FAIR: Corporate Media Setting Stage for New Cold War With China

View article on FAIR's website Corporate Media Setting Stage for New Cold War With China Gregory Shupak Corporate media are laying the ideological groundwork for a new cold war with China, presenting the nation as a hostile power that needs to be kept in check. Mitt Romney (Washington Post,  4/23/20) says "Covid-19 has exposed China’s dishonesty for all to see." The Washington Post (4/23/20) ran an article by Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, the second sentence of which said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed that, to a great degree, our very health is in Chinese hands; from medicines to masks, we are at Beijing’s mercy.” America, in this conception, is under Chinese domination, a tyranny that’s evidently imposed not only by the Chinese government, but by Chinese people generally. Details like the US having more than 21 times as many nuclear warheads as China, or the fact that it’s the US dollar and not the Chinese yuan that underpins the global financial system, do not enter into consideration. Instead, because the US imports a great many goods made in China, Romney urged readers to understand China as Americans’ oppressors, who implicitly must be resisted. Romney warned his audience that China has a “grand strategy for economic, military and geopolitical domination” and thus “The West” must “respon[d]” with “a unified strategy among free nations to counter China’s trade predation and its corruption of our mutual security.” He said China is conducting an “alarming military build-up.” Sure, the available evidence indicates that the US spends almost three times what China does on its war apparatus, but “Americans should not take comfort in our disproportionately large military budget,” Romney cautioned, because, supposedly, “China’s annual procurement of military hardware is nearly identical to ours,” though few know about this “outside classified settings.” Then he revealed China’s supposed threat to America’s “security”: “Because our military has missions around the world, this means that in the Pacific, where China concentrates its firepower, it will have military superiority.” In other words, China is a danger because it “concentrates its firepower” in the ocean nearest to it, while the US’s divine right to empire requires that its military saturate the globe. The senator argued that “action should be applied in national security sectors” such as phone technology and medicine, and that “the free nations must collectively agree that we will buy these products only from other free nations” as part of a plan to “protect...our security.” The idea that China is a threat to Americans’ security is baseless: China hasn’t threatened to attack America, while the US has a massive military presence in the Asia/Pacific region. The Pentagon, with bipartisan support, wants to engorge that menace with a $20 billion budget increase, and with offensive weaponry such as land-based Tomahawk cruise missiles that had been banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty until the US abrogated the deal. China, meanwhile, has no military installations anywhere close to the United States. Romney repeatedly called on “free nations,” a grouping in which he included the US, to take on China. In doing so, he cast the potential conflict as a civilizational battle between freedom and dictatorship—that the US has the highest prison population per capita on Earth does not trouble the senator’s framework. Romney also referred to China or its economic practices as a “predator,” “predatory,” or “predation” eight times, making the US and its allies the supposed prey. “Today,” Romney wrote, “Beijing’s weapon of choice is economic: The tip of its spear is global industrial predation.” China is “a predator, unbound by the rules followed by its competitors,” so “when the immediate health crisis has passed, the United States should convene like-minded nations to develop a common strategy aimed at dissuading China from pursuing its predatory path.” Romney is propagating a timeworn worldview in which deceitful, barbaric Orientals take advantage of innocent, rule-abiding Americans whose businesses never break laws or do anything that could be viewed as predatory. George Will (Washington Post, 4/29/20) claims that "more than any particular policy outcome, Americans want a sense that their nation...can adopt a robust realism regarding the Leninist party-state that is its principal adversary." The Washington Post’s George Will (4/29/20) likewise said that it’s necessary to “stand up to China,” advocating that the US adopt “a policy of national strength” toward the country. This is the language of war, suggesting that China presents a danger to the US that has to be met with American might. Will encouraged presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to “practice what he preaches about bipartisanship by associating himself” with far-right Republican Sen. Tom Cotton’s “measured but insistent support for an investigation into the possible role of a Wuhan, China, research laboratory in the coronavirus outbreak.” By endorsing the racist, warmongering senator’s proposed inquiry, Will is mainstreaming an extremely dubious conspiracy theory (Grayzone, 4/20/20) alleging that Covid-19 is a Chinese biological weapon unleashed, perhaps unintentionally, from a research lab in Wuhan. Will also seemed to endorse Cotton’s question[ing] of the visas for people from China to pursue postgraduate studies here in advanced science and technology fields: If Chinese students want to study “Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that’s what they need to learn from America. They don’t need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America.” At the very least, Will amplified and declined to question the notion that Chinese students doing graduate scientific research in America should be viewed with suspicion, implicitly because they might be engaged in piracy or espionage on behalf of the Chinese government, though no evidence is offered for this accusation. It’s a perspective that imagines that the wealthiest, most populous country on Earth might somehow be kept away from advanced technology—though in the long run, the US has more to gain from Chinese research than the other way around (CounterSpin, 5/24/19). Canada’s Financial Post (5/4/20) went a step further, saying that “China Must Be Brought to Heel,” animalizing language that hearkens back to when Western powers actually did dominate China, and treated the nation to such delights as the Opium Wars (London Review of Books, 11/3/11). Fox News (5/4/20): "People everywhere will demand that Beijing pay a price for the enormous loss of life and the incalculable damage done to economies around the globe." A Fox News article (5/4/20) went full fire and brimstone, calling for the US “to avenge [the] deaths of hundreds of thousands” that have been caused by Covid-19. Another Fox article (5/4/20) said it’s necessary to “hold China accountable” for the harm the coronavirus has caused, applauding Missouri’s lawsuit against the country without noting one minor detail: US courts have no jurisdiction to sue China (Reuters, 4/21/20). Another notable barrier to US media revenge fantasies is that the US and China have the world’s largest bilateral trade relationship, something that the US is hardly in a position to break away from, with China’s economy mostly up and running and the US’s largely offline. Similarly, the Boston Herald’s Joe Battenfeld (4/14/20) contended that “Trump[’s] Move to Hold China [and the] World Health Organization Accountable [Was] Long Overdue,” a reference to Trump suspending funding to the UN’s main infectious disease-fighting body. WHO gets 15% of its budget from the US; Battenfeld himself acknowledges that withdrawing this “could [incapacitate] the agency’s healthcare initiatives”; in other words, undermining global health during a worldwide pandemic is a good way to teach China a lesson. The author also endorsed the US “impos[ing] sanctions on China for its role in the spread of the coronavirus,” the type of economic warfare the US is waging against several countries, causing untold death and misery (Jacobin, 3/26/20). Given the fact that China’s largely Covid-free economy is likely to be in far stronger shape than the US’s for the foreseeable future, however, it’s doubtful that Washington will be in any position to impose sanctions on Beijing. Further problems abound with the idea that the Chinese bad guys have to be punished for Covid-19 by the American good guys. As historian Vijay Prashad (People’s Dispatch, 4/23/20) demonstrated, the narrative of a Chinese-WHO coronavirus cover-up is itself profoundly flawed. And it’s hard to see how China is to blame for the US’s dismal response to the pandemic, which has been characterized by moves like the rejection of a coronavirus test approved by the WHO in January in favor of a test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that wasn’t dispatched until February, and some of which didn’t work properly once they were (Washington Post, 4/18/20). Corporate media distortions and bombast are priming the American public to see China as a treacherous villain that has to be forcefully confronted, perhaps with violence. Presenting China—and Chinese people—as a threat to the United States and its people is that much more reckless at a moment when there is an “alarming surge in anti-Asian racism related to Covid-19” (NBC, 4/16/20). But such considerations don’t trouble those who are in the business of ginning up the hatred necessary for a new cold war.

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You surpass our expectations every single time.

Just two weeks ago, Alexandria announced a new goal: Raise $1,000,000 for direct COVID-19 relief.

Yes, we have an upcoming election against some well-funded challengers. But in New York’s 14th district and across the country, people are hurting. They need help, now.

So we asked you for help. We showed you a few organizations doing great work on the ground, and asked for your support. So far, we’ve raised over $600,000 for direct COVID-19 relief.

That’s what makes us so proud of this movement. But we have to keep going. Today, we’re fundraising for three organizations on the frontlines: Sapna NYC, Hungry Monk, and WOMANKIND. Can you rush support?

All three organizations are getting food to hungry families, especially women and families who have experienced domestic violence in the Bronx and Queens.

Working families, who faced rising costs of living and stagnant wages before this crisis, were often the first on the chopping block for furloughs and layoffs when COVID-19 hit. Now, with limited aid from the federal government, many are looking for help wherever they can find it.

That’s why we’re pushing this so hard, because there are still millions of people out there who need our support. If you can afford it, will you step up to help today with a $15 donation?

Being part of a movement means standing up for our neighbors when they need it. Thanks for all of your help along the way,

Team AOC

All three organizations are getting food to hungry families, especially women and families who have experienced domestic violence in the Bronx and Queens.

Working families, who faced rising costs of living and stagnant wages before this crisis, were often the first on the chopping block for furloughs and layoffs when COVID-19 hit. Now, with limited aid from the federal government, many are looking for help wherever they can find it.

That’s why we’re pushing this so hard, because there are still millions of people out there who need our support. If you can afford it, will you step up to help today with a $15 donation?

Being part of a movement means standing up for our neighbors when they need it. Thanks for all of your help along the way,

Team AOC

POLITICO NIGHTLY: 'Spend as much as you can!'

By Ryan Heath and Renuka Rayasam Presented by The Mortgage Bankers Association BLEAK PREDICTION — First, the bad news: International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva predicts it may take until 2023 for the global economy to return to its pre-coronavirus levels. Georgieva leads one of the few global institutions that hasn’t alienated the Trump administration. Perhaps President Donald Trump sees something of himself in the practical yet brazen Georgieva. Like the president, Georgieva prefers TV over books. During a POLITICO virtual event today , Georgieva said the only reading she’s doing is the 100 or so requests for help the IMF has received from national governments struggling to stay afloat financially. But she is finding time for Ken Burns’ PBS series “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.” Asked if that meant she’s looking for inspiration for a global version of FDR’s New Deal , Georgieva replied, “Yeah, absolutely.” It’s a long way from the IMF’s neoliberal image as gung-ho privatizers of state assets and enforcers of austerity. “After a war we come together. Well, why not after a pandemic, we come together?” Georgieva reasoned. POLITICO Georgieva urges nations: “Please spend, wisely, but spend as much as you can! And then spend a bit more for your doctors, for your nurses, for the vulnerable people in your society.” She is also attaching green conditions to IMF financial assistance, unlike the approach taken by Congress and Trump administration with the $2 trillion CARES Act, and nudging governments to offer “support for companies to retain their workers in place.” That usually takes the form of a government-funded salary guarantee if a given job is maintained. With a gentle IMF push, the policy is now “massively spreading around the world” she said. She has advice for leaders and organizations struggling to gain traction with the Trump administration: Be transparent; bring “a credible strategy”; “talk to everybody”; and bring your “track record” back to the table for follow-up meetings. Her contact points include Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Ivanka Trump. She credits Mnuchin for getting the IMF the resources it asked for in the CARES Act while managing “very serious domestic problems.” Welcome to POLITICO Nightly: Coronavirus Special Edition. Reach out with tips: rrayasam@politico.com or on Twitter at @renurayasam.   A message from The Mortgage Bankers Association: Individual Needs. Individual Solutions. We understand that mortgage relief is not one-size-fits-all. The COVID-19 pandemic has left many Americans in unique financial situations. That’s why we encourage you to contact your mortgage company if paying your mortgage poses a financial hardship. There are options to help meet your needs. MBA.org/consumerinfo   First In Nightly MINORITY REPORT — Almost a month ago, as the coronavirus exacted an outsized toll on vulnerable groups across America, Trump turned to an under-the-radar White House council to quickly determine how the federal government “can best support minority and distressed communities.” Little has come of it, White House reporter Gabby Orr writes. Nearly three months into the pandemic, administration officials are still trying to formulate a comprehensive plan for helping minority communities — particularly African Americans and Latinos — hit disproportionately hard by the virus. The mounting concerns about inaccessible testing and high hospitalization rates highlight a gaping hole in Trump’s pandemic response — worries that also threaten to ricochet through the president’s 2020 reelection operation six months out from Election Day. Trump campaign officials, who have spent months investing in outreach to black and Latino voters ahead of November, now face the difficult task of courting communities that have been ravaged by the virus and are frustrated with what they perceive as a lackluster response from the administration.   JOIN TUESDAY - HOW DO WE STRATEGICALLY REOPEN THE ECONOMY? Join chief economic correspondent Ben White on Monday at 9 a.m. EDT for a virtual conversation with Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), to discuss his work on the newly launched House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis and whether he believes that the fiscal response so far has been enough. Should there be more transparency on how stimulus dollars are being spent? What more does Congress need to do to keep the economy afloat? Have questions? Submit yours by tweeting it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE.     Nightly Number $883 billion The amount the House Democrats' coronavirus stimulus plan would reduce federal tax receipts, according to a new Joint Committee on Taxation analysis . About half of that cost is attributable to a proposed new round of stimulus checks to millions of Americans. The bill, set for a vote later tonight, includes more than $1 trillion in tax cuts, partially defrayed by a plan to raise taxes on businesses. (h/t tax reporter Brian Faler) Palace Intrigue SETTING THE PRECEDENT — As the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down that state’s administrative stay-at-home order made clear, the state-by-state approach to dealing with the coronavirus crisis is inconsistent and ineffective, Kim Wehle argues in POLITICO Magazine . During the next pandemic — which is all but inevitable — Washington can and should impose an immediate, nationwide program of contact tracing and mandatory quarantine for infected people. The Trump administration has resisted such drastic measures, shunting responsibility onto the states, but the power is nevertheless within the executive branch, and it can be imposed without violating the Constitution.     Ask The Audience NIGHTLY ASKED YOU — What does reopening look like where you live? We asked you to take a photo and send it to us. Here are some of our favorites. PUNCHLINES DRAWING FROM THE RIGHT — Matt Wuerker interviews conservative Mike Lester in the latest edition of Punchlines , talking about the rare breed of right-leaning cartoonists and how he covers the Trump White House. Around the Nation HERE COMES THE SUN — Get ready for a mammoth life-death-and-sickness experiment in Florida, Marc Caputo emails us. On Monday, most of the state will implement its “Full Phase 1” reopening plan to let restaurants, gyms, museums and libraries operate at 50 percent capacity, provided they enforce social distancing plans. Theme parks (think Disney World and Universal Studios) can submit reopening plans to the state. “The American people didn't sign up to be on a perpetual shelter-in-place. We need to be able to get society functioning again,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said today. DeSantis has stopped just short of taking a victory lap after widespread forecasts of death and suffering failed to materialize after he instituted a go-slow approach that deferred to local governments to issue shelter-in-place and shutdown orders, which we discussed a bit Thursday. Miami-Dade, the state’s largest and densest county, is opening up at a lower and slower level, even though its hospitalization rates are falling (there’s 80 percent capacity in local hospitals). So Miami Beach’s famed sandy expanse will remain off limits. Luck? Geography? Smarts? Who knows exactly why Florida dodged the forecast bullets? We’re learning more every day about the coronavirus and human reactions to it. Floridians didn’t appear to wait around for government mandates and limited their social interactions, helping reduce community spread. Florida’s notorious low-rise sprawl (that is, its lack of density), its lack of public transportation, its weather that kept people outside (and therefore out of cramped coronavirus-spreading settings) and perhaps even its heat and humidity might have played a role. To address two conspiracy theories on social media (shock!) that we heard Thursday: The state’s coronavirus test numbers DO include private lab tests and, while there’s a difference between the state’s reported coronavirus deaths when compared to independent county medical examiners’ numbers, sometimes the latter is higher and sometimes the former. So there’s no good evidence that DeSantis is cooking the books, although there’s evidence of sloppy recordkeeping. SCHOOL’S OUT— Trump expects a full reopening of schools come fall. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos isn’t so sure, Nicole Gaudiano and Juan Perez Jr. write. DeVos adds a caveat Trump doesn’t much like — a lot of school systems will have to stick with virtual schooling if they aren’t ready for a full reopening. INSIDE AN INFODEMIC — Disinformation online has exploded during the pandemic. In the latest edition of POLITICO Dispatch, technology reporter Steven Overly looks at the reason the “infodemic” has taken root: “The whole world right now is talking about one topic, and we’ve been talking about it online since social distancing measures were put in place. So that really creates a blatant target if you’re a fringe group looking to grab attention and spread a message.” Listen to the latest POLITICO Dispatch podcast   YOUR DAILY AUDIBLE CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: States across the country are trying to balance public health with economic health. Get quick, reliable, updates and analysis with POLITICO Dispatch, a short, daily podcast featuring experts from across our newsroom who provide the news and context you need in 15 minutes or less. Subscribe and listen today.     From the Defense Desk THROWING THE KITCHEN SINK AT IT — Air Force scientists are studying whether microwaves can kill or significantly lower the transmission of the coronavirus, Daniel Lippman emails us. “We hope one outcome from this work would be the development of a mobile system similar in size to a human, or a little larger, which is capable of decontaminating spaces like a hospital room or an aircraft passenger cabin,” William P. Roach, a program officer focusing on laser and optical physics at the Air Force’s Office of Scientific Research, told Daniel. “The use of microwaves may enable the potential for rapid decontamination not currently addressed by ultraviolet light or chemical cleaning for highly cluttered areas, while potentially operating at levels safely compatible with human occupancy.” In general the scientific literature has shown that some viruses are naturally vulnerable to microwaves. Roach said the study is using “microwave radiation (this is not your microwave oven)” in its tests. The Air Force is using a team of 15 people and spending $500,000 on test equipment and samples during a six-month study. Parting Words CUTTING LOOSE — The haircut has become an act of subversion. Haircuts and politics have always been a potent mix, from Bill Clinton to John Edwards to Sarah Palin and countless other politicians who defended their high-price haircuts. But in the Covid era, haircuts have become a symbol of political resistance. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz flew to Dallas last week to get his hair cut at the salon whose owner became a conservative cause celebre for defying statewide Covid restrictions. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot had to defend her haircut last month. In California, salon owners and barbers are suing California’s normally perfectly groomed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who now has strands peeking out above his collar. Like many of you, your host didn’t want to make a political statement, but desperately needed to chop off her untamed tresses. And it’s legal now in Austin — with certain precautions, of course. So I visited my go-to hairstylist , Natalie Morgan at Nova Hair Collective. As her first client since she shut down her salon in mid-March, I was a guinea pig for her reopening protocol, which includes masks, hand washing, a no-gossiping rule and a wildly out-of-control hand sanitizer squirt bottle.   A message from The Mortgage Bankers Association: Individual Needs. Individual Solutions. We understand that mortgage relief is not one-size-fits-all. The COVID-19 pandemic has left many Americans in unique financial situations. That’s why we encourage you to contact your mortgage company if paying your mortgage poses a financial hardship. There are options to help meet your needs. Visit MBA.org/consumerinfo for more information on forbearance options.   Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam   Follow us

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RSN: John Kiriakou | Was the Decision to Let Manafort Go Home Political?

15 May 20

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RSN: John Kiriakou | Was the Decision to Let Manafort Go Home Political?

John Kiriakou, Reader Supported News
Kiriakou writes: "Was the decision to let Manafort go home political? You bet it was."

Former Trump 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort, also known as federal prisoner number 35207-016, will be released from prison imminently and sent to home confinement because he is at risk of contracting the coronavirus. That’s the humane thing to do, right? The guy is 71 years old and his crimes were nonviolent. Is society really better off with Paul Manafort in prison? Are we safer? But those aren’t the questions we should be asking.

The real question is why aren’t we seeing mass releases of elderly or at-risk prisoners? Congress, before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, made it easier for prisoners to be released under the “compassionate release” program. A prisoner can be released if there are “compelling reasons,” such as advanced age or terminal illness where the prisoner has less than 18 months to live. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) files a motion in federal court to reduce the prisoner’s sentence. And the sentencing court then finds that “extraordinary and compelling reasons” warrant a reduction. The prisoner is then released.

Since the pandemic began, the Department of Justice has made it even easier to release prisoners. A prisoner must petition the warden of his prison and argue successfully that he has completed at least 75 percent of his sentence, that he is nonviolent, he has never been a member of a gang or an organized crime “family,” he did not have a gun enhancement in his case, and that he has a co-morbidity like heart disease or diabetes that puts him at a high risk of contracting the coronavirus. If the warden denies the request, or if 30 days pass without a response, the prisoner then may petition the sentencing court for relief.

With all that said, very, very few people have been released. And Paul Manafort shouldn’t have been one of them. He simply doesn’t meet the criteria. He only went to prison in July 2018 and he is not due to be released until March 2026. He does meet the age requirement, and his crimes were nonviolent, but there are literally thousands of prisoners who meet all the requirements who should have been released before him.

Was the decision to let Manafort go home political? You bet it was. President Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, with whom Trump has feuded, also was due to be released because of the coronavirus. But out of nowhere, on May 1, Cohen’s release was “postponed indefinitely.” I can’t imagine that it was a coincidence.

The mainstream media ought to be looking at BOP policy or, more accurately, the breakdown in BOP policy. It is no secret that the United States has five percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the world’s prison population. It is no surprise that Congress has created 500 new crimes – not new laws, but new crimes, things that were legal a decade ago that are now felonies – in the past ten years. As a country, we should be actively seeking ways to get people out of prison, rather than putting new people in, or lengthening sentences for the crimes already on the books.

The problem didn’t begin with the coronavirus, of course. It began with Richard Nixon’s “War on Crime” and Ronald Reagan’s criminal justice “reforms” of the 1980s, and the Democratic Congress’s decision to do away with federal parole. If you’re sentenced to 10 years, you do 10 years. Sure, there’s 13.5 percent time off for good behavior. But with the “get tough on crime” measures of just about every administration in the past 50 years, sentences are far longer than they once were, and as I said, Congress has created so many new crimes.

That’s why compassionate release should be such an important part of the criminal justice process. What happens when you’re 65 or 70 years old and you still have years behind bars ahead of you, despite the fact that your crime was nonviolent? Why isn’t home confinement an option? And if it is an option, as in the case of Paul Manafort, it should be an option for everybody.

The bottom line is this: The entire system is broken. The misguided “get tough on crime” attitude in Washington has made us a prison state unlike any other in the world. As Americans, we like to think that we’re (usually) led by the best and brightest. Certainly the best and brightest can come up with a justice system where there’s some actual “justice.”

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John Kiriakou is a former CIA counterterrorism officer and a former senior investigator with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. John became the sixth whistleblower indicted by the Obama administration under the Espionage Act – a law designed to punish spies. He served 23 months in prison as a result of his attempts to oppose the Bush administration's torture program.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

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