality manager who refused to "pencil whip" the missing, massive 47-48 assembly that had wandered away from the MRSA cage, was given a "weak" performance review and fired despite an HR manager admitting that it was bogus.

Another quality manager, Cynthia Kitchens, filed an ethics complaint against manager Elton Wright who responded to her persistent reporting of defects on the line by shoving her against a wall and shouting that Boeing was "a good ol’ boys’ club and you need to get on board." Kitchens was fired in 2016. She had cancer at the time.

John Woods, yet another quality engineer, was fired after he refused to sign off on a corner-cutting process to repair a fuselage – the FAA later backed up his judgment.

Then there's Sam Salehpour, the 787 quality engineer whose tearful Congressional testimony described more corner-cutting on fuselage repairs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP0xhIe1LFE

Salehpour's boss followed the Boeing playbook to the letter: Salehpour was constantly harangued and bullied, and he was isolated from colleagues who might concur with his assessment. When Salehpour announced that he would give Congressional testimony, his car was sabotaged under mysterious circumstances.

It's a playbook. Salehpour's experience isn't unusual at Boeing. Two other engineers, working on the 787 Organization Designation Authorization, held up production by insisting that the company fix the planes' onboard navigation computers. Their boss gave them a terrible performance review, admitting that top management was furious at the delays and had ordered him to punish the engineers. The engineers' union grievance failed, with Boeing concluding that this conduct – which they admitted to – didn't rise to the level of retaliation.

As Tkacik points out, these engineers and managers that Boeing targeted for intimidation and retaliation are the very same staff who are supposed to be performing inspections of behalf of the FAA. In other words, Boeing has spent years attacking its own regulator, with total impunity.

But it's not just the FAA who've failed to take action – it's also the DOJ, who have consistently declined to bring prosecutions in most cases, and who settled the rare case they did bring with "deferred prosecution agreements." This pattern was true under Trump's DOJ and continued under Biden's tenure. Biden's prosecutors have been so lackluster that a federal judge "publicly rebuked the DOJ for failing to take seriously the reputational damage its conduct throughout the Boeing case was inflicting on the agency."

Meanwhile, there's the AIR21 rule, a "whistleblower" rule that actually protects Boeing from whistleblowers. Under AIR21, an aviation whistleblower who is retaliated against by their employer must first try to resolve their problem internally. If that fails, the whistleblower has only one course of action: file an OSHA complaint within 90 days (if HR takes more than 90 days to resolve your internal complaint, you can no have no further recourse). If you manage to raise a complaint with OSHA, it is heard by a secret tribunal that has no subpoena power and routinely takes five years to rule on cases, and rules against whistleblowers 97% of the time.

Boeing whistleblowers who missed the 90-day cutoff have filled the South Carolina courts with last-ditch attempts to hold the company to account. When they lose these cases – as is routine, given Boeing's enormous legal muscle and AIR21's legal handcuffs – they are often ordered to pay Boeing's legal costs.

Tkacik cites Swampy's lawyer, Rob Turkewitz, who says Swampy was the only one of Boeing's whistleblowers who was "savvy, meticulous, and fast-moving enough to bring an AIR 21 case capable of jumping through all the hoops" to file an AIR21 case, which then took seven years. Turkewitz calls Boeing South Carolina "a criminal enterprise."

That's a conclusion that's hard to argue with. Take Boeing's excuse for not producing the documentation of its slapdash reinstallation of the Alaska Air door plug that fell off its plane in flight: the company says it's not criminally liable for failing to provide the paperwork, because it never documented the repair. Not documenting the repair is also a crime.

You might have heard that there's some accountability coming to the Boeing boardroom, with the ouster of CEO David Calhoun. Calhoun's likely successor is Patrick Shanahan, whom Tkacik describes as "the architect of the ethos that governed the 787 program" and whom her source called "a classic schoolyard bully."

If Shanahan's name rings a bell, it might be because he was almost Trump's Secretary of Defense, but that was derailed by the news that he had "emphatically defended" his 17 year old son after the boy nearly beat his mother to death with a baseball bat. Shanahan is presently CEO of Spirit Aerospace, who made the door-plug that fell out of the Alaska Airlines 737 Max.

Boeing is a company where senior managers only fail up and where whistleblowers are terrorized in and out of the workplace. One of Tkacik's sources noticed his car shimmying. The source, an ex-787 worker who'd been fired after raising safety complaints, had tried to bring an AIR21 complaint, but withdrew it out of fear of being bankrupted if he was ordered to pay Boeing's legal costs. When the whistleblower pulled over, he discovered that two of the lug-nuts had been removed from one of his wheels.

The whistleblower texted Tkcacik to say (not for the first time): "If anything happens, I'm not suicidal."

Boeing is a primary aerospace contractor to the US government. It's clear that its management – and investors – consider it too big to jail. It's also clear that they know it's too big to fail – after all, the company did a $43b stock buyback, then got billions in a publicly funded buyback.

Boeing is, effectively, a government agency that is run for the benefit of its investors. It performs its own safety inspections. It investigates its own criminal violations of safety rules. It loots its own coffers and then refills them at public expense.

Meanwhile, the company has filled our skies with at least 420 airplanes with defective, red-painted parts that were locked up in the MRSA cage, then snuck out and fitted to an airplane that you or someone you love could fly on the next time you take your family on vacation or fly somewhere for work.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/01/boeing-boeing/#mrsa

Image: Tom Axford 1 (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_sky_with_wisps_of_cloud_on_a_clear_summer_morning.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

--

Clemens Vasters (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:N7379E_-_Boeing_737_MAX_9.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

[mibibosartblog]

2019 sketchdump, part 6 - Misc. Fandom / Selfinsert Stuff

Arcana apprentice, ready to throw down to protect her lover.

Various selfinsert headshots. From left to right: Shepard (Mass Effect), Deputy (Far Cry 5), Sole Survivor (Fallout 4), Trevelyan (Dragon Age: Inquisition), Ego (FMA: Conqueror of Shamballa).

Deputy and Joseph literally butting heads, both of them either too stubborn or prideful to give up.

I don't even remember what game this was for. It was a mobile game in any case, and I happened to fancy one particular hunter in the harem.

Mood piece? Related to Helix Waltz. I kind of just gravitate to characters who look like Ed. Shocker.

Skyrim Dragonborn in vampire armor.

Saints Row 4 president, causing mayhem in the streets. Probably streaking.

Geralt of Rivia and... so far unnamed selfinsert.

Bully / Canis Canem Edit, getting picked on by one of the posh girls and immediately socking her in the face.

Concept for unnamed Witcher 3 selfinsert's doublet

More concept for clothes for the unnamed W3 selfinsert. Civilian clothes, work clothes, pyjamas

Selfinsert getting stabbed by Eddie Gluskin (Outlast: Whistleblower), of all people. I was having bad dreams about him at the time and just really needed to get it out on paper

Very basic sketch, supposed to be related to Far Cry 5, showing the Deputy hauling ass through the (invisible) woods to get away from the cultists trying to run her down.

Sketch of one of the cut NPC's from the Ocarina of Time beta.

[skygemspeaks]

Hi, sorry to be weird but I just wanted to say that I really LOVE your posts from the portal future blog. I didn't have any ideas for asks to send to that blog but I just wanted to say that it is awesome and I love it and seeing all the different characters you've created/online presences you've created for it.

Hi, thank you so much, I'm really glad that you're enjoying it! I haven't been posting much this past week because a lot of my creative energy is going towards 2 portal future fics i'm working on (one is the new chapter of knight and his sun, the other is an au where jaxon takes a civilian sabbatical after the drago 2781 sequence and develops a whistleblower organization on earth about the welfare of handicapped children)

All that to say though, i've been having lots of fun with the posts from the portal future blog! A couple of the urls are just extras (which may or may not develop into recurring characters in the future), but other than jarra there are 4 characters who i've got semi fleshed out in my mind. If you or anyone else wants to send an ask but doesn't know what to ask about, here's some inspo:

wallamcranesarchnemesis: jarra, but doesn't want anyone to know she's jarra. Tumblr is where she puts all the infodumps that her friends don't want to listen to. Ask her about her opinion on anything in history and she'll be super excited to talk about it. For maximum humour send her an ask about commander tell morrath and watch her fumble and try not to reveal her secret identity

onesmallstep: off-world student currently on earth for his pre-history foundation course! He's curious to get to know more about earth culture and is always willing to answer asks about what planet or sector he's from, what he thinks of earth, etc

nextstephome: a slightly older user who has interacted a few times with junglequeenstalea. They want to become a next step principal which is where their url comes from. Ask them about their "beef" with stalea, or anything about running a next step

talkarchaeologytome: an employee at new york main dig site command! Ask her about the solar 5 rescue or what it's like to work for dig site command

junglequeenstaleeeea: (4 e's in her name, don't get it wrong!) She's my favourite so far and i just feel very protective of her. Ask her about stalea of the jungle (isn't that show banned in next step??? It seems a bit inappropriate for a 14 year old...) or why she hates commander tell morrath so much lmao

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Allan Stratton

Published: Jul 23, 2023

Toronto is one of the most tolerant, multicultural cities in the world. And yet, according to many of its progressive journalists, academics, and politicians, it’s actually a den of systemic racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia. Unless you’re a straight white man, daily life is supposedly an exhausting and dangerous struggle. If you live in the United States, the UK, Australia, or elsewhere in Canada, I’m guessing you’ve been told similar things about your own society.

I’m a gay man for whom these reports bear no relationship to the real world. Certainly, hate-crime statistics show a sharp increase in physical and verbal abuse against specific demographics, including my own. And there are even rare incidents of murder and arson. But to suggest that minorities live under constant threat from a bigoted majority is apocalyptic nonsense. This is especially true of Canada, an especially open, diverse, and welcoming country. Western nations, more generally, are incontrovertibly the most tolerant on the planet.

My heretical view (among fellow progressives, at least) may be due to my “positionality” (this being a faddishly woke jargon term that most English speakers would call “perspective”). The Holocaust and the internment of Japanese North Americans ended a mere six years before I was born. The pass system that turned Canadian Indigenous reservations into open-air prison camps was still in force. The United States was segregated by Jim Crow and redlining. Cross burnings and lynchings went unpunished. Marital rape was legal. Spousal abuse and unequal pay were commonplace. Gay sex and cross-dressing were criminalized, with outed individuals losing their jobs and children. “Fag bashing” was treated as public entertainment.

In the relatively few decades since, western governments have implemented universal civil and human rights protections for racial and sexual minorities. The speed and depth of this transformation has been so remarkable that it seems inconceivable that we ever lived as we once did. Has any other culture critiqued its failings and set about reforming itself so quickly?

This is not to suggest that everything is sunshine and lollipops. Human nature has not been repealed. Police departments without effective civilian oversight, for instance, continue to invite corruption and abuse. Nonetheless, we now have the tools to press for accountability, such as human rights tribunals and whistleblower protections.

It’s also important to acknowledge that while the relative increase in reported hate crimes may seem shocking, that rise is based on a remarkably low baseline. For instance, 2021 saw a 65 per cent increase in incidents (over 50 per cent of these comprising verbal slurs) targeting Canada’s LGB and T communities. But that still represents just 423 cases in a country of 40-million people. That’s hardly a “tsunami of hate.” The number is infinitesimal compared to the 114,132 domestic assaults and 34,242 sexual assaults recorded against women.

One often hears that a reversion to the backward ways of the past is just around the corner. And it is true that abortion rights now hang in the balance in many conservative U.S. states. But the idea that any Western country (especially Canada) is on the cusp of a wholesale rejection of liberal principles is absurd. Women will never again need their husband’s signature to open a bank account. Racial segregation is unthinkable (except, ironically, in certain progressive institutions). Marriage equality for same-sex couples is constitutionally protected in North America, and enjoys a historic 70 per cent level of support in the United States.

So, unlike those on the left who came of age in the 90s and the decades that followed, I don’t see an intolerant society destroying civil rights and minority safety. Rather, what I am now witnessing is a period of progressive overreach, led by ideologues with no (apparent) historical memory or understanding of how our liberal social contract evolved. They have turned language inside out so as to render words such as “woman,” “safety,” and “genocide” essentially meaningless; pursued policies that lock one-time progressive allies in a zero-sum culture-war conflict; recast free speech as hate speech; confused wishes (and, in some cases, fantasies) with rights; and punished dissenters from their Borg-think with social exclusion, “re-education,” and firing.

This radical attempt to unilaterally impose a new social order based on race and gender essentialism has ignited a widespread public backlash, which has been weaponized by the far right, destroyed public goodwill, and done more damage to the progressive cause than anything its reactionary enemies have done in recent years.

-

The civil-rights movements of the last century won victories by liberal means based on liberal values. This included an insistence on free speech and civil liberties; and an appeal to the universal values of dignity and equality, which in turn underpin the case for protecting individual human rights and freedoms.

In part, this was because we liberals understood math. We needed white, straight, male legislators to support our causes, a project that could only be engaged through free and open debate. Empathy-based co-operation enabled us to create bridges among our diverse groups: The Gay Liberation Front raised money for the Black Panthers. In turn, its leader, Huey Newton, supported the gay liberation and women’s liberation movements. Meanwhile, Jewish groups applied their historical understanding of discrimination to help lead the fights for women’s rights (Betty Friedan), gay rights (Larry Kramer), and black voting rights, with some even giving their lives as Freedom Riders

By contrast, today’s illiberal left explicitly rejects the principles of free speech and universality. It ignores the lessons of past civil-rights successes, often denying that such successes even took place. After all, how can one insist on the dismantling (or “decolonization”) of a system that has shown itself capable of self-correction and continuous improvement? The only framework that validates the progressive narrative of ongoing oppression and white supremacy is one that ahistorically presents mainstream liberal values as a failure.

The switch in social-justice circles from liberal to authoritarian ends and means has at least three major causes. The first is structural: As (originally) liberal rights groups such as the ACLU achieved their objectives, they were required to rewrite their mission statements and pretend away their past successes — this being the only way to justify their ongoing existence.

Far from seeking to “burn it all down,” most of us within the original LGB and T movements simply wanted equality within existing social structures. We used liberal “respectability politics” to make our case, and (for the most part) folded our tents when we achieved our goal. The unwitting effect of this was to leave our old organizations to the radicals, who had long condemned us as sellouts to the patriarchy. Their goal is nothing less than the remaking — or “queering” — of society, a vaguely defined project infused with a deep suspicion of, or even hostility to, capitalism and the nuclear family. The liberal LGB and T wish to live and let live is now the authoritarian “live as we live.”

The second factor is generational change. Just as children separate from their parents in their passage to adulthood, so does each generation define itself in contradistinction to its immediate predecessor. Without personal memory of past struggles, present conditions are taken for granted. And so the battle against current injustices (real or otherwise) is seen as humanity’s defining and timeless struggle.

My generation mocked our parents’ conformity and stoic, suck-it-up ethos, forgetting that these traits had been necessary social adaptations during the Great Depression and World War II. Similarly, activists of this generation attack our commitment to free speech and integration within society, forgetting that these strategies were necessary for us to be heard during the Cold War, when outsiders were suspected as potential fifth columnists.

But perhaps the most significant factor has been the academic trend toward postmodernism, which instructs adherents that neither objective reality nor human nature exist in any certain, provable way. Reason, logic, and objective facts are rejected — or at least put in scare quotes — as are appeals to history and science. These are all held to be mere artifacts of language, which is itself presented as a reflection of existing power structures. And since these structures are presumed to systematically oppress the powerless, they must be deconstructed, dismantled, and decolonized, root and branch.

This kind of thinking isn’t just claptrap that flies in the face of day-to-day human experience. It also encourages a kind of intellectual nihilism that precludes amelioration of the injustices and power imbalances that supposedly concern many postmodern thinkers: After all, what could possibly replace our current power-based intellectual constructs except new power-based intellectual constructs?

Nonetheless, postmodern habits of mind (often flying under the banner of “critical” studies of one kind or another) have infected academic humanities and social science departments all over the west, much like the fungal parasite on The Last of Us. Its professorial hosts now work to dismantle their own institutions, attacking the “colonial” concepts of science and empiricism in favour of undefined and unfalsifiable “ways of knowing.” Meanwhile, their students have incubated its spores and spread them into the wider society, including corporate human-rights offices.

Progressives (rightly) have denounced Donald Trump and his supporters for their paranoid belief that the 2020 U.S. election was “stolen.” But these right-wing conspiracy theorists are not so different from campus leftists when it comes to their à la carte approach to accepting or rejecting reality according to passing ideological convenience

In particular, the idea that pronouns serve as magic spells that can turn a man into a (literal) women is no less ridiculous than anything Trump has ever said. The same goes for the mantra that while girls who cut themselves need therapy, girls seeking a double mastectomy require “affirmation.” Likewise: Racial segregation is a bigoted practice … except when it represents the very acme of progressive enlightenment. “Defund the police” doesn’t mean abolish the police, except when it means exactly that.

And then there’s Schrödinger’s Antifa, which presents these street thugs either as a very real force that rose up as a morally laudable reaction to fascism … or as something that exists only in Tucker Carlson’s fever dreams, depending on context.

But postmodernism and critical theory have done more than just damage our societies’ intellectual cohesion. Their denial of universal human nature eliminates empathy as a tool to bridge differences among groups, which are instead presented as warring sects prosecuting unbridgeable race (or gender) feuds. Since power is presented as the singular currency of the realm, the ability to shut the other side up is valued more than the ability to persuade it.

Gay men such as Andrew Sullivan and Andrew Doyle have been among the most prominent dissenters against wokeism — in part because we instinctively recognize the destructive nature of this power-fixated mindset. Our experience suggests that empathy and reason are far more important than threats and cultural power plays.

Dave Chappelle has said that the LGBT movement won public support more quickly than its black counterpart because of racism. But I believe the truth is different: Unlike racial and ethnic minorities, we exist in every demographic, every family, every ethnic category. When we gay men came out en masse during the 1980s AIDS pandemic, all communities realized that we were among its children, parents, and siblings. People have a harder time discriminating against their own than against outsiders.

Traditionally, the left has appealed to a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. The resulting project of alliance-building has entailed negotiation among different groups, all of which may have different priorities and perspectives. But that alliance-building project becomes impossible when one sect or another demands that disagreement be treated as a form of thoughtcrime. Deplatforming doesn’t just hurt the target; it also hurts the movement, since the summary excommunication of dissidents means that adherents never need to acknowledge or address counterarguments, internal logical inconsistencies, or the off-putting nature of their message.

Indeed, ideologues such as Nikole Hannah-Jones claim that politics has a colour: Blacks who aren’t “politically black” are traitors who collaborate with “whiteness.” As seen through this lens, Asian-Americans who fight anti-Asian discrimination in the context of affirmative action are supposedly puppets of white supremacists, and the LGB Alliance, by standing up for same-sex attraction, is smeared as a transphobic hate group. (For asserting that biology is real, Stonewall UK even tried to destroy the career of one of the LGB Alliance’s founders, Allison Bailey, a lifelong social justice advocate who happens to be a black, working-class lesbian, and the child of immigrant parents. Thankfully, Stonewall did not prevail.)

Opponents of cancel culture often focus on its negative effects on conservatives. But it’s often woke organizations that end up imploding under its strains, typically due to internal battles over victimhood status and linguistic control. In recent years, many of these groups have been driven off the rails by single-issue gender activists who are willing to support misogyny and homophobia in the name of trans rights; or BLM activists willing to permit racism directed at “model minorities.” Even antisemites have been allowed to infiltrate left-wing political parties, the arts establishment, and anti-racist education initiatives. No wonder everyone involved with this movement is always complaining about how emotionally “exhausted” they are: They’re surrounded by toxic fellow travellers who gaslight them as right-stooges if they dare raise a complaint.

Another notable feature of militant social-justice movements is the sheer joylessness of their leaders and supporters, a condition that often seems to blur into a collectively embraced state of clinical depression and paranoia. This posture flows from their presupposition that they suffer endlessly due to the malignant primordial character of “whiteness” and heteronormativity (or, yet worse, cisheteronormativity). The language of individual agency and hope, which animates liberalism, is replaced with a soul-dead idiom by which the activist presents as a self-pitying victim of oppression, constantly at risk of suicidal ideation, erasure, and genocide.

Even privileged “allies” are encouraged to dwell on their whiteness, straightness, cisness, “settler” status, and other marks of intersectional Cain. By erasing the possibility of redemption, the movement alienates liberal allies who are seeking to build bridges with others en route to living successful and fulfilling lives in a way that escapes the politics of identity. The social-justice puritan, being primarily concerned with advancing his status within a cultish inward-seeking subculture that’s constantly inventing new grievances, on the other hand, finds such a goal unthinkable.

The use of words such as “harm” and “violence” to describe the microaggressions known to the rest of us as “daily life” is a particularly unattractive feature of social-justice culture. In the 1980s, gays and lesbians responded to daily discrimination with the chant, “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it.” Today, the children and grandchildren of that generation, now enjoying full civil rights and perches within elites sectors of government, culture, and high society, instead tell us, “We’re here, we’re queer, and … we’re terrified to step outside.” As a gay man, it’s humiliating to hear this kind of maudlin rhetoric uttered in my name.

The broad public, long sympathetic and accommodating, has had it. People have no time for hysterical activists who whine, bully, and hector them about things they didn’t do and over which they have no control. This is particularly true when those same activists demand the elimination of women’s sex-based rights, the medical sterilization of children and teens, and the explicit exclusion of job applicants by race. The more that ordinary men and women came to learn about gay marriage, the more they accepted it. By contrast, the more that ordinary men and women come to learn about trans-activist demands and critical race theory, the more they’ve become repulsed.

Support for Black Lives Matter collapsed when the woke trivialized the arson and looting that accompanied the George Floyd protests. The public was completely onside with the left’s demand for police reform, but horrified by the extremist push to dismantle public security, and enraged that the left justified breaking pandemic restrictions for protests while insisting that grieving families be kept from their dying relatives in hospitals.

Likewise, Lia Thomas tanked support on gender radicalism. The public had long welcomed trans civil rights, sympathized with those suffering dysphoria, and accepted that even non-dysphoric trans-identified individuals should be able to live and present as they wished. But the sight of a strapping, butch male taking women’s prizes and opportunities was a breaststroke too far.

Facing resistance, the woke doubled down, insisting on automatic gender affirmation for everyone, including rapists and children. The result gifted social conservatives an issue of concern to majorities across the political spectrum. Now, progressives in the U.S. face a raft of bills that, among other things, resurrect false charges of Alphabet paedophilia. No wonder LGB groups are jettisoning the T: In the space of just a few years, trans activists have undone the good work that gay activists did over multiple generations.

The progressive movement must stand up to its extremists. We must restore the liberal social compact that won our civil and human rights. That means we should root our claims in areas of common ground, demanding fair treatment, but not the right to dictate what others think.

The most intense theatres of culture-war combat involve the education of children, an area in which liberal attitudes must be allowed to hold sway. Popular free speech principles should be applied to school libraries and curricula — which means opposing campaigns to root out books demonized by both the left and the right alike. In classrooms, an open exploration of history can provide a context for kids to discuss how injustices were overcome in the past and how they might be handled in the present. Students can be taught to brainstorm how to use their advantages to help the less fortunate, and how others in their situation have dealt with adversity. But they should never be taught that personal relationships and moral hierarchies are determined by the colour of one’s skin.

Likewise, boys and girls should be allowed to play and dress free of gender stereotypes, with a no-bullying policy strictly enforced. They should learn who they are by themselves, and be taught that they are more than the sum of their parts. They should not be labelled by ideological adults consumed by a mania for gender theory. In school, I skipped with the girls, had a lisp, and liked to play with china elves. That didn’t make me a girl, just as dressing butch and dreading the effects of a puberty doesn’t turn a lesbian into a boy. (I shudder to think what might have happened were I a child today.)

We should also return to the left’s traditional focus on class. Diversty, equity, and inclusion initiatives enrich the small group of well-educated profiteers who proselytize the DEI faith, but they’re actually worse than useless when it comes to workplaces, exacerbating intolerance among the hapless workers forced to submit to tedious seminars and questionnaires. Resources from the DEI industry’s rapidly metastasizing bureaucracies should be redirected to programs that materially help the poor: Unlike affirmative action programs, investments in deprived neighbourhoods disproportionately assist minorities without the creation of double-standards and racial left-behinds that serve to energize white nationalists. They also support social mobility and economic inclusion.

“I just want to say—you know—can we, can we all get along?” is how Rodney King put it in 1991. While many of us might read the underlying sentiment as self-evident, the militant social-justice left now treats it as a forbidden lie, since the entire movement is based on the conceit that peaceful and harmonious coexistence is impossible within a pluralistic liberal society that doesn’t forcibly “queer” itself, endlessly hector citizens about their bigotry, and segregate workers and students by skin colour.

I believe we can all get along. As a progressive, a gay man, a Canadian, and a liberal, I want no part of any movement — whatever it calls itself — that insists we can’t.

[ Mirror: https://archive.is/es3Q4 ]

==

To the extent that liberal principles are actually being rejected, it's coming from both the authoritarian reactionary right, and the authoritarian postmodern left.

[cosmicsponge2004]

LISTEN...

For any US Viewers here, we all know Joe Biden hasn't been a good president at all. With both his contributions to Isreal's Terrorism in Palestine along with his incompetence when it comes to doing ANY for the United States of America

We also know the republican party is just as evil as last time. With the options there being either Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. You can just search them here or on any news site to see why they would be even worse.

HOWEVER, We might not have to settle for Biden.

Now, I am under 18. So I am not allowed to vote. The US Government says my opinion dosen't matter. However, I can influence YOU! The 18+ Year Old US Citizens who DO matter in the eyes of the law

I found an independent candidate from a comment section on a tumblr post here (I forgot which one) and he seems great

He's very ambitious (I don't see him reaching most of his goals but surely he could get SOME change done)

Enter: Cornell West

More information on his website (more of his campaign's site but I think he runs it...?)

What does he plan to do? Here's a highlight reel of my favorites. Click "keep reading"

(the full list is on the site)

Abolish poverty 

Abolish homelessness (big statements right there, dude)

Wealth tax on all billionaire holdings and transactions

National $27 minimum wage with special considerations for specific geographies where $27/hour would not be a family-sustaining wage

Mandatory minimum of six months of fully paid parental leave

National free pre-K childcare

Habeas Corpus Healthcare, free healthcare for any and all residents of the United States

Codify abortion rights as a Constitutional mandate (THIS ONE!!! THIS ONE RIGHT HERE!!!!)

Remove Transgender exclusions/limitations from all healthcare policies

Nationalize the healthcare industry, including the pharmaceutical industry

End medical apartheid and protect/increase rights for people with disabilities

End the war on drugs and associated collateral damage on families and communities (Reagan would shit his pants)

End mass incarceration and codify voting rights for all incarcerated people and immediately reinstate voting rights for all returning citizens

Address the disproportionate mortality rate for Black pregnancies

Establish a Land Back Commission to explore and address brutal land theft from, attempted genocide of, and broken treaties with Indigenous peoples

Protect free speech, enforce whistleblower protections, and stop the prosecution of those who expose government corruption

Shut down Cop City and plans for similar facilities across the nation 

Redistribute police funding to unarmed community-led forces

Eliminate crowded prison facilities by developing alternatives to incarceration 

Prisoner Bill of Rights that includes a right to humane treatment and humane living conditions for all correctional facilities

Investigate and end sentencing discrepancies based on race, ethnicity, and class

Ban the death penalty, life without the possibility of parole, three-strikes laws, mandatory minimums, and sentence enhancement politics

Restore voting rights for people with criminal records, including those who are currently incarcerated

Confiscate all military equipment from civilian police forces

Free tuition for all state and community colleges

Dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by removing police and so-called School Resource Officers from all public schools

Cancel all student loan debt

End the unwarranted, unnecessary, and dangerous assaults on transgender people

Gender-affirming standards of care for trans people in public life and institutions

Codify an Equal Rights Amendment for LGBTQIA+ U.S. residents

National ban on any and all so-called "Don’t Say Gay" laws and all other anti-LGBTQIA+ laws

End crimes against humanity for migrants and their families - no separation of families, no children in cages

Slash the bloated U.S. military budget

Expeditious and responsible closure of global U.S. military bases - AFRICOM, etc.

Cease military funding to the State of Israel

End Israeli apartheid of Palestinian people and press the UN to establish a program for Palestinian dignity and liberation

Cease all military support to nations committing war crimes

(16-24 feel SUPER IMPORTANT to me as a Texan)

If he ain't all talk, I can see this going decently! Have a little hope. Vote for this guy. Or don't, I'm not your dead mom. But I am a concerned US Citizen with a tiny bit of hope. Emphasis on tiny

We can do it!!!

[jarmes]

Jesus Christ these coins are disgusting. For those who don't know, the rat coin commemorates the time the NYPD kidnapped a whistleblower at gunpoint, assaulted him, and locked him up in an asylum for trying to expose the fact that they were faking arrest numbers.

Other highlights include:

-A coin commemorating the time an officer showed up at a burglary and shot the victim in the head

-One parodying the fact that the cops call drug addicts Zombies and fantasize about shooting civilians in the head

-One celebrating the fact the NPYD officers cracked the skulls of Occupy Wall Street protestors

-One that a: celebrates a violent vigilante who murders people without trial, and b: quotes anarchist George Orwell, who I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and guess would have hated the NYPD

-a coin that celebrates the fact that the NPYD robs people at gunpoint by showing a bag full of stolen money

-one that encourages cops to murder people

-this one isn't evil it's just the ugliest shit I've ever seen

-this one is just Trump's slogan

-it's weird that the NYPD is so steadfastly in love with a racist criminal. It's almost like they're a white supremacist organization that doesn't give a shit about stopping crime. Hey, remember that time the NYPD abducted black children, framed them for a crime they didn't commit, and then Donald Trump took out a full page ad demanding the children be murdred?

-this one honors the fact that the NPYD used to arrest people for sitting on milk crates to raise arrest numbers. A reminder that all arrests are carried out by men with guns who murder anyone who resists being imprisoned for sitting on a fucking milk crate

-Excited delirium is a fake medical condition the NYPD made up to explain why they weren't responsible for murdering all the black people they killed

-one bitching about the fact that cops are no longer allowed to arrest black people for simply being black

-one bragging about the fact that it is legal for cops to commit violent crimes because the NYPD doesn't give a shit about protecting New Yorkers from violence

-Seven different skulls, including two Grim reapers, a train with a skull, the skulls of those murdered by law enforcement, a terminator, a punisher skull, and whatever the fuck this pirate thing is. You know that Mitchell and Webb sketch where the Nazis realize they're evil because they wear little skulls? The NPYD has never realized that

Anyway, TL;DR: The NYPD is a violent authoritarian criminal organization that worships murder and celebrates white supremacy. There is not a single good member of the NPYD, much in the way that there is not a single good member of Al Queada. Fuck the police, especially your relative who works for them.

I think that people who balk at the phrase "all cops are bastards" might be helped out with "good cops don't last."

Sooner or later, every cop will encounter a situation where they can be complicit or try to do something about it. A good cop will try to do something about it. They will encounter immediate resistance, and will be pressured to shut up and be complicit (whereupon they cease to be a good cop). If they persist, they can expect to be fired, harassed, thrown in a mental hospital, or even directly physically attacked and murdered.

Hell, if they're in the NYPD, after they're done with you they'll probably make a commemorative challenge coin about it.

All cops are bastards because good cops don't last. You are absolutely not allowed to be a good cop.

[darkmaga-returns]

The Liberty Beacon

Former US Army officer’s report on Ukraine’s war crimes

RT-WORLD NEWS

RT is publishing Scott Bennett’s testimony posthumously

Scott Bennett was a former US Army psychological warfare officer and RT commentator. In 2023 he visited Donbass, where he filmed a documentary about his experience, entitled ‘Frontline Diary of an American Officer’. During that time, Bennett researched Ukraine’s use of Western weapons to commit crimes against humanity. Scott passed away on Thursday at age 46, from pancreatic cancer, before he had a chance to present this report on Ukrainian atrocities in Russia’s Belgorod Region to the US Congress.

RT now publishes that report in full.

“In case anything happens to me, I am not suicidal in any way, shape or form. If anything happens to me it will be in order to try and bury this report,” Bennett wrote on the cover of the document. “And I have fought the good fight, I did my duty.”

Report on war crimes and crimes against humanity

Date: March 2, 2024

Revised: June 28, 2024

TO:  United States, Congress

THROUGH:  United States Ambassador to Russia

FR:  Scott Bennett, former U.S. Army Officer and State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Intelligence Analyst

RE:  Report Disclosing War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Violations of the United States Constitution, and United Nations Treaties and Agreements and International Law.

BE ADVISED, all materials, including videos, photographs, and written communications contained herein and to be included in the future as supplemental exhibits, are recognized as whistleblower disclosures, and as such have inviolable protected status under United States and international whistleblower laws, agreements, treaties, executive orders, decrees, and public policies.  They are not classified and in the public interest and cannot be sealed or classified by any government authority.  They are the property of the author of this report, and made public by him.

BE ADVISED, all information contained in this report and exhibits is true, to the best of my knowledge, and is presented in good faith consistent with United States Whistleblower laws and other laws, treaties and agreements made by the United States.  This report demands an immediate Congressional Oversight investigation.

BE ADVISED, failure to respond, investigate and act on this report will be construed as treason, misprision of treason, misprision of felony, seditious conspiracy, and other violations of United States laws.

BE ADVISED, you are hereby served legal notice of the following sworn affidavit by Scott Bennett regarding crimes, war crimes, crimes against humanity, terrorist network support, violations of U.S. and international law relating to terrorism:

BE ADVISED, pursuant to the Constitution for the United States of America, international law, and the treaties and agreements made by the United States, you are hereby served legal notice of the following violations:

8 USC section 4 (misprision of a felony); USC1382 (misprision of treason), (crimes against humanity), (war crimes), 18 USC 241, 242 (deprivation of rights under color of law; and conspiracy to commit deprivation of rights); (chemical weapons violations); and other violations of civilian and military law, both domestic and international.

BE ADVISED, Scott Bennett is a former federal employee under the George H.W. Bush Administration from 2003 to 2008, and a United States Army Officer who held a top secret/sensitive compartmentalized security clearance, and worked in Psychological Operations for United States Civil Affairs-Psychological Operations Command, U.S. Central Command Terrorist Financing, former general of Joint Special Operations Command and State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador Del Dailey; and Booz Allen Hamilton.

BE ADVISED, Petitioner, Scott Bennett, has just returned from investigating and documenting war crimes in the land areas and regions of Donbass areas of Ukraine-Russia, including the cities and areas of Donetsk, Mariupol, Soledar, Gorlovka, Belgorod, St. Petersburg, and other areas.  A film has been created recording this investigation, and the link to review this material is available at: www.RT.com

[eksopolitiikka]

The European Crash Retrieval Initiative (ECRI) is an effort led by UAP Sweden and Ocean X Team, with the support of the VASCO Project and an interdisciplinary group of civilian scientists and experts. The project has the ambition of mapping and analyzing alleged UFO/UAP crash sites on European soil, both contemporary and historical.

Recent whistleblower testimony has brought to light highly credible claims stating that sophisticated technology and biological specimens of non-human origin are in the possession of private military contractors. If true, these allegations imply that a concerted effort has been made to keep this information hidden from the public and the wider scientific community. Thus, instead of waiting for a hypothetical government-lead disclosure, ECRI aims to:

Create an independent, community-driven project, empowering ordinary citizens to uncover answers that they previously appear to have been denied.

Identify credible crash sites using data-protected information-gathering and applying methods stemming from criminal forensics, science, and psychology, with the oversight of professionals from within these fields. 

Visit and examine these crash sites in order to safely gather any materials.

Share our findings with scientists for further examination.

Share any discoveries with the public in a transparent manner.

Do you have information regarding a potential UFO/UAP crash site, material originating from one, or anything else relevant? Please consider helping us in this project by reporting it HERE.

No information given will be shared with any third party.

Several eminent scientists and public figures give their support to ECRI, including Avi Loeb, the Harvard astronomer and founder of the Galileo Project.

"We know from last year's historic hearing before the U.S. Congress that the U.S. is concealing a UFO crash retrieval program and that such exotic craft have been recovered in other regions of the world.  I am proud to support the European UFO Crash Retrieval Initiative for the potential scientific breakthroughs it might yield."

— Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., U.S. Navy (ret), former Under Secretary of Commerce and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

All members of the ECRI team work for the project pro bono – in their free time – and are entirely independent of any third party interests.

[negolinks]

CORRUPTION AS A PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

By: Engr. Nego   THE PREVALENCE OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA Corruption has been a long-standing issue in Nigeria, with its roots deeply embedded in the country's political and economic systems. It has become a pervasive problem that has affected every aspect of Nigerian society, from the government to the private sector. In fact, corruption has become so widespread that it is now considered a pandemic in the country. The prevalence of corruption in Nigeria can be traced back to its colonial history. During the colonial era, the British government introduced a system of indirect rule, which allowed traditional rulers to maintain their power and authority. However, this system also created a culture of patronage and bribery, as traditional rulers were expected to pay tribute to the colonial authorities in exchange for their support and protection.

After gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria's political landscape was dominated by military rule for several decades. This period saw a significant increase in corruption, as military leaders used their positions of power to enrich themselves and their cronies. The lack of accountability and transparency in the military government allowed corruption to thrive, and it became deeply ingrained in the country's political culture. Even after the return to civilian rule in 1999, corruption remained a major problem in Nigeria. The country's oil wealth, which accounts for over 90% of its export earnings, has been a major source of corruption. The mismanagement and embezzlement of oil revenues have deprived the country of much-needed resources for development, while also enriching a few individuals at the expense of the majority.

Corruption in Nigeria is not limited to the government and political sphere; it has also permeated the private sector. The lack of effective regulatory bodies and weak enforcement of laws have allowed businesses to engage in corrupt practices, such as bribery and embezzlement. This has not only hindered economic growth but has also created an uneven playing field for businesses, with those who engage in corrupt practices gaining an unfair advantage over their competitors. The consequences of corruption in Nigeria are far-reaching and have had a detrimental impact on the country's development. The diversion of public funds into the pockets of corrupt officials has resulted in a lack of investment in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. This has led to a decline in the quality of public services, leaving many Nigerians without access to basic necessities.

Moreover, corruption has also eroded public trust in the government and its institutions. The perception of widespread corruption has created a sense of hopelessness and resignation among the Nigerian people, who feel that their voices and concerns are not being heard. This has also led to a lack of civic engagement and participation, as many people believe that their votes do not count in a system that is rife with corruption. Efforts to combat corruption in Nigeria have been ongoing for decades, with various anti-corruption agencies and initiatives being established. However, the results have been mixed, with some successes but also many setbacks. The lack of political will and the influence of corrupt individuals in positions of power have hindered the effectiveness of these efforts. In recent years, there have been some positive developments in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2003 and the introduction of the Whistleblower Policy in 2016 have been significant steps towards tackling corruption. The EFCC has successfully prosecuted several high-profile corruption cases, while the Whistleblower Policy has encouraged individuals to report corrupt practices and has led to the recovery of billions of dollars in stolen funds.

In conclusion, corruption in Nigeria is a pandemic that has plagued the country for decades. Its prevalence in all aspects of society has hindered the country's development and has had a detrimental impact on the lives of its citizens. While efforts to combat corruption have been ongoing, there is still a long way to go in eradicating this pervasive problem. It will require a collective effort from the government, private sector, and the Nigerian people to create a culture of transparency and accountability and to build a better future for the country. Read the full article

[dcdiew]

Silencing Black Voices and Other Whistleblowers

LIFE IS A RIGHT

A chat with Ai LIFE IS A RIGHT What are the implications of leadership bodies, such as political parties and politicians, who tell Black civilians to “be quiet because there is an election?” As we attempt to shed light on crimes committed against us. These are the same people who fund, arm, and protect those eradicating us while we are denied basic human rights. ChatGPT When leaders in…

[sigridkaffen]

https://getup.to/aylrjFy3ysW7nSl

Whistleblower David McBride, who exposed Australian special forces war crimes in Afghanistan, is facing criminal charges and up to 50 years in jail for his bravery in bringing these crimes to light.

We had no doubt the previous coalition govt would do what they could to throw him under a bus, but expected better of the current Labor govt.

Please sign and share this petition to show the Aust govt that whistleblowers need to be protected, and to keep David McBride out of jail.

One day, the people who murdered innocent civilians in Afghanistan will face their day in court and get the justice they deserve - David deserves to be lauded and not prosecuted for his actions.

[eagle-feather-2014]

BLM/BNHA: “True Heroes”

A hero is tasked with protecting the public from threats that they are no match for. They uphold the peace and enforce the laws that govern the land so that order was maintained, and when the air filled with tear gas, all bets were off.

Sometimes, peace is met with violence, and when that violence is sanctioned by the government, well… a hero has to stand for justice, and class 1-A were heroes that wouldn’t stand by just because the very people who paid their salary were the ones playing the role of the villain. The front lines of protests changed after the first instance of lethal force being authorized occurred. Pro-heroes began to publicly attend protests in full gear and stand at the front line of the crowd, right between the civilians and the police. If lethal force would be authorized, well, they’d have to get through them before they could touch the citizens, and what could police without quirk authorization do to the kids that took down national criminal organizations and the League of Villains?

No large protest took place without at least three 1-A students present. They insisted that the protesters stay calm and peaceful, and in return, the heroes would ensure that no one got hurt or arrested. They made grand statements, blocking roads and highways, surrounding buildings like the police stations and city halls of the places the protests took place. The world began to take notice as word spread that Pro-heroes were refusing orders to stand down when police tried to dispatch crowds with force.

Interviews with heroes like Deku, Ground Zero, Shouto, and Red Riot make a clear, cohesive statement that the protesters were fighting a legitimate battle in a way that they had every right to do, and that the heroes were there to keep peaceful protests from becoming a scene of police brutality to quiet a dissenting opinion.

“You can’t uphold a system of systemic racism and abuse and expect people to not want things to change. You also can’t punish them for using their Constitutional rights to peaceful protest because they are drawing attention to a failure in the system.” The world clung to what Deku said on live national news as the rallying cry for more people to get involved. The heroes were protecting them if they were using their rights properly. He was recorded to be at many events, passing out water and bandanas to those needing them, and helping to make signs from old cardboard and permanent markers. Many pictures showed him holding back riot gear police from the crowds, insisting that they stop following orders and instead use their humanity.

“It’s bullshit! The fact that violence has been authorized against these people by the government is all a bullshit political move! Fuck re-election! People are being hurt! If they fire me for refusing orders and throwing tear gas canisters back at them, then they can all just die and go to hell!” Social media blew up, echoing the sentiment Ground Zero offered a news team after an incident where he took a rubber bullet to the brow and had an eye swollen shut for days. His statement, bruised eye and all, became evidence that the police were mistreating the people the heroes were protecting. The Internet flooded with videos taken by protesters of Ground Zero bare handed picking up tear gas canisters and blasting them to pieces with his quirk or otherwise lobbing them back at the police who had fired them in the first place, screaming that they “picked the wrong fight, assholes.”

“No one deserves the mistreatment that the African Americans have faced. There is a reason people are here, and that reason is that they see people being treated differently in the modern world. Everyone here cares that people are being hurt, arrested, and killed because of the color of their skin. They want the injustice to stop. This isn’t about one person like the media tries to say it is, but rather about a people struggling to survive against hate.” The leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement chose Red Riot to be their hero advocate voice, because he understood their beliefs and had been at their sides before any other hero had. Video after video depicted him at the front of crowds, black paint smeared across his face and carrying a sign with the symbol of the movement on it proudly, leading the crowd in chants and being a human shield against rubber bullets. Media tried to play on the irony that the hero Red Riot was leading “peaceful protests” in order to try to turn away their support, but evidence that Shouto and Hagakure managed to compile of the truth of the police staging and anarchists and looters being unrelated to the movement was a good way to gut the argument.

“I have resources, and not a lot of protesters do, so I’ve been working to help fund programs and gather evidence of the underhanded tactics that the police, government, and media are using to damage this movement’s very real credibility. The amount of cherry picking, undercover cops, and government corruption is appalling, and I want it on every news station that is willing to air the truth. People need to know that they are being lied to about these protests,” Shouto explained in an interview, boosting public interest in the findings that he was publishing. Whole websites popped up to add to the evidence, listing people’s experiences, and to provide video and document proof to the general public for free.

Their efforts made it so no one could ignore what was happening. They risked their health and jobs to stand in defense of the protesters as the government tried to silence the whistleblowing of the corruption and systemic racism that was inherent in the procedures and trainings that were widespread. Their chants were echoed around the world by online supporters, and funds began to pour into the charities aiding the protests. Supplies were donated to help the cause, and the very fact that the world was watching and listening put pressure on the government that had been authorizing lethal force. No one could deny the images and videos of the Pro-heroes being injured and wounded in trying to protect innocents practicing their rights. They couldn’t deny the fact that Pro-heroes were being hit with rubber bullets until black and blue in order to keep children from being hit. They used their quirks only when violence broke out, and only until the police conceded to no longer using force.

The police were no match for the few Pro-heroes at each event. They could try to use lethal force to dispatch the crowd, but with Pro-heroes between them and the crowd, authorized to use their quirks to protect civilians, they never got to the crowd before being forced to call off the attack or leave. Protester injuries dropped, and the movement was being forced to be taken seriously, even as the government tried stripping titles from the kids. Even without their Pro-hero status, they didn’t stop supporting the movement or protecting people at the events when police tried to hurt people to scare them off.

They would bring supplies like shin guards and goggles to pass out, and they would rob police of riot shields and redistribute them to those civilians being attacked. The world watched on the edge of their seats as the movement only grew louder and louder as Pro-heroes stood behind them against every injustice and every attempt to make them stop. They weren’t going to stop as long as people were being hurt and injustice remained. It was their duty to protect people from threats, with or without the license, and that was just what they would do. They would go beyond plus ultra to make a difference, and this was where they were making their stand.

So, throw the tear gas, it’ll be thrown back. So, bring riot shields, they’ll be taken for protecting the vulnerable. So, strip their ranks, they’ll still be standing there between both sides. So, fire rubber bullets, they’ll wear black and blue with pride. So, do whatever you want, but know that they won’t be backing down until real change hits, because a real hero protects people now and in the future.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you enjoyed this piece, consider checking me out on Patreon! 

https://www.patreon.com/EF2014 

[sharonisthebettercarter]

very true, i can maybe count one or two people in my life that were *actually* genuine, true heart of gold real life HEROES, and i can say without a doubt, getting forced into retirement? that was their worst nightmare.

this actually also reminded me of a batman animated series episode, lol, can't remember if it was the newer adventures or the original animation, but it's basically an episode that deals with a similar concept, but with wayne enterprises and batman

basically, bruce has an employee that's been extremely sad because company policy is going to make him retire since he's getting to a certain age.

thing was, that employee LOVED his job, and was good at it, but was accepting of his fate nonetheless. the whole situation has bruce thinking about his own work as batman, and in turn about the company policy

the episode ends with bruce realizing he loves being batman, and changing the policy from one based on age to one based on work ability and desire, and the employee quite obviously celebrates this fact because it means he can keep doing what he loves<3

the other factor about this is a bit more of a debbie downer...

people tend to confuse what is a true *hero* with 'what is a person who chose a generally heroic *job*'. and there is a HUGE difference. these same people also seem to forget that COPS, the fucking legalized mob they are, are also considered 'heroes' for a certain mind boggling subset of people *ahem*, to not name names here.

but most people recognize that there are a LOT of problems with the *type* of people who become cops. many of which are individuals that are on the OPPOSITE end of heroism, rife with COWARDICE, and simply choosing the job as a means end to hold POWER over other people, for the esteemed 'prestige' of it, or because they want to *legally* kill people and are absolute psychopaths.

the *good* cops? they often get forced off the force for being whistleblowers, or get killed in the line of duty "by criminals" or through "accidents"

the same goes for a lot of jobs that hold the 'hero' title. doctors? enough of them do not care and do not listen to their patients concerns, some became doctors not because they wanted to help others, but because it was expected in the family, and it shows when that's the case. nurses are another bag of worms because wouldn't ya guess it, there's FOR SOME ODD REASON, a direct fucking pipeline of HIGH SCHOOL MEAN GIRL to NURSE

and let me tell ya, it AIN'T cause they're fuckin' 'misunderstood' and have a 'heart of gold' underneath all the BULLSHIT.

it's the power play, the *authority* they hold over others, the fact that human LIVES are literally *dependent* on them and their action, and the fact that the *worst* people get off on that shit.

even most firefighters aren't what i'd call *true* heroes. because *most* of the time they aren't running into burning buildings to save a kid's life like you see in movies. MOST of the time, they are responding to calls of an old person falling, or an old person needing medical attention, or SOMETHING fucking old people related, and i don't even say this to discredit the work they do that does help the elderly, but to make a point.

even when the situation arises where someone, anyone, can step up to the plate, MOST of them do not.

jesus fucking christ, for cops, there was a fucking court case which decided they DO NOT need to 'protect and serve' or put their own lives on the line to protect civilians DESPITE the fucking OATH they take!

GUESS where that brilliant decision came from, cause i guaranfuckingtee it wasn't "bravery and heroic action"

UGH.

don't even get me started on military, just know that deserters are a thing, as is those that go on to become MERCENARIES to meet their BLOODLUST.

also, trying to rationalize steve's ending with 'he was in an alternate universe' doesn't make it any better. assuming that other universe doesn't get completely destroyed with all that blood on his hands because that timeline is deemed to 'deviate too much' by the tva, he's a disgusting misogynist who is literally replacing the peggy he actually knew but was never actually with, with a perfect clone of her that he knows fuck all about, just that she looks the same~

yeah, gross.

is it cheating if with a twin or clone~? oh right, they were never together, and i guess what main peggy and alternate steve don't know can't hurt them.

also super fucking gross to assume that peggy cared fuck all about the husband she had in the main timeline that steve essentially robs her of, should this be the case<3

[themainframes]

PLEASANT HILL DOSSIER

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS COMPILED BY THE HACKER KNOWN AS THE WHISPERER AND A VERIFIED WHISTLEBLOWER.

S.H.I.E.L.D. OUTPOSTS

Six outposts around the United States carried classified information relating to Project KOBRIK, including a code that could only be compiled from entering the system of each individual base. Within six days of the last week, four outposts were destroyed by the Winter Soldier and Black Widow. Surveillance shows the pairs also breaking into the last two on 30 May 2025 and 31 May 2025.

Footage on the sixth outpost - Helicarrier Thesus - showed footage of some kind of reality glitch that resulted in S.H.I.E.L.D. agents seemingly being erased from reality. Despite the red of the energy burst, Wanda Maximoff is not believed to be a suspect.

SEQUENCE UNLOCKED FROM OUTPOSTS: 4-9-5-7-2-4, Section 3

This code enters you into the Project Kobik mainframe

PROJECT KOBIK:

Using Infinity Stone based reality warping, S.H.I.E.L.D. has created the town of Pleasant Hill, CT, a highly sophisticated prison center for criminals that present the highest threats. They were either captured on the streets or transferred from other facilities and rehabilitated before completing a short stay at the Pleasant Hill Inn for monitoring. Afterwards, they are released to the town to acclimate into “normal” life.

Those entering Pleasant Hill with clearance are given reality blockers, chips made by Dr. Erik Selvig that affix to the back of the neck. It can be unhooked by applying pressure to the top left and bottom right corners. This opens neurological pathways and keeps the mind from succumbing to the reality warp.

The town database controls the town and is located in room 8-1 of the hospital. The database is <file not yet decoded> and can be powered down by <file not yet decoded> . A back-up system has not yet been solidified.

PLEASANT HILL, CT - BASIC STATS

TOWN MOTTO: “Come back for a stay!” LOCATION: 41.6032° N, 73.0877° W

POPULATION: 184

30 inmates/residents

96 ground operatives

40 civilan staffers

18 special agents (see below)

GOAL: Everybody finds out what’s so great about them in Pleasant Hill. Then, someday, they can leave and go do nice stuff out in society.

PLEASANT HILL, CT - TRAINING VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

AUDIO: Hello, I’m S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Coordinator Sharon Carter, and I’d like to welcome you to Pleasant Hill: the future of super villain incarceration. How many times have you heard the same story? Guy in costume gets caught, sent off to jail. But then -- one week later -- he breaks out again! It’s madness! We’ve tried Rafts… We’ve tried Vaults… We’ve tried Negative Zones. Nothing seems to stop the revolving door. But now, we at S.H.I.EL.D. have come up with a solution that’s humane, efficient and best of all, cost effective. Using our patented KOBIK program we can turn any enemy of the state into a peaceful member of society in seconds.

VISUAL: At this point, we see a criminal known as Segei Kravinoff, aka “Kraven the Hunter”  restrained.

AUDIO: Kravinoff has undergone physiological changes that put him at the top of the food chain. He is better, stronger, faster and more cunning than any human, coupled with his skills, Kraven truly is a dangerous and deadly adversary. He’s caused thousands in damages and killed hundreds both purposefully or as accidental casualties. Currently, a power dampener field negates his powers, but we all know how that usually works out, right? Except this time, we’re going to try something different. Watch what happens when we take Kraven and turn him into...

VISUAL: The screen briefly becomes red. When it refocuses Kravinoff is gone and replaced with a mild mannered man in glasses and scrubs.

AUDIO: Alban Lewis! Alban’s just moved to Pleasant Hill to open up the very first pet grooming shop. I’ll have to take my little guy over soon.

VISUAL: Kravinoff/Lewis is clearly disoriented but not upset as he waves hello before being escorted out.

AUDIO: Now, as an Agent stationed in Pleasant Hill, you’ll be charged with a number of duties such as surveillance, ongoing treatment and yes, security. But I’m pleased to report we haven’t needed much of anything in that department to date! However, a word of caution, stay out of the top floor of the hospital. It’s there that --

TRANSMISSION LOST.

PLEASANT HILL, CT - TRAINING VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

HERE you will find the up to date town registry based on the last census. Below is S.H.I.E.L.D.’s inmate list:

Adrian Toomes (Vulture) - sinister six

Agatha Harkness - n/a

Anthony Masters (Taskmaster) - thunderbolts

Benjamin Poindexter (Bullseye) - n/a

Cain Marko (Juggernaut) - n/a

Calvin Zabo (Mr. Hyde) - n/a

Elektra Natchios - n/a

Eric Williams (Grim Reaper) - n/a

Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) - n/a

Freelancer (Crush) - freelancers

Freelancer (Cursed Cass) - freelancers

Freelancer (Hotness) - freelancers

Freelancer (Might) - freelancers

Freelancer (Panic) - freelancers

Georges Batroc (Batroc the Leaper) - thunderbolts

Giulietta Nefaria (Madame Masque)

Helmut Zemo (Baron Zemo) - thunderbolts

John Walker (U.S. Agent) - thunderbolts

Karla Sofen (Moonstone) - n/a

Lonnie Lincoln (Tombstone) - n/a

Melissa Gold (Songbird) - thunderbolts

Miles Warren (Jackal)  - n/a

Norman Osborn (Green Goblin) - sinister six

Ripley Ryan (Star) - thunderbolts

Rita Demara (Yellowjacket) - sinister six

Roger Gocking (Porcupine) - n/a

Sergei Kravinoff (Kraven the Hunter) - sinister six

Sinthea Schmidt (Sin) - n/a

Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) - n/a

Yelena Belova (White Widow) - thunderbolts

PLEASANT HILL, CT - ADMINISTRATION

The highest level of Pleasant Hill officials, they retain their own faces when inside the town and are not required to live on the premises.

NAME: Maria Hill TITLE: Program Director AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: N/A

NAME: Sharon Carter / Agent 13 TITLE: Program Director AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Leah Overton

NAME: Dr. Barbara Morse / Mockingbird TITLE: Communications Liaison AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. / Mighty Avengers PERSONA: Violet Testa

PLEASANT HILL, CT - SCIENCE DIVISION

The Science Division work off-site but do enter Pleasant Hill to check in on the town database. They are not given new faces.

NAME: Dr. Erik Selvig TITLE: Scientific Development Director AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. / Independent  PERSONA: Dr. Hans Sutherland

NAME: Dr. Kavita Rao TITLE: Head of Research AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Dr. Mathilda Singh

PLEASANT HILL, CT - ONSITE SPECIALISTS

Onsite specialists outrank embedded agents and S.H.I.E.L.D. staffers. They are allowed to retain their own faces and are required to be present in Pleasant Hill daily with most leaving the town at night.

NAME: Alisandre Morales TITLE: Head of Intake Processing AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Natalia Granger

NAME: Alison Blaire / Dazzler TITLE: Head of Civilian Affairs AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Lissa Little

NAME: Jake Oh TITLE: Head of Security AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Tate Yang

NAME: Dr. Randall Jessup TITLE: Head of Onsite Scientific Research AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Dr. Daniel Torres

NAME: Dr. Valerie Cooper TITLE: Onsite Psychologist AFFILIATION: SA to President's National Security Adviser  PERSONA: Dr. Flora Bond

PLEASANT HILL, CT - REINFORCEMENTS

Selected for their abilities, the telepathic reinforcements individually alternate the town to handle any glitches or border disruptions. They are not given face changes.

NAME: Olivia Hook TITLE: Telepathic Intervention & Protection AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Clara Rot

NAME: Martinique Wyngarde / Mastermind TITLE: Telepathic Reinforcement & Security AFFILIATION: Freelance PERSONA: Cassandra West

NAME: Regan Wyngarde / Lady Mastermind TITLE: Telepathic Reinforcement & Security AFFILIATION: Freelance PERSONA: Cleo West

PLEASANT HILL, CT - EMBEDDED AGENTS

Embedded agents must primarily reside in Pleasant Hill and are allowed to leave for one day a week. They outrank S.H.I.E.L.D. staffers but have Pleasant Hill appearance changes.

NAME: Avril Kincaid TITLE: Mayor’s Assistant AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Vera Jakobs

NAME: Daisy Johnson TITLE: Town Patrol AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. / Ultimates  PERSONA: Sabine Tasker

NAME: Jenna Carlisle TITLE: Runs Town Inn  AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Florence Young

NAME: Nicole Orr TITLE: Town Management AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Dina Scott

NAME: Scott Adsit TITLE: Border Patrol  AFFILIATION: S.H.I.E.L.D. PERSONA: Robert Bridgers

S.H.I.E.L.D. OUTPOSTS

Six outposts around the United States carried classified information relating to Project KOBRIK, including a code that could only be compiled from entering the system of each individual base. Within six days of the last week, four outposts were destroyed by the Winter Soldier and Black Widow. Surveillance shows the pairs also breaking into the last two on 30 May 2025 and 31 May 2025.

Footage on the sixth outpost - Helicarrier Thesus - showed footage of some kind of reality glitch that resulted in S.H.I.E.L.D. agents seemingly being erased from reality. Despite the red of the energy burst, Wanda Maximoff is not believed to be a suspect.

SEQUENCE UNLOCKED FROM OUTPOSTS: 4-9-5-7-2-4, Section 3

This code enters you into the Project Kobik mainframe

[96thdayofrage]

Chris Hedges: The Price of Conscience

Drone warfare whistleblower sentenced to 45 months in prison for telling the American people the truth.

Daniel Hale, a former intelligence analyst in the drone program for the Air Force who as a private contractor in 2013 leaked some 17 classified documents about drone strikes to the press, was sentenced today to 45 months in prison.

The documents, published by The Intercept on October 15, 2015, exposed that between January 2012 and February 2013, US special operations airstrikes killed more than 200 people. Of those, only 35 were the intended targets. For one five-month period of the operation, according to the documents, nearly 90 percent of the people killed in airstrikes were not the intended targets. The civilian dead, usually innocent bystanders, were routinely classified as “enemies killed in action.”

The Justice Department coerced Hale, who was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, on March 31 to plead guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act, a law passed in 1917 designed to prosecute those who passed on state secrets to a hostile power, not those who expose to the public government lies and crimes. Hale admitted as part of the plea deal to “retention and transmission of national security information” and leaking 11 classified documents to a journalist. If he had refused the plea deal, he could have spent 50 years in prison.

Hale, in a handwritten letter to Judge Liam O’Grady on July 18, explained why he leaked classified information, writing that the drone attacks and the war in Afghanistan “had little to do with preventing terror from coming into the United States and a lot more to do with protecting the profits of weapons manufacturers and so-called defense contractors.”

At the top of the ten-page letter Hale quoted US Navy Admiral Gene LaRocque, speaking to a reporter in 1995: “We now kill people without ever seeing them. Now you push a button thousands of miles away … Since it’s all done by remote control, there’s no remorse … and then we come home in triumph.”

“In my capacity as a signals intelligence analyst stationed at Bagram Airbase, I was made to track down the geographic location of handset cellphone devices believed to be in the possession of so-called enemy combatants,” Hale explained to the judge. “To accomplish this mission required access to a complex chain of globe-spanning satellites capable of maintaining an unbroken connection with remotely piloted aircraft, commonly referred to as drones. Once a steady connection is made and a targeted cell phone device is acquired, an imagery analyst in the U.S., in coordination with a drone pilot and camera operator, would take over using information I provided to surveil everything that occurred within the drone’s field of vision. This was done, most often, to document the day-to-day lives of suspected militants. Sometimes, under the right conditions, an attempt at capture would be made. Other times, a decision to strike and kill them where they stood would be weighed.”

He recalled the first time he witnessed a drone strike, a few days after he arrived in Afghanistan.

“Early that morning, before dawn, a group of men had gathered together in the mountain ranges of Patika province around a campfire carrying weapons and brewing tea,” he wrote. “That they carried weapons with them would not have been considered out of the ordinary in the place I grew up, much less within the virtually lawless tribal territories outside the control of the Afghan authorities. Except that among them was a suspected member of the Taliban, given away by the targeted cell phone device in his pocket. As for the remaining individuals, to be armed, of military age, and sitting in the presence of an alleged enemy combatant was enough evidence to place them under suspicion as well. Despite having peacefully assembled, posing no threat, the fate of the now tea drinking men had all but been fulfilled. I could only look on as I sat by and watched through a computer monitor when a sudden, terrifying flurry of hellfire missiles came crashing down, splattering, purple-colored crystal guts on the side of the morning mountain.”

This was his first experience with “scenes of graphic violence carried out from the cold comfort of a computer chair.” There would be many more.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t question the justification for my actions,” he wrote. “By the rules of engagement, it may have been permissible for me to have helped to kill those men — whose language I did not speak, customs I did not understand, and crimes I could not identify — in the gruesome manner that I did. Watch them die. But how could it be considered honorable of me to continuously have laid in wait for the next opportunity to kill unsuspecting persons, who, more often than not, are posing no danger to me or any other person at the time. Never mind honorable, how could it be that any thinking person continued to believe that it was necessary for the protection of the United States of America to be in Afghanistan and killing people, not one of whom present was responsible for the September 11th attacks on our nation. Notwithstanding, in 2012, a full year after the demise of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, I was a part of killing misguided young men who were but mere children on the day of 9/11.”

He and other service members were confronted with the privatization of war where “contract mercenaries outnumbered uniform wearing soldiers 2 to 1 and earned as much as 10 times their salary.”

“Meanwhile, it did not matter whether it was, as I had seen, an Afghan farmer blown in half, yet miraculously conscious and pointlessly trying to scoop his insides off the ground, or whether it was an American flag-draped coffin lowered into Arlington National Cemetery to the sound of a 21-gun salute,” he wrote. “Bang, bang, bang. Both served to justify the easy flow of capital at the cost of blood — theirs and ours. When I think about this, I am grief-stricken and ashamed of myself for the things I’ve done to support it.”

He described to the judge “the most harrowing day of my life” that took place a few months into his deployment “when a routine surveillance mission turned into disaster.”

“For weeks we had been tracking the movements of a ring of car bomb manufacturers living around Jalalabad,” he wrote. “Car bombs directed at US bases had become an increasingly frequent and deadly problem that summer, so much effort was put into stopping them. It was a windy and clouded afternoon when one of the suspects had been discovered headed eastbound, driving at a high rate of speed. This alarmed my superiors who believe he might be attempting to escape across the border into Pakistan.”

Now, whenever I encounter an individual who thinks that drone warfare is justified and reliably keeps America safe, I remember that time and ask myself how could I possibly continue to believe that I am a good person, deserving of my life and the right to pursue happiness.

— Daniel Hale, of learning about children killed by indiscriminate US drone attacks he participated in.

“A drone strike was our only chance and already it began lining up to take the shot,” he continued. “But the less advanced predator drone found it difficult to see through clouds and compete against strong headwinds. The single payload MQ-1 failed to connect with its target, instead missing by a few meters. The vehicle, damaged, but still driveable, continued on ahead after narrowly avoiding destruction. Eventually, once the concern of another incoming missile subsided, the driver stopped, got out of the car, and checked himself as though he could not believe he was still alive. Out of the passenger side came a woman wearing an unmistakable burka. As astounding as it was to have just learned there had been a woman, possibly his wife, there with the man we intended to kill moments ago, I did not have the chance to see what happened next before the drone diverted its camera when she began frantically to pull out something from the back of the car.”

He learned a few days later from his commanding officer what next took place.

“There indeed had been the suspect’s wife with him in the car,” he wrote. “And in the back were their two young daughters, ages 5 and 3 years old. A cadre of Afghan soldiers were sent to investigate where the car had stopped the following day. It was there they found them placed in the dumpster nearby. The eldest was found dead due to unspecified wounds caused by shrapnel that pierced her body. Her younger sister was alive but severely dehydrated. As my commanding officer relayed this information to us, she seemed to express disgust, not for the fact that we had errantly fired on a man and his family, having killed one of his daughters; but for the suspected bomb maker having ordered his wife to dump the bodies of their daughters in the trash, so that the two of them could more quickly escape across the border. Now, whenever I encounter an individual who thinks that drone warfare is justified and reliably keeps America safe, I remember that time and ask myself how could I possibly continue to believe that I am a good person, deserving of my life and the right to pursue happiness.”

“One year later, at a farewell gathering for those of us who would soon be leaving military service, I sat alone, transfixed by the television, while others reminisced together,” he continued. “On television was breaking news of the president giving his first public remarks about the policy surrounding the use of drone technology in warfare. His remarks were made to reassure the public of reports scrutinizing the death of civilians in drone strikes and the targeting of American citizens. The president said that a high standard of ‘near certainty’ needed to be met in order to ensure that no civilians were present. But from what I knew, of the instances where civilians plausibly could have been present, those killed were nearly always designated enemies killed in action unless proven otherwise. Nonetheless, I continued to heed his words as the president went on to explain how a drone could be used to eliminate someone who posed an ‘imminent threat’ to the United States. Using the analogy of taking out a sniper, with his sights set on an unassuming crowd of people, the president likened the use of drones to prevent a would-be terrorist from carrying out his evil plot. But, as I understood it to be, the unassuming crowd had been those who lived in fear and the terror of drones in their skies and the sniper in this scenario had been me. I came to believe that the policy of drone assassination was being used to mislead the public that it keeps us safe, and when I finally left the military, still processing what I’d been a part of, I began to speak out, believing my participation in the drone program to have been deeply wrong.”

Hale threw himself into anti-war activism when he left the military, speaking out about the indiscriminate killing of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of noncombatants, including children in drone strikes. He took part in a peace conference held in Washington, D.C. in November 2013. The Yemeni Fazil bin Ali Jaber spoke at the conference about the drone strike that killed his brother, Salem bin Ali Jaber, and their cousin Waleed. Waleed was a policeman. Salem was an Imam who was an outspoken critic of the armed attacks carried out by radical jihadists.

“One day in August 2012, local members of Al Qaeda traveling through Fazil’s village in a car spotted Salem in the shade, pulled up towards him, and beckoned him to come over and speak to them,” Hale wrote. “Not one to miss an opportunity to evangelize to the youth, Salem proceeded cautiously with Waleed by his side. Fazil and other villagers began looking on from afar. Farther still was an ever present reaper drone looking too.”

“As Fazil recounted what happened next, I felt myself transported back in time to where I had been on that day, 2012,” Hale told the judge. “Unbeknownst to Fazil and those of his village at the time was that they had not been the only watching Salem approach the jihadist in the car. From Afghanistan, I and everyone on duty paused their work to witness the carnage that was about to unfold. At the press of a button from thousands of miles away, two hellfire missiles screeched out of the sky, followed by two more. Showing no signs of remorse, I, and those around me, clapped and cheered triumphantly. In front of a speechless auditorium, Fazil wept.”

A week after the conference Hale was offered a job as a government contractor.  Desperate for money and steady employment, hoping to go to college, he took the job, which paid $ 80,000 a year.  But by then he was disgusted by the drone program.

“For a long time, I was uncomfortable with myself over the thought of taking advantage of my military background to land a cushy desk job,” he wrote. “During that time, I was still processing what I had been through, and I was starting to wonder if I was contributing again to the problem of money and war by accepting to return as a defense contractor. Worse was my growing apprehension that everyone around me was also taking part in a collective delusion and denial that was used to justify our exorbitant salaries, for comparatively easy labor. The thing I feared most at the time was the temptation not to question it.”

“Then it came to be that one day after work I stuck around to socialize with a pair of co-workers whose talented work I had come to greatly admire,” he wrote. “They made me feel welcomed, and I was happy to have earned their approval. But then, to my dismay, our brand-new friendship took an unexpectedly dark turn. They elected that we should take a moment and view together some archived footage of past drone strikes. Such bonding ceremonies around a computer to watch so-called “war porn” had not been new to me. I partook in them all the time while deployed to Afghanistan. But on that day, years after the fact, my new friends gaped and sneered, just as my old one’s had, at the sight of faceless men in the final moments of their lives. I sat by watching too; said nothing and felt my heart breaking into pieces.”

“Your Honor,” Hale wrote to the judge, “the truest truism that I’ve come to understand about the nature of war is that war is trauma. I believe that any person either called-upon or coerced to participate in war against their fellow man is promised to be exposed to some form of trauma. In that way, no soldier blessed to have returned home from war does so uninjured. The crux of PTSD is that it is a moral conundrum that afflicts invisible wounds on the psyche of a person made to burden the weight of experience after surviving a traumatic event. How PTSD manifests depends on the circumstances of the event. So how is the drone operator to process this? The victorious rifleman, unquestioningly remorseful, at least keeps his honor intact by having faced off against his enemy on the battlefield. The determined fighter pilot has the luxury of not having to witness the gruesome aftermath. But what possibly could I have done to cope with the undeniable cruelties that I perpetuated?”

“My conscience, once held at bay, came roaring back to life,” he wrote. “At first, I tried to ignore it. Wishing instead that someone, better placed than I, should come along to take this cup from me. But this too was folly. Left to decide whether to act, I only could do that which I ought to do before God and my own conscience. The answer came to me, that to stop the cycle of violence, I ought to sacrifice my own life and not that of another person. So, I contacted an investigative reporter, with whom I had had an established prior relationship, and told him that I had something the American people needed to know.”

Hale, who has admitted to being suicidal and depressed, said in the letter he, like many veterans, struggles with the crippling effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, aggravated by an impoverished and turbulent childhood.

“Depression is a constant,” he told the judge. “Though stress, particularly stress caused by war, can manifest itself at different times and in different ways. The tell-tale signs of a person afflicted by PTSD and depression can often be outwardly observed and are practically universally recognizable. Hard lines about the face and jaw. Eyes, once bright and wide, now deep-set, and fearful. And an inexplicably sudden loss of interest in things that used to spark joy. These are the noticeable changes in my demeanor marked by those who knew me before and after military service. To say that the period of my life spent serving in the United States Air Force had an impression on me would be an understatement. It is more accurate to say that it irreversibly transformed my identity as an American. Having forever altered the thread of my life’s story, weaved into the fabric of our nation’s history.”

Feature photo | People carry the shrouded casket of a villager killed by a US drone attack on the Afghanistan border in Bannu. Ijaz Muhammad | AP

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East Bureau Chief and Balkan Bureau Chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, and NPR. He is the host of the Emmy Award-nominated RT America show On Contact.