His real name is Benjamin Mileikowsky, he’s from Poland… he changed his name so you didn’t realize he’s a settler…???? pic.twitter.com/w9U3RHFUaF — Pelham (@Resist_05) July 24, 2024

by Leo Hohmann, Leo Hohmann: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to a joint-session of Congress Wednesday, vowing “total victory” against Hamas while calling for the creation of a new multi-national military alliance that would deal with Israel’s primary Middle East nemesis, Iran. Netanyahu’s speech did not seem in any way designed to lead to […]

by Frank Bergman, Slay News: A damning new study has revealed that autopsy data shows Covid mRNA shots have overwhelmingly contributed to all-cause deaths around the world. The bombshell study found that Covid shots are “directly” linked to a staggering 73.9% of all deaths. The research team behind the study was made up of some […]

from OFF GRID with DOUG & STACY: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

  Between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago, an extraordinary thing happened in human society. Hunter-gatherers started to slowly adopt a less nomadic and more sedentary lifestyle. Exactly why this happened is subject to debate, but it was certainly set in place by the advent of farming.   Villages cropped up, evolving into villages and towns, and then thousands of years later, into the first cities with many thousands of inhabitants.   Today, the biggest cities in the world are homes to tens of millions of people. The unprecedented scale of urbanization has created skylines that stretch as far as the eye can see, dwarfing their famed predecessors.   Determining the size of a city is a tricky thing. Generally, it is done by quoting the population, but this is subject to the definitions of what areas constitute parts of the city, and each country has its own methods and terminology to define the central urban area and the metropolitan surrounds. This makes it challenging to rank them.   Nevertheless, the largest cities are undeniably massive. Here are 6 of the biggest.   1. Tokyo Part of the Tokyo skyline. Source: Wikimedia Commons   For a substantial part of its life, Tokyo was nothing more than a small fishing village on the southeast coast of Honshu, and for most of its life, the town was named Edo. During the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the seat of government in Japan was moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was subsequently renamed Tokyo.   With this newfound need to reflect its importance, Tokyo rapidly grew into a major metropolis in the 20th century, eventually taking its place as one of the world’s most important cities.   By the turn of the twentieth century, the population exceeded one million people and was set to grow much further. In 1923, Tokyo suffered a major earthquake that destroyed half the city. It took seven years to rebuild.   Central Tokyo at night. Source: Wikimedia Commons   During the Second World War, Tokyo suffered terribly, being a primary target for Allied bombing. Throughout several years of aerial attacks, the city was reduced to rubble, and around 80,000 people in Tokyo were killed.   Following the war, reconstruction was fast, and in the 1950s and 1960s, Tokyo became the hub of enormous economic growth as the country transformed itself into a powerhouse of industrial and commercial activity.   Today, Tokyo is the largest city on the planet. It has an urban population of over 37 million people. It is the second-biggest metropolitan economy in the world after New York City.   2. Jakarta Jakarta city center at night. Source: Pexels/Jeffry Surianto   With 34 million people in its urban area, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is the second biggest city in the world.   Situated on the northwest coast of Java, Jakarta started life as the port of Sunda Kelapa in 397 CE and served as the main trading port of the Sunda Kingdom on the western half of the island of Java. In 1527, Fatahilla of the Sultanate of Demak conquered the territory, driving out the Portuguese colonizers in the process. In honor of this victory, he renamed the city Jayakarta, derived from Sanskrit and meaning “victorious deed.” The port serving the city still retains the name Sunda Kelapa.   In 1619, the city was captured and razed by the Dutch, who built another city on the site and named it Batavia. The walled city of Batavia resembled a traditional Dutch town with canals and Dutch architecture, but the town expanded beyond its walls as it attracted a bigger population.   It remained under Dutch control until it was captured by the Japanese in World War II. After the war, Indonesia won its independence and renamed the city Djakarta in 1949. In 1972, the “D” was dropped, and the city has been known as Jakarta ever since.   Since independence, Jakarta has kept pace with other international cities, modernizing and expanding rapidly. It has become a cosmopolitan place with a productive economy and a lively atmosphere reflecting the diverse cultures living within its urban area.   The city’s history is also reflected in its architecture, and the city is dotted with influences from Malay, Sundanese, Arabic, Javanese, Chinese, and Dutch, while modern skyscrapers form the distinctive skyline of a city competing for money and power on a global stage.   3. Delhi Akshardham Temple in Delhi. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Recently, India surpassed China as the world’s most populous country. It is no wonder that India, with a population of almost 1.5 billion people, is also home to several of the world’s largest cities. The biggest is the sprawling metropolis of Delhi.   Although people lived in the area for many centuries, and possibly millennia before, the recorded history of Delhi begins in the 8th century. For seven centuries after this date, Delhi was ruled over by successive Rajput dynasties until 1526, when it was conquered by Babur who founded the Mughal Empire.   Two centuries later, the power of the Mughals had waned, and Delhi changed hands, being captured by the Persians first and then the Jats of Bharatpur before India was conquered by the British in 1803. From this point on, Calcutta served as the British seat of government in India until 1911, when it was moved to Delhi. Two decades later, New Delhi, a district within Delhi, was inaugurated as the capital of British India.   After independence and partition in 1947, many Muslims fled Delhi to Pakistan, and many Hindus and Sikhs fled Pakistan and settled in Delhi. A steady population growth has led Delhi to become the third biggest city in the world in terms of urban population, with over 32 million residents.   4. Guangzhou Guangzhou skyline. Source: Pexels/奇 李   Guangzhou is the capital and largest city in Guangdong province in China. It is an ancient city founded as “Panyu” on the banks of the Pearl River in 214 BCE. With such a long history, it has been subject to many trials and tribulations. It was founded during the Qin Dynasty and conquered by the Han Dynasty in its early years.   In 878, a rebellion in the city led to the execution of all foreign traders in the city, and as a result, it became a place of danger for outsiders. This was reversed two centuries later when delegations from other countries were invited into the city. Guangzhou became an important destination on the Silk Road.   The city grew steadily from this time and throughout the colonial period, when it enjoyed a huge boom in trade from colonial enterprises. In 1918, the city suffered a terrible epidemic that killed tens of thousands of its residents, and in the same year, it was officially renamed from Panyu to Guangzhou.   The city’s economic power increased throughout the twentieth century, surviving the Second World War and emerging as one of the biggest trade centers in China. From the 1980s onwards, the opening up of China to the world and Guangzhou’s close proximity to Hong Kong increased its trade potential even further, and today, the city has an urban population of over 27 million people, making it the fourth biggest city in the world.   5. São Paulo São Paulo. Source: Wikimedia Commons   A cosmopolitan melting pot, São Paulo is the largest city in South America. The area upon which the city was built was inhabited in pre-Columbian times, but Portuguese colonists officially founded the city in 1554, with the first building being a mission station named after Saint Paul.   For the centuries that followed, São Paulo was a small town. It was overshadowed by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s economic hub. In the early 20th century, however, upon the back of the coffee industry, São Paulo began to grow rapidly.   Given this late transformation into the economic force pulling Brazil, and subsequently, the megalopolis it has become, São Paulo has relatively few historic buildings. It is a modern city with many beautiful skyscrapers in a vast urban landscape.   Known affectionately as “Sampa” by its inhabitants, São Paulo is a vast, sprawling metropolis that encapsulates the best and worst of modern cities, from high-end apartments to tenement blocks and favelas. For the most part, in the latter half of the 20th century, São Paulo was not a city that was seen as an attractive destination for those wishing to enjoy life. It was stereotyped as a city where money could be made.   For fun, Rio was the destination of choice. Recent decades, however, have seen a significant effort in changing this state of affairs. The city is reinventing itself as a destination where fun can be had. Popular nightclubs and trendy restaurants have opened up in the city center, which has been revitalized by the demands of a modern world and the needs of modern people.   In terms of population in the urban area, São Paulo ranks 8th in the world with just over 23 million inhabitants and represents the biggest city population in the Western Hemisphere.   6. Mexico City View of Reforma Avenue skyline and Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. Source: Wikimedia Commons   In terms of urban population, Mexico City is the second biggest city in the Western Hemisphere and ranks 10th in the world overall. In the early 14th century, the city that would become Mexico City was called Tenochtitlan, and it was built on a group of islands in the middle of Lake Texcoco. By the time the Spanish arrived, Tenochtitlan already had a population of one million.   Tenochtitlan served as the capital of the Aztec Empire until it was virtually completely destroyed by the Spanish after the Siege of Tenochtitlan in 1521. After conquering the Aztecs, the Spanish immediately set about building Mexico City directly on top of the city of Tenochtitlan.   Throughout the centuries, Mexico City was very much a religious city, and vast tracts of its urban areas were in the hands of the Church. In the mid-1800s, an anti-clerical movement saw the seizure of much church property, and through the next few decades, a massive modernization effort ensued. Much of what Mexico City became was based on architectural ideas influenced by those in Paris.   Model of Tenochtitlan in Mexico City. Source: needpix.com   From the late 19th century, industrialization gripped the city, and it became the biggest center for Mexico’s industrial output. An exponentially increasing population boom saw the city swell in size so rapidly that housing could not keep up. The wealthy elites moved to the city’s west side while the poorer classes lived in slums on the east side.   Through the late 20th century and into the 21st century, the city struggled with air pollution and many difficulties plaguing fast-growing cities. Despite these struggles, Mexico City has modern elements equal to those in many first-world cities, with skyscrapers, malls, parks, and other amenities.   Mexico City is also a very progressive city with equity laws that encapsulate the spirit of the people who live there. Same-sex marriage was made legal in the city as early as 2009. Mexico City is also a place of culture with numerous museums and historical sites that speak to the unique makeup of the city.   Today, Mexico City’s urban area is home to 22 million people, making it the tenth biggest in the world.   Other Huge Cities Cairo. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Many other massive cities of prime importance in the world deserve to be mentioned. In terms of total population within its urban area, Mumbai in India and Manila in the Philippines rank 5th and 6th in the world, each with 25 million people.   Shanghai in China has 24 million people and ranks seventh, while Seoul in South Korea ranks ninth with 23 million.   The largest city in Africa is Cairo, with over 20 million people, and New York City is the biggest city in North America, with just under 22 million inhabitants.   The biggest city in Europe is Moscow, with over 17 million people.   The lights from urban areas at night. Source: wallpaperflare.com   Shifting and growing populations around the world have obvious effects on cities. The mantle of the biggest cities in the world has graced the shoulders of many cities throughout history, some of which still exist and some of which are now just dusty ruins. These vicissitudes are sure to remain in the future as populations move and human migration stamps its mark on history.

  In the mid-19th century, even as war raged between the Union and the Confederacy, tensions between the United States and Native American tribes reached new heights. The discovery of gold in Cheyenne and Arapaho territories forced the Native Americans into a close and uneasy relationship with multitudes of prospectors in search of wealth.   Conflict broke out with roving bands of warriors who resisted violently incursions on their territory. Treaties were signed and broken, eventually leading to a breakdown in civil relations. Desperate to save their people, the Cheyenne and Arapaho attempted to negotiate a peace but were mercilessly betrayed.   The Sand Creek Massacre was the result—a dark and dishonorable day in American history.   Editor’s Note: This section contains graphic discussions that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised.   Treaties and Gold A map from 1851 showing the territories agreed upon by the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie. Source: Wikipedia   In 1851, the Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed between the United States and seven Native American nations, including the Cheyenne and the Arapaho. By the treaty’s terms, the United States recognized as Native American territory an area encompassing southeastern Wyoming, southwestern Nebraska, the western portion of Kansas, and eastern Colorado.   Seven years later, however, gold was discovered in a part of Colorado encompassing Cheyenne and Arapaho lands. Settlers streamed into the territory in what became known as the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush. Known as the “59ers,” these settlers came into contact with the Indigenous people, and conflict arose as the settlers and the Native Americans competed for resources.   Native Americans wanted to keep their access to resources as well as their traditional heritage; US government policy was to force Native Americans onto reservations. Naturally, this policy did not sit well with the majority of Native Americans. To make matters worse, many government authorities sought to solve their problems with Native Americans simply by killing them. As such, many military officials did not balk at the thought of genocide. This attitude would be a prelude to many merciless acts.   On the Warpath – Cheyenne Dog Soldier by Calvin Carter. Source: Bosque Arts Center   To avoid further conflict, a new agreement was sought. In February 1861, ten chiefs of the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations signed a revised treaty with the United States. By the terms of the new Treaty of Fort Wise, Native American land that had been established in 1851 was reduced to less than one-thirteenth of the size. This was hugely problematic for many Native American tribes who lived nomadic lives following the herds of bison.   Deeply unhappy with this outcome and with their chiefs, militaristic bands of Native Americans, most notably a group of raiders known as the Dog Soldiers, defied the treaty and their chiefs, escalating conflict with what they viewed as invaders from the United States.   Those Native Americans who refused to accept the treaty claimed that the chiefs who signed it did not represent the entirety of their nations, nor did they have an understanding of what they were signing. There were also accusations that the chiefs were bribed. From the perspective of the United States, the treaty was legally binding, and those who did not abide by it were simply hostile and had to be dealt with.   Violent Reprisals John Chivington. Source: Wikimedia Commons   In the early 1860s, there had been a sharp increase in violent incidents involving Native American raiding parties and American settlers. The drain on military resources demanded by the ongoing Civil War meant that much military support was being funneled into defeating the Confederates, and very little could be spared to protect the settlers in the Colorado region. As a result, virtually every wagon train became a target, and many settlers could not expect to escape with their lives. Cattle were killed or stolen, farms burned, and supply routes were cut off, leaving many settlers in danger of starvation.   After the defeat of the Confederates in the west in 1862, and in response to the attacks on settlers, the 3rd Colorado Cavalry was formed under the leadership of John Chivington, a Methodist preacher who fought as a soldier against the Confederates. More a militia than a unit of professional soldiers, the escapades of the 3rd would earn them a reputation for brutality.   Chief Black Kettle of the Cheyenne. Source: public domain, Store Norske Leksikon   Instead of hunting down the Dog Soldiers and other warbands associated with the attacks on settlers, Union soldiers targeted settlements of peaceable Cheyenne and Arapaho.   There was little in the way of negotiations at this time, and any contact at all quickly became a bloody affair as tit-for-tat attacks took their toll on innocent civilians who had little to do with the conflict.   To aid in the attempt for a peaceful resolution, a number of chiefs, including Lean Bear and Black Kettle, traveled to Washington DC to speak with President Abraham Lincoln. The president gave them assurances of peace, and in return, the Native Americans would abandon their nomadic way of life and take up farming.   Buffalo Hunt, Chase No. 5 by George Catlin. Source: Public domain via WHE   In 1864, Union forces learned that the plains tribes around the area were planning to form a coalition to drive all the settlers out. From Spring onwards, Sioux, Comanche, Kiowa, Arapaho, and Cheyenne warbands stepped up their raids, causing havoc, murdering settlers, killing livestock, and destroying farmland. Against Lincoln’s assurances, Chivington gave his men the order to kill any Cheyenne on site.   On April 12, members of the 1st Colorado Cavalry Regiment engaged a party of Cheyenne without any attempt at negotiation, and the following day, scores of oxen and a dozen horses were allegedly stolen from a settler. This act of theft was refuted by a half-Native American man, George Bent, who claimed the party had encountered the animals straying far from the farm and did not know to whom they belonged. The cattle and horses were driven to a nearby camp with the intent of being safeguarded until someone could lay claim to them.   Acting on the assumption that the livestock had been stolen, a group of soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Clark Dunn was ordered to retrieve them. Their efforts ended with four US soldiers being killed in what was a botched attempt.   On May 16, two Cheyenne leaders, Lean Bear and Star, with a party of hunters, encountered the 1st Colorado Cavalry Regiment. Believing that the encounter would be peaceful, Lean Bear approached the soldiers, wearing a medal given to him by Lincoln that indicated he was no threat to the Americans. He was not aware of the order to kill Native Americans on-site, and Lean Bear was gunned down before the cavalry chased and slaughtered the Native Americans.   Governor John Evans. Source: University of Denver   This incident sparked more reprisals from the Native Americans, and in response, the Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans invited their adversaries to parlay. On June 27, he sent out a circular inviting peaceful Native Americans across the plains to Fort Lyon, where they would receive provisions and protection. Three months later, the offer was taken up.   Negotiations took place in Denver, but there was no promise of peace. Evans made it clear that war would continue and that the invitation was simply to move the peaceful Native Americans out of the way so that the US soldiers could focus on fighting their enemies.   Native Americans began to arrive in numbers at Fort Lyon. One of their most prominent leaders was a Cheyenne chief, Black Kettle, who had been a staunch advocate for peace between his people and the settlers.   Despite the promises made, Union soldiers refused entry to the Cheyenne and the Arapaho, who arrived in great numbers. Instead, they were directed to make camp at Sand Creek, an intermittent stream northeast of the fort.   Massacre at Sand Creek The Sand Creek Massacre by Robert Lindneux. Source: Colorado Historical Society, via National Parks Service   Over one thousand Cheyenne and Arapaho pitched their teepees in this desolate region, believing they would be safe from the fighting. What they didn’t know was that their trust had been betrayed. On November 28, roughly 700 men of the 3rd Colorado Cavalry, the 1st Colorado Cavalry, and the 1st Regiment of New Mexico Volunteer Infantry rode out with the intention to slaughter. Leading them was John Chivington.   At dawn on November 29, the Union soldiers arrived at Sand Creek. Chief Black Kettle had hoisted the Stars and Stripes as well as a white flag above his teepee to declare the peaceful intentions of the Sand Creek settlement. His efforts were ignored by the American soldiers.   The bleak landscape was open plains with a panoramic view and one where sound travels far. Those encamped at Sand Creek heard the thunder of thousands of hooves and saw the shapes of the cavalrymen as they descended. Despite the swiftness of the attack, many defenders did manage to cobble together some resistance, but the outcome was never in doubt. They were without a substantial number of their fighting men who were out that morning on a buffalo hunt. Most Native Americans at Sand Creek were women, children, and older men.   Captain Silas Soule. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Among the Americans, some refused to obey the murderous orders of Chivington. Captain Silas Soule and Lieutenant Joseph Cramer, each in command of a company from the 1st Colorado Cavalry, ordered their men not to join in the attack.   Several days after the event, Silas Soule reported to Major Wynkoop on what happened next. Wynkoop was in charge of Fort Lyon but had been called away on duty at the time of the arrival of the Native Americans and the time of the massacre.   A model for a proposed memorial designed by Harvey Pratt. Source: One Earth Future   The attack lasted for six to eight hours, and around 230 Native Americans were killed, with about 140 of them being women and children. The brutality was horrific and unprecedented. The American troops had become a wild mob, butchering their victims in the most inhumane ways.   Children on their knees had their heads beaten in. A pregnant woman was eviscerated, and her child was ripped out. Many tried to escape but were run down and shot before being scalped and mutilated even further. Soule even reported, “Squaws snatches were cut out for trophies.” Children, too, had their genitals cut off.   Black Kettle escaped the slaughter and returned to Sand Creek with other survivors, where he rescued his wife, who had been severely injured.   Aftermath The site of the massacre. Source: National Parks Service/Teri Jobe   The Sand Creek Massacre resulted in many Indigenous chiefs being killed, most of whom were part of the faction that advocated for peace. A power vacuum occurred, and militarists took their place, using the massacre to justify their reprisals against the American settlers.   Angered by the Sand Creek events, the Dog Soldiers’ ranks swelled, and attacks on settlers became even more common. Black Kettle continued to advocate for peace, but his voice was drowned out by the drums of war.   Proud of their efforts, the Colorado militia displayed their gory trophies in Denver, and the massacre was hailed as a great victory for some time before people began to learn the truth of what occurred.   The following investigation brought to light the sickening details of what had happened at Sand Creek. Chivington was subjected to harsh words but ultimately went unpunished, as he had resigned from his post in the military and was thus beyond the reach of military law. For his effort, Silas Soule was assassinated after giving testimony in Denver.   In recent years, more has been done to bring the event to public attention. In 2007, the Sand Creek National Historic Site, run by the Sand Creek Massacre Foundation, was established, dedicated to preserving the memory of the tragedy.   A memorial teepee flying the flags as Black Kettle did to show peace. Source: History Colorado   The Sand Creek Massacre was a horrific betrayal of the trust of those who came seeking and believing in peace. It was a poignant moment in American history where the worst barbarism was showcased and displayed.   And it was not an isolated case. It was only one of many such events that characterized the relationship between American settlers and the Native Americans.

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