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Who Was Rosa Luxemburg?

Who Was Rosa Luxemburg?

Rosa Luxemburg-Stiftung (2019)

Film Review

The filmmakers describe Luxemburg as one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. One of her most important contributions was to explaining why imperialism (ie colonialism) is an essential component of a capitalist economic system.

Born to a Jewish family in 1871 when Poland was part of Russia, she was forced to flee her native country as a teenager owing to her socialist beliefs and activities.

After receiving a doctorate in economics in Germany, she joined the German Social Democratic Party (SDP). She opposed the gradual adoption of socialism through electoral politics advocated by the SPD. She believed change had to come from below (from the people) and that this required ongoing self-education and class consciousness. She believed socialism imposed from the top (Bolshevism) could never work. At the same time she advocated for liberal democracy (as opposed to monarchy) because it made it easier to organize for democratic rights.

She was also at odds with Germany’s upper class feminists who (in her view) only wanted the advantages of like rich men. She believed that fighting for economic democracy would bring about women’s rights automatically. On a personal level she battled rampant sexism from male SDP members.

Following the outbreak of World War I she and Karl Liebknecht left left the SPD, which called for abandoning class to support the war effort. Together with Franz Mehring, they formed the Spartacus League. With the latter at the forefront of the German peace movement, this landed the three of them in jail.

In the final year of World War I, the German economy began crumbling, leading to a series of mass strikes for peace, as well as mutinies by German sailors and soldiers. On November 8, 1918, a full blown popular uprising forced the Kaiser to abdicate and Germany was declared a republic.

As the SDP took a leading role in guiding the formation of Germany’s first democratic government, Luxemburg was released from prison. After protestors seized Berlin’s main newspaper office, she helped put out a daily newspaper urging protestors to remain in the streets to ensure their full representation in the new democratic government.

The SDP, in turn, allied itself with right wing paramilitaries who assassinated Luxemburg and Liebknecht and systematically destroyed the proletarian movement responsible for Germany’s mass protests. These right wing militias would go on to found the Nazi party. The systematic destruction of the war time proletarian movements meant there was no one to oppose Hitler’s 1934 seizure of power.

Doritos and Mountain Dew Could Carry ‘Not Fit for Human Consumption’ Label Under Landmark Texas Bill

By Sasha Rogelberg

A Texas bill on the brink of becoming law would crack down on major food manufacturers, requiring them to label products with warnings about ingredients “not recommended for human consumption,” under the standards of countries other than the U.S.

Senate Bill 25 would require U.S. food manufacturers to, beginning in 2027, clearly mark products sold in Texas with warning labels that the foods contain certain ingredients like bleached flour and synthetic food dyes that other countries have prohibited or required warnings for. The legislation would impact major food manufacturers like General Mills, whose brands Pillsbury Toaster Strudel contain bleached flour, as well as PepsiCo, the conglomerate behind Doritos and Mountain Dew, which contain dyes.

The bill also outlines requirements for physical education and nutrition education in schools. The legislation reached the desk of Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday.

Supported by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the bill’s enactment would notch a victory for Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement. The HHS secretary, as part of his MAHA efforts, has advocated for the banning of dyes, additives, and seed oils, arguing the ingredients increase the risk of cancer, hyperactivity in children, inflammatory bowel diseases, and allergic reactions.

Via https://www.newsbreak.com/share/4037135393286-doritos-and-mountain-dew-could-carry-a-new-not-recommended-for-human-consumption-warning-under-landmark-texas-bill

No Phone Home is the Privacy Rebellion Digital IDs Didn’t See Coming

Ken Macon

The digital ID standard behind mobile IDs bakes in remote data access that governments can quietly activate. Privacy activists are pushing back.

Welcome to a new privacy-first initiative challenging the digital identity status quo, urging a sharp turn away from the surveillance-ready infrastructure embedded in mobile driver’s licenses.

The campaign, called No Phone Home, brings together a broad alliance of civil liberties groups, privacy experts, technologists, lawmakers, and public officials who are resisting the ways digital IDs compromise people’s rights.

What’s fueling the campaign is concern over how mobile driver’s licenses, increasingly adopted in the US and abroad, are built atop a technical framework that allows them to silently transmit data back to issuing authorities. While this function may not be active by default, it exists; and that, privacy advocates argue, is a serious vulnerability.

Even if unused, if the architecture allows for data to be sent back to government servers, it eventually will be the campaign’s statement warns.

At issue is a largely under-the-radar international standard: ISO/IEC 18013-5:2021.

This specification has become the foundation for digital ID systems used in several US states and internationally, including those compatible with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. It mandates that mobile IDs support server-side retrieval of data; a feature that can open the door to mass tracking.

Digital identity tools were initially developed inside corporations where privacy wasn’t a major concern.

The campaign is making a political and ethical case. The core principle is simple: digital credentials, like physical ones, should not expose a person’s movements or behaviors. While many states have promised not to use the tracking features built into digital ID standards, this is a policy decision, not a technical safeguard

Indeed, a state government recently realized it had mistakenly left the tracking capability active in its mobile ID app and only turned it off after the fact. That incident has added urgency to the campaign’s message.

The concern extends beyond physical spaces. With digital IDs increasingly used for online age verification, privacy advocates worry about how web activity could be logged and linked back to individuals. In Louisiana, for example, residents must verify their age using the LA Wallet app to access adult content online.

Other standards, like OpenID Connect, face similar criticism. Though different in design, OIDC also supports silent data transmissions. ISO’s structure in particular favors verifiers; businesses and agencies verifying identity, rather than individuals trying to safeguard their privacy.

While digital driver’s licenses remain optional and relatively uncommon today, their growth is accelerating. More states are rolling out digital wallets, and countries in the European Union and elsewhere are moving quickly toward official digital identity systems.

We’re at a critical moment. If we don’t demand safeguards now, we’re going to end up with digital identity systems that fundamentally undermine privacy.

[…]

Via https://reclaimthenet.org/no-phone-home

How MI6 Helped HTS Seize Syria

Sharaa meets with Iraq war architect Alistair Campbell, and MI6 veteran Rory Stewart

By Kit Klarenberg

On May 12th, US ambassador to Syria 2011 – 2014 Robert Ford gave a talk to the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs. Over the course of his oratory, he issued a bombshell disclosure – in 2023, a British “non-governmental organisation” specialised in “conflict resolution” made him an extraordinary offer. They sought Ford’s personal assistance in transforming Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the Al Qaeda and ISIS-offshoot that now claims to rule Syria – from ‘terrorists’ into politicians.

The NGO was particularly interested in rebranding Ahmed Hussein Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad Jolani, who is now Syria’s self-appointed President. Captured as a senior Al Qaeda commander in Mosul, Iraq in 2006, he was inexplicably released from US custody in 2011, just as the foreign-fomented Syrian “revolution” was brewing. Ford explained he met Sharaa on two separate occasions, first in September 2023, then in January 2024 after HTS had seized Damascus. Reportedly, he was completely unrepentant about his militant past:

“[Sharaa] never apologized, never apologized, for the terrorist attacks in Iraq or Syria…But he also said, ‘now I am governing an opposition-held area of north west Syria, and I am learning that the tactics and the principles I was following in Iraq do not apply when you actually have to govern four million people’…This guy rejected elections in Iraq…he was blowing up polling stations, and he did not apologize for that. I want to emphasize that.”

Ford’s comments provide persuasive proof that far from capturing power in Syria in late 2024 in the manner of lightning on a dark night, HTS had for years in advance been concertedly and covertly groomed by Western powers to replace Bashar Assad’s government, with Britain leading the effort. Ever since Ford’s remarks became public, speculation has abounded about which “non-governmental organisation” was responsible for assisting the group, and Sharaa in its crusade. On May 22nd, Independent Arabia revealed the firm in question was Inter-Mediate.

The Arabic-language report – and its significance – was noticed by few in the West, with the notable exception of independent journalist Vanessa Beeley. Inter-Mediate was founded in 2011 by Jonathan Powell, chief of staff to then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair 1997 – 2007. In , mere days before HTS took power in Syria, he became current premier Keir Starmer’s National Security Advisor, “coordinating all UK foreign policy, security, defence, Europe, and international economic issues from 10 Downing Street.”

Powell’s Whitehall homecoming was an extraordinary development. He had not only been lucratively toiling in the private sector for two decades, but was intimately involved in Blair’s push for the criminal 2003 Anglo-American invasion of Iraq. Most other officials and state apparatchiks implicated in that disgrace have long-since been purged from positions of power, with no hope of return. Now though, as The Spectator records, Powell “may have more influence over foreign policy than anyone in government after the Prime Minister himself”:

“He is one of the few senior officials responsible for the Iraq war who has managed a return to the corridors – and the sofas – of power. The historical record shows that he had doubts about Iraq’s WMDs, but thought Saddam Hussein had to go ‘because he was a ruthless dictator suppressing his people’. This was, as Blair named it, ‘liberal interventionism’…[Powell] has the same instincts today. After Iraq, and Afghanistan, he still wants to save the world.”

‘Our Side’

Such hubris is writ large throughout Inter-Mediate’s website. Powell’s purported inspiration for founding the firm was “to share lessons from the Northern Ireland peace talks and help other leaders navigating similar dilemmas.” The company’s stated “mission” is to “advance conflict resolution and reconciliation through dialogue and mediation with the aim of achieving lasting settlement to violent and complex conflicts.” It boasts of its ability to “leverage” resources of “governments and international institutions that spend billions of dollars annually to deal with the effects of conflict.”

Inter-Mediate professes to simply “promote dialogue between conflicting parties,” not “advance any parties’ agenda,” while seeking “sustainable, long-term resolutions to conflicts around the globe” by “promoting participation of all key parties in dialogue processes.” The firm also pledges to ensure “confidentiality” at all times, “given the delicate nature of many conflicts.” It acknowledges that in “volatile circumstances…the potential cost of negotiations, both politically and in terms of personal security of those involved,” means a “confidential process is often required for initial discussions to take place.”

Which would be all well and good, except there was no “dialogue” of any kind between HTS and the Assad government before the former seized power in Damascus. The Al Qaeda offshoot ousted the popular administration, and has reigned ever since, with murderous force. The confidential consultations brokered by Inter-Mediate in respect of Syria were evidently between senior HTS representatives and their Western counterparts, in order to secure consent for the group’s military coup. This in turn strongly suggests HTS is the company’s client.

If so, the question of who or what was footing the bill for HTS remains an open and obvious one, although MI6 is a compelling candidate. On top of the company’s staff being comprised of shadowy diplomatic veterans, and reporting by Declassified UK indicating the firm reaped over £4 million 2010 – 2020 from the Foreign Office, the leaked emails of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicate Inter-Mediate works “closely” with Britain’s foreign spying agency.

In March 2012, an internal State email sent to senior Clinton aide Jake Sullivan recorded how Jonathan Powell had “launched a new NGO that has already initiated some very interesting work below the radar,” and was seeking to pitch its services to senior Department officials. In an attached missive from Powell, he stated Inter-Mediate had “[set] up secret channels between insurgents and governments” in several countries, and was preparing to start work in Burma, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.Powell added Inter-Mediate “work closely” with the British Foreign Office, National Security Council, and MI6.

That Powell was offering his company’s spooky services to the US State Department in Syria at this point strongly suggests well over a decade before Assad’s fall, Inter-Mediate sought to replace his government with “insurgents”. An email the previous month from Sullivan to Clinton amply demonstrates Western powers knew precisely what forces were battling Assad on their behalf. It was headlined, “AQ” – Al Qaeda – “is on our side in Syria.”

Excerpt from Jake Sullivan’s email to Hillary Clinton

‘Leading Role’

It may well be due to the longstanding relationship between MI6 and HTS, via Inter-Mediate, that Britain was the first Western country to welcome and recognise their assumption of government in Syria. Starmer warmly greeted the news, declaring the group taking power meant “a more active role” for London in the wider region. In December 2024, British diplomats formally met with HTS representatives, despite the media acknowledging this to be completely illegal, as HTS is a proscribed terror group under British law.

Moreover, on February 19th, The National exposed how Britain “is wielding considerable influence in post-Assad Syria, through a combination of political connections, charity operations and a well-networked returning diaspora.” Powell is a core component of this nexus, with deep-seated connections to the country predating the West’s decade-long dirty war. His brother, Charles Powell, is a trustee of the Said Foundation, set up by British-Syrian businessman and philanthropist Wafic Said, who met Sharaa in mid-January at the presidential palace in Damascus.

“This personal connection and the work done by the Said Foundation” has granted Powell “a long-standing and extensive knowledge of the country and the issues it faces,” per The National. The outlet also reported that on top of face-to-face meetings with HTS following Assad’s fall, it was “thought he had established back-channel contact” with HTS via Inter-Mediate, dating back some time. The National noted that British intelligence-managed projects in Syria continued following Assad’s declaration of victory in the dirty war, and endure to this day.

This included the White Helmets, a bogus humanitarian group constructed by British intelligence. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon – previously outed by this journalist as an MI6 agent who staged chemical weapons attacks in Syria – was quoted by The National bursting with ebullience following a recent visit to Damascus, proposing the White Helmets “run the emergency services now country-wide.” He added criminally-proscribed HTS “does not need us to tell them what to do” in government, but requires “advice and resources” to achieve its objectives:

“The revolution which toppled the old guard in Damascus grew out of north-west Syria, and the interim President…appears to be a viable leader. The Syrians I know, some very close to the new team, tell me they are the real deal. Britain is uniquely placed through the British-Syrian diaspora to make a real difference, and opening the British Embassy in Damascus cannot happen soon enough.”

From at least 2013 onwards, de Bretton-Gordon was part of an MI6 operation to smuggle soil samples out of Syria to prove to the US government that Assad’s forces had employed chemical weapons, in the hope of triggering all-out intervention against Damascus about which Washington was hesitant. A mainstream report on these efforts, published six days after the ever-mysterious purported chemical weapon attack in Ghouta in August that year, quoted an anonymous “senior Western source” as saying “MI6 played the leading role” in the sample-gathering initiative:

“The American military wants more evidence before it agrees Assad has crossed the line in the use of chemical weapons. The question is what is the West going to do now? If nobody reacts, there was not much point in conducting the tests.”

With the revelation a shadowy MI6-connected British “non-governmental organisation” was seeking to prepare HTS for government as far back as 2023, and enlisted the assistance of high-ranking US officials for the purpose, we are left to ponder whether the conspiracy to unseat Assad ultimately always centred around London. While MI6 did not succeed in triggering an Iraq-style invasion by staging chemical weapons attacks with the assistance of de Bretton-Gordon, the White Helmets, and others, it ultimately prevailed in installing its handpicked puppets in Damascus.

[…]

Via https://www.kitklarenberg.com/p/how-mi6-helped-hts-seize-syria

Big Beautiful Bill Seeks to Strip States of Power to Regulate AI for Next 10 Years

By Jon Fleetwood

Buried deep in Congress’s 1,116-page “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is a provision so sweeping, so dystopian, and so underreported that it’s hard to believe it was passed out of a committee.

Section 43201 of the bill, blandly titled the “Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology Modernization Initiative,” doesn’t just fund the federal government’s full-scale AI expansion—it removes every state’s right to regulate artificial intelligence for the next decade.

Let that sink in: For the next ten years, no state in America—not even your state—will be allowed to create its own safeguards, protections, or liability standards for how AI is developed or deployed.

“No State or political subdivision thereof may enforce any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models… during the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.”
—Sec. 43201(c)(1) of the bill

.

This is not a theoretical threat.

It’s a federal ban on local AI regulation—handing the reins to the very bureaucrats and corporate tech giants already embedding AI into military systems, healthcare, financial markets, education, and law enforcement.

This section of the bill is a preemptive strike against state sovereignty.

It neuters legislatures and governors from protecting their own citizens—just as powerful corporations and federal agencies rush to install AI systems into every layer of society.

It’s not just overreach.

It’s a federal power grab dressed as “modernization.”

And President Trump is now marching on Capitol Hill to personally demand the bill’s passage—pushing the very legislation that would shield his $500 billion Stargate AI surveillance grid from any state-level resistance (more on this below).

The bill—developed by the House Budget Committee, which passed the legislation yesterday—still needs to be voted on in the House and Senate before it hits Trump’s desk, so if you want your senators and representatives to vote no on it, you can contact them here and tell them why.

[…]

Legal Immunity for the Machines—and Their Makers

The bill doesn’t just block states from writing new AI laws.

It also forbids states from enforcing existing protections that touch on:

How AI is trainedWhat data it collectsWhether it discriminatesHow it documents its decisionsWhat fees are chargedWhether citizens can sue

States are prohibited from imposing “any substantive design, performance, data-handling, documentation, civil liability, taxation, fee, or other requirement”unless the federal government already does.
—Sec. 43201(c)(2)

In plain terms: If the feds don’t regulate it, no one can.

Big Tech and government agencies now have a green light to roll out unchecked AI systems nationwide—with zero legal accountability at the state level.

Why Would This be in a Budget Bill? 

Why include this in a “budget reconciliation” bill about taxes, border walls, and SNAP benefits?

The answer is likely twofold:

It buries explosive language in a massive omnibus-style package few lawmakers or citizens will read in full—a common bureaucratic tactic.It shields federal partners from liability as the government moves to rapidly deploy AI for defense, surveillance, and healthcare decisions—especially in light of rising pushback at the state level.

From biometric surveillance bans to AI-policing moratoriums, states have started pushing back.

This bill apparently ends that resistance.

The Implications Are Chilling

This isn’t about streamlining federal IT.

It’s about silencing the last level of local resistance before the AI apparatus is fully operational.

States can’t regulate it.

Citizens can’t sue for it.

And no one—not even your elected state representatives—can step in to stop it.

Welcome to the federal AI regime, where the machines make decisions, and you don’t get a vote.

Meanwhile, Trump’s ‘Stargate’ Project Is Building a $500 Billion AI Surveillance Superstructure—and Big Pharma Just Bought Your DNA

This quiet removal of states’ rights is happening against the backdrop of the largest AI-government-corporate alliance in U.S. history.

In January, President Donald Trump announced a joint venture with OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank to invest $500 billion into an AI mega-infrastructure project codenamed “Stargate.”

The system is designed to integrate AI across every sector of American life—including defense, healthcare, and biomedical research.

During the announcement, Oracle founder Larry Ellison boasted about using AI to scan electronic health records to develop next-gen mRNA drugs that can target a person’s genome.

That same month, the FDA finalized a rule allowing Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to waive informed consent for “minimal risk” studies—meaning your genetic data, blood samples, and private medical records can be collected and used without your knowledge or permission.

And now, Regeneron just acquired bankrupt genomics firm 23andMe for $256 million in a bankruptcy deal that will give the pharmaceutical giant direct access to the genetic data of millions of Americans.

The deal was quietly announced yesterday.

Let’s be clear: This is the same 23andMe that suffered a massive data breach in 2023, exposing genetic information tied to names, ancestry, and health predispositions.

Now, that data is in the hands of a pharmaceutical company that already works hand-in-glove with federal health authorities—and is free to merge it with AI drug development platforms like Stargate.

The pieces are falling into place:

AI to scan your genomeFDA waives your right to informed consentOracle (CIA’s first customer) builds the infrastructureRegeneron swallows up your DNA

And now, with Section 43201 of the new bill, no state has the authority to step in and protect your rights. Not from AI. Not from biotech. Not from the merger of surveillance, pharma, and military-industrial data.

[…]

Via https://www.globalresearch.ca/congress-strip-states-power-regulate-artificial-intelligence/5889266

The Big Zika Lies: Revisiting the Timelines, Narratives and Ignored Science

Dr James Lyons-Weller

In 2015, global media and health authorities declared war on a new public health threat: the Zika virus. Women in Brazil, particularly in the impoverished Northeast, were warned that a bite from a mosquito could lead to devastating birth defects, especially microcephaly. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued sweeping advisories. The panic was viral. But the so-called scientific consensus was fragile—built on rhetorical devices, not empirical rigor.

What if Zika wasn’t the cause of Brazil’s microcephaly crisis?

To understand what really happened, we must revisit the timeline, because the facts—as they played out—contradict the official story at nearly every step.

Microcephaly cases began rising in Northeast Brazil well before the first Zika infections were detected. Brazil’s live birth defect registries show microcephaly rates began to climb in 2012 and intensified in 2013–2014. Meanwhile, the Zika virus wasn’t detected in Brazil until July 2014, and even then, it was retrospective surveillance that uncovered it. The first public reports attributing microcephaly to Zika came in October 2015.

At the same time, and in the same region—Northeast Brazil—Brazil’s Ministry of Health had implemented an aggressive public health campaign targeting pregnant women in the slums. This included the deployment of a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine. Crucially, the formulation used in these settings was the whole-cell pertussis vaccine (wP), not the acellular version (aP) used in wealthier countries. Whole-cell pertussis vaccines are known to be highly reactogenic and are no longer recommended for use in adults or pregnant women in countries like the United States due to their elevated risk profile.

This was not widely disclosed at the time. But in a personal communication to me, Dr. Wadely de Oliveira from Instituto Butantan confirmed that whole-cell pertussis vaccines were indeed administered to pregnant women in the slums of Northeast Brazil during 2014 and 2015—the very same period immediately preceding and during the microcephaly surge. This campaign was subsequently halted in 2016. Afterward, microcephaly cases plummeted. Zika virus, however, continued to circulate. No new surge in microcephaly followed.

Dr. De Oliveira Dias of Instituto Butantan also confirmed in a February 17, 2016 communication:

“Whole-cell pertussis vaccine is used in Brazil in the general population to reduce cost, whereas use of the more expensive acellular pertussis is restricted to clinics.”

In follow-up correspondence, she expressed concerns about the mass vaccination of pregnant women in a population with high infectious burden and nutritional deficiency, calling the campaign “unnecessary” and acknowledging that Brazil’s vaccine production infrastructure had collapsed at the height of the Zika panic. These admissions confirm not only the use of whole-cell pertussis in pregnancy but also the vulnerability of the population exposed.

Let that sink in: the birth defects stopped, but the virus remained.

To date, no international health agency has disclosed the use of whole-cell pertussis vaccines in these vulnerable populations. No public health review has reevaluated the assumption that Zika caused the microcephaly. No retraction has been issued for the sweeping claims made in 2015–2016. Instead, the narrative hardened. The myth was institutionalized.

There was no robust evidence base to begin with. In fact, Anthony Fauci himself cited the presence of Zika virus RNA in a single fetal brain as “strong evidence” of causality. That is not science. That is confirmation bias. One brain. One anecdote. That became the foundation for sweeping global vaccine development campaigns, pesticide spraying, fear-mongering, and the suspension of scientific doubt.

But there were other exposures in play. At the same time that wP vaccines were used in pregnant women, Brazil had also introduced pyriproxyfen, a larvicide, into drinking water supplies in the Northeast. This coincided with the GM mosquito release in 2011–2014 in the same region. Aluminum-containing adjuvants were ubiquitous in maternal vaccines. Malnutrition was rampant. None of these cofactors were systematically evaluated. None were studied. None were ruled out.

Interactive Risk: Whole-Cell Pertussis as a Co-Factor in a Toxic Web 

Brazil’s mass vaccination programs didn’t occur in sterile clinical settings. They were deployed in the favelas of the Northeast, regions suffering from chronic malnutrition, infectious disease burden, and environmental contamination. These areas were also subject to emergency countermeasures like pyriproxyfen treatment of drinking water and multiple concurrent vaccinations. Yet, no official risk models ever evaluated the combinatorial effects of these exposures.

wP + Aluminum + Malnutrition: Whole-cell pertussis vaccines in Brazil contained 1.25 mg of aluminum hydroxide. Malnourished mothers—common in slums—have impaired detoxification pathways. Combined, this creates a sustained neuroinflammatory state in the fetus, particularly dangerous during early brain development.

wP + Mercury (Thimerosal): Each dose included 0.2 mg of thimerosal. Ethylmercury is a mitochondrial toxin. Coupled with the cytokine storm induced by wP, fetal mitochondrial injury and apoptosis become likely. This combination was never evaluated in gestational safety studies.

wP + Pyriproxyfen: The larvicide was added to drinking water. Vaccine-induced inflammation may compromise placental integrity, increasing fetal exposure to small molecules like pyriproxyfen and amplifying any teratogenic effects.

wP + Zika Virus: Even if Zika has limited standalone teratogenic potential, it may act as a co-factor. Immune activation from wP may heighten Zika’s neuroinflammatory impact on the fetal brain.

wP + Concurrent Vaccines: Brazil’s maternal immunization schedule often included multiple simultaneous vaccines. This immune burden could exceed tolerable limits during critical gestational windows.

wP + Background Infection Burden: Superimposing vaccine-induced inflammation on a high-infection background may tip immune balance into crisis, with devastating fetal outcomes.

Not one of these interaction pathways was modeled, measured, or ruled out by the WHO or CDC. Their approach was linear, binary, and dangerously simplistic. The phrase “no evidence” was weaponized against every potential co-factor, even when the interacting variables were known teratogens, inflammagens, or immune disruptors.

In February 2016, I submitted a manuscript to PLOS ONE documenting the timeline: the rising microcephaly cases predating Zika, the introduction of wP vaccine campaigns, the environmental co-exposures, and the suspiciously timed collapse in microcephaly cases following the cessation of those campaigns. The manuscript was rejected without scientific rebuttal. The editorial team provided vague procedural objections. Around the same time, Dr. Peter Hotez remarked via peer review of our article, submitted to PLOS One article that such a paper would “not be helpful.” Helpful to whom? The women who lost their babies? The families who were told a virus did it, when no such evidence held up under scrutiny? To science?

Zika virus has existed for decades without ever causing birth defects. In Colombia, Zika spread widely in 2016. Microcephaly did not. One of my colleagues who was instrumental in keeping people reasonable about Ebola – Dr. Gavin MacGregor-Skinner- traveled to Colombia during the height of the microcephaly crisis and confirmed – Zika, no microcephaly. I called a doctor in Suriname – Zika, no microcephaly. Decades prior – Nigeria, Java, French Polynesia, similar story: many infections, no microcephaly. Only in Brazil—only in the slums, only in the years wP was administered—did this cluster of tragic birth outcomes occur.

This is not coincidence. It is a signal. And IPAK was on it in real time. Peter Hotez and PLOS One want to sanitize any potential link to vaccination; my manuscript is still unpublished, a testimonial to their destructive effect on science.

Here is our best three-factor causal hypothesis that could explain MC in Brazil from 2012-2015.

Science, if it is to mean anything, must be honest. And honesty requires that we acknowledge uncertainty, revisit our assumptions, and follow the data wherever it leads—even when the destination is uncomfortable. To this day, no major health authority has investigated whether the use of whole-cell pertussis vaccine in pregnant women caused Brazil’s microcephaly crisis. But the burden of proof does not lie on the victims. It lies on the institutions that unleashed untested interventions on vulnerable populations and then buried the consequences beneath a viral scapegoat.

Zika virus may have been present, but it was never proven to be the cause of microcephaly. Whole-cell pertussis vaccine, in contrast, was confirmed in use during pregnancy, was known to be inflammatory, was halted just before the crisis resolved, and yet has never been studied in this context. That is not “no evidence.” That is willful ignorance.

It is time to ask the questions that were never allowed. Who authorized this? Who funded it? Who ignored the outcomes? And why have the people of Brazil not been told the truth?

[…]

Summary of Key Mechanisms Identified in Glyphosate-Induced Teratogenicity

A landmark study by Paganelli et al. (2010) offers critical mechanistic insight into how glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) can produce microcephaly and other neural defects—findings that mirror the patterns observed during the microcephaly surge in Northeast Brazil.

Microcephaly and Cephalic Defects from GBH Exposure 

In both Xenopus laevis (frog) and chicken embryo models, sublethal exposure to GBH—at concentrations far lower than those used in agricultural settings—resulted in striking developmental abnormalities. These included microcephaly, cyclopia, and severe craniofacial malformations. Gene expression analyses revealed that key developmental markers such as slug, krox-20, N-tubulin, shh (Sonic Hedgehog), and otx2were all significantly downregulated in exposed embryos. Additionally, the migration of neural crest cells—essential for craniofacial patterning—was visibly delayed or disrupted. These experimental outcomes directly parallel the clinical phenotypes reported in microcephalic infants born during the Zika-associated outbreak in NE Brazil.

Mechanistic Driver: Disruption of Retinoic Acid Signaling 

The study identified a central mechanistic driver: disruption of the retinoic acid (RA) signaling pathway. Using a RA-responsive reporter assay (RAREZ), the researchers demonstrated that GBH exposure caused a significant increase in endogenous RA signaling. This hyperactivation of RA is known to induce developmental defects that resemble those seen in retinoic acid embryopathy. Notably, the teratogenic effects induced by GBH were rescued when embryos were co-treated with Ro 41-5253, a known RA pathway antagonist. This confirms that the observed neural and craniofacial defects are, at least in part, mediated through retinoid dysregulation. The phenotypic outcome mimicked well-documented human syndromes such as holoprosencephaly and otocephaly—both of which involve impaired midline brain development and neural crest function.

Interaction with Other Stressors

The study further raises concerns about synergistic toxicity. It demonstrated that the teratogenicity of glyphosate is potentiated by adjuvants—especially surfactants—commonly included in commercial formulations to improve absorption. Glyphosate alone was capable of impairing mitochondrial function, triggering apoptosis through the activation of caspases 3 and 7, and further suppressing Shh signaling, which is critical for neural tube and facial development. When these effects occur in tandem, they likely compound embryonic damage and increase the probability of severe birth defects. In real-world contexts—especially in vulnerable populations exposed simultaneously to vaccines, malnutrition, infections, and chemical agents—these interactions could explain the geographic and demographic clustering of microcephaly.

[…]

Via https://www.globalresearch.ca/big-zika-lies-revisiting-ignored-science/5889281

US reshuffle of ‘pro-Israel’ officials alarms occupation

Al Mayadeen

A series of high-level removals within the US administration has raised alarm in “Israel”, as key pro-“Israel” figures are dismissed amid growing tensions between President Trump and Netanyahu over Gaza and Iran.

Israeli officials are expressing growing concern over a series of unexpected personnel changes within the US administration, which have targeted figures long regarded as staunch supporters of “Israel”, Israeli news outlet Ynet reported.

The shake-up comes amid escalating tensions between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over both the war on Gaza and a possible strike on Iran.

Among the most notable dismissals are Merav Ceren, a dual US-Israeli citizen who oversaw the Iran and “Israel” portfolio at the National Security Council, and Eric Trager, who led Middle East and North Africa policy. Both were appointed by former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, a strong supporter of “Israel”, who was removed by Trump.

Their removal was reportedly executed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Waltz’s successor.

Another high-profile figure expected to be removed is Morgan Ortagus, deputy to special envoy Steve Witkoff and in charge of the Lebanon file.

Ortagus’s leaving her post, although unfavorable for “Israel” due to her critical role in efforts to disarm Hezbollah, marks the departure of a controversial figure in Lebanon, with her statements, such as thanking “Israel” for what she claimed was defeating Hezbollah in the Presidential Palace in Baabda, inflaming tensions in the country, flouting proper protocol, and meddling in Lebanon’s internal affairs.

Her dismissal, which sources say was not voluntary, has shocked officials in “Israel”, where she was seen as a key ally. Ortagus is reportedly being reassigned to internal duties within the State Department and will have no further role in Middle East diplomacy.

According to Lebanese outlet al-Akhbar, Ortagus had sought a more senior regional role, aiming to take over the Syria portfolio. However, her responsibilities are now expected to be reassigned, possibly to Joel Rayburn or Thomas Barrack. The Lebanese file, sources noted, has been downgraded in US priorities, with attention shifting to Syria.

American sources confirmed to Lebanon’s MTV network that Ortagus had been dismissed due to internal professional issues unrelated to Lebanon. Her upcoming trip to Beirut has been canceled, and Rayburn is expected to assume oversight of the Lebanon file as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs.

[…]

Via https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-reshuffle-of-pro–israel–officials-alarms-occupation

Louisiana Joins Nationwide Push to Ban Chemtrails as House Passes Landmark Bill

By Baxter Dmitry

A bill to ban chemtrails in Louisiana advanced out of the state House of Representatives on May 29, despite a mainstream media campaign to vilify the legislation and defeat the vote.

State Rep. Kimberly Landry Coates (R-Ponchatoula) defended SB46 on the House floor, saying she is concerned about aircraft leaving white streaks across the sky, which she explained are creating clouds and affecting weather patterns and damaging the health of citizens.

“This bill is to prevent any chemicals above us in the air, specifically to modify the weather,” Coates said.

The landmark bill passed in Louisiana follows similar legislation recently enacted in Florida, which has taken its crackdown a step further by launching a dedicated Chemtrails Hotline for citizens to report suspected atmospheric spraying. Offenders could face up to five years in prison under the new law.

As part of the new legislation, lawmakers approved an amendment requiring the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to document all reported chemtrails sightings and citizen complaints.

This data will then be forwarded to the Louisiana Air National Guard for further investigation and potential action.

During questioning on the House floor, State Rep. Candace Newell (D-New Orleans) asked about the chemicals involved in the covert spraying operations.

“Other than the nanoparticles of aluminum, what else have you found?” Newell said.

“Barium. There is a few, some with long words that I can’t pronounce,” Coates said.

Coates also claimed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sends chemicals into clouds to reflect sunlight and cool the Earth’s surface. However, NOAA says it does not conduct weather modification experiments and has no plans to do so.

Coates further suggested that multiple agencies are involved in what she believes is a chemtrail conspiracy in Louisiana.

“Who is doing this?” asked State Rep. Matthew Willard (D-New Orleans).

“There are multiple people. Multiple groups, contractors,” Coates said.

“Who are the contracts with?” Willard asked.

“I’ve seen the documents with at least nine federal agencies,” Coates said.

“(Do you see them) once a week?” asked State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle (D-Baton Rouge).

“At least, yes—from my house all the way to the Capitol. So when you look up in the air, you look, watch for the big white lines across the sky,” Coates said.

“So once a week you see people releasing stuff in the air on the way to the Capitol? So I just need to look up? I probably haven’t been looking up,” Marcelle said.

The bill passed the House in a landslide by a vote of 58-32.

Another amendment removed any penalties for violators. Coates said she wants state agencies to understand chemtrails better before enforcement measures are considered.

Robert F Kennedy Jr. on X in August about chemtrails: “We are going to stop this crime.”

[…]

Via https://thepeoplesvoice.tv/louisiana-joins-nationwide-push-to-ban-chemtrails-as-house-passes-landmark-bill/

The Crimean War 1853-1856

The Crimean War 1853-1856

Real Time History (2023)

Film Review

During the Crimean War, Britain, France and Sardinia* allied with the Ottoman Empire to prevent Russia from seizing Ottoman territory in Eastern Europe.

This film begins by tracing the gradual 19th century decline of the Ottoman Empire (commonly known as “The Sick Man of Europe”), owing to the Turks’ failure to match in technological advances. The French invaded and seized Algeria from the Ottoman Turks in 1830. Likewise there were numerous Russo-Turkish Wars between 1760-1820, as Russia sought warm water to facilitate year-round to shipping.

In 1852 after the Ottomans granted Roman Catholics exclusive access to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, Russian troops occupied Moldavia and Wallachia along the Danube. They demanded to be granted protectorship of all orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire.

In response the Ottomans (with the support of long time Russian adversaries France and Britain) declared war on Russia on October 4, 1853. Their combined forces attacked the independent (under nominal Russian control) Caucasus states of Georgia and Circassia, with the ultimate goal of capturing Russia’s main Black Sea naval base in Sevastapol. By winter 1854, the fighting had reached a stalemate with each of the invading armies occupying small regions of Crimea.

The French committed 430,000 troops to the Crimean War and the British 153,000. The Kingdom of Sardinia (in modern day Italy) committed 15,000 because they wanted Napoleon III’s support for Italian unification.

This was the first industrial war, relying on mass industrial productions of guns and artillery. It was also the first Western war to incorporate trench warfare** and the first in history to feature daily news reporting with photographs.

The war ended following Russia defeat at Sevastopol in 1855. In signing the 1856 Treaty of Paris, the Russians agreed to withdraw from the Danubian principalities, to give parts of Bessarabia back to Moldova, to demilitarize the Black Sea and to abandon the defense of Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans experienced very slight gains in their territory.

The two most memorable events of the Crimean War are the founding of a British hospital for the wounded by Florence Nightingale and the Charge of the Light Brigade. This massacre occurred when thousands of British troops misunderstood an order and charged the Russian cavalry by mistake. The famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, an artillery officer during the Crimean war and was profoundly disillusioned by its immense “cruelty, servitude and corruption.” There was also massive public anger in the UK over the loss of so many troops to defend the Ottoman empire.

Total troop losses (most from disease) totaled:

Britain 22,000Sardinia 2,300France 100,000Russia 450,000Ottomans 45,000

Overall injured Russians had the best survival rates, owing to their introduction of triage*** during the Crimean war. Other European countries didn’t introduce triage until World War I.

*Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and was an independent country prior to Italian unification in 1871

**Which the British learned from the New Zealand Maori during the 1845-46 land wars.

***Triage is the process of sorting and prioritizing patients based on the severity of their condition to determine who needs immediate medical attention first. It is commonly used in mass casualty emergencies to maximize the number of survivors.

 

 

How Vitamin D Helps Lower Blood Pressure

Dr Mercola

Story at-a-glanceResearch shows that optimizing your vitamin D level can lower systolic blood pressure within weeksPeople with low vitamin D levels saw the most dramatic improvements, making testing your level a smart first step if you struggle with high blood pressureVitamin D helps lower blood pressure by reducing fluid retention and relaxing blood vesselsTaking vitamin D alongside magnesium and vitamin K2 increases its effectiveness and reduces the dose needed to reach optimal levelsHave your vitamin D level checked to establish a baseline. From there, you’ll be able to determine whether you need more sunlight exposure or need to take an oral supplement

More than 122 million American adults — nearly half — have high blood pressure (hypertension).1 Left untreated, hypertension dramatically increases your risk of stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, and sudden death, so it’s not an exaggeration to say that high blood pressure is one of the most dangerous and most overlooked conditions you can face. Early signs include headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, or no symptoms at all — which is why it’s often called the “silent killer.”

Once diagnosed, most people are put on a lifetime prescription of medications, with little to no discussion of underlying causes or lifestyle-based solutions. However, new research has shown that optimizing your vitamin D level offers hope, even if you haven’t changed other contributing factors, such as your diet. This revelation offers immediate relief for people looking to address their blood pressure without suffering from the side effects of blood pressure medications.

Vitamin D Supplementation Slashes Blood Pressure

A meta-analysis published in Cureus analyzed how vitamin D supplementation impacts blood pressure in adults across a wide range of clinical settings and populations.2 The researchers selected 12 studies from all around the world, spanning countries such as the United States, China, Iran, Denmark, and Australia.

For the analysis, the team looked at changes in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure after vitamin D supplementation. Most of the participants were adults dealing with either high blood pressure or borderline hypertension — not already on medication for more serious conditions, but at enough risk to warrant intervention. Some were vitamin D deficient at baseline, while others had suboptimal but not deficient levels.

• High-dose vitamin D creates rapid results in a short span — In one of the reviewed studies, subjects took 50,000 IU of vitamin D per week for just eight weeks. The results were remarkable — systolic blood pressure dropped by 28.44 mmHg, and diastolic pressure fell by 7.38 mmHg.

“This finding suggests that high-dose supplementation over a short duration may yield greater blood pressure reductions, potentially due to the rapid correction of vitamin D deficiency,” the researchers said.

• Other studies saw more modest improvements, depending on the dose and duration — For example, one study wherein participants were given 1,200 IU per day for eight weeks still saw a drop in systolic pressure by 4.5 mmHg.

In another study, using only 200 IU daily for 16 weeks, researchers reported a 3.4 mmHg drop in systolic pressure and a 2.6 mmHg drop in diastolic pressure. Although smaller, these changes are still profound, especially in those with early-stage hypertension. According to the researchers, some of these shifts occurred even without changes to diet or exercise, showing the direct role vitamin D plays in blood pressure regulation.

• High weekly doses worked faster and produced greater results than lower daily doses spread over months — For instance, the study that administered 50,000 IU per week not only produced the biggest reductions, but did so in just two months.

In contrast, trials that stretched out over 24 to 48 weeks and used smaller doses (like 2,000 to 4,000 IU/day) resulted in blood pressure reductions closer to 1 to 4 mmHg. The results weren’t uniform, but the pattern was clear.

• Results vary, but deficient participants benefited the most — In these individuals, correcting vitamin D deficiency triggered rapid, noticeable improvements in both systolic and diastolic pressure. This reinforces the importance of testing your vitamin D level.

Researchers also pointed out the wide range in outcomes, noting that studies with similar doses produced very different effects depending on the starting health status of the participants. For example, one study gave 4,000 IU/day for 48 weeks and saw almost no change, while another used the same dose over 24 weeks and saw a clear 4 mmHg drop in systolic pressure.

What Happens to Your Body When You Take a Vitamin D Supplement?

One key mechanism has to do with how vitamin D affects the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). This system controls how much fluid your kidneys retain and how tightly your blood vessels constrict.

When vitamin D is low, RAAS tends to be overactive, leading to more fluid retention, higher vascular resistance, and elevated blood pressure. The review found evidence that vitamin D helps suppress renin, which then lowers the activity of angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to tighten up.

• Vitamin D supports blood pressure by improving endothelial function — The endothelium is the lining of your blood vessels. When it’s healthy, your vessels expand and contract easily. When it’s damaged, they stiffen, and that raises blood pressure.

Vitamin D also increases the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels relax as well as reduces oxidative stress. Over time, this prevents stiffening of the arteries and supports better blood flow.

• Chronic inflammation is regulated — Many of the participants in the reviewed studies had markers of inflammation, either due to obesity, hypertension, or metabolic syndrome. In the context of the study, the researchers noted that vitamin D reduces levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), two cytokines known to worsen vascular inflammation.

Taken altogether, the study provides insight into the importance of maintaining proper vitamin D levels, and what can happen to your health if you don’t have enough of it. While the researchers looked into supplementation, you actually don’t have to spend a single cent to optimize your vitamin D levels — sunlight exposure may be enough, provided you live in a sunny enough locale.

How to Optimize Your Vitamin D Level

If you notice your blood pressure creeping up, or if you’re already on medication and wondering why it’s not fully working, take a look at your vitamin D level. Here are my recommendations to get your health on the right path again:

1. Sensible sunlight exposure is the best way to optimize your vitamin D — The ideal way to optimize your vitamin D levels is via safe sun exposure. Harnessing the sun’s power for vitamin D production offers benefits far exceeding simple vitamin synthesis. However, if your diet includes significant amounts of seed oils, extra caution is warranted.

These oils, rich in linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid, readily oxidize under UV light. This interaction on your skin initiates a cascade of breakdown products, leading to inflammation and DNA damage.

Ideally, reduce consumption of these oils for four to six months before increasing sun exposure. During this time, limiting time in the sun to early morning or late afternoon is recommended. Avoid direct sunlight during peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) until your body has cleared the seed oils. Individual factors like skin pigmentation and body composition also influence safe sun exposure.

Those with darker skin tones require longer exposure to generate the same amount of vitamin D as those with lighter skin. Since body fat stores LA, individuals with higher body fat percentages should also exercise additional caution, as those stored oils prolong the risk period even after dietary changes.

To determine safe sun exposure, use the “sunburn test.” Monitor your skin for any redness. Staying below the threshold of even slight pinkness indicates you’re within safe limits. Avoid sunburn at all costs.

2. Take high-quality vitamin D3 if necessary — For individuals living in northern climates or those with limited sun exposure, supplementing with high-quality vitamin D3 is often necessary to achieve and maintain optimal vitamin D levels. Vitamin D3 is synthesized naturally in your skin when it’s exposed to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B (UVB) rays.

On the other hand, vitamin D2 is typically derived from plant sources, including yeast and mushrooms exposed to UV light. While both forms are available as supplements, research has uncovered distinct differences in their effectiveness. Vitamin D3 is significantly more effective than D2 at raising blood vitamin D levels.3

3. Take your vitamin D with magnesium and vitamin K2 — If you take supplemental vitamin D3, you also need to be mindful of taking extra vitamin K2 and magnesium. It’s important to increase your vitamin K2 intake when taking high-dose supplemental vitamin D to avoid complications associated with excessive arterial calcification.

You need 146% more vitamin D to achieve a blood level of 40 ng/mL (100 nmol/L) if you do not take supplemental magnesium, compared to taking your vitamin D with at least 400 mg of magnesium per day.

Vitamin D improves magnesium absorption, but taking large doses of vitamin D can deplete magnesium, as magnesium is required in the conversion of vitamin D into its active form. Combined intake of both supplemental magnesium and vitamin K2 has a greater effect on vitamin D levels than either individually. You need 244% more oral vitamin D if you’re not concomitantly taking magnesium and vitamin K2.

4. Take your supplements with a bit of healthy — Both vitamin D and K2 are fat-soluble nutrients, which means they require fat to get into your system effectively. However, the type of fat matters.

If you’re still eating food high in vegetable oils — like soybean, canola, or even too much olive oil — you’re flooding your cells with linoleic acid (LA), which damages how your mitochondria process light and nutrients. Switch to grass fed butter, tallow, or ghee instead. I recommend reducing your LA intake to less than 5 grams per day, but don’t go overboard with healthy fat, either. Carbohydrates are still your body’s preferred fuel — not fat.

Additional Guidelines for Safe Sun Exposure

When you begin getting regular sun exposure, use this simple safety test — watch your skin for the first sign of pinkness, which is an early warning of sunburn. Stop sun exposure before your skin turns pink to prevent damage. This pinkness threshold helps you determine your safe exposure time.

Now, what if you need to spend time under the sun but haven’t completely removed LA from your body yet? Here are some protective strategies I recommend:

• Take 12 milligrams of astaxanthin daily to enhance your skin’s UV resistance.

• Apply topical niacinamide (vitamin B3) cream before sun exposure to protect against UV-induced DNA damage.

• Take a baby aspirin 30 to 60 minutes before sun exposure to help prevent LA conversion to harmful oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAMs).

• Use molecular hydrogen supplements to combat oxidative stress.

Check Your Vitamin D Levels Regularly

For optimal health, you’ll want to aim for a vitamin D level between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL. The minimum cut off for sufficiency is 40 ng/mL to 60 ng/mL.

I’ve published a comprehensive vitamin D report in which I detail vitamin D’s mechanisms of action and how to ensure optimal levels. I recommend downloading and sharing that report with everyone you know. A quick summary of the key steps is as follows:

1. First, establish your baseline — Once you know what your current blood level is, you can assess the dose needed to maintain or raise it. If you cannot get enough vitamin D from the sun (you can use the DMinder app4 to see how much vitamin D your body can make depending on your location and other individual factors), then you’ll need an oral supplement.

2. Assess your individualized vitamin D dosage — To do that, you can either use the chart below, or use GrassrootsHealth’s Vitamin D*calculator. To convert ng/mL into the European measurement (nmol/L), simply multiply the ng/mL measurement by 2.5. To calculate how much vitamin D you may be getting from regular sun exposure in addition to your supplemental intake, use the DMinder app.

3. Retest in three to six months — Lastly, have your vitamin D level retested in three to six months, to evaluate how your sun exposure and/or supplement dose is working for you.

[…]

Via https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/05/20/vitamin-d-supplementation-and-blood-pressure.aspx