Council on Foreign Relations’ Post

The resurgence of political assassinations in recent years has raised alarm bells worldwide. Our comprehensive analysis examines the factors driving these acts of violence, the main perpetrators, and the evolving methods used. Learn about the historical trends, regional hotspots, and the importance of robust security measures. Stay informed and understand the complexities behind political assassinations in our latest blog post. https://lnkd.in/g6RhZfMt #PoliticalAssassinations #GlobalSecurity #PoliticalAnalysis

ENDING THE RIGHT’S REIGN OF STOCHASTIC TERROR: REPLACING BRANDENBURG TO MODERNIZE THE FIRST AMENDMENT  - PDF: https://lnkd.in/gQC5MVkw Political debate in the United States has entered a dangerous era beyond mere hyper-partisanship. Often, “political commentary” presented by some of the most watched conservative news networks is not political commentary at all, but vilification of political targets. This vilification often results in stochastic terrorism—a phenomenon that occurs when speakers with large audiences engage in frequent rhetorical attacks against political opposition, eventually inciting an ideologically aligned individual to take unpredictable, often violent action. Stochastic terrorism is an expedient form of dealing with political opponents because, due to First Amendment incitement jurisprudence, speakers who say inciteful things remain legally insulated from accountability for the result. To discourage and stifle the use of stochastic terrorism in political discourse, there must be accountability for demagogues who incite violence against political targets. Impeding the road to accountability is the 1969 Supreme Court case, Brandenburg v. Ohio. This case creates a near absolute barrier to legislation that can limit speech which incites stochastic terrorism. The Supreme Court should strike down the Brandenburg incitement test, allowing it to be replaced with a standard that is less tolerant of inciteful rhetoric. Articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights serve as excellent guides for proper treatment and discouragement of inciteful language that the federal government should allow states to implement as they see fit to protect targeted populations. Although it is unlikely that stochastic terrorism will ever be effectively ended, this multi-part solution would significantly decrease its potency and lead to accountability for the reckless use of violent rhetoric. #polticalviolence #civilrights #stochasticterrorism #domesticterrorism #rightwing #Brandenburg #FirstAmendment

Action and inaction (when it is your responsibility to act) have consequences

Internal Threats to U.S. Democracy Analysis and Implications of Project 2025, the Seven Mountain Mandate, and Extremist Alignment https://ow.ly/Oi9U50SMXQ7

In 2016, the Administration had a strategy: to create the Q conspiracy and micro-target Christians, who at the time, made up 65% of the nation. Their goal? 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 and 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫 those who love our country, shake their faith, and pit them against each other, all for more power and control. 😱⁣ ⁣ 𝗪𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 are their greatest threat. ⁣ ⁣ It’s time to 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 and stand together against corruption, to 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 our power, and 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 a better future for generations to come. 🇺🇸⁣ ⁣ Watch the full video on 𝐏𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞𝟒𝐔𝐒.𝐜𝐨𝐦 to uncover the whole story behind how Phillip Drake’s team was ordered to create the #Q conspiracy. 👀⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #QConspiracy #GovernmentCorruption #UniteAgainstCorruption #TruthSeeker #PowerToThePeople #UnitedForJustice #TakeBackOurCountry #ProtectOurRights #MaximizeReach #StayInformed #ExposeCorruption #truthers #facts #FactCheckThis #ExposeTheTruth #BeTheChange

Internal Threats to U.S. Democracy Analysis and Implications of Project 2025, the Seven Mountain Mandate, and Extremist Alignment https://ow.ly/Oi9U50SMXQ7

Post 9-11, it was contentious to speak about “root causes” of terrorism within the Bush administration. The term “evil” was the only acceptable explanation for the 9-11 attacks (Gellman, 2012). Within the EU, many officials were reluctant to use the words “root causes”. Consequently, academic discourse was stifled and those who had dedicated their lives and research to this field were silenced. The point lost here was that speaking about root causes is not a justification of an act. Citing the motivating factors that led to 9-11 is not a justification of what took place on 9-11. Richard Jackson holds that a discourse can be considered successful when its words, language, assumptions and viewpoints are adopted and employed uncritically in political discourse by politicians, the media, social institutions and ordinary citizens. When a political discourse succeeds, it potentially paves the way to abuses. The success of the Bush administration discourse paved the way for the abuse of prisoners in Iraq to be normalised through language and practice. United Nations special rapporteur Francesca Albanese recently discussed the “root causes” of the events that led to Oct the 7th, 2023 at The National Press Club in Canberra citing 75 years of brutal Israeli occupation. She subsequently became the target of vicious attacks worldwide with all forms of accusations levelled against her. This underscores the need to look beyond the political discourse and media framing.

The expectation that oppressed populations should remain passive in the face of brutality raises ethical questions. It suggests that those suffering under occupation have a moral obligation to accept their circumstances rather than resist. This perspective ignores the inherent right of individuals to fight for their freedom and dignity. Resistance, whether through peaceful protest or other means, is often a necessary response to injustice. Labeling such resistance as terrorism or an attack on peace can serve to silence legitimate grievances and perpetuate cycles of violence.

VDH's assessment is spot on.

Exactly 75 years after the unanimous adoption by the United Nations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), also known as the Genocide Convention, the undemocratic structure of the UN Security Council and therefore the UN as a whole and the nation-state system more broadly have proven themselves illegitimate as a minor genocidal nation (Israel) controls the vote of a permanent member of the UN Security Council (United States). Theoretically, at this moment in world history, in filling out the term of President Joe Biden from December 11, 2023 to March 20, 2024 (if Biden were to gracefully resign as a non-registered agent of Israel), could a President Kamala Harris of the United States help other world leaders institute more legitimate structures of global governance? In my view, the answer is yes but time is of the essence in order to avoid chaotic collapse of the already ever-precarious anarchical world system instead of needed transformational progression beyond it. SEE ALSO Genocide Convention (Wikipedia). https://lnkd.in/dTRWpNcB [Proposed] United Nations Parliamentary Assemby (Wikipedia). https://lnkd.in/eQaPnj4r Posted December 9, 2023 (1:35): https://lnkd.in/dqk5tBTh