#i hope there are more pushes for unionizing in currently non-unionized parts of the industry and more strikes

[mybrainproblems]

Just having a real downer of a morning thinking about the film and television industry and how much profit is prioritized over worker safety or literally anything else

[earthly--truth]

What I believe in

These are my beliefs as someone who aligns with democratic socialism and progressivism. Feel free to critique it, challenge it, even just a few sections, whatever, but this is what I believe will make the world a better place, because people (and animals) deserve to live the best possible lives they can live with the only chance at life they got. This is going to be super general and long, and not get into nearly everything, but I hope it sheds a positive light on leftism.

Strong unions so that workers (the majority of people in society) have the ability have better footing to negotiate better wages, work hours, vacation days, benefits, etc. I also believe that in instances where it’s pragmatically viable that there should be a push for more worker co-op’s, in which every employee has a stake in the company they work at, and the ability to give their input (all companies should strive for more democracy). Both of these contribute to healthier, happier, and, and better payed people.

Raising the minimum wage in the U.S to $15 an hour. The current wage of  $7.25 is way too low. It’s just not a livable wage. There’s a reason why McDonald’s and Walmart are called corporate welfare queens, and it’s because they’re employees require welfare to survive, despite being the biggest corporations on the planet with multi-billionaire CEO’s. The richest in society should also pay more in taxes.

Stop investing so much in the American military, cut it by a third if you can. (Firstly this frees up a lot of money for other things) Get the military out of the middle east, and create other more peaceful avenues to ensure it doesn’t crumble like every single time the military pulls out and doesn’t try to actually fix the mess they created. The people in the middle east deserve to be able to rebuild and they’ll need help to do that (just not the type of help where america installs their own leaders).

Healthcare should be universal, paid for by taxes. Every developed nation is capable of doing it. Many developing countries are doing it. Americans pay more in taxes for healthcare than so many other countries, yet a trip to the hospital still can put you in debt for the rest of your life. That is inhumane, and people shouldn’t have to choose between crippling debt and their health.

There’s also an argument to be made for free/way cheaper university, since countries like Canada or America force people to get a degree if they want to live a decent life, yet in order to do that you have to pay $15,000 a year for university. A system like that either forces people to skip out on uni, or again go into major debt. If Europe can figure it out, I think the U.S and Canada can figure it out too.

Black Lives Matter. To be more specific, I want police/criminal justice/prison reform. I want police de-militarized and to stop acting so abusive towards to civilians and real justice for the police that do, I want an end on the war on drugs (this helps drug addicts get help and delivers a blow to gangs and the cartel). I want an end to mass incarceration and laws that make it easier to throw people in jail for years for basically nothing. I want an end to for profit prisons. I want an end to the policy of retribution rather than rehabilitation for inmates (countries who rehabilitate are way more successful at non-returning inmates). I want an end to treating prisoners like slaves so corporations can get cheap labour. I also want the government to actually start caring about the poorest communities, many of which are predominantly black and latino (in cities anyways). (Also the indigenous in Canada). Better infrastructure, better public works programs. These all contribute to the proliferation of these communities and helps lessen the potential for criminality by making their lives better.

The dismantling of gender norms and roles, and de-stigmatization of LGBTQ+ people. I want people to be whoever they want to be. For far too long we have expected men and women to act a certain way. Women have come a long way, but there are still remnants of the old way of looking at things. We still have a lot of social stigma about how women should look, and that they are not worth even paying attention to if they aren’t conventionally attractive. We still have social stigma about sexuality and sex work. We hyper sexualize women in the media, yet shame women as sluts if they have a lot of sex. We shame women who choose abortion as murderers, yet don’t offer any support for the mother once the child has arrived. On top of that, the positions of power are still predominantly very old men. I also believe in helping men. Men are lonelier, men are increasingly staying sexless (not by choice), men are getting more suicidal. I want to address this two ways. One, by tackling toxic masculinity (not masculinity itself, just the bad parts). TM is telling men to man up and not to cry, TM is telling men not to act feminine or gay. TM is telling men to bottle up their emotions and resolve their problems through violence. The second way to address this is through my beliefs about workers. Men are the most suicidal in countries where there is a heavy work culture, like Japan and South Korea. Where they can’t have lives, and live to make money for the company they work at. That isn’t good.

When it comes to LGBTQ+ people, we need more positive representation in the media. We need people to see gay, trans, and non-binary people as normal people. When it comes to trans people specifically, we need to end the constant wars against them. Whether you’re talking about bathrooms, or sports, or children/teens receiving trans affirming healthcare. Let trans people be the gender that they say there are in the places they want to be, and allow them to receive the healthcare they need which is just the overwhelming medical consensus. This, combined with more supportive parents. all goes a long way to reducing the suicide rate amonst trans people.

The proliferation of the developing world. I want developing countries to be more autonomous, and to stop being under the boot of western corporations. I want an end to sweatshop labour or borderline sweatshop labour. I want the west to stop treating these actual people like their robots for pennies to produce our ungodly amounts of junk, and to actually pay these people decent wages. I want the world bank to stop giving money in an exploitative way to poor nations so that they cave to western business interests. These are people, human beings, and they deserve to develop and live good lives just like us. I also want them to fight for democracy in their countries.

Environmentalism. To go off the last section, 100 Corporations are contributing 71% of greenhouse gases. That needs to change. Corporations are participating ungodly amounts of devastations to eco-systems and the atmosphere. Ecosystems destroyed, and the exacerbation of the climate crises. I want a green and blue earth, and that can start by a) changing to green energy as much as humanly possible; solar, wind, and even nuclear (and whatever we come up with in the future) are far better than the fossil fuels we use now, which we’ll run out of anyways. And second we need to hold corporations accountable for destroying the planet. If we don’t do this, we risk the climate crises getting really bad. Oceans rising which will flood coastlines, creating millions of refugees, more periods of extreme dry (no water/bush fires) and extreme cold (look at what happened to texas). Something needs to be done about it.

Finally, veganism, for many reasons. One, the switch to veganism will be a big contributor to saving the planet. Whether you’re talking about the devastation we do to places like the Amazon Rain forest and other ecosystems to clear the way for animal farming, or whether you’re talking about reducing emissions. Most emissions and waste from agriculture are from the production phase of animal farming. So much food, water, and energy is wasted by giving it to billions of animals that we purposefully breed into existence, then slaughter, rinse and repeat, every single year, when we could just grow food and give water to people and skip out the middle man (think about how many people are hungry and without water in the world).

Philosophically, it is also wrong to kill a living creature that desires to live, that is able to connect with other living things and it surrounding, to form bonds. A cow, pig, chicken, lamb, sheep, are no different than a dog, cat, or rabbit, and they should not be killed, exploited, and tortured (confinement, abusive conditions in industrial farms) for pleasure. I know it’s pleasure for most people, because vegans are living proof that you can live happy and healthy lives without animal products. Vegans are statistically healthier than non-vegans, and we can get all the nutrients we need, even on an inexpensive diet. There are exceptions of course. A very small portion of people literally cannot eat plants and can only eat meat, and the developing world doesn’t have the same access to vegan products as the developed world does. Those people are valid, but many many people can make the switch and they should, especially in the developed world

All I see from this is making the world better. Hopefully you can too.

[whatsthepointofphilosophy]

Right or Left?

There is a popular notion in political circles right now that the distinction between left-wing and right-wing politics may no longer be useful. However, I would argue that it’s the only way to make sense of some of the more ridiculous elements of our modern political landscape. 

Perhaps due to the influence of social media, public discourse is increasingly riddled with people from both left- and right-wing political traditions who fail to correctly identify the provenance of their own opinions and miscategorise the opinions of others (sometimes for the purposes of mounting straw man arguments).

For instance, it’s not uncommon in online political discussions to see the bizarre assertion that Hitler was a socialist, seemingly on the basis that the word “sozialistische” was in the name of his party (NSDAP). In reality, the Nazis leaned so hard to the right, they fell over.

Another common implication is that fascism and communism are more or less the same kind of thing. In reality, fascism is extreme right-wing, weaponised capitalism and Stalinism is extreme left-wing, weaponised communism. While they certainly had some superficial elements in common, they are fundamentally divergent political philosophies.

Because a dry recitation of dictionary definitions is boring, I’ve kept that sort of thing to a minimum in the first part, below. The second part, even further below, to which you are free to scroll now, is a more practical series of dichotomies framed as a Cosmopolitan-style quiz. Wheel it out at parties! Have fun with your friends. 

I: DEFINITIONS

Keeping in mind that words don’t have meanings, and although narrow definitions are elusive, there are certain common characteristics we can identify to broadly describe an idea or political approach as left-wing or right-wing. Believing that they are like each other, or they’re just different versions of the same thing, or that it doesn’t really matter either way, is historically illiterate.

Right-wing

Right-wing politics is essentially conservative, where social and economic hierarchies are regarded as integral elements of opportunity, social mobility and progress. It’s a natural fit with free-market capitalism, which combines with right-wing politics to create a system where, ostensibly, the smarter members of society who work harder will be the most rewarded, and open competition optimises all markets.

Right-wing people tend to be in favour of lower taxes and fewer public services, which would be traded on the open market like everything else, without government interference. The ultimate expression of right-wing politics is fascism, the ideal of which is to have no taxes at all and empower corporations using any means necessary.

Historically, right-wing politics has included, more or less in order of right-winginess: libertarians; conservatives; religious factions; (most) extreme nationalists; racists and fascists.

Left-wing

Left-wing politics is essentially liberal, with strong support for equality and egalitarianism and a rejection of the differences in status, power, and wealth which actively impede social mobility, opportunity and progress.

Left-wing people tend to be in favour of higher taxes and more public services, which would be provided by the government. The ultimate expression of left-wing politics is communism, the ideal of which is to abolish private property, nationalise all industries, and provide all public utilities and services for free.

Historically, left-wing politics has included, more or less in order of left-winginess: liberals; progressives; socialists; communists and anarchists.

II: THE QUIZ

As the nature of a dichotomy involves losing nuance, the following is not designed to be absolutely accurate. It’s designed to help you understand the difference between left-wing and right-wing, and how this relates to your personal politics. If you want to reblog or reply just to “correct” one of these, please don’t bother. These may not work individually.

If you think intellectuals are ivory-tower academics who add nothing of value to society, you’re probably right-wing. 

If you think intellectuals are experts in their chosen fields and have much to offer our society, you’re probably left-wing.

If you think everyone else should have the same values and priorities that you do, you’re probably right-wing.

If you think that you can learn and grow from people with values and priorities different from yours, you’re probably left-wing.

If you think Israel is a plucky democracy surrounded by enemies and has the right to defend itself any way it sees fit, you’re probably right-wing.

If you think Israel is conducting a brutal oppression of the Palestinian people, you’re probably left-wing.

If you think the economy and maintaining order are more important than public health and education, you’re probably right wing.

If you think public health and education are more important than the economy and maintaining order, you’re probably left-wing.

If you think stand-up comedians in general are unfunny, snarky, and gratuitously offensive, you’re probably right-wing.

If you think stand-up comedians in general are funny, you’re probably left-wing.

If you think of the history of your country as a glorious time of heroes and patriots who people don’t appreciate enough, you’re probably right-wing.

If you think of the history of your country as an often-shameful time of oppression and exclusion for large sections of the population, you’re probably left-wing.

If you want to live in a low-tax society friendly to the rich and heavy on individual rights, you’re probably right-wing.

If you want to live in a high-tax society friendly to the poor and heavy on communal rights, you’re probably left-wing.

If your first reaction to the idea of “progress” is fear or loathing, you’re probably right-wing.

If your first reaction to the idea of “progress” is hope or relief, you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe we should lean heavily on tradition for our immutable values, you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe our evolving values should reflect our changing needs, you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe that society oppresses people by pushing gender non-conformity on everyone, you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe that society oppresses people by pushing rigid gender roles on everyone, you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe that government agencies and institutions should take account of mainstream religious beliefs, you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe in the separation of church and state, you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe that interest rates should be high (to encourage saving), you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe that interest rates should be low (to encourage borrowing), you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe that abortion should be banned and all unwanted pregnancies should be carried to term by law, you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe that all unwanted pregnancies should be the jurisdiction of the woman by law and they should have access to safe and legal abortions, you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe that brutal dictatorships in foreign countries should be opposed only if they are unfriendly to our interests, you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe that brutal dictatorships should be opposed without question, you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe that Islam is a current serious threat we need to address, you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe that Islam is a religion much the same as many others, you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe that everyone starts out with the same opportunities, and their success is a function of how hard they work, you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe that everyone starts out in a predetermined position in a social hierarchy, and their success is a function of this hierarchy, you’re probably left-wing.

If you believe that unions act as an impediment to a corporation’s ability to generate wealth, you’re probably right-wing.

If you believe that unions empower workers to secure better rights and conditions for themselves through collective bargaining, you’re probably left-wing.

If you assemble your opinion on important issues based on the views of friends, family, tradition and sources you personally trust, you’re probably right-wing.

If you assemble your opinion on important issues based on expert analysis and statistical data, you’re probably left-wing.

Now you know.

[alexsmitposts]

Meet The Space Force: More Embarrassing Political Pornography On Jan. 3rd, 2019, China landed the Chang-e 4 rover on the far side of the moon. This was a dramatic accomplishment in terms of extraterrestrial activity. The mission had a concrete purpose, not merely in terms of scientific research, but also in terms of technology.Helium-3, the rare, non-radioactive isotope, is quite hard to find on earth. Due to its rarity, it costs roughly $40,000 per ounce. However, Helium-3 is highly abundant on the far side of the Moon. The Chang’e 4 is believed to be the first step, with China intending to send up Chang’e 5, which will land on the moon, load up, and return to earth with a cache of Helium-3, extracted from the lunar surface. Helium-3 is in high demand right now, as fusion energy research is taking off. Many believe that Helium-3 could be used in a fusion reactor that could be developed, and completely change life on this planet with abundant levels of new energy. Russian President, Vladimir Putin is a champion of these efforts, saying: “Potentially we can harness a colossal, inexhaustible and safe source of energy. However, we will only succeed in fusion energy and in solving other fundamental tasks if we establish broad international cooperation and interaction between government and business and join the efforts of researchers representing different scientific schools and areas. If technological development becomes truly global, it will not be split up or reined in by attempts to monopolize progress, limit access to education and put up new obstacles to the free exchange of knowledge and ideas…The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) serves as a prime example of open scientific, technological cooperation. Scientists are now planning to use it to launch the process of controlled thermonuclear fusion…Our country is actively participating in this project, and is now prepared to suggest that they use Russia’s scientific infrastructure for joint research, joint scientific investigation, for the international scientific teams that are working in the sphere of nature-like and other breakthrough technologies, including unique mega-science installations.” The US space program originated with similar aspirations. NASA sought to advance human civilization, develop new energy sources, and make life better on earth by reaching for the stars. On Sept. 20th, 1963, US President, John F. Kennedy spoke at the United Nations and proposed that instead of having a “Space Race” that the United States and the Soviet Union work together. He said: “In a field where the United States and the Soviet Union have a special capacity–in the field of space–there is room for new cooperation, for further joint efforts in the regulation and exploration of space. I include among these possibilities a joint expedition to the moon.” 2020: Pornography Takes the Place of Politics When describing the years of 1907-1910, a period when Russia was gripped by hopelessness after the failure of the 1905 revolution, Vladimir Lenin wrote: “Depression, demoralization, splits, discord, defection, and pornography took the place of politics.” Such words accurately describe the current atmosphere within the United States. Suicide rates are higher than they have been in decades. Opioid addiction is also claiming lives at a very high rate. Roads across the country are being un-paved because municipalities cannot afford to maintain them. Water is not being properly purified. Demoralization and depression are abundant, and discord among the country’s different demographics and regions is also widespread. In terms of “pornography,” the US Commander in Chief, Donald J. Trump boasted about the size of his penis in during a Republican primary debate. Furthermore, the “October Surprise” from his detractors, which dominated much of the political debate in the lead up to his electoral victory, was the infamous “Access Hollywood Tape” of Trump describing lewd activities with women, in a manner many interpreted as advocating sexual assault. After Trump was elected, feminist activists poured into the streets, dressed in pink to oppose him in a series of “Women’s Marches.” Many of the marchers wore hats sewn specifically to look like female genitalia. As impeachment proceedings continue against Trump in the US Congress and hopes that he would be a non-interventionist have faded away after his rapid escalations against Iran, Donald Trump continued to press forward with one of his favorite projects: The Space Force. On January 27th, just over a year after China’s historical intergalactic accomplishment, Trump released the logo of the new branch of the US Armed Forces created by this year’s congressional defense spending bill. The logo of Trump’s “Space Force” was immediately met with mockery and laughter, because it bears an obvious resemblance to the insignia used in the Star Trek TV programs. Trump’s Space Force is not an extension of NASA or push to send humans to Mars. It is not part of Russia and China’s efforts to make breakthroughs in Fusion Energy. The Space Force is purely military. As Trump explained: “Our destiny, beyond the Earth, is not only a matter of national identity but a matter of national security.” The White House proposed that the new branch of the US military be required: “Strengthen America’s ability to compete, deter and win in an increasingly contested domain. Organize, train and equip our space warfighters with next-generation capabilities. Maximize warfighting capability and advocacy for space while minimizing bureaucracy.” “We don’t want China and Russia and other countries leading us. We’ve always led — we’ve gone way far afield for decades now, having to do with our subject today. We’re going to be the leader by far. We’re behind you a thousand percent,” Trump said when he announced the proposal. LARPing from the White House Indeed, if Trump were to push the Space Program as it had originally been intended, it would require massive reforms to the US educational system. Instead of importing engineers and scientists from across the planet, the United States would be forced to start providing its young people, who greatly trail behind in Math and Science, with a much higher quality education. In response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957, US government funding of education vastly increased. However, Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Education Secretary, favors dismantling public education, replacing it “schools for profit” Charter Schools, as well as schools run by religious institutions. While Betsy DeVos wouldn’t favor ramping up NASA, the Education Secretary and Billionaire Heiress, whose brother is none other than Erik Prince, founder of the Blackwater (Academi) Military contracting corporation, is most likely happy with Trump’s alternative move. The entire military industrial complex must be excited about expanding the highly profitable market for cruise missiles, bombs and drones into a whole new frontier. If the logo is any indicator, the Pentagon is probably on the verge of announcing new plans to develop phasers, laser beams, and lightsabers. The fact that the Space Force is intended to appeal to young voters, who tend to disfavor Trump, is no secret. In announcing the proposal Trump said: “A new generation of young people seeks to challenge — really challenge hard — to get their talent and their skill to work. And now we’re giving them a forum and a platform from which they can put that genius to work.” Indeed, many of America’s youth, young men, in particular, are probably quite excited about the Space Force. As young Americans find themselves stuck in low-wage, short term, service sector jobs, unable to earn a living, get married, buy a home, and have children, many are reduced to a kind of prolonged adolescence. Instead of raising kids and having fulfilling careers, many young people who are stuck making coffee or sweeping floors have found the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy as a place of solace. Many young Americans, who don’t seem to have much else to do, having been robbed of a fulfilling adult life, take pleasure in “LARPing” or “Live Action Role Play.” They dress in costumes like their favorite science fiction and fantasy characters, holding conventions and acting out scenes. While this LARPing subculture is new, Star Trek fans have been doing for decades. In the 1970s and 80s, the “Trekkies” were the object of mockery, but now their practices of dressing up in costumes and pretending to engage in outer space or medieval combat are much more respected. Oddly, a section of the new, white supremacist right-wing emerged that seemed to be somewhat reminiscent of the LARPers, though more dangerous. The group called itself the “Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights” and trained its members in using sticks, wearing helmets, and carrying shields of the purpose of street fighting. While images of the group’s members certainly look reminiscent of LARPers, their intentions are quite different. While the LARPers shy away from politics and are very clear that what they do is all play and pretend, despite the costumes, the Alt-Knights seem to be ready for a real confrontation as they rant and rave about “western civilization” and “cultural Marxism.” Many reports indicate that the Alt-Knight organization has effectively become defunct in the aftermath of the 2017 incident in Charlottesville. Outer Space Atlanticism in an Age of Pessimism Regardless, for millions of young people who spend their weekends pretending to be intergalactic fighters, Trump’s “Space Force” proposal sounds like their greatest hope. It is a chance to make their weekend fantasies come true. To paraphrase the old 1960s bumper sticker mocking US military recruiters, they can travel beyond the earth, meet new interesting people… and kill them. The Space Force seems to be yet another expression of Atlanticism. It fits the geopolitical trend of two different civilizational models. Societies based on Eurasian landmass have focused on building up industry and infrastructure, making scientific, architectural and mathematical breakthroughs. These Eurasian civilizations have been contrasted with the Atlanticist Empires, from ancient Rome to the 1800s British, who focused simply on control of the trade routes and extracting tribute at the point of a spear. One wonders if the American “Space Force” will seize the next Chang’e mission to the Moon, and demand it hand over some Helium-3 in exchange for crossing into extraterrestrial territory declared to be “ours.” Such a tragic event would fit the patterns that have played out since the dawn of agriculture, when some humans started to build cities to function as trading hubs, while others chose to remain in the forests, hunting animals and robbing travelers. The French philosopher George Sorel, himself an outspoken pessimist contrasted the two views as they were manifested in Ancient Greece, writing: “It seems to me that the optimism of the Greek philosophers depended to a great extent on economic reasons; it probably arose in the rich and commercial urban populations who were able to regard the universe as an immense shop full of excellent things with which they could satisfy their greed. I imagine that Greek pessimism sprang from poor warlike tribes living in the mountains, who were filled with enormous aristocratic pride, but whose material conditions were correspondingly poor… they explained their present wretchedness to them by relating catastrophes in which semi-divine former chiefs had succumbed to fate or the jealousy of the gods; the courage of the warriors might for the moment be unable to accomplish anything, but it would not always be so; the tribe must remain faithful to the old customs in order to be ready for great and victorious expeditions, which might very well take place in the near future.” Regardless, as pessimism is on the rise across the United States, Trump’s new sixth division of the US armed forces seems to capture the spirit of the times, LARP-style logo included. Despite celebrations amid the widespread mockery, no proposal to add a sixth wall to the Pentagon has yet been proposed.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The gloomy saga of Article 13 just got a whole lot worse

Chris Stokel-Walker/Wired UK:

It’s a crucial week for the future of the internet, as European politicians debate further changes to the controversial Article 13 copyright proposals. An already contentious change has become even more so, with modifications to how the directive would work potentially making more people liable to massive fines.

The European Union digital copyright directive, and Article 13 in particular, has become a major point of debate between creators, artists, tech companies and bureaucrats across Europe and the wider world. The purpose behind it is to hold platforms that rely on user-uploaded content – think YouTube – responsible for any copyright infringement they host.

“Article 13 would require platforms to automatically detect and prevent copyright infringements by their users before they even happen,” says Julia Reda, a German MEP representing the Pirate Party who opposes the copyright directive. She argues that the article would require the use of “upload filters”, which check content against copyrighted-content databases at source.

Mary Honeyball, a British Labour MEP who supports Article 13, disagrees. "Some [online platforms] fear that Article 13 requires the implementation of automated ‘upload filters'. However, Article 13 makes no such requirement and in fact states that automated blocking should be avoided," Honeyball says in a statement. "The text only requires that [platforms] either license or remove copyrighted material."

Article 13 has been tabled as part of a wider package of copyright rules aimed at tackling the flouting of copyright law and intellectual property rights on social media platforms. A so-called “trilogue” (a meeting of European member states, the European presidency and the European parliament) has been meeting this week to try and thrash out a deal on the directive's details.

“Unfortunately, trilogue negotiations are behind closed doors, so we know very little about the debates or the concessions that institutions are willing to make in order to reach an agreement,” explains Sebastian Felix Schwemer of the Centre for Information and Innovation Law (CIIR) at the University of Copenhagen.

We do know, though, that in the latest round of negotiations, European parliament lead negotiator Axel Voss has given up on a threshold that would have meant that firms with less than €10 million revenue wouldn’t be expected to install upload filters. “To Axel Voss, the entire internet only consists of YouTube and Facebook, and he is trying to regulate all platforms as if they were such internet giants,” says Reda.

Other changes have been made that destroy a legislative shield meant to protect small competitors from the largest multinational platforms. Now, only platforms that are less than three years old, have a turnover below €10 million per year, and have fewer than five million unique visitors per month would be exempt from the obligation to use upload filters.

“The non-profit exemption has basically been withdrawn and so now it’s not related to turnover, it’s related to longevity,” says Cory Doctorow, a special advisor at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

“Though there is a turnover requirement, once you’ve been in business for three years you are required to implement filters.”

Doctorow thinks that, initially, Article 13 was meant to be so egregiously impractical that big tech companies would feel they had no alternative other than turning up and negotiating with the EU.

But that tactic quickly got out of hand. The latest changes have even caused some industry bodies to oppose the proposals currently tabled. Several rights holders released a public letter saying that, following the latest changes, they “are not able to support it or the impact it will have on the European creative sector.”

But some politicians are determined to press on with a bad deal rather than push pause on the process. “There’s a possibility that this thing, [which] I think is best understood as a bit of political posturing, might become the law of the land for 500 million people,” says Doctorow.

Almost everyone agrees the rules enshrined by Article 13 risk being applied too broadly. An attempt to prevent illegal copyright infringement on big platforms, put in the hands of bureaucrats and suits that don’t understand the digital world, might become a blunt instrument that could stifle the remix culture of the internet.

We’ve recently seen the weaponisation of current copyright laws on YouTube, with copyright strikes by some creators being used to hobble their peers, or big Hollywood studios stifling fair criticism of their films through copyright claims. Article 13 would make it even worse.

“Article 13 creates more or less limitless liability with extraordinarily narrow exemptions,” says Annemarie Bridy, an academic intellectual property and technology lawyer at the University of Idaho. “The result will be that a few platforms will be positioned in terms of resources to operate with the related risk and expense. The rest will either stop hosting user-generated content, which would be a shame, or continue to do it until they get hit with an existentially threatening lawsuit, and fold.”

YouTubers are fretting, too: Daniel “Keemstar” Keem, an outspoken personality who hosts the DramaAlert YouTube news channel, says that “Article 13 is a threat to the entire YouTube community.”

Artists disagree. “Nobody wants to break the internet,” says Crispin Hunt, chair of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA). “We just want to make the internet work. Good, successfully made, professional content drives a massive amount of revenue for the internet but only a tiny portion of that revenue comes back to the people that drive the value.”

The so-called “value gap” – that is: the fact that rights holders of cultural work have long lacked negotiating power with platforms like YouTube – is a valid concern, says Schwemer, CIIR’s legal expert. “Our current laws are quite old, and if you look at the internet back then and how it’s changed, things are significantly different. It’s a really good idea to revise that.” But he feels Article 13 goes about in the wrong way.

“Instead of this notice and takedown regime that we’ve had for almost 20 years, it suggests that, from now, in order to not to be liable for the behaviour of users uploading content, these platforms need to have made their best efforts, whatever that means, to obtain a licence and to ensure that works that aren’t licensed aren’t available,” he says.

Whatever the trilogue decides this week, that doesn’t mean Article 13 is a done deal. Any proposals will have to be passed by the European parliament – which is where things get interesting.

All hope is not yet lost. Europe-wide elections for the continent’s parliament are coming up in May, and the public petition to block Article 13, signed by 4.7 million people on Change.org, is the largest in European history and the second-largest worldwide.

“We know a lot of insurgent parties are going to be standing for seats and saying remote European technocrats are only benefiting private companies and vested interests,” says Doctorow. “If they pass this deal in the teeth of the largest petition in European history asking them not to do it, that is a message that is really going to resonate.”

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/the-article-13-copyright-saga-just-got-worse

[fambaneni]

Storytelling through her eyes

As the first post since my 2 years hiatus, I wanted to cover a story that resonates my current personal position of self- liberation and growth creatively. Since embarking on curating and deeply engaging with the art sector, I discovered that some elements of the industry go against my temperament. Despite this, I am driven and will continue to walk my own path.

For this reason, I am excited to share the story of the South African film maker Ntombozuko “Twiggy” Matiwana, who is making her own mark through film. She has won awards for her first short “The Bicycle Man” 2016  the Silver Poulain and the European Union’s Africa, Caribbean, Pacific Prize in Burkina Faso March 2017, alongside notable film makers/directors; Alan Gomis and Ousmane William Mbeya. Her film has also been to several festivals including Cannes. Matiwana has worked on popular South African TV soaps (The Queen, Scandal and Skeem Saam). She is also well known for her poignant documentaries that highlight critical social issues within South Africa and beyond. With features in magazines such as Elle SA, she is a woman to watch!

Twiggy on the set of “The Queen” which airs on Mzansi Magic

G.T: Hi Twiggy, firstly, I would like to thank you for agreeing to this talk/interview.

I admire your strength to go for what you want. I read in an article that you left your hometown Joza in Grahamstown with only R20, resigned from a marketing course you were doing at the time and a career in Journalism to pursue film and tell stories that are often neglected. Firstly “See, Speak and Hear no Evil” 2013, on violence against women and “Waterless Flower” 2014, on the troubles of access to water and basic sanitation for some communities. These seem to be part of your first works as a film student, yet they have already received accolades.

Can you please tell me about your journey into film making, your favourite films/directors, and why?

T.M: Thank you for the invite Gaynor. Well, when I left home I had an agreement with my family to be back after a month. I told them that I will just go test the waters in Johannesburg. That month turned into 15 years. I can’t believe it’s been that long, what a journey!

Twiggy’s awards for “ The Bicycle Man” film 2016

T.M: My calling has always been to tell stories. From a very young age, I was that child that went to bed late, I was always glued to the television screen. At the end of each film I would carefully read the end credits - intrigued to see who wrote and directed the piece. I was more into Asian cinema, “Days of Being Wild”, “In the Mood for Love” by Kar-Wai Wong, and John Woo’s films like “Face Off”. The list is endless!  

Why…Well I think Wong is poetic, he’s often fascinated by the smallest details, for example, “In the Mood for Love”, there is a scene where you see smoke swirling towards the ceiling or a reflection shimmering in a puddle – he prefers his drama to be understated. Wong’s multi-narrative, non-linear story-lines delight in jumping around restlessly. He knows how to make you laugh too. As for John Woo’s film, “Face Off”, I think it’s a compelling classic compared to other violent Hollywood crime films. This one you can always watch. Woo admits that his gun-play was influence and inspiration from Martin Scorsese. Thinking about this it’s sad that growing up I was never introduced to female filmmakers.

Twiggy with one of her favourite directors/film makers Abderrahmane Sissako

G.T: You aim to educate via questioning/challenging stereotypes through your films. Do you maintain your philosophy on sets that you work or have worked on as an assistant director, such as “The Queen” and “Scandal”? If so, how?

T.M: Television is different ball game. To be honest with you, I have never been part of story development in all the soaps I’ve worked on, I mainly do the casting.

G.T: Can you please share some of your highlights while on these sets, especially “The Queen”, what is it like working for Ferguson Films?

T.M: The Fergusons!! Love them. I think they are the most reliable black owned production company to date. They have given me so many opportunities. I oversee casting and scout new talent. For them to give me that responsibility shows great trust. They also know that I am a passionate film maker, so they give me time off to work on my own projects. Shona and Connie are very supportive of talent and enabling others to excel.

One of my key highlights with the Fergusons is directing a few episodes of The Queen Season 1 and having all episodes approved for broadcast.

On the set of “ Defiant Bonga”

G.T: I have been noticing posts on your Instagram, “Defiant Bonga”, what is the film about, how did you get involved?

T.M: This year South Africa hosted the BRICS Film Festival, each country that forms BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) had to produce a short film paying tribute to the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. I was fortunate enough to be chosen to direct the South African short which is, “Defiant Bonga”.

The film is about a strained relationship between father and son. This is put to test when the ‘rebellious’ teenager sneaks off in the middle of the night and is brought back home by the police. However, a person’s perspective of a Johannesburg night can conflict with the actual revelations of the day, much to the relief of a concerned father. That’s all that I can say for now, you will have to  see it yourself.

G.T: You directed the web series “Bold Girls” which explores the life and tribulations of 4 women by Nonocreations, a female owned production company. What was it like working on the series/set?

T.M: “Bold Girls” was an exciting project to make. Nono and I wrote the pilot episode and I called in favours from production design to cinematography. Martha Sibanyoni my art director and Philani Brown my DOP (Director of Photography) and I all made sure everything was on point. Everyone was excited about the series and we all made it work. My lovely wife, Sindiswa helped in the wardrobe department. In total, 90% of the crew were women, we all took charge, and helped shape the story. It was fun to be part of. I am happy and proud to have been able to create such interesting lives for those women characters.

On the set of “Bold Girls”

G.T:  What are you currently working on, any writing or full-length film residencies in the pipeline?

T.M: I’m working on my first feature script. Writing can be tormenting sometimes but am learning to be patient with it.

As for residencies, I have been applying but there’s been no luck. Going away from the noise for a while would be great, a peaceful and tranquil place would help.

G.T: I hope you will get a residency soon. Nonetheless, in terms of film making you are doing well, however, are there any obstacles that you continue to face, especially as a woman film maker? If so, how do you overcome them?

T.M: As we all know the film industry is male dominated, so if you come in as a young female director it’s even scarier. I however, always make sure that even if I’m terrified I walk tall. For me to be bold am also always prepared.Preparation is important, it gives you confidence and the crew will see that you know what you are doing.

Finance!!! Finance!!! Finance! Our Industry needs to trust women more. Trust Women! Give funding to Women! Regardless of this issue, I tell myself that my turn will come. I also have space saved up for disappointments, so when they happen I go back to the drawing board and I work even harder. I don’t let obstacles get in the way.

Twiggy in Ouagadugou, Burkina Faso

G.T: In 2017 during the FESPACO festival where you won your awards, you had a video interview where you advised the EU to try and reach those from rural areas and disadvantaged backgrounds with unique stories to tell. As part of the Youth Film Makers Project working together with emerging film makers, what are your thoughts on how the EU can achieve this? If you were to be an ambassador for the EU, how would you go about ensuring this?

T.M: If I were to be an ambassador for EU, firstly, I would help shape the state of education in our country and allow our children to learn with no fear. Secondly, I would help build independent cinemas around where I come from. You know, I can’t believe that Grahamstown does not have a single cinema to this day! That just breaks my heart.

Pushing for film making, I would make sure that aspiring film makers have accessibility to opportunities from a young age and get to learn everything they can about film. I would teach them about Ousmane Sembéne, the father of African cinema; Med Hondo, Djibril Diop Mambéty and Abderrahmane Sissako, Jamil X.T Qhubeka, Ramadan Suleman just to name a few.

G.T: To close, what advice can you give to future film makers both male and female?

T.M: Baby You are all you’ve got. Live to learn that the sky is the limit. You can be anything you want if you set your mind to it. Trust yourself enough AND STAY IN YOUR LANE. Never compare yourself to anyone.

G.T: Well, thank you, what a beautiful close! This actually takes me to my favorite picture of you, at the top of a mountain which you pushed yourself to climb. Its a lesson to continue defeating our fears and shine.......

“......Condolences to Fear and to Insecurities, you will never win with me......"

[marylovettpostgradblog]

9: WRITING FOR THE ALGORITHM: The New Music Echo Chamber, and Artist’s that Can’t Pay The Rent.

Streaming platforms have not only radically changed the way music is consumed it also has transformed the art of song writing itself. Streaming data shows that attention spans are shorter with tracks being skipped, on average in the first 5 seconds (New Song 2020) Keeping listeners engaged in a track is paramount and especially as royalty payments are only made when tracks have played for 30 seconds. A track getting to the 31st second dictates whether an artist receives payment. (New Song 2020) For artists to have more of a chance of a hit song structure has changed. Choruses and hook lines are in straight away to grab listeners attention and stop them skipping. Songs are shorter and faster with no time for narrative resulting in the compression of musical ideas, repeated chord progressions, less harmonic range. Nile Rogers argues that he has always started with a chorus for example in his iconic 1978 song Le Freak with the familiar line, “Ahh Freak out” …  He has the same justification in getting listers hooked early, but for different reasons. Rogers says that he knew as a black artist in America he had fewer avenues open to him and had to grab people’s attention straight away. New Song (2020) The chorus in Le Freak comes in first but it is easy to differentiate between the verse and chorus.  Contemporary songs made for streaming will often have the same chord progression for verse and chorus. This could be due to the way that the music has been created on a DAW using loops and not changing the harmonic content. New Song (2020). Having experienced both playing acoustic instruments and using DAW for writing music, I can see the potential of this as a compositional trap you can fall into

Songwriters understandably chasing the holy grail of the royalty payment is not what is dictating the trend, it is the data provided by the streaming services. The briefs that songwriters are given are informed by the data. Song writer, lyricist and topliner Emily Philips says that streaming is shifting the musical landscape and that the problem is that we are being dictated to by the machine. (New Song 2020)

Format dictating the music is not a new thing, a vinyl 7” single in the 1960’s could hold three minutes of music, hence the traditional duration of a pop song. Now that the data is so much more detailed and as a result labels want to replicate successful songs. The data gives them the formula, this is what Helienne Lindvall describes as the feedback loop. ‘You listen to the music, the data of the music you are listening to gets picked up from the streaming service, the streaming service report to the record label, and the record label tells managers artists song writers, what is popular and what works. (New Song 2020)

In a bitter nutshell we have the conflicting nature of the music business, and the artist. (in this case songwriters). Both business and artist want to be profitable. The business makes pragmatic data driven choices in the current market. The artists or artists can feel conflicted and compromised in making music dictated to by an algorithm. The average number of songwriters credited on a top ten track in the US is nine. (New Song 2020) It could be argued that it has always been ever thus. Before streaming, charts and album sales were the measure of commercial success of recorded music.

Emily Philips has expressed her frustration that the creativity of contemporary songwriters is being restricted by the algorithmic dictate. This to me is problematic enough but part of a bigger problem is the exploitation of artists’ works due to unfair revenue splitting. Recently a DCMS enquiry has begun after political pressure from The Ivor’s Academy and The Musicians Union with the Keep Music Alive campaign. The Broken Record campaign founded by Paul Gray has also been campaigning. Due to the first national lockdown, MU members reported over £21m of lost income.  The Ivor’s Academy anticipate losses of £25,000 per person over a six-month period.  It would take 62 million Spotify streams to break even on a £25,000 loss. One in 5 members said they were considering leaving music altogether. (Ivor’s Academy.com 2020)

A DCMS committee has begun the process of reviewing the economic model of streaming and its fairness to artists writers and session musicians. Exactly what the revenue share is between streaming platforms and labels is unknown and hidden with non-disclosure agreements. (New Song 2020) Streaming represents over half of music industry revenue. It brings more that 1 billion in revenue in the UK. There were 114 billion music streams in the last year, however artists can be paid as little as 13% of the income generated. (DCMS 2020)

This was brought sharply into focus even for higher profile artists who had tours, festivals and TV appearances cancelled, relying only on streaming income.

Nadine Shah (a Mercury prize nominated artist) gave evidence to the DCMS enquiry and said that “I have a substantial profile, a substantial fanbase, I’m critically acclaimed but I don’t make enough money from streaming and am struggling to pay my rent. I am a successful musician, but I am just not being paid fairly for the work that I make” (Sweny M 2020).

The major labels and streaming platforms are the gatekeepers and have a huge amount of control over an artist’s life. Shar also told the enquiry that fellow artists were afraid to speak out for fear of losing favour with the platforms or major labels (Herne A & Bakare L 2020).

Paul Gray from The Broken Record Campaign in his evidence said that “There’s genuine jeopardy here for artists. There’s only one mode of selling music anymore and that one mode controls everything in an artist’s life: their remuneration from the recorded works, their exposure to new audiences, their continuing relevance. These aren’t small things for an artist, it’s basically our world.”

Broken Record are pushing for equitable renumeration which already applies in broadcast usage in the UK, to be extended to streaming. This is where the streams are split 50/50 between labels and groups. This means that a percentage would go directly to the people that made the recording, as well as the writers.  Guy Garvey from Elbow describes this as “reliable income that has nothing to do with labels or the streaming platform-it’s a right.” (Bakare L 2020)

This will be a hugely complicated negotiation and the outcome of the enquiry is not yet known. Guy Garvey anticipates that people will have to pay more for streaming services. (Bakare L. 2020) I would be happier paying more if I knew that the money was reaching the artists. Should we be making sure that we play a track for 31 seconds, after all, every little helps doesn’t it?  Well perhaps not until the paradigm shifts and the renumeration is fair. Researching this has been dispiriting and I have questioned why I want to be a part of this industry at all. The truth of it is, (in my opinion) that musicians are musicians are musicians, it’s in our DNA. We need to make music to feel alright in ourselves and in the world we inhabit. This can all too easily be exploited by the music industry. Knowing that there are people campaigning and using their profiles to try to improve things for all artists gives me hope for the future.  

References

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=203447234640280

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qjfd

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/11/musicians-music-industry-lockdown-streaming-spotify-coronavirus

https://ivorsacademy.com/news/the-ivors-academy-and-musicians-union-launch-keep-music-alive-campaign-to-fix-streaming-now/#:~:text=The%20Ivors%20Academy%20and%20the,campaign%20to%20Keep%20Music%20Alive.&text=Covid%2D19%20has%20hit%20songwriters%2C%20musicians%20and%20composers%20hard.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/nov/30/guy-garvey-says-music-fans-should-pay-more-for-streaming-services

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/dec/01/mps-warn-music-streaming-platforms-against-interference-in-inquiry

Images:

Fig 1: https://engineering.atspotify.com/2020/05/28/spotify-modernizes-client-side-architecture-to-accelerate-service-on-all-devices/

Fig 2: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/campaigns/fix-streaming-and-keep-music-alive

[newstechreviews]

There’s at least one person who thinks President Trump is likely to win Minnesota in November, even though polls show him well behind in the state. “There’s no way that I’m nine points down,” Trump told the enthusiastic crowd that packed an airplane hangar in the small Northern Minnesota town of Bemidji on Friday night.

“This,” the President added, “is not the crowd of somebody that’s going to finish second in this state to Sleepy Joe,” his derisive nickname for Democrat Joe Biden.

A few hours earlier, Biden, too, had appeared in northern Minnesota, touring a union hall outside Duluth and giving a speech about improving the lives of working Americans. The twin visits, which came on the state’s first day of early voting, shone a spotlight on the state that may be 2020’s most intriguing new battleground.

The geographic and demographic trends that enabled Trump to win the Midwestern “blue wall” states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in 2016—and with them the election—nearly tipped Minnesota, too. The state has a large population of the rural white voters without college degrees who disproportionately support the President, even as urban, nonwhite and college-educated voters trend in the opposite direction. Minnesota was also the origin point for the summer’s racial justice protests after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, sparking a worldwide movement. Trump’s hopes depend on whether these trends intensify or reverse. That could make Minnesota the bellwether for the clashing political forces of the Trump era.

Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the Bemidji Regional Airport in Ohio on Sept. 18, 2020.

No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since 1972. But Trump outperformed expectations to come within 1.5 points in 2016, and his campaign has touted Minnesota as one of its top 2020 pickup targets. Like its Midwestern neighbors, the state has seen its rural areas trend increasingly Republican even as its urban and suburban areas increasingly vote Democratic. Nineteen counties in what’s known as “greater Minnesota”—a term used to refer to areas outside the Twin Cities region, or non-urban areas more generally—flipped from supporting Barack Obama in 2012 to Trump in 2016, even as Hillary Clinton improved on Obama’s margins in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

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“It’s sort of a microcosm of the country: as the urban centers get more radical blue, it pushes everyone out here in Greater Minnesota into Trump’s column and into my column,” says Jason Lewis, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Tina Smith. A former one-term congressman and talk-radio host, Lewis’s campaign signs say “TRUMP ENDORSED.”

Though Lewis is widely seen as a long-shot candidate, he says both he and Trump will benefit from a voter backlash to the protests over Floyd’s death, which consumed Minneapolis over the summer. “The suburbs are coming back, don’t get me wrong, because of the chaos,” Lewis says. “But there’s 2.3 people in the metro [area]; there’s 5.6 million in Minnesota.”

Democrats, however, contend that Trump is likely to lose rather than gain ground in Minnesota this time around. Democratic turnout surged in the 2018 midterms, enabling the party to sweep the governorship and other statewide offices and flip the state House of Representatives. Biden has a 9-point lead in the polling average maintained by FiveThirtyEight. In the Duluth suburb of Hermantown on Friday, Biden emphasized his infrastructure proposals and kinship with working-class voters. “I view this campaign as between Scranton and Park Avenue,” he said, accusing Trump of favoring Wall Street.

Evan Vucci—APPresident Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Bemidji Regional Airport in Bemidji, Minn., Sept. 18, 2020

The themes of Trump’s speech in Bemidji underscored the widening cultural and demographic gap between urban and rural Minnesota. The President repeatedly cited the Minneapolis protests, which he described as “far-left rioters rampaging across Minneapolis,” as well as the city council’s subsequent attempt to “get rid of” the police force. (A proposal to change the city charter to allow replacing the current police department has been delayed and will not go before voters this November.) Trump also accused Biden of wanting to flood Minnesota with refugees “from the most dangerous places in the world,” and singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minneapolis Democrat and former Somali refugee, for particular opprobrium.

Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range was once a Democratic bastion thanks to the labor unions whose members worked in its mining industry, which is the source of 85% of American steel production. Democrats’ hold on the region has weakened as they increasingly embrace socially liberal positions, as well as environmental policies that would stifle the area’s extractive industries, including mining, logging and a controversial Northern Minnesota oil pipeline.

But like other Midwestern states, Minnesota’s demographic trend lines appear to cut against Trump. The state’s overwhelmingly white rural areas are losing population, while its diverse, educated cities and suburbs continue to grow. For that reason, most analysts believe the polls are right and Trump is an underdog to win the state.

“There’s certainly a chance Trump wins Minnesota, but how much of a chance is the question,” says Larry Jacobs, a political scientist at the University of Minnesota. “Trump is very strong in the northern part of the state, but his problem is that it’s just not where most of the votes are.”

[dcnativegal]

Does the Federal Government act in its citizens’ best interest?  Discuss.

(written in January 2018)

Tomorrow is the State of the Union. Roads all around the Capitol building will be lined with police and traffic around there will be gridlocked. My friend Farrar, who is the Curator of the House of Representatives (and the least pretentious person you’d ever meet) will be sitting at the base of the podium as she must. The Awful Man who is our president by electoral but not popular vote, will lie and distort. What he says will be dissected by the left and praised by the right. Two years ago, I would have written, The Wonderful Man who is our president by electoral and popular vote will tell us things. What he says will be dissected by the right and praised by the left.

I also know that Obama deported more immigrants than previous presidents and stepped up the murder of other nations’ people by using drones. I’m having trouble finding something to praise about The Donald, just to be fair … um, most of my clients in Christmas Valley love him? (There must have been ONE thing he’s done that is beneficial and good. I’ll have to dig…)

Meanwhile, I’ve been reading articles about the relationship between the Oregon Ranchers and the federal government in articles like this one from the NYTimes.com:

Fear of the Federal Government in the Ranchlands of Oregon (https://nyti.ms/2Deywit), and this one from the other side of the aisle as it were: Fractured West: In Oregon and elsewhere, rural residents increasingly balk at Democrats’ progressive governance (https://www.city-journal.org/html/fractured-west-15611.html).   

I will say upfront and for the record that I do not understand the whole rancher/ timber/ spotted owl/ Bundy tangle for a single second. I will keep trying. Around here, the closing of mills wrought economic devastation decades ago. Was it the ending of logging thanks to that endangered owl, or was logging waning as an industry anyway? Coal is waning and there was no owl or canary to blame. I hope that healthy economies and wise environmental policy go hand in hand. Okay, call me a tree hugger.

What I do want to express is my own point of view on the goodness, the stupidity, and also the evil of the federal government, based on my life in the Capital City, the District of Columbia. As a social worker for the past 30 years I give thanks for the Older Americans’ Act, Social Security and other federal programs.  I also have many friends who have worked for the government. I think the federal government is all three things: good, stupid, and evil.

I will be learning for a very long time the particulars about how my understanding of government intersects with the understanding of the conservative people amongst whom I live, move, and have my being. Their experience is very different, although their reliance on the safety net is the same as urban folks’.

Valerie told me a story. One of the longtime rancher families have been using a gravel road through federal property right next to the Forest Service compound in Paisley. About once a year, this family rolls a big dump truck along the road to another part of their property to pick up several loads of gravel. Some whippersnapper, yes from D.C., figured this out and told them they couldn’t anymore: they were trespassing on federal property without legal right of way. The family stood up against this silliness and the regional manager stepped in. He has some age and wisdom on him and he told the young whippersnapper that the best way to get along with the ‘locals’ is not to be a rigid, bureaucratic dumbass. Either give them the right of way legally, or just leave the whole situation alone. Locals 1, D.C. Dumbass 0.

**

Top of the list of governmental evil is the work of “The Agency”, known to non-agency people as the Central Intelligence Agency, where my own dear father worked most of his adult life.  The CIA did the following:

·      Used LSD on government workers and soldiers. (Watch Wormwood on Netflix for a positively chilling multi-part documentary on how callously the CIA threw one of their own under the bus after giving him LSD. In fact, they murdered him, and covered it up for decades.)

·      Hatched plots that failed, like trying to overthrow Castro with exploding cigars.

·      The CIA also masterminded seven coups, each of which toppled  democratically-elected governments like that of Salvadore Allende in Chile and Patrice Lumumba in Congo. (Here is the map: http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/08/20/mapped-the-7-governments-the-u-s-has-overthrown/.  

We are learning that the Russians interfered far more than we could even imagine in the election process of 2016 and before. Ha, we are collecting karma. Our outrage should be tempered with the knowledge that we did the same stuff, more violently, and pre-Internet.  

**

I have said more than once that the key, that is, the entire solution to the swamp of lobbyists writing the bills and pulling the puppet strings of our congresspersons and senators (thank you NRA, Big Pharma, Northrup Grumman….) is campaign finance reform. If the American public was willing to pay a tax, a progressive tax so that richer paid more, to help candidates get elected, the swamp could return to a protected area of wetlands, and our congress could follow the will of constituents instead of corporations and organizations like the National Rifle Association.

In the absence of campaign finance reform, we have competing interests which establish public policy, and thus we get… the stupid and the evil.

Let us for a moment consider the good. ­­­­­ My friend Bonnie Milstein helped to establish the Americans with Disabilities Act. Her friend Sara Pratt enforced the Fair Housing Act which made a big difference in pushing against racism in rental housing. The Family Medical Leave Act allows people to take time to be caregivers or get extensive treatments without losing their jobs.

The Supreme Court finally allowed same sex couples to wed and therefore benefit from the more than 1,000 federal benefits that previously only accrued to straight people.

As a social worker, I am grateful that every jurisdiction in the United States has an agency dedicated to the welfare of people 60 and over. (Go to www.eldercare.gov and type in your zip code to find out which one is yours.) That the government, or ‘the state’ becomes the guardian of people 60 and over or younger than 18 who are not cared for properly by family. That there is a safety net, however shredded and stigmatized by wealthier people who think all who ask for help are malingerers.

Another act of good government was the Voting Rights Act of 1965. When my kids, their dad and I were visiting South Africa some 15 years ago, Jonah did some math in his head. He knew that the Voting Rights Act finally allowed black folks to vote, since the right to vote had been hogtied by rules that only applied to black folks following the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870. Jonah also knew that apartheid ended in 1994. We visited in 2004. He says, so Black South Africans have been allowed to vote for 10 years (by then), and Black Americans for 40, right?

Right.

Eventually, the federal government corrects injustices. I wonder when reparations for slavery will come about.

There is much that is good in federal law and policy.

Then there’s the stupid. Like enacting Medicare Part D without limiting how long Big Pharmaceutical companies can keep their new drugs as patented, and making the American taxpayer pick up all drug costs once a recipient hits the other edge of the donut hole. If that flew over your head, just know that Medicare Part D covered medications but ultimately was a huge giveaway of bazillions to pharmaceutical companies, much of which was footed by the American taxpayer. Thank you, President Bush. Funny how it is such a sin for a person on food stamps to be supported by the taxpayer, and totally fine to support big corporations that already make huge profits.

I think that the area of stupid government policies and regulations are a big catchall for complaints of my neighbors, especially ranchers, former loggers, and the unemployed. I don’t understand how, yet. Valerie says that places like Lake County tends to get the young and the clueless federal workers and thus, the regulations handed down did not fit at all. I will keep listening.

The evil is distressing and much of it is ignored by the conservative capital P Patriots.  There’s the internment of Japanese citizens during World War 2—an exhibit and documentary just came through Paisley last week. There’s the turning away of ships filled with desperate Jews. There’s the entire Vietnam War. The murder of the Black Panthers’ leadership by the FBI. Did you know that the Panthers acted as a crucial social service provider in its day? They even used my old church to give out food.

I do agree with the capital P Patriots that federally waged war in Waco against the Branch Davidians (1993) was nuts. As was the killing of the black movement called MOVE in Philadelphia in 1985, which was less important to the capital P Patriots because, who cares about Black people. But it was the same government impetus: these particular folks are wrong and therefore it’s better to just kill them.

Let me say one more thing about the goodness of government that is important for not only the federal government but all democratically elected and appointed civil servants. It is designed to be fair. You are hired on the basis of talent and not who you know or how you voted. The current president thinks that bringing business practices to government will some how make it more efficient. What business practices introduce is cronyism and corruption. Every time Trump asks someone in the government whether they are loyal to him or not, he tears at the very basis of fair government.

I think that the reds and the blues can agree on so many things, and I believe we all want good government, not stupid or evil government.

I’m going to contemplate some more on bridge building, since I have to do that here in Lake County Oregon. I have no choice. It is not optional.

Meanwhile, my definition of patriotism remains the same as James Baldwin’s: "I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

[breakingarrows]

Discourse Conversations During E3 2019

Watching press conferences and livestreams of various talking heads discuss whatever video game thing they saw that day is only part of E3. Another major part is the social media discussions that unfold faster and accumulate more conversation than any ten hour IGN livestream could. However, like any form of discourse being developed on Twitter and elsewhere, it can be easily lost if you aren’t in the moment, and nearly impossible to find due to some of the best commentary coming indirectly. This is a small attempt to capture some of that discourse that unfolded during this week of E3 2019.

Before E3 even started we already had a large social media argument about “spoilers” for the press conferences. Essentially: people went back and forth on whether or not to share/publish/promote leaks of things like, “This game surprise is going to happen!” While things like Breath of the Wild direct sequel being announced is a fun secret to watch live, a headline report spreading online beforehand isn’t something to condemn. The sort of corporate love-fest E3 already is will only continue when gamers are actively antagonistic to anything other than the publisher message being put out. As many of these discourse conversations will go, this is the same old song and dance we have seen for over a decade. If you don’t want to see anything before a corporation hits “go” on a press conference, just stay offline and don’t bitch about it at whoever it is that’s publishing details earlier than the publisher dictated commercial. People trying to frame this as hurting developers feelings should redirect that energy towards unionization and fair pay advocacy, not, “Please don’t publish details early, these people worked really hard to sell me this game.”

Perhaps the biggest thread-spawner was the reappearance of Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt Red at the Microsoft press conference. Developer CDPR also owns GOG, which has previously tweeted a gamergate related gif of Postal 2, a, “did you just assume their gender?” response tweet from the Cyberpunk account, and using the #WontBeErased for GOG games. Eurogamer has a rundown of it all here. Then this week, you have Keanu Reeves making a surprise appearance in the game Cyberpunk 2077 as well as on the Microsoft stage to announce the release date. The internet goes wild, fueled by post-John Wick 3 hype and long-lasting Keanu love. Then an advertisement in-game for ChroManticore appears, bearing the image of a presumably trans-female with a large erect dick and the phrases, “Mix It Up,” and, “16 flavors you’d love to mix.” CDPR’s explanation via Polygon was: “This is all to show that [much like in our modern world], hypersexualization in advertisements is just terrible,” Redesiuk continued. “It was a conscious choice on our end to show that in this world — a world where you are a cyberpunk, a person fighting against corporations. That [advertisement] is what you’re fighting against.” Responses were generally critical of the ads message, intentional or not, as well as critical due to CDPR’s past actions. “Also, as a note, and this is all i'm gonna say: in proper context, that ad could absolutely be a meaningful statement in a cyberpunk world, and we don't know the context. But also, sadly, CDPR has burned all their trust and have given us little reason to take them in good faith.” [source] That about sums up most of the opinions coming from trans critics, CDPR has failed to properly respect them in the past, why should this be treated in good faith?

Discussions about cyberpunk weren’t limited just to the one game, as it also extended a previous conversation about the origins of cyberpunk as a genre and if the genre has any inherent themes no matter its adaptation or usage. One thread making the rounds argued that cyberpunk is inherently xenophobic, playing on fears of Eastern Asian cultures spreading and taking over the world. Other pushed back against this, citing early Japanese media that heavily influenced western cyberpunk fiction, not the other way around. The opinion I most agreed with was, “Maybe I'm being naive, but everyone keeps saying ‘Cyberpunk is good’ or ‘Cyberpunk is bad’ or ‘Cyberpunk is X’ as if cyberpunk is a cohesive, monolithic thing. It's a genre that has been around for decades which countless different creators have contributed to, and all of those creators were trying to say different things within the genre.” [source] “I am beginning to feel like strongly emphasizing genre as an acting force is kind of formalist nonsense? Like, cyberpunk or whatever isn't any *thing*--it's just a set of ideas some people have used, and other people can take or not take or use or not use.” [source]

Another big topic was the continuing saga of games as non-political and the back and forth between media and developers/publishers/PR in the lead up to a game’s release. Games have messages, but their creators, whether intentionally or due to PR, won’t engage with those ideas during pre-release coverage most of the time. Those sorts of conversations don’t happen until post-release, because the previews are generally focused on the gun-feel or summarizing slideshow pitches. There is also a disconnect between what “political” even means. “They think ‘political’ means being explicitly literalist about what every single moment means instead of being in any capacity complex or open to audience interpretation, for better or worse.” [source] Chris Avellone, longtime games writer, had a statement in a VG247 article about whether stories can be apolitical. “If you’re purposely pushing an agenda or point of view in your game – especially a real-world one that’s clearly divorced from the game world – and you’re dictating that perspective as correct vs. asking a question or examining the perspective more broadly, then it’s left the gaming realm and the ‘game’ has become a pulpit.” However, in an example like Far Cry 5, a game that doesn’t “push an agenda,” actively, still promotes a specific perspective or viewpoint as valid with its endings, as I detailed before. “But, another (very reasonable group, to which I largely subscribe) would say that ‘asking questions that emerge from perspectives in the fiction’ is *exactly* what being political is--interrogating our relationships to each other and the world.” [source] This topic also seemed to collapse in on itself when Watch Dogs Legion was announced, playing on the fears of a post-Brexit London and an authoritarian surveillance state, and coopting the “welcome to the resistance” which is mostly mocked by leftists online whenever someone from the right is kicked out of their group. Definitely not political.

This is also a very tired subject. Ubisoft for years, and other publishers as well, have avoided talking about their games messages relating to the current events during events like E3. Continually the press laments and pushes back against it on social media and sometimes in previews, but the cycle continues. “You know how I've argued ‘We need to stop debating if games are art and just do the job of treating them like art?’ It's also time to move past ‘Can games be apolitical?’ and just focus on continuing critical cultural analysis. Do the work, make it unavoidable, shift the frame. To be clear, I think we needed to spend some time on that earlier debate just to have a mass-level, stakes-setting conversation. But at this point, the best way to push back on ‘No, no, we just make games just ask questions’ is to show how those games actually offer answers.” [source] This is true, but it’s also something others (mostly non-staff people) have been saying for years now.

The annual, “E3 is weird huh?” conversation also happened, like it has for at least the past five years. In May it begins with, “Man what is E3 going to be like this year?” Then E3 happens, everyone does their shit, and at the end they go, “Boy what’s next year going to be like?” The major difference this time was Sony’s complete absence from the show. Despite not having a press conference or show floor presence with demos and presentations, games media still had plenty to talk about, including E3’s relevance. It seems to be the same old song and dance, with the ending statement being, “Well I guess we’ll wait and see what next year is like.”

Another repeated conversation was that of video game streaming platforms, with Stadia having another presentation pre-E3 and Microsoft coming out with console and internet streaming plans for later this year. No real advances were made in this conversation other than confirmation that, yeah, Stadia streaming for those with data caps on internet or smartphone use are going to be fucked if they want the best presentation, which of course they would. Not a ton of talk about the details behind how developers would be paid, though going by how streaming has been slowly killing the movie and music industries, it is not going to be good. Of course the usual access and archivist arguments continue, which I am 100% behind.

New game details sparked lots of speculation, mostly in regards to a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, one of the few good Zelda games. Being a direct sequel to a previous entry and having a trailer with a darker tone, mean Majora’s Mask became a recurring subject in regards to what this follow up could be. The inclusion of visuals and audio cues seemingly from Twilight Princess also fueled the “darker” Zelda sequel. Some also speculated about a playable Zelda, which, don’t get your hopes up people, this is Nintendo after all.

A game closer in release and in my heart is Final Fantasy VII Remake, which looks to be a big fucking hot mess. Broken up into parts, each seemingly equivalent to a mainline Final Fantasy game in content, this first one releasing next March (we’ll see about that) will only cover the Midgar section of Final Fantasy VII. You know, that section that takes about five hours to complete in the original release. Now that’s going to be extended into probably 30+ hours, which means lots of new original content coming from Square Enix, who are great at adding great new content to the already existing universe of Final Fantasy VII! Despite that I’m still very interested in getting my hands on it and playing through it all. I really like the opening hours of Final Fantasy VII, I just have little faith that they are going to do anything interesting with the new content and not make it feel like filler. It appears Jessie will have a much more expanded role, but still no word on the crossdressing or squats minigame. Combat has been very much changed, and everything is super overproduced in terms of visual flairs, which might explain why there will be TWO blu-ray discs! TWO! Red Dead Redemption 2 is the only other game to do this!

Back to Nintendo, Animal Crossing will now allow players to choose their skin tone, something that has been asked for a very, very long time now. They also confirmed they will let you use whatever hair type you want, which some people took and ran with as equivalent to them saying trans rights, which, no? “You guys please these are fucking table scraps. This is not pro-trans this is just a bare minimum feature for thee love of god.” [source] “Not only is that animal crossing thing a bare minimum there weren't hair restrictions in new leaf anyway???” [source] This was giving me flashbacks to when Soldier 76 was shown to be gay in a tertiary comic from Overwatch and people went nuts despite it not being represented in the game at all. Also, “quick reminder that nintendo fired a support team member bc of ppl making trans flag stages in smash bros” [source] [source]

There was some good news, Ikumi Nakamura came out and presented her new game Ghostwire to rapturous reception. A female creative director, a visually interesting trailer, and an excited jump at presenting her game made her the darling presenter alongside the likes of Keanu Reeves. She was previously an artist on Bayonetta, The Evil Within and its sequel, and made her own Twitter account during E3 to celebrate with her fans. Some of the reaction is probably rooted in how Asian women are treated as adorable and infantilized when compared to others, but she’s been having a good time gathering all the fan art of herself on Twitter, so for now it’s a nice break from the usual depressing nature of AAA publisher presentations.

Lastly, this wasn’t so much a part of the discourse but just an amazing moment, Dr Disrespect was banned from Twitch and thrown out of E3 after he live streamed in a bathroom without censoring other people’s faces, violating a California privacy law. As Alex so wonderfully stated, “this is our generation’s version of Capone going down for tax evasion.”

There was probably a lot of other conversations going on and this isn’t even the full depth of what I tried to find but boy does going back on timelines and searching for threads and responses and quote tweets and subtweets take way too much time. Anyway hope this proves to be a good time capsule for E3 2019 discourse and can’t wait for next year where a majority of these topics are readdressed again and again and again. Video games!

[orbemnews]

A Tax Change Is Coming, Maybe Let the haggling begin The Biden administration has unveiled its corporate tax overhaul, intended to raise $2.5 trillion over 15 years to pay for an infrastructure program. “Debate is welcome. Compromise is inevitable. Changes are certain,” President Biden said, but he stressed that “inaction is not an option.” “America’s corporate tax system has long been broken,” the Treasury secretary Janet Yellen wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed coinciding with the plan’s release. In addition to raising the headline corporate tax rate, the administration’s proposal takes aim at companies that shift profits abroad, especially to low-tax havens like Bermuda or Ireland. Some of the changes could be enacted by regulation, but things like raising the corporate tax rate will need the approval of Congress. What’s in the plan? Here are the main provisions: Raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent. The increase from 21 percent would put the U.S. more in line with other big countries and, the administration says, lift corporate tax receipts that have fallen to their lowest levels as a share of the economy since World War II. Ensure big companies pay at least 15 percent in taxes. A minimum tax on book income for companies with annual profits of $2 billion or more would mean firms that use deductions, exemptions and other methods to reduce their liability wouldn’t be able to go lower than a certain level. If this had been in place in recent years, 45 companies would have faced the tax. Strengthen the global minimum tax to end profit shifting. This would double the rate on foreign intangible assets introduced by the Trump administration in 2017. The Biden administration also says it will push for global agreement on common rates, to discourage companies from shopping around for tax jurisdictions. Finance ministers from the Group of 20 nations said yesterday that they hoped to agree on a global minimum tax rate by midyear, but previous efforts have faltered when it came to nailing down the details. Punish companies that headquarter in low-tax countries. A provision in the plan would target “inversions,” where American companies merge with a foreign entity in order to move headquarters to a low-tax country. Replace fossil-fuel tax subsidies with clean-energy incentives. Previous attempts to eliminate subsidies on oil and gas met with stiff industry and congressional opposition. Beef up the I.R.S. The agency’s enforcement budget has fallen by 25 percent over the past decade, and the proposal would bolster the budget for experts in complex corporate litigation. What effect would it have? A Wharton School budget model concluded that the corporate tax rate increase would “not meaningfully affect the normal return on investment,” but when combined with the proposed minimum tax on book income, business investment would fall somewhat. All told, by 2050 the tax provisions would reduce government debt by more than 11 percent from the current baseline, but also reduce G.D.P. by 0.5 percent over that period. Business groups aren’t happy about it. The Chamber of Commerce said the plan would “hurt American businesses and cost American jobs.” The Business Roundtable said it “threatens to subject the U.S. to a major competitive disadvantage.” Republican lawmakers have also argued that it’s bad for business, but the White House was quick to note that the former Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn, a key player in the 2017 tax cut, said last June that “I’m actually OK at 28 percent.” “I think there could be bipartisan interest in about half of what the president proposed on the spending side, but of course the corporate tax increases would be a non-starter,” Rohit Kumar, the head of PwC’s Washington tax policy group and a former aide to Senator Mitch McConnell, told DealBook. He’s not convinced there’s even enough support among Democrats for tax increases. For more on this, see our sister newsletter, The Morning: “Corporate Taxes Are Wealth Taxes” HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING The counting of votes in the Amazon union drive begins soon. The union seeking to represent workers at a warehouse in Alabama said that 3,215 ballots were cast, representing 55 percent of eligible workers. The hand count of the ballots will begin either later today or tomorrow. Britain curbs the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine for people under 30. The decision came as regulators increasingly suspect a link between the shot and rare blood clots. While Britain has enough vaccines from other makers to avoid a slowdown in its inoculation efforts, the concerns may dent vaccination efforts in developing countries. Senator Mitch McConnell walks back his comments on companies and politics, sort of. The minority leader conceded that his criticism of companies for speaking out against voting restrictions was not spoken “artfully.” (Democrats noted that Republicans have benefited from corporate donations.) “They are certainly entitled to be involved in politics,” Mr. McConnell said. Tencent’s biggest shareholder sells a slice of its holdings for $14.7 billion. Prosus, the Europe-based tech investor, sold 2 percent of its stake in the Chinese tech giant in the biggest-ever block trade (breaking its own record). Prosus still owns a 29 percent stake in the company. The N.R.A.’s chief concedes that he hid the group’s Chapter 11 plans. Wayne LaPierre said at a bankruptcy court hearing that he hadn’t told top executives or his board of the arrangement. He is accused of having the gun-rights group file for Chapter 11 to stymie an investigation by New York State’s attorney general. Acres of empty desks Many parts of the economy have held up during the pandemic — but corporate real estate isn’t one of them. Landlords and cities are worried that remote working will irreversibly sap demand for office space, The Times’s Peter Eavis and Matthew Haag report. The numbers are grim for landlords. The national office vacancy rate in city centers has hit 16.4 percent, according to Cushman & Wakefield, a decade-long high. In Manhattan alone, over 17 percent of all office space is available, the most in over 30 years. And rents on existing space could also face pressure from new buildings coming online, representing 124 million square feet. Updated  April 8, 2021, 6:08 a.m. ET Some are staying hopeful. Landlords like Boston Properties and SL Green haven’t suffered big financial losses from the pandemic, thanks to many tenants being locked into long leases. They’re also betting many companies want their workers to meet in person to better collaborate and train younger employees. The final damage won’t be known for some time. Companies are still trying to figure out their real estate needs, based on their work policies: While Amazon expects a return to an “office-centric culture,” JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon said that the bank may need only 60 seats for every 100 employees after the pandemic. “We are just going to be bleeding lower for the next three to four years to find out what the new level of tenant demand is,” Jonathan Litt, the chief investment officer of Land & Buildings, told The Times. “Even though I’m sort of a pro-crypto, pro-Bitcoin maximalist person, I do wonder whether at this point Bitcoin should also be thought in part of as a Chinese financial weapon against the U.S.” — Peter Thiel, the tech investor, on how cryptocurrency threatens the U.S. dollar. “China wants to do things to weaken it, so China’s long Bitcoin,” he added. Doing vaccine passports right New York recently became the first U.S. state to offer Covid-19 “vaccine passports,” while the governors of Florida and Texas banned them. Airlines, universities, event venues and other businesses are also testing various methods of vaccine verification. The starkly different approaches reflect a wider national and global debate on proof of health in the pandemic era. “There are a lot of ways it could be done badly,” Jay Stanley of the American Civil Liberties Union told DealBook, but he suggested a “narrow path” to a certification system that could work. The ideal system would be paper-based with a digital supplement, Mr. Stanley argues, so that people who lack access to technology aren’t disadvantaged. Encrypted data would be stored on a decentralized network, protected with a public key for vaccine providers and private keys for users to ensure privacy. Fairness also demands a standardized approach, rather than the current variety of systems, which could result in “a mess for civil liberties, equity and privacy,” he said. The Biden administration has said it won’t mandate vaccine passports, a point it reiterated this week, but it is working on standards the private sector can adopt. New York partnered with IBM on the state’s opt-in Excelsior Pass, which allows access to restricted activities and venues. The certificates can raise a slew of social and legal issues, depending on who is asking for proof of vaccination and why, according to the Stanford law professor David Studdert. Government mandates trigger more concerns than opt-in programs, he noted, and companies will have different considerations if they seek certification from customers or workers. Given all the variations, he said, “within reason” the market should decide what works, and officials should avoid both mandates and bans: “Different communities and employers have a different tolerance for risk.” More on vaccine passports: THE SPEED READ Deals A top S.E.C. official warned of “significant and yet undiscovered issues” with SPACs, the latest words of caution from the regulator about blank-check funds. (WSJ) Twitter is said to have held talks to buy Clubhouse for $4 billion, though negotiations aren’t currently active. (Bloomberg) Shares in Deliveroo rose after retail investors were allowed to start trading in the food delivery service. (CNBC) Politics and policy China is offering tax breaks and other perks to financiers in Hong Kong to keep them from leaving the territory. (NYT) A federal official warned last June that Emergent BioSolutions, the company behind the Johnson & Johnson vaccine mix-up, lacked trained staff and had problems with quality control. (NYT) Tech Uber and Lyft are “throwing money” at drivers to bring them back to work. (FT) Within weeks, Apple will roll out new privacy notifications for apps, which companies like Facebook have argued would harm their businesses. (Reuters) “No publicly traded company is a family. I fell for the fantasy that it could be.” (NYT Op-Ed) Best of the rest How the pandemic pummeled the world’s most famous shopping streets. (Quartz) Former employees of Marcus, the consumer lender that is key to Goldman Sachs’s future, reportedly say they were burned out by an ambitious product launch schedule. (Insider) All about muons, the subatomic particles that seem to disobey the known laws of physics. (NYT) We’d like your feedback! Please email thoughts and suggestions to dealbook@nytimes.com. Source link Orbem News #Change #Coming #Tax

[marcjampole]

Want to improve your children’s chance of academic success? Research says send them to public schools

I’m not sure whether it was the author or the headline writer, but someone in the New York Times produced a headline that certainly constitutes false news: “Dismal Results from Vouchers Surprise Researchers.” The problem with it is that those researchers who have been paying attention already know that public policy driving families to put their children into private schools will achieve dismal results. Objective researchers in the pursuit of knowledge aren’t, or shouldn’t be surprised that kids using vouchers to attend private schools experience declines in academic performance. Perhaps Kevin Carey, who wrote the article, or the unknown specialist who composed the headline, meant to say that it surprised right-wing policy wonks and political pundits, who for the better part of a quarter of a century have been pushing vouchers, charter and private schools as a means to destroy teachers’ unions and produce new income streams for businesses.

Certainly Carey, who directs the education policy program for the ostensibly non-partisan think tank New America, must have read The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools, a 2013 study by Sarah Theule Lubienski and Christopher A. Lubienski that demonstrates without a doubt that public schools outperform private schools when we correct raw data to account for wealth, per student spending, disabilities and other factors. I wouldn’t expect the Times headline writer to know of this important book, as a Google search at the time it came but revealed just one review in the mainstream media. The media doesn’t like to review books that disprove the current political nonsense, whatever it is.  

Using two recently generated large-scale national databases, the Lubienskis show that demographic factors such as wealth and disabilities explain any advantage seen in private school performance in the 21st century. Private schools have higher scores not because they are better at educating children but because their students come mostly from wealthy backgrounds. After correcting for demographics, the Lubienskis demonstrate conclusively that gains in student achievement at public schools are great and greater than those made at private ones. The Lubienskis take on the critics of real educational reform, the politicians and other factotums of the rich who don’t want to do anything that requires greater spending on students, such as teacher certification programs and curriculum and instruction advances. The Lubienskis show that these reforms do work. 

The latest research reported by Carey in his Times article concerns the results on standardized tests of students who have used voucher programs to enroll in private schools. Vouchers, which right-wingers and Republicans have been pushing for years, give money earmarked for public education to families, which they pay to private schools to educate their children. The never-proved principle underlying vouchers, first proposed by right-wing economic mountebank Milton Friedman, is that giving parents choice will improve public education by forcing it to compete with other schools. 

Over the past few years, Republican legislatures have implemented widespread voucher programs in a number of states such as Indiana, Louisiana and Ohio. As Carey reports, vouchers have largely failed to improve school performance, and in fact, have harmed the performance of many children:

·         Indiana children who transferred to private schools using vouchers “experienced significant losses in achievement” in math and saw no improvement in reading.

·         Children, primarily poor and black, who used vouchers to switch to private schools in Louisiana, achieved negative results in both reading and math; elementary school children who started at the 50th percentile in math and then transferred via voucher to a private school dropped to 26th percentile in one year.

·         A study financed by the right-wing, anti-union Walton family and conducted by a conservative think tank found that Ohio students using vouchers to attend private schools fared much worse when compared to their peers in public school, especially in math.

·         It turns out that the best charter schools, another variation on school choice liked by the right wing, are those that are nonprofit public schools open to everyone and accountable to public authorities. The more “private” a charter school, the worse its student perform.

 There could be many explanations for the lousy performance voucher students in private schools achieved compared to public schools, but I think it comes down to the simple fact that the teachers tend to be more experienced, more educated and more professional in public schools. Why is that? Because they are better paid. 

 In the real world, the best get paid the most. The best lawyers tend to make the most money. The best accountants tend to make the most money. The best writers—business and entertainment—tend to make the most money. The best musicians tend to make the most money. Forget the obscene fact that Beyoncé makes about 200 times what the concertmaster for the New York Philharmonic and the masterful jazz pianist Orrin Evans do. They both do quite well when compared to the average piano teacher who gives lessons at the Jewish Community Center or YMCA. 

 Public school teachers make more money than private school teachers. Doesn’t it make sense that they would therefore do a better job and that public schools would therefore do better in quantitative comparisons?  I know that there are some very competent and dedicated private school teachers, but in general, how could the aggregate of private school teachers keep up with public school teachers, who make so much more money?

 The reason that public school teachers make more money is one of the primary reasons right-wingers want to dismantle public schools: unions. Right-wingers hate unions because they force employers to pay better wages to employees, leaving less profit for the company’s owners and operators. In unionized workplaces, employees make a far larger share of the pie than in nonunionized ones. Thus by leaving public schools and going into private ones, children leave an environment in which their teachers are highly paid but administrators make less than they would in the private sector for an environment in which teachers are paid less and administrators more, and if the school is for-profit, money is siphoned off as profit for investors. By definition, less money is spent on education in private schools.  That is, unless the tuition is so high that the voucher covers only a small part of it, in which case the voucher is merely a subsidy to the wealthy, who likely would have sent their children to the chichi expensive private school no matter what.

 The reason companies bust unions is greed. Greed also plays a major role in the insistence against all facts and reasoning that school choice will solve every educational challenge. Choice is the preferred answer because it doesn’t involve spending more money and raising taxes.  In fact, over time, vouchers can be used to cut educational budgets if the stipulated voucher amounts do not keep up with inflation. 

 Despite the fact that taxes on the wealthy are still at an historic low for a western industrial democracy, rich folk and their political and policy factotums do not want to raise the taxes needed to create an educational system that works for everyone. Here are some of the things that we could do with added tax revenues earmarked to public education:

·        Smaller classroom sizes for elementary and middle school children.

·        Computers for every student in every class.

·        A return to the days of art, music and other enrichment programs.

·        New textbooks that reflect the latest findings in science and social science.

·        More special programs for both the disabled and the gifted and talented.

·         True school choice, which involves vocational programs in the technology, hospitality and healthcare industries for high school students.

 Keeping their taxes low and busting unions are not the only reasons well-heeled ultra conservatives advocate for vouchers. Some, like our current Secretary of Education, hope to profit by investing in for-profit schools. Others, and again Secretary DeVos is among them, want to use public funds to finance the teaching of religion in private religious schools. Perhaps not ironically, moral education of the masses and suppression of unions seem always to go hand-in-hand since the industrial revolution of the 19th century. In this sense, religion is a form of social control and a social solvent that dissolves the perception of class differences.

 Thus, when you hear Trumpty-Dumpty, DeVos and other supporters of voucher programs for education spout their pious homilies, remember that they have absolutely no interest in providing our children with a high-quality education that prepares for a meaningful life and rewarding career. Nor are they dedicated to a higher principle they call freedom that trumps all other concerns in a free society. Remember, there are all kinds of freedoms, such as freedom from hunger, from ignorance, from illness, from pain. Be it education or healthcare, when they cry freedom, they only mean freedom of choice or freedom to make money unencumbered by social concerns.

 No, it’s neither an interest in America’s children nor dedication to principle that motivates the rich folk behind the school choice movement. It’s simple greed.

[foodnclassyear3]

I’m thinking about February of this year, before the coronavirus pandemic struck the United States, and how things felt then. To think about what February meant to the labor movement, I believe you need to think about the last few decades. Since the 70s, labor has been broken and battered, public services and welfare budgets slashed, all to usher in the age of neoliberal, finance-based capitalism. But by the beginning of this new decade, the left was a real force in America for the first time in my lifetime, labor was a palpable force on campus for the first time since I was a freshman, and Bernie Sanders appeared to have a shot at the presidency. By February, many people’s dulled taste buds were starting to believe in the hints of flavor emerging on their tongues: the sweetness of hope; the spice of power and subversion; and the bitterness of dignity, which finally appeared within the reach of those for whom its possession had been long postponed. At least, that’s how I would have described myself in February. 

From Arelia Valdivia’s perspective, as a lead organizer of the UniteHere Local 11 workers’ union, February looked like growing coalitions and approaching strike vote dates: the possibility of a new labor standard in Los Angeles. Then the pandemic hit, and about 90% of the union’s members lost their jobs, and with them their ability to pay dues. March looked like running food banks, helping members fill out unemployment insurance, and laying off organizers whose salaries could no longer be met by the union’s budget. 

Arelia’s union works primarily with hospitality workers, primarily food service workers and hotel workers, including hundreds of people from LAX, Dodger Stadium, Disneyland, and USC. USC is actually one of the few businesses where members are still working, both in housing and in food service. Food service jobs, Arelia told me, are usually the lowest paid jobs in the union since their wages compete against non-union, minimum-wage fast food jobs. Moreover, food service workplaces are almost always understaffed due to managerial attempts to cut labor costs. 

Now the food service workers are some of the only members that have kept their jobs during the pandemic, food service organizers like Arelia face a paradox when it comes to protecting their members jobs when it is those very jobs that put them at increased risk of infection: “our priority is for our members to be able to continue to live and sustain their families, but also being very concerned about their safety… we’re trying to balance helping people feel comfortable going to work while also fighting so that they’re able to continue to work.” In order to do so, besides insisting that workplaces take appropriate safety measures, Arelia and the union are fighting for hazard pay for workers. “It’s funny to me,” Arelia said, “that the people considered essential are the people usually told they don’t deserve to make more money because all they’re doing is making food… there should be a recognition of how valuable their work actually is.” 

Of course, food and food access is a crucial feature in the lives of members who are not able to work right now, and to help them Local 11 has been conducting a food bank every week. Arelia said she was actually surprised at how many members are relying on the food bank to meet their needs. Interestingly, part of the food bank’s supply is made possible through a mutual assistance relationship between the union and local farmers’ markets. Local 11 was able to secure a grant from the city to pay farmers’ markets so that farm workers are able to get paid for their work while Local 11 members are able to take care of their food needs. As Arelia says, “necessity is the invention,” and she imagines that this event could open up a space in the future for collaboration between the union and farmers’ markets.

Finally, Arelia stressed that the current protests against racial injustice and anti-blackness are profoundly connected to labor: while businesses are keen to make symbolic gestures to racial justice, Arelia insists that the most important thing is paying black workers living wages and making up for the past decades in which black workers have been pushed out of the hospitality industry. “I was reading Carol Folt’s email about addressing anti-blackness, and it included things like renaming buildings that were named after racists, which is all great. But I think paying your black workers a living wage does a lot more for anti-blackness” 

Ultimately, there is a lot in this moment, in spite of the suffering that it has caused and the plans it has ruined, for which Arelia believes we can be hopeful. 

  -Reese Armstrong

[leavingcertnightmares]

Industrialisation in less developed countries has driven women, who were the traditional environmental stewards in societies, into positions of powerlessness and poverty and has damaged the environment

I agree with the above statement. There are many examples of industries that continue to exploit female workers under the guise of providing jobs and boosting economy, such as the fashion industry, the tea industry and the water industry. This is largely overlooked by western first world countries as these industries are providing jobs for these developing communities. Unfortunately these jobs are not the economy boosting saviors they seem to be at first glance. The pay is cruelly meager, female employees are paid less than their male counterparts and the pressure to now work is driving women out of their traditional roles as homemaker and environmental stewards.

In the fashion industry women are employed in huge numbers by garment factories to attempt to sustain the western idea of ‘fast fashion’. In Bangladesh garment workers can be paid less than 5,300 taka (62 euro) per month, which is far from the 8,900 taka (104 euro) that is needed to cover a worker’s basic needs, and even further away from a living wage. Many garment workers are working between 60 and 140 hours of overtime per week and it is common to be cheated of the overtime pay. Workers are denied breaks, health and safety is often neglected, and abuse is common. It is not surprising to see women bringing their children to work, as there is no one at home to take care of them. To keep up in the modern market of fast fashion, western fashion brands are outsourcing their production, and can thus step away from their responsibility for the fair and equal treatment of the female garment workers in their employment. Developing countries are competing to produce for multinational brands by offering the lowest costs, and the fastest and most flexible production. In a labour intensive industry such as garment making, this is mainly achieved by making labour cheaper and less formal, that is, by paying lower salaries, push for longer hours, and reducing work and environmental standards. Unfortunately, women in developing countries are so desperate to work to provide for their families that they gladly take these jobs 

Yet, there are some who argue that this exploitation is the road to female empowerment. Historically, women’s integration into paid work has been one of the important forces in growing gender equality and freedom. Our theorist Robert Nozick would argue that these women have entered into this employment of their own free will and so any payment, or lack thereof, is legitimate and has no reason to be questioned. Liberal writers such as Leslie T. Chang, argue that the globalised garment industry has had an empowering effect as women from poor backgrounds are able to find work and earn a salary. Sylvia Walby on the other hand would say that this unfair treatment of female garment workers is perpetuating patriarchy in these still developing countries.

The tea industry, especially in Assam, India is also guilty of taking advantage of cheap female labour. The UK’s 6 biggest tea brands :PG Tips, Twinings, Tetley, Yorkshire, Typhoo, and Clipper, comprise about 70% of the UK’s tea market with annual sales of around 500 million pounds (581 million euro), and all use tea grown in Assam as part of some of their blends. Maternal mortality in Assam is the worst in India with 300 women dying per 100,000 live births.(The Indian average is 167 and a UK average is 10). Maternal mortality is even worse in tea estate areas reaching 404 deaths per 100,000 live births. This is comparable to levels in Sub-Saharan Africa and is completely unacceptable in the modern world. Wages on tea estates are set on an Assam wide basis through a formal process every three years, which usually includes tea estate management and a nominated trade union. The current cash wage is 137 rupees (1.76 euros) per day and is below the world bank’s global poverty line of 1.90 euros a day. The low level of the cash wage, which is less than half of the  hahah. Indian national minimum wage of 300 rupees (3.86 euro) per day for unskilled agricultural workers, is justified by tea estate owners who point to the ‘in kind’ benefits they are obliged to provide.

   Additional ‘in-kind’ benefits include services such as housing, sanitation, health facilities and primary schools. Subsidised food rations are also provided.However these benefits can hardly be called such. Sanitation is minimal or non-existent with open defecation the norm when working, food rations are barely enough to live on, and housing is often damp and in disrepair. About 20% of maternal deaths globally are partly a consequence of anaemia. In Assam’s tea gardens, where overall malnutrition is rife, it is lethal. Therefore it is quite simple to see the connection between the female workers bad treatment and the enormous rates of maternal death. Treatment is growing worse for the workers is Assam’s 800 odd tea gardens as yield is becoming less and less each year due to climate change.

The effects of Assam’s tea industry on women is very similar to India’s farming industry, into which Vandana Shiva, one of our core theorists, has done much research. It is driving women away from their traditional roles as respected matriarchs and household leaders. She puts forward the idea of ecofeminism, where womens vital role in sustaining the earth and the economy, is recognised, and where people are equally responsible for tending the well being of earth and society. She would abhor the tea industries treatment of women and their seizing of power and freedom from their workers. 

In contrast to the fashion and tea industries, the water industry in developing countries is seeing a huge rise in women in water management. For example in the 1980s, the government of Malawi began providing piped water to low-income households in 50 districts, establishing community-run tap committees to collect bills and manage systems. Men made up 90 percent of committee membership, and problems quickly became apparent. Over the decades, the tap committees failed to collect payments and manage their money. This resulted in members leaving in throes. To salvage the project, the government began recruiting women as water managers in the committees, and trained them. Once women made up the majority of members, they paid water bills more reliably, held regular meetings with high attendance rates, and redesigned communal taps to be more user-friendly. As the water collectors and users of the water for domestic chores such as cleaning, cooking and washing. Women were already the primary water decision-makers at the household level. Many women water users have invaluable insights about the design, operation, and maintenance of water systems and as such, water projects can become more effective when women participate. These water schemes have been a major leap forward in developing countries, they have provided well paying jobs that are valuable to the development of communities.

However women's representation in the overall water, sanitation and hygiene sector (WASH) is dismal, from community water groups like the ones in Malawi to the national policy level. In 2014, women made up less than 17 percent of the WASH labor force in developing countries. They were particularly underrepresented in technical jobs such as engineers, and in leadership roles such as policymakers, regulators and managers. In an increasingly water-stressed world, many countries and regions face the risk of political instability or conflict over water. For this reason, women's lack of involvement in the water sector is troubling not only for gender equity, but for peace and security as well. Fortunately these numbers are on the rise exponentially and one can hope that they will be nearly equal by the time the situation is dire.

The rise in female representation within water schemes is something both Walby and Shiva would recognize as a step in the right direction. It subscribes to Shiva’s ideas on thinking in circles (sustainably) and not taking women out of their traditional roles, as women were already the main water sourcers in families. And it combats patriarchy within industry, one of Walby’s six structures of patriarchy.

Personally I think industrialisation has had a predominantly bad effect on women and the environment. It took some research to find a positive case study, which I think speaks to the sheer volume of negative cases. In most areas of industry women have been exploited and the environment harmed irreparably, but I think there is hope for the future that it can be turned around. Although it may take some time, progress is progress.

[marymosley]

Union Budget 2019-20: Key Highlights

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman made her maiden Budget Speech and presented the Union Budget 2019-20 on 05th July’19 before the Parliament. The key highlights of Union Budget 2019 are as follows:

  10-point Vision for the decade

Building Team India with Jan Bhagidari: Minimum Government Maximum Governance.

Achieving green Mother Earth and Blue Skies through a pollution-free India.

Making Digital India reach every sector of the economy.

Launching Gaganyan, Chandrayan, other Space and Satellite programmes.

Building physical and social infrastructure.

Water, water management, clean rivers.

Blue Economy.

Self-sufficiency and export of food-grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables.

Achieving a healthy society via Ayushman Bharat, well-nourished women & children, safety of citizens.

Emphasis on MSMEs, Start-ups, defence manufacturing, automobiles, electronics, fabs and batteries, and medical devices under Make in India.

  Towards a 5 Trillion Dollar Economy

“People’s hearts filled with Aasha (Hope), Vishwas (Trust), Aakansha (Aspirations)”, says FM.

Indian economy to become a 3 trillion dollar economy in the current year.

Government aspires to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy.

 “India Inc. are India’s job-creators and nation’s wealth-creators”, says FM.

Need for investment in:

Infrastructure.

Digital economy.

Job creation in small and medium firms.

Initiatives to be proposed for kick-starting the virtuous cycle of investments.

Common man’s life changed through MUDRA loans for ease of doing business.

Measures related to MSMEs:

Pradhan Mantri Karam Yogi Maandhan Scheme

Pension benefits to about three crore retail traders & small shopkeepers with annual turnover less than Rs. 1.5 crore.

Enrolment to be kept simple, requiring only Aadhaar, bank account and a self-declaration.

Rs. 350 crore allocated for FY 2019-20 for 2% interest subvention (on fresh or incremental loans) to all GST-registered MSMEs, under the Interest Subvention Scheme for MSMEs.

Payment platform for MSMEs to be created to enable filing of bills and payment thereof, to eliminate delays in government payments.

India’s first indigenously developed payment ecosystem for transport, based on National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) standards, launched in March 2019.

Inter-operable transport card runs on RuPay card and would allow the holders to pay for bus travel, toll taxes, parking charges, retail shopping.

Massive push given to all forms of physical connectivity through:

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Industrial Corridors, Dedicated Freight Corridors.

Bhartamala and Sagarmala projects, Jal Marg Vikas and UDAN Schemes.

State road networks to be developed in second phase of Bharatmala project.

Navigational capacity of Ganga to be enhanced via multi modal terminals at Sahibganj and Haldia and a navigational lock at Farakka by 2019-20, under Jal Marg Vikas Project.

Four times increase in next four years estimated in the cargo volume on Ganga, leading to cheaper freight and passenger movement and reducing the import bill.

Rs. 50 lakh crore investment needed in Railway Infrastructure during 2018-2030.

Public-Private-Partnership proposed for development and completion of tracks, rolling stock manufacturing and delivery of passenger freight services.

657 kilometers of Metro Rail network has become operational across the country.

Policy interventions to be made for the development of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), to achieve self- reliance in aviation segment.

Regulatory roadmap for making India a hub for aircraft financing and leasing activities from Indian shores, to be laid by the Government.

Outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore for 3 years approved for Phase-II of FAME Scheme.

 Upfront incentive proposed on purchase and charging infrastructure, to encourage faster adoption of Electric Vehicles.

Only advanced-battery-operated and registered e-vehicles to be incentivized under FAME Scheme.

National Highway Programme to be restructured to ensure a National Highway Grid, using a financeable model.

Power at affordable rates to states ensured under ‘One Nation, One Grid’.

Blueprints to be made available for gas grids, water grids, i-ways, and regional airports.

High Level Empowered Committee (HLEC) recommendations to be implemented:

Retirement of old & inefficient plants.

Addressing low utilization of gas plant capacity due to paucity of Natural Gas.

Cross subsidy surcharges, undesirable duties on open access sales or captive generation for industrial and other bulk power consumers to be removed under Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY).

Package of power sector tariff and structural reforms to be announced soon.

Reform measures to be taken up to promote rental housing.

Model Tenancy Law to be finalized and circulated to the states.

Joint development and concession mechanisms to be used for public infrastructure and affordable housing on land parcels held by the Central Government and CPSEs.

  Measures to enhance the sources of capital for infrastructure financing:

Credit Guarantee Enhancement Corporation to be set up in 2019-2020.

Action plan to be put in place to deepen the market for long term bonds with focus on infrastructure.

Proposed transfer/sale of investments by FIIs/FPIs (in debt securities issued by IDF-NBFCs) to any domestic investor within the specified lock-in period.

Measures to deepen bond markets:

Stock exchanges to be enabled to allow AA rated bonds as collaterals.

User-friendliness of trading platforms for corporate bonds to be reviewed.

Social stock exchange:

Electronic fund raising platform under the regulatory ambit of SEBI.

Listing social enterprises and voluntary organizations.

To raise capital as equity, debt or as units like a mutual fund.

SEBI to consider raising the threshold for minimum public shareholding in the listed companies from 25% to 35%.

Know Your Customer (KYC) norms for Foreign Portfolio Investors to be made more investor friendly.

Government to supplement efforts by RBI to get retail investors to invest in government treasury bills and securities, with further institutional development using stock exchanges.

Measures to make India a more attractive FDI destination:

FDI in sectors like aviation, media (animation, AVGC) and insurance sectors can be opened further after multi-stakeholder examination.

Insurance Intermediaries to get 100% FDI.

Local sourcing norms to be eased for FDI in Single Brand Retail sector.

Government to organize an annual Global Investors Meet in India, using National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF) as an anchor to get all three sets of global players (pension, insurance and sovereign wealth funds).

Statutory limit for FPI investment in a company is proposed to be increased from 24% to sectoral foreign investment limit. Option to be given to the concerned corporate to limit it to a lower threshold.

 FPIs to be permitted to subscribe to listed debt securities issued by ReITs and InvITs.

NRI-Portfolio Investment Scheme Route is proposed to be merged with the Foreign Portfolio Investment Route.

Cumulative resources garnered through new financial instruments like Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) as well as models like Toll-Operate-Transfer (ToT) exceed Rs. 24,000 crore.

New Space India Limited (NSIL), a PSE, incorporated as a new commercial arm of Department of Space.

To tap the benefits of the Research & Development carried out by ISRO like commercialization of products like launch vehicles, transfer to technologies and marketing of space products.

    Direct Taxes

Tax rate reduced to 25% for companies with annual turnover up to Rs. 400 crore

Surcharge increased on individuals having taxable income from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 5 crore and Rs. 5 crore and above.  

India’s Ease of Doing Business ranking under the category of ‘paying taxes’ jumped from 172 in 2017 to 121 in the 2019.

Direct tax revenue increased by over 78% in past 5 years to Rs. 11.37 lakh crore

Tax Simplification and Ease of living – making compliance easier by leveraging technology:

Interchangeability of PAN and Aadhaar

Those who don’t have PAN can file tax returns using Aadhaar.

Aadhaar can be used wherever PAN is required.

Pre-filling of Income-tax Returns for faster, more accurate tax returns

Pre-filled tax returns with details of several incomes and deductions to be made available.

Information to be collected from Banks, Stock exchanges, mutual funds etc.

Faceless e-assessment

Faceless e-assessment with no human interface to be launched.

To be carried out initially in cases requiring verification of certain specified transactions or discrepancies.

Affordable housing

Additional deduction up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs for interest paid on loans borrowed up to 31st March, 2020 for purchase of house valued up to Rs. 45 lakh.

Overall benefit of around Rs. 7 lakh over loan period of 15 years.

Boost to Electric Vehicles

Additional income tax deduction of Rs. 1.5 lakh on interest paid on electric vehicle loans.

Customs duty exempted on certain parts of electric vehicles.

Other Direct Tax measures

Simplification of tax laws to reduce genuine hardships of taxpayers:

Higher tax threshold for launching prosecution for non-filing of returns

Appropriate class of persons exempted from the anti-abuse provisions of Section 50CA and Section 56 of the Income Tax Act.

Relief for Start-ups

Capital gains exemptions from sale of residential house for investment in start-ups extended till FY21.

‘Angel tax’ issue resolved- start-ups and investors filing requisite declarations and providing information in their returns not to be subjected to any kind of scrutiny in respect of valuations of share premiums.

Funds raised by start-ups to not require scrutiny from Income Tax Department

E-verification mechanism for establishing identity of the investor and source of funds.

Special administrative arrangements for pending assessments and grievance redressal

No inquiry in such cases by the Assessing Officer without obtaining approval of the supervisory officer.

No scrutiny of valuation of shares issued to Category-II Alternative Investment Funds.

Relaxation of conditions for carry forward and set off of losses.

NBFCs

Interest on certain bad or doubtful debts by deposit taking as well as systemically important non-deposit taking NBFCs to be taxed in the year in which interest is actually received.

International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)

Direct tax incentives proposed for an IFSC:

100 % profit-linked deduction in any ten-year block within a fifteen-year period.

Exemption from dividend distribution tax  from  current and accumulated income to companies and mutual funds.

Exemptions on capital gain to Category-III Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).

Exemption to interest payment on loan taken from non-residents.

Securities Transaction Tax (STT)

STT restricted only to the difference between settlement and strike price in case of exercise of options.

  Indirect Taxes

Make In India

Basic Customs Duty increased on cashew kernels, PVC, tiles, auto parts, marble slabs, optical fibre cable, CCTV camera etc.

Exemptions from Custom Duty on certain electronic items now manufactured in India withdrawn.

End use based exemptions on palm stearin, fatty oils withdrawn.

Exemptions to various kinds of papers withdrawn.

5% Basic Custom Duty imposed on imported books.

Customs duty reduced on certain raw materials such as:

Inputs for artificial kidney and disposable sterilised dialyser and fuels for nuclear power plants etc.

Capital goods required for manufacture of specified electronic goods.

Defence

Defence equipment not manufactured in India exempted from basic customs duty

Other Indirect Tax provisions

Export duty rationalised on raw and semi-finished leather

Increase in Special Additional Excise Duty and Road and Infrastructure Cess each by Rs. 1 per litre on petrol and diesel

Custom duty on gold and other precious metals increased

Legacy Dispute Resolution Scheme for quick closure of pending litigations in Central Excise and Service tax from pre-GST regime

  Grameen Bharat / Rural India

Ujjwala Yojana and Saubhagya Yojana have transformed the lives of every rural family, dramatically improving ease of their living.

Electricity and clean cooking facility to all willing rural families by 2022.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) aims to achieve “Housing for All” by 2022:

Eligible beneficiaries to be provided 1.95 crore houses with amenities like toilets, electricity and LPG connections during its second phase (2019-20 to 2021-22).

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)

A robust fisheries management framework through PMMSY to be established by the Department of Fisheries.

To address critical gaps in the value chain including infrastructure, modernization, traceability, production, productivity, post-harvest management, and quality control.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

Target of connecting the eligible and feasible habitations advanced from 2022 to 2019 with 97% of such habitations already being provided with all weather connectivity.

30,000 kilometers of PMGSY roads have been built using Green Technology, Waste Plastic and Cold Mix Technology, thereby reducing carbon footprint.

1,25,000 kilometers of road length to be upgraded over the next five years under PMGSY III with an estimated cost of Rs. 80,250 crore.

Scheme of Fund for Upgradation and Regeneration of Traditional Industries’ (SFURTI)

Common Facility Centres (CFCs) to be setup to facilitate cluster based development for making traditional industries more productive, profitable and capable for generating sustained employment opportunities.

100 new clusters to be setup during 2019-20 with special focus on Bamboo, Honey and Khadi, enabling 50,000 artisans to join the economic value chain.

Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship’ (ASPIRE) consolidated.

80 Livelihood Business Incubators (LBIs) and 20 Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) to be setup in 2019-20.

75,000 entrepreneurs to be skilled in agro-rural industry sectors.

Private entrepreneurships to be supported in driving value-addition to farmers’ produce from the field and for those from allied activities.

Dairying through cooperatives to be encouraged by creating infrastructure for cattle feed manufacturing, milk procurement, processing & marketing.

10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations to be formed, to ensure economies of scale for farmers.

Government to work with State Governments to allow farmers to benefit from e-NAM.

Zero Budget Farming in which few states’ farmers are already being trained to be replicated in other states.

India’s water security

New Jal Shakti Mantralaya to look at the management of our water resources and water supply in an integrated and holistic manner

Jal Jeevan Mission to achieve Har Ghar Jal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024

To focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level.

Convergence with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives.

1592 critical and over exploited Blocks spread across 256 District being identified for the Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund can be used for this purpose.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

9.6 crore toilets constructed since Oct 2, 2014.

More than 5.6 lakh villages have become Open Defecation Free (ODF).

Swachh Bharat Mission to be expanded to undertake sustainable solid waste management in every village.

Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan,

Over two crore rural Indians made digitally literate.

Internet connectivity in local bodies in every Panchayat under Bharat-Net to bridge rural-urban divide.

Universal Obligation Fund under a PPP arrangement to be utilized for speeding up Bharat-Net.

  Shahree Bharat/Urban India

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-Urban)-

Over 81 lakh houses with an investment of about Rs. 4.83 lakh crore sanctioned of which construction started in about 47 lakh houses.

Over 26 lakh houses completed of which nearly 24 lakh houses delivered to the beneficiaries.

Over 13 lakh houses so far constructed using new technologies.

More than 95% of cities also declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).

Almost 1 crore citizens have downloaded Swachhata App.

Target of achieving Gandhiji’s resolve of Swachh Bharat to make India ODF by 2nd October 2019.

To mark this occasion, the Rashtriya Swachhta Kendra to be inaugurated at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat on 2nd October, 2019.

Gandhipedia being developed by National Council for Science Museums to sensitize youth and society about positive Gandhian values.

Railways to be encouraged to invest more in suburban railways through SPV structures like Rapid Regional Transport System (RRTS) proposed on the Delhi-Meerut route.

Proposal to enhance the metro-railway initiatives by:

Encouraging more PPP initiatives.

Ensuring completion of sanctioned works.

Supporting transit oriented development (TOD) to ensure commercial activity around transit hubs.

  Youth

New National Education Policy to be brought which proposes

Major changes in both school and higher education

Better Governance systems

Greater focus on research and innovation.

National Research Foundation (NRF) proposed

To fund, coordinate and promote research in the country.

To assimilate independent research grants given by various Ministries.

To strengthen overall research eco-system in the country  

This would be adequately supplemented with additional funds.

Rs. 400 crore provided for “World Class Institutions”, for FY 2019-20, more than three times the revised estimates for the previous year.

‘Study in India’ proposed to bring foreign students to study in Indian higher educational institutions.

Regulatory systems of higher education to be reformed comprehensively:

To promote greater autonomy.

To focus on better academic outcomes.

Draft legislation to set up Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), to be presented.

Khelo India Scheme to be expanded with all necessary financial support.

National Sports Education Board for development of sportspersons to be set up under Khelo India, to popularize sports at all levels

To prepare youth for overseas jobs, focus to be increased on globally valued skill-sets including language training, AI, IoT, Big Data, 3D Printing, Virtual Reality and Robotics.

Set of four labour codes proposed, to streamline multiple labour laws to standardize and streamline registration and filing of returns.

A television program proposed exclusively for and by start-ups, within the DD bouquet of channels.

Stand-Up India Scheme to be continued for the period of 2020-25. The Banks to provide financial assistance for demand based businesses.

  Ease of Living

About 30 lakh workers joined the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Scheme that provides Rs. 3,000 per month as pension on attaining the age of 60 to workers in unorganized and informal sectors.

Approximately 35 crore LED bulbs distributed under UJALA Yojana leading to cost saving of Rs. 18,341 crore annually.

Solar stoves and battery chargers to be promoted using the approach of LED bulbs mission.

A massive program of railway station modernization to be launched.

  Naari Tu Narayani/Women

Approach shift from women-centric-policy making to women-led initiatives and movements.

A Committee proposed with Government and private stakeholders for moving forward on Gender budgeting.

SHG:

Women SHG interest subvention program proposed to be expanded to all districts.

Overdraft of Rs. 5,000 to be allowed for every verified women SHG member having a Jan Dhan Bank Account.

One woman per SHG to be eligible for a loan up to Rs. 1 lakh under MUDRA Scheme.

  India’s Soft Power

Proposal to consider issuing Aadhaar Card for NRIs with Indian Passports on their arrival without waiting for 180 days.

Mission to integrate traditional artisans with global markets proposed, with necessary patents and geographical indicators.

18 new Indian diplomatic Missions in Africa approved in March, 2018, out of which 5 already opened. Another 4 new Embassies intended in 2019-20.

Revamp of Indian Development Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) proposed.

17 iconic Tourism Sites being developed into model world class tourist destinations.

Present digital repository aimed at preserving rich tribal cultural heritage, to be strengthened.

  Banking and Financial Sector

NPAs of commercial banks reduced by over Rs. 1 lakh crore over the last year.

Record recovery of over Rs. 4 lakh crore effected over the last four years.

Provision coverage ratio at its highest in seven years.

Domestic credit growth increased to 13.8%.

Measures related to PSBs:

Rs. 70,000 crore proposed to be provided to PSBs to boost credit.

PSBs to leverage technology, offering online personal loans and doorstep banking, and enabling customers of one PSBs to access services across all PSBs.

Steps to be initiated to empower accountholders to have control over deposit of cash by others in their accounts.

Reforms to be undertaken to strengthen governance in PSBs.

Measures related to NBFCs:

Proposals for strengthening the regulatory authority of RBI over NBFCs to be placed in the Finance Bill.

Requirement of creating a Debenture Redemption Reserve will be done away with to allow NBFCs to raise funds in public issues.

Steps to allow all NBFCs to directly participate on the TReDS platform.

Return of regulatory authority from NHB to RBI proposed, over the housing finance sector.

Rs. 100 lakh crore investment in infrastructure intended over the next five years. Committee proposed to recommend the structure and required flow of funds through development finance institutions.

Steps to be taken to separate the NPS Trust from PFRDA.

Reduction in Net Owned Fund requirement from Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 1,000 crore  proposed:

To facilitate on-shoring of international insurance transactions.

To enable opening of branches by foreign reinsurers in the International Financial Services Centre.

Measures related to CPSEs:

Target of Rs. 1, 05,000 crore of disinvestment receipts set for the FY 2019-20.

Government to reinitiate the process of strategic disinvestment of Air India, and to offer more CPSEs for strategic participation by the private sector.

Government to undertake strategic sale of PSUs and continue to consolidate PSUs in the non-financial space.

Government to consider going to an appropriate level below 51% in PSUs where the government control is still to be retained, on case to case basis.

Present policy of retaining 51% Government stake to be modified to retaining 51% stake inclusive of the stake of Government controlled institutions.

Retail participation in CPSEs to be encouraged.

To provide additional investment space:

Government to realign its holding in CPSEs

Banks to permit greater availability of its shares and to improve depth of its market.

Government to offer an investment option in ETFs on the lines of Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS).

Government to meet public shareholding norms of 25% for all listed PSUs and raise the foreign shareholding limits to maximum permissible sector limits for all PSU companies which are part of Emerging Market Index.

Government to raise a part of its gross borrowing program in external markets in external currencies. This will also have beneficial impact on demand situation for the government securities in domestic market.

New series of coins of One Rupee, Two Rupees, Five Rupees, Ten Rupees and Twenty Rupees, easily identifiable to the visually impaired to be made available for public use shortly.

  Digital Payments

TDS of 2% on cash withdrawal exceeding Rs. 1 crore in a year from a bank account

Business establishments with annual turnover more than Rs. 50 crore shall offer low cost digital modes of payment to their customers and no charges or Merchant Discount Rate shall be imposed on customers as well as merchants.

Mega Investment in Sunrise and Advanced Technology Areas

Scheme to invite global companies to set up mega-manufacturing plants in areas such as Semi-conductor Fabrication  (FAB), Solar Photo Voltaic cells, Lithium storage batteries, Computer Servers, Laptops, etc

Investment linked income tax exemptions to be provided along with indirect tax benefits.

Achievements during 2014-19

1 trillion dollar added to Indian economy over last 5 years (compared to over 55 years taken to reach the first trillion dollar).

India is now the 6th largest economy in the world, compared to 11th largest five years ago.

Indian economy is globally the 3rd largest in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms.

Strident commitment to fiscal discipline and a rejuvenated Centre-State dynamic provided during 2014-19.

Structural reforms in indirect taxation, bankruptcy and real estate carried out.

Average amount spent on food security per year almost doubled during 2014-19 compared to 2009-14.

Patents issued more than trebled in 2017-18 as against the number in 2014.

Ball set rolling for a New India, planned and assisted by the NITI Aayog.

  Roadmap for future

Simplification of procedures.

Incentivizing performance.

Red-tape reduction.

Making the best use of technology.

Accelerating mega programmes and services initiated and delivered so far.

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