If you were looking for another reason to hate The Washington Post‚ here’s a good one.  The Washington Post just released a piece titled‚ “In the World of Sexual Fetishes‚ Crossing the Political Aisle Is a Kink” that talks about many different freaks who videotape themselves mocking people’s political views. WaPo indicated this was a way to get people turned on.  Here's what the article said: There are people who get turned on by the idea of having their political views mocked‚ usually (but not always) by members of the opposing political group. Liberals desire being dominated by conservatives and called pejoratives that imply they are weak and unintelligent‚ while conservatives want to be mocked for supporting former president Donald Trump‚ among other perceived transgressions‚ according to those who participate in this subculture. Ew.  On one of the kink sites‚ people can apparently look up subcategories like “hot conservative girls who make liberals cry” as well as groups like “MAGA Doms/Dommes” and “Libtard Subs.”  The Washington Post indicated that this “political role-play” community grew when Trump was president. Related: Daily Wire's 'Lady Ballers' Conveys its Okay to Take Chances in Comedy Films Apparently these fetish influencers can make up to six figures annually‚ and many started out as regular strippers before moving over to online videos. One creator‚ Roxie Ray‚ uses her support of Trump and other Republicans like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to get views online‚ saying she charges “about $150 for a five-minute custom video and then resells them for a dollar per minute in length‚” the Washington Post indicated.   “It is like the ultimate way to give up total control and to be humiliated‚ and if you’re a liberal and you go to another liberal for that‚ I don’t think you’re gonna get exactly what you want‚” Rae said.  Astonishingly‚ many of the instances The Washington Post reported on were liberals submitting to “conservative Republicans or MAGA'' people. I guess soy boys are starting to realize how soy they really are.  The Washington Post did mention that in some cases‚ Republicans like to be dominated by Democrats.  “A 60-year-old man‚ known by his fetish persona Master Black Satyr Dragon Wolf‚ unexpectedly became a political fetish dominant when a 22-year-old straight-identifying college student responded to his Craigslist ad seeking a BDSM partner” The Washington Post reported. Supposedly the student wrote‚ “I want to be punished by a person of color because I voted for Donald Trump.” Some even impersonate actual political figures‚ whether it's Hillary Clinton or Ivanka Trump - the one commonality being that these people are clearly all freaks.  As a final note of encouragement for this freakiness‚ here’s what The Washington Post concluded:  Unlike in the non-fetish world‚ where most Biden and Trump supporters have few friends who vote for the opposing candidate‚ in the fetish world‚ political opposites mingle. And if you are into political fetishes you may become‚ ironically‚ more open-minded to the opposing side’s views. Follow us on Twitter/X: Irish Politician Doesn't Blame Migrants For Migrant Crime pic.twitter.com/R58vQNTBDP — MRCTV (@mrctv) November 30‚ 2023

On Wednesday’s edition of The Daily Show on Comedy Central‚ temp host Michelle Wolf baselessly claimed that there is censorship of “Palestinian voices” and those critical of Israel. Maybe she just meant the non-platforming of the unintelligent as she also asked MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan why Israel is bombing Gaza if Hamas’s leaders are in Qatar. Wolf proclaimed‚ “there's been a lot of censorship around the Palestinian voices and people who are even pushing against what Israel's actions in Gaza. You know‚ in real censorship‚ too‚ you know like on Meta platforms‚ you know‚ being prohibited from saying anything‚ I don't know‚ satirical news programs. So how are you supposed to argue or debate or even advocate for a people if you are not allowed to speak on it?”     The media has constantly had on Palestinians and other critics of Israel to spread lies about it and social media is also full of such voices. Of course‚ the media includes Hasan and his MSNBC show‚ which he pointed out while trying to agree with the premise: On the conflict you mentioned‚ I am someone who has a show on television‚ right? Sometimes I'm on social media saying‚ ‘well‚ what about the media‚ right?’ Maybe I can do something different and do a show on MSNBC‚ I do a show on Peacock. And my thing is‚ I will try to platform as many voices as possible. So on my show‚ we have Israeli government officials. We've had people who lost people to Hamas on October the 7th in that horrific attack and we’ve had ordinary Palestinians from on the ground in Gaza. And my worry is that we rightly as a media humanize those victims of the conflict on October the 7th‚ as we should because what happened on October the 7th is horrific. But we don't always‚ as a media‚ especially in the United States and the West‚ also humanize the Palestinian people. As for the conflict itself‚ Wolf would follow up‚ “One of the things I've been wondering about‚ if leaders of the Hamas are in the Four Seasons in Qatar‚ and Israel wants to rid the world of Hamas -- and as much as I love a Four Seasons -- why the constant bombardment of Gaza and why not go to them?” Of course‚ Hamas has leaders in Gaza as well‚ not to mention its actual terrorist army and military capabilities‚ but after going through a list of mistakes the U.S. made in Afghanistan that he argued Israel is repeating in Gaza‚ Hasan claimed‚ “So‚ let's be careful before we decide that the solution is that we can drop a bomb or fire a bullet. This is a political problem. It's a problem of occupation. It's a problem of injustice. It's a problem that goes back decades‚ right? And you cannot resolve it with dropping‚ what‚ 6‚000 pounds of bombs or whatever it is in the space of a few weeks.” Hamas doesn’t care about 1967‚ it cares about 1917‚ but Hasan’s misdiagnosis of the problem led him to add‚ “And‚ look‚ I just want to say one important point on this‚ people‚ you know‚ in times like this‚ we get into our teams‚ we take up sides. Everyone is in a polarized moment arguing. At a time like this‚ the number one bias we should have is not political or religious. It should be humanitarian.” And what does humanitarianism look like when one side commits terrorism on October 7‚ but the other is shamed for fighting back because this is “a political problem”? Here is a transcript for the November 29 show: Comedy Central The Daily Show 11/29/2023 11:21 PM ET MICHELLE WOLF: Obviously‚ there’s‚ you know‚ a lot of debate‚ a lot of discussion on -- it is a tense time in the world. And in particular‚ there's been a lot of censorship around the Palestinian voices and people who are even pushing against what Israel's actions in Gaza. You know‚ in real censorship‚ too‚ you know like on Meta platforms‚ you know‚ being prohibited from saying anything‚ I don't know‚ satirical news programs. So how are you supposed to argue or debate or even advocate for a people if you are not allowed to speak on it?  MEHDI HASAN: It's a great question. One of the reasons I wrote the book was because we have not just a lot of censorship right now in the world‚ in our societies‚ in the press‚ but of course‚ foreign conflicts‚ domestic politics. We have a former president who threatens the network I work for‚ threatens the free press every day and I think‚ look‚ on the conflict you mentioned‚ I am someone who has a show on television‚ right? Sometimes I'm on social media saying‚ "well‚ what about the media‚ right?" Maybe I can do something different and do a show on MSNBC‚ I do a show on Peacock. And my thing is‚ I will try to platform as many voices as possible. So on my show‚ we have Israeli government officials. We've had people who lost people to Hamas on October the 7th in that horrific attack and we’ve had ordinary Palestinians from on the ground in Gaza. And my worry is that we rightly as a media humanize those victims of the conflict on October the 7th‚ as we should because what happened on October the 7th is horrific. But we don't always‚ as a media‚ especially in the United States and the West‚ also humanize the Palestinian people. So‚ I’ve tried to get people from all walks of life: Palestinian analysts‚ journalists‚ doctors‚ real people and I think if you dehumanize any people -- we see that in America right now. Rising anti-Semitism‚ rising Islamophobia. If you dehumanize a people‚ you end up with what happened in Vermont over the weekend. Three young men of Palestinian descent shot in what is being looked at as a possible hate crime. A 6-year-old boy‚ in Illinois‚ Wadea Al Fayoume‚ stabbed to death 26 times in front of his mother in what is being charged as a hate crime. So‚ dehumanization is a thing we all have to avoid even in the most toughest and heated of debates.  WOLF: Michelle: Yeah‚ because obviously‚ I mean‚ we’re all people and it’s important to‚ like you said— HASAN: Not obvious to everyone‚ sadly.  WOLF: Sadly‚ you are correct. Sadly‚ it's not obvious and I want to talk a little bit more about what is going on in the Middle East. One of the things I've been wondering about‚ if leaders of the Hamas are in the Four Seasons in Qatar‚ and Israel wants to rid the world of Hamas -- and as much as I love a Four Seasons -- why the constant bombardment of Gaza and why not go to them?  HASAN: I have to say‚ I don't know if you saw‚ I think it was the Four Seasons that put out a tweet saying‚ "We have no guests here who are part of Hamas." Look‚ Twitter has very few roles left under Elon Musk but preventing a prominent hotel chain from getting droned is a pretty good use of Twitter.  Look‚ I don't think there are military solutions to political problems. I’m someone who covered Afghanistan for 20 years when we went in with righteous rage having been the victims of horrific crime. We didn't think about what's going to happen the day after. We didn't think about what's a long-term plan. We didn't think are other people going to welcome us? Twenty years later‚ we left with our tail between our legs‚ loads of people dead‚ and the Taliban still run Afghanistan.  So‚ let's be careful before we decide that the solution is that we can drop a bomb or fire a bullet. This is a political problem. It's a problem of occupation. It's a problem of injustice. It's a problem that goes back decades‚ right? And you cannot resolve it with dropping‚ what‚ 6‚000 pounds of bombs or whatever it is in the space of a few weeks.  And‚ look‚ I just want to say one important point on this‚ people‚ you know‚ in times like this‚ we get into our teams‚ we take up sides. Everyone is in a polarized moment arguing. At a time like this‚ the number one bias we should have is not political or religious. It should be humanitarian. WOLF: Of course. HASAN: It should be human. What is happening in Gaza right now -- I don't care whether you're Muslim‚ Christian‚ Hewish‚ whatever. Like‚ the U.N. Is saying it's the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. You know‚ the Pope is calling it terrorism. His word‚ not my word. I don't know if he is going to get canceled for that. He probably will be in the next Scream movie‚ but it’s really‚ really bad. 

Outraged and disgusted people are now calling for a boycott of Cosmopolitan Magazine after the outlet shared an image to their social media pages detailing why - and how - to have a "Satanic abortion ceremony." Cosmopolitan posted five graphics to its Instagram page earlier this month‚ the first slide of the carousel reading‚ “So How Does a Satanic Abortion Ceremony Even Work?” The following slides detailed exactly how to give yourself a Satanic abortion‚ marking yet another attempt to normalize abortion. Or‚ in this case‚ to make child murder part of a religious ritual celebrating evil.  The first slide‚ which tagged the Satanic Temple's Instagram account‚ noted that an abortion clinic called “Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic” in New Mexico welcomes people of “all faiths” to come and abort their babies as part of a Satanic ritual. The next slide noted the first step in the process: “First‚ find a quiet space. Bring a mirror if you can. Just before taking the medication‚ gaze at your reflection and focus on your personhood." The next slide instructed aborters to read a “tenent aloud.” “One’s body is inviolable‚ subject to one’s own will alone‚” a woman might say‚ followed by‚ “Beliefs should conform to one’s best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one’s beliefs.” After the woman begins the process of killing her kid‚ Cosmopolitan instructs the aborter to look back at her reflection and tell herself “by my will‚ it is done.” The final slide encouraged baby killers to “include as many loved ones as they’d like” during the process and to “light candles or even dress up — whatever makes them feel empowered.” In response to the post‚ users were stunned and many called for a cancelation of the magazine. Related: Study Shows 32K Babies Saved Annually As a Result of Roe’s Overturn‚ Media Displeased “Child sacrifice has been around for a long time. Now abortion is being exposed for what it truly is‚” one user wrote‚ while another commented‚ “This world is lost."  "Every abortion pleases Satan‚" a third pointed out.  Ashley Hayek‚ director of America First Works‚ shared two images from the Cosmopolitan post to her Twitter feed‚ prompting similar replies. Cosmo just posted 'How to Get a Satanic Abortion’ This mocks the sanctity of motherhood and Christianity. It's disgusting that a mainstream magazine that claims to empower young women would serve this sick content#CancelCosmo pic.twitter.com/ZfUQsDqvOu — Ashley Hayek (@ashleyhayek) November 29‚ 2023 “Maybe this will open up people’s eyes that it is good versus Evil and there’s no in between‚” one user commented.  “Remember how this started with ‘safe‚ legal‚ and rare‚’” one wrote while another called the post and act “disgusting and evil.” It is heartbreaking to see how the media is allowing demonic content like this to spread online while at the same time frequently censoring pro-life accounts and people. It’s clear that our world has taken a turn for the worst. Follow us on Twitter/X:  Biden: "When I think about the climate I think about jobs" What about all the coal miners you put out of work Joe? pic.twitter.com/BNCX0sg96p — MRCTV (@mrctv) November 29‚ 2023

On Thursday morning‚ MSNBC announced that Mehdi Hasan‚ the bomb-throwing and far-left former Al Jazeera host who’s had it out for everyone from conservatives to Jews to U.S. soldiers‚ would be losing not only his weekend evening show on the network‚ but also its spot on NBCUniversal’s streaming network‚ Peacock. However‚ Hasan would remain with the network‚ which he joined in 2020. The far-left takes and Israel bashing‚ unfortunately‚ will remain in his timeslot as his colleague Ayman Mohyeldin’s show would expand to two hours. So‚ while Hamas took a hit with Hasan being canceled‚ it’s a wash with Mohyeldin being elevated and horrendous‚ ugly record of his own. Hilariously‚ Hasan had appeared on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show on Wednesday night to promote his now-cancelled show and‚ true to form‚ lashed out at Israel for bombing.  In addition‚ it came one day after the great Jonathan Levine of the New York Post reminded X users of Hasan’s past comments referring to non-Muslims as “animals” and called gays both “pedophiles” and “sexual deviants.” The weekend before Thanksgiving‚ he used his show to falsely accuse Israel on what our Alex Christy said was “shifting the goalposts on its narrative of where Hamas’s HQ is because he refused to entertain the simple idea that Hamas’s leadership could’ve fled south in the early days of the fighting.” Here’s a sampling of NewsBusters blogs from our archive about Hasan: October 23‚ 2023: MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan to Ocasio-Cortez: Israel Commits 'War Crimes‚' Opposing Ceasefire Is Racist October 16‚ 2023: MSNBC Blames Conservative Talk Radio for Six-Year-Old's Murder September 13‚ 2023: MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan Asks Why Critics Object to George Soros: MRC Provides Answers August 17‚ 2023: MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan Pushes Apartheid Smear Against Israel May 2‚ 2023: MSNBC's Racial Arsonists Cry: Woke Means GOP Wants Black People Erased! March 25‚ 2023: MSNBC Claims GOP Education Bills Are A Return To White Nationalism February 20‚ 2023: MSNBC: Haley 'Uses Her Brown Skin' to 'Launder' White Supremacy January 30‚ 2023: MSNBC's Hasan: 'Florida's Gone From Don't Say Gay to Don't Say Black' December 31‚ 2022: An MSNBC “Debate”: Is GOP “Neo-Fascist‚” “Proto-Fascist” or “Semi-Fascist?” August 21‚ 2021: MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan: Xenophobia‚ Islamophobia After 9/11 Led Haters to Trump June 14‚ 2021: Deranged MSNBC Leftist: We Aren't Prosecuting Enough U.S. War Criminals! March 31‚ 2021: MSNBC: Republicans Profit Off White 'Victimhood' To Pass 'Racist' Voting Laws January 17‚ 2021: MSNBC's Hasan Defends Portland Antifa Protesters As Peaceful The moves came as part of a broader reshuffling of MSNBC’s weekend scheduling.  Original programming will still begin at 8:00 a.m. Eastern‚ but instead launch with The Weekend‚ a new‚ two-hour show featuring three current MSNBC personalities: corrupt Senator Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) daughter and former Fusion anchor Alicia Menendez (who already helms American Voices)‚ former Biden/Harris administration official Symone Sanders-Townsend‚ and faux Republican (read: Democrat) Michael Steele. A network memo comically claimed the show would “provide thoughtful analysis and coverage” and be led behind the camera by executive producer and far-left Twitter fanatic Kyle Griffin. Katie Phang’s show will shift to Saturdays at 12:00 p.m. Eastern and Jonathan Capehart will take his Saturday Show and Sunday Show from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. The other change concerned the afternoon hours with Alex Witt Reports shifting to 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern to absorb Yasmin Vossoughian’s block as she’ll become what The Wrap called “a national reporter.” Don’t worry‚ NewsBusters readers‚ you’ll still get plenty of bias from Ali Velshi‚ who’s staying with his eponymous show from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturdays and Sundays.

Washington‚ D.C.‚ spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funding to refresh the mural that reads "Black Lives Matter" across multiple city blocks.The fresh paint job at what is officially called Black Lives Matter Plaza cost taxpayers $270‚000‚ Daily Fetched reported‚ despite a violent crime wave that is seeing a stark increase in robberies.D.C. Metropolitan Police data shows that crime increased nearly across the board in 2023. Homicide increased by 61 incidents through November 2023 compared to all of 2022‚ a 32% increase.Robberies saw a shocking 69% increase‚ which brought the entire category of violent crime up by 40% year over year. There was an increase of more than 1‚400 violent crimes in total.That's not all‚ however. Motor vehicle theft nearly doubled in the nation's capital‚ with a staggering 93% increase. While a 125% increase in arson represents a very small change (four incidents to nine incidents)‚ vehicle theft is a dramatic rise from 3‚302 to 6‚362. The category of "Theft (Other)" also increased by 23%‚ bringing all property crime up by 25%.In total‚ all crime in the city is up by 27%.Officially‚ the BLM mural was "donated" by Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2020 and spans two city blocks with 50-foot-tall letters‚ in yellow and all caps.The story behind the mural is described by the city as being inspired by "nationwide protests against police brutality‚ spurred on by the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville."There is no mention of the violence or death that took place during the riots of 2020‚ however. Instead‚ the city's guide referred to June 1‚ 2020‚ when "peaceful demonstrators – many of whom were from DC" were "met with violence and tear gas by federal forces between Lafayette Park and St. John’s Church."Disturbingly‚ this ignores the fact that the famous church was set on fire during those protests. As well‚ Secret Service members were injured during the riots‚ which later required a curfew to be put in place and the National Guard be called in.On the third day of protests‚ rioters also smashed the plate-glass window of a trade union building and started a fire in the lobby. Just days later‚ the official story continued‚ the BLM mural was unveiled‚ and the mayor announced that 16 Street NW would be renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Disinformation is a relatively new concept. While the media and the government will tell you it’s their humanitarian effort to protect the public from malicious false information‚ it’s really just a synonym for censorship and thought control. But when did this age of “disinformation” dawn? And what gave rise to it? Journalist Michael Shellenberger may have found the answer to those questions. Recently‚ he has unveiled what he calls a “new trove of documents” that he claims dwarf the Twitter Files in scale and importance. Files from an organization called the Cyber Threat Intelligence League‚ which were leaked by a whistleblower‚ expose "the birth of the anti-disinformation sector‚" reports Glenn Beck. These files reveal how the government‚ U.S. and U.K. military contractors and intelligence agencies‚ the media‚ and "sock puppet accounts" linked arms and found a loophole to dodge their inability to legally censor Americans’ free speech. As you might have suspected‚ it appears they’ve been using public-private partnerships to silence anyone who disagrees with their narrative. To get the full story‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

During a Wednesday conference‚ JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon urged voters to support Republican Nikki Haley's 2024 presidential campaign.While onstage at the 2023 DealBook Summit‚ Dimon told the audience of business leaders‚ "Even if you're a very liberal Democrat‚ I urge you‚ help Nikki Haley‚ too. Get a choice on the Republican side that might be better than [Donald] Trump."According to CNBC‚ hedge fund manager Bill Ackman‚ Tesla CEO Elon Musk‚ Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav‚ and Disney CEO Bob Iger were present in the audience.On Tuesday‚ Americans for Prosperity Action‚ a conservative political network financed by Charles Koch‚ endorsed the former South Carolina governor. While Haley has risen in the polls in recent weeks‚ she remains far behind Trump. When asked whether he would support "anything but Trump‚" Dimon replied that he "would never say.""He might be the president; I have to live with that too‚" Dimon added.The JPMorgan Chase CEO also urged liberals to stop using the term "ultra-MAGA" to refer to individuals who support Trump."We're in New York City‚ the bastion of liberal society. We should stop talking about 'ultra-MAGA‚'" he stated‚ the Business Insider reported. "I think you're insulting a large group of people and then we're making assumptions and scapegoating … where somehow these people believe in Trump's family values and supporting the personal person. I don't think that's true."Dimon noted that the former president "wasn't wrong about China." "I think people need to stop denigrating each other all the time because people take a point of view that is slightly different than yours‚" he said.Trump fired back at Dimon for supporting Haley‚ calling the CEO a "highly overrated globalist." He accused Dimon of "quietly pushing another non-MAGA person."On Thursday‚ Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social‚ "I've never been a big Jamie Dimon fan‚ but had to live with this guy when he came begging to the White House.""I guess I don't have to live with him anymore‚ and that's a really good thing‚" he noted.In 2018‚ Dimon claimed he could beat Trump in a presidential bid. "I'm as tough as he is‚ I'm smarter than he is‚" Dimon said at the time. "I would be fine. He could punch me all he wants‚ it wouldn't work with me. I'd fight right back."Trump responded by accusing Dimon of being "a poor public speaker" and a "nervous mess." He also stated that the JPMorgan CEO lacked the "aptitude or 'smarts'" to win a presidential election."Otherwise he is wonderful‚" Trump stated. "I've made a lot of bankers‚ and others‚ look much smarter than they are with my great economic policy!"Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The White House was forced to clean up this week an unhelpful and confusing message posted to one of President Joe Biden's social media accounts suggesting that he had endorsed a formal ceasefire in Gaza. On Tuesday‚ the president's official X account posted this three-sentence statement: Hamas unleashed a terrorist attack because they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace. To continue down the path of terror‚ violence‚ killing‚ and war is to give Hamas what they seek. We can’t do that. — (@) The statement suggested a "major shift in tone" and left open the possibility that he was accusing Israel of committing "terror" acts. More importantly‚ the statement was widely viewed as an outright endorsement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas‚ which the White House has been careful not to support while at the same time urging Israel to commit to short-term "humanitarian pauses" to allow the safe release of hostages.But a senior Biden administration official told Jewish Insider the president has not changed his policy regarding a ceasefire."The president continues to strongly believe that Israel has every right to defend itself from an active terrorist threat. We have seen Hamas officials say publicly that they want to try to commit the atrocities of October 7 again and again‚" the official said. "As the president has said many times‚ Israel has every right and even the responsibility to protect its citizens from an active terrorist threat‚ so the president continues to strongly stand with Israel as it defends itself from Hamas."In fact‚ the statement was pulled verbatim from a speech Biden gave last week‚ the context of which centered on ending the "cycle of violence" in the Middle East.The official said Biden "meant that we can’t lose hope for peace" and that his remarks reposted on social media were a "reference to how Hamas does not want peace.""We want this to be the last war‚ and we recognize that for that to happen‚ Hamas can't be the governing authority‚" the official told Jewish Insider. "They have to be out of power‚ because if you have Hamas in power‚ you’re likely to have another conflict."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In war‚ the Greek poet Aeschylus said‚ the first casualty is truth. In the war between Israel and Hamas‚ there have been plenty of opportunities for lies to achieve political ends. In the United States‚ we’re seeing the demonization of and crackdown on cryptocurrencies and stablecoins like Bitcoin and Tether. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) stirred crypto-skeptic politicians in Washington into a frenzy last month‚ alleging that Hamas funded its heinous attacks on Israeli civilians with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. This followed an initial report in the Wall Street Journal‚ which detailed a significant crypto fundraising operation by Hamas across various platforms. There were congressional hearings‚ press releases‚ and letters dispatched to various elements of the national security establishment and to the Biden administration itself‚ seeking to understand Hamas’ use of cryptocurrency and how it could move money undetected. Warren penned a letter with 28 other senators and 76 House members demanding answers on the alleged $130 million in crypto used by Hamas‚ relying on the Wall Street Journal’s story. The only problem is that the story was false. Or at least it was way overblown. For Warren‚ it was never about Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel. It was about seizing an opportunity for more control‚ regardless of the truth. Just days after publishing its exposé‚ the Journal was forced to correct its report after a simple analysis revealed that the multimillion figures were wrong. Evidence produced by the blockchain analytics firm Elliptic showed most of these funds were not sitting in Hamas-linked accounts but were likely brokerage and crypto exchange accounts where the funds originated. As any user of technologies like Bitcoin and other crypto exchanges knows‚ every transaction is publicly viewable on the blockchain using a block explorer. When those funds are purchased at regulated exchanges‚ authorities can trace and subpoena identifying information that these entities must collect from their customers. If Hamas and its agents were legally able to acquire thousands of dollars' worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies — not to mention hundreds of millions' worth — any user of a block explorer would easily have detected this. In fact‚ Hamas militants reportedly stopped accepting cryptocurrency donations once they realized how quickly those transactions would be flagged and ultimately halted by Israeli authorities. The same cannot be said for the rumored billions of dollars held by Hamas operatives in traditional bank accounts in countries throughout the world. With billions of dollars in Hamas funding in the global banking system and perhaps just a few thousand in various cryptocurrency wallets‚ one would think that political ire would be raised at banks that have aided and abetted Hamas funding. Instead‚ Warren and her anti-innovation colleagues continue to cite this fake news in their efforts to make open blockchain technology inaccessible to American consumers. Rather than an indictment against Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency‚ this episode reveals that many American progressive legislators are getting hoodwinked into banning or restricting a technology that offers tremendous social benefits. Technologies like Bitcoin offer sound digital money that can be sent to any computer or connected device worldwide. With a limited supply and a proof of work protocol that is both honest and fair‚ it’s a world of difference from the unlimited printing and ongoing debasement of the U.S. dollar. It is a revolution that many of us have only begun to grasp. Unfortunately‚ rather than embrace the positive effects such technologies could have on American society‚ too many tech-skeptical politicians are hooked on fake news and unable to resist advancing their goal of banning cryptocurrency for Americans. For Warren‚ it was never about Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel. It was about seizing an opportunity for more control‚ regardless of the truth.

The tail end of the ’70s saw superb music being made by some of rock's great veterans and by many who were new to the scene. The post 1979: The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums appeared first on Best Classic Bands.