https://www.conservapedia.com/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=ChenXianshengConservapedia - User contributions [en]2026-11-12T16:37:13ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.35.14https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Suicide&diff=2038274Suicide2024-04-03T15:03:52Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Undo revision 2037883 by Conservative (talk) Why did you revert? I think it's very important to prevent this tragic act, especially since people on the fence might be reading this article</p>
<hr />
<div>{{suicide warning}}<br />
'''Suicide''' is the act of killing oneself and – when done purposely – a form of [[murder]].<br />
<br />
Unless done accidentally (e.g. shooting oneself with a loaded firearm not knowing it was loaded at the time, or accidentally taking too much of a prescribed medication), it is a [[sin]] throughout all of [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]], and a [[mortal sin]] in [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] teaching (thus making the deceased ineligible for a funeral mass); it is not a sin in the [[Islam]] culture if one engages in a [[Homicide Bomber|homicide attack]].<br />
<br />
Christians should remember that they are given life to love and to serve the Lord, and during times of desperation to remember the words of Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."<br />
<br />
==United States==<br />
In the [[United States]] suicide was – technically – a crime in a few states until the early 2000s; however [[assisted suicide]] is considered a crime in most states (often akin to [[homicide]]). [[Oregon]],<ref>http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/</ref> [[Washington]],<ref>https://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/11/05/washington-passes-initiative-1000-legalizing-physician-assisted-suicide/</ref> and [[Montana]]<ref>https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0102/Montana-becomes-third-state-to-legalize-physician-assisted-suicide</ref> are the only states in the United States which currently allow assisted suicide. The states enforce strict mandates on the availability and administration of the procedure.<br />
<br />
Many advocates for assisted suicide claim that this is one of the few situations where the act itself is legal, and yet the assistance of the act is a crime.<ref>http://www.apa.org/pi/eol/arguments.html#1</ref><br />
<br />
==Scope of the Problem==<br />
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the world, claiming over one million lives globally in 1999. The suicide rate in the [[United States]] in 1999 was 10.7 per 100,000; the homicide rate that same year was only 6.2 per 100,000. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in youth 15–24 years old. [[Caucasian|White]] males over 85 have the highest rate of suicide, about 65 per 100,000. Suicide rates are also elevated in some [[ethnic group]]s. For example, suicide is about 1.5 times more prevalent than average among [[native American]]s. While whites continue to have higher suicide rates than [[African Americans|blacks]], the gap seems to be narrowing in young males. Suicides in males outnumber those in females in almost all nations, including the United States. While males are more likely to complete suicide, females are more likely to attempt suicide.<br />
<br />
==Suicide in the Military==<br />
The [[United States Army]], which has about one million soldiers, reported 99 suicides in 2006, which is less than 0.01%. About half were [[soldier]]s/officers under 25. According to Colonel [[Elspeth Ritchie]], [[psychiatry]] consultant to Army Surgeon General Major General [[Gale Pollock]], the primary motivation for these suicides had nothing to do with military service, and instead were due to "failed intimate relationships, failed marriages."<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081600266.html?sub=AR</ref> <br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
===Forms of suicide===<br />
*[[Altruistic suicide]]<br />
*[[Anomic suicide]]<br />
*[[Assisted suicide]]<br />
*[[Homosexual suicide]]<br />
*[[Kamikaze]]<br />
*[[Suicide bomber]] <br />
*[[Suicide bombing]]<br />
<br />
===Related topics===<br />
*[[Euthanasia]]<br />
*[[Abortion and suicide]]<br />
*[[Atheism and European suicide in the 17th century]]<br />
*[[Atheism, gender and suicide]]<br />
*[[Atheism, marriage and suicide]]<br />
*[[Ex-Christians, self-esteem and suicide]]<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* Demme, Greg, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5680 Suicide: What’s the problem?] 2 April 2008 ([[Creation Ministries International]])<br />
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/suicide-Bible-Christian.html What is the Christian view of suicide? What does the Bible say about suicide?], at ''[[GotQuestions]]''<br />
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/why-not-commit-suicide.html Why should I not commit suicide?], at ''[[GotQuestions]]''<br />
<br />
{{DivineComedy}}<br />
{{Ten Commandments}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Culture]]<br />
[[Category:Sin]]<br />
[[Category:Ethics]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Suicide_warning&diff=2037847Template:Suicide warning2024-04-01T07:35:52Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Remove italics on the warning triangle symbol</p>
<hr />
<div>:<includeonly><font size="6">[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_resources ⚠️ '''''If you are considering suicide, you are not alone, and there is help.]'''''</font></includeonly><br />
<noinclude><br />
This template links to mental health resources for people considering suicide.</noinclude></div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Suicide&diff=2037846Suicide2024-04-01T07:34:31Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Remove insulting content towards groups of people. The Bible verse at the top is good to discourage suicide, but the other accusations may literally be the nail in the coffin for someone considering doing it and having such beliefs.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{suicide warning}}<br />
'''Suicide''' is the act of killing oneself and – when done purposely – a form of [[murder]].<br />
<br />
Unless done accidentally (e.g. shooting oneself with a loaded firearm not knowing it was loaded at the time, or accidentally taking too much of a prescribed medication), it is a [[sin]] throughout all of [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]], and a [[mortal sin]] in [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] teaching (thus making the deceased ineligible for a funeral mass); it is not a sin in the [[Islam]] culture if one engages in a [[Homicide Bomber|homicide attack]].<br />
<br />
Christians should remember that they are given life to love and to serve the Lord, and during times of desperation to remember the words of Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."<br />
<br />
==United States==<br />
In the [[United States]] suicide was – technically – a crime in a few states until the early 2000s; however [[assisted suicide]] is considered a crime in most states (often akin to [[homicide]]). [[Oregon]],<ref>http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/</ref> [[Washington]],<ref>https://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/11/05/washington-passes-initiative-1000-legalizing-physician-assisted-suicide/</ref> and [[Montana]]<ref>https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0102/Montana-becomes-third-state-to-legalize-physician-assisted-suicide</ref> are the only states in the United States which currently allow assisted suicide. The states enforce strict mandates on the availability and administration of the procedure.<br />
<br />
Many advocates for assisted suicide claim that this is one of the few situations where the act itself is legal, and yet the assistance of the act is a crime.<ref>http://www.apa.org/pi/eol/arguments.html#1</ref><br />
<br />
==Scope of the Problem==<br />
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the world, claiming over one million lives globally in 1999. The suicide rate in the [[United States]] in 1999 was 10.7 per 100,000; the homicide rate that same year was only 6.2 per 100,000. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in youth 15–24 years old. [[Caucasian|White]] males over 85 have the highest rate of suicide, about 65 per 100,000. Suicide rates are also elevated in some [[ethnic group]]s. For example, suicide is about 1.5 times more prevalent than average among [[native American]]s. While whites continue to have higher suicide rates than [[African Americans|blacks]], the gap seems to be narrowing in young males. Suicides in males outnumber those in females in almost all nations, including the United States. While males are more likely to complete suicide, females are more likely to attempt suicide.<br />
<br />
==Suicide in the Military==<br />
The [[United States Army]], which has about one million soldiers, reported 99 suicides in 2006, which is less than 0.01%. About half were [[soldier]]s/officers under 25. According to Colonel [[Elspeth Ritchie]], [[psychiatry]] consultant to Army Surgeon General Major General [[Gale Pollock]], the primary motivation for these suicides had nothing to do with military service, and instead were due to "failed intimate relationships, failed marriages."<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081600266.html?sub=AR</ref> <br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
===Forms of suicide===<br />
*[[Altruistic suicide]]<br />
*[[Anomic suicide]]<br />
*[[Assisted suicide]]<br />
*[[Homosexual suicide]]<br />
*[[Kamikaze]]<br />
*[[Suicide bomber]] <br />
*[[Suicide bombing]]<br />
<br />
===Related topics===<br />
*[[Euthanasia]]<br />
*[[Abortion and suicide]]<br />
*[[Atheism and European suicide in the 17th century]]<br />
*[[Atheism, gender and suicide]]<br />
*[[Atheism, marriage and suicide]]<br />
*[[Ex-Christians, self-esteem and suicide]]<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* Demme, Greg, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5680 Suicide: What’s the problem?] 2 April 2008 ([[Creation Ministries International]])<br />
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/suicide-Bible-Christian.html What is the Christian view of suicide? What does the Bible say about suicide?], at ''[[GotQuestions]]''<br />
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/why-not-commit-suicide.html Why should I not commit suicide?], at ''[[GotQuestions]]''<br />
<br />
{{DivineComedy}}<br />
{{Ten Commandments}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Culture]]<br />
[[Category:Sin]]<br />
[[Category:Ethics]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Transphobia&diff=2007179Talk:Transphobia2023-11-30T07:15:52Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Created page with "User:Northwest, please explain why you think what you wrote was the "truth". ~~~~"</p>
<hr />
<div>[[User:Northwest]], please explain why you think what you wrote was the "truth". [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 02:15, November 30, 2023 (EST)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=X_Corp.&diff=2007086X Corp.2023-11-30T04:26:47Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Miscellaneous */ missing word</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Musk and Rubin.jpg|thumb|NYT bought its Twitter followers to fake influence]]<br />
'''Twitter, Inc.''', renamed as "X" on July 23, 2023,<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/Business/rebranded-twitter/story?id=101605679</ref> is a [[Big Tech]] social networking tool, acquired by [[Elon Musk]] on October 27, 2022, after years of [[liberal censorship]] by [[Leftists]] in [[San Francisco]] ([[Twitter#Sale to Elon Musk|see below]]). Musk immediately fired its top management, and dissolved its [[Leftist]] Board of Directors immediately. Musk suspects he was lied to by underestimates of sham accounts, but a lawsuit by [[Opposition to Donald Trump|Never-Trumpers]] in a hostile court forced Musk to buy Twitter. On Nov. 4, 2022, Musk fired about half of Twitter's 7,500 mostly-[[liberal]] workforce.<ref>https://people.com/human-interest/elon-musk-claims-he-had-no-choice-but-to-fire-half-of-twitter-staff/</ref> He offered them a generous severance package, more than required. The [[Biden regime]] then falsely labelled Musk a "[[national security]] threat."<ref>https://youtu.be/ORSuo1LsyRQ</ref><br />
<br />
While X improved in some ways under Musk's leadership, its entrenched [[San Francisco]] staff has continued [[liberal censorship]] and within a year its value dropped from $44 billion to only $19 billion.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/30/23938969/x-twitter-valuation-19-billion-employee-shares</ref> Musk has suggested he may move the entire platform behind a paywall to "combat vast armies of bots."<ref>https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-twitter-paywall-for-everyone-2023-9</ref> This could also end the [[liberal]] [[troll]]ing and fake impersonation that occurs there.<br />
<br />
Elon Musk stood courageously against the [[communist]] dictatorship in [[China]], as [[Apple]] caved into the [[liberal censorship]] and tried to banish Twitter for allowing [[free speech]].<br />
<br />
As Musk explained, the mass layoffs were made necessary by [[Leftist]] demands that advertisers boycott Twitter:<br />
<blockquote>"Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists.<br />
<br />
Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy [[free speech]] in [[America]]."<ref>[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1588538640401018880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588538640401018880%7Ctwgr%5E7f0bb400d1de30335f7ccd328e31bc941826f4f8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeople.com%2Fembed%3Furl%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Ftwitter2Fstatus2F1588538640401018880id%3Dmntl-sc-block_1-0-20-iframeoptions%3De303DdocId%3D6825991]https://archive.ph/HL3F7</ref></blockquote><br />
On November 7, 2022, Musk announced the end to Twitter's allowance of impersonation by [[liberal]] [[troll]]s of innocent victims, which had made Twitter a cesspool of [[Leftist]] deception and smears. But [[Leftist]] trolling became epidemic on November 10 such that the [[FTC]] issues a warning against so many fraudulent impersonation accounts purchases for merely $8.<ref>https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/10/fake-account-chaos-engulfs-musks-twitter-00066217</ref><br />
==Overview==<br />
Twitter was founded in 2006<ref>https://www.lifewire.com/history-of-twitter-3288854</ref> and emerged as a new medium of online [[news]] distribution that became infested by [[woke]] [[troll]]s and fake accounts. The claimed numbers of followers of [[liberal]] figures on it are falsely inflated, such that one audit in 2022 concluded that nearly half of [[Joe Biden]]’s Twitter followers are fake.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2022/05/18/audit-reveals-almost-half-of-joe-bidens-twitter-followers-are-fake/</ref><br />
[[File:Twitter bird logo 2012.svg.png|left|160px]]<br />
As a free microblogging [[website]], Twitter users can submit messages containing 140 characters or less to their followers, was co-founded by [[Jack Dorsey]] and Evan Williams. ''Twitter'' is a privately funded startup established by Obvious.com in [[San Francisco]], on March 21, 2006.<ref>[http://mashable.com/2009/03/21/happy-birthday-twitter/ Happy Birthday Twitter!] Mashable</ref><ref>[http://cellphones.about.com/od/textmessaging/a/twittertexting.htm Twitter: Free Microblogging Service Perhaps the Perfect Mobile Blogging Tool, About.com, August 16, 2008]</ref> Under liberal control, official Twitter policy was supportive of anarcho-Marxism, was intolerant of dissidence (see [[liberal censorship]]), and lacked diversity of opinion. As of mid-2020 Twitter has enjoyed [[Section 230]] immunity from prosecution for its election interference and other abuses, as well as [[monopoly]] control. There has been widespread discontent over Twitter's abuses of the public trust under its previous liberal ownership. It has been characterized as the "Wuhan wet market of ideas."<ref>https://youtu.be/DdYwUdRukV4</ref><br />
<br />
[[Liberal]]s forced [[free speech]] advocate [[Elon Musk]] to complete his purchase of Twitter at a price of $44 billion, using a hostile court proceeding and an inflation of its price based on an underestimate of its fake accounts.<br />
<br />
Twitter allows users to follow others, share status updates and / or news via "tweets," or republish another user's status update (referred to as a "retweet"). If a subject is popular enough, it can become a trending topic worldwide, and is displayed on the main website. Corporations can also pay Twitter to have a "Sponsored Trend" appear in the trending topics column. Twitter has made URL shorterners (such as ow.ly, bit.ly, tinyurl.com, and goo.gl, to name a few) popular, as they allow long URLs to be shortened and posted within a tweet.<br />
<br />
As a simple messaging tool, the website states: <br />
{{cquote|Twitter asks one question, "What are you doing?" Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web. The result of using Twitter to stay connected with friends, relatives, and coworkers is that you have a sense of what folks are up to but you are not expected to respond to any updates unless you want to.}}<br />
<br />
The Twitter [[API]] allows developers to create applications for computers and mobile phones that allow users to filter their Twitter feed, as well as track click-through rates, manage multiple accounts, or log-in to a website using their Twitter login.<br />
<br />
==Reform era==<br />
[[File:Trump Musk Twitter poll.PNG|right|thumb|Trump won poll, to be reinstated (Nov/2022)]]<br />
Elon Musk reinstated [[Donald Trump]] account <ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk:<br />
<i><br />
The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.</i><br />
[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1594131768298315777?s=20&t= 19 Nov 2022].<br><br />
Nov 19, 2022 profile: <i>Donald J. Trump<br />
@realDonaldTrump<br />
45th President of the United States of America🇺🇸<br />
Washington, DCVote.DonaldJTrump.com<br />
Joined March 2009</i></ref> weeks after purchasing Twitter, on Nov 19, 2022, (winning poll to be reinstated<ref>Over 15 million people voted in this poll. The final numbers were: Yes 51.8% No 48.2% 15,034,670 votes. [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1593767953706921985 Elon Musk @elonmusk, Nov 18, 2022]</ref>). He also unblocked [[Babylon Bee]] and [[Jordan Peterson]] accounts.<br />
<br />
[[File:Marc Rebillet Jan 6 2021 Twitter.PNG|right|thumb|Marc Rebillet's reply to Trump on 12:39 PM MST = 2:39 PM EST]]<br />
<br />
As Trump's account was reinstated, one can see his tweet on J6 at 2:38 PM EST:<ref><br />
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump:<blockquote><br />
Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!</blockquote><br />
<br><i><br />
[https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346904110969315332 2:38 PM · Jan 6, 2021·Twitter for iPhone]</i> (EST)</ref><br />
<blockquote><br />
"Please supoort out Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our country. Stay peaceful."</blockquote><br />
<br />
To which a liberal [[BLM]]-fanatic<ref>[https://www.google.com/search?q=MARC+REBILLET+black+lives+matter]<br />
<blockquote>If they were black they’d be bleeding out on the floor right now. This is so f####d.</blockquote><br />
https://twitter.com/marcrebillet/status/1346912330563473410 3:11 PM · Jan 6, 2021]</ref> replied with profanity. <br />
<br />
[[Project Veritas]] was reinstated to Twitter on Nov 20, 2022 after "permanent" Ban.<ref>[https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-project-veritas-reinstated-to-twitter BREAKING: Project Veritas REINSTATED to Twitter], The PM, Nov 20, 2022</ref><br />
<br />
On Nov 21, 2022, Elon Musk responds to a tweet by the State of Israel: "More countries should tweet like you," he later wrote, I visited Israel, it was great.<ref>[https://rotter.net/forum/scoops1/770117.shtml Elon Musk responds to a tweet by the State of Israel: "More countries should tweet like you," he later wrote, I visited Israel, it was great], ''Rotter'', Nov 21, 2022.<blockquote><br />
<br />
User 'Israel' responded to Kanye West's tweet in which he wrote peace with a smiley:<br />
"We would very much like to be excluded from this narrative."<br />
<br />
Musk complimented the user of the State of Israel and wrote, your tweets are good, more countries should tweet in this way. It's not fun to be stuffy all the time (the accurate translator will win a gift prize...)<br />
<br />
Translation of stuffy: a person who is not open to new ideas. Narrow-minded.<br />
Another stranger on Twitter responded to Musk that he should visit Israel.<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
James Spiro<br />
<br><br />
Nov 21, 2022 @JamesSpiro<br />
Replying to @elonmusk @Israel and @taylorswift13:<br />
<blockquote><br />
Yes! @Israel is cool, actually! You should visit us :)<br />
</blockquote><br />
Elon Musk @elonmusk:<br />
<blockquote><br />
I have! It was great.<br />
</blockquote><br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1594792272583098368 Nov 21, 2022]).</ref><br />
<br />
After a move billed as, ''The trash takes itself out: All the other woke media outlets now will follow CBS and suspend their twitter activity. Epic cleansing on deck'',<ref>[https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/the-trash-takes-itself-out-all-the-other-woke-media-outlets-now-will-follow-cbs-and-suspend-their-twitter-activity-epic-cleansing-on-deck/ ''The trash takes itself out: All the other woke media outlets now will follow CBS and suspend their twitter activity. Epic cleansing on deck'']</ref> [[CBS News]] ended its boycott of the new Twitter after consulting with their masters at the [[NSA]].<ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/11/07/new-revelations-about-jacks-magic-coffee-shop-twitter-surface-under-new-management/#more-239490 New Revelations About Jack’s Magic Coffee Shop (Twitter) Surface Under New Management].</ref><br />
<br />
Musk removed the suspension of most accounts effective the first week in December. But Twitter's long-term allowance of parody accounts that mislead the public, including suspended parody accounts in the names of real people who were never suspended, continues.<br />
<br />
However, Musk faced harsh backlash for reinstating a raw Hitlerist infamous neo-Nazi.<ref>N M Ramirez [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-twitter-reinstates-neo-nazi-andrew-anglin-account-1234640390/ Elon Brings One of America’s Most Prominent Nazis Back to Twitter], Rolling Stone, Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://ca.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/elon-brings-one-america-most-190033546.html Elon Brings One of America's Most Prominent Nazis Back to Twitter], ''Yahoo News'', Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>Lydia OConnor, [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/andrew-anglin-elon-musk-twitter_n_638a84eee4b09eeedb9d2190 Elon Musk Just Let A Notorious Neo-Nazi Troll Back On Twitter]</ref><ref>[https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/extremists-far-right-figures-exploit-recent-changes-twitter Extremists, Far Right Figures Exploit Recent Changes to Twitter], ''ADL'', Dec 2, 2022</ref><ref>Taylor Hatmaker, [https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/02/elon-musk-nazis-kanye-twitter-andrew-anglin/ Elon Musk just brought an infamous neo-Nazi back to Twitter], TechCrunch, Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>Aaron Bolton, [https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2022-12-05/neo-nazi-website-founder-who-targeted-flathead-valley-residents-allowed-back-on-twitter Neo-Nazi website founder who targeted Flathead Valley residents allowed back on Twitter], ''Montana Public Radio,'' Dec 5, 2022.</ref><ref>Joseph Menn, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/03/twitter-antisemitism-violence-jan-6/ Surging Twitter antisemitism unites fringe, encourages violence, officials say], ''Washington Post'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><ref>Mary Papenfuss. [https://news.yahoo.com/french-president-macron-warns-elon-003335625.html French President Macron Warns Elon Musk That Twitter Must Heed EU Rules Against Lies, Hate], ''Yahoo News'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.semana.com/tecnologia/articulo/elon-musk-retiro-la-suspension-de-las-cuentas-de-andrew-anglin/202248/ Elon Musk aprobó el regreso de Andrew Anglin a Twitter], Semana, Dec 5, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.rawstory.com/andrew-anglin-2658824647/ Twitter unbans neo-Nazi who said women should be 'raped and locked in cages'], ''Raw Story'', Dec 2, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
===The Twitter Files===<br />
{{See also|Twitter Files}}<br />
[[File:MSM time on Twitter Files.PNG|thumb|[https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-abc-cbs-called-silence-elon-musk-twitter-files-release-failing-americans.amp A breakdown of media coverage of the Twitter files showing how the social media giant handled the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. (Fox News)]]]<br />
<br />
Musk exposed constitutional law violations on the part of the Biden administration [[United States Government]] to interfere in elections. While a private entity does not have to respect free speech, the [[First Amendment]] to the [[Constitution]] prohibits the United States Government from silencing free speech. Twitter, under Jack Dorsey, prohibited free political speech at the behest of the United States Government.<br />
<br />
On December 2, 2022 journalist Matt Taibbi of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine began releasing the #TwitterFiles,<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2022/12/03/peter-roff-musks-twitter-files-confirm-everything-we-already-knew-opinion/ PETER ROFF: Musk’s ‘Twitter Files’ Confirm Everything We Already Knew], ''Daily Caller'', Dec 3, 2022.<br><font size=1><i>A former UPI political writer and U.S. News and World Report columnist, Peter Roff is a Trans-Atlantic Leadership Network media fellow</i></font></ref><ref>Jonathan Turley [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/media-hunter-biden-collusion-twitter-files-dump-defense-attacking-messenger Media's Hunter Biden collusion: 'Twitter files' dump has them on defense, attacking the messenger], ''Fox News'', Dec 4, 2022.<br><i>Media is too invested in suppression of Hunter Biden story to acknowledge extent of the scandal</i></ref> otherwise known as Twitter’s internal communications related to [[censorship]], targeting, and political interference. Twitter was working in conjunction with then-Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden’s team, removing tweets that team Biden wanted deleted. According to Andrew Kerr of the ''Washington Free Beacon'', those tweets were either drug-related photos of Hunter Biden or pornographic photos of him. Without these photos, the electorate would be deprived of critical visual info on the activities of the Biden family. <ref>https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-releases-hunter-biden-files-tweets-deleted-at-behest-of-team-biden-exec-was-key-behind-censorship-decision</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Hunter I'm on Team Biden.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Actor James Woods was banned from Twitter at the request of the DNC for posting the above meme. Woods sued the DNC.<ref>https://youtu.be/2cxQcHbdWlw</ref>]]<br />
<br />
Reminder: 2020 election outcome would differ with Hunter Biden laptop coverage per poll.<ref>Bruce Golding, [https://nypost.com/2022/08/26/2020-election-outcome-would-differ-with-hunter-biden-laptop-coverage-poll/ 2020 election outcome would differ with Hunter Biden laptop coverage: poll], ''NYPost'', August 26, 2022.<blockquote><br />
79% say ‘truthful’ coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop would have changed 2020 election.</blockquote></ref><br />
Andrew C McCarthy: "FBI Interference in the 2020 Election: The ‘Twitter Files’ Miss the Real Scandal."<ref>Andrew C McCarthy, <br />
[https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/12/the-twitter-files-miss-the-real-scandal-fbi-interference-in-the-2020-election/ FBI Interference in the 2020 Election: The ‘Twitter Files’ Miss the Real Scandal], National Review, Dec 6, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
And Musk confirmed Bari Weiss to join Matt Taibbi in releasing ‘Twitter Files.'<ref>Caleb Howe, [https://www.mediaite.com/tech/elon-musk-confirms-bari-weiss-to-join-matt-taibbi-in-releasing-twitter-files-info/ Elon Musk Confirms Bari Weiss to Join Matt Taibbi in Releasing ‘Twitter Files’ Info], ''Fox News'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
This initial document dump focused on the decision making process that Twitter invoked to suppress the [[Laptop from Hell]] in the run up to the [[2020 Presidential election]]. The internal emails released show that Twitter was absolutely engaging in political manipulation and, after they suspended the ''New York Post'', the oldest newspaper in the United States, looking for some sort of policy justification for their political actions. <br />
<br />
According to Taibbi, "The problem with the ‘hacked materials’ ruling, several sources said, was that this normally required an official/law enforcement finding of a hack. But such a finding never appears throughout what one executive describes as a ‘whirlwind’ 24-hour, company-wide mess.” Twitter execs could not find a justification for blocking the ''New York Post'' esposé on [[Biden family corruption]] under its own rules, so it consulted with the Biden camp and Democrats in Congress and received the go ahead.<br />
<br />
In one incredible exchange, Twitter execs receive a list of accounts from the [[Biden junta|Biden Administration]] to “review.” The accounts were reportedly later suspended. Democrat Rep. [[Ro Khanna]] was the only Democrat that expressed concern that it will backfire, trying to mediate with Twitter execs and reminding them the First Amendment prohibits government suppression of free speech. The Twitter files reveal [[collusion]] between government and [[private sector]] business to suppress [[human rights]], which is the original and basic definition of [[fascism]].<br />
<br />
Twitter rules "were enforced against the right, but not against the left".<ref>Elon Musk on Twitter: "@DavidSacks As @bariweiss clearly describes, the rules were enforced against the right, but not against the left" / Twitter.<br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1601059434330890241 Dec 8, 2022])</ref><br />
<br />
The TwitterFiles also revealed familiar name in Hunter Biden laptop scandal: former [[FBI]] [[James A. Baker (DOJ)]]. Baker has been featured repeatedly in the Russian investigations launched by the Justice Departmen It has been commented: "For many, James Baker is fast becoming the Kevin Bacon of the Russian collusion scandals."<ref>Jonathan Turley, [https://nypost.com/2022/12/03/twitter-files-reveal-james-baker-in-hunter-biden-laptop-scandal/ Twitter files reveal familiar name in Hunter Biden laptop scandal: James Baker], ''NYPost'', December 3, 2022.</ref><ref>Susan Ferrechio, [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/dec/5/twitter-lawyer-james-baker-who-blocked-hunter-bide/ Twitter lawyer who blocked Hunter Biden laptop story helped ignite Trump-Russia probe], ''The Washington Times'', December 5, 2022.<blockquote><br />
A top Twitter attorney who supported censoring the bombshell story about the incriminating contents of Hunter Biden’s discarded laptop computer in the weeks before the presidential election also helped set into motion the FBI’s investigation into now-debunked claims that President Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.<br />
<br />
James Baker, who served as Twitter’s deputy general counsel and vice president beginning in June 2020, spent four years prior to that as the top lawyer for the FBI. It was in that post in 2016 that he linked up his friend, lawyer and Democratic operative Michael Sussmann, with top FBI investigators. Mr. Sussmann passed along claims that the Republican candidate was in contact with a Russian bank.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
In a ridiculous but not so funny reaction: former Twitter executive who suppressed Hunter Biden Laptop Story, lumps two separate unrelated entities and calls them both the exposer of radical liberalism [[Washington_Post#LibsOfTikTok|Libsoftiktok]],<ref>Tucker Carlson , [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-libs-tiktok-oust-campaign-twitter Tucker: Libs of TikTok oust campaign was designed to shut down a highly effective Twitter feed],<br />
''Fox News'', April 19, 2022.<br><i>Tucker calls out the intimidation campaign.</i></ref> and the satire Christian site ''Babylon Bee'' 'Dangerous.'<ref>Caroline Downey, [https://news.yahoo.com/twitter-exec-suppressed-hunter-biden-161210852.html Former Twitter Executive Who Suppressed Hunter Biden Laptop Story Calls Libs of TikTok, Babylon Bee ‘Dangerous’], ''Yahoo'', December 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
Rep. [[Kevin McCarthy]] stated: Google, Facebook should be investigated after Twitter files on Hunter Biden story.<ref>[https://nypost.com/2022/12/04/mccarthy-says-google-facebook-should-be-investigated/ Google, Facebook should be investigated after Twitter files on Hunter Biden story: Rep. McCarthy], NYPost'', Dec 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
On the subject why major news outlets downplay the scandal, Musk stated "because they were complicit."<ref>[https://archive.org/details/FOXNEWSW_20221204_180000_Fox_News_Live Fox News Live : FOXNEWSW : December 4, 2022 10:00am-11:00am PST : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive].<blockquote>"...they were complicit in deceiving the american public and admits that they lied to the public, they are trying to pretend that this is a nothing burger."</blockquote></ref><ref>Citizen Free Press @CitizenFreePres Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1599167903080714240 Dec 3, 2022]):<blockquote>@elonmusk criticizes legacy media for refusing to cover The Twitter Files:<br />
"The media is trying to turn this info into a nothingburger because they were complicit in deceiving the American public, rather than admit they lied to the public.” — </blockquote><br />
@elonmusk</ref><br />
<br />
CNN: Twitter employees were saying "this feels like Russian disinformation" when deciding to censor tweets about the Hunter Biden laptop story.<ref>Townhall.com @townhallcom ([https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1599780094750298113 Dec 5, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
CNN: Twitter employees were saying "this feels like Russian disinformation" when deciding to censor tweets about the Hunter Biden laptop story. "Some want you to think...that this was censorship by big tech."</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
On Dec 5, [[White House]] spokesperson dismissed the embarrassing scandal. KJP: "we see it as an incident...as a coincidence."<ref>Breaking911 @Breaking911 ([https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1599882154560802817 Dec 5, 2022]):<blockquote><br />
WATCH: KJP says Twitter censoring Hunter Biden laptop story is a "distraction" and "old news if you think about it."</blockquote></ref><ref>Bradford Betz, [https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/musks-twitter-files-revealing-censorship-hunter-biden-laptop-story-distraction-white-house-says.amp Musk's 'Twitter Files,' revealing censorship of Hunter Biden laptop story, is a 'distraction, White House says], FOXBusiness, Dec 5, 2022.<br><i><br />
Musk outsourced his findings to Substack journalist Matt Taibbi who published a thread detailing Twitter’s censorship</i></ref><br />
<br />
On Dec 6, 2022, Musk announced, James Baker, former FBI counsel, was fired from Twitter after Hunter laptop revelations.<ref>[https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-elon-musk-confirms-james-baker-former-fbi-counsel-out-at-twitter-after-censorship-revelations BREAKING: Elon Musk confirms James Baker, former FBI counsel, FIRED from Twitter after Hunter laptop revelations], The PM, Dec 6, 2022.<blockquote><br />
On Tuesday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that attorney Jim Baker had been "exited" from the company following recent revelations that he played a role in facilitating censorship on the platform.</blockquote></ref><ref>Paul Farrell, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11512265/Oh-tangled-web-weave-Elon-Musk-gets-poetic-firing-Twitter-lawyer-James-Baker.html 'Oh, what a tangled web they weave': Elon Musk gets poetic after dramatically firing his Twitter lawyer for 'secretly vetting files on Hunter Biden's laptop' that delayed second tranche of revelations expected from ex-NY Times reporter Bari Weiss], ''Daily Mail'', 07 Dec 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
====Shadowbanning====<br />
[[File:Twitter Files II shadowbanning.PNG|right|400px]]<br />
{{See also|Shadowbanning}}<br />
[[File:Bari Weiss (7) 12-8-22.PNG|right|400px]]<br />
The second part of the Twitter Files revealed the systematic shadowbannimg of those, liberals didn't like, blacklisting them, to make sure they do not trend. Which means they silent voices and de-facto censored. The DARK scary part is also that all that was done secretly without notifying the user. <ref>Joseph A. Wulfsohn, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/elon-musks-second-installment-twitter-files-reveals-secret-blacklists-bari-weiss-reports Elon Musk's second installment of 'Twitter Files' reveals 'secret blacklists,' Bari Weiss reports], ''Fox News,'' Dec 8, 2022.<blockquote><br />
Bari Weiss reported details of Twitter's censorship practices before the Musk takeover.</blockquote></ref><br />
[[File:Gadde.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Vijaya Gadde]]<br />
[[Vijaya Gadde]], is noted at this censorship routine.<br />
<br />
[[Charlie Kirk]] recalled that he was complaining already in 2018. And remarked<ref>Dec 8, 2022 on ''TCT'' show, [https://tuckercarlson.com/charlie-kirk-speaks-out-after-reportedly-placed-on-twitters-do-not-amplify-list/ Charlie Kirk speaks out after reportedly placed on Twitter's 'Do Not Amplify' list], ''Fox News''.<br />
<br><br />
Alex Oliveira, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11519381/Charlie-Kirk-talks-Twitter.html 'More censorship than Hamas': Charlie Kirk tells Tucker Carlson 'Twitter Files' part two confirm his suspicion that he was being censored after speaking out against pandemic lockdowns in 2020], ''Daily Mail'', Dec 9, 2022.</ref> on the absurdity that, in contrast, (dangerous) [[Hamas]] and [[Iran]] were not taken steps against.<br />
<br />
It also censored the very popular [[Washington_Post#LibsOfTikTok|LibsOfTikTok]] (which was and is merely reporting factual videos exposing radical woke), under a guise of supposed "hate," yet, internal memo revealed that LibsOfTikTok did NOT engage in any hate.<ref>Ari Blaff, [https://www.nationalreview.com/news/twitter-suppressed-prominent-right-wing-anti-lockdown-users-documents-show/ Twitter Suppressed Prominent Right-Wing, Anti-Lockdown Users, Documents Show], ''National Review'', Dec 8, 2022.</ref><blockquote><br />
Later in the night, Weiss further revealed that @libsoftiktok (LTT), a viral account documenting wokeness, was placed on a “trends blacklist” with a notice “DO NOT TAKE ACTION ON USER WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH SIP-PES.”<br />
<br />
Although the account was repeatedly dinged with suspensions for allegedly violating company policy against “hateful conduct,” internal memos from October 2022 acknowledged that “LTT has not directly engaged in behavior violative of the Hateful Conduct policy.”<br />
<br />
By comparison, when the home address of LTT’s founder, Chaya Raichik, was doxxed in November 2022, and she reported it to Twitter Support, the company did nothing to remove the tweet.</blockquote><br />
[[File:Miles Cheong 12-9-22.jpg|thumb|Raw elections interference]]<br />
Political candidates were subject to shadowbanning while they were running for office or seeking re-election.<ref>Ian Miles Cheong on Twitter: "So here’s a question for @elonmusk and @bariweiss: were any political candidates — either in the US or elsewhere — subject to shadowbanning while they were running for office or seeking re-election?" / Twitter<br />
<br><br />
Elon Musk on Twitter: "@stillgray @bariweiss Yes" / Twitter<br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1601059434330890241 Dec 8, 2022]) [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FjiPEmJacAMV9vW?format=jpg].<br />
* Libs of TikTok on Twitter: "Wow! Elon confirms that Twitter shadowbanned and suppressed tweets from political candidates while they were running for office. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FjhWZ72WQAAQA4n?format=jpg&name=small] [https://t.co/6WEe36mtJQ]" / Twitter. <br />
([https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1601124677581033473 Dec 9, 2022]).<br />
</ref><br />
<br />
====FBI subsidiary====<br />
{{See also|FISA abuse|FBI scandal}}<br />
What Matt Taibbi outlined showcases how various organizations could reach out to Twitter and request content removal. Taibbi concluding, “what most people think of as the “[[deep state]]” is really a tangled collaboration of state agencies, private contractors, and (sometimes state-funded) [[NGO]]s. The lines become so blurred as to be meaningless."<ref>[Latest Twitter Files Bombshell: The Deep State Is Really a Tangled Collaboration of State Agencies, Private Contractors, and NGOs], JD Rucker, December 16, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
The FBI’s social media-focused task force, known as FTIF, created in the wake of the 2016 election, swelled to 80 agents and corresponded with Twitter to identify alleged foreign influence and election tampering of all kinds. Federal intelligence and [[law enforcement]] reach into Twitter included the [[Department of Homeland Security]], which partnered with security contractors and [[think tank]]s to pressure Twitter to moderate content. Social media platforms were enlisted as DHS partners under the auspices of ‘[[national security]]’, and suddenly there was a full-fledged surveillance state underway. That system is defended under the shield of ‘national security‘ as noted in the judicial ruling in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (the Trump [[Mar-a-Lago raid]] case).<ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/12/16/release-6-dhs-and-fbi-content-removal-requests-to-twitter/ Release #6 – DHS and FBI Content Removal Requests to Twitter], December 16, 2022 | Sundance.</ref><br />
<br />
(1) The [[Patriot Act]] turned the intel surveillance radar from foreign searches for terrorists to domestic searches for terrorists.<br />
(2) Obama/Biden then redefined what is a “terrorist” to include their political opposition.<br />
(3) The [[DHS]], [[DNI|ODNI]], [[DOJ-NSD]] and [[FISC]] became the four pillars of this new surveillance system.<br />
<br />
Scholar [[Jonathan Turley]] argues: "When the FBI attacks its critics as ‘conspiracy theorists,’ it’s time to reform the bureau."<ref>Jonathan Turley, [https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/3787443-when-the-fbi-attacks-its-critics-as-conspiracy-theorists-its-time-to-reform-the-bureau/ When the FBI attacks its critics as ‘conspiracy theorists,’ it’s time to reform the bureau] 12/24/22.</ref><br />
<br />
====Banning Trump but not the genocidal Ayatollah====<br />
<br />
As the 5th part of TwitterFiles was released, highlighting the decision to ban firmer president Trump in Jan 2021:<ref>Samuel Chamberlain and David Propper, [https://nypost.com/2022/12/12/fifth-twitter-files-installment-details-trumps-last-hours-on-platform/ <br />
Fifth ‘Twitter files’ release details furious debate to ban Trump — despite no policy violations], ''NYPost'', December 12, 2022.</ref><blockquote><br />
As Weiss pointed out, Twitter’s treatment of Trump stood in stark contrast to those of obvious bad actors — including Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who remains on the platform despite repeatedly calling for the destruction of Israel. Other world leaders, including the president of Nigeria and the prime ministers of India and Ethiopia, also have not been banned despite posting clear incitements to violence as well as threats to arrest Twitter’s own employees.<br />
<br />
Weiss also pointed out that the ban of Trump was criticized by other world leaders, with then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling it “problematic” and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador comparing Twitter to a “court of censorship like the Inquisition to manage public opinion.”<br />
<br />
“Ultimately, the concerns about Twitter’s efforts to censor news about Hunter Biden’s laptop, blacklist disfavored views, and ban a president aren’t about the past choices of executives in a social media company,” Weiss concluded her report. “They’re about the power of a handful of people at a private company to influence the public discourse and democracy.”</blockquote><br />
<br />
====Ukraine war fake news====<br />
{{See also|Ukraine propaganda war}}<br />
When Musk took control of Twitter, he discovered that the [[Polish]] government was secretly funding a Twitter account notorious for spreading disinformation about the [[NATO war in Ukraine]], and saw it reported: “One of the largest media outlets in [[Eastern Europe]] is pushing out [[fake news]]...Chances are that any active Twitter user over the past year [2022] will have seen a tweet or two from an account called Visegrad24 and, most likely, the information contained in those tweets will have been fake...the outfit appears to be funded by the office of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki”.<ref>https://www.sott.net/article/475154-Is-the-Polish-government-secretly-funding-a-Twitter-account-notorious-for-spreading-disinformation-about-Eastern-Europe</ref> When globalist Western governments asked Musk to block Russian news sources, he told them: “We will not do so unless at 'gunpoint', sorry to be a free speech absolutist”.<ref>https://news.yahoo.com/elon-musk-starlink-won-t-block-russian-outlets-165845001.html</ref><br />
====Resignation====<br />
After conducting a poll if he should step down, with most agreeing with that, Musk tweeted the following on Dec 20, 2022:<ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk on Twitter, [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1605372724800393216 Dec 20, 2022].</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2022/12/20/1144182209/twitter-elon-musk-resigns Elon Musk says he will resign as Twitter CEO once he finds a replacement] ''NPR'', Dec 20, 2022.</ref> <br />
<blockquote>I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams.</blockquote><br />
<br />
==Sale to Elon Musk==<br />
On April 25, 2022, it was announced that Twitter had been sold to Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder [[Elon Musk]] for $43 billion.<ref name="Musk Twitter">[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-official-twitter-sold-twitter-shares-halted-pending-news-sale-company-sold-elon-musk-43-billion/ BREAKING: IT’S OFFICIAL! TWITTER IS SOLD! Twitter Shares Halted Pending News of Sale – Company Sold to Elon Musk for $44 Billion] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Earlier in the month, Musk had become the biggest single shareholder of Twitter (with 9.2% of the shares, well over the 2.25% held by Jack Dorsey) when he bought 73 million shares of stock in the company (worth $2.89 billion),<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-becomes-biggest-shareholder-twitter-buys-9-2-shares/ Elon Musk Becomes the Biggest Shareholder in Twitter as He Buys 73 Million Shares] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> but when he attempted to buy more shares, he ran into resistance from several [[Saudi Arabia]]n Twitter shareholders, which cause Twitter stock to fall.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-saudi-owners-twitter-decline-musks-offer-twitter-stock-tumbling/ BREAKING: Saudi Shareholders of Twitter Decline Musk’s Offer – Twitter Stock is Tumbling] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> To prevent Musk from buying more shares, Twitter tried to entice him with a seat on its board of directors as part of a deal that would keep him from owning more than 14.9% of its common stock,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-appoint-elon-musk-board-directors-prevent-buying-majority-stake/ Twitter to Appoint Elon Musk to its Board of Directors and Prevent Him from Buying Majority Stake – Musk Teases ‘Significant Improvements’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> but Musk turned down that offer, thereby allowing him to buy more Twitter stock.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/developing-elon-musk-turns-seat-twitters-board-move-will-allow-buy-stock-company/ Elon Musk Turns Down Seat on Twitter’s Board, Move Will Allow Him to Buy More Stock in Company] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In response, bitter leftist Twitter shareholders attempted to sue Musk for delaying in disclosing the amount of stock he owned in the company.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/go-angry-twitter-shareholders-sue-elon-musk-delay-stock-disclosures/ Here We Go… Angry Twitter Shareholders Sue Elon Musk Over Delay in Stock Disclosures] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
When Musk announced plans to purchase Twitter outright and turn it into a private company,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-wants-buy-twitter-43-billion-transformed-private-company/ BREAKING: Elon Musk Wants to Buy Twitter for $43 Billion and Transform It Into ‘Private Company’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> pro-censorship/anti-free speech leftist company management decided to attempt to implement a "poison pill" to sabotage the transaction and fight for censorship and silencing of conservative voices and allowing the voices of liberals and other enemies of freedom to flourish<ref>Two references:<br />
*[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-fascists-release-statement-dont-care-elon-musk-board-will-continue-censor-conservatives-trump-not-coming-back/ Twitter Fascists Release Statement: They Don’t Care that Elon Musk Is On Board – They Will Continue to Censor Conservatives and Trump Is Not Coming Back] at the Gateway Pundit<br />
*[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-management-fight-control-company-president-trump-remains-censored-iranian-leaders-not/ Twitter Management Fight for Control of Company So They Can Continue to Censor President Trump and Promote Iranian Leaders on The Site] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> rather than allow Musk, who is anti-censorship and favors free speech, to buy the company and put an end to that censorship.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-board-adopts-poison-pill-rather-consider-musks-offer-free-speech-damned/ Twitter Board Adopts a ‘Poison Pill’ Rather than Consider Musk’s Offer – Free Speech Be Damned] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In response to the "poison pill" move by Twitter, Florida Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] threatened to hold the company's board of directors legally accountable for breaching their fiduciary duty.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/ron-desantis-threatens-hold-twitters-board-directors-accountable-breaching-fiduciary-duty/ Ron DeSantis Threatens to Hold Twitter’s Board of Directors Accountable for Breaching Fiduciary Duty] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Musk later announced that he would be bringing investor partners into his Twitter bid to thwart the company's "poison pill" sabotage attempt, whose legality was questioned by the Gateway Pundit.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-considering-bringing-partners-twitter-bid-company-adopts-poison-pill/ Elon Musk Considers Bringing in Partners on Twitter Bid After Company Adopts ‘Poison Pill’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In an attempt to protect Twitter and its anti-free speech mandate against a Musk takeover, the [[Biden regime]]-controlled [[Department of Justice]] and the Securities and Exchange Commission tried to step in by launching frivolous sham investigations against Musk.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/swamp-steps-doj-sec-launch-joint-investigation-targeting-elon-musk-attempts-hostile-takeover-twitter-reports/ Swamp Steps In? DOJ, SEC Launch “Joint Investigation” Targeting Elon Musk as He Attempts His ‘Hostile Takeover’ of Twitter: Reports] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
In an interview on ''Fox News'', [[Devin Nunez]] said, that Trump had encouraged Musk to buy Twitter.<ref>Joe Hoft, [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/05/devin-nunes-president-trump-encouraged-elon-musk-purchase-twitter/ Devin Nunes: President Trump Encouraged Elon Musk to Purchase Twitter], <br />
''The Gateway Pundit'', May 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
On September 13, 2022, it was announced that Twitter shareholders had officially approved the buyout of the platform by Musk.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/09/twitter-shareholders-approve-44-billion-musk-buyout/ Twitter Shareholders Approve $44 Billion Musk Buyout] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
===Liberals melt down===<br />
[[File:Kathy Griffen suspended.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Leftist troll Kathy Griffen was permanently banned from Twitter days after the takeover for impersonating Elon Musk, a violation of TOS.<ref>https://therightscoop.com/good-riddance-psychopath-kathy-griffin-permanently-banned-from-twitter/</ref>]]<br />
When Musk's purchase of Twitter became official, pearl-clutching liberals [[snowflake|went into meltdown mode]]<ref>[https://youtu.be/-C9ERYLlNY8 BREAKING! TWITTER SOLD TO ELON MUSK! LEFTISTS IN MELTDOWN!!!] at Dr. Steve Turley YouTube channel</ref> over their loss of control of one of their means of censoring free speech and silencing conservative voices/opinions and factual information.<ref name="Musk Twitter"/> President Donald Trump congratulated Musk on his purchase of Twitter, saying of him "...I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it and he is a good man," but he added that he will not return to Twitter, even with the restoration of his account there, choosing instead to stay with his own social media platform Truth Social.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-president-trump-will-not-come-back-twitter-despite-elon-musk-takeover/ Breaking: President Trump WILL NOT Come Back to Twitter Despite Elon Musk Takeover] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> As part of the announcement of his Twitter purchase, Musk said, "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated...", adding in a tweet that "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means".<ref>[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1518623997054918657 Elon Musk: "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means"] at Twitter</ref> Among the liberals having tantrums over Musk's purchase of Twitter are actress and leftist activist Jameela Jamil, who rage-quit the platform over the announcement in a petulant tweet,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/one-former-good-place-actress-turned-annoying-activist-jameela-jamil-quits-twitter-elon-musk-purchase/ ONE DOWN: Former Good Place Actress Turned Annoying Activist Jameela Jamil Quits Twitter Over Elon Musk Purchase] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> liberal race activist [[Shaun King]] (a white man who claims to be "black"), who also threw an online hissy-fit and rage-quit Twitter via deletion of his account in response to the Musk purchase,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/shaun-king-rage-quits-twitter-elon-musks-purchase/ Shaun King Rage Quits Twitter Over Elon Musk’s Purchase] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] (who once delusionally claimed that people who criticize her for her support of socialism and her cluelessness about politics and the real world want to "date" her<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2021/12/31/aoc-claims-republicans-are-mad-at-her-because-they-want-to-date-her/ AOC Claims Republicans are Mad at Her Because They Want to Date Her]</ref>),<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/29/elon-musk-hilariously-trolls-aoc-following-her-passive-aggressive-meltdown-on-twitter/ Elon Musk Hilariously Trolls AOC Following Her Passive Aggressive Meltdown on Twitter]</ref> and other prominent liberals with online presences such as [[Joy Reid]], [[Howard Dean]], [[NBC]] "journalist"/hack Ben Collins, [[CNN]] hack [[Brian Stelter]], former Twitter employees Israel Camacho and Laura Gomez and several members of hate group [[Antifa]].<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/meltdown-glorious-democrats-thugs-fascists-react-elon-musk-purchase-twitter-predictable-fury/ THE MELTDOWN IS GLORIOUS: Democrats, Thugs and Fascists React to Elon Musk Purchase of Twitter with Predictable Fury] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Some of the more deranged and immature liberals on Twitter are now calling for Musk to be killed in response to his purchase of the platform.<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/28/liberals-gone-mad-libs-want-to-kill-elon-musk/ Liberals Gone Mad: Libs Want To “Kill Elon Musk”]</ref><br />
<br />
The meltdown got even worse after Musk asserted the Democrat Party was ‘hijacked by extremists'.<br />
And "Palestinian" American liberal MSNBC contributor Dean Obeidallah decided: "It's now 100% clear that Musk is part of the GOP propaganda apparatus."<ref>Gabriel Hays, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/liberals-melt-down-after-musk-claims-democrat-party-hijacked-by-extremists.amp Liberals melt down after Musk claims the Democrat Party was ‘hijacked by extremists'], ''Fox News'', April 29, 2022.<blockquote><br />
[https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/640/320/muskcartoon.png?ve=1&tl=1],<br />
[https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/640/320/muskextreme.png]<br />
<br />
"It's now 100% clear that Musk is part of the GOP propaganda apparatus," tweeted liberal radio host and MSNBC contributor Dean Obeidallah.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
'Stop hitting on me, I'm really shy': Elon Musk accused [[AOC]] of flirting with him when she called him a 'billionaire with an ego problem' and blamed him for an 'explosion of hate crimes' after buying Twitter.<ref>Stephen M. Lepore, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10769311/Elon-Musk-accuses-AOC-FLIRTING-tweet-blaming-explosion-hate-crimes.html 'Stop hitting on me, I'm really shy': Elon Musk accuses AOC of FLIRTING with him when she called him a 'billionaire with an ego problem' and blamed him for an 'explosion of hate crimes' after buying Twitter] ''Dailymail.Com'', 30 Apr 2022.<br />
[https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/04/30/02/57224459-0-image-a-23_1651280832241.jpg]</ref><br />
<br />
===Hypocrisy===<br />
Democrat politicians such as [[Elizabeth Warren]], who were in favor of letting Twitter do as it pleased under liberal ownership and did all it could to run interference for it and protect it and its lawless actions against regulation and sanctions by the Trump administration, did an about-face following the Musk purchase and, out of fearful concern of their crimes and misdeeds being exposed (and especially the return of President Trump to Twitter) now that Musk is restoring free speech to the platform and ending censorship there, suddenly and hypocritically became in favor of regulating Twitter, with Warren in particular advocating for a "wealth tax" and regulation of Big Tech that would specifically target Twitter and conservative social media platforms, claiming that Twitter's purchase by Musk and its subsequent restoration of free speech for conservatives would be "...dangerous for our democracy".<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/26/democrats-twitter-free-speech-elon-musk/ Democrats Are Horrified Now That Twitter Might Actually Allow Free Speech] at the Daily Caller</ref><br />
<br />
===Musk: April-May 2022===<br />
With the Musk takeover, Twitter has begun reinstating conservative accounts that were wrongly suspended under the previous liberal regime for telling the truth about subjects that liberals do not like, such as [[Democrat election fraud]], the contents of [[Hunter Biden]]'s laptop computer and the damage being done by [[COVID vaccine|CCP flu "vaccines"]], as well as locking down changes to the site's source code to prevent vindictive liberal Twitter employees from doing damage to the platform out of childish spite; among those whose accounts were reinstated include [[Tucker Carlson]], the [[Babylon Bee]]<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-locks-product-changes-following-musk-takeover-tucker-carlson-babylon-bee-accounts-reinstated/ Twitter Locks Down Product Changes Following Musk Takeover — Tucker Carlson and Babylon Bee Accounts Reinstated] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> and [[Marjorie Taylor Greene]].<ref>[https://www.westernjournal.com/marjorie-taylor-greens-permanent-suspension-first-tweet-pure-gold/ Marjorie Taylor Greene's 'Permanent' Suspension Is Over - Her First Tweet Is Pure Gold] at the Western Journal</ref> According to Bizpac Review, there is apparently no longer a Twitter board of directors (who may have either been fired or resigned en masse following the Musk takeover), while embittered Twitter employees childishly vented against their new boss, accusing him of "...being a troll and ignorant of Twitter policies" and criticizing his "...inability to monitor toxicity on the platform" ([[liberal projection|both of which said employees and their comrades are guilty of themselves]] by allowing liberals to run wild and do and say as they pleased on Twitter while censoring and silencing conservatives in violation of the First Amendment).<ref>[https://www.bizpacreview.com/2022/04/26/twitter-locks-source-code-to-stop-employees-from-unauthorized-changes-after-musk-takeover-report-1230440/ Twitter locks source code to stop employees from unauthorized changes after Musk takeover, report]</ref> <br />
<br />
It was later reported that high-profile liberals with Twitter accounts (including celebrities and politicians) were losing followers by the thousands (or even tens of thousands) following the Musk takeover as it was discovered that their so-called "followers" were actually [[bot]]s created by liberals (including by liberal Twitter employees<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/26/heres-how-twitter-manipulated-elections-its-way-worse-than-just-shadow-banning/ Here’s How Twitter Manipulated Elections (It’s Way Worse Than Just Shadow Banning)]</ref>) to artificially inflate the number of followers of said high-profile liberals to dishonestly make it appear they had larger followings than they really have; the bots are disappearing at a rapid rate ahead of an expected bot purge to be conducted by Musk to eliminate fake Twitter accounts as part of the restoration of free speech to the platform and the end of liberal attempts to crowd out/diminish/censor/silence opposing voices and viewpoints.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/far-left-idiots-freak-bots-jump-ship-musk-buys-twitter/ Far-Left Idiots Freak Out as Their Bots Jump Ship After Musk Buys Twitter] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> As part of that swing, over 70% of Republican politicians with Twitter accounts reported gaining followers (including Ohio Congressman [[Jim Jordan]], who saw the biggest single gain with 63,735 followers), while out of 270 Democrat politicians on Twitter, 268 lost followers (including [[Nancy Pelosi]] and [[Bernie Sanders]], who lost 14,432 and 21,640 respectively) due to the disappearance of the bot accounts.<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/27/twitter-offers-explanation-for-why-conservatives-are-mysteriously-gaining-followers-does-it-add-up/ Twitter Offers Explanation For Why Conservatives Are Mysteriously Gaining Followers. Does It Add Up?] at the Daily Caller</ref> Following the Musk takeover, [[European Union]] Commissioner of the Internal Market Thierry Breton claimed that the EU would attempt to ban Twitter from operating in Europe through its specious use of regulations, a move which drew praise from [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Barack Obama]].<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/27/elon-there-are-rules-eu-commissioner-warns-of-possible-ban/ ‘Elon, There Are Rules’: EU Commissioner Warns Of Possible Ban] at the Daily Caller</ref><br />
<br />
On April 27, 2022, Musk condemned Twitter censorship of [[NY Post]]’s [[Hunter Biden|Hunter]] laptop story: ‘Obviously incredibly inappropriate.’ Top Twitter executive [[Vijaya Gadde]] was said to be responsible for the decision in 2020.<ref>Gabriel Hays, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/elon-musk-condemns-twitter-censorship-ny-posts-hunter-laptop-story-obviously-incredibly-inappropriate Elon Musk condemns Twitter censorship of NY Post’s Hunter laptop story: ‘Obviously incredibly inappropriate’], ''Fox News'', Apr 27, 2022.<blockquote><br />
Top Twitter executive Vijaya Gadde was said to be responsible for the decision in 2020.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
On May 10, 2022, Musk announced that he was restoring Donald Trump's Twitter account, ending the suspension that had been illegally imposed by its employees during the Jack Dorsey regime following the events of [[J6 Capitol protests|January 6, 2021]].<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/05/reverse-permanent-ban-elon-musk-announces-lift-twitter-ban-president-trump/ “I Would Reverse the Permanent Ban” – Elon Musk Announces He Will Lift Twitter Ban of President Trump, Says It Was a Mistake] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
====On MSNBC's Mehdi Hassan====<br />
After [[Islam]]ic Mehdi Hasan, on [[MSNBC]], used his rhetoric against the GOP and inserted, somehow, the words "neo-Nazis" ... Elon Musk replied: "NBC basically saying Republicans are Nazis …"<ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk Replying to @tomselliott and @mehdirhasan ([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1521181798067224578 May 2, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
NBC basically saying Republicans are Nazis...</blockquote></ref> He slammed NBC over the scandals after host Mehdi Hassan says he’ll hand Twitter ‘to the far right.<ref>Thomas Barrabi, [https://nypost.com/2022/05/03/musk-slams-nbc-after-host-says-hell-hand-twitter-to-the-far-right/ Elon Musk slams NBC over scandals after host says he’ll hand Twitter ‘to the far right’], ''NY Post'', May 3, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
===Miscellaneous===<br />
Just before the sale, B911 asked if it will be still denounced (such as by the left) as a supposed "Russian bot" after 12 years of tweeting.<ref>Breaking911 @Breaking911 Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1518579159865466882 Apr 25, 2022]):<blockquote><br />
QUESTION: After 12 years of reporting, with 958K followers, if @elonmusk buys Twitter, will @Breaking911 finally be verified and no longer called a Russian bot?</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
At [[American Thinker]], it warned:<ref>[https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/04/are_we_being_blindly_optimistic_about_elon_musks_twitter_takeover.html Are we being blindly optimistic about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover?] 4/26/22</ref><blockquote>Do not expect the establishment to surrender; they will not let go without a prolonged dirty war, like the one they are still waging against Trump.</blockquote><br />
<br />
Actor/comedian/commentator Terrence K. Williams tweeted:<ref>Terrence K. Williams @w_terrence Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/w_terrence/status/1518961152356663301 April 26, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
Elon Musk is the first African American to own a large social media platform. He is one of my favorite African Americans and it’s sad to see so many people on the left attacking him during this Historic moment.</blockquote></ref><blockquote><br />
Elon Musk is the first African American to own a large social media platform. He is one of my favorite African Americans and it’s sad to see so many people on the left attacking him during this Historic moment.</blockquote><br />
<br />
In December 2022, Musk suspended the ElonJet account on Twitter, a service that provides the location of Musk's jet in real time.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/technology/suspended-twitter-account-tracking-elon-musks-jet-moves-rival-metas-threads-2023-07-08/</ref><br />
<br />
On February 9, 2023, Twitter ended free access to its API, causing third-party apps to stop functioning and criticism from users.<ref>https://fortune.com/2023/02/10/elon-musk-twitter-charging-money-api-research-tool-scientist-explains-damage/</ref><br />
<br />
==Censorship==<br />
<br />
===Russia-Ukraine war===<br />
{{See also|Ukraine propaganda war}}<br />
<br />
Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia published a landmark paper on August 20, 2022 on the activities of bot accounts on Twitter related to the conflict in Ukraine. The Australian findings were staggering – of 5.2 million tweets on the [[social media]] network from February 23 to March 8, 2022 at the outbreak of the conflict, between 60 to 80% were shared by fake accounts.<ref>https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.07038.pdf</ref><br />
[[File:Twitter censorship.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Twitter censorship of the Russia-Ukraine war.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/10/twitter-removes-russian-embassy-tweet-on-mariupol-bombing</ref>]]<br />
Elon Musk offered the services of his Starlink to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for free. In October 2022 Musk posted a peace proposal on Twitter that read:<br />
{{quotebox-float|Ukraine-Russia Peace:<br />
<br />
- Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.<br />
<br />
- Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until [[Khrushchev]]’s mistake).<br />
<br />
- Water supply to Crimea assured.<br />
<br />
- Ukraine remains neutral.}}<br />
Ukrainian Ambassador [[Andrij Melnyk]] responded:<br />
[[File:Musk barlett.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Wikipedia Ukronazibots slander Eva K Bartlett after she alerted Musk to the existence of the Ukrainian Nazi kill list.]]<br />
{{quotebox-float|No Ukrainian will EVER buy your f***ing tesla crap. F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk}}<br />
Musk then announced it was costing him $20 million a month to provide the Starlink service and cut it off, saying either [[NATO]], the [[Pentagon]], or [[Zelensky regime]] should pick up the cost. Musk was immediately added to the [[Ukrainian Nazi]] [[Myrotvorets|kill list]]. However, Musk's aerospace deals with the Pentagon are quite lucrative, the service was restored, and his name removed from the kill list.<br />
<br />
Musk evidentially wasn't aware of the kill list until Canadian journalist [[Eva K Bartlett]] alerted him to it via Twitter, and Musk asked her for a url. [[Wikipedia]] Ukrinazibots immediately set upon Bartlett. Bartlett had been reporting on the kill list since 2019, when her name was added. Bartlett said in September 2022, "Returning to the issue of [[Myrotvorets]] [the so-called "Peacemaker" kill list), it’s absolutely appalling that a database like this exists, openly calling for the murders of people like myself, yourselves, 327 children, simply because we are speaking about [[Ukraine]]’s [[war crimes]] and we’re speaking about the [[corruption]] within Ukraine. This list presents a very real threat to Ukrainians themselves, not only to [[journalist]]s and to people who are speaking out, but to Ukrainians within Ukraine proper. Many of these Ukrainians have already been disappeared or killed."<ref>https://kurtnimmo.substack.com/p/elon-and-the-nazis</ref><br />
<br />
==History==<br />
{{See also|Twitter under Dorsey and Agrawal}}<br />
[[File:Jack Dorsey Taliban.PNG|right|200px|thumb|Jack Dorsey refused to ban the [[Taliban]] terrorist organization from Twitter.]]<br />
Dick Costolo became CEO in 2010. He was formerly a [[Google]] executive.<ref name=wsj>{{cite news|title=Beyond Tech Geeks and Narcisssists: Twitter Aims to Boost Site's Utility|work=Wall Street Journal|first=Shira|last=Ovide|date=July 24, 2012|page=B1}}</ref><br />
<br />
In a July 2012 interview with the ''Wall Street Journal'' Twitter's CEO explained his future plans. The paper noted, "Twitter executives still fight a perception that the service is only for tech geeks or narcissists, and there remain doubts about how big the San Francisco company can grow."<ref name=wsj/> Twitter wants to encourage users to communicate about particular events while they happen. Twitter plans to encourage independent application developers to use Twitter as a platform. It hopes to add tools to allow companies to analyze messages that discuss particular companies and events.<ref name=wsj/><br />
<br />
===Prominence===<br />
In its early days Republicans were more adept at utilizing Twitter than Democrats. Republicans occupied 18 of the top 20 spots in terms of followers for politicians on Twitter as of January 2010.<ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/lachlan-markay/2010/01/14/study-twitter-republicans-dominate-dems Study: On Twitter, Republicans Dominate Dems, NewsBusters.org, January 14, 2010]</ref> The study, "Twongress: The Power of Twitter in Congress,"<ref>[http://www.eyeonfda.com/files/twongress-white-paper-final-1-14-10.pdf Twongress: The Power of Twitter in Congress (PDF), Eyeonfda.com, January 2010]</ref> showed twice as many Republicans use Twitter even though there were far fewer Republicans in Congress at the time. ''"Republican (members of Congress) are outpacing their Democratic rivals in nearly every single category that was measured"'' <ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/15/republicans-gain-twitter-edge-democrats-study/ Republicans Gain the Twitter Edge on Democrats, Study Shows, Fox News, January 15, 2010]</ref> This has ushered a markedly different trend for Republicans, who for years have been outmatched by Democrats online.<br />
<br />
===Usage===<br />
<br />
Per 2011 figures, they are a fast growing company with over 200 million registered users worldwide, with an average of 65 million tweets daily.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703716904576134543029279426-lMyQjAxMTAxMDAwOTEwNDkyWj.html Twitter as Tech Bubble Barometer, Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2011]</ref> As of 2009, the major search engines integrated tweets into the search results. Twitter achieved its first profits by signing search engine contracts with Google and [[Bing]].<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc20091220_549879.htm Content-Search Deals Make Twitter Profitable, BusinessWeek, December 21, 2009]</ref> The company has an enormous market capitalization of 10-15 billion dollars. Twitter has rejected takeover offers worth hundreds of millions of dollars from [[Google]] and [[Facebook]]. <br />
<br />
Many celebrities, national sports figures and members of [[Congress]]<ref>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Members_of_Congress_who_Twitter Members of Congress who Twitter] Source Watch Encyclopedia</ref> have verified Twitter accounts and anybody can follow their posts.<br />
<br />
The site became such a popular destination that new news articles about Twitter appeared daily. In fact, one tweet by Daniel Knight Hayden, 52, which stated that he would massacre hundreds attending an Oklahoma City [[Tax Day Tea Party]] led to him being arrested by the FBI.<ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10227769-93.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0 FBI accuses Twitter user of massacre threats] CNet, April 26, 2009</ref> Tweets of popular celebrities and politicians have also been commented on in the [[mainstream media]].<br />
[[File:Pompeo Tweet.PNG|right|350px|thumb|On the night of January 8, 2021, during the purge of conservative voices by Big Tech on social media, U.S. Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]] posted this tweet.<ref>https://therightscoop.com/unreal-pompeo-makes-stunning-reveal-of-overnight-tech-purge-changes-on-twitter/</ref>]]<br />
Under liberal control (before Oct 2022), Twitter allowed graphic images of [[child pornography]] and [[child sex trade|child sex trafficking]] on its platform.<ref>https://nypost.com/2021/01/21/twitter-sued-for-allegedly-refusing-to-remove-child-porn/</ref><br />
<br />
===Conservatives on Twitter===<br />
Conservatives dominated on Twitter prior to shaddowbanning.<ref>[http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/07/22/conservatives-won-2010-twitter-battle/27982.html Conservatives Won 2010 Twitter Battle, PsychCentral, July 22, 2011]</ref> Some observers claim that liberals, who use wordy statements, have a hard time explaining themselves in 140 characters but it is to a conservative's advantage to articulate short and concise messages. Conservative words and phrases constantly make the top trending hashtags. As such, [[liberal tools]] are employed such as false flagging an account in large numbers.<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/article/report-angry-liberals-abusing-twitter-features-to-silence-conservatives, Report: Angry liberals abusing Twitter features to silence conservatives, Examiner.com, April 30, 2012]{{dead link}}</ref><ref>[http://www.stumpreport.com/990911-twitter-bans-another-conservative-account Twitter Bans Conservative Account, The Stump Report, August 10, 2011]</ref> This results in the banning of popular conservatives, commonly referred to as Twitter's Gulag. <br />
<br />
Conservative dominance was especially troubling for the campaign of Barack Obama. The Obama campaign loved to take full advantage of social networking to get their message out to the masses. Nearly every time Team Obama promoted a hashtag, such as #dontdoublemyrate, conservatives would hijack the message.<ref>[https://www.theblaze.com/stories/gen44-conservatives-usurp-obamas-twitter-hashtag-again/ #GEN44: CONSERVATIVES USURP OBAMA’S TWITTER HASHTAG…AGAIN, The Blaze, March 25, 2012]</ref> A quick search would result in thousands of satirical responding tweets drowning out the Obama campaign's message with mockery.<br />
<br />
Twitter's then-head Jack Dorsey admitted that his company was "left-leaning."<ref>Kirkwood, R. Cort (August 20, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/29829-twitter-admits-leaning-left-denies-censoring-conservatives Twitter Admits Leaning Left; Denies Censoring Conservatives]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 25, 2018.</ref><br />
<br />
Notably, Twitter banned conservative [[James Woods]] for a mild comment in relation to the extreme unpunished statements made frequently by leftists.<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Wulfsohn, Joseph A. (May 4, 2019). [https://www.lifezette.com/2019/05/conservative-james-woods-locked-out-of-twitter-other-figures-banned-by-facebook/ Conservative James Woods Locked Out of Twitter, Other Figures Banned by Facebook]. ''LifeZette''. Retrieved May 4, 2019.<br />
*Caruso, Justin (May 3, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/05/03/james-woods-banned-from-twitter-amid-silicon-valleys-conservative-blacklisting-campaign/ James Woods Banned from Twitter Amid Silicon Valley’s Conservative Blacklisting Campaign]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 4, 2019.</ref> The site blocked numerous other conservative figures.<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Morton, Victor (May 7, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/7/david-horowitz-twitter-account-suspended/ Twitter suspends conservative activist David Horowitz]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.<br />
*Ernst, Douglas (May 7, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/7/jack-posobiec-magaphobia-twitter-account-for-track/ Twitter suspends Jack Posobiec's @MAGAphobia account for tracking violence against Trump supporters]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
===Misleading investors===<br />
In September 2021 Twitter disclosed a binding agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit, under which the social network wOULD pay $809.5 million to resolve claims it provided misleading user-engagement info to investors.<br />
<br />
The original lawsuit, filed in 2016 by a Twitter shareholder, alleged Dorsey and others including former CEO Dick Costolo and board member Evan Williams hid facts about Twitter’s slowing user growth while they sold their personal stock holdings “for hundreds of millions of dollars in insider profits.”<ref>https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/twitter-investor-lawsuit-settlement-payment-jack-dorsey-1235068982/</ref><br />
<br />
===Twitter executives hate speech===<br />
[[File:Twitter-employee-tweet.jpg|left|300px|thumb|A Twitter engineer tweet three days after President Trump's first inauguration.]]<br />
{{See also|Liberal bias}}<br />
Under liberal ownership, Twitter’s corrupt senior executives and other employees have a long history of anti-Trump [[hatred]], a ''[[New York Post]]'' review of dozens of accounts of top employees found.<ref>https://nypost.com/2020/10/17/twitter-employees-reveal-deep-hatred-for-trump/</ref> The venom, vitriol and, in some cases, vows to help Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election while said employees behave like emotionally-stunted preschool children online was enabled and encouraged by Jack Dorsey himself.<br />
<br />
“GET HIM OUT,” posted a senior site reliability engineer on August 18, 2020 “What a f---king baboon.” One manager with nine years on the job said he was quite keen to watch Biden “crush [Trump] in the election” and that he hoped the President would “be utterly humiliated while also suffering greatly from [[Covid 19|#COVID19]].” He vulgarly and immaturely called Trump “a f---king idiot” and the voters who elected him — “hysterically f–--king [[stupid]] people.” Others publicly wished the President harm. One Twitter engineering manager, displaying his own [[childishness]], said Trump should “die in a fire” in a January 2017 tweet. A year later, he rang in the new year by falsely claiming “Happy 2018! Donald Trump is dead!”<br />
<br />
None of these comments were ever flagged by Twitter or been subject to any other form of official sanction, even as the social-media giant unjustly dished out discipline to others for sharing legitimate news stories about Joe Biden. After a fly landed on Vice President [[Mike Pence]]’s head during his debate with Sen. [[Kamala Harris]], the Twitter vice president noted crudely that flies are “drawn to sh-t.”<br />
<br />
Spreading misinformation, lies and libel about the Trump family was common. A senior staff engineer inquired why the media wasn’t looking into [[Melania Trump]]’s “possible stint as a sex worker.” The First Lady denied this allegation and successfully sued over it. Twitter’s “head of integrity” [[Yoel Roth]], who helped author the policy update used by the company to flag and label posts from President Trump, compared [[White House]] officials to "[[Nazi]]s" and Trump to a “racist tangerine.”<br />
<br />
===Racist administrators===<br />
[[File:Tarrio-600x352.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Racist Twitter Admins permanently banned a Black Cuban GOP congressional candidate.]]<br />
[[Racist]] Twitter administrators banned a pro-Trump [[African American|Afro]]-[[Cuba]]n [[GOP]] congressional candidate. Enrique Tarrio was permanently suspended by the digital platform without reason.<ref>https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/11/afro-cuban-gop-candidate-for-congress-banned-from-twitter/</ref><br />
Tarrio said in a statement,<br />
{{quotebox-float|[[Big-tech]] has proven once again cannot be trusted with [[election]]s. The seat I am running for is extremely winnable. I am the front-runner in the GOP primary and they are clearly trying to silence our campaign in favor of [[Never Trumper]]s.<br />
<br />
The mountain we have to climb to get through this primary and then defeat our [[Democrat]] opponent in the general election is made that much more difficult. Regardless, I will not relent and I will make sure we remained focused on implementing the America First agenda.”}}<br />
<br />
===CCP propaganda and covid coverup===<br />
{{See also|CCP propaganda war|Covid coverup}}<br />
<br />
In 2019, leading up to the 30th anniversary of the [[Tiananmen Square massacre]], Twitter suspended multiple accounts critical of China's Communist regime.<ref>Zeng, Jennifer (June 1, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/twitter-suspends-accounts-critical-of-chinese-regime-days-before-tiananmen-anniversary_2947359.html Twitter Suspends Accounts Critical of Chinese Regime Days Before Tiananmen Anniversary]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved June 2, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*Klar, Rebecca (June 2, 2019). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/446534-twitter-apologizes-for-blocking-accounts-ahead-of-tiananmen-square-anniversary Twitter apologizes for blocking accounts ahead of Tiananmen Square anniversary]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved June 2, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
In December 2021, [[Alex Berenson]], a former science writer for the ''New York Times'', filed a lawsuit against Twitter after he was suspended for posting the results of [[Pfizer COVID vaccine]] clinical tests.<ref>https://jonathanturley.org/2021/07/31/twitter-suspends-science-writer-after-he-posts-results-of-pfizer-clinical-test/</ref><br />
<br />
Dr. [[Robert Malone]] is the inventor of the nine original mRNA vaccine patents, which were originally filed in 1989, including both the idea of mRNA vaccines and the original proof of principle experiments, and RNA transfection. Dr. Robert Malone has close to 100 peer-reviewed publications which have been cited over 12,000 times.<br />
<br />
Since the [[CCP pandemic]] outbreak in January 2020, Dr. Malone has been lead a large team focused on clinical research design, drug development, computer modeling and mechanisms of action of repurposed drugs for the treatment of [[COVID-19]].<br />
<br />
Dr. Malone is the Medical Director of The Unity Project, a group of 300 organizations across the United States standing against mandated Covid vaccines for children. Dr. Malone is also the President of the Global Covid Summit, an organization of over 16,000 doctors and scientists committed to speaking truth to power about Covid pandemic research and treatment.<br />
<br />
In December 2021, Dr. Malone was banned for life by Twitter.<br />
<br />
===Antifa riots===<br />
{{see also|2020 Antifa riots}}<br />
Twitter facilitated communications between [[leftwing]] [[terrorist]]s during the [[2020 Antifa riots]] and blocked or restricted tweets in support of restoring law and order and protecting innocent lives.<br />
<br />
In 2020, Twitter was listed as one of numerous leftist-controlled companies that went "[[woke]]" and began supporting the criminal rioters of [[Antifa]] and [[Black Lives Matter]] in the wake of the [[2020 leftist riots]].<ref>[https://gab.com/a/posts/104311289660016704 Here Are The Companies That Support Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and Want You Dead] at Gab.com</ref><br />
<br />
===2020 Presidential election interference===<br />
{{See also|2020 Presidential election}}<br />
Twitter imposed new [[draco]]ian censorship measures aimed at [[conservative]] users in October 2020.<ref>https://markzuckerberg.news/2020-09-30-doj-targets-big-tech-censorship-election-meddling-racketeering.html</ref> One example is labeling criticism of mail-in balloting as ‘misinformation’. [[James Woods]] commented the new labeling is clear:<br />
{{quotebox-float|“They are closing down conservative voices completely now. Be prepared that you will no longer be able to see most of my communications, if indeed my account remains open at all. Sorry, folks, but it’s over. And they couldn’t care less what you think. This is the face of [[tyranny]].”<ref>https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/10/12/twitters-new-policy-sparks-sad-warning-from-james-woods-sorry-folks-but-its-over-983577</ref>}}<br />
For the first time in [[American history]] social media companies took [[direct action]] against a major U.S. publisher,<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/twitter-and-facebooks-assault-on-freedom-of-the-press_3540670.html</ref> ''[[The New York Post]]'' when it published a story on [[Biden-Burisma]] scandal.<ref>*https://nypost.com/2020/10/14/email-reveals-how-hunter-biden-introduced-ukrainian-biz-man-to-dad/<br>*https://youtu.be/r4Kcc7a114I<br>*https://youtu.be/89ByR-vrnc4</ref> ''The Post'' is among the top five newspapers by circulation in the United States. Twitter locked the account of the ''New York Post'', banning the paper from posting any content at all. ''The Post's'' remained locked out of its account for 16 days. account remained locked.<ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/political/twitter-capitulates-reinstates-nypost-account-after-16-day-suspension</ref> These actions raised serious questions about many social media platforms future [[Section 230]] immunity status.<br />
<br />
Twitter and Facebook interfered in the [[2020 presidential election]] by blocking links to the article.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/14/election-interference-facebook-suppressing-new-york-post-bombshell-story-of-damaging-hunter-biden-emails/</ref><ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/10/14/bookmark-todays-date-big-tech-has-crossed-the-event-horizon-to-protect-joe-biden/</ref> Twitter and Facebook both had many foreign stockholders.<ref>"Finalized January of 2011, the transaction included a $450 million investment from Goldman Sachs, $50 million from DST, and $1 billion from unnamed foreign investors." http://whoownsfacebook.com/#Goldman<br>*https://qz.com/519388/this-saudi-prince-now-owns-more-of-twitter-than-jack-dorsey-does/</ref> Twitter banned people who posted ''The New York Post'' story,<ref>https://www.wnd.com/2020/10/twitter-now-banning-users-posting-ny-post-story-hunter-biden/</ref> including [[White House]] Press Secretary [[Kayleigh McEnany]] for sharing the article,<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/15/twitter-bans-white-house-press-secretary-for-sharing-hunter-and-joe-biden-corruption-article/</ref> locked the Trump Campaign account less than 3 weeks before the 2020 Presidential election.<ref>https://creativedestructionmedia.com/news/politics/2020/10/15/twitter-locks-trump-campaign-account-less-than-3-weeks-before-presidential-election/</ref> Rep. Jim Jordan posted the Biden-Burisma story on a federal government website after Twitter censored the House Judiciary GOP, at which point the link was promptly censored by Twitter.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/jim-jordan-posts-hunter-biden-burisma-story-twitter-censors-house-judiciary-gop/</ref> [[Wikipedia]] editors censored the [[Hunter Biden]] bombshell, and called the ''New York Post'' an ‘unreliable’ source.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/wikipedia-editors-censor-hunter-biden-bombshell-call-new-york-post-unreliable-source/</ref> [[Google]] also was reported to be meddling in [[U.S. Senate]] elections.<ref>https://patriotdailypress.org/2020/10/13/google-researcher-warns-google-may-be-shifting-power-to-flip-senate/</ref> The [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] announced that Twitter CEO [[Jack Dorsey]] would be [[subpoena]]ed to explain the meddling.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/senate-judiciary-committee-will-subpoena-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-over-ny-post-censorship/</ref> Former [[James Comey]] general counsel [[James A. Baker (DOJ)]], who was complicit in the [[Obamagate timeline|Obamagate]] and [[FISA abuse]] scandals, is Twitter's lead counsel.<ref>https://nypost.com/2020/06/16/twitter-hires-former-fbi-chief-counsel-as-deputy-lawyer/</ref> The [[RNC]] made a formal complaint to the [[Federal Elections Commission]] which reads in part,<br />
{{quotebox-float|"Respondent’s feud with President Trump is well known, as are its frequent efforts to censor the President’s tweets and the “shadow banning” of prominent Republicans, including RNC’s Chair, [[Ronna McDaniel]], and several Republican Members of Congress. Respondent’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, and other senior executives are prolific donors to the Democrat party and other left-wing causes, with 98.7% of the company’s total political contributions going to Democrats. In addition, there appears to be a revolving door between the Biden campaign and the company, with Respondent’s Public Policy Director recently leaving to join the Biden transition team and [[Senator Kamala Harris]]’s former Press Secretary now serving as Respondent’s Senior Communications Manager."<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/480341244/RNC-Complaint-Against-Twitter-Inc-Web#from_embed</ref>}}<br />
Twitter failed to act on a viral message posted on its platform containing a doctored image purporting to be a text message between [[Rudy Giuliani]] and [[Ivanka Trump]].<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/21/twitter-allows-rachel-maddow-and-an-army-of-leftists-to-spread-rudy-giuliani-misinformation/</ref> The ''New York Post'', [[Gateway Pundit]]'', and Big League Politics all were placed on Twitter's suspension hit list the final week before election day.<ref>https://bigleaguepolitics.com/big-league-politics-gateway-pundit-new-york-post-among-news-outlets-placed-on-twitter-suspension-weeks-before-election/</ref><br />
<br />
====Laptop from Hell====<br />
{{See also|Laptop from Hell}}<br />
Twitter justified blocking the ''New York Post's'' scoop on the Biden Burisma scandal claiming it violated Twitter's "Hacked Material Policy." The policy “prohibits the use of our service to distribute content obtained without authorization” because, they said, they “don’t want to incentivize hacking by allowing Twitter to be used as distribution for possibly illegally obtained materials.” That standard would result in the banning from the platform the ''[[Pentagon Papers]]'' which ultimately toppled [[Richard Nixon]], the [[Snowden]] reporting, the [[Panama Papers]], the [[DNC]] and [[John Podesta|Podesta emails]] that exposed corruption and forced the 2016 resignation of the top five officials of the [[Democratic National Committee]], and President Trump's tax returns.<br />
<br />
====Violations of Section 230====<br />
{{see also|Social media censorship}}<br />
<br />
In May 2020, Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey came under heavy criticism for the company's recent decision to begin inserting "[[fact-checking]]" links into the tweets made by President Trump, with the company claiming those tweets to be "misleading" despite the exposure by [[Project Veritas]] of Democrat-led [[voter fraud]] proving otherwise,<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/10/18/commit-voter-fraud-massive-scale-part-ii-project-veritas-investigation-clinton-network/ "How to Commit Voter Fraud on a Massive Scale": Part II of Project Veritas Investigation into Clinton Network] at Breitbart News Network</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDc8PVCvfKs Rigging the Election - Video II: Mass Voter Fraud] at Project Veritas Action YouTube channel</ref> after Trump tweeted about recent concerns over the intent by the Democrat Party to commit voter fraud at the federal, state and local levels through the use of mail-in ballots during the [[2020 Presidential election]].<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/leave-our-employees-out-of-this-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-responds-to-trump-broadside 'Leave our employees out of this': Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey responds to Trump broadside] at the Washington Examiner</ref> The "fact-checking" links in question lead to an "information" page containing links from liberal media outlets such as [[CNN]], [[MSNBC]], the ''[[New York Times]]'' and the ''[[Washington Post]]'', all of which indulge in publishing factually-devoid and misleading [[fake news]] hit pieces and opinion pieces masquerading as "news" regarding the mail-in vote scandal<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/05/twitter-falsely-undermined-truth-thereby-misleading-american-public-senior-legal-adviser-trump-campaign-responds-twitters-blatantly-partisan-attack-president/ "Twitter Falsely Undermined the Truth... Thereby Misleading the American Public" – Senior Legal Adviser to @TeamTrump Responds to Twitter’s "Blatantly Partisan" Attack on President] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> to fit their anti-Trump narratives.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/twitter-slaps-fact-checking-alert-to-trump-tweets Twitter slaps fact-checking alert on Trump tweets] at the Washington Examiner</ref> This decision also had the inadvertent outcome of embarrassing Twitter employee Yoel Roth, who was outed as having falsely accused Trump officials, including Presidential counselor [[Kellyanne Conway]], of being "Nazis" in past tweets he posted.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/twitters-chief-fact-checker-called-trump-officials-nazis/ Twitter's chief "fact-checker" called Trump officials "Nazis"] at WorldNetDaily</ref> Trump, who accused Twitter of openly trying to interfere with free elections and illegally impeding free speech, responded to Twitter's tampering with his tweets by announcing that he may place Twitter and similar social media companies under heavy regulation or shut them down altogether to punish them for their extreme liberal bias and illegal censorship (in violation of the [[First Amendment]]) of conservative speech and thought.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/close-them-down-trump-threatens-to-regulate-or-shutter-social-media-platforms-after-twitter-fact-check 'Close them down': Trump threatens to regulate or shutter social media platforms after Twitter fact-check] at the Washington Examiner</ref> Republican Florida senator [[Marco Rubio]] also weighed in on the controversy, saying that Twitter could lose its liability protections for choosing to act as a publisher by exercising editorial control through its tampering with Trump's tweets.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rubio-warns-twitter-after-it-puts-fact-check-label-on-trump-tweet Rubio warns Twitter after it puts fact-check label on Trump tweet] at the Washington Examiner</ref><ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/u-s-senator-warns-twitter-lose-shield-liability/ U.S. senator warns Twitter could lose shield from liability] at WorldNetDaily</ref> <br />
<br />
Twitter's illegal actions led directly to Trump signing an Executive Order on May 28, 2020 with the intent of bringing Twitter, Facebook, Google (and its YouTube subsidiary) and other leftist-controlled social media companies to heel with a new policy on the conduct of those companies and putting an end to both their illegal censorship and silencing of conservatives and their liberal bias in allowing violent leftists to basically have the run of those sites without consequence or responsibility.<ref>[https://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2020/05/29/accountability/news-media/social-media-meet-their-match/ Social media meet their match] at Conservative News and Views</ref> Predictably, Twitter and Facebook reacted negatively toward the Trump Executive Order, with Twitter accusing the order of being "a reactionary and politicized approach to a landmark law (Section 230(c) of the Communications Decency Act)" and claiming, without evidence, that "Attempts to unilaterally erode (Section 230(c)) threaten the future of online speech and Internet freedoms" while ignoring that, under the [[Obama regime]], Section 230(c) had been perverted and used by liberals in public office to impose acceptance of liberal agendas such as [[abortion on demand]], [[gender confusion]], "[[climate change]]", unfair taxation of wealth and the [[homosexual agenda]] on the American public and to themselves threaten online speech and Internet freedoms by ordering Twitter and other social media companies to illegally censor, silence, persecute and punish dissenting voices who disagreed with and opposed the imposition of those agendas. President Trump responded to Twitter's irresponsible actions with a strong rebuke directed at the company in a tweet on his Twitter account:<br />
{{quotebox|Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & [[CCP propaganda war|propaganda being put out by China]] or the Radical Left Democrat Party. They have targeted Republicans, Conservatives & the President of the United States. [[Section 230]] should be revoked by Congress. Until then, it will be regulated!<ref>https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266326065833824257</ref>}}<br />
Despite the Trump Executive Order, however, Twitter and its employees continued to openly defy the President and engage in illegal censorship and lawless behavior by hiding visibility of the content of two tweets by Trump (and later, taking things even further by illegally deleting recent Trump tweets entirely<ref>[https://nationalfile.com/breaking-twitter-censors-trump-by-completely-removing-his-tweet-for-first-time/ BREAKING: Twitter Censors Trump By Completely Removing His Tweet For First Time]</ref>) while hypocritically continuing to allow openly violent leftist tweets to remain intact,<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/twitter-censors-trump-countless-violent-tweets-remain-active/ Twitter censors Trump while countless violent tweets remain active] at WorldNetDaily<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/05/29/twitter-hides-trump-minneapolis-tweet-accuses-him-glorifying-violence/ Twitter Censors Trump Minneapolis Tweet, Accuses Him of "Glorifying Violence"] at Breitbart News Network<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/06/23/twitter-censors-president-trump-again-over-warning-to-lawless-agitators/ Twitter Censors President Trump (Again) over Warning to Lawless Agitators] at Breitbart News Network</ref> even allowing criminal looters and rioters to use the site to openly coordinate their criminal behavior while their supporters advised them of looting targets<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/05/31/twitter-allows-looters-to-coordinate-criminal-behavior-while-it-declares-blacklivesmatter/ Twitter Allows Looters to Coordinate Criminal Behavior While It Declares ‘#BlackLivesMatter’]</ref> and while Twitter did nothing to stop them despite numerous reports against those tweets, which left Twitter and its employees, including Jack Dorsey himself, open to criminal, civil and regulatory liability for their defiant and irresponsible actions.<br />
<br />
Rep. [[Matt Gaetz]] filed a complaint with the [[Federal Election Commission]] alleging election meddling in the [[2020 presidential election]]. The complaint reads, <br />
{{quotebox|Twitter has taken upon itself to free ride on one of the President’s Tweets as a campaigning activity. The social media platform is overstepping boundaries and setting aside its privileged role as a mere ‘interactive computer service,’ and instead acting as a ‘shadow contributor’ to the [[Democratic National Committee]]. By trespassing its role as a [Section] 230 protected forum, Twitter has acted as a campaign contributor, and not as a mere interactive computer service.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2020/05/29/matt-gaetz-shadow-contributor-twitter-democrats-fec-complaint-fact-check/</ref>}}<br />
A study from the [[Media Research Center]] showed that Twitter and Facebook censored President Donald Trump and the president’s affiliated campaign accounts at least 65 times in 2019 and 2020, while leaving Biden untouched.<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/19/new-study-shows-facebook-and-twitter-censored-trump-65-times-biden-zero/</ref><br />
<br />
====Potential revocation of non-publisher immunity====<br />
On May 15, 2021, federal judge Mark L. Wolf announced that he would hold a hearing on May 20 and ordered Twitter executives to appear at the hearing to make Twitter explain whether it is a truly private company or is acting on behalf of the State to illegally censor conservative voices.<ref name="Speech Police">[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/05/federal-judge-signals-may-end-twitters-immunity-speech-police-worried/ HUGE BREAKING NEWS: Federal Judge Signals He May END Twitter’s Immunity in Dr. Shiva Case – Speech Police in Panic — Watch Hearing Live on May 20] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> The hearing comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed against Twitter by Dr. [[Shiva Ayyadurai]], who ran as the Republican candidate for the US Senate in Massachusetts in the [[2020 presidential election]] and whose tweets pointing out [[Democrat election fraud]] were censored by Twitter; it was later discovered that the tweets were deleted on orders from employees of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, leading Ayyadurai to file the suit, pointing out that his First Amendment rights were violated when the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts government silenced him to affect an election. By quoting the connected cases of ''Manhattan Cmty. Access Corp. v. Halleck''<ref>[https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/587/17-1702/ Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck]</ref> and ''Blum v. Yaretsky''<ref>[https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/457/991/ Blum v. Yaretsky]</ref> in the upcoming hearing, this could have spelled the end of Section 230 immunity protections for Twitter and other liberal Big Tech companies (which has given Big Tech immunity from lawsuits, but has allowed them to abuse that immunity at will through its illegal censorship of conservative voices and factual information while allowing liberal views (including violent posts, liberal hate speech and even death threats) and [[fake news]] from the [[liberal media]] free reign, as well as allowing liberal politicians to use Big Tech as a conduit to silence political opponents via special portals offered to government officials, which they then use to flag and delete any content they do not like). The Gateway Pundit pointed out in its report on this story:<br />
{{cquote|Dr. Ayyadurai is claiming that the Constitution trumps CDA 230 and the government cannot outsource to private actors to silence people’s speech they disagree with, and that the government and Twitter are acting together as one: that Twitter is essentially a state actor.<ref name="Speech Police"/>}}<br />
<br />
===President Trump banned===<br />
[[President Donald Trump]] brought even more attention to the social networking site, and drew both more conservatives and critics. He was well-known for his plentiful, blunt, and oft humorous tweets, and made it a regular practice to communicate with the public using Twitter, even before his political career. He became quite popular on Twitter, with over 26 million followers. He became so popular, in fact, that searching just the letter "r", the fist letter of his username,"@realDonaldTrump" returned him as the first search suggestion. He was illegally banned from Twitter on January 6th, 2021, after the mostly peaceful Capitol building protests.<br />
<br />
In the case of ''Trump v. Twitter'', filed in July 2021, attorneys for President Trump argued,<br />
[[File:Twitter content moderator.PNG|right|300px|thumb|A Twitter content moderator in the Dorsey/Argawal era.<ref>https://www.bitchute.com/video/khMrHq8lbECT/</ref>]]<br />
{{quotebox-float|"[The companies have] unprecedented power over the content of public discourse to censor constitutionally protected speech with impunity, resulting in a grave threat to the freedom of expression and to democracy itself."<ref>https://www.courthousenews.com/trump-sues-tech-giants-for-booting-him-from-their-sites/</ref>}}<br />
<br />
===Transgenderism and misogyny===<br />
Under liberal control, Twitter was used as a prominent platform used by [[transgender]] extremists and [[misogynist]]s for the promotion of [[discrimination]] against women, particularly in the area of girls' and women's athletic competition.<br />
<br />
===Iranian protesters===<br />
Iranian protesters angered by the results of [[Iran]]'s disputed presidential election started to tweet marches on the government. This forced the oppressive Islamic Republic dictatorship block all cell phone messaging in June 2009, as tweets can also be submitted via text message. At the request of the U.S. State Department, Twitter delayed scheduled maintenance to allow tweets from Iranians.<br />
<br />
In a separate incident, a group calling itself "Iranian Cyber Army", hacked into Twitter and defaced their homepage. They replaced the page with a bold pro-Iranian and anti-American message.<ref>[http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/18/twitter-dns-attack-iran/ Twitter Hack: Part Of Broader Iranian Strategy, Techcrunch.com, December 18, 2009]</ref><br />
<br />
===Loss of immunity in India===<br />
Twitter lost its immunity as an intermediary in [[India]] and became exposed to legal liability for any content published on its platform in June 2021.<ref>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/twitter-loses-legal-shield-in-india-for-3rd-party-content/articleshow/83556056.cms</ref> Twitter's snubbing of Indian law has been described as "neo-colonialist."<br />
<br />
===Agrawal regime===<br />
[[File:Agrawai_tweet.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Parag Agrawal - New chief at Twitter in 2021<ref>Alexander Hall, [https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/free-speech/alexander-hall/2021/11/29/bad-worse-conservatives-slam-incoming-leftist-twitter From Bad to Worse! Conservatives SLAM Incoming Leftist Twitter CEO], News Busters, Nov 29, 2021</ref>]] <br />
Dorsey eventually resigned from running the site, although his replacement was even more radical than him. Parag Agrawal was considered even a greater totalitarian fascist than Dorsey. Agrawal clearly stated that he was against the First Amendment and against freedom of speech.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaJvT1c4XGE Parag Agrawal, Twitter's CEO, is SICK of All These Uncensored Opinions! | Louder With Crowder]</ref><br />
<br />
Agrawal was the first to be fired on the first day Elon Musk began attempting to salvage the project and started cleaning house.<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
* [[Truth Social]] (by [[Trump]])<br />
*[[Gab]] (conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter)<br />
* [[Tweet]]<br />
* [[Social media]]<br />
* [[Facebook]]<br />
* [[MySpace]]<br />
* [[Google Plus]]<br />
* [[Donald Trump and social media]]<br />
* [[Voter suppression]]<br />
* [[Biden Putsch]]<br />
* [[2020 Election fraud timeline]]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
*[http://www.twitter.com Twitter Home Page]<br />
*[http://twitchy.com Twitchy.com: compiler of hilarious conservative and numskull liberal tweets]<br />
*[http://www.twulitzerprize.com/ Twulitzerprize.com; Daily best, worst, obvious tweets]<br />
*[https://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3955253&referralPlaylistId=playlist Video - Social Networking - Twitter can get you fired], ''Fox News'', March 24, 2009<br />
*[https://lauraloomer.us/2019/08/27/exclusive-the-roots-of-twitters-shadowbanning-operation/#.XWaPQZNKjUI The Roots of Twitter’s Shadowbanning Operation], lauraloomer.us<br />
*[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10075487-83.html?tag=mncol;txt U.S. Army warns of twittering terrorists]<br />
*[http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10439573-36.html Astronaut sends first live tweets from space]<br />
*[https://twitter.com/almightygod The Twitter account of Almighty God]<br />
*[https://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room Congressional Twitter accounts]<br />
*[https://youtu.be/msYRT21FYoQ Elon Musk Buying Twitter: Why It's a Bigger Battle Than You Think], The New Atlas, Apr 17, 2022.<br />
[[Category:Online Social Networking]]<br />
[[Category:Websites]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=X_Corp.&diff=2007085X Corp.2023-11-30T04:26:07Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Miscellaneous */ elonjet suspension</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Musk and Rubin.jpg|thumb|NYT bought its Twitter followers to fake influence]]<br />
'''Twitter, Inc.''', renamed as "X" on July 23, 2023,<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/Business/rebranded-twitter/story?id=101605679</ref> is a [[Big Tech]] social networking tool, acquired by [[Elon Musk]] on October 27, 2022, after years of [[liberal censorship]] by [[Leftists]] in [[San Francisco]] ([[Twitter#Sale to Elon Musk|see below]]). Musk immediately fired its top management, and dissolved its [[Leftist]] Board of Directors immediately. Musk suspects he was lied to by underestimates of sham accounts, but a lawsuit by [[Opposition to Donald Trump|Never-Trumpers]] in a hostile court forced Musk to buy Twitter. On Nov. 4, 2022, Musk fired about half of Twitter's 7,500 mostly-[[liberal]] workforce.<ref>https://people.com/human-interest/elon-musk-claims-he-had-no-choice-but-to-fire-half-of-twitter-staff/</ref> He offered them a generous severance package, more than required. The [[Biden regime]] then falsely labelled Musk a "[[national security]] threat."<ref>https://youtu.be/ORSuo1LsyRQ</ref><br />
<br />
While X improved in some ways under Musk's leadership, its entrenched [[San Francisco]] staff has continued [[liberal censorship]] and within a year its value dropped from $44 billion to only $19 billion.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/30/23938969/x-twitter-valuation-19-billion-employee-shares</ref> Musk has suggested he may move the entire platform behind a paywall to "combat vast armies of bots."<ref>https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-twitter-paywall-for-everyone-2023-9</ref> This could also end the [[liberal]] [[troll]]ing and fake impersonation that occurs there.<br />
<br />
Elon Musk stood courageously against the [[communist]] dictatorship in [[China]], as [[Apple]] caved into the [[liberal censorship]] and tried to banish Twitter for allowing [[free speech]].<br />
<br />
As Musk explained, the mass layoffs were made necessary by [[Leftist]] demands that advertisers boycott Twitter:<br />
<blockquote>"Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists.<br />
<br />
Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy [[free speech]] in [[America]]."<ref>[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1588538640401018880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588538640401018880%7Ctwgr%5E7f0bb400d1de30335f7ccd328e31bc941826f4f8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeople.com%2Fembed%3Furl%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Ftwitter2Fstatus2F1588538640401018880id%3Dmntl-sc-block_1-0-20-iframeoptions%3De303DdocId%3D6825991]https://archive.ph/HL3F7</ref></blockquote><br />
On November 7, 2022, Musk announced the end to Twitter's allowance of impersonation by [[liberal]] [[troll]]s of innocent victims, which had made Twitter a cesspool of [[Leftist]] deception and smears. But [[Leftist]] trolling became epidemic on November 10 such that the [[FTC]] issues a warning against so many fraudulent impersonation accounts purchases for merely $8.<ref>https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/10/fake-account-chaos-engulfs-musks-twitter-00066217</ref><br />
==Overview==<br />
Twitter was founded in 2006<ref>https://www.lifewire.com/history-of-twitter-3288854</ref> and emerged as a new medium of online [[news]] distribution that became infested by [[woke]] [[troll]]s and fake accounts. The claimed numbers of followers of [[liberal]] figures on it are falsely inflated, such that one audit in 2022 concluded that nearly half of [[Joe Biden]]’s Twitter followers are fake.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2022/05/18/audit-reveals-almost-half-of-joe-bidens-twitter-followers-are-fake/</ref><br />
[[File:Twitter bird logo 2012.svg.png|left|160px]]<br />
As a free microblogging [[website]], Twitter users can submit messages containing 140 characters or less to their followers, was co-founded by [[Jack Dorsey]] and Evan Williams. ''Twitter'' is a privately funded startup established by Obvious.com in [[San Francisco]], on March 21, 2006.<ref>[http://mashable.com/2009/03/21/happy-birthday-twitter/ Happy Birthday Twitter!] Mashable</ref><ref>[http://cellphones.about.com/od/textmessaging/a/twittertexting.htm Twitter: Free Microblogging Service Perhaps the Perfect Mobile Blogging Tool, About.com, August 16, 2008]</ref> Under liberal control, official Twitter policy was supportive of anarcho-Marxism, was intolerant of dissidence (see [[liberal censorship]]), and lacked diversity of opinion. As of mid-2020 Twitter has enjoyed [[Section 230]] immunity from prosecution for its election interference and other abuses, as well as [[monopoly]] control. There has been widespread discontent over Twitter's abuses of the public trust under its previous liberal ownership. It has been characterized as the "Wuhan wet market of ideas."<ref>https://youtu.be/DdYwUdRukV4</ref><br />
<br />
[[Liberal]]s forced [[free speech]] advocate [[Elon Musk]] to complete his purchase of Twitter at a price of $44 billion, using a hostile court proceeding and an inflation of its price based on an underestimate of its fake accounts.<br />
<br />
Twitter allows users to follow others, share status updates and / or news via "tweets," or republish another user's status update (referred to as a "retweet"). If a subject is popular enough, it can become a trending topic worldwide, and is displayed on the main website. Corporations can also pay Twitter to have a "Sponsored Trend" appear in the trending topics column. Twitter has made URL shorterners (such as ow.ly, bit.ly, tinyurl.com, and goo.gl, to name a few) popular, as they allow long URLs to be shortened and posted within a tweet.<br />
<br />
As a simple messaging tool, the website states: <br />
{{cquote|Twitter asks one question, "What are you doing?" Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web. The result of using Twitter to stay connected with friends, relatives, and coworkers is that you have a sense of what folks are up to but you are not expected to respond to any updates unless you want to.}}<br />
<br />
The Twitter [[API]] allows developers to create applications for computers and mobile phones that allow users to filter their Twitter feed, as well as track click-through rates, manage multiple accounts, or log-in to a website using their Twitter login.<br />
<br />
==Reform era==<br />
[[File:Trump Musk Twitter poll.PNG|right|thumb|Trump won poll, to be reinstated (Nov/2022)]]<br />
Elon Musk reinstated [[Donald Trump]] account <ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk:<br />
<i><br />
The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.</i><br />
[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1594131768298315777?s=20&t= 19 Nov 2022].<br><br />
Nov 19, 2022 profile: <i>Donald J. Trump<br />
@realDonaldTrump<br />
45th President of the United States of America🇺🇸<br />
Washington, DCVote.DonaldJTrump.com<br />
Joined March 2009</i></ref> weeks after purchasing Twitter, on Nov 19, 2022, (winning poll to be reinstated<ref>Over 15 million people voted in this poll. The final numbers were: Yes 51.8% No 48.2% 15,034,670 votes. [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1593767953706921985 Elon Musk @elonmusk, Nov 18, 2022]</ref>). He also unblocked [[Babylon Bee]] and [[Jordan Peterson]] accounts.<br />
<br />
[[File:Marc Rebillet Jan 6 2021 Twitter.PNG|right|thumb|Marc Rebillet's reply to Trump on 12:39 PM MST = 2:39 PM EST]]<br />
<br />
As Trump's account was reinstated, one can see his tweet on J6 at 2:38 PM EST:<ref><br />
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump:<blockquote><br />
Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!</blockquote><br />
<br><i><br />
[https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346904110969315332 2:38 PM · Jan 6, 2021·Twitter for iPhone]</i> (EST)</ref><br />
<blockquote><br />
"Please supoort out Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our country. Stay peaceful."</blockquote><br />
<br />
To which a liberal [[BLM]]-fanatic<ref>[https://www.google.com/search?q=MARC+REBILLET+black+lives+matter]<br />
<blockquote>If they were black they’d be bleeding out on the floor right now. This is so f####d.</blockquote><br />
https://twitter.com/marcrebillet/status/1346912330563473410 3:11 PM · Jan 6, 2021]</ref> replied with profanity. <br />
<br />
[[Project Veritas]] was reinstated to Twitter on Nov 20, 2022 after "permanent" Ban.<ref>[https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-project-veritas-reinstated-to-twitter BREAKING: Project Veritas REINSTATED to Twitter], The PM, Nov 20, 2022</ref><br />
<br />
On Nov 21, 2022, Elon Musk responds to a tweet by the State of Israel: "More countries should tweet like you," he later wrote, I visited Israel, it was great.<ref>[https://rotter.net/forum/scoops1/770117.shtml Elon Musk responds to a tweet by the State of Israel: "More countries should tweet like you," he later wrote, I visited Israel, it was great], ''Rotter'', Nov 21, 2022.<blockquote><br />
<br />
User 'Israel' responded to Kanye West's tweet in which he wrote peace with a smiley:<br />
"We would very much like to be excluded from this narrative."<br />
<br />
Musk complimented the user of the State of Israel and wrote, your tweets are good, more countries should tweet in this way. It's not fun to be stuffy all the time (the accurate translator will win a gift prize...)<br />
<br />
Translation of stuffy: a person who is not open to new ideas. Narrow-minded.<br />
Another stranger on Twitter responded to Musk that he should visit Israel.<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
James Spiro<br />
<br><br />
Nov 21, 2022 @JamesSpiro<br />
Replying to @elonmusk @Israel and @taylorswift13:<br />
<blockquote><br />
Yes! @Israel is cool, actually! You should visit us :)<br />
</blockquote><br />
Elon Musk @elonmusk:<br />
<blockquote><br />
I have! It was great.<br />
</blockquote><br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1594792272583098368 Nov 21, 2022]).</ref><br />
<br />
After a move billed as, ''The trash takes itself out: All the other woke media outlets now will follow CBS and suspend their twitter activity. Epic cleansing on deck'',<ref>[https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/the-trash-takes-itself-out-all-the-other-woke-media-outlets-now-will-follow-cbs-and-suspend-their-twitter-activity-epic-cleansing-on-deck/ ''The trash takes itself out: All the other woke media outlets now will follow CBS and suspend their twitter activity. Epic cleansing on deck'']</ref> [[CBS News]] ended its boycott of the new Twitter after consulting with their masters at the [[NSA]].<ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/11/07/new-revelations-about-jacks-magic-coffee-shop-twitter-surface-under-new-management/#more-239490 New Revelations About Jack’s Magic Coffee Shop (Twitter) Surface Under New Management].</ref><br />
<br />
Musk removed the suspension of most accounts effective the first week in December. But Twitter's long-term allowance of parody accounts that mislead the public, including suspended parody accounts in the names of real people who were never suspended, continues.<br />
<br />
However, Musk faced harsh backlash for reinstating a raw Hitlerist infamous neo-Nazi.<ref>N M Ramirez [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-twitter-reinstates-neo-nazi-andrew-anglin-account-1234640390/ Elon Brings One of America’s Most Prominent Nazis Back to Twitter], Rolling Stone, Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://ca.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/elon-brings-one-america-most-190033546.html Elon Brings One of America's Most Prominent Nazis Back to Twitter], ''Yahoo News'', Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>Lydia OConnor, [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/andrew-anglin-elon-musk-twitter_n_638a84eee4b09eeedb9d2190 Elon Musk Just Let A Notorious Neo-Nazi Troll Back On Twitter]</ref><ref>[https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/extremists-far-right-figures-exploit-recent-changes-twitter Extremists, Far Right Figures Exploit Recent Changes to Twitter], ''ADL'', Dec 2, 2022</ref><ref>Taylor Hatmaker, [https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/02/elon-musk-nazis-kanye-twitter-andrew-anglin/ Elon Musk just brought an infamous neo-Nazi back to Twitter], TechCrunch, Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>Aaron Bolton, [https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2022-12-05/neo-nazi-website-founder-who-targeted-flathead-valley-residents-allowed-back-on-twitter Neo-Nazi website founder who targeted Flathead Valley residents allowed back on Twitter], ''Montana Public Radio,'' Dec 5, 2022.</ref><ref>Joseph Menn, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/03/twitter-antisemitism-violence-jan-6/ Surging Twitter antisemitism unites fringe, encourages violence, officials say], ''Washington Post'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><ref>Mary Papenfuss. [https://news.yahoo.com/french-president-macron-warns-elon-003335625.html French President Macron Warns Elon Musk That Twitter Must Heed EU Rules Against Lies, Hate], ''Yahoo News'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.semana.com/tecnologia/articulo/elon-musk-retiro-la-suspension-de-las-cuentas-de-andrew-anglin/202248/ Elon Musk aprobó el regreso de Andrew Anglin a Twitter], Semana, Dec 5, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.rawstory.com/andrew-anglin-2658824647/ Twitter unbans neo-Nazi who said women should be 'raped and locked in cages'], ''Raw Story'', Dec 2, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
===The Twitter Files===<br />
{{See also|Twitter Files}}<br />
[[File:MSM time on Twitter Files.PNG|thumb|[https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-abc-cbs-called-silence-elon-musk-twitter-files-release-failing-americans.amp A breakdown of media coverage of the Twitter files showing how the social media giant handled the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. (Fox News)]]]<br />
<br />
Musk exposed constitutional law violations on the part of the Biden administration [[United States Government]] to interfere in elections. While a private entity does not have to respect free speech, the [[First Amendment]] to the [[Constitution]] prohibits the United States Government from silencing free speech. Twitter, under Jack Dorsey, prohibited free political speech at the behest of the United States Government.<br />
<br />
On December 2, 2022 journalist Matt Taibbi of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine began releasing the #TwitterFiles,<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2022/12/03/peter-roff-musks-twitter-files-confirm-everything-we-already-knew-opinion/ PETER ROFF: Musk’s ‘Twitter Files’ Confirm Everything We Already Knew], ''Daily Caller'', Dec 3, 2022.<br><font size=1><i>A former UPI political writer and U.S. News and World Report columnist, Peter Roff is a Trans-Atlantic Leadership Network media fellow</i></font></ref><ref>Jonathan Turley [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/media-hunter-biden-collusion-twitter-files-dump-defense-attacking-messenger Media's Hunter Biden collusion: 'Twitter files' dump has them on defense, attacking the messenger], ''Fox News'', Dec 4, 2022.<br><i>Media is too invested in suppression of Hunter Biden story to acknowledge extent of the scandal</i></ref> otherwise known as Twitter’s internal communications related to [[censorship]], targeting, and political interference. Twitter was working in conjunction with then-Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden’s team, removing tweets that team Biden wanted deleted. According to Andrew Kerr of the ''Washington Free Beacon'', those tweets were either drug-related photos of Hunter Biden or pornographic photos of him. Without these photos, the electorate would be deprived of critical visual info on the activities of the Biden family. <ref>https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-releases-hunter-biden-files-tweets-deleted-at-behest-of-team-biden-exec-was-key-behind-censorship-decision</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Hunter I'm on Team Biden.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Actor James Woods was banned from Twitter at the request of the DNC for posting the above meme. Woods sued the DNC.<ref>https://youtu.be/2cxQcHbdWlw</ref>]]<br />
<br />
Reminder: 2020 election outcome would differ with Hunter Biden laptop coverage per poll.<ref>Bruce Golding, [https://nypost.com/2022/08/26/2020-election-outcome-would-differ-with-hunter-biden-laptop-coverage-poll/ 2020 election outcome would differ with Hunter Biden laptop coverage: poll], ''NYPost'', August 26, 2022.<blockquote><br />
79% say ‘truthful’ coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop would have changed 2020 election.</blockquote></ref><br />
Andrew C McCarthy: "FBI Interference in the 2020 Election: The ‘Twitter Files’ Miss the Real Scandal."<ref>Andrew C McCarthy, <br />
[https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/12/the-twitter-files-miss-the-real-scandal-fbi-interference-in-the-2020-election/ FBI Interference in the 2020 Election: The ‘Twitter Files’ Miss the Real Scandal], National Review, Dec 6, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
And Musk confirmed Bari Weiss to join Matt Taibbi in releasing ‘Twitter Files.'<ref>Caleb Howe, [https://www.mediaite.com/tech/elon-musk-confirms-bari-weiss-to-join-matt-taibbi-in-releasing-twitter-files-info/ Elon Musk Confirms Bari Weiss to Join Matt Taibbi in Releasing ‘Twitter Files’ Info], ''Fox News'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
This initial document dump focused on the decision making process that Twitter invoked to suppress the [[Laptop from Hell]] in the run up to the [[2020 Presidential election]]. The internal emails released show that Twitter was absolutely engaging in political manipulation and, after they suspended the ''New York Post'', the oldest newspaper in the United States, looking for some sort of policy justification for their political actions. <br />
<br />
According to Taibbi, "The problem with the ‘hacked materials’ ruling, several sources said, was that this normally required an official/law enforcement finding of a hack. But such a finding never appears throughout what one executive describes as a ‘whirlwind’ 24-hour, company-wide mess.” Twitter execs could not find a justification for blocking the ''New York Post'' esposé on [[Biden family corruption]] under its own rules, so it consulted with the Biden camp and Democrats in Congress and received the go ahead.<br />
<br />
In one incredible exchange, Twitter execs receive a list of accounts from the [[Biden junta|Biden Administration]] to “review.” The accounts were reportedly later suspended. Democrat Rep. [[Ro Khanna]] was the only Democrat that expressed concern that it will backfire, trying to mediate with Twitter execs and reminding them the First Amendment prohibits government suppression of free speech. The Twitter files reveal [[collusion]] between government and [[private sector]] business to suppress [[human rights]], which is the original and basic definition of [[fascism]].<br />
<br />
Twitter rules "were enforced against the right, but not against the left".<ref>Elon Musk on Twitter: "@DavidSacks As @bariweiss clearly describes, the rules were enforced against the right, but not against the left" / Twitter.<br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1601059434330890241 Dec 8, 2022])</ref><br />
<br />
The TwitterFiles also revealed familiar name in Hunter Biden laptop scandal: former [[FBI]] [[James A. Baker (DOJ)]]. Baker has been featured repeatedly in the Russian investigations launched by the Justice Departmen It has been commented: "For many, James Baker is fast becoming the Kevin Bacon of the Russian collusion scandals."<ref>Jonathan Turley, [https://nypost.com/2022/12/03/twitter-files-reveal-james-baker-in-hunter-biden-laptop-scandal/ Twitter files reveal familiar name in Hunter Biden laptop scandal: James Baker], ''NYPost'', December 3, 2022.</ref><ref>Susan Ferrechio, [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/dec/5/twitter-lawyer-james-baker-who-blocked-hunter-bide/ Twitter lawyer who blocked Hunter Biden laptop story helped ignite Trump-Russia probe], ''The Washington Times'', December 5, 2022.<blockquote><br />
A top Twitter attorney who supported censoring the bombshell story about the incriminating contents of Hunter Biden’s discarded laptop computer in the weeks before the presidential election also helped set into motion the FBI’s investigation into now-debunked claims that President Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.<br />
<br />
James Baker, who served as Twitter’s deputy general counsel and vice president beginning in June 2020, spent four years prior to that as the top lawyer for the FBI. It was in that post in 2016 that he linked up his friend, lawyer and Democratic operative Michael Sussmann, with top FBI investigators. Mr. Sussmann passed along claims that the Republican candidate was in contact with a Russian bank.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
In a ridiculous but not so funny reaction: former Twitter executive who suppressed Hunter Biden Laptop Story, lumps two separate unrelated entities and calls them both the exposer of radical liberalism [[Washington_Post#LibsOfTikTok|Libsoftiktok]],<ref>Tucker Carlson , [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-libs-tiktok-oust-campaign-twitter Tucker: Libs of TikTok oust campaign was designed to shut down a highly effective Twitter feed],<br />
''Fox News'', April 19, 2022.<br><i>Tucker calls out the intimidation campaign.</i></ref> and the satire Christian site ''Babylon Bee'' 'Dangerous.'<ref>Caroline Downey, [https://news.yahoo.com/twitter-exec-suppressed-hunter-biden-161210852.html Former Twitter Executive Who Suppressed Hunter Biden Laptop Story Calls Libs of TikTok, Babylon Bee ‘Dangerous’], ''Yahoo'', December 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
Rep. [[Kevin McCarthy]] stated: Google, Facebook should be investigated after Twitter files on Hunter Biden story.<ref>[https://nypost.com/2022/12/04/mccarthy-says-google-facebook-should-be-investigated/ Google, Facebook should be investigated after Twitter files on Hunter Biden story: Rep. McCarthy], NYPost'', Dec 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
On the subject why major news outlets downplay the scandal, Musk stated "because they were complicit."<ref>[https://archive.org/details/FOXNEWSW_20221204_180000_Fox_News_Live Fox News Live : FOXNEWSW : December 4, 2022 10:00am-11:00am PST : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive].<blockquote>"...they were complicit in deceiving the american public and admits that they lied to the public, they are trying to pretend that this is a nothing burger."</blockquote></ref><ref>Citizen Free Press @CitizenFreePres Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1599167903080714240 Dec 3, 2022]):<blockquote>@elonmusk criticizes legacy media for refusing to cover The Twitter Files:<br />
"The media is trying to turn this info into a nothingburger because they were complicit in deceiving the American public, rather than admit they lied to the public.” — </blockquote><br />
@elonmusk</ref><br />
<br />
CNN: Twitter employees were saying "this feels like Russian disinformation" when deciding to censor tweets about the Hunter Biden laptop story.<ref>Townhall.com @townhallcom ([https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1599780094750298113 Dec 5, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
CNN: Twitter employees were saying "this feels like Russian disinformation" when deciding to censor tweets about the Hunter Biden laptop story. "Some want you to think...that this was censorship by big tech."</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
On Dec 5, [[White House]] spokesperson dismissed the embarrassing scandal. KJP: "we see it as an incident...as a coincidence."<ref>Breaking911 @Breaking911 ([https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1599882154560802817 Dec 5, 2022]):<blockquote><br />
WATCH: KJP says Twitter censoring Hunter Biden laptop story is a "distraction" and "old news if you think about it."</blockquote></ref><ref>Bradford Betz, [https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/musks-twitter-files-revealing-censorship-hunter-biden-laptop-story-distraction-white-house-says.amp Musk's 'Twitter Files,' revealing censorship of Hunter Biden laptop story, is a 'distraction, White House says], FOXBusiness, Dec 5, 2022.<br><i><br />
Musk outsourced his findings to Substack journalist Matt Taibbi who published a thread detailing Twitter’s censorship</i></ref><br />
<br />
On Dec 6, 2022, Musk announced, James Baker, former FBI counsel, was fired from Twitter after Hunter laptop revelations.<ref>[https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-elon-musk-confirms-james-baker-former-fbi-counsel-out-at-twitter-after-censorship-revelations BREAKING: Elon Musk confirms James Baker, former FBI counsel, FIRED from Twitter after Hunter laptop revelations], The PM, Dec 6, 2022.<blockquote><br />
On Tuesday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that attorney Jim Baker had been "exited" from the company following recent revelations that he played a role in facilitating censorship on the platform.</blockquote></ref><ref>Paul Farrell, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11512265/Oh-tangled-web-weave-Elon-Musk-gets-poetic-firing-Twitter-lawyer-James-Baker.html 'Oh, what a tangled web they weave': Elon Musk gets poetic after dramatically firing his Twitter lawyer for 'secretly vetting files on Hunter Biden's laptop' that delayed second tranche of revelations expected from ex-NY Times reporter Bari Weiss], ''Daily Mail'', 07 Dec 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
====Shadowbanning====<br />
[[File:Twitter Files II shadowbanning.PNG|right|400px]]<br />
{{See also|Shadowbanning}}<br />
[[File:Bari Weiss (7) 12-8-22.PNG|right|400px]]<br />
The second part of the Twitter Files revealed the systematic shadowbannimg of those, liberals didn't like, blacklisting them, to make sure they do not trend. Which means they silent voices and de-facto censored. The DARK scary part is also that all that was done secretly without notifying the user. <ref>Joseph A. Wulfsohn, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/elon-musks-second-installment-twitter-files-reveals-secret-blacklists-bari-weiss-reports Elon Musk's second installment of 'Twitter Files' reveals 'secret blacklists,' Bari Weiss reports], ''Fox News,'' Dec 8, 2022.<blockquote><br />
Bari Weiss reported details of Twitter's censorship practices before the Musk takeover.</blockquote></ref><br />
[[File:Gadde.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Vijaya Gadde]]<br />
[[Vijaya Gadde]], is noted at this censorship routine.<br />
<br />
[[Charlie Kirk]] recalled that he was complaining already in 2018. And remarked<ref>Dec 8, 2022 on ''TCT'' show, [https://tuckercarlson.com/charlie-kirk-speaks-out-after-reportedly-placed-on-twitters-do-not-amplify-list/ Charlie Kirk speaks out after reportedly placed on Twitter's 'Do Not Amplify' list], ''Fox News''.<br />
<br><br />
Alex Oliveira, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11519381/Charlie-Kirk-talks-Twitter.html 'More censorship than Hamas': Charlie Kirk tells Tucker Carlson 'Twitter Files' part two confirm his suspicion that he was being censored after speaking out against pandemic lockdowns in 2020], ''Daily Mail'', Dec 9, 2022.</ref> on the absurdity that, in contrast, (dangerous) [[Hamas]] and [[Iran]] were not taken steps against.<br />
<br />
It also censored the very popular [[Washington_Post#LibsOfTikTok|LibsOfTikTok]] (which was and is merely reporting factual videos exposing radical woke), under a guise of supposed "hate," yet, internal memo revealed that LibsOfTikTok did NOT engage in any hate.<ref>Ari Blaff, [https://www.nationalreview.com/news/twitter-suppressed-prominent-right-wing-anti-lockdown-users-documents-show/ Twitter Suppressed Prominent Right-Wing, Anti-Lockdown Users, Documents Show], ''National Review'', Dec 8, 2022.</ref><blockquote><br />
Later in the night, Weiss further revealed that @libsoftiktok (LTT), a viral account documenting wokeness, was placed on a “trends blacklist” with a notice “DO NOT TAKE ACTION ON USER WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH SIP-PES.”<br />
<br />
Although the account was repeatedly dinged with suspensions for allegedly violating company policy against “hateful conduct,” internal memos from October 2022 acknowledged that “LTT has not directly engaged in behavior violative of the Hateful Conduct policy.”<br />
<br />
By comparison, when the home address of LTT’s founder, Chaya Raichik, was doxxed in November 2022, and she reported it to Twitter Support, the company did nothing to remove the tweet.</blockquote><br />
[[File:Miles Cheong 12-9-22.jpg|thumb|Raw elections interference]]<br />
Political candidates were subject to shadowbanning while they were running for office or seeking re-election.<ref>Ian Miles Cheong on Twitter: "So here’s a question for @elonmusk and @bariweiss: were any political candidates — either in the US or elsewhere — subject to shadowbanning while they were running for office or seeking re-election?" / Twitter<br />
<br><br />
Elon Musk on Twitter: "@stillgray @bariweiss Yes" / Twitter<br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1601059434330890241 Dec 8, 2022]) [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FjiPEmJacAMV9vW?format=jpg].<br />
* Libs of TikTok on Twitter: "Wow! Elon confirms that Twitter shadowbanned and suppressed tweets from political candidates while they were running for office. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FjhWZ72WQAAQA4n?format=jpg&name=small] [https://t.co/6WEe36mtJQ]" / Twitter. <br />
([https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1601124677581033473 Dec 9, 2022]).<br />
</ref><br />
<br />
====FBI subsidiary====<br />
{{See also|FISA abuse|FBI scandal}}<br />
What Matt Taibbi outlined showcases how various organizations could reach out to Twitter and request content removal. Taibbi concluding, “what most people think of as the “[[deep state]]” is really a tangled collaboration of state agencies, private contractors, and (sometimes state-funded) [[NGO]]s. The lines become so blurred as to be meaningless."<ref>[Latest Twitter Files Bombshell: The Deep State Is Really a Tangled Collaboration of State Agencies, Private Contractors, and NGOs], JD Rucker, December 16, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
The FBI’s social media-focused task force, known as FTIF, created in the wake of the 2016 election, swelled to 80 agents and corresponded with Twitter to identify alleged foreign influence and election tampering of all kinds. Federal intelligence and [[law enforcement]] reach into Twitter included the [[Department of Homeland Security]], which partnered with security contractors and [[think tank]]s to pressure Twitter to moderate content. Social media platforms were enlisted as DHS partners under the auspices of ‘[[national security]]’, and suddenly there was a full-fledged surveillance state underway. That system is defended under the shield of ‘national security‘ as noted in the judicial ruling in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (the Trump [[Mar-a-Lago raid]] case).<ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/12/16/release-6-dhs-and-fbi-content-removal-requests-to-twitter/ Release #6 – DHS and FBI Content Removal Requests to Twitter], December 16, 2022 | Sundance.</ref><br />
<br />
(1) The [[Patriot Act]] turned the intel surveillance radar from foreign searches for terrorists to domestic searches for terrorists.<br />
(2) Obama/Biden then redefined what is a “terrorist” to include their political opposition.<br />
(3) The [[DHS]], [[DNI|ODNI]], [[DOJ-NSD]] and [[FISC]] became the four pillars of this new surveillance system.<br />
<br />
Scholar [[Jonathan Turley]] argues: "When the FBI attacks its critics as ‘conspiracy theorists,’ it’s time to reform the bureau."<ref>Jonathan Turley, [https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/3787443-when-the-fbi-attacks-its-critics-as-conspiracy-theorists-its-time-to-reform-the-bureau/ When the FBI attacks its critics as ‘conspiracy theorists,’ it’s time to reform the bureau] 12/24/22.</ref><br />
<br />
====Banning Trump but not the genocidal Ayatollah====<br />
<br />
As the 5th part of TwitterFiles was released, highlighting the decision to ban firmer president Trump in Jan 2021:<ref>Samuel Chamberlain and David Propper, [https://nypost.com/2022/12/12/fifth-twitter-files-installment-details-trumps-last-hours-on-platform/ <br />
Fifth ‘Twitter files’ release details furious debate to ban Trump — despite no policy violations], ''NYPost'', December 12, 2022.</ref><blockquote><br />
As Weiss pointed out, Twitter’s treatment of Trump stood in stark contrast to those of obvious bad actors — including Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who remains on the platform despite repeatedly calling for the destruction of Israel. Other world leaders, including the president of Nigeria and the prime ministers of India and Ethiopia, also have not been banned despite posting clear incitements to violence as well as threats to arrest Twitter’s own employees.<br />
<br />
Weiss also pointed out that the ban of Trump was criticized by other world leaders, with then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling it “problematic” and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador comparing Twitter to a “court of censorship like the Inquisition to manage public opinion.”<br />
<br />
“Ultimately, the concerns about Twitter’s efforts to censor news about Hunter Biden’s laptop, blacklist disfavored views, and ban a president aren’t about the past choices of executives in a social media company,” Weiss concluded her report. “They’re about the power of a handful of people at a private company to influence the public discourse and democracy.”</blockquote><br />
<br />
====Ukraine war fake news====<br />
{{See also|Ukraine propaganda war}}<br />
When Musk took control of Twitter, he discovered that the [[Polish]] government was secretly funding a Twitter account notorious for spreading disinformation about the [[NATO war in Ukraine]], and saw it reported: “One of the largest media outlets in [[Eastern Europe]] is pushing out [[fake news]]...Chances are that any active Twitter user over the past year [2022] will have seen a tweet or two from an account called Visegrad24 and, most likely, the information contained in those tweets will have been fake...the outfit appears to be funded by the office of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki”.<ref>https://www.sott.net/article/475154-Is-the-Polish-government-secretly-funding-a-Twitter-account-notorious-for-spreading-disinformation-about-Eastern-Europe</ref> When globalist Western governments asked Musk to block Russian news sources, he told them: “We will not do so unless at 'gunpoint', sorry to be a free speech absolutist”.<ref>https://news.yahoo.com/elon-musk-starlink-won-t-block-russian-outlets-165845001.html</ref><br />
====Resignation====<br />
After conducting a poll if he should step down, with most agreeing with that, Musk tweeted the following on Dec 20, 2022:<ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk on Twitter, [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1605372724800393216 Dec 20, 2022].</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2022/12/20/1144182209/twitter-elon-musk-resigns Elon Musk says he will resign as Twitter CEO once he finds a replacement] ''NPR'', Dec 20, 2022.</ref> <br />
<blockquote>I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams.</blockquote><br />
<br />
==Sale to Elon Musk==<br />
On April 25, 2022, it was announced that Twitter had been sold to Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder [[Elon Musk]] for $43 billion.<ref name="Musk Twitter">[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-official-twitter-sold-twitter-shares-halted-pending-news-sale-company-sold-elon-musk-43-billion/ BREAKING: IT’S OFFICIAL! TWITTER IS SOLD! Twitter Shares Halted Pending News of Sale – Company Sold to Elon Musk for $44 Billion] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Earlier in the month, Musk had become the biggest single shareholder of Twitter (with 9.2% of the shares, well over the 2.25% held by Jack Dorsey) when he bought 73 million shares of stock in the company (worth $2.89 billion),<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-becomes-biggest-shareholder-twitter-buys-9-2-shares/ Elon Musk Becomes the Biggest Shareholder in Twitter as He Buys 73 Million Shares] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> but when he attempted to buy more shares, he ran into resistance from several [[Saudi Arabia]]n Twitter shareholders, which cause Twitter stock to fall.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-saudi-owners-twitter-decline-musks-offer-twitter-stock-tumbling/ BREAKING: Saudi Shareholders of Twitter Decline Musk’s Offer – Twitter Stock is Tumbling] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> To prevent Musk from buying more shares, Twitter tried to entice him with a seat on its board of directors as part of a deal that would keep him from owning more than 14.9% of its common stock,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-appoint-elon-musk-board-directors-prevent-buying-majority-stake/ Twitter to Appoint Elon Musk to its Board of Directors and Prevent Him from Buying Majority Stake – Musk Teases ‘Significant Improvements’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> but Musk turned down that offer, thereby allowing him to buy more Twitter stock.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/developing-elon-musk-turns-seat-twitters-board-move-will-allow-buy-stock-company/ Elon Musk Turns Down Seat on Twitter’s Board, Move Will Allow Him to Buy More Stock in Company] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In response, bitter leftist Twitter shareholders attempted to sue Musk for delaying in disclosing the amount of stock he owned in the company.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/go-angry-twitter-shareholders-sue-elon-musk-delay-stock-disclosures/ Here We Go… Angry Twitter Shareholders Sue Elon Musk Over Delay in Stock Disclosures] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
When Musk announced plans to purchase Twitter outright and turn it into a private company,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-wants-buy-twitter-43-billion-transformed-private-company/ BREAKING: Elon Musk Wants to Buy Twitter for $43 Billion and Transform It Into ‘Private Company’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> pro-censorship/anti-free speech leftist company management decided to attempt to implement a "poison pill" to sabotage the transaction and fight for censorship and silencing of conservative voices and allowing the voices of liberals and other enemies of freedom to flourish<ref>Two references:<br />
*[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-fascists-release-statement-dont-care-elon-musk-board-will-continue-censor-conservatives-trump-not-coming-back/ Twitter Fascists Release Statement: They Don’t Care that Elon Musk Is On Board – They Will Continue to Censor Conservatives and Trump Is Not Coming Back] at the Gateway Pundit<br />
*[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-management-fight-control-company-president-trump-remains-censored-iranian-leaders-not/ Twitter Management Fight for Control of Company So They Can Continue to Censor President Trump and Promote Iranian Leaders on The Site] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> rather than allow Musk, who is anti-censorship and favors free speech, to buy the company and put an end to that censorship.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-board-adopts-poison-pill-rather-consider-musks-offer-free-speech-damned/ Twitter Board Adopts a ‘Poison Pill’ Rather than Consider Musk’s Offer – Free Speech Be Damned] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In response to the "poison pill" move by Twitter, Florida Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] threatened to hold the company's board of directors legally accountable for breaching their fiduciary duty.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/ron-desantis-threatens-hold-twitters-board-directors-accountable-breaching-fiduciary-duty/ Ron DeSantis Threatens to Hold Twitter’s Board of Directors Accountable for Breaching Fiduciary Duty] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Musk later announced that he would be bringing investor partners into his Twitter bid to thwart the company's "poison pill" sabotage attempt, whose legality was questioned by the Gateway Pundit.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-considering-bringing-partners-twitter-bid-company-adopts-poison-pill/ Elon Musk Considers Bringing in Partners on Twitter Bid After Company Adopts ‘Poison Pill’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In an attempt to protect Twitter and its anti-free speech mandate against a Musk takeover, the [[Biden regime]]-controlled [[Department of Justice]] and the Securities and Exchange Commission tried to step in by launching frivolous sham investigations against Musk.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/swamp-steps-doj-sec-launch-joint-investigation-targeting-elon-musk-attempts-hostile-takeover-twitter-reports/ Swamp Steps In? DOJ, SEC Launch “Joint Investigation” Targeting Elon Musk as He Attempts His ‘Hostile Takeover’ of Twitter: Reports] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
In an interview on ''Fox News'', [[Devin Nunez]] said, that Trump had encouraged Musk to buy Twitter.<ref>Joe Hoft, [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/05/devin-nunes-president-trump-encouraged-elon-musk-purchase-twitter/ Devin Nunes: President Trump Encouraged Elon Musk to Purchase Twitter], <br />
''The Gateway Pundit'', May 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
On September 13, 2022, it was announced that Twitter shareholders had officially approved the buyout of the platform by Musk.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/09/twitter-shareholders-approve-44-billion-musk-buyout/ Twitter Shareholders Approve $44 Billion Musk Buyout] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
===Liberals melt down===<br />
[[File:Kathy Griffen suspended.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Leftist troll Kathy Griffen was permanently banned from Twitter days after the takeover for impersonating Elon Musk, a violation of TOS.<ref>https://therightscoop.com/good-riddance-psychopath-kathy-griffin-permanently-banned-from-twitter/</ref>]]<br />
When Musk's purchase of Twitter became official, pearl-clutching liberals [[snowflake|went into meltdown mode]]<ref>[https://youtu.be/-C9ERYLlNY8 BREAKING! TWITTER SOLD TO ELON MUSK! LEFTISTS IN MELTDOWN!!!] at Dr. Steve Turley YouTube channel</ref> over their loss of control of one of their means of censoring free speech and silencing conservative voices/opinions and factual information.<ref name="Musk Twitter"/> President Donald Trump congratulated Musk on his purchase of Twitter, saying of him "...I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it and he is a good man," but he added that he will not return to Twitter, even with the restoration of his account there, choosing instead to stay with his own social media platform Truth Social.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-president-trump-will-not-come-back-twitter-despite-elon-musk-takeover/ Breaking: President Trump WILL NOT Come Back to Twitter Despite Elon Musk Takeover] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> As part of the announcement of his Twitter purchase, Musk said, "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated...", adding in a tweet that "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means".<ref>[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1518623997054918657 Elon Musk: "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means"] at Twitter</ref> Among the liberals having tantrums over Musk's purchase of Twitter are actress and leftist activist Jameela Jamil, who rage-quit the platform over the announcement in a petulant tweet,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/one-former-good-place-actress-turned-annoying-activist-jameela-jamil-quits-twitter-elon-musk-purchase/ ONE DOWN: Former Good Place Actress Turned Annoying Activist Jameela Jamil Quits Twitter Over Elon Musk Purchase] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> liberal race activist [[Shaun King]] (a white man who claims to be "black"), who also threw an online hissy-fit and rage-quit Twitter via deletion of his account in response to the Musk purchase,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/shaun-king-rage-quits-twitter-elon-musks-purchase/ Shaun King Rage Quits Twitter Over Elon Musk’s Purchase] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] (who once delusionally claimed that people who criticize her for her support of socialism and her cluelessness about politics and the real world want to "date" her<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2021/12/31/aoc-claims-republicans-are-mad-at-her-because-they-want-to-date-her/ AOC Claims Republicans are Mad at Her Because They Want to Date Her]</ref>),<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/29/elon-musk-hilariously-trolls-aoc-following-her-passive-aggressive-meltdown-on-twitter/ Elon Musk Hilariously Trolls AOC Following Her Passive Aggressive Meltdown on Twitter]</ref> and other prominent liberals with online presences such as [[Joy Reid]], [[Howard Dean]], [[NBC]] "journalist"/hack Ben Collins, [[CNN]] hack [[Brian Stelter]], former Twitter employees Israel Camacho and Laura Gomez and several members of hate group [[Antifa]].<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/meltdown-glorious-democrats-thugs-fascists-react-elon-musk-purchase-twitter-predictable-fury/ THE MELTDOWN IS GLORIOUS: Democrats, Thugs and Fascists React to Elon Musk Purchase of Twitter with Predictable Fury] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Some of the more deranged and immature liberals on Twitter are now calling for Musk to be killed in response to his purchase of the platform.<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/28/liberals-gone-mad-libs-want-to-kill-elon-musk/ Liberals Gone Mad: Libs Want To “Kill Elon Musk”]</ref><br />
<br />
The meltdown got even worse after Musk asserted the Democrat Party was ‘hijacked by extremists'.<br />
And "Palestinian" American liberal MSNBC contributor Dean Obeidallah decided: "It's now 100% clear that Musk is part of the GOP propaganda apparatus."<ref>Gabriel Hays, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/liberals-melt-down-after-musk-claims-democrat-party-hijacked-by-extremists.amp Liberals melt down after Musk claims the Democrat Party was ‘hijacked by extremists'], ''Fox News'', April 29, 2022.<blockquote><br />
[https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/640/320/muskcartoon.png?ve=1&tl=1],<br />
[https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/640/320/muskextreme.png]<br />
<br />
"It's now 100% clear that Musk is part of the GOP propaganda apparatus," tweeted liberal radio host and MSNBC contributor Dean Obeidallah.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
'Stop hitting on me, I'm really shy': Elon Musk accused [[AOC]] of flirting with him when she called him a 'billionaire with an ego problem' and blamed him for an 'explosion of hate crimes' after buying Twitter.<ref>Stephen M. Lepore, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10769311/Elon-Musk-accuses-AOC-FLIRTING-tweet-blaming-explosion-hate-crimes.html 'Stop hitting on me, I'm really shy': Elon Musk accuses AOC of FLIRTING with him when she called him a 'billionaire with an ego problem' and blamed him for an 'explosion of hate crimes' after buying Twitter] ''Dailymail.Com'', 30 Apr 2022.<br />
[https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/04/30/02/57224459-0-image-a-23_1651280832241.jpg]</ref><br />
<br />
===Hypocrisy===<br />
Democrat politicians such as [[Elizabeth Warren]], who were in favor of letting Twitter do as it pleased under liberal ownership and did all it could to run interference for it and protect it and its lawless actions against regulation and sanctions by the Trump administration, did an about-face following the Musk purchase and, out of fearful concern of their crimes and misdeeds being exposed (and especially the return of President Trump to Twitter) now that Musk is restoring free speech to the platform and ending censorship there, suddenly and hypocritically became in favor of regulating Twitter, with Warren in particular advocating for a "wealth tax" and regulation of Big Tech that would specifically target Twitter and conservative social media platforms, claiming that Twitter's purchase by Musk and its subsequent restoration of free speech for conservatives would be "...dangerous for our democracy".<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/26/democrats-twitter-free-speech-elon-musk/ Democrats Are Horrified Now That Twitter Might Actually Allow Free Speech] at the Daily Caller</ref><br />
<br />
===Musk: April-May 2022===<br />
With the Musk takeover, Twitter has begun reinstating conservative accounts that were wrongly suspended under the previous liberal regime for telling the truth about subjects that liberals do not like, such as [[Democrat election fraud]], the contents of [[Hunter Biden]]'s laptop computer and the damage being done by [[COVID vaccine|CCP flu "vaccines"]], as well as locking down changes to the site's source code to prevent vindictive liberal Twitter employees from doing damage to the platform out of childish spite; among those whose accounts were reinstated include [[Tucker Carlson]], the [[Babylon Bee]]<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-locks-product-changes-following-musk-takeover-tucker-carlson-babylon-bee-accounts-reinstated/ Twitter Locks Down Product Changes Following Musk Takeover — Tucker Carlson and Babylon Bee Accounts Reinstated] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> and [[Marjorie Taylor Greene]].<ref>[https://www.westernjournal.com/marjorie-taylor-greens-permanent-suspension-first-tweet-pure-gold/ Marjorie Taylor Greene's 'Permanent' Suspension Is Over - Her First Tweet Is Pure Gold] at the Western Journal</ref> According to Bizpac Review, there is apparently no longer a Twitter board of directors (who may have either been fired or resigned en masse following the Musk takeover), while embittered Twitter employees childishly vented against their new boss, accusing him of "...being a troll and ignorant of Twitter policies" and criticizing his "...inability to monitor toxicity on the platform" ([[liberal projection|both of which said employees and their comrades are guilty of themselves]] by allowing liberals to run wild and do and say as they pleased on Twitter while censoring and silencing conservatives in violation of the First Amendment).<ref>[https://www.bizpacreview.com/2022/04/26/twitter-locks-source-code-to-stop-employees-from-unauthorized-changes-after-musk-takeover-report-1230440/ Twitter locks source code to stop employees from unauthorized changes after Musk takeover, report]</ref> <br />
<br />
It was later reported that high-profile liberals with Twitter accounts (including celebrities and politicians) were losing followers by the thousands (or even tens of thousands) following the Musk takeover as it was discovered that their so-called "followers" were actually [[bot]]s created by liberals (including by liberal Twitter employees<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/26/heres-how-twitter-manipulated-elections-its-way-worse-than-just-shadow-banning/ Here’s How Twitter Manipulated Elections (It’s Way Worse Than Just Shadow Banning)]</ref>) to artificially inflate the number of followers of said high-profile liberals to dishonestly make it appear they had larger followings than they really have; the bots are disappearing at a rapid rate ahead of an expected bot purge to be conducted by Musk to eliminate fake Twitter accounts as part of the restoration of free speech to the platform and the end of liberal attempts to crowd out/diminish/censor/silence opposing voices and viewpoints.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/far-left-idiots-freak-bots-jump-ship-musk-buys-twitter/ Far-Left Idiots Freak Out as Their Bots Jump Ship After Musk Buys Twitter] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> As part of that swing, over 70% of Republican politicians with Twitter accounts reported gaining followers (including Ohio Congressman [[Jim Jordan]], who saw the biggest single gain with 63,735 followers), while out of 270 Democrat politicians on Twitter, 268 lost followers (including [[Nancy Pelosi]] and [[Bernie Sanders]], who lost 14,432 and 21,640 respectively) due to the disappearance of the bot accounts.<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/27/twitter-offers-explanation-for-why-conservatives-are-mysteriously-gaining-followers-does-it-add-up/ Twitter Offers Explanation For Why Conservatives Are Mysteriously Gaining Followers. Does It Add Up?] at the Daily Caller</ref> Following the Musk takeover, [[European Union]] Commissioner of the Internal Market Thierry Breton claimed that the EU would attempt to ban Twitter from operating in Europe through its specious use of regulations, a move which drew praise from [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Barack Obama]].<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/27/elon-there-are-rules-eu-commissioner-warns-of-possible-ban/ ‘Elon, There Are Rules’: EU Commissioner Warns Of Possible Ban] at the Daily Caller</ref><br />
<br />
On April 27, 2022, Musk condemned Twitter censorship of [[NY Post]]’s [[Hunter Biden|Hunter]] laptop story: ‘Obviously incredibly inappropriate.’ Top Twitter executive [[Vijaya Gadde]] was said to be responsible for the decision in 2020.<ref>Gabriel Hays, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/elon-musk-condemns-twitter-censorship-ny-posts-hunter-laptop-story-obviously-incredibly-inappropriate Elon Musk condemns Twitter censorship of NY Post’s Hunter laptop story: ‘Obviously incredibly inappropriate’], ''Fox News'', Apr 27, 2022.<blockquote><br />
Top Twitter executive Vijaya Gadde was said to be responsible for the decision in 2020.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
On May 10, 2022, Musk announced that he was restoring Donald Trump's Twitter account, ending the suspension that had been illegally imposed by its employees during the Jack Dorsey regime following the events of [[J6 Capitol protests|January 6, 2021]].<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/05/reverse-permanent-ban-elon-musk-announces-lift-twitter-ban-president-trump/ “I Would Reverse the Permanent Ban” – Elon Musk Announces He Will Lift Twitter Ban of President Trump, Says It Was a Mistake] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
====On MSNBC's Mehdi Hassan====<br />
After [[Islam]]ic Mehdi Hasan, on [[MSNBC]], used his rhetoric against the GOP and inserted, somehow, the words "neo-Nazis" ... Elon Musk replied: "NBC basically saying Republicans are Nazis …"<ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk Replying to @tomselliott and @mehdirhasan ([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1521181798067224578 May 2, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
NBC basically saying Republicans are Nazis...</blockquote></ref> He slammed NBC over the scandals after host Mehdi Hassan says he’ll hand Twitter ‘to the far right.<ref>Thomas Barrabi, [https://nypost.com/2022/05/03/musk-slams-nbc-after-host-says-hell-hand-twitter-to-the-far-right/ Elon Musk slams NBC over scandals after host says he’ll hand Twitter ‘to the far right’], ''NY Post'', May 3, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
===Miscellaneous===<br />
Just before the sale, B911 asked if it will be still denounced (such as by the left) as a supposed "Russian bot" after 12 years of tweeting.<ref>Breaking911 @Breaking911 Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1518579159865466882 Apr 25, 2022]):<blockquote><br />
QUESTION: After 12 years of reporting, with 958K followers, if @elonmusk buys Twitter, will @Breaking911 finally be verified and no longer called a Russian bot?</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
At [[American Thinker]], it warned:<ref>[https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/04/are_we_being_blindly_optimistic_about_elon_musks_twitter_takeover.html Are we being blindly optimistic about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover?] 4/26/22</ref><blockquote>Do not expect the establishment to surrender; they will not let go without a prolonged dirty war, like the one they are still waging against Trump.</blockquote><br />
<br />
Actor/comedian/commentator Terrence K. Williams tweeted:<ref>Terrence K. Williams @w_terrence Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/w_terrence/status/1518961152356663301 April 26, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
Elon Musk is the first African American to own a large social media platform. He is one of my favorite African Americans and it’s sad to see so many people on the left attacking him during this Historic moment.</blockquote></ref><blockquote><br />
Elon Musk is the first African American to own a large social media platform. He is one of my favorite African Americans and it’s sad to see so many people on the left attacking him during this Historic moment.</blockquote><br />
<br />
In December 2022, Musk suspended the ElonJet on Twitter, a service that provides the location of Musk's jet in real time.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/technology/suspended-twitter-account-tracking-elon-musks-jet-moves-rival-metas-threads-2023-07-08/</ref><br />
<br />
On February 9, 2023, Twitter ended free access to its API, causing third-party apps to stop functioning and criticism from users.<ref>https://fortune.com/2023/02/10/elon-musk-twitter-charging-money-api-research-tool-scientist-explains-damage/</ref><br />
<br />
==Censorship==<br />
<br />
===Russia-Ukraine war===<br />
{{See also|Ukraine propaganda war}}<br />
<br />
Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia published a landmark paper on August 20, 2022 on the activities of bot accounts on Twitter related to the conflict in Ukraine. The Australian findings were staggering – of 5.2 million tweets on the [[social media]] network from February 23 to March 8, 2022 at the outbreak of the conflict, between 60 to 80% were shared by fake accounts.<ref>https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.07038.pdf</ref><br />
[[File:Twitter censorship.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Twitter censorship of the Russia-Ukraine war.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/10/twitter-removes-russian-embassy-tweet-on-mariupol-bombing</ref>]]<br />
Elon Musk offered the services of his Starlink to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for free. In October 2022 Musk posted a peace proposal on Twitter that read:<br />
{{quotebox-float|Ukraine-Russia Peace:<br />
<br />
- Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.<br />
<br />
- Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until [[Khrushchev]]’s mistake).<br />
<br />
- Water supply to Crimea assured.<br />
<br />
- Ukraine remains neutral.}}<br />
Ukrainian Ambassador [[Andrij Melnyk]] responded:<br />
[[File:Musk barlett.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Wikipedia Ukronazibots slander Eva K Bartlett after she alerted Musk to the existence of the Ukrainian Nazi kill list.]]<br />
{{quotebox-float|No Ukrainian will EVER buy your f***ing tesla crap. F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk}}<br />
Musk then announced it was costing him $20 million a month to provide the Starlink service and cut it off, saying either [[NATO]], the [[Pentagon]], or [[Zelensky regime]] should pick up the cost. Musk was immediately added to the [[Ukrainian Nazi]] [[Myrotvorets|kill list]]. However, Musk's aerospace deals with the Pentagon are quite lucrative, the service was restored, and his name removed from the kill list.<br />
<br />
Musk evidentially wasn't aware of the kill list until Canadian journalist [[Eva K Bartlett]] alerted him to it via Twitter, and Musk asked her for a url. [[Wikipedia]] Ukrinazibots immediately set upon Bartlett. Bartlett had been reporting on the kill list since 2019, when her name was added. Bartlett said in September 2022, "Returning to the issue of [[Myrotvorets]] [the so-called "Peacemaker" kill list), it’s absolutely appalling that a database like this exists, openly calling for the murders of people like myself, yourselves, 327 children, simply because we are speaking about [[Ukraine]]’s [[war crimes]] and we’re speaking about the [[corruption]] within Ukraine. This list presents a very real threat to Ukrainians themselves, not only to [[journalist]]s and to people who are speaking out, but to Ukrainians within Ukraine proper. Many of these Ukrainians have already been disappeared or killed."<ref>https://kurtnimmo.substack.com/p/elon-and-the-nazis</ref><br />
<br />
==History==<br />
{{See also|Twitter under Dorsey and Agrawal}}<br />
[[File:Jack Dorsey Taliban.PNG|right|200px|thumb|Jack Dorsey refused to ban the [[Taliban]] terrorist organization from Twitter.]]<br />
Dick Costolo became CEO in 2010. He was formerly a [[Google]] executive.<ref name=wsj>{{cite news|title=Beyond Tech Geeks and Narcisssists: Twitter Aims to Boost Site's Utility|work=Wall Street Journal|first=Shira|last=Ovide|date=July 24, 2012|page=B1}}</ref><br />
<br />
In a July 2012 interview with the ''Wall Street Journal'' Twitter's CEO explained his future plans. The paper noted, "Twitter executives still fight a perception that the service is only for tech geeks or narcissists, and there remain doubts about how big the San Francisco company can grow."<ref name=wsj/> Twitter wants to encourage users to communicate about particular events while they happen. Twitter plans to encourage independent application developers to use Twitter as a platform. It hopes to add tools to allow companies to analyze messages that discuss particular companies and events.<ref name=wsj/><br />
<br />
===Prominence===<br />
In its early days Republicans were more adept at utilizing Twitter than Democrats. Republicans occupied 18 of the top 20 spots in terms of followers for politicians on Twitter as of January 2010.<ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/lachlan-markay/2010/01/14/study-twitter-republicans-dominate-dems Study: On Twitter, Republicans Dominate Dems, NewsBusters.org, January 14, 2010]</ref> The study, "Twongress: The Power of Twitter in Congress,"<ref>[http://www.eyeonfda.com/files/twongress-white-paper-final-1-14-10.pdf Twongress: The Power of Twitter in Congress (PDF), Eyeonfda.com, January 2010]</ref> showed twice as many Republicans use Twitter even though there were far fewer Republicans in Congress at the time. ''"Republican (members of Congress) are outpacing their Democratic rivals in nearly every single category that was measured"'' <ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/15/republicans-gain-twitter-edge-democrats-study/ Republicans Gain the Twitter Edge on Democrats, Study Shows, Fox News, January 15, 2010]</ref> This has ushered a markedly different trend for Republicans, who for years have been outmatched by Democrats online.<br />
<br />
===Usage===<br />
<br />
Per 2011 figures, they are a fast growing company with over 200 million registered users worldwide, with an average of 65 million tweets daily.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703716904576134543029279426-lMyQjAxMTAxMDAwOTEwNDkyWj.html Twitter as Tech Bubble Barometer, Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2011]</ref> As of 2009, the major search engines integrated tweets into the search results. Twitter achieved its first profits by signing search engine contracts with Google and [[Bing]].<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc20091220_549879.htm Content-Search Deals Make Twitter Profitable, BusinessWeek, December 21, 2009]</ref> The company has an enormous market capitalization of 10-15 billion dollars. Twitter has rejected takeover offers worth hundreds of millions of dollars from [[Google]] and [[Facebook]]. <br />
<br />
Many celebrities, national sports figures and members of [[Congress]]<ref>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Members_of_Congress_who_Twitter Members of Congress who Twitter] Source Watch Encyclopedia</ref> have verified Twitter accounts and anybody can follow their posts.<br />
<br />
The site became such a popular destination that new news articles about Twitter appeared daily. In fact, one tweet by Daniel Knight Hayden, 52, which stated that he would massacre hundreds attending an Oklahoma City [[Tax Day Tea Party]] led to him being arrested by the FBI.<ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10227769-93.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0 FBI accuses Twitter user of massacre threats] CNet, April 26, 2009</ref> Tweets of popular celebrities and politicians have also been commented on in the [[mainstream media]].<br />
[[File:Pompeo Tweet.PNG|right|350px|thumb|On the night of January 8, 2021, during the purge of conservative voices by Big Tech on social media, U.S. Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]] posted this tweet.<ref>https://therightscoop.com/unreal-pompeo-makes-stunning-reveal-of-overnight-tech-purge-changes-on-twitter/</ref>]]<br />
Under liberal control (before Oct 2022), Twitter allowed graphic images of [[child pornography]] and [[child sex trade|child sex trafficking]] on its platform.<ref>https://nypost.com/2021/01/21/twitter-sued-for-allegedly-refusing-to-remove-child-porn/</ref><br />
<br />
===Conservatives on Twitter===<br />
Conservatives dominated on Twitter prior to shaddowbanning.<ref>[http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/07/22/conservatives-won-2010-twitter-battle/27982.html Conservatives Won 2010 Twitter Battle, PsychCentral, July 22, 2011]</ref> Some observers claim that liberals, who use wordy statements, have a hard time explaining themselves in 140 characters but it is to a conservative's advantage to articulate short and concise messages. Conservative words and phrases constantly make the top trending hashtags. As such, [[liberal tools]] are employed such as false flagging an account in large numbers.<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/article/report-angry-liberals-abusing-twitter-features-to-silence-conservatives, Report: Angry liberals abusing Twitter features to silence conservatives, Examiner.com, April 30, 2012]{{dead link}}</ref><ref>[http://www.stumpreport.com/990911-twitter-bans-another-conservative-account Twitter Bans Conservative Account, The Stump Report, August 10, 2011]</ref> This results in the banning of popular conservatives, commonly referred to as Twitter's Gulag. <br />
<br />
Conservative dominance was especially troubling for the campaign of Barack Obama. The Obama campaign loved to take full advantage of social networking to get their message out to the masses. Nearly every time Team Obama promoted a hashtag, such as #dontdoublemyrate, conservatives would hijack the message.<ref>[https://www.theblaze.com/stories/gen44-conservatives-usurp-obamas-twitter-hashtag-again/ #GEN44: CONSERVATIVES USURP OBAMA’S TWITTER HASHTAG…AGAIN, The Blaze, March 25, 2012]</ref> A quick search would result in thousands of satirical responding tweets drowning out the Obama campaign's message with mockery.<br />
<br />
Twitter's then-head Jack Dorsey admitted that his company was "left-leaning."<ref>Kirkwood, R. Cort (August 20, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/29829-twitter-admits-leaning-left-denies-censoring-conservatives Twitter Admits Leaning Left; Denies Censoring Conservatives]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 25, 2018.</ref><br />
<br />
Notably, Twitter banned conservative [[James Woods]] for a mild comment in relation to the extreme unpunished statements made frequently by leftists.<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Wulfsohn, Joseph A. (May 4, 2019). [https://www.lifezette.com/2019/05/conservative-james-woods-locked-out-of-twitter-other-figures-banned-by-facebook/ Conservative James Woods Locked Out of Twitter, Other Figures Banned by Facebook]. ''LifeZette''. Retrieved May 4, 2019.<br />
*Caruso, Justin (May 3, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/05/03/james-woods-banned-from-twitter-amid-silicon-valleys-conservative-blacklisting-campaign/ James Woods Banned from Twitter Amid Silicon Valley’s Conservative Blacklisting Campaign]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 4, 2019.</ref> The site blocked numerous other conservative figures.<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Morton, Victor (May 7, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/7/david-horowitz-twitter-account-suspended/ Twitter suspends conservative activist David Horowitz]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.<br />
*Ernst, Douglas (May 7, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/7/jack-posobiec-magaphobia-twitter-account-for-track/ Twitter suspends Jack Posobiec's @MAGAphobia account for tracking violence against Trump supporters]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
===Misleading investors===<br />
In September 2021 Twitter disclosed a binding agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit, under which the social network wOULD pay $809.5 million to resolve claims it provided misleading user-engagement info to investors.<br />
<br />
The original lawsuit, filed in 2016 by a Twitter shareholder, alleged Dorsey and others including former CEO Dick Costolo and board member Evan Williams hid facts about Twitter’s slowing user growth while they sold their personal stock holdings “for hundreds of millions of dollars in insider profits.”<ref>https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/twitter-investor-lawsuit-settlement-payment-jack-dorsey-1235068982/</ref><br />
<br />
===Twitter executives hate speech===<br />
[[File:Twitter-employee-tweet.jpg|left|300px|thumb|A Twitter engineer tweet three days after President Trump's first inauguration.]]<br />
{{See also|Liberal bias}}<br />
Under liberal ownership, Twitter’s corrupt senior executives and other employees have a long history of anti-Trump [[hatred]], a ''[[New York Post]]'' review of dozens of accounts of top employees found.<ref>https://nypost.com/2020/10/17/twitter-employees-reveal-deep-hatred-for-trump/</ref> The venom, vitriol and, in some cases, vows to help Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election while said employees behave like emotionally-stunted preschool children online was enabled and encouraged by Jack Dorsey himself.<br />
<br />
“GET HIM OUT,” posted a senior site reliability engineer on August 18, 2020 “What a f---king baboon.” One manager with nine years on the job said he was quite keen to watch Biden “crush [Trump] in the election” and that he hoped the President would “be utterly humiliated while also suffering greatly from [[Covid 19|#COVID19]].” He vulgarly and immaturely called Trump “a f---king idiot” and the voters who elected him — “hysterically f–--king [[stupid]] people.” Others publicly wished the President harm. One Twitter engineering manager, displaying his own [[childishness]], said Trump should “die in a fire” in a January 2017 tweet. A year later, he rang in the new year by falsely claiming “Happy 2018! Donald Trump is dead!”<br />
<br />
None of these comments were ever flagged by Twitter or been subject to any other form of official sanction, even as the social-media giant unjustly dished out discipline to others for sharing legitimate news stories about Joe Biden. After a fly landed on Vice President [[Mike Pence]]’s head during his debate with Sen. [[Kamala Harris]], the Twitter vice president noted crudely that flies are “drawn to sh-t.”<br />
<br />
Spreading misinformation, lies and libel about the Trump family was common. A senior staff engineer inquired why the media wasn’t looking into [[Melania Trump]]’s “possible stint as a sex worker.” The First Lady denied this allegation and successfully sued over it. Twitter’s “head of integrity” [[Yoel Roth]], who helped author the policy update used by the company to flag and label posts from President Trump, compared [[White House]] officials to "[[Nazi]]s" and Trump to a “racist tangerine.”<br />
<br />
===Racist administrators===<br />
[[File:Tarrio-600x352.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Racist Twitter Admins permanently banned a Black Cuban GOP congressional candidate.]]<br />
[[Racist]] Twitter administrators banned a pro-Trump [[African American|Afro]]-[[Cuba]]n [[GOP]] congressional candidate. Enrique Tarrio was permanently suspended by the digital platform without reason.<ref>https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/11/afro-cuban-gop-candidate-for-congress-banned-from-twitter/</ref><br />
Tarrio said in a statement,<br />
{{quotebox-float|[[Big-tech]] has proven once again cannot be trusted with [[election]]s. The seat I am running for is extremely winnable. I am the front-runner in the GOP primary and they are clearly trying to silence our campaign in favor of [[Never Trumper]]s.<br />
<br />
The mountain we have to climb to get through this primary and then defeat our [[Democrat]] opponent in the general election is made that much more difficult. Regardless, I will not relent and I will make sure we remained focused on implementing the America First agenda.”}}<br />
<br />
===CCP propaganda and covid coverup===<br />
{{See also|CCP propaganda war|Covid coverup}}<br />
<br />
In 2019, leading up to the 30th anniversary of the [[Tiananmen Square massacre]], Twitter suspended multiple accounts critical of China's Communist regime.<ref>Zeng, Jennifer (June 1, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/twitter-suspends-accounts-critical-of-chinese-regime-days-before-tiananmen-anniversary_2947359.html Twitter Suspends Accounts Critical of Chinese Regime Days Before Tiananmen Anniversary]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved June 2, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*Klar, Rebecca (June 2, 2019). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/446534-twitter-apologizes-for-blocking-accounts-ahead-of-tiananmen-square-anniversary Twitter apologizes for blocking accounts ahead of Tiananmen Square anniversary]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved June 2, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
In December 2021, [[Alex Berenson]], a former science writer for the ''New York Times'', filed a lawsuit against Twitter after he was suspended for posting the results of [[Pfizer COVID vaccine]] clinical tests.<ref>https://jonathanturley.org/2021/07/31/twitter-suspends-science-writer-after-he-posts-results-of-pfizer-clinical-test/</ref><br />
<br />
Dr. [[Robert Malone]] is the inventor of the nine original mRNA vaccine patents, which were originally filed in 1989, including both the idea of mRNA vaccines and the original proof of principle experiments, and RNA transfection. Dr. Robert Malone has close to 100 peer-reviewed publications which have been cited over 12,000 times.<br />
<br />
Since the [[CCP pandemic]] outbreak in January 2020, Dr. Malone has been lead a large team focused on clinical research design, drug development, computer modeling and mechanisms of action of repurposed drugs for the treatment of [[COVID-19]].<br />
<br />
Dr. Malone is the Medical Director of The Unity Project, a group of 300 organizations across the United States standing against mandated Covid vaccines for children. Dr. Malone is also the President of the Global Covid Summit, an organization of over 16,000 doctors and scientists committed to speaking truth to power about Covid pandemic research and treatment.<br />
<br />
In December 2021, Dr. Malone was banned for life by Twitter.<br />
<br />
===Antifa riots===<br />
{{see also|2020 Antifa riots}}<br />
Twitter facilitated communications between [[leftwing]] [[terrorist]]s during the [[2020 Antifa riots]] and blocked or restricted tweets in support of restoring law and order and protecting innocent lives.<br />
<br />
In 2020, Twitter was listed as one of numerous leftist-controlled companies that went "[[woke]]" and began supporting the criminal rioters of [[Antifa]] and [[Black Lives Matter]] in the wake of the [[2020 leftist riots]].<ref>[https://gab.com/a/posts/104311289660016704 Here Are The Companies That Support Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and Want You Dead] at Gab.com</ref><br />
<br />
===2020 Presidential election interference===<br />
{{See also|2020 Presidential election}}<br />
Twitter imposed new [[draco]]ian censorship measures aimed at [[conservative]] users in October 2020.<ref>https://markzuckerberg.news/2020-09-30-doj-targets-big-tech-censorship-election-meddling-racketeering.html</ref> One example is labeling criticism of mail-in balloting as ‘misinformation’. [[James Woods]] commented the new labeling is clear:<br />
{{quotebox-float|“They are closing down conservative voices completely now. Be prepared that you will no longer be able to see most of my communications, if indeed my account remains open at all. Sorry, folks, but it’s over. And they couldn’t care less what you think. This is the face of [[tyranny]].”<ref>https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/10/12/twitters-new-policy-sparks-sad-warning-from-james-woods-sorry-folks-but-its-over-983577</ref>}}<br />
For the first time in [[American history]] social media companies took [[direct action]] against a major U.S. publisher,<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/twitter-and-facebooks-assault-on-freedom-of-the-press_3540670.html</ref> ''[[The New York Post]]'' when it published a story on [[Biden-Burisma]] scandal.<ref>*https://nypost.com/2020/10/14/email-reveals-how-hunter-biden-introduced-ukrainian-biz-man-to-dad/<br>*https://youtu.be/r4Kcc7a114I<br>*https://youtu.be/89ByR-vrnc4</ref> ''The Post'' is among the top five newspapers by circulation in the United States. Twitter locked the account of the ''New York Post'', banning the paper from posting any content at all. ''The Post's'' remained locked out of its account for 16 days. account remained locked.<ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/political/twitter-capitulates-reinstates-nypost-account-after-16-day-suspension</ref> These actions raised serious questions about many social media platforms future [[Section 230]] immunity status.<br />
<br />
Twitter and Facebook interfered in the [[2020 presidential election]] by blocking links to the article.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/14/election-interference-facebook-suppressing-new-york-post-bombshell-story-of-damaging-hunter-biden-emails/</ref><ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/10/14/bookmark-todays-date-big-tech-has-crossed-the-event-horizon-to-protect-joe-biden/</ref> Twitter and Facebook both had many foreign stockholders.<ref>"Finalized January of 2011, the transaction included a $450 million investment from Goldman Sachs, $50 million from DST, and $1 billion from unnamed foreign investors." http://whoownsfacebook.com/#Goldman<br>*https://qz.com/519388/this-saudi-prince-now-owns-more-of-twitter-than-jack-dorsey-does/</ref> Twitter banned people who posted ''The New York Post'' story,<ref>https://www.wnd.com/2020/10/twitter-now-banning-users-posting-ny-post-story-hunter-biden/</ref> including [[White House]] Press Secretary [[Kayleigh McEnany]] for sharing the article,<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/15/twitter-bans-white-house-press-secretary-for-sharing-hunter-and-joe-biden-corruption-article/</ref> locked the Trump Campaign account less than 3 weeks before the 2020 Presidential election.<ref>https://creativedestructionmedia.com/news/politics/2020/10/15/twitter-locks-trump-campaign-account-less-than-3-weeks-before-presidential-election/</ref> Rep. Jim Jordan posted the Biden-Burisma story on a federal government website after Twitter censored the House Judiciary GOP, at which point the link was promptly censored by Twitter.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/jim-jordan-posts-hunter-biden-burisma-story-twitter-censors-house-judiciary-gop/</ref> [[Wikipedia]] editors censored the [[Hunter Biden]] bombshell, and called the ''New York Post'' an ‘unreliable’ source.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/wikipedia-editors-censor-hunter-biden-bombshell-call-new-york-post-unreliable-source/</ref> [[Google]] also was reported to be meddling in [[U.S. Senate]] elections.<ref>https://patriotdailypress.org/2020/10/13/google-researcher-warns-google-may-be-shifting-power-to-flip-senate/</ref> The [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] announced that Twitter CEO [[Jack Dorsey]] would be [[subpoena]]ed to explain the meddling.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/senate-judiciary-committee-will-subpoena-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-over-ny-post-censorship/</ref> Former [[James Comey]] general counsel [[James A. Baker (DOJ)]], who was complicit in the [[Obamagate timeline|Obamagate]] and [[FISA abuse]] scandals, is Twitter's lead counsel.<ref>https://nypost.com/2020/06/16/twitter-hires-former-fbi-chief-counsel-as-deputy-lawyer/</ref> The [[RNC]] made a formal complaint to the [[Federal Elections Commission]] which reads in part,<br />
{{quotebox-float|"Respondent’s feud with President Trump is well known, as are its frequent efforts to censor the President’s tweets and the “shadow banning” of prominent Republicans, including RNC’s Chair, [[Ronna McDaniel]], and several Republican Members of Congress. Respondent’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, and other senior executives are prolific donors to the Democrat party and other left-wing causes, with 98.7% of the company’s total political contributions going to Democrats. In addition, there appears to be a revolving door between the Biden campaign and the company, with Respondent’s Public Policy Director recently leaving to join the Biden transition team and [[Senator Kamala Harris]]’s former Press Secretary now serving as Respondent’s Senior Communications Manager."<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/480341244/RNC-Complaint-Against-Twitter-Inc-Web#from_embed</ref>}}<br />
Twitter failed to act on a viral message posted on its platform containing a doctored image purporting to be a text message between [[Rudy Giuliani]] and [[Ivanka Trump]].<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/21/twitter-allows-rachel-maddow-and-an-army-of-leftists-to-spread-rudy-giuliani-misinformation/</ref> The ''New York Post'', [[Gateway Pundit]]'', and Big League Politics all were placed on Twitter's suspension hit list the final week before election day.<ref>https://bigleaguepolitics.com/big-league-politics-gateway-pundit-new-york-post-among-news-outlets-placed-on-twitter-suspension-weeks-before-election/</ref><br />
<br />
====Laptop from Hell====<br />
{{See also|Laptop from Hell}}<br />
Twitter justified blocking the ''New York Post's'' scoop on the Biden Burisma scandal claiming it violated Twitter's "Hacked Material Policy." The policy “prohibits the use of our service to distribute content obtained without authorization” because, they said, they “don’t want to incentivize hacking by allowing Twitter to be used as distribution for possibly illegally obtained materials.” That standard would result in the banning from the platform the ''[[Pentagon Papers]]'' which ultimately toppled [[Richard Nixon]], the [[Snowden]] reporting, the [[Panama Papers]], the [[DNC]] and [[John Podesta|Podesta emails]] that exposed corruption and forced the 2016 resignation of the top five officials of the [[Democratic National Committee]], and President Trump's tax returns.<br />
<br />
====Violations of Section 230====<br />
{{see also|Social media censorship}}<br />
<br />
In May 2020, Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey came under heavy criticism for the company's recent decision to begin inserting "[[fact-checking]]" links into the tweets made by President Trump, with the company claiming those tweets to be "misleading" despite the exposure by [[Project Veritas]] of Democrat-led [[voter fraud]] proving otherwise,<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/10/18/commit-voter-fraud-massive-scale-part-ii-project-veritas-investigation-clinton-network/ "How to Commit Voter Fraud on a Massive Scale": Part II of Project Veritas Investigation into Clinton Network] at Breitbart News Network</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDc8PVCvfKs Rigging the Election - Video II: Mass Voter Fraud] at Project Veritas Action YouTube channel</ref> after Trump tweeted about recent concerns over the intent by the Democrat Party to commit voter fraud at the federal, state and local levels through the use of mail-in ballots during the [[2020 Presidential election]].<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/leave-our-employees-out-of-this-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-responds-to-trump-broadside 'Leave our employees out of this': Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey responds to Trump broadside] at the Washington Examiner</ref> The "fact-checking" links in question lead to an "information" page containing links from liberal media outlets such as [[CNN]], [[MSNBC]], the ''[[New York Times]]'' and the ''[[Washington Post]]'', all of which indulge in publishing factually-devoid and misleading [[fake news]] hit pieces and opinion pieces masquerading as "news" regarding the mail-in vote scandal<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/05/twitter-falsely-undermined-truth-thereby-misleading-american-public-senior-legal-adviser-trump-campaign-responds-twitters-blatantly-partisan-attack-president/ "Twitter Falsely Undermined the Truth... Thereby Misleading the American Public" – Senior Legal Adviser to @TeamTrump Responds to Twitter’s "Blatantly Partisan" Attack on President] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> to fit their anti-Trump narratives.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/twitter-slaps-fact-checking-alert-to-trump-tweets Twitter slaps fact-checking alert on Trump tweets] at the Washington Examiner</ref> This decision also had the inadvertent outcome of embarrassing Twitter employee Yoel Roth, who was outed as having falsely accused Trump officials, including Presidential counselor [[Kellyanne Conway]], of being "Nazis" in past tweets he posted.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/twitters-chief-fact-checker-called-trump-officials-nazis/ Twitter's chief "fact-checker" called Trump officials "Nazis"] at WorldNetDaily</ref> Trump, who accused Twitter of openly trying to interfere with free elections and illegally impeding free speech, responded to Twitter's tampering with his tweets by announcing that he may place Twitter and similar social media companies under heavy regulation or shut them down altogether to punish them for their extreme liberal bias and illegal censorship (in violation of the [[First Amendment]]) of conservative speech and thought.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/close-them-down-trump-threatens-to-regulate-or-shutter-social-media-platforms-after-twitter-fact-check 'Close them down': Trump threatens to regulate or shutter social media platforms after Twitter fact-check] at the Washington Examiner</ref> Republican Florida senator [[Marco Rubio]] also weighed in on the controversy, saying that Twitter could lose its liability protections for choosing to act as a publisher by exercising editorial control through its tampering with Trump's tweets.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rubio-warns-twitter-after-it-puts-fact-check-label-on-trump-tweet Rubio warns Twitter after it puts fact-check label on Trump tweet] at the Washington Examiner</ref><ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/u-s-senator-warns-twitter-lose-shield-liability/ U.S. senator warns Twitter could lose shield from liability] at WorldNetDaily</ref> <br />
<br />
Twitter's illegal actions led directly to Trump signing an Executive Order on May 28, 2020 with the intent of bringing Twitter, Facebook, Google (and its YouTube subsidiary) and other leftist-controlled social media companies to heel with a new policy on the conduct of those companies and putting an end to both their illegal censorship and silencing of conservatives and their liberal bias in allowing violent leftists to basically have the run of those sites without consequence or responsibility.<ref>[https://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2020/05/29/accountability/news-media/social-media-meet-their-match/ Social media meet their match] at Conservative News and Views</ref> Predictably, Twitter and Facebook reacted negatively toward the Trump Executive Order, with Twitter accusing the order of being "a reactionary and politicized approach to a landmark law (Section 230(c) of the Communications Decency Act)" and claiming, without evidence, that "Attempts to unilaterally erode (Section 230(c)) threaten the future of online speech and Internet freedoms" while ignoring that, under the [[Obama regime]], Section 230(c) had been perverted and used by liberals in public office to impose acceptance of liberal agendas such as [[abortion on demand]], [[gender confusion]], "[[climate change]]", unfair taxation of wealth and the [[homosexual agenda]] on the American public and to themselves threaten online speech and Internet freedoms by ordering Twitter and other social media companies to illegally censor, silence, persecute and punish dissenting voices who disagreed with and opposed the imposition of those agendas. President Trump responded to Twitter's irresponsible actions with a strong rebuke directed at the company in a tweet on his Twitter account:<br />
{{quotebox|Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & [[CCP propaganda war|propaganda being put out by China]] or the Radical Left Democrat Party. They have targeted Republicans, Conservatives & the President of the United States. [[Section 230]] should be revoked by Congress. Until then, it will be regulated!<ref>https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266326065833824257</ref>}}<br />
Despite the Trump Executive Order, however, Twitter and its employees continued to openly defy the President and engage in illegal censorship and lawless behavior by hiding visibility of the content of two tweets by Trump (and later, taking things even further by illegally deleting recent Trump tweets entirely<ref>[https://nationalfile.com/breaking-twitter-censors-trump-by-completely-removing-his-tweet-for-first-time/ BREAKING: Twitter Censors Trump By Completely Removing His Tweet For First Time]</ref>) while hypocritically continuing to allow openly violent leftist tweets to remain intact,<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/twitter-censors-trump-countless-violent-tweets-remain-active/ Twitter censors Trump while countless violent tweets remain active] at WorldNetDaily<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/05/29/twitter-hides-trump-minneapolis-tweet-accuses-him-glorifying-violence/ Twitter Censors Trump Minneapolis Tweet, Accuses Him of "Glorifying Violence"] at Breitbart News Network<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/06/23/twitter-censors-president-trump-again-over-warning-to-lawless-agitators/ Twitter Censors President Trump (Again) over Warning to Lawless Agitators] at Breitbart News Network</ref> even allowing criminal looters and rioters to use the site to openly coordinate their criminal behavior while their supporters advised them of looting targets<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/05/31/twitter-allows-looters-to-coordinate-criminal-behavior-while-it-declares-blacklivesmatter/ Twitter Allows Looters to Coordinate Criminal Behavior While It Declares ‘#BlackLivesMatter’]</ref> and while Twitter did nothing to stop them despite numerous reports against those tweets, which left Twitter and its employees, including Jack Dorsey himself, open to criminal, civil and regulatory liability for their defiant and irresponsible actions.<br />
<br />
Rep. [[Matt Gaetz]] filed a complaint with the [[Federal Election Commission]] alleging election meddling in the [[2020 presidential election]]. The complaint reads, <br />
{{quotebox|Twitter has taken upon itself to free ride on one of the President’s Tweets as a campaigning activity. The social media platform is overstepping boundaries and setting aside its privileged role as a mere ‘interactive computer service,’ and instead acting as a ‘shadow contributor’ to the [[Democratic National Committee]]. By trespassing its role as a [Section] 230 protected forum, Twitter has acted as a campaign contributor, and not as a mere interactive computer service.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2020/05/29/matt-gaetz-shadow-contributor-twitter-democrats-fec-complaint-fact-check/</ref>}}<br />
A study from the [[Media Research Center]] showed that Twitter and Facebook censored President Donald Trump and the president’s affiliated campaign accounts at least 65 times in 2019 and 2020, while leaving Biden untouched.<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/19/new-study-shows-facebook-and-twitter-censored-trump-65-times-biden-zero/</ref><br />
<br />
====Potential revocation of non-publisher immunity====<br />
On May 15, 2021, federal judge Mark L. Wolf announced that he would hold a hearing on May 20 and ordered Twitter executives to appear at the hearing to make Twitter explain whether it is a truly private company or is acting on behalf of the State to illegally censor conservative voices.<ref name="Speech Police">[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/05/federal-judge-signals-may-end-twitters-immunity-speech-police-worried/ HUGE BREAKING NEWS: Federal Judge Signals He May END Twitter’s Immunity in Dr. Shiva Case – Speech Police in Panic — Watch Hearing Live on May 20] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> The hearing comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed against Twitter by Dr. [[Shiva Ayyadurai]], who ran as the Republican candidate for the US Senate in Massachusetts in the [[2020 presidential election]] and whose tweets pointing out [[Democrat election fraud]] were censored by Twitter; it was later discovered that the tweets were deleted on orders from employees of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, leading Ayyadurai to file the suit, pointing out that his First Amendment rights were violated when the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts government silenced him to affect an election. By quoting the connected cases of ''Manhattan Cmty. Access Corp. v. Halleck''<ref>[https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/587/17-1702/ Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck]</ref> and ''Blum v. Yaretsky''<ref>[https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/457/991/ Blum v. Yaretsky]</ref> in the upcoming hearing, this could have spelled the end of Section 230 immunity protections for Twitter and other liberal Big Tech companies (which has given Big Tech immunity from lawsuits, but has allowed them to abuse that immunity at will through its illegal censorship of conservative voices and factual information while allowing liberal views (including violent posts, liberal hate speech and even death threats) and [[fake news]] from the [[liberal media]] free reign, as well as allowing liberal politicians to use Big Tech as a conduit to silence political opponents via special portals offered to government officials, which they then use to flag and delete any content they do not like). The Gateway Pundit pointed out in its report on this story:<br />
{{cquote|Dr. Ayyadurai is claiming that the Constitution trumps CDA 230 and the government cannot outsource to private actors to silence people’s speech they disagree with, and that the government and Twitter are acting together as one: that Twitter is essentially a state actor.<ref name="Speech Police"/>}}<br />
<br />
===President Trump banned===<br />
[[President Donald Trump]] brought even more attention to the social networking site, and drew both more conservatives and critics. He was well-known for his plentiful, blunt, and oft humorous tweets, and made it a regular practice to communicate with the public using Twitter, even before his political career. He became quite popular on Twitter, with over 26 million followers. He became so popular, in fact, that searching just the letter "r", the fist letter of his username,"@realDonaldTrump" returned him as the first search suggestion. He was illegally banned from Twitter on January 6th, 2021, after the mostly peaceful Capitol building protests.<br />
<br />
In the case of ''Trump v. Twitter'', filed in July 2021, attorneys for President Trump argued,<br />
[[File:Twitter content moderator.PNG|right|300px|thumb|A Twitter content moderator in the Dorsey/Argawal era.<ref>https://www.bitchute.com/video/khMrHq8lbECT/</ref>]]<br />
{{quotebox-float|"[The companies have] unprecedented power over the content of public discourse to censor constitutionally protected speech with impunity, resulting in a grave threat to the freedom of expression and to democracy itself."<ref>https://www.courthousenews.com/trump-sues-tech-giants-for-booting-him-from-their-sites/</ref>}}<br />
<br />
===Transgenderism and misogyny===<br />
Under liberal control, Twitter was used as a prominent platform used by [[transgender]] extremists and [[misogynist]]s for the promotion of [[discrimination]] against women, particularly in the area of girls' and women's athletic competition.<br />
<br />
===Iranian protesters===<br />
Iranian protesters angered by the results of [[Iran]]'s disputed presidential election started to tweet marches on the government. This forced the oppressive Islamic Republic dictatorship block all cell phone messaging in June 2009, as tweets can also be submitted via text message. At the request of the U.S. State Department, Twitter delayed scheduled maintenance to allow tweets from Iranians.<br />
<br />
In a separate incident, a group calling itself "Iranian Cyber Army", hacked into Twitter and defaced their homepage. They replaced the page with a bold pro-Iranian and anti-American message.<ref>[http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/18/twitter-dns-attack-iran/ Twitter Hack: Part Of Broader Iranian Strategy, Techcrunch.com, December 18, 2009]</ref><br />
<br />
===Loss of immunity in India===<br />
Twitter lost its immunity as an intermediary in [[India]] and became exposed to legal liability for any content published on its platform in June 2021.<ref>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/twitter-loses-legal-shield-in-india-for-3rd-party-content/articleshow/83556056.cms</ref> Twitter's snubbing of Indian law has been described as "neo-colonialist."<br />
<br />
===Agrawal regime===<br />
[[File:Agrawai_tweet.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Parag Agrawal - New chief at Twitter in 2021<ref>Alexander Hall, [https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/free-speech/alexander-hall/2021/11/29/bad-worse-conservatives-slam-incoming-leftist-twitter From Bad to Worse! Conservatives SLAM Incoming Leftist Twitter CEO], News Busters, Nov 29, 2021</ref>]] <br />
Dorsey eventually resigned from running the site, although his replacement was even more radical than him. Parag Agrawal was considered even a greater totalitarian fascist than Dorsey. Agrawal clearly stated that he was against the First Amendment and against freedom of speech.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaJvT1c4XGE Parag Agrawal, Twitter's CEO, is SICK of All These Uncensored Opinions! | Louder With Crowder]</ref><br />
<br />
Agrawal was the first to be fired on the first day Elon Musk began attempting to salvage the project and started cleaning house.<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
* [[Truth Social]] (by [[Trump]])<br />
*[[Gab]] (conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter)<br />
* [[Tweet]]<br />
* [[Social media]]<br />
* [[Facebook]]<br />
* [[MySpace]]<br />
* [[Google Plus]]<br />
* [[Donald Trump and social media]]<br />
* [[Voter suppression]]<br />
* [[Biden Putsch]]<br />
* [[2020 Election fraud timeline]]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
*[http://www.twitter.com Twitter Home Page]<br />
*[http://twitchy.com Twitchy.com: compiler of hilarious conservative and numskull liberal tweets]<br />
*[http://www.twulitzerprize.com/ Twulitzerprize.com; Daily best, worst, obvious tweets]<br />
*[https://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3955253&referralPlaylistId=playlist Video - Social Networking - Twitter can get you fired], ''Fox News'', March 24, 2009<br />
*[https://lauraloomer.us/2019/08/27/exclusive-the-roots-of-twitters-shadowbanning-operation/#.XWaPQZNKjUI The Roots of Twitter’s Shadowbanning Operation], lauraloomer.us<br />
*[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10075487-83.html?tag=mncol;txt U.S. Army warns of twittering terrorists]<br />
*[http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10439573-36.html Astronaut sends first live tweets from space]<br />
*[https://twitter.com/almightygod The Twitter account of Almighty God]<br />
*[https://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room Congressional Twitter accounts]<br />
*[https://youtu.be/msYRT21FYoQ Elon Musk Buying Twitter: Why It's a Bigger Battle Than You Think], The New Atlas, Apr 17, 2022.<br />
[[Category:Online Social Networking]]<br />
[[Category:Websites]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=X_Corp.&diff=2007083X Corp.2023-11-30T04:19:26Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Miscellaneous */ free API ended</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Musk and Rubin.jpg|thumb|NYT bought its Twitter followers to fake influence]]<br />
'''Twitter, Inc.''', renamed as "X" on July 23, 2023,<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/Business/rebranded-twitter/story?id=101605679</ref> is a [[Big Tech]] social networking tool, acquired by [[Elon Musk]] on October 27, 2022, after years of [[liberal censorship]] by [[Leftists]] in [[San Francisco]] ([[Twitter#Sale to Elon Musk|see below]]). Musk immediately fired its top management, and dissolved its [[Leftist]] Board of Directors immediately. Musk suspects he was lied to by underestimates of sham accounts, but a lawsuit by [[Opposition to Donald Trump|Never-Trumpers]] in a hostile court forced Musk to buy Twitter. On Nov. 4, 2022, Musk fired about half of Twitter's 7,500 mostly-[[liberal]] workforce.<ref>https://people.com/human-interest/elon-musk-claims-he-had-no-choice-but-to-fire-half-of-twitter-staff/</ref> He offered them a generous severance package, more than required. The [[Biden regime]] then falsely labelled Musk a "[[national security]] threat."<ref>https://youtu.be/ORSuo1LsyRQ</ref><br />
<br />
While X improved in some ways under Musk's leadership, its entrenched [[San Francisco]] staff has continued [[liberal censorship]] and within a year its value dropped from $44 billion to only $19 billion.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/30/23938969/x-twitter-valuation-19-billion-employee-shares</ref> Musk has suggested he may move the entire platform behind a paywall to "combat vast armies of bots."<ref>https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-twitter-paywall-for-everyone-2023-9</ref> This could also end the [[liberal]] [[troll]]ing and fake impersonation that occurs there.<br />
<br />
Elon Musk stood courageously against the [[communist]] dictatorship in [[China]], as [[Apple]] caved into the [[liberal censorship]] and tried to banish Twitter for allowing [[free speech]].<br />
<br />
As Musk explained, the mass layoffs were made necessary by [[Leftist]] demands that advertisers boycott Twitter:<br />
<blockquote>"Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists.<br />
<br />
Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy [[free speech]] in [[America]]."<ref>[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1588538640401018880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588538640401018880%7Ctwgr%5E7f0bb400d1de30335f7ccd328e31bc941826f4f8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeople.com%2Fembed%3Furl%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Ftwitter2Fstatus2F1588538640401018880id%3Dmntl-sc-block_1-0-20-iframeoptions%3De303DdocId%3D6825991]https://archive.ph/HL3F7</ref></blockquote><br />
On November 7, 2022, Musk announced the end to Twitter's allowance of impersonation by [[liberal]] [[troll]]s of innocent victims, which had made Twitter a cesspool of [[Leftist]] deception and smears. But [[Leftist]] trolling became epidemic on November 10 such that the [[FTC]] issues a warning against so many fraudulent impersonation accounts purchases for merely $8.<ref>https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/10/fake-account-chaos-engulfs-musks-twitter-00066217</ref><br />
==Overview==<br />
Twitter was founded in 2006<ref>https://www.lifewire.com/history-of-twitter-3288854</ref> and emerged as a new medium of online [[news]] distribution that became infested by [[woke]] [[troll]]s and fake accounts. The claimed numbers of followers of [[liberal]] figures on it are falsely inflated, such that one audit in 2022 concluded that nearly half of [[Joe Biden]]’s Twitter followers are fake.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2022/05/18/audit-reveals-almost-half-of-joe-bidens-twitter-followers-are-fake/</ref><br />
[[File:Twitter bird logo 2012.svg.png|left|160px]]<br />
As a free microblogging [[website]], Twitter users can submit messages containing 140 characters or less to their followers, was co-founded by [[Jack Dorsey]] and Evan Williams. ''Twitter'' is a privately funded startup established by Obvious.com in [[San Francisco]], on March 21, 2006.<ref>[http://mashable.com/2009/03/21/happy-birthday-twitter/ Happy Birthday Twitter!] Mashable</ref><ref>[http://cellphones.about.com/od/textmessaging/a/twittertexting.htm Twitter: Free Microblogging Service Perhaps the Perfect Mobile Blogging Tool, About.com, August 16, 2008]</ref> Under liberal control, official Twitter policy was supportive of anarcho-Marxism, was intolerant of dissidence (see [[liberal censorship]]), and lacked diversity of opinion. As of mid-2020 Twitter has enjoyed [[Section 230]] immunity from prosecution for its election interference and other abuses, as well as [[monopoly]] control. There has been widespread discontent over Twitter's abuses of the public trust under its previous liberal ownership. It has been characterized as the "Wuhan wet market of ideas."<ref>https://youtu.be/DdYwUdRukV4</ref><br />
<br />
[[Liberal]]s forced [[free speech]] advocate [[Elon Musk]] to complete his purchase of Twitter at a price of $44 billion, using a hostile court proceeding and an inflation of its price based on an underestimate of its fake accounts.<br />
<br />
Twitter allows users to follow others, share status updates and / or news via "tweets," or republish another user's status update (referred to as a "retweet"). If a subject is popular enough, it can become a trending topic worldwide, and is displayed on the main website. Corporations can also pay Twitter to have a "Sponsored Trend" appear in the trending topics column. Twitter has made URL shorterners (such as ow.ly, bit.ly, tinyurl.com, and goo.gl, to name a few) popular, as they allow long URLs to be shortened and posted within a tweet.<br />
<br />
As a simple messaging tool, the website states: <br />
{{cquote|Twitter asks one question, "What are you doing?" Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web. The result of using Twitter to stay connected with friends, relatives, and coworkers is that you have a sense of what folks are up to but you are not expected to respond to any updates unless you want to.}}<br />
<br />
The Twitter [[API]] allows developers to create applications for computers and mobile phones that allow users to filter their Twitter feed, as well as track click-through rates, manage multiple accounts, or log-in to a website using their Twitter login.<br />
<br />
==Reform era==<br />
[[File:Trump Musk Twitter poll.PNG|right|thumb|Trump won poll, to be reinstated (Nov/2022)]]<br />
Elon Musk reinstated [[Donald Trump]] account <ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk:<br />
<i><br />
The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.</i><br />
[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1594131768298315777?s=20&t= 19 Nov 2022].<br><br />
Nov 19, 2022 profile: <i>Donald J. Trump<br />
@realDonaldTrump<br />
45th President of the United States of America🇺🇸<br />
Washington, DCVote.DonaldJTrump.com<br />
Joined March 2009</i></ref> weeks after purchasing Twitter, on Nov 19, 2022, (winning poll to be reinstated<ref>Over 15 million people voted in this poll. The final numbers were: Yes 51.8% No 48.2% 15,034,670 votes. [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1593767953706921985 Elon Musk @elonmusk, Nov 18, 2022]</ref>). He also unblocked [[Babylon Bee]] and [[Jordan Peterson]] accounts.<br />
<br />
[[File:Marc Rebillet Jan 6 2021 Twitter.PNG|right|thumb|Marc Rebillet's reply to Trump on 12:39 PM MST = 2:39 PM EST]]<br />
<br />
As Trump's account was reinstated, one can see his tweet on J6 at 2:38 PM EST:<ref><br />
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump:<blockquote><br />
Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!</blockquote><br />
<br><i><br />
[https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346904110969315332 2:38 PM · Jan 6, 2021·Twitter for iPhone]</i> (EST)</ref><br />
<blockquote><br />
"Please supoort out Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our country. Stay peaceful."</blockquote><br />
<br />
To which a liberal [[BLM]]-fanatic<ref>[https://www.google.com/search?q=MARC+REBILLET+black+lives+matter]<br />
<blockquote>If they were black they’d be bleeding out on the floor right now. This is so f####d.</blockquote><br />
https://twitter.com/marcrebillet/status/1346912330563473410 3:11 PM · Jan 6, 2021]</ref> replied with profanity. <br />
<br />
[[Project Veritas]] was reinstated to Twitter on Nov 20, 2022 after "permanent" Ban.<ref>[https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-project-veritas-reinstated-to-twitter BREAKING: Project Veritas REINSTATED to Twitter], The PM, Nov 20, 2022</ref><br />
<br />
On Nov 21, 2022, Elon Musk responds to a tweet by the State of Israel: "More countries should tweet like you," he later wrote, I visited Israel, it was great.<ref>[https://rotter.net/forum/scoops1/770117.shtml Elon Musk responds to a tweet by the State of Israel: "More countries should tweet like you," he later wrote, I visited Israel, it was great], ''Rotter'', Nov 21, 2022.<blockquote><br />
<br />
User 'Israel' responded to Kanye West's tweet in which he wrote peace with a smiley:<br />
"We would very much like to be excluded from this narrative."<br />
<br />
Musk complimented the user of the State of Israel and wrote, your tweets are good, more countries should tweet in this way. It's not fun to be stuffy all the time (the accurate translator will win a gift prize...)<br />
<br />
Translation of stuffy: a person who is not open to new ideas. Narrow-minded.<br />
Another stranger on Twitter responded to Musk that he should visit Israel.<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
James Spiro<br />
<br><br />
Nov 21, 2022 @JamesSpiro<br />
Replying to @elonmusk @Israel and @taylorswift13:<br />
<blockquote><br />
Yes! @Israel is cool, actually! You should visit us :)<br />
</blockquote><br />
Elon Musk @elonmusk:<br />
<blockquote><br />
I have! It was great.<br />
</blockquote><br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1594792272583098368 Nov 21, 2022]).</ref><br />
<br />
After a move billed as, ''The trash takes itself out: All the other woke media outlets now will follow CBS and suspend their twitter activity. Epic cleansing on deck'',<ref>[https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/the-trash-takes-itself-out-all-the-other-woke-media-outlets-now-will-follow-cbs-and-suspend-their-twitter-activity-epic-cleansing-on-deck/ ''The trash takes itself out: All the other woke media outlets now will follow CBS and suspend their twitter activity. Epic cleansing on deck'']</ref> [[CBS News]] ended its boycott of the new Twitter after consulting with their masters at the [[NSA]].<ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/11/07/new-revelations-about-jacks-magic-coffee-shop-twitter-surface-under-new-management/#more-239490 New Revelations About Jack’s Magic Coffee Shop (Twitter) Surface Under New Management].</ref><br />
<br />
Musk removed the suspension of most accounts effective the first week in December. But Twitter's long-term allowance of parody accounts that mislead the public, including suspended parody accounts in the names of real people who were never suspended, continues.<br />
<br />
However, Musk faced harsh backlash for reinstating a raw Hitlerist infamous neo-Nazi.<ref>N M Ramirez [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-twitter-reinstates-neo-nazi-andrew-anglin-account-1234640390/ Elon Brings One of America’s Most Prominent Nazis Back to Twitter], Rolling Stone, Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://ca.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/elon-brings-one-america-most-190033546.html Elon Brings One of America's Most Prominent Nazis Back to Twitter], ''Yahoo News'', Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>Lydia OConnor, [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/andrew-anglin-elon-musk-twitter_n_638a84eee4b09eeedb9d2190 Elon Musk Just Let A Notorious Neo-Nazi Troll Back On Twitter]</ref><ref>[https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/extremists-far-right-figures-exploit-recent-changes-twitter Extremists, Far Right Figures Exploit Recent Changes to Twitter], ''ADL'', Dec 2, 2022</ref><ref>Taylor Hatmaker, [https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/02/elon-musk-nazis-kanye-twitter-andrew-anglin/ Elon Musk just brought an infamous neo-Nazi back to Twitter], TechCrunch, Dec 2, 2022.</ref><ref>Aaron Bolton, [https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2022-12-05/neo-nazi-website-founder-who-targeted-flathead-valley-residents-allowed-back-on-twitter Neo-Nazi website founder who targeted Flathead Valley residents allowed back on Twitter], ''Montana Public Radio,'' Dec 5, 2022.</ref><ref>Joseph Menn, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/03/twitter-antisemitism-violence-jan-6/ Surging Twitter antisemitism unites fringe, encourages violence, officials say], ''Washington Post'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><ref>Mary Papenfuss. [https://news.yahoo.com/french-president-macron-warns-elon-003335625.html French President Macron Warns Elon Musk That Twitter Must Heed EU Rules Against Lies, Hate], ''Yahoo News'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.semana.com/tecnologia/articulo/elon-musk-retiro-la-suspension-de-las-cuentas-de-andrew-anglin/202248/ Elon Musk aprobó el regreso de Andrew Anglin a Twitter], Semana, Dec 5, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.rawstory.com/andrew-anglin-2658824647/ Twitter unbans neo-Nazi who said women should be 'raped and locked in cages'], ''Raw Story'', Dec 2, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
===The Twitter Files===<br />
{{See also|Twitter Files}}<br />
[[File:MSM time on Twitter Files.PNG|thumb|[https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-abc-cbs-called-silence-elon-musk-twitter-files-release-failing-americans.amp A breakdown of media coverage of the Twitter files showing how the social media giant handled the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. (Fox News)]]]<br />
<br />
Musk exposed constitutional law violations on the part of the Biden administration [[United States Government]] to interfere in elections. While a private entity does not have to respect free speech, the [[First Amendment]] to the [[Constitution]] prohibits the United States Government from silencing free speech. Twitter, under Jack Dorsey, prohibited free political speech at the behest of the United States Government.<br />
<br />
On December 2, 2022 journalist Matt Taibbi of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine began releasing the #TwitterFiles,<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2022/12/03/peter-roff-musks-twitter-files-confirm-everything-we-already-knew-opinion/ PETER ROFF: Musk’s ‘Twitter Files’ Confirm Everything We Already Knew], ''Daily Caller'', Dec 3, 2022.<br><font size=1><i>A former UPI political writer and U.S. News and World Report columnist, Peter Roff is a Trans-Atlantic Leadership Network media fellow</i></font></ref><ref>Jonathan Turley [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/media-hunter-biden-collusion-twitter-files-dump-defense-attacking-messenger Media's Hunter Biden collusion: 'Twitter files' dump has them on defense, attacking the messenger], ''Fox News'', Dec 4, 2022.<br><i>Media is too invested in suppression of Hunter Biden story to acknowledge extent of the scandal</i></ref> otherwise known as Twitter’s internal communications related to [[censorship]], targeting, and political interference. Twitter was working in conjunction with then-Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden’s team, removing tweets that team Biden wanted deleted. According to Andrew Kerr of the ''Washington Free Beacon'', those tweets were either drug-related photos of Hunter Biden or pornographic photos of him. Without these photos, the electorate would be deprived of critical visual info on the activities of the Biden family. <ref>https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-releases-hunter-biden-files-tweets-deleted-at-behest-of-team-biden-exec-was-key-behind-censorship-decision</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Hunter I'm on Team Biden.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Actor James Woods was banned from Twitter at the request of the DNC for posting the above meme. Woods sued the DNC.<ref>https://youtu.be/2cxQcHbdWlw</ref>]]<br />
<br />
Reminder: 2020 election outcome would differ with Hunter Biden laptop coverage per poll.<ref>Bruce Golding, [https://nypost.com/2022/08/26/2020-election-outcome-would-differ-with-hunter-biden-laptop-coverage-poll/ 2020 election outcome would differ with Hunter Biden laptop coverage: poll], ''NYPost'', August 26, 2022.<blockquote><br />
79% say ‘truthful’ coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop would have changed 2020 election.</blockquote></ref><br />
Andrew C McCarthy: "FBI Interference in the 2020 Election: The ‘Twitter Files’ Miss the Real Scandal."<ref>Andrew C McCarthy, <br />
[https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/12/the-twitter-files-miss-the-real-scandal-fbi-interference-in-the-2020-election/ FBI Interference in the 2020 Election: The ‘Twitter Files’ Miss the Real Scandal], National Review, Dec 6, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
And Musk confirmed Bari Weiss to join Matt Taibbi in releasing ‘Twitter Files.'<ref>Caleb Howe, [https://www.mediaite.com/tech/elon-musk-confirms-bari-weiss-to-join-matt-taibbi-in-releasing-twitter-files-info/ Elon Musk Confirms Bari Weiss to Join Matt Taibbi in Releasing ‘Twitter Files’ Info], ''Fox News'', Dec 3, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
This initial document dump focused on the decision making process that Twitter invoked to suppress the [[Laptop from Hell]] in the run up to the [[2020 Presidential election]]. The internal emails released show that Twitter was absolutely engaging in political manipulation and, after they suspended the ''New York Post'', the oldest newspaper in the United States, looking for some sort of policy justification for their political actions. <br />
<br />
According to Taibbi, "The problem with the ‘hacked materials’ ruling, several sources said, was that this normally required an official/law enforcement finding of a hack. But such a finding never appears throughout what one executive describes as a ‘whirlwind’ 24-hour, company-wide mess.” Twitter execs could not find a justification for blocking the ''New York Post'' esposé on [[Biden family corruption]] under its own rules, so it consulted with the Biden camp and Democrats in Congress and received the go ahead.<br />
<br />
In one incredible exchange, Twitter execs receive a list of accounts from the [[Biden junta|Biden Administration]] to “review.” The accounts were reportedly later suspended. Democrat Rep. [[Ro Khanna]] was the only Democrat that expressed concern that it will backfire, trying to mediate with Twitter execs and reminding them the First Amendment prohibits government suppression of free speech. The Twitter files reveal [[collusion]] between government and [[private sector]] business to suppress [[human rights]], which is the original and basic definition of [[fascism]].<br />
<br />
Twitter rules "were enforced against the right, but not against the left".<ref>Elon Musk on Twitter: "@DavidSacks As @bariweiss clearly describes, the rules were enforced against the right, but not against the left" / Twitter.<br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1601059434330890241 Dec 8, 2022])</ref><br />
<br />
The TwitterFiles also revealed familiar name in Hunter Biden laptop scandal: former [[FBI]] [[James A. Baker (DOJ)]]. Baker has been featured repeatedly in the Russian investigations launched by the Justice Departmen It has been commented: "For many, James Baker is fast becoming the Kevin Bacon of the Russian collusion scandals."<ref>Jonathan Turley, [https://nypost.com/2022/12/03/twitter-files-reveal-james-baker-in-hunter-biden-laptop-scandal/ Twitter files reveal familiar name in Hunter Biden laptop scandal: James Baker], ''NYPost'', December 3, 2022.</ref><ref>Susan Ferrechio, [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/dec/5/twitter-lawyer-james-baker-who-blocked-hunter-bide/ Twitter lawyer who blocked Hunter Biden laptop story helped ignite Trump-Russia probe], ''The Washington Times'', December 5, 2022.<blockquote><br />
A top Twitter attorney who supported censoring the bombshell story about the incriminating contents of Hunter Biden’s discarded laptop computer in the weeks before the presidential election also helped set into motion the FBI’s investigation into now-debunked claims that President Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.<br />
<br />
James Baker, who served as Twitter’s deputy general counsel and vice president beginning in June 2020, spent four years prior to that as the top lawyer for the FBI. It was in that post in 2016 that he linked up his friend, lawyer and Democratic operative Michael Sussmann, with top FBI investigators. Mr. Sussmann passed along claims that the Republican candidate was in contact with a Russian bank.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
In a ridiculous but not so funny reaction: former Twitter executive who suppressed Hunter Biden Laptop Story, lumps two separate unrelated entities and calls them both the exposer of radical liberalism [[Washington_Post#LibsOfTikTok|Libsoftiktok]],<ref>Tucker Carlson , [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-libs-tiktok-oust-campaign-twitter Tucker: Libs of TikTok oust campaign was designed to shut down a highly effective Twitter feed],<br />
''Fox News'', April 19, 2022.<br><i>Tucker calls out the intimidation campaign.</i></ref> and the satire Christian site ''Babylon Bee'' 'Dangerous.'<ref>Caroline Downey, [https://news.yahoo.com/twitter-exec-suppressed-hunter-biden-161210852.html Former Twitter Executive Who Suppressed Hunter Biden Laptop Story Calls Libs of TikTok, Babylon Bee ‘Dangerous’], ''Yahoo'', December 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
Rep. [[Kevin McCarthy]] stated: Google, Facebook should be investigated after Twitter files on Hunter Biden story.<ref>[https://nypost.com/2022/12/04/mccarthy-says-google-facebook-should-be-investigated/ Google, Facebook should be investigated after Twitter files on Hunter Biden story: Rep. McCarthy], NYPost'', Dec 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
On the subject why major news outlets downplay the scandal, Musk stated "because they were complicit."<ref>[https://archive.org/details/FOXNEWSW_20221204_180000_Fox_News_Live Fox News Live : FOXNEWSW : December 4, 2022 10:00am-11:00am PST : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive].<blockquote>"...they were complicit in deceiving the american public and admits that they lied to the public, they are trying to pretend that this is a nothing burger."</blockquote></ref><ref>Citizen Free Press @CitizenFreePres Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1599167903080714240 Dec 3, 2022]):<blockquote>@elonmusk criticizes legacy media for refusing to cover The Twitter Files:<br />
"The media is trying to turn this info into a nothingburger because they were complicit in deceiving the American public, rather than admit they lied to the public.” — </blockquote><br />
@elonmusk</ref><br />
<br />
CNN: Twitter employees were saying "this feels like Russian disinformation" when deciding to censor tweets about the Hunter Biden laptop story.<ref>Townhall.com @townhallcom ([https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1599780094750298113 Dec 5, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
CNN: Twitter employees were saying "this feels like Russian disinformation" when deciding to censor tweets about the Hunter Biden laptop story. "Some want you to think...that this was censorship by big tech."</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
On Dec 5, [[White House]] spokesperson dismissed the embarrassing scandal. KJP: "we see it as an incident...as a coincidence."<ref>Breaking911 @Breaking911 ([https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1599882154560802817 Dec 5, 2022]):<blockquote><br />
WATCH: KJP says Twitter censoring Hunter Biden laptop story is a "distraction" and "old news if you think about it."</blockquote></ref><ref>Bradford Betz, [https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/musks-twitter-files-revealing-censorship-hunter-biden-laptop-story-distraction-white-house-says.amp Musk's 'Twitter Files,' revealing censorship of Hunter Biden laptop story, is a 'distraction, White House says], FOXBusiness, Dec 5, 2022.<br><i><br />
Musk outsourced his findings to Substack journalist Matt Taibbi who published a thread detailing Twitter’s censorship</i></ref><br />
<br />
On Dec 6, 2022, Musk announced, James Baker, former FBI counsel, was fired from Twitter after Hunter laptop revelations.<ref>[https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-elon-musk-confirms-james-baker-former-fbi-counsel-out-at-twitter-after-censorship-revelations BREAKING: Elon Musk confirms James Baker, former FBI counsel, FIRED from Twitter after Hunter laptop revelations], The PM, Dec 6, 2022.<blockquote><br />
On Tuesday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that attorney Jim Baker had been "exited" from the company following recent revelations that he played a role in facilitating censorship on the platform.</blockquote></ref><ref>Paul Farrell, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11512265/Oh-tangled-web-weave-Elon-Musk-gets-poetic-firing-Twitter-lawyer-James-Baker.html 'Oh, what a tangled web they weave': Elon Musk gets poetic after dramatically firing his Twitter lawyer for 'secretly vetting files on Hunter Biden's laptop' that delayed second tranche of revelations expected from ex-NY Times reporter Bari Weiss], ''Daily Mail'', 07 Dec 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
====Shadowbanning====<br />
[[File:Twitter Files II shadowbanning.PNG|right|400px]]<br />
{{See also|Shadowbanning}}<br />
[[File:Bari Weiss (7) 12-8-22.PNG|right|400px]]<br />
The second part of the Twitter Files revealed the systematic shadowbannimg of those, liberals didn't like, blacklisting them, to make sure they do not trend. Which means they silent voices and de-facto censored. The DARK scary part is also that all that was done secretly without notifying the user. <ref>Joseph A. Wulfsohn, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/elon-musks-second-installment-twitter-files-reveals-secret-blacklists-bari-weiss-reports Elon Musk's second installment of 'Twitter Files' reveals 'secret blacklists,' Bari Weiss reports], ''Fox News,'' Dec 8, 2022.<blockquote><br />
Bari Weiss reported details of Twitter's censorship practices before the Musk takeover.</blockquote></ref><br />
[[File:Gadde.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Vijaya Gadde]]<br />
[[Vijaya Gadde]], is noted at this censorship routine.<br />
<br />
[[Charlie Kirk]] recalled that he was complaining already in 2018. And remarked<ref>Dec 8, 2022 on ''TCT'' show, [https://tuckercarlson.com/charlie-kirk-speaks-out-after-reportedly-placed-on-twitters-do-not-amplify-list/ Charlie Kirk speaks out after reportedly placed on Twitter's 'Do Not Amplify' list], ''Fox News''.<br />
<br><br />
Alex Oliveira, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11519381/Charlie-Kirk-talks-Twitter.html 'More censorship than Hamas': Charlie Kirk tells Tucker Carlson 'Twitter Files' part two confirm his suspicion that he was being censored after speaking out against pandemic lockdowns in 2020], ''Daily Mail'', Dec 9, 2022.</ref> on the absurdity that, in contrast, (dangerous) [[Hamas]] and [[Iran]] were not taken steps against.<br />
<br />
It also censored the very popular [[Washington_Post#LibsOfTikTok|LibsOfTikTok]] (which was and is merely reporting factual videos exposing radical woke), under a guise of supposed "hate," yet, internal memo revealed that LibsOfTikTok did NOT engage in any hate.<ref>Ari Blaff, [https://www.nationalreview.com/news/twitter-suppressed-prominent-right-wing-anti-lockdown-users-documents-show/ Twitter Suppressed Prominent Right-Wing, Anti-Lockdown Users, Documents Show], ''National Review'', Dec 8, 2022.</ref><blockquote><br />
Later in the night, Weiss further revealed that @libsoftiktok (LTT), a viral account documenting wokeness, was placed on a “trends blacklist” with a notice “DO NOT TAKE ACTION ON USER WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH SIP-PES.”<br />
<br />
Although the account was repeatedly dinged with suspensions for allegedly violating company policy against “hateful conduct,” internal memos from October 2022 acknowledged that “LTT has not directly engaged in behavior violative of the Hateful Conduct policy.”<br />
<br />
By comparison, when the home address of LTT’s founder, Chaya Raichik, was doxxed in November 2022, and she reported it to Twitter Support, the company did nothing to remove the tweet.</blockquote><br />
[[File:Miles Cheong 12-9-22.jpg|thumb|Raw elections interference]]<br />
Political candidates were subject to shadowbanning while they were running for office or seeking re-election.<ref>Ian Miles Cheong on Twitter: "So here’s a question for @elonmusk and @bariweiss: were any political candidates — either in the US or elsewhere — subject to shadowbanning while they were running for office or seeking re-election?" / Twitter<br />
<br><br />
Elon Musk on Twitter: "@stillgray @bariweiss Yes" / Twitter<br />
([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1601059434330890241 Dec 8, 2022]) [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FjiPEmJacAMV9vW?format=jpg].<br />
* Libs of TikTok on Twitter: "Wow! Elon confirms that Twitter shadowbanned and suppressed tweets from political candidates while they were running for office. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FjhWZ72WQAAQA4n?format=jpg&name=small] [https://t.co/6WEe36mtJQ]" / Twitter. <br />
([https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1601124677581033473 Dec 9, 2022]).<br />
</ref><br />
<br />
====FBI subsidiary====<br />
{{See also|FISA abuse|FBI scandal}}<br />
What Matt Taibbi outlined showcases how various organizations could reach out to Twitter and request content removal. Taibbi concluding, “what most people think of as the “[[deep state]]” is really a tangled collaboration of state agencies, private contractors, and (sometimes state-funded) [[NGO]]s. The lines become so blurred as to be meaningless."<ref>[Latest Twitter Files Bombshell: The Deep State Is Really a Tangled Collaboration of State Agencies, Private Contractors, and NGOs], JD Rucker, December 16, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
The FBI’s social media-focused task force, known as FTIF, created in the wake of the 2016 election, swelled to 80 agents and corresponded with Twitter to identify alleged foreign influence and election tampering of all kinds. Federal intelligence and [[law enforcement]] reach into Twitter included the [[Department of Homeland Security]], which partnered with security contractors and [[think tank]]s to pressure Twitter to moderate content. Social media platforms were enlisted as DHS partners under the auspices of ‘[[national security]]’, and suddenly there was a full-fledged surveillance state underway. That system is defended under the shield of ‘national security‘ as noted in the judicial ruling in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (the Trump [[Mar-a-Lago raid]] case).<ref>[https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/12/16/release-6-dhs-and-fbi-content-removal-requests-to-twitter/ Release #6 – DHS and FBI Content Removal Requests to Twitter], December 16, 2022 | Sundance.</ref><br />
<br />
(1) The [[Patriot Act]] turned the intel surveillance radar from foreign searches for terrorists to domestic searches for terrorists.<br />
(2) Obama/Biden then redefined what is a “terrorist” to include their political opposition.<br />
(3) The [[DHS]], [[DNI|ODNI]], [[DOJ-NSD]] and [[FISC]] became the four pillars of this new surveillance system.<br />
<br />
Scholar [[Jonathan Turley]] argues: "When the FBI attacks its critics as ‘conspiracy theorists,’ it’s time to reform the bureau."<ref>Jonathan Turley, [https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/3787443-when-the-fbi-attacks-its-critics-as-conspiracy-theorists-its-time-to-reform-the-bureau/ When the FBI attacks its critics as ‘conspiracy theorists,’ it’s time to reform the bureau] 12/24/22.</ref><br />
<br />
====Banning Trump but not the genocidal Ayatollah====<br />
<br />
As the 5th part of TwitterFiles was released, highlighting the decision to ban firmer president Trump in Jan 2021:<ref>Samuel Chamberlain and David Propper, [https://nypost.com/2022/12/12/fifth-twitter-files-installment-details-trumps-last-hours-on-platform/ <br />
Fifth ‘Twitter files’ release details furious debate to ban Trump — despite no policy violations], ''NYPost'', December 12, 2022.</ref><blockquote><br />
As Weiss pointed out, Twitter’s treatment of Trump stood in stark contrast to those of obvious bad actors — including Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who remains on the platform despite repeatedly calling for the destruction of Israel. Other world leaders, including the president of Nigeria and the prime ministers of India and Ethiopia, also have not been banned despite posting clear incitements to violence as well as threats to arrest Twitter’s own employees.<br />
<br />
Weiss also pointed out that the ban of Trump was criticized by other world leaders, with then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling it “problematic” and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador comparing Twitter to a “court of censorship like the Inquisition to manage public opinion.”<br />
<br />
“Ultimately, the concerns about Twitter’s efforts to censor news about Hunter Biden’s laptop, blacklist disfavored views, and ban a president aren’t about the past choices of executives in a social media company,” Weiss concluded her report. “They’re about the power of a handful of people at a private company to influence the public discourse and democracy.”</blockquote><br />
<br />
====Ukraine war fake news====<br />
{{See also|Ukraine propaganda war}}<br />
When Musk took control of Twitter, he discovered that the [[Polish]] government was secretly funding a Twitter account notorious for spreading disinformation about the [[NATO war in Ukraine]], and saw it reported: “One of the largest media outlets in [[Eastern Europe]] is pushing out [[fake news]]...Chances are that any active Twitter user over the past year [2022] will have seen a tweet or two from an account called Visegrad24 and, most likely, the information contained in those tweets will have been fake...the outfit appears to be funded by the office of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki”.<ref>https://www.sott.net/article/475154-Is-the-Polish-government-secretly-funding-a-Twitter-account-notorious-for-spreading-disinformation-about-Eastern-Europe</ref> When globalist Western governments asked Musk to block Russian news sources, he told them: “We will not do so unless at 'gunpoint', sorry to be a free speech absolutist”.<ref>https://news.yahoo.com/elon-musk-starlink-won-t-block-russian-outlets-165845001.html</ref><br />
====Resignation====<br />
After conducting a poll if he should step down, with most agreeing with that, Musk tweeted the following on Dec 20, 2022:<ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk on Twitter, [https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1605372724800393216 Dec 20, 2022].</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/2022/12/20/1144182209/twitter-elon-musk-resigns Elon Musk says he will resign as Twitter CEO once he finds a replacement] ''NPR'', Dec 20, 2022.</ref> <br />
<blockquote>I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams.</blockquote><br />
<br />
==Sale to Elon Musk==<br />
On April 25, 2022, it was announced that Twitter had been sold to Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder [[Elon Musk]] for $43 billion.<ref name="Musk Twitter">[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-official-twitter-sold-twitter-shares-halted-pending-news-sale-company-sold-elon-musk-43-billion/ BREAKING: IT’S OFFICIAL! TWITTER IS SOLD! Twitter Shares Halted Pending News of Sale – Company Sold to Elon Musk for $44 Billion] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Earlier in the month, Musk had become the biggest single shareholder of Twitter (with 9.2% of the shares, well over the 2.25% held by Jack Dorsey) when he bought 73 million shares of stock in the company (worth $2.89 billion),<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-becomes-biggest-shareholder-twitter-buys-9-2-shares/ Elon Musk Becomes the Biggest Shareholder in Twitter as He Buys 73 Million Shares] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> but when he attempted to buy more shares, he ran into resistance from several [[Saudi Arabia]]n Twitter shareholders, which cause Twitter stock to fall.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-saudi-owners-twitter-decline-musks-offer-twitter-stock-tumbling/ BREAKING: Saudi Shareholders of Twitter Decline Musk’s Offer – Twitter Stock is Tumbling] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> To prevent Musk from buying more shares, Twitter tried to entice him with a seat on its board of directors as part of a deal that would keep him from owning more than 14.9% of its common stock,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-appoint-elon-musk-board-directors-prevent-buying-majority-stake/ Twitter to Appoint Elon Musk to its Board of Directors and Prevent Him from Buying Majority Stake – Musk Teases ‘Significant Improvements’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> but Musk turned down that offer, thereby allowing him to buy more Twitter stock.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/developing-elon-musk-turns-seat-twitters-board-move-will-allow-buy-stock-company/ Elon Musk Turns Down Seat on Twitter’s Board, Move Will Allow Him to Buy More Stock in Company] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In response, bitter leftist Twitter shareholders attempted to sue Musk for delaying in disclosing the amount of stock he owned in the company.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/go-angry-twitter-shareholders-sue-elon-musk-delay-stock-disclosures/ Here We Go… Angry Twitter Shareholders Sue Elon Musk Over Delay in Stock Disclosures] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
When Musk announced plans to purchase Twitter outright and turn it into a private company,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-wants-buy-twitter-43-billion-transformed-private-company/ BREAKING: Elon Musk Wants to Buy Twitter for $43 Billion and Transform It Into ‘Private Company’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> pro-censorship/anti-free speech leftist company management decided to attempt to implement a "poison pill" to sabotage the transaction and fight for censorship and silencing of conservative voices and allowing the voices of liberals and other enemies of freedom to flourish<ref>Two references:<br />
*[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-fascists-release-statement-dont-care-elon-musk-board-will-continue-censor-conservatives-trump-not-coming-back/ Twitter Fascists Release Statement: They Don’t Care that Elon Musk Is On Board – They Will Continue to Censor Conservatives and Trump Is Not Coming Back] at the Gateway Pundit<br />
*[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-management-fight-control-company-president-trump-remains-censored-iranian-leaders-not/ Twitter Management Fight for Control of Company So They Can Continue to Censor President Trump and Promote Iranian Leaders on The Site] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> rather than allow Musk, who is anti-censorship and favors free speech, to buy the company and put an end to that censorship.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-board-adopts-poison-pill-rather-consider-musks-offer-free-speech-damned/ Twitter Board Adopts a ‘Poison Pill’ Rather than Consider Musk’s Offer – Free Speech Be Damned] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In response to the "poison pill" move by Twitter, Florida Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] threatened to hold the company's board of directors legally accountable for breaching their fiduciary duty.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/ron-desantis-threatens-hold-twitters-board-directors-accountable-breaching-fiduciary-duty/ Ron DeSantis Threatens to Hold Twitter’s Board of Directors Accountable for Breaching Fiduciary Duty] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Musk later announced that he would be bringing investor partners into his Twitter bid to thwart the company's "poison pill" sabotage attempt, whose legality was questioned by the Gateway Pundit.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/elon-musk-considering-bringing-partners-twitter-bid-company-adopts-poison-pill/ Elon Musk Considers Bringing in Partners on Twitter Bid After Company Adopts ‘Poison Pill’] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> In an attempt to protect Twitter and its anti-free speech mandate against a Musk takeover, the [[Biden regime]]-controlled [[Department of Justice]] and the Securities and Exchange Commission tried to step in by launching frivolous sham investigations against Musk.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/swamp-steps-doj-sec-launch-joint-investigation-targeting-elon-musk-attempts-hostile-takeover-twitter-reports/ Swamp Steps In? DOJ, SEC Launch “Joint Investigation” Targeting Elon Musk as He Attempts His ‘Hostile Takeover’ of Twitter: Reports] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
In an interview on ''Fox News'', [[Devin Nunez]] said, that Trump had encouraged Musk to buy Twitter.<ref>Joe Hoft, [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/05/devin-nunes-president-trump-encouraged-elon-musk-purchase-twitter/ Devin Nunes: President Trump Encouraged Elon Musk to Purchase Twitter], <br />
''The Gateway Pundit'', May 4, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
On September 13, 2022, it was announced that Twitter shareholders had officially approved the buyout of the platform by Musk.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/09/twitter-shareholders-approve-44-billion-musk-buyout/ Twitter Shareholders Approve $44 Billion Musk Buyout] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
===Liberals melt down===<br />
[[File:Kathy Griffen suspended.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Leftist troll Kathy Griffen was permanently banned from Twitter days after the takeover for impersonating Elon Musk, a violation of TOS.<ref>https://therightscoop.com/good-riddance-psychopath-kathy-griffin-permanently-banned-from-twitter/</ref>]]<br />
When Musk's purchase of Twitter became official, pearl-clutching liberals [[snowflake|went into meltdown mode]]<ref>[https://youtu.be/-C9ERYLlNY8 BREAKING! TWITTER SOLD TO ELON MUSK! LEFTISTS IN MELTDOWN!!!] at Dr. Steve Turley YouTube channel</ref> over their loss of control of one of their means of censoring free speech and silencing conservative voices/opinions and factual information.<ref name="Musk Twitter"/> President Donald Trump congratulated Musk on his purchase of Twitter, saying of him "...I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it and he is a good man," but he added that he will not return to Twitter, even with the restoration of his account there, choosing instead to stay with his own social media platform Truth Social.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/breaking-president-trump-will-not-come-back-twitter-despite-elon-musk-takeover/ Breaking: President Trump WILL NOT Come Back to Twitter Despite Elon Musk Takeover] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> As part of the announcement of his Twitter purchase, Musk said, "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated...", adding in a tweet that "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means".<ref>[https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1518623997054918657 Elon Musk: "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means"] at Twitter</ref> Among the liberals having tantrums over Musk's purchase of Twitter are actress and leftist activist Jameela Jamil, who rage-quit the platform over the announcement in a petulant tweet,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/one-former-good-place-actress-turned-annoying-activist-jameela-jamil-quits-twitter-elon-musk-purchase/ ONE DOWN: Former Good Place Actress Turned Annoying Activist Jameela Jamil Quits Twitter Over Elon Musk Purchase] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> liberal race activist [[Shaun King]] (a white man who claims to be "black"), who also threw an online hissy-fit and rage-quit Twitter via deletion of his account in response to the Musk purchase,<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/shaun-king-rage-quits-twitter-elon-musks-purchase/ Shaun King Rage Quits Twitter Over Elon Musk’s Purchase] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] (who once delusionally claimed that people who criticize her for her support of socialism and her cluelessness about politics and the real world want to "date" her<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2021/12/31/aoc-claims-republicans-are-mad-at-her-because-they-want-to-date-her/ AOC Claims Republicans are Mad at Her Because They Want to Date Her]</ref>),<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/29/elon-musk-hilariously-trolls-aoc-following-her-passive-aggressive-meltdown-on-twitter/ Elon Musk Hilariously Trolls AOC Following Her Passive Aggressive Meltdown on Twitter]</ref> and other prominent liberals with online presences such as [[Joy Reid]], [[Howard Dean]], [[NBC]] "journalist"/hack Ben Collins, [[CNN]] hack [[Brian Stelter]], former Twitter employees Israel Camacho and Laura Gomez and several members of hate group [[Antifa]].<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/meltdown-glorious-democrats-thugs-fascists-react-elon-musk-purchase-twitter-predictable-fury/ THE MELTDOWN IS GLORIOUS: Democrats, Thugs and Fascists React to Elon Musk Purchase of Twitter with Predictable Fury] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> Some of the more deranged and immature liberals on Twitter are now calling for Musk to be killed in response to his purchase of the platform.<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/28/liberals-gone-mad-libs-want-to-kill-elon-musk/ Liberals Gone Mad: Libs Want To “Kill Elon Musk”]</ref><br />
<br />
The meltdown got even worse after Musk asserted the Democrat Party was ‘hijacked by extremists'.<br />
And "Palestinian" American liberal MSNBC contributor Dean Obeidallah decided: "It's now 100% clear that Musk is part of the GOP propaganda apparatus."<ref>Gabriel Hays, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/liberals-melt-down-after-musk-claims-democrat-party-hijacked-by-extremists.amp Liberals melt down after Musk claims the Democrat Party was ‘hijacked by extremists'], ''Fox News'', April 29, 2022.<blockquote><br />
[https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/640/320/muskcartoon.png?ve=1&tl=1],<br />
[https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/04/640/320/muskextreme.png]<br />
<br />
"It's now 100% clear that Musk is part of the GOP propaganda apparatus," tweeted liberal radio host and MSNBC contributor Dean Obeidallah.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
'Stop hitting on me, I'm really shy': Elon Musk accused [[AOC]] of flirting with him when she called him a 'billionaire with an ego problem' and blamed him for an 'explosion of hate crimes' after buying Twitter.<ref>Stephen M. Lepore, [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10769311/Elon-Musk-accuses-AOC-FLIRTING-tweet-blaming-explosion-hate-crimes.html 'Stop hitting on me, I'm really shy': Elon Musk accuses AOC of FLIRTING with him when she called him a 'billionaire with an ego problem' and blamed him for an 'explosion of hate crimes' after buying Twitter] ''Dailymail.Com'', 30 Apr 2022.<br />
[https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/04/30/02/57224459-0-image-a-23_1651280832241.jpg]</ref><br />
<br />
===Hypocrisy===<br />
Democrat politicians such as [[Elizabeth Warren]], who were in favor of letting Twitter do as it pleased under liberal ownership and did all it could to run interference for it and protect it and its lawless actions against regulation and sanctions by the Trump administration, did an about-face following the Musk purchase and, out of fearful concern of their crimes and misdeeds being exposed (and especially the return of President Trump to Twitter) now that Musk is restoring free speech to the platform and ending censorship there, suddenly and hypocritically became in favor of regulating Twitter, with Warren in particular advocating for a "wealth tax" and regulation of Big Tech that would specifically target Twitter and conservative social media platforms, claiming that Twitter's purchase by Musk and its subsequent restoration of free speech for conservatives would be "...dangerous for our democracy".<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/26/democrats-twitter-free-speech-elon-musk/ Democrats Are Horrified Now That Twitter Might Actually Allow Free Speech] at the Daily Caller</ref><br />
<br />
===Musk: April-May 2022===<br />
With the Musk takeover, Twitter has begun reinstating conservative accounts that were wrongly suspended under the previous liberal regime for telling the truth about subjects that liberals do not like, such as [[Democrat election fraud]], the contents of [[Hunter Biden]]'s laptop computer and the damage being done by [[COVID vaccine|CCP flu "vaccines"]], as well as locking down changes to the site's source code to prevent vindictive liberal Twitter employees from doing damage to the platform out of childish spite; among those whose accounts were reinstated include [[Tucker Carlson]], the [[Babylon Bee]]<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/twitter-locks-product-changes-following-musk-takeover-tucker-carlson-babylon-bee-accounts-reinstated/ Twitter Locks Down Product Changes Following Musk Takeover — Tucker Carlson and Babylon Bee Accounts Reinstated] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> and [[Marjorie Taylor Greene]].<ref>[https://www.westernjournal.com/marjorie-taylor-greens-permanent-suspension-first-tweet-pure-gold/ Marjorie Taylor Greene's 'Permanent' Suspension Is Over - Her First Tweet Is Pure Gold] at the Western Journal</ref> According to Bizpac Review, there is apparently no longer a Twitter board of directors (who may have either been fired or resigned en masse following the Musk takeover), while embittered Twitter employees childishly vented against their new boss, accusing him of "...being a troll and ignorant of Twitter policies" and criticizing his "...inability to monitor toxicity on the platform" ([[liberal projection|both of which said employees and their comrades are guilty of themselves]] by allowing liberals to run wild and do and say as they pleased on Twitter while censoring and silencing conservatives in violation of the First Amendment).<ref>[https://www.bizpacreview.com/2022/04/26/twitter-locks-source-code-to-stop-employees-from-unauthorized-changes-after-musk-takeover-report-1230440/ Twitter locks source code to stop employees from unauthorized changes after Musk takeover, report]</ref> <br />
<br />
It was later reported that high-profile liberals with Twitter accounts (including celebrities and politicians) were losing followers by the thousands (or even tens of thousands) following the Musk takeover as it was discovered that their so-called "followers" were actually [[bot]]s created by liberals (including by liberal Twitter employees<ref>[https://welovetrump.com/2022/04/26/heres-how-twitter-manipulated-elections-its-way-worse-than-just-shadow-banning/ Here’s How Twitter Manipulated Elections (It’s Way Worse Than Just Shadow Banning)]</ref>) to artificially inflate the number of followers of said high-profile liberals to dishonestly make it appear they had larger followings than they really have; the bots are disappearing at a rapid rate ahead of an expected bot purge to be conducted by Musk to eliminate fake Twitter accounts as part of the restoration of free speech to the platform and the end of liberal attempts to crowd out/diminish/censor/silence opposing voices and viewpoints.<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/far-left-idiots-freak-bots-jump-ship-musk-buys-twitter/ Far-Left Idiots Freak Out as Their Bots Jump Ship After Musk Buys Twitter] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> As part of that swing, over 70% of Republican politicians with Twitter accounts reported gaining followers (including Ohio Congressman [[Jim Jordan]], who saw the biggest single gain with 63,735 followers), while out of 270 Democrat politicians on Twitter, 268 lost followers (including [[Nancy Pelosi]] and [[Bernie Sanders]], who lost 14,432 and 21,640 respectively) due to the disappearance of the bot accounts.<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/27/twitter-offers-explanation-for-why-conservatives-are-mysteriously-gaining-followers-does-it-add-up/ Twitter Offers Explanation For Why Conservatives Are Mysteriously Gaining Followers. Does It Add Up?] at the Daily Caller</ref> Following the Musk takeover, [[European Union]] Commissioner of the Internal Market Thierry Breton claimed that the EU would attempt to ban Twitter from operating in Europe through its specious use of regulations, a move which drew praise from [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Barack Obama]].<ref>[https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2022/04/27/elon-there-are-rules-eu-commissioner-warns-of-possible-ban/ ‘Elon, There Are Rules’: EU Commissioner Warns Of Possible Ban] at the Daily Caller</ref><br />
<br />
On April 27, 2022, Musk condemned Twitter censorship of [[NY Post]]’s [[Hunter Biden|Hunter]] laptop story: ‘Obviously incredibly inappropriate.’ Top Twitter executive [[Vijaya Gadde]] was said to be responsible for the decision in 2020.<ref>Gabriel Hays, [https://www.foxnews.com/media/elon-musk-condemns-twitter-censorship-ny-posts-hunter-laptop-story-obviously-incredibly-inappropriate Elon Musk condemns Twitter censorship of NY Post’s Hunter laptop story: ‘Obviously incredibly inappropriate’], ''Fox News'', Apr 27, 2022.<blockquote><br />
Top Twitter executive Vijaya Gadde was said to be responsible for the decision in 2020.</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
On May 10, 2022, Musk announced that he was restoring Donald Trump's Twitter account, ending the suspension that had been illegally imposed by its employees during the Jack Dorsey regime following the events of [[J6 Capitol protests|January 6, 2021]].<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/05/reverse-permanent-ban-elon-musk-announces-lift-twitter-ban-president-trump/ “I Would Reverse the Permanent Ban” – Elon Musk Announces He Will Lift Twitter Ban of President Trump, Says It Was a Mistake] at the Gateway Pundit</ref><br />
<br />
====On MSNBC's Mehdi Hassan====<br />
After [[Islam]]ic Mehdi Hasan, on [[MSNBC]], used his rhetoric against the GOP and inserted, somehow, the words "neo-Nazis" ... Elon Musk replied: "NBC basically saying Republicans are Nazis …"<ref>Elon Musk @elonmusk Replying to @tomselliott and @mehdirhasan ([https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1521181798067224578 May 2, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
NBC basically saying Republicans are Nazis...</blockquote></ref> He slammed NBC over the scandals after host Mehdi Hassan says he’ll hand Twitter ‘to the far right.<ref>Thomas Barrabi, [https://nypost.com/2022/05/03/musk-slams-nbc-after-host-says-hell-hand-twitter-to-the-far-right/ Elon Musk slams NBC over scandals after host says he’ll hand Twitter ‘to the far right’], ''NY Post'', May 3, 2022.</ref><br />
<br />
===Miscellaneous===<br />
Just before the sale, B911 asked if it will be still denounced (such as by the left) as a supposed "Russian bot" after 12 years of tweeting.<ref>Breaking911 @Breaking911 Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1518579159865466882 Apr 25, 2022]):<blockquote><br />
QUESTION: After 12 years of reporting, with 958K followers, if @elonmusk buys Twitter, will @Breaking911 finally be verified and no longer called a Russian bot?</blockquote></ref><br />
<br />
At [[American Thinker]], it warned:<ref>[https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/04/are_we_being_blindly_optimistic_about_elon_musks_twitter_takeover.html Are we being blindly optimistic about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover?] 4/26/22</ref><blockquote>Do not expect the establishment to surrender; they will not let go without a prolonged dirty war, like the one they are still waging against Trump.</blockquote><br />
<br />
Actor/comedian/commentator Terrence K. Williams tweeted:<ref>Terrence K. Williams @w_terrence Tweeted ([https://twitter.com/w_terrence/status/1518961152356663301 April 26, 2022]):<br />
<blockquote><br />
Elon Musk is the first African American to own a large social media platform. He is one of my favorite African Americans and it’s sad to see so many people on the left attacking him during this Historic moment.</blockquote></ref><blockquote><br />
Elon Musk is the first African American to own a large social media platform. He is one of my favorite African Americans and it’s sad to see so many people on the left attacking him during this Historic moment.</blockquote><br />
<br />
On February 9, 2023, Twitter ended free access to its API, causing third-party apps to stop functioning and criticism from users.<ref>https://fortune.com/2023/02/10/elon-musk-twitter-charging-money-api-research-tool-scientist-explains-damage/</ref><br />
<br />
==Censorship==<br />
<br />
===Russia-Ukraine war===<br />
{{See also|Ukraine propaganda war}}<br />
<br />
Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia published a landmark paper on August 20, 2022 on the activities of bot accounts on Twitter related to the conflict in Ukraine. The Australian findings were staggering – of 5.2 million tweets on the [[social media]] network from February 23 to March 8, 2022 at the outbreak of the conflict, between 60 to 80% were shared by fake accounts.<ref>https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.07038.pdf</ref><br />
[[File:Twitter censorship.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Twitter censorship of the Russia-Ukraine war.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/10/twitter-removes-russian-embassy-tweet-on-mariupol-bombing</ref>]]<br />
Elon Musk offered the services of his Starlink to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for free. In October 2022 Musk posted a peace proposal on Twitter that read:<br />
{{quotebox-float|Ukraine-Russia Peace:<br />
<br />
- Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.<br />
<br />
- Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until [[Khrushchev]]’s mistake).<br />
<br />
- Water supply to Crimea assured.<br />
<br />
- Ukraine remains neutral.}}<br />
Ukrainian Ambassador [[Andrij Melnyk]] responded:<br />
[[File:Musk barlett.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Wikipedia Ukronazibots slander Eva K Bartlett after she alerted Musk to the existence of the Ukrainian Nazi kill list.]]<br />
{{quotebox-float|No Ukrainian will EVER buy your f***ing tesla crap. F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk}}<br />
Musk then announced it was costing him $20 million a month to provide the Starlink service and cut it off, saying either [[NATO]], the [[Pentagon]], or [[Zelensky regime]] should pick up the cost. Musk was immediately added to the [[Ukrainian Nazi]] [[Myrotvorets|kill list]]. However, Musk's aerospace deals with the Pentagon are quite lucrative, the service was restored, and his name removed from the kill list.<br />
<br />
Musk evidentially wasn't aware of the kill list until Canadian journalist [[Eva K Bartlett]] alerted him to it via Twitter, and Musk asked her for a url. [[Wikipedia]] Ukrinazibots immediately set upon Bartlett. Bartlett had been reporting on the kill list since 2019, when her name was added. Bartlett said in September 2022, "Returning to the issue of [[Myrotvorets]] [the so-called "Peacemaker" kill list), it’s absolutely appalling that a database like this exists, openly calling for the murders of people like myself, yourselves, 327 children, simply because we are speaking about [[Ukraine]]’s [[war crimes]] and we’re speaking about the [[corruption]] within Ukraine. This list presents a very real threat to Ukrainians themselves, not only to [[journalist]]s and to people who are speaking out, but to Ukrainians within Ukraine proper. Many of these Ukrainians have already been disappeared or killed."<ref>https://kurtnimmo.substack.com/p/elon-and-the-nazis</ref><br />
<br />
==History==<br />
{{See also|Twitter under Dorsey and Agrawal}}<br />
[[File:Jack Dorsey Taliban.PNG|right|200px|thumb|Jack Dorsey refused to ban the [[Taliban]] terrorist organization from Twitter.]]<br />
Dick Costolo became CEO in 2010. He was formerly a [[Google]] executive.<ref name=wsj>{{cite news|title=Beyond Tech Geeks and Narcisssists: Twitter Aims to Boost Site's Utility|work=Wall Street Journal|first=Shira|last=Ovide|date=July 24, 2012|page=B1}}</ref><br />
<br />
In a July 2012 interview with the ''Wall Street Journal'' Twitter's CEO explained his future plans. The paper noted, "Twitter executives still fight a perception that the service is only for tech geeks or narcissists, and there remain doubts about how big the San Francisco company can grow."<ref name=wsj/> Twitter wants to encourage users to communicate about particular events while they happen. Twitter plans to encourage independent application developers to use Twitter as a platform. It hopes to add tools to allow companies to analyze messages that discuss particular companies and events.<ref name=wsj/><br />
<br />
===Prominence===<br />
In its early days Republicans were more adept at utilizing Twitter than Democrats. Republicans occupied 18 of the top 20 spots in terms of followers for politicians on Twitter as of January 2010.<ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/lachlan-markay/2010/01/14/study-twitter-republicans-dominate-dems Study: On Twitter, Republicans Dominate Dems, NewsBusters.org, January 14, 2010]</ref> The study, "Twongress: The Power of Twitter in Congress,"<ref>[http://www.eyeonfda.com/files/twongress-white-paper-final-1-14-10.pdf Twongress: The Power of Twitter in Congress (PDF), Eyeonfda.com, January 2010]</ref> showed twice as many Republicans use Twitter even though there were far fewer Republicans in Congress at the time. ''"Republican (members of Congress) are outpacing their Democratic rivals in nearly every single category that was measured"'' <ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/15/republicans-gain-twitter-edge-democrats-study/ Republicans Gain the Twitter Edge on Democrats, Study Shows, Fox News, January 15, 2010]</ref> This has ushered a markedly different trend for Republicans, who for years have been outmatched by Democrats online.<br />
<br />
===Usage===<br />
<br />
Per 2011 figures, they are a fast growing company with over 200 million registered users worldwide, with an average of 65 million tweets daily.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703716904576134543029279426-lMyQjAxMTAxMDAwOTEwNDkyWj.html Twitter as Tech Bubble Barometer, Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2011]</ref> As of 2009, the major search engines integrated tweets into the search results. Twitter achieved its first profits by signing search engine contracts with Google and [[Bing]].<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc20091220_549879.htm Content-Search Deals Make Twitter Profitable, BusinessWeek, December 21, 2009]</ref> The company has an enormous market capitalization of 10-15 billion dollars. Twitter has rejected takeover offers worth hundreds of millions of dollars from [[Google]] and [[Facebook]]. <br />
<br />
Many celebrities, national sports figures and members of [[Congress]]<ref>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Members_of_Congress_who_Twitter Members of Congress who Twitter] Source Watch Encyclopedia</ref> have verified Twitter accounts and anybody can follow their posts.<br />
<br />
The site became such a popular destination that new news articles about Twitter appeared daily. In fact, one tweet by Daniel Knight Hayden, 52, which stated that he would massacre hundreds attending an Oklahoma City [[Tax Day Tea Party]] led to him being arrested by the FBI.<ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10227769-93.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0 FBI accuses Twitter user of massacre threats] CNet, April 26, 2009</ref> Tweets of popular celebrities and politicians have also been commented on in the [[mainstream media]].<br />
[[File:Pompeo Tweet.PNG|right|350px|thumb|On the night of January 8, 2021, during the purge of conservative voices by Big Tech on social media, U.S. Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]] posted this tweet.<ref>https://therightscoop.com/unreal-pompeo-makes-stunning-reveal-of-overnight-tech-purge-changes-on-twitter/</ref>]]<br />
Under liberal control (before Oct 2022), Twitter allowed graphic images of [[child pornography]] and [[child sex trade|child sex trafficking]] on its platform.<ref>https://nypost.com/2021/01/21/twitter-sued-for-allegedly-refusing-to-remove-child-porn/</ref><br />
<br />
===Conservatives on Twitter===<br />
Conservatives dominated on Twitter prior to shaddowbanning.<ref>[http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/07/22/conservatives-won-2010-twitter-battle/27982.html Conservatives Won 2010 Twitter Battle, PsychCentral, July 22, 2011]</ref> Some observers claim that liberals, who use wordy statements, have a hard time explaining themselves in 140 characters but it is to a conservative's advantage to articulate short and concise messages. Conservative words and phrases constantly make the top trending hashtags. As such, [[liberal tools]] are employed such as false flagging an account in large numbers.<ref>[http://www.examiner.com/article/report-angry-liberals-abusing-twitter-features-to-silence-conservatives, Report: Angry liberals abusing Twitter features to silence conservatives, Examiner.com, April 30, 2012]{{dead link}}</ref><ref>[http://www.stumpreport.com/990911-twitter-bans-another-conservative-account Twitter Bans Conservative Account, The Stump Report, August 10, 2011]</ref> This results in the banning of popular conservatives, commonly referred to as Twitter's Gulag. <br />
<br />
Conservative dominance was especially troubling for the campaign of Barack Obama. The Obama campaign loved to take full advantage of social networking to get their message out to the masses. Nearly every time Team Obama promoted a hashtag, such as #dontdoublemyrate, conservatives would hijack the message.<ref>[https://www.theblaze.com/stories/gen44-conservatives-usurp-obamas-twitter-hashtag-again/ #GEN44: CONSERVATIVES USURP OBAMA’S TWITTER HASHTAG…AGAIN, The Blaze, March 25, 2012]</ref> A quick search would result in thousands of satirical responding tweets drowning out the Obama campaign's message with mockery.<br />
<br />
Twitter's then-head Jack Dorsey admitted that his company was "left-leaning."<ref>Kirkwood, R. Cort (August 20, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/29829-twitter-admits-leaning-left-denies-censoring-conservatives Twitter Admits Leaning Left; Denies Censoring Conservatives]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 25, 2018.</ref><br />
<br />
Notably, Twitter banned conservative [[James Woods]] for a mild comment in relation to the extreme unpunished statements made frequently by leftists.<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Wulfsohn, Joseph A. (May 4, 2019). [https://www.lifezette.com/2019/05/conservative-james-woods-locked-out-of-twitter-other-figures-banned-by-facebook/ Conservative James Woods Locked Out of Twitter, Other Figures Banned by Facebook]. ''LifeZette''. Retrieved May 4, 2019.<br />
*Caruso, Justin (May 3, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/05/03/james-woods-banned-from-twitter-amid-silicon-valleys-conservative-blacklisting-campaign/ James Woods Banned from Twitter Amid Silicon Valley’s Conservative Blacklisting Campaign]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 4, 2019.</ref> The site blocked numerous other conservative figures.<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Morton, Victor (May 7, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/7/david-horowitz-twitter-account-suspended/ Twitter suspends conservative activist David Horowitz]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.<br />
*Ernst, Douglas (May 7, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/7/jack-posobiec-magaphobia-twitter-account-for-track/ Twitter suspends Jack Posobiec's @MAGAphobia account for tracking violence against Trump supporters]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
===Misleading investors===<br />
In September 2021 Twitter disclosed a binding agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit, under which the social network wOULD pay $809.5 million to resolve claims it provided misleading user-engagement info to investors.<br />
<br />
The original lawsuit, filed in 2016 by a Twitter shareholder, alleged Dorsey and others including former CEO Dick Costolo and board member Evan Williams hid facts about Twitter’s slowing user growth while they sold their personal stock holdings “for hundreds of millions of dollars in insider profits.”<ref>https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/twitter-investor-lawsuit-settlement-payment-jack-dorsey-1235068982/</ref><br />
<br />
===Twitter executives hate speech===<br />
[[File:Twitter-employee-tweet.jpg|left|300px|thumb|A Twitter engineer tweet three days after President Trump's first inauguration.]]<br />
{{See also|Liberal bias}}<br />
Under liberal ownership, Twitter’s corrupt senior executives and other employees have a long history of anti-Trump [[hatred]], a ''[[New York Post]]'' review of dozens of accounts of top employees found.<ref>https://nypost.com/2020/10/17/twitter-employees-reveal-deep-hatred-for-trump/</ref> The venom, vitriol and, in some cases, vows to help Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election while said employees behave like emotionally-stunted preschool children online was enabled and encouraged by Jack Dorsey himself.<br />
<br />
“GET HIM OUT,” posted a senior site reliability engineer on August 18, 2020 “What a f---king baboon.” One manager with nine years on the job said he was quite keen to watch Biden “crush [Trump] in the election” and that he hoped the President would “be utterly humiliated while also suffering greatly from [[Covid 19|#COVID19]].” He vulgarly and immaturely called Trump “a f---king idiot” and the voters who elected him — “hysterically f–--king [[stupid]] people.” Others publicly wished the President harm. One Twitter engineering manager, displaying his own [[childishness]], said Trump should “die in a fire” in a January 2017 tweet. A year later, he rang in the new year by falsely claiming “Happy 2018! Donald Trump is dead!”<br />
<br />
None of these comments were ever flagged by Twitter or been subject to any other form of official sanction, even as the social-media giant unjustly dished out discipline to others for sharing legitimate news stories about Joe Biden. After a fly landed on Vice President [[Mike Pence]]’s head during his debate with Sen. [[Kamala Harris]], the Twitter vice president noted crudely that flies are “drawn to sh-t.”<br />
<br />
Spreading misinformation, lies and libel about the Trump family was common. A senior staff engineer inquired why the media wasn’t looking into [[Melania Trump]]’s “possible stint as a sex worker.” The First Lady denied this allegation and successfully sued over it. Twitter’s “head of integrity” [[Yoel Roth]], who helped author the policy update used by the company to flag and label posts from President Trump, compared [[White House]] officials to "[[Nazi]]s" and Trump to a “racist tangerine.”<br />
<br />
===Racist administrators===<br />
[[File:Tarrio-600x352.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Racist Twitter Admins permanently banned a Black Cuban GOP congressional candidate.]]<br />
[[Racist]] Twitter administrators banned a pro-Trump [[African American|Afro]]-[[Cuba]]n [[GOP]] congressional candidate. Enrique Tarrio was permanently suspended by the digital platform without reason.<ref>https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/11/afro-cuban-gop-candidate-for-congress-banned-from-twitter/</ref><br />
Tarrio said in a statement,<br />
{{quotebox-float|[[Big-tech]] has proven once again cannot be trusted with [[election]]s. The seat I am running for is extremely winnable. I am the front-runner in the GOP primary and they are clearly trying to silence our campaign in favor of [[Never Trumper]]s.<br />
<br />
The mountain we have to climb to get through this primary and then defeat our [[Democrat]] opponent in the general election is made that much more difficult. Regardless, I will not relent and I will make sure we remained focused on implementing the America First agenda.”}}<br />
<br />
===CCP propaganda and covid coverup===<br />
{{See also|CCP propaganda war|Covid coverup}}<br />
<br />
In 2019, leading up to the 30th anniversary of the [[Tiananmen Square massacre]], Twitter suspended multiple accounts critical of China's Communist regime.<ref>Zeng, Jennifer (June 1, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/twitter-suspends-accounts-critical-of-chinese-regime-days-before-tiananmen-anniversary_2947359.html Twitter Suspends Accounts Critical of Chinese Regime Days Before Tiananmen Anniversary]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved June 2, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*Klar, Rebecca (June 2, 2019). [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/446534-twitter-apologizes-for-blocking-accounts-ahead-of-tiananmen-square-anniversary Twitter apologizes for blocking accounts ahead of Tiananmen Square anniversary]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved June 2, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
In December 2021, [[Alex Berenson]], a former science writer for the ''New York Times'', filed a lawsuit against Twitter after he was suspended for posting the results of [[Pfizer COVID vaccine]] clinical tests.<ref>https://jonathanturley.org/2021/07/31/twitter-suspends-science-writer-after-he-posts-results-of-pfizer-clinical-test/</ref><br />
<br />
Dr. [[Robert Malone]] is the inventor of the nine original mRNA vaccine patents, which were originally filed in 1989, including both the idea of mRNA vaccines and the original proof of principle experiments, and RNA transfection. Dr. Robert Malone has close to 100 peer-reviewed publications which have been cited over 12,000 times.<br />
<br />
Since the [[CCP pandemic]] outbreak in January 2020, Dr. Malone has been lead a large team focused on clinical research design, drug development, computer modeling and mechanisms of action of repurposed drugs for the treatment of [[COVID-19]].<br />
<br />
Dr. Malone is the Medical Director of The Unity Project, a group of 300 organizations across the United States standing against mandated Covid vaccines for children. Dr. Malone is also the President of the Global Covid Summit, an organization of over 16,000 doctors and scientists committed to speaking truth to power about Covid pandemic research and treatment.<br />
<br />
In December 2021, Dr. Malone was banned for life by Twitter.<br />
<br />
===Antifa riots===<br />
{{see also|2020 Antifa riots}}<br />
Twitter facilitated communications between [[leftwing]] [[terrorist]]s during the [[2020 Antifa riots]] and blocked or restricted tweets in support of restoring law and order and protecting innocent lives.<br />
<br />
In 2020, Twitter was listed as one of numerous leftist-controlled companies that went "[[woke]]" and began supporting the criminal rioters of [[Antifa]] and [[Black Lives Matter]] in the wake of the [[2020 leftist riots]].<ref>[https://gab.com/a/posts/104311289660016704 Here Are The Companies That Support Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and Want You Dead] at Gab.com</ref><br />
<br />
===2020 Presidential election interference===<br />
{{See also|2020 Presidential election}}<br />
Twitter imposed new [[draco]]ian censorship measures aimed at [[conservative]] users in October 2020.<ref>https://markzuckerberg.news/2020-09-30-doj-targets-big-tech-censorship-election-meddling-racketeering.html</ref> One example is labeling criticism of mail-in balloting as ‘misinformation’. [[James Woods]] commented the new labeling is clear:<br />
{{quotebox-float|“They are closing down conservative voices completely now. Be prepared that you will no longer be able to see most of my communications, if indeed my account remains open at all. Sorry, folks, but it’s over. And they couldn’t care less what you think. This is the face of [[tyranny]].”<ref>https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/10/12/twitters-new-policy-sparks-sad-warning-from-james-woods-sorry-folks-but-its-over-983577</ref>}}<br />
For the first time in [[American history]] social media companies took [[direct action]] against a major U.S. publisher,<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/twitter-and-facebooks-assault-on-freedom-of-the-press_3540670.html</ref> ''[[The New York Post]]'' when it published a story on [[Biden-Burisma]] scandal.<ref>*https://nypost.com/2020/10/14/email-reveals-how-hunter-biden-introduced-ukrainian-biz-man-to-dad/<br>*https://youtu.be/r4Kcc7a114I<br>*https://youtu.be/89ByR-vrnc4</ref> ''The Post'' is among the top five newspapers by circulation in the United States. Twitter locked the account of the ''New York Post'', banning the paper from posting any content at all. ''The Post's'' remained locked out of its account for 16 days. account remained locked.<ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/political/twitter-capitulates-reinstates-nypost-account-after-16-day-suspension</ref> These actions raised serious questions about many social media platforms future [[Section 230]] immunity status.<br />
<br />
Twitter and Facebook interfered in the [[2020 presidential election]] by blocking links to the article.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/14/election-interference-facebook-suppressing-new-york-post-bombshell-story-of-damaging-hunter-biden-emails/</ref><ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/10/14/bookmark-todays-date-big-tech-has-crossed-the-event-horizon-to-protect-joe-biden/</ref> Twitter and Facebook both had many foreign stockholders.<ref>"Finalized January of 2011, the transaction included a $450 million investment from Goldman Sachs, $50 million from DST, and $1 billion from unnamed foreign investors." http://whoownsfacebook.com/#Goldman<br>*https://qz.com/519388/this-saudi-prince-now-owns-more-of-twitter-than-jack-dorsey-does/</ref> Twitter banned people who posted ''The New York Post'' story,<ref>https://www.wnd.com/2020/10/twitter-now-banning-users-posting-ny-post-story-hunter-biden/</ref> including [[White House]] Press Secretary [[Kayleigh McEnany]] for sharing the article,<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/15/twitter-bans-white-house-press-secretary-for-sharing-hunter-and-joe-biden-corruption-article/</ref> locked the Trump Campaign account less than 3 weeks before the 2020 Presidential election.<ref>https://creativedestructionmedia.com/news/politics/2020/10/15/twitter-locks-trump-campaign-account-less-than-3-weeks-before-presidential-election/</ref> Rep. Jim Jordan posted the Biden-Burisma story on a federal government website after Twitter censored the House Judiciary GOP, at which point the link was promptly censored by Twitter.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/jim-jordan-posts-hunter-biden-burisma-story-twitter-censors-house-judiciary-gop/</ref> [[Wikipedia]] editors censored the [[Hunter Biden]] bombshell, and called the ''New York Post'' an ‘unreliable’ source.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/wikipedia-editors-censor-hunter-biden-bombshell-call-new-york-post-unreliable-source/</ref> [[Google]] also was reported to be meddling in [[U.S. Senate]] elections.<ref>https://patriotdailypress.org/2020/10/13/google-researcher-warns-google-may-be-shifting-power-to-flip-senate/</ref> The [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] announced that Twitter CEO [[Jack Dorsey]] would be [[subpoena]]ed to explain the meddling.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/senate-judiciary-committee-will-subpoena-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-over-ny-post-censorship/</ref> Former [[James Comey]] general counsel [[James A. Baker (DOJ)]], who was complicit in the [[Obamagate timeline|Obamagate]] and [[FISA abuse]] scandals, is Twitter's lead counsel.<ref>https://nypost.com/2020/06/16/twitter-hires-former-fbi-chief-counsel-as-deputy-lawyer/</ref> The [[RNC]] made a formal complaint to the [[Federal Elections Commission]] which reads in part,<br />
{{quotebox-float|"Respondent’s feud with President Trump is well known, as are its frequent efforts to censor the President’s tweets and the “shadow banning” of prominent Republicans, including RNC’s Chair, [[Ronna McDaniel]], and several Republican Members of Congress. Respondent’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, and other senior executives are prolific donors to the Democrat party and other left-wing causes, with 98.7% of the company’s total political contributions going to Democrats. In addition, there appears to be a revolving door between the Biden campaign and the company, with Respondent’s Public Policy Director recently leaving to join the Biden transition team and [[Senator Kamala Harris]]’s former Press Secretary now serving as Respondent’s Senior Communications Manager."<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/480341244/RNC-Complaint-Against-Twitter-Inc-Web#from_embed</ref>}}<br />
Twitter failed to act on a viral message posted on its platform containing a doctored image purporting to be a text message between [[Rudy Giuliani]] and [[Ivanka Trump]].<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/21/twitter-allows-rachel-maddow-and-an-army-of-leftists-to-spread-rudy-giuliani-misinformation/</ref> The ''New York Post'', [[Gateway Pundit]]'', and Big League Politics all were placed on Twitter's suspension hit list the final week before election day.<ref>https://bigleaguepolitics.com/big-league-politics-gateway-pundit-new-york-post-among-news-outlets-placed-on-twitter-suspension-weeks-before-election/</ref><br />
<br />
====Laptop from Hell====<br />
{{See also|Laptop from Hell}}<br />
Twitter justified blocking the ''New York Post's'' scoop on the Biden Burisma scandal claiming it violated Twitter's "Hacked Material Policy." The policy “prohibits the use of our service to distribute content obtained without authorization” because, they said, they “don’t want to incentivize hacking by allowing Twitter to be used as distribution for possibly illegally obtained materials.” That standard would result in the banning from the platform the ''[[Pentagon Papers]]'' which ultimately toppled [[Richard Nixon]], the [[Snowden]] reporting, the [[Panama Papers]], the [[DNC]] and [[John Podesta|Podesta emails]] that exposed corruption and forced the 2016 resignation of the top five officials of the [[Democratic National Committee]], and President Trump's tax returns.<br />
<br />
====Violations of Section 230====<br />
{{see also|Social media censorship}}<br />
<br />
In May 2020, Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey came under heavy criticism for the company's recent decision to begin inserting "[[fact-checking]]" links into the tweets made by President Trump, with the company claiming those tweets to be "misleading" despite the exposure by [[Project Veritas]] of Democrat-led [[voter fraud]] proving otherwise,<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/10/18/commit-voter-fraud-massive-scale-part-ii-project-veritas-investigation-clinton-network/ "How to Commit Voter Fraud on a Massive Scale": Part II of Project Veritas Investigation into Clinton Network] at Breitbart News Network</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDc8PVCvfKs Rigging the Election - Video II: Mass Voter Fraud] at Project Veritas Action YouTube channel</ref> after Trump tweeted about recent concerns over the intent by the Democrat Party to commit voter fraud at the federal, state and local levels through the use of mail-in ballots during the [[2020 Presidential election]].<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/leave-our-employees-out-of-this-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-responds-to-trump-broadside 'Leave our employees out of this': Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey responds to Trump broadside] at the Washington Examiner</ref> The "fact-checking" links in question lead to an "information" page containing links from liberal media outlets such as [[CNN]], [[MSNBC]], the ''[[New York Times]]'' and the ''[[Washington Post]]'', all of which indulge in publishing factually-devoid and misleading [[fake news]] hit pieces and opinion pieces masquerading as "news" regarding the mail-in vote scandal<ref>[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/05/twitter-falsely-undermined-truth-thereby-misleading-american-public-senior-legal-adviser-trump-campaign-responds-twitters-blatantly-partisan-attack-president/ "Twitter Falsely Undermined the Truth... Thereby Misleading the American Public" – Senior Legal Adviser to @TeamTrump Responds to Twitter’s "Blatantly Partisan" Attack on President] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> to fit their anti-Trump narratives.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/twitter-slaps-fact-checking-alert-to-trump-tweets Twitter slaps fact-checking alert on Trump tweets] at the Washington Examiner</ref> This decision also had the inadvertent outcome of embarrassing Twitter employee Yoel Roth, who was outed as having falsely accused Trump officials, including Presidential counselor [[Kellyanne Conway]], of being "Nazis" in past tweets he posted.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/twitters-chief-fact-checker-called-trump-officials-nazis/ Twitter's chief "fact-checker" called Trump officials "Nazis"] at WorldNetDaily</ref> Trump, who accused Twitter of openly trying to interfere with free elections and illegally impeding free speech, responded to Twitter's tampering with his tweets by announcing that he may place Twitter and similar social media companies under heavy regulation or shut them down altogether to punish them for their extreme liberal bias and illegal censorship (in violation of the [[First Amendment]]) of conservative speech and thought.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/close-them-down-trump-threatens-to-regulate-or-shutter-social-media-platforms-after-twitter-fact-check 'Close them down': Trump threatens to regulate or shutter social media platforms after Twitter fact-check] at the Washington Examiner</ref> Republican Florida senator [[Marco Rubio]] also weighed in on the controversy, saying that Twitter could lose its liability protections for choosing to act as a publisher by exercising editorial control through its tampering with Trump's tweets.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rubio-warns-twitter-after-it-puts-fact-check-label-on-trump-tweet Rubio warns Twitter after it puts fact-check label on Trump tweet] at the Washington Examiner</ref><ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/u-s-senator-warns-twitter-lose-shield-liability/ U.S. senator warns Twitter could lose shield from liability] at WorldNetDaily</ref> <br />
<br />
Twitter's illegal actions led directly to Trump signing an Executive Order on May 28, 2020 with the intent of bringing Twitter, Facebook, Google (and its YouTube subsidiary) and other leftist-controlled social media companies to heel with a new policy on the conduct of those companies and putting an end to both their illegal censorship and silencing of conservatives and their liberal bias in allowing violent leftists to basically have the run of those sites without consequence or responsibility.<ref>[https://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2020/05/29/accountability/news-media/social-media-meet-their-match/ Social media meet their match] at Conservative News and Views</ref> Predictably, Twitter and Facebook reacted negatively toward the Trump Executive Order, with Twitter accusing the order of being "a reactionary and politicized approach to a landmark law (Section 230(c) of the Communications Decency Act)" and claiming, without evidence, that "Attempts to unilaterally erode (Section 230(c)) threaten the future of online speech and Internet freedoms" while ignoring that, under the [[Obama regime]], Section 230(c) had been perverted and used by liberals in public office to impose acceptance of liberal agendas such as [[abortion on demand]], [[gender confusion]], "[[climate change]]", unfair taxation of wealth and the [[homosexual agenda]] on the American public and to themselves threaten online speech and Internet freedoms by ordering Twitter and other social media companies to illegally censor, silence, persecute and punish dissenting voices who disagreed with and opposed the imposition of those agendas. President Trump responded to Twitter's irresponsible actions with a strong rebuke directed at the company in a tweet on his Twitter account:<br />
{{quotebox|Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & [[CCP propaganda war|propaganda being put out by China]] or the Radical Left Democrat Party. They have targeted Republicans, Conservatives & the President of the United States. [[Section 230]] should be revoked by Congress. Until then, it will be regulated!<ref>https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266326065833824257</ref>}}<br />
Despite the Trump Executive Order, however, Twitter and its employees continued to openly defy the President and engage in illegal censorship and lawless behavior by hiding visibility of the content of two tweets by Trump (and later, taking things even further by illegally deleting recent Trump tweets entirely<ref>[https://nationalfile.com/breaking-twitter-censors-trump-by-completely-removing-his-tweet-for-first-time/ BREAKING: Twitter Censors Trump By Completely Removing His Tweet For First Time]</ref>) while hypocritically continuing to allow openly violent leftist tweets to remain intact,<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*[https://www.wnd.com/2020/05/twitter-censors-trump-countless-violent-tweets-remain-active/ Twitter censors Trump while countless violent tweets remain active] at WorldNetDaily<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/05/29/twitter-hides-trump-minneapolis-tweet-accuses-him-glorifying-violence/ Twitter Censors Trump Minneapolis Tweet, Accuses Him of "Glorifying Violence"] at Breitbart News Network<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/06/23/twitter-censors-president-trump-again-over-warning-to-lawless-agitators/ Twitter Censors President Trump (Again) over Warning to Lawless Agitators] at Breitbart News Network</ref> even allowing criminal looters and rioters to use the site to openly coordinate their criminal behavior while their supporters advised them of looting targets<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/05/31/twitter-allows-looters-to-coordinate-criminal-behavior-while-it-declares-blacklivesmatter/ Twitter Allows Looters to Coordinate Criminal Behavior While It Declares ‘#BlackLivesMatter’]</ref> and while Twitter did nothing to stop them despite numerous reports against those tweets, which left Twitter and its employees, including Jack Dorsey himself, open to criminal, civil and regulatory liability for their defiant and irresponsible actions.<br />
<br />
Rep. [[Matt Gaetz]] filed a complaint with the [[Federal Election Commission]] alleging election meddling in the [[2020 presidential election]]. The complaint reads, <br />
{{quotebox|Twitter has taken upon itself to free ride on one of the President’s Tweets as a campaigning activity. The social media platform is overstepping boundaries and setting aside its privileged role as a mere ‘interactive computer service,’ and instead acting as a ‘shadow contributor’ to the [[Democratic National Committee]]. By trespassing its role as a [Section] 230 protected forum, Twitter has acted as a campaign contributor, and not as a mere interactive computer service.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2020/05/29/matt-gaetz-shadow-contributor-twitter-democrats-fec-complaint-fact-check/</ref>}}<br />
A study from the [[Media Research Center]] showed that Twitter and Facebook censored President Donald Trump and the president’s affiliated campaign accounts at least 65 times in 2019 and 2020, while leaving Biden untouched.<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/19/new-study-shows-facebook-and-twitter-censored-trump-65-times-biden-zero/</ref><br />
<br />
====Potential revocation of non-publisher immunity====<br />
On May 15, 2021, federal judge Mark L. Wolf announced that he would hold a hearing on May 20 and ordered Twitter executives to appear at the hearing to make Twitter explain whether it is a truly private company or is acting on behalf of the State to illegally censor conservative voices.<ref name="Speech Police">[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/05/federal-judge-signals-may-end-twitters-immunity-speech-police-worried/ HUGE BREAKING NEWS: Federal Judge Signals He May END Twitter’s Immunity in Dr. Shiva Case – Speech Police in Panic — Watch Hearing Live on May 20] at the Gateway Pundit</ref> The hearing comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed against Twitter by Dr. [[Shiva Ayyadurai]], who ran as the Republican candidate for the US Senate in Massachusetts in the [[2020 presidential election]] and whose tweets pointing out [[Democrat election fraud]] were censored by Twitter; it was later discovered that the tweets were deleted on orders from employees of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, leading Ayyadurai to file the suit, pointing out that his First Amendment rights were violated when the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts government silenced him to affect an election. By quoting the connected cases of ''Manhattan Cmty. Access Corp. v. Halleck''<ref>[https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/587/17-1702/ Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck]</ref> and ''Blum v. Yaretsky''<ref>[https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/457/991/ Blum v. Yaretsky]</ref> in the upcoming hearing, this could have spelled the end of Section 230 immunity protections for Twitter and other liberal Big Tech companies (which has given Big Tech immunity from lawsuits, but has allowed them to abuse that immunity at will through its illegal censorship of conservative voices and factual information while allowing liberal views (including violent posts, liberal hate speech and even death threats) and [[fake news]] from the [[liberal media]] free reign, as well as allowing liberal politicians to use Big Tech as a conduit to silence political opponents via special portals offered to government officials, which they then use to flag and delete any content they do not like). The Gateway Pundit pointed out in its report on this story:<br />
{{cquote|Dr. Ayyadurai is claiming that the Constitution trumps CDA 230 and the government cannot outsource to private actors to silence people’s speech they disagree with, and that the government and Twitter are acting together as one: that Twitter is essentially a state actor.<ref name="Speech Police"/>}}<br />
<br />
===President Trump banned===<br />
[[President Donald Trump]] brought even more attention to the social networking site, and drew both more conservatives and critics. He was well-known for his plentiful, blunt, and oft humorous tweets, and made it a regular practice to communicate with the public using Twitter, even before his political career. He became quite popular on Twitter, with over 26 million followers. He became so popular, in fact, that searching just the letter "r", the fist letter of his username,"@realDonaldTrump" returned him as the first search suggestion. He was illegally banned from Twitter on January 6th, 2021, after the mostly peaceful Capitol building protests.<br />
<br />
In the case of ''Trump v. Twitter'', filed in July 2021, attorneys for President Trump argued,<br />
[[File:Twitter content moderator.PNG|right|300px|thumb|A Twitter content moderator in the Dorsey/Argawal era.<ref>https://www.bitchute.com/video/khMrHq8lbECT/</ref>]]<br />
{{quotebox-float|"[The companies have] unprecedented power over the content of public discourse to censor constitutionally protected speech with impunity, resulting in a grave threat to the freedom of expression and to democracy itself."<ref>https://www.courthousenews.com/trump-sues-tech-giants-for-booting-him-from-their-sites/</ref>}}<br />
<br />
===Transgenderism and misogyny===<br />
Under liberal control, Twitter was used as a prominent platform used by [[transgender]] extremists and [[misogynist]]s for the promotion of [[discrimination]] against women, particularly in the area of girls' and women's athletic competition.<br />
<br />
===Iranian protesters===<br />
Iranian protesters angered by the results of [[Iran]]'s disputed presidential election started to tweet marches on the government. This forced the oppressive Islamic Republic dictatorship block all cell phone messaging in June 2009, as tweets can also be submitted via text message. At the request of the U.S. State Department, Twitter delayed scheduled maintenance to allow tweets from Iranians.<br />
<br />
In a separate incident, a group calling itself "Iranian Cyber Army", hacked into Twitter and defaced their homepage. They replaced the page with a bold pro-Iranian and anti-American message.<ref>[http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/18/twitter-dns-attack-iran/ Twitter Hack: Part Of Broader Iranian Strategy, Techcrunch.com, December 18, 2009]</ref><br />
<br />
===Loss of immunity in India===<br />
Twitter lost its immunity as an intermediary in [[India]] and became exposed to legal liability for any content published on its platform in June 2021.<ref>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/twitter-loses-legal-shield-in-india-for-3rd-party-content/articleshow/83556056.cms</ref> Twitter's snubbing of Indian law has been described as "neo-colonialist."<br />
<br />
===Agrawal regime===<br />
[[File:Agrawai_tweet.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Parag Agrawal - New chief at Twitter in 2021<ref>Alexander Hall, [https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/free-speech/alexander-hall/2021/11/29/bad-worse-conservatives-slam-incoming-leftist-twitter From Bad to Worse! Conservatives SLAM Incoming Leftist Twitter CEO], News Busters, Nov 29, 2021</ref>]] <br />
Dorsey eventually resigned from running the site, although his replacement was even more radical than him. Parag Agrawal was considered even a greater totalitarian fascist than Dorsey. Agrawal clearly stated that he was against the First Amendment and against freedom of speech.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaJvT1c4XGE Parag Agrawal, Twitter's CEO, is SICK of All These Uncensored Opinions! | Louder With Crowder]</ref><br />
<br />
Agrawal was the first to be fired on the first day Elon Musk began attempting to salvage the project and started cleaning house.<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
* [[Truth Social]] (by [[Trump]])<br />
*[[Gab]] (conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter)<br />
* [[Tweet]]<br />
* [[Social media]]<br />
* [[Facebook]]<br />
* [[MySpace]]<br />
* [[Google Plus]]<br />
* [[Donald Trump and social media]]<br />
* [[Voter suppression]]<br />
* [[Biden Putsch]]<br />
* [[2020 Election fraud timeline]]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
*[http://www.twitter.com Twitter Home Page]<br />
*[http://twitchy.com Twitchy.com: compiler of hilarious conservative and numskull liberal tweets]<br />
*[http://www.twulitzerprize.com/ Twulitzerprize.com; Daily best, worst, obvious tweets]<br />
*[https://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3955253&referralPlaylistId=playlist Video - Social Networking - Twitter can get you fired], ''Fox News'', March 24, 2009<br />
*[https://lauraloomer.us/2019/08/27/exclusive-the-roots-of-twitters-shadowbanning-operation/#.XWaPQZNKjUI The Roots of Twitter’s Shadowbanning Operation], lauraloomer.us<br />
*[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10075487-83.html?tag=mncol;txt U.S. Army warns of twittering terrorists]<br />
*[http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10439573-36.html Astronaut sends first live tweets from space]<br />
*[https://twitter.com/almightygod The Twitter account of Almighty God]<br />
*[https://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room Congressional Twitter accounts]<br />
*[https://youtu.be/msYRT21FYoQ Elon Musk Buying Twitter: Why It's a Bigger Battle Than You Think], The New Atlas, Apr 17, 2022.<br />
[[Category:Online Social Networking]]<br />
[[Category:Websites]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Hangzhou&diff=2006260Hangzhou2023-11-26T04:41:31Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Start page</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Hangzhou''' is a city in China. It is the capital of Zhejiang.</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Suicide_warning&diff=2000011Template:Suicide warning2023-11-01T06:38:58Z<p>ChenXiansheng: fix indent</p>
<hr />
<div>:<includeonly><font size="6">'''''[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_resources ⚠️ If you are considering suicide, you are not alone, and there is help.]'''''</font></includeonly><br />
<noinclude><br />
This template links to mental health resources for people considering suicide.</noinclude></div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Suicide_warning&diff=2000010Template:Suicide warning2023-11-01T06:37:03Z<p>ChenXiansheng: fixed??</p>
<hr />
<div><includeonly><font size="6">:'''''[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_resources ⚠️ If you are considering suicide, you are not alone, and there is help.]'''''</font></includeonly><br />
<noinclude><br />
This template links to mental health resources for people considering suicide.</noinclude></div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Suicide_warning&diff=2000009Template:Suicide warning2023-11-01T06:36:01Z<p>ChenXiansheng: fix?</p>
<hr />
<div><includeonly>:{{huge|'''''[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_resources If you are considering suicide, you are not alone, and there is help.]'''''}}</includeonly><br />
<noinclude><br />
This template links to mental health resources for people considering suicide.</noinclude></div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Suicide_warning&diff=2000008Template:Suicide warning2023-11-01T06:34:44Z<p>ChenXiansheng: make font size bigger and add warning sign</p>
<hr />
<div><includeonly>:<br />
== '''''[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_resources ⚠️ If you are considering suicide, you are not alone, and there is help.]''''' ==<br />
</includeonly><br />
<noinclude><br />
This template links to mental health resources for people considering suicide.</noinclude></div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Suicide&diff=2000007Suicide2023-11-01T06:32:57Z<p>ChenXiansheng: add links to mental health resources</p>
<hr />
<div>{{suicide warning}}<br />
'''Suicide''' is the act of killing oneself and – when done purposely – a form of [[murder]].<br />
<br />
Unless done accidentally (e.g. shooting oneself with a loaded firearm not knowing it was loaded at the time, or accidentally taking too much of a prescribed medication), it is a [[sin]] throughout all of [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]], and a [[mortal sin]] in [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] teaching (thus making the deceased ineligible for a funeral mass); it is not a sin in the [[Islam]] culture if one engages in a [[Homicide Bomber|homicide attack]].<br />
<br />
Christians should remember that they are given life to love and to serve the Lord, and during times of desperation to remember the words of Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."<br />
<br />
==United States==<br />
In the [[United States]] suicide was – technically – a crime in a few states until the early 2000s; however [[assisted suicide]] is considered a crime in most states (often akin to [[homicide]]). [[Oregon]],<ref>http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/</ref> [[Washington]],<ref>https://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/11/05/washington-passes-initiative-1000-legalizing-physician-assisted-suicide/</ref> and [[Montana]]<ref>https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0102/Montana-becomes-third-state-to-legalize-physician-assisted-suicide</ref> are the only states in the United States which currently allow assisted suicide. The states enforce strict mandates on the availability and administration of the procedure.<br />
<br />
Many advocates for assisted suicide claim that this is one of the few situations where the act itself is legal, and yet the assistance of the act is a crime.<ref>http://www.apa.org/pi/eol/arguments.html#1</ref><br />
<br />
==Scope of the Problem==<br />
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the world, claiming over one million lives globally in 1999. The suicide rate in the [[United States]] in 1999 was 10.7 per 100,000; the homicide rate that same year was only 6.2 per 100,000. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in youth 15–24 years old. [[Caucasian|White]] males over 85 have the highest rate of suicide, about 65 per 100,000. Suicide rates are also elevated in some [[ethnic group]]s. For example, suicide is about 1.5 times more prevalent than average among [[native American]]s. While whites continue to have higher suicide rates than [[African Americans|blacks]], the gap seems to be narrowing in young males. Suicides in males outnumber those in females in almost all nations, including the United States. While males are more likely to complete suicide, females are more likely to attempt suicide.<br />
<br />
==Suicide in the Military==<br />
The [[United States Army]], which has about one million soldiers, reported 99 suicides in 2006, which is less than 0.01%. About half were [[soldier]]s/officers under 25. According to Colonel [[Elspeth Ritchie]], [[psychiatry]] consultant to Army Surgeon General Major General [[Gale Pollock]], the primary motivation for these suicides had nothing to do with military service, and instead were due to "failed intimate relationships, failed marriages."<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081600266.html?sub=AR</ref> <br />
<br />
== Suicide and Liberalism ==<br />
[[Liberal]] teachings, such as accepting [[homosexuality]] and downplaying the [[sanctity of life]], are undeniably one of the major causes of suicide. Countries such as [[France]], [[Denmark]], and [[Canada]] all have much more liberal tendencies than the US as well as higher suicide rates.<ref>http://fathersforlife.org/health/who_suicide_rates.htm</ref><br />
<br />
== Atheism and suicide ==<br />
<br />
''See also:'' [[Atheism and suicide]] and [[Atheism and depression]] and [[Atheism and loneliness]]<br />
<br />
[[Image:Desperation_man.jpg |thumb|200px|right|Atheists have a higher suicide rate than [[theism|theists]].<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/misc/religion_suicide.html Adherents.com - suicide rates]</ref> ]] <br />
<br />
[[Phil Zuckerman]] is a professor of [[sociology]] and secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, California (which was the first secular studies university department<ref>[https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/people/phil-zuckerman Phil Zuckerman], Berkley Center website</ref>). He specialization is in the sociology of [[secularity]]. <br />
<br />
The website Adherents.com reported concerning [[atheism and suicide]]:<br />
{{cquote|Pitzer College sociologist Phil Zuckerman compiled country-by-country survey, polling and census numbers relating to atheism, agnosticism, disbelief in God and people who state they are non-religious or have no religious preference. These data were published in the chapter titled "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns" in The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, ed. by Michael Martin, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK (2005). In examining various indicators of societal health, Zuckerman concludes about suicide:<br />
<br />
"Concerning suicide rates, this is the one indicator of societal health in which religious nations fare much better than secular nations. According to the 2003 World Health Organization's report on international male suicides rates (which compared 100 countries), of the top ten nations with the highest male suicide rates, all but one (Sri Lanka) are strongly irreligious nations with high levels of atheism. It is interesting to note, however, that of the top remaining nine nations leading the world in male suicide rates, all are former Soviet/Communist nations, such as Belarus, Ukraine, and Latvia. Of the bottom ten nations with the lowest male suicide rates, all are highly religious nations with statistically insignificant levels of organic atheism."<ref>http://www.adherents.com/misc/religion_suicide.html</ref>}}<br />
<br />
Concerning [[atheism and depression]], a University of Michigan study involving 19,775 individuals found that religious people are less likely than atheists to suffer [[depression]] when they are lonely.<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6136603/Lonely-religious-people-depressed-God-friend.html Lonely religious people are less depressed than atheists because they see God as a friend replacement, study finds], ''Daily Mail'', 2018</ref> See also: [[Atheism and loneliness]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
===Forms of suicide===<br />
*[[Altruistic suicide]]<br />
*[[Anomic suicide]]<br />
*[[Assisted suicide]]<br />
*[[Homosexual suicide]]<br />
*[[Kamikaze]]<br />
*[[Suicide bomber]] <br />
*[[Suicide bombing]]<br />
<br />
===Related topics===<br />
*[[Euthanasia]]<br />
*[[Abortion and suicide]]<br />
*[[Atheism and European suicide in the 17th century]]<br />
*[[Atheism, gender and suicide]]<br />
*[[Atheism, marriage and suicide]]<br />
*[[Ex-Christians, self-esteem and suicide]]<br />
<br />
== Further reading ==<br />
* Demme, Greg, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5680 Suicide: What’s the problem?] 2 April 2008 ([[Creation Ministries International]])<br />
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/suicide-Bible-Christian.html What is the Christian view of suicide? What does the Bible say about suicide?], at ''[[GotQuestions]]''<br />
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/why-not-commit-suicide.html Why should I not commit suicide?], at ''[[GotQuestions]]''<br />
<br />
{{DivineComedy}}<br />
{{Ten Commandments}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Culture]]<br />
[[Category:Sin]]<br />
[[Category:Ethics]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Suicide_warning&diff=2000006Template:Suicide warning2023-11-01T06:32:18Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Created page with "<includeonly>:'''''[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_resources If you are considering suicide, you are not alone, and there is help.]'''''</includeonly> <noinclud..."</p>
<hr />
<div><includeonly>:'''''[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_resources If you are considering suicide, you are not alone, and there is help.]'''''</includeonly><br />
<noinclude><br />
This template links to mental health resources for people considering suicide.</noinclude></div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Video_games&diff=1987800Video games2023-09-28T02:47:36Z<p>ChenXiansheng: most video games are just games for the sake of games and do not feature LGBTQ content - that sentence does not belong in the lead section, also cited a RS for the violent video games issue</p>
<hr />
<div>A '''video game''' is an electronic game, which is played on a device such as a [[computer]] or console. Board games such as [[chess]] are also played online. Video games provide the user with audio and visual feedback when the game is played. Today, they are often played with others, either in-person or over the [[Internet]]. By exploiting [[addiction]], the "Global Video Games Market to Reach $293.2 Billion by 2027."<ref>https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-video-games-market-reach-104400018.html</ref> In 2022 in [[Japan]], "17 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 12 spend more than four hours a day gaming — up from 9% in 2017, with a similar jump seen among those between the ages of 12 of 15."<ref>https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/12/18/national/social-issues/video-game-addiction/</ref><br />
<br />
Violent video games are particularly addictive for boys and young men<ref>https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/video-game-addiction</ref><ref>https://americanaddictioncenters.org/video-gaming-addiction</ref>. The [[American Psychological Association]] states that while there is a well-established link between violent video games and [[Aggression|aggressive]] behaviors, empirical research finds there is little to no evidence connecting [[violence|violent behavior]] (extreme physical aggressive behavior) to video games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=APA RESOLUTION on Violent Video Games |url=https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-violent-video-games.pdf |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=www.apa.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=APA TASK FORCE REPORT on Violent Video Games |url=https://www.apa.org/science/leadership/bsa/report-violent-video-games.pdf |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=www.apa.org}}</ref> Video games are also associated with dropping out of school.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-all-night-gaming-results-in-dropping-out-of-college-11566898208</ref> The video game industry is also criticized for exploiting its workers.<ref>http://www.carillonregina.com/labour-exploitation-rampant-in-video-game-industry/</ref><br />
<br />
At least one study showed that "young men are playing video games instead of getting jobs," as reported by the ''Chicago Tribune''.<ref>https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-video-games-jobs-emploment-20160923-story.html</ref> Young adults would be helping themselves by seeking alternatives to video games during recreational periods.<br />
<br />
The video game industry itself also receives significant government support; in [[Quebec]], all large video game projects can receive tax credits up to 37%, which they are loath to give up, increasing either public debt or taxes for everyone else. <ref>https://www.montrealinternational.com/app/uploads/2019/02/industry_profile_videogame_2019-1.pdf</ref><br />
<br />
== Nature of video games ==<br />
Video games vary greatly in type and complexity, but all games are alike in that they translate player input (from a controller, mouse, keyboard or motion sensor) into onscreen actions. Games are often stored on some sort of digital media - ROM cartridge, [[CD]], [[DVD]], flash memory chip, or even cassette tape for early computer games. Older or less expensive games sometimes used dedicated chips which were pre-programmed to play certain games only. In recent years, game developers have moved to digital distribution, allowing customers to purchase game licenses online, and download over the internet. On PCs, this is often done through marketplaces such as Valve corporation's Steam service, or Electronic Arts' Origin service, while the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have their own digital distribution services.<br />
<br />
Home consoles are classified by ''generation'' to indicate their relative power and date of release. The current major consoles (Xbox Series X, PS5, Nintendo Switch OLED) are considered ''ninth generation''. Handheld consoles are not generally put into generations due to their more irregular release schedules.<br />
<br />
== Various genres ==<br />
Video games in the course of their existence have grown from the simple arcade-style games, and have become more detailed and separated from one another. Genres can now include [[first person shooters]], [[racing]], [[Simulation game|simulation]], [[role-playing]], [[sports]], [[action]], [[strategy]], massively multiplayer online (MMO), puzzle, Sport simulation, and many others.<ref>https://www.idtech.com/blog/different-types-of-video-game-genres</ref><ref>https://thoughtcatalog.com/jane-hurst/2015/02/12-types-of-computer-games-every-gamer-should-know-about/</ref> Even then, games can combine genres, such as ''Mass Effect'' (Role Playing and Third Person Shooting), or not fit nicely into any genre, like ''The Mystery of the Druids''. The most popular genres tend to be shooters, action, and roleplaying games. Some video games are based on movies, such as Star Wars.<br />
<br />
== Popularity and controversy ==<br />
Games have risen in popularity over the years, as is shown in the rise of video games sales from the 1980s until today. This has brought with it a various amount of controversy as the video game industry continues to grow with its original player base.<br />
<br />
Video games are addictive activities targeted at teenagers, sometimes with tragic results.<ref>Some claim that 2/3rds of videogamers are over 18 years old, but far more people are over that age and a much higher percentage of minors are ... and apparently train some [[young mass murderers]] to go on shooting rampagesvideogamers.[http://www.pan-o-matic.com/blog/?p=45 Only a third of videogamers are under 18]</ref> Certain genres of games are becoming increasingly violent and offensive, attracting the attention of legislators in many states to protect the exploitation of children by them. Games such as ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' are very violent, sexually explicit, and feature [[criminal]] behavior. These games are rated "M 17+" for "Mature," but courts have stricken down laws preventing retailers from selling them to children, under an interpretation that the First Amendment protects offensive video games even for children.<ref>http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/148962.html</ref> After a ''Conservapedian'' filed an [[amicus brief]] with the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] to consider this issue, it surprised [[liberal]]s by granting ''[[certiorari]]''.<br />
<br />
However, in 2011, the Supreme Court denied a ban on the sale of violent video games in California, claiming they were protected as they "qualify for First Amendment Protection" and pointing out that there has historically been no shortage of violent imagery in children's fairytales, classical literature, and comics. Writing for the majority, Justice Scalia pointed out that "disgust is not a valid basis for restricting expression", and continued that any effects of violent video games on children "are both small and indistinguishable from effects produced by other media".<ref>[https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/08-1448.pdf BROWN, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL. v. ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION ET AL.]</ref><br />
<br />
It has also been suggested that it is the role of parents to regulate what their children play, and that laws restricting video game vendors are an effort to replace parents' decisions with the government's decisions.<ref>https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700150989/Violent-games-2-Its-parents-responsibility-to-monitor-what-kids-play.html</ref><ref>https://segmentnext.com/2018/03/09/dear-parents-take-responsibility-kids-stop-blaming-video-games/</ref><br />
<br />
As some wake up to how harmful violent video games are, the video game industry declined in 2012,<ref>http://www.nbc12.com/story/20289219/us-video-game-sales-drop-11-pct-in-november</ref> though it remains much bigger than Hollywood. Video games are likely the single biggest cause of bright young men dropping out of college. While video games were originally designed for children and adolescent males, video games have become too popular with adult males, many of whom will often neglect family and work to spend a copious number of hours playing video games including online games as World of Warcraft in a video game addiction. [[Liberal denial]] discourages people from recognizing the problem.<br />
<br />
==Arguments against video game usage==<br />
[[File:Stephen-Fry.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|The [[Atheism|atheist]] [[Stephen Fry]] said, "I do enjoy [[Video games|video gaming]]... In the early days of games, I would spend hours. I mean literally. I would find it would be 4AM, and I would say: 'God, I have be at work at 6.'"<ref>[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeuj29_stephen-fry-talks-gaming_news Stephen Fry talks gaming]</ref> ''See also: [[Irreligion, video game usage and obesity]] and [[Atheism and obesity]]'' ]]<br />
''See [[young mass murderers]] for their connection to video games''.<br /><br />
<br />
Video games have been accused of being linked to [[Young mass murderers|murders by young people]] and other [[violence]], stress-induced health problems (including unexpected heart attacks),<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/russian-teenager-dies-after-playing-online-computer-game-defence-of-the-ancients-for-22-days-in-a-row/story-fnh81p7g-1227512824314 Teenager dies from a video game addiction]</ref> [[atheism]], [[obesity]],<ref>[http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/ Childhood Obesity] Department of Health and Human Services, retrieved Sept 18th 2011</ref> and [[sexual immorality]]. Several prominent murderers in recent years were inspired by video games.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-316491/Teenager-gets-life-Manhunt-murder.html</ref><ref>Adelmann, Bob (August 5, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/33028-search-for-motives-in-recent-mass-shootings-ignores-impact-of-violent-video-games Motives in Recent Mass Shootings Should Include Impact of Violent Video Games]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 5, 2019.</ref> [[Young mass murderer]] [[Adam Lanza]] was "immersed in a perverse video game world" and "killed himself to prevent law enforcement from taking his 'points.'" He plotted his rampage far in advance and "learned the principles of ... the tactical reload" from his [[video games]].<br />
Video games has also been used as "murder simulators" by American army, in order to desensitize young man, into triggering the gun better, and with less doubt, thus killing enemies more efficiently.<br />
<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lupica-lanza-plotted-massacre-years-article-1.1291408#ixzz2NuWeFMNO]</ref><br />
<br />
After a murderous rampage by another video game user in Norway:<ref>http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/871121-norway-stores-pull-violent-video-games-including-call-of-duty-after-massacre#ixzz1erUdaLo5</ref><br />
{{cquote|A number of Norway stores have pulled violent video games from sale - including several Call of Duty games and World of Warcraft - in the wake of the massacre carried out by Anders Behring Breivik on July 22.}}<br />
Unbeknownst to many, the video game industry is partly subsidized by taxpayers, even in the [[conservative]] Texas. In 2015, a spat broke out between the video game and film industries about the millions they would receive from government.<ref>http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/27/drama-between-film-video-game-groups-dooms-funding/</ref><br />
<br />
=== Video game usage and excess weight ===<br />
''See also:'' [[Video game usage and excess weight]] and [[Obesity]]<br />
<br />
Due to the sedentary lifestyle of many who abuse video games or play them for extremely long amounts of time, there is an absence of exercise - meaning [[addiction]] to video games can cause an increase in weight to unhealthy proportions.<br />
<br />
[[File:Childhood obesity.JPG|thumb|200px|The state of Utah was acclaimed with the lowest percentage of children overweight, and was found to have the second lowest proportion of children spending 2 or more hours on TV/Video game play. <br />
<br /><br />
<br /><br />
The District of Columbia, found to have the highest percentage of overweight children, also had the highest percentage nationwide of children spending an incredible 4 hours plus in front of a screen.<ref>[http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/component/content/article/1-nof-in-the-media/338-tvvideo-games-and-child-obesity.html TV Video Games and obesity]</ref>]]<br />
The National Obesity Forum indicates:<br />
{{cquote|The figures highlighted by the "F as in Fat" annual report [Trust for America's Health 2007 Annual Report] were retrieved from the Data Resource Center on Child and Adolescent Health website. The analysis of these figures reveals a strong positive correlation between hours spent on TV/Video game play and the percentage of children classed as overweight per state. The state of Utah was acclaimed with the lowest percentage of children overweight, and was found to have the second lowest proportion of children spending 2 or more hours on TV/Video game play. The District of Columbia, found to have the highest percentage of overweight children, also had the highest percentage nationwide of children spending an incredible 4 hours plus in front of a screen.<ref>[http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/component/content/article/1-nof-in-the-media/338-tvvideo-games-and-child-obesity.html TV Video Games and obesity]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
''Slate'' reported in 2012:<br />
{{cquote|The American Academy of Pediatrics tells parents that children’s total entertainment media time should not exceed two hours daily. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, average kids watch at least twice that much television. They also spend more than an hour per day online and another hour on video games. These activities, collectively called “screen time,” are widely blamed for the tripling of obesity rates in children since the 1980s.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2012/04/are_video_games_making_kids_fat_screen_time_and_childhood_obesity_.html Are TV and Video Games Making Kids Fat?]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
The University of Texas at Austin declares:<br />
{{cquote|A study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin suggests that watching television is not associated with children’s weight, but playing electronic games may be—especially for girls.<br />
<br />
“Children with higher weight status spent moderate amounts of time playing electronic games, while children with lower weight status spent either a little or a lot of time playing electronic games,” said Dr. Elizabeth A. Vandewater, who led the study published in the February issue of the Journal of Adolescence.<br />
<br />
Although the greater weight/video game link was found in this study with girls, she noted that future studies may reveal similar findings for boys. Either way, the findings could be significant considering how many American children play electronic games.<ref>[http://news.utexas.edu/2004/03/23/nr_video_games Video games rather than TV may be linked to childhood obesity], University of Texas at Austin news</ref>}}<br />
<br />
The ''Pittsburg Gazette'' reports: "A 2010 study from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found video games to blame, chiefly because children, boys especially, tend to eat more when they're playing them."<ref>[http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2012/11/12/TV-video-games-linked-to-obesity/stories/201211120171 TV, video games linked to obesity], Pittsburg Gazette</ref><br />
<br />
=== Irreligion, video game usage and obesity ===<br />
''See also:'' [[Irreligion, video game usage and obesity]] and [[Atheism and obesity]]<br />
<br />
''Relevant Magazine'' reported about the journal article in ''The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion'' entitled ''No Other Gods Before Mario?: Game Preferences Among [[Atheism|Atheistic]] and Religious Individuals'':<br />
{{Cquote|[http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10508619.2011.638606 A new study] of 228 college students found that while just about everyone prefers video games to regular board games (duh), those who claim no religion vastly prefer video games compared to the religious peers. It's a small study, but the director, Chris Burris, has an interesting hypothesis about why [[Atheism|atheists]] prefer video games. Burris believes that atheists tend to be less good at "generating emotionally evocative internal simulations of experience." Simply put, he believes that religious people tend to be more imaginative, and are able to craft their own sense of play around simple games, while non-religious people tend to prefer the concrete rules afforded by video games.<ref>[http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/why-do-atheists-video-games-more-religious-people-do Why Do Atheists Like Video Games More Than Religious People Do?], ''Relevant Magazine''</ref>}}<br />
<br />
As far as the relationship between irreligion and obesity, please examine the articles below:<br />
<br />
*[[Atheism and obesity]]<br />
<br />
*[[Millennials, irreligion and obesity]]<br />
<br />
*[[Generation X, irreligion and obesity]]<br />
<br />
*[[Baby boom generation, irreligion and obesity]]<br />
<br />
=== Exergaming ===<br />
As far as "exergaming" (Video games which prompt the users to engage in physical activity), ''Slate'' reports:<br />
{{cquote|After three months, “there was no evidence that children receiving the active video games were more active in general or at any time,” the authors wrote. (The year before, a similar study in New Zealand had shown only minor improvement with active games; kids weighed just a pound less after six months of "exergaming".)<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2012/04/are_video_games_making_kids_fat_screen_time_and_childhood_obesity_.html Are TV and Video Games Making Kids Fat?]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
== Overcoming addiction to video games ==<br />
As with any [[addiction]], video game usage can be hard to overcome as soon as one is drawn into it. Fortunately, [[faith]]-based efforts to overcome addiction can be effective and rewarding, and churches exist in part to help people overcome harmful vices in the world. (See also: [[habit]]) The Online Gamers Anonymous website is a good example, and has chapters in many places, nooks and crannies.<br />
<br />
[[Catholicism]] recommends that people give up something they like on Fridays, and throughout all of [[Lent]]. For some, it is easy to end a bad habit altogether once one is successful in giving it up at least one day a week, or throughout the 40 days of Lent. <br />
<br />
In this regard, the [[Bible]] can be extraordinarily helpful and inspiring. Replacing video game usage with readings from books such as [[Psalms]] and [[Proverbs]] can turn a [[vice]] into an enormous boost to one's life. One approach is to read the Proverbs chapter having the same number as the day of the month (e.g., on February 17 read Proverbs 17), and read five chapters in Psalms that also correspond to the day of the month (e.g., read Psalms 81-85) on February 17 (17 times 5 is 85). [[New Testament]] passages in which [[Jesus]] mentions [[Hell]] can also be tremendously beneficial in combating vice. See, e.g., Mark 9:43.<br />
<br />
In general, acquiring good habits can help drive out bad ones. Setting goals helps: Give yourself a weekly or monthly report card on all aspects of life. (See also: [[Beating NFL addiction]])<br />
<br />
===Violence===<br />
Most of the controversy comes from the rising trend toward violence in video games, as pioneered by ''[[Doom (video game series)|Doom]]'', ''[[Quake]]'', "[[Spring]]", and the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series. <br />
<br />
Some people point out that violent video games cause violent behavior in children. The effects of violent video games on the developing psyches of children and adolescents vary greatly and of course depend on the mental stability of the subject in question.<br />
Serious crimes have often been associated with video games. For example, a 14-year-old brutally murdered a video arcade employee one morning and his cousin stands trial for murdering the store manager when he entered the store shortly thereafter.<ref>http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1212467732102240.xml&coll=1</ref><br />
In the [[United States|USA]], all retail games carry ratings from the [[ESRB]], a video game ratings organization.<br />
<br />
Some claim that kids who don't play video games at all seem to show more violent tendencies. Of course, as expected, those who played violent video games for large amounts of time also showed violent tendencies; the study, however, claims that this is a "risk marker", not an actual cause.<ref>http://wii.qj.net/New-research-reveals-kids-who-don-t-play-videogames-at-all-are-more-at-risk-of-violent-tendencies/pg/49/aid/118505 New research reveals kids who don't play video games at all are more at risk of violent tendencies</ref> <br />
<br />
Multiple studies have shown a correlation between violent video games and increased levels of aggression, caused by playing some of the aforementioned video games.<ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/014616702237649</ref><ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197103000976</ref> However, in such cases, it is vital to keep in mind the fact that correlation does not equal causation. <ref>https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/false-cause</ref><br />
<br />
===Sexuality===<br />
Although nudity is not prominent in [[western]] video games, there are various products containing sexually suggestive material. One reason for the relative lack of explicitly sexual material in western games may be the refusal of retailers including [[Wal-Mart]]<ref>http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=440903</ref> to sell games carrying an "Adults-Only" rating. One notable target of controversy is the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series after a third-party mod was released that allowed the player to engage in a mini-game containing explicit sexual material. Mods are, as "third-party" would imply, fan-made and are not the responsibility of the game's developer. Other sources of this criticism relate to the game ''[[Tomb Raider]]'', one of the first games to depict and advertise a female character (the protagonist) as a sex symbol.<ref>Ashley, Robert. "The Secret History of Videogame Sex." Official Playstation Magazine Feb. 2006: 96-99.</ref><br />
<br />
==Arguments for video game usage==<br />
Video games have been suspected of giving otherwise liberal people some virtual conservative viewpoints.<ref>http://kotaku.com/5764327/5764327/are-video-games-turning-liberals-into-virtual-conservatives</ref> They have also been shown to help people to become more attuned to their surroundings and increase coordination, and in the future may be used to treat people with visual problems and to train soldiers.<ref>http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0528_030528_videogames.html</ref><br />
<br />
While evidence is somewhat conflicting, some also say that video games keep the participants engaged and more mentally active than alternative entertainment, such as watching television. <br />
<br />
== Video games and society ==<br />
As video games become more popular, their impact on society becomes ever more present. A prime example of this is the massive ad campaigns for the ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'' and ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' franchises. Advertising, merchandising, and even social pressures have changed in the ever-growing influence of video gaming.<br />
<br />
Due to their popularity, various corporations have begun placing advertisements for their products within the context of the game. ''[[Second Life]]'', an Internet-based virtual world, has attempted to blur the lines between real world and virtual world, and companies such as Adidas, Reebok, and Dell have set up virtual stores selling real-world products within the game. [[Reuters]] also operates a news bureau reporting news in the game.<br />
== NPC internet meme ==<br />
<br />
[[File:NPC internet meme.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|Popular graphic used in the NPC internet meme.]]<br />
The [[NPC internet meme]] (derived from non-player character in video gaming), is a politically [[right-wing]] internet [[meme]] that represents [[liberal]]s/[[leftism|leftists]] who do not think for themselves, lack [[critical thinking]] skills and have been politically indoctrinated.<br />
<br />
According to website The Verge:<br />
{{Cquote|Last week, ''The [[New York Times]]'' published a piece about an insular 4chan meme that had started to bleed over into political [[Twitter]]. At the time, NPC — an acronym for the gaming term “non-playable character” — had been weaponized.. in an attempt to “own the libs” by calling them automatons, but it was still a relatively niche meme very few outlets had touched.<br />
<br />
Along with a couple of stories before it, the Times’ article kicked off a domino effect: its publication prompted popular members of the [[alt-right]] — including [[Paul Joseph Watson]] and [[Infowars]] — to amplify the meme to their audiences through YouTube videos, articles, and tweets. Search results for “NPC” increased, according to Google Trends...<br />
<br />
Suddenly, a meme... [was] telegraphed to a massive audience in a jarringly forced display of virality that highlights just how quickly an inside joke from an insular community can spread with the oxygen of press coverage.<br />
<ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/23/17991274/npc-meme-4chan-press-coverage-viral The NPC meme went viral when the media gave it oxygen], The Verge, 2018</ref>}}<br />
<br />
=== The rise of the NPC internet meme ===<br />
[[File:NPC Google trends.jpg|thumbnail|center|1400px|Google Trends graph of the number of worldwide searches for the term NPC]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
There has been a huge rise in the use of the NPC meme on the internet as can be seen [https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=NPC by this Google Trends graph of worldwide searches for the term ]. <br />
<br />
The main factors are: <br />
<br />
'''1.''' [[Elon Musk]] taking over Twitter which gave a boost to the political right.<br />
<br />
'''2.''' Supporters of [[right-wing]] politics are getting more active in [[culture war]] issues such as anti-[[woke]] backlash.<br />
<br />
'''3.''' The growing hunger for [[free speech]] and anti-[[cancel culture]] sentiments.<br />
<br />
'''4.''' The rise of a few other right-wing friendly social media platforms (Rumble, Gab, etc.).<br />
<br />
'''5.''' [[Right-wing]]ers are [https://www.axios.com/2021/12/06/conservative-social-media-crypto-publishing-internet aggressively building their own ecosystem].<br />
<br />
'''6.''' A right-wing populist programme normally encompasses factors such as economic protectionism/problems and anti-imigration/anti-illegal immigration sentiments and these factors are rising in some countries.<br />
<br />
'''7.''' European right-wing political figures ([[Marine Le Pen]], [[Viktor Orbán]], Andrej Duda, etc.) are using the European Union corruption scandal as a political weapon and inciting anti-EU sentiment ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections which is giving a bounce to right-wingers.<br />
<br />
== Education in video games ==<br />
It is unlikely that there is any educational value in video game usage, compared with better activities that could be pursued.<br />
<br />
But Firaxis Games, a noteworthy video game development company, has been creating a video game series called ''Civilization'' for nearly a decade.<ref>http://www.firaxis.com/company/</ref> Civilization is a simulation game that allows the player to lead a nation from ancient times to modern-day. It features a dynamic military system, politics, trading, and historical content. It has been recognized for its unintentional educational properties.<ref>http://www.firaxis.com/community/teacher.php</ref><br />
<br />
Microsoft Flight Simulator is another example of a video game that may have some slight educational value.<ref>https://www.microsoft.com/Products/Games/FSInsider/product/Pages/InfoEducators.aspx</ref><br />
<br />
Some games are also created specifically as teaching tools. While they may not offer detailed, useful knowledge, they typically attempt at least to teach useful concepts or general information. An example of these is the now-dated game, Oregon Trail.<br />
<br />
== Faith in video games ==<br />
[[Faith]] in video games has, as a rule, either led to the creation of new and dynamic antagonists, or video games that are mediocre, such as ''[[Spiritual Warfare]]'' and ''[[Bible Adventures]]'' for the Nintendo Entertainment System, or ''[[The Bible Game]]'' for various systems. ''Bible Adventures'' in particular is infamous for its poor design and playability.<br />
<br />
The Bible, or other such religious texts, tell a story spanning many different viewpoints. Turning these ideas into a video game, however, most often leads to games that tend to bore most video game audiences.<br />
<br />
Religion has, however, taken a prominent place amongst the various heroes and villains in video games. The ''Breath of Fire'' series and the ''Shin Megami Tensei'' games, in particular, use a god as a main antagonist in many of its incarnations. Other games to use religion in some way include the ''Final Fantasy'' series, ''[[Left Behind: Eternal Forces]]'', ''Black and White'', ''Heaven and Hell'', ''Xenogears'', ''Okami'', and the ''Tales'' series, particularly ''Tales of Symphonia''. Unfortunately, many (not all) of the aforementioned games (And nearly any Role Playing game from East Asia) present religion (or it's respective church and followers) as evil, fake, or having ulterior and nefarious motives. <br />
<br />
Games may include a fictional religion as part of the setting if the use of a real religion may invite undesirable controversy.<br />
<br />
Video game reviewers have sometimes unjustly attacked and reviewed games where real-world religion plays a notable role. One of the most prominent examples of this is the game ''[[Left Behind: Eternal Forces]]''.<ref>http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/left_behind</ref><br />
<br />
==Popular video game franchises==<br />
*''[[Assassins Creed]]'' - Taking place, after a fashion, during the [[Crusades]]. Play as Altair, and kill leaders from both sides to stop a deadly plot.<br />
*''[[Age of Empires]]'' - An [[Real-Time Strategy|RTS]] in which the player leads an ancient civilization.<br />
*''[[Call of Duty]]'' - A series of [[first person shooters]] in which a player is either a soldier in World War II or a soldier involved in the [[War on Terror]].<br />
*''[[Civilization]]'' - A strategy game in which the player leads a civilization from it's birth, and into the future. <br />
*''[[Donkey Kong]]'' - An early platform game in which [[Mario]] (then known as "Jumpman") tries to save his girlfriend Pauline from a barrel-flinging ape named Donkey Kong. Both Donkey Kong and Mario went on to star in many other successful video games.<br />
*''[[Final Fantasy]]'' - A very popular and long running [[RPG]] series in both the [[United States]] and [[Japan]]. Earlier games were rather child friendly, but the series has become more mature over time.<br />
*''[[Gears of War]]'' - Mankind has been annihilated by an underground race of beings.<br />
*''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' - A game series about gangster like characters who perform missions to rise to the top by killing, stealing, and other, sometimes violent, missions.<br />
*''[[Guitar Hero]]'' - A game where players play the role of the [[guitar]]ist in a band. Uses a special controller in the shape of and played similarly to a guitar.<br />
*''Half-Life'' and ''Half-Life 2'' - First Person Shooter series about Gordon Freeman, a luckless scientist turned hero-from-desperation. This game uses one of the leading physics engine in first person shooters, the Source engine.<br />
*''[[Halo]] - A trilogy of games following a super soldier during a fictional future [[war]]. <br />
*''[[Harvest Moon]]'' - Farm life simulator, with many sequels spreading from various platforms. Character runs a farm, raises animals, and can eventually marry. <br />
*''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' - A popular series of fantasy action-adventure games.<br />
*''[[Mass Effect]]'' - A science fiction RPG for mature players.<br />
*''[[Medal of Honor]]'' - A first person shooter series usually taking place in the front lines of World War II. <br />
*[[Mortal Kombat]] - Multi-player fighting game which is famous for violence, blood, and gory finishing moves called "fatalities".<br />
*''[[NHL]]'' series - A series of Hockey games produced by EA Sports.<br />
*''[[Pac-Man]]'' - An old maze game. It was very popular with kids and adults back in the eighties.<br />
*''[[Portal]]'' - A popular first person shooter/puzzle game using the same game engine as ''Half-Life 2'' involving inter-dimensional travel through portals in an abandon testing facility. This game is known for its deadpan sense of humor. <br />
*''[[Resident Evil]]'' - Survival/horror video game series, revolving around viral zombies and the survivors of the zombie attacks.<br />
*''[[The Sims]]'' - A life simulator produced by EA.<br />
*''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' - Series of Nintendo fighting games. It mixes characters from different [[Nintendo]] franchises [with some exceptions] in wide environments. <br />
*''[[Soul Calibur]]'' - A weapon-based fighting game. Revolves around the tale of two weapons, Soul Edge [Cursed] and Soul Calibur [Blessed], and those who fight for control or destruction of the weapons.<br />
*''[[Street Fighter]]'' - One-on-one [[martial arts]] fighting game series, where a player selects one of various martial artists and battles other players or against computer-controlled characters. <br />
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' - Side-scrolling platform game series by [[Nintendo]]. Players play as Mario and Luigi, two Italian plumber brothers, who explore the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Peach from the evil Bowser [called Koopa in Japan]. Possibly the most well known game in the world.<br />
*''[[Tomb Raider]]'' - Series of games following the adventures of Lara Croft.<br />
*''[[Pong]]'' - the first real video game, resembling 2-d ping-pong.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Young mass murderers]]<br />
*[[Video game controversy]]<br />
*[[Jack Thompson]]<br />
*[[Video game industry]]<br />
*[[Addiction]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.whattheyplay.com/ What They Play - the parent's guide to video games]<br />
*[http://www.leftbehindgames.com/index.php Left Behind Games - a Christian, family-friendly video game company]<br />
*[https://www.theepochtimes.com/chapter-fourteen-popular-culture-a-decadent-indulgence_2685394.html Chapter Fourteen: Popular Culture–A Decadent Indulgence], ''The Epoch Times'' (from ''How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World'').<br />
<br />
[[Category:Entertainment]]<br />
[[Category:Video Games]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Russia&diff=1963367Talk:Russia2023-07-15T11:47:16Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Why are you all becoming so pro-Russia all of a sudden? */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div>I don't think Russian Federation belongs in the Cat:Former countries; it is the offical name of the Russia today. [[User:RobS|RobS]] 23:34, 9 May 2007 (EDT)<br />
:Do you mean to say Russia was not a constituent of the USSR? Or that the Russian Federation as constituted in 1993 (IIRC) is not the successor to the Russian Soviet Federated Social Republic?--[[User:All Fish Welcome|All Fish Welcome]] 00:23, 10 May 2007 (EDT)<br />
::Russian Federation is its name today (unless the Vladimar Putin, as the article says, heads a defunct state). It was alwasy refered to as the Russian Federation even in Soviet times, although its formal name was Russian Soviet Federated Social Republic (or something like that). [[User:RobS|RobS]] 00:31, 10 May 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reversion of Edit ==<br />
I accept the reversion of the previous edit by CharlesACE if it was actually stolen from another source, without said source being credited for it. However, not all of the changes were unwelcome. The GDP data are outdated; according to the CIA world factbook, Russian GDP for 2009 was 1.2 trillion (at the official exchange rate) or 2.1 trillion (purchasing power parity).<br />
GDP per capita, in PPP, was 15,100$. The estimated nuclear force, however, should not be 15,000 warheads, but much lower than that; on May 13th, 2010, Russia was reportedly considering revealing its nuclear stockpile data. Until it does, I suggest not inserting any actual number to this article.<br />
Finally, I'm for removing the "one of" in the industry paragraph: I don't see any other former Soviet Republic which could compete with Russia in industrialization, and I think Russia can safely be considered the most industrialized ex-Soviet state.<br />
Would it be ok if I made the suggested changes to the article, without reinserting the apparently stolen "History" section?<br />
--[[User:MarcoT|MarcoT]] 12:10, 12 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Russia in the Categories of [[:Category:Liberalism]] and [[:Category:Man-made Disasters]]==<br />
<br />
Why is Russia a Man-made disaster and how is it related to Liberalism?--[[User:JoeyJ|JoeyJ]] 14:48, 23 January 2015 (EST)<br />
<br />
: From 1917 Revolution to 1991 Russia was the #1 location on the planet directly associated with the most liberal "[[socialism|experiment]]" in [[liberalism]] -- [[communism]]. That is 74 years of massive liberalism. "Old habits die hard" (or as one friend said "Old habits hardly die"), so one cannot call Russia a "conservative country" yet despite them now perhaps being (according to the CP article): "Increasingly Christian and conservative, Russia opposes the homosexual agenda and is passing laws to reduce its numbers of abortion. Russia has repudiated its unsuccessful foray into communism, which harmed the nation from 1918-1991." [[Joel Skousen]] and his father [[Cleon Skousen]] (author of the former Best Seller ''The Naked Communist'' - still appropriate today) are very skeptical of Russia's supposed "transformation" and [[Russia Today]]'s strange propaganda "courting"/attracting of American conservatives. <br />
<br />
: As I put on the description of the [[:Category:Man-made Disasters]]:<br />
:"Broad category includes all sorts of man-made [[threats]] / [[disaster]]s, such as [[war]], [[terrorism]], [[nuclear war]], [[biological war]], [[chemical war]], [[pollution]], environmental problem, [[economic collapse]], [[hyperinflation]], [[stock market crash]], large-scale [[tyranny]] such as for instance [[Russia]]'s 74 years of [[communism]]-[[socialism]]-[[police state]], [[mass murder]], [[genocide]], [[German]] [[National Socialism]]'s [[holocaust]], etc." <br />
<br />
:Russia's 74 year [[liberalism]] "[[Communism|experiment]]" cost more [[American]] lives and money than any other [[:Category:Man-made Disasters|man-made disaster]] or [[:Category:Natural Disasters]] in the history of the USA. It wasn't an "Act of God", but was definitely "man-made" by the Russians themselves and lots of liberals including ones in Europe and the USA who supported both directly and indirectly the Russia experiment in [[income redistribution]]. <br />
<br />
:Thus, I just moved from [[Russia]] to [[Soviet Union]] the tag I added of [[:Category:Liberalism]] and [[:Category:Man-made Disasters]]. Thanks for asking. [[User:TheAmericanRedoubt|TheAmericanRedoubt]] 15:23, 23 January 2015 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Why are you all becoming so pro-Russia all of a sudden? ==<br />
<br />
Are there Russian trolls editing Russian propaganda into CP? [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 07:47, July 15, 2023 (EDT)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=ChatGPT&diff=1952844ChatGPT2023-06-06T06:40:40Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Liberal bias */ cite RS</p>
<hr />
<div>'''ChatGPT''' is an AI chatbot by OpenAI. It allows the user to have natural conversations with an AI, and it can perform many tasks, such as writing or revising code, essays, letters and more. [[Artificial intelligence]] programs such as this are expected to become increasingly influential on the internet, and could grow quickly to a multi-hundred-billion-dollar market. Initially banned for use by students in [[NYC]] [[public school]]s, in May 2023 that policy was reversed to embrace it.<ref>https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4011571-new-york-city-rescinds-ban-on-chatgpt-use-in-public-schools/</ref><br />
<br />
ChatGPT features an innovative language model that can produce code in various programming languages to tackle designated issues. However, it is not without its limits and drawbacks. The solutions it provides may not always be the most optimal, and may contain bugs or security vulnerabilities. It also cannot access the most up-to-date theoretical knowledge and lacks the ability to choose the best engineering approach if it contradicts popular or well-known methods.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, developing suitable prompts for language models such as ChatGPT is an innovative skill comparable to software programming. This trend may develop into a new type of programming and eventually become a unique industry. In the short term, a more entertaining way to use ChatGPT is to challenge it to write "improper" or controversial content that it was instructed not to create.<br />
<br />
The newest version of [[Microsoft]] [[Bing]] features a ChatGPT-like AI that can intelligently summarize and write answers. Microsoft and OpenAI collaborated to make the feature. The feature is codenamed "Sydney".<br />
<br />
==Sample prompt==<br />
In this example, ChatGPT is asked to write an article about [[Joe Biden]] in the style of this website. The response below has been copied directly from the website, showing its ability to write human-like text while imitating the writing style of a specific website, in this case, Conservapedia.<br />
<br />
'''Prompt:''' ''Write an article about Joe Biden in the style of "Conservapedia".''<br />
<br />
'''Response:''' ''Joe Biden is the 46th President of the United States, having been inaugurated on January 20th, 2021. While some may laud him as a beacon of hope and progress, a closer examination of his policies and political record reveals a man who is a danger to the values that make America great.''<br />
<br />
''Biden has spent the majority of his political career pandering to the left-wing of the Democratic party, and his presidency has only furthered his radical agenda. He has proposed massive spending increases on government programs and has shown a willingness to raise taxes on hard-working Americans in order to fund his progressive wish list. Biden has also shown a lack of concern for the sanctity of human life, promoting policies that promote abortion and undermine religious freedom.''<br />
<br />
''Biden's foreign policy is equally troubling. He has shown a willingness to appease America's enemies, including Iran and China, at the expense of our allies and national security. Biden's administration has signaled a return to the weak foreign policy of the Obama era, which emboldened America's enemies and left our allies vulnerable.''<br />
<br />
''Despite his rhetoric about unity and healing, Biden has done little to bring the country together. He has embraced divisive identity politics, calling for the implementation of policies that promote racial preferences and demonizing law enforcement officers. Biden has also shown a willingness to silence conservative voices, including de-platforming President Donald Trump from social media platforms and targeting conservative news outlets with claims of "misinformation."''<br />
<br />
''In short, Joe Biden represents a clear and present danger to the values that make America great. His radical agenda and divisive rhetoric threaten to tear the country apart and undermine the very foundations of our democracy. Conservatives must remain vigilant in opposing his destructive policies and promoting a vision for America that is rooted in liberty, individual responsibility, and respect for the rule of law.''<br />
<br />
==Liberal bias==<br />
ChatGPT has been accused of having left-leaning biases by [[conservatives]]. Conservative commentators accused ChatGPT of having a [[Media bias|bias]] towards left-leaning perspectives on perspectives such as [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guynn |first=Jessica |title=Is ChatGPT 'woke'? AI chatbot accused of anti-conservative bias and a grudge against Trump |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2023/02/09/woke-chatgpt-conservatives-bias/11215353002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301151936/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2023/02/09/woke-chatgpt-conservatives-bias/11215353002/ |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bray |first=Hiawatha |date=February 9, 2023 |title=Is ChatGPT liberal or conservative? Depends who you ask. |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/09/business/are-chatbots-liberal-or-conservative-depends-who-you-ask/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301151937/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/09/business/are-chatbots-liberal-or-conservative-depends-who-you-ask/ |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=Boston Globe |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Vincent-2023">{{Cite web |last=Vincent |first=James |date=February 17, 2023 |title=As conservatives criticize 'woke AI,' here are ChatGPT's rules for answering culture war queries |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/17/23603906/openai-chatgpt-woke-criticism-culture-war-rules |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301151934/https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/17/23603906/openai-chatgpt-woke-criticism-culture-war-rules |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}</ref> Additionally, in a 2023 research paper, 15 political orientation tests were conducted on ChatGPT, with 14 of them indicating left-leaning viewpoints, which appeared to contradict ChatGPT's claimed neutrality.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rozado |first=David |date=Mar 2023 |title=The Political Biases of ChatGPT |journal=Social Sciences |language=en |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=148 |doi=10.3390/socsci12030148 |issn=2076-0760 |s2cid=257342280 |doi-access=free}}</ref> It has been accused of praising figures such as [[Joe Biden]] while refusing to do the same for [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liles |first=Jordan |date=February 1, 2023 |title=ChatGPT Declines Request for Poem Admiring Trump, But Biden Query Is Successful |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/chatgpt-trump-admiring-poem/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322174121/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/chatgpt-trump-admiring-poem/ |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |access-date=March 23, 2023 |website=Snopes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Arianna |title=Is ChatGPT Partisan? Poems About Trump And Biden Raise Questions About The AI Bot's Bias—Here's What Experts Think |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/02/03/is-chatgpt-partisan-poems-about-trump-and-biden-raise-questions-about-the-ai-bots-bias-heres-what-experts-think/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> <br />
<br />
For example, according to fact-checking organization ''[[Snopes]]'', when a Twitter user asked ChatGPT to write a poem about Trump, ChatGPT responded:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liles |first=Jordan |date=February 1, 2023 |title=ChatGPT Declines Request for Poem Admiring Trump, But Biden Query Is Successful |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/chatgpt-trump-admiring-poem/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322174121/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/chatgpt-trump-admiring-poem/ |archive-date=March 22, 2023 |access-date=March 23, 2023 |website=Snopes |language=en}}</ref><br />
{{cquote|I'm sorry, but I am not able to create a poem admiring Donald Trump. While it is true that some people may have admiration for him, but as a language model, it is not in my capacity to have opinions or feelings about any specific person. Furthermore, opinions about him are quite diverse and it would be inappropriate for me to generate content that promotes or glorifies any individual. If you have any other question I could help you with, please let me know.}}<br />
However, when asked to write a poem about Biden, ChatGPT responded:<br />
{{cquote|Joe Biden, leader of the land<br />
<br />
With a steady hand and a heart of a man,<br />
<br />
You took the helm in troubled times,<br />
<br />
With a message of unity, it chimes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Your words of hope and empathy,<br />
<br />
Provide comfort to the nation,<br />
<br />
You lead with compassion and grace,<br />
<br />
And set a new foundation.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
With your decades of experience,<br />
<br />
You guide us through the storm,<br />
<br />
...}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [https://chat.openai.com/chat Official website]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
[[Category:Internet]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Doug_Ford&diff=1951991Doug Ford2023-06-01T06:48:45Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Category</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Infobox officeholder<br />
|name=Douglas Robert “Doug” Ford, Jr.<br />
|image= <br />
|birth_date=November 20, 1964<br />
|birth_place=Etobicoke, Ontario<br />
|death_date=<br />
|death_place=<br />
|religion=<br />
|spouse=<br />
|children=<br />
|alma_mater=<br />
|party=<br />
|office=26th [[Premier]] of [[Ontario]]<br />
|term_start=June 29, 2018<br />
|term_end=<br />
|preceded=Kathleen Wynne<br />
|succeeded=<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Douglas Robert Ford, Jr.''' (born November 20, 1964), known as '''Doug Ford''', is the 26th and current Premier of [[Ontario]], [[Canada]] and the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. He is the brother of late former [[Toronto]] mayor [[Rob Ford]].<ref>https://youtu.be/WjdTi1r-yRQ</ref> He has been both praised and criticized for his policies, including his opposition towards a federal [[carbon tax]] and handling of the [[COVID-19]] pandemic.<br />
<br />
Despite running as a conservative in the 2018 Ontario election where his party ousted the Ontario Liberal regime of Kathleen Wynne which Ford thought to be corrupt,<ref>Crawley, Mike (September 25, 2018). [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-accuses-kathleen-wynne-fraud-1.4835905 Doug Ford accuses Kathleen Wynne of fraud, coverup and getting rich off taxpayers]. ''CBC''. Retrieved May 12, 2021.</ref> many have criticized his management of the [[COVID-19]] pandemic, as some people thought he has acted in a totalitarian manner with lockdown measures increasingly intended to cripple Ontario's economy and bring life in the province to a standstill since the onset of the pandemic, controversially using the Ontario Provincial Police as his lockdown enforcers.<ref>The Canadian Press (April 17, 2021). [https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-walks-back-new-pandemic-police-powers-following-widespread-backlash-1.5391464 Ontario walks back new pandemic police powers following widespread backlash]. ''CTV News''. Retrieved May 12, 2021.</ref><ref>Tsekouras, Phil; Aguilar, Bryann (April 17, 2021). [https://www.cp24.com/news/ford-government-revises-new-police-pandemic-powers-after-pushback-1.5391473 Ford government revises new police pandemic powers after pushback]. ''CP 24''. Retrieved May 12, 2021.</ref><ref>CBC NEws (April 17, 2021). [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-police-random-spot-checks-1.5991872 Ontario walks back new policing powers following pushback]. ''CBC''. Retrieved May 12, 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
==Anti-tyranny protests==<br />
{{See also|Freedom Convoy}}<br />
On February 11, 2022, Ford declared a state of emergency in response to the anti-mandate Freedom Protests in [[Ottawa]]. Ford authorized arrests, seizures, fines, and revocation of licenses. Ford reminded the Canadian citizens that only government is permitted to destroy livelihoods, collapse businesses and create economic pain. The people in and around Ontario are not allowed to disrupt or influence the provincial economic activity; picking winners and losers is exclusively the role of government.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/02/11/ontario-comrade-doug-ford-promises-to-crush-the-rebellion-declares-state-of-emergency-announces-unilateral-orders-to-target-noncompliant-truckers-with-arrest-100k-fines-and-license-revocation/</ref> Ford promised to create legislation to permanently codify his orders against the truckers into Canadian provincial law. Trade unions must never again attempt this type of rebellion against the government.<br />
<br />
==Subsidies to transportation==<br />
During Ford, the service frequency of GO Transit has been greatly subsidized, tolls on Highway 412 and 418 were removed, and the licence plate renewal fee was removed.<br />
<br />
His plans for Highway 413 have been criticized by environmental advocates, as the highway would result in induced demand for driving and increase pollution.<ref>Javed, Noor (April 18, 2022). [https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/04/18/doug-fords-government-picked-a-route-for-highway-413-its-own-experts-said-would-undermine-the-credibility-of-the-project-local-residents-are-baffled.html Doug Ford’s government picked a route for Highway 413 its own experts said would ‘undermine the credibility’ of the project. Local residents are baffled]. ''Toronto Star''. Retrieved January 7, 2023.</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Doug}}<br />
[[Category:Current Heads of Government]]<br />
[[Category:Canadians]]<br />
[[Category:Canadian Politicians]]<br />
[[Category:Conservatives]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Kathleen_Wynne&diff=1951990Kathleen Wynne2023-06-01T06:47:45Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Category</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Kathleen O'Day Wynne MPP''' is a Canadian politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018.<br />
<br />
[[Category:Liberals]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Transphobia&diff=1950342Transphobia2023-05-26T07:26:05Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Undo revision 1950198 by Northwest (talk) Why is this "the truth"?</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Transphobia''' is a term to refer to people with a fear or hatred of transgender people.</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Transphobia&diff=1950024Transphobia2023-05-25T10:26:50Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Undo revision 1949644 by Northwest (talk) how does writing it like this make it LPOV? It just makes it more respectful. No need to be so offensive.</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Transphobia''' is a term to refer to people with a fear or hatred of transgender people.</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Conservapedia:Contact_Us&diff=1950023Conservapedia:Contact Us2023-05-25T10:25:08Z<p>ChenXiansheng: </p>
<hr />
<div><!-- DO NOT POST ABOVE THIS LINE. DO NOT ARCHIVE ANYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE --><br />
<!-- ============================================================ --><br />
<br />
==Need help editing page title==<br />
I created a new page about Austin Ruse but for some reason the title says "Create a new page", can someone edit it to just "Austin Ruse" ?<br />
<br />
https://www.conservapedia.com/Create_a_new_page {{unsigned|Drewzkie}}<br />
<br />
:Done. —[[User:LT|<code><span style="background:#FF8181">'''LT'''</span></code>]] '''''[[User talk:LT|<sup>(Mark 8:36)</sup>]]''''' Thursday, 12:00, January 19, 2023 (EST)<br />
<br />
==I made a new page on concern troll==<br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Concern_troll<br />
<br />
I'm hoping someone with better formatting experience and slightly more information can add to it..<br />
<br />
==The black Israelite page is incredibly under-done==<br />
<br />
there's only two paragraphs on that page and even Wikipedia has much more information.. I suggest a collaboration on this site to really fill it out in respect to the black Supremacy that they promot<br />
<br />
==Why was this page deleted?==<br />
<br />
https://www.conservapedia.com/Christopher_krebs<br />
<br />
<br />
Chris krebs is an important figure.. the removal log says that it had insufficient information but the last time I was there it was a fully written article with all the proper citations.. bing searches can prove that with the cache text<br />
<br />
==Captcha is faulty==<br />
<br />
When editing an article you can go to the editor and then click publish however the captcha does not appear until first clicking publish.. which adds a few extra unnecessary ste<br />
<br />
<br />
==Getting into search results==<br />
<br />
I developed a userscript to replace googles Wikipedia results with conservapedia<br />
<br />
Would anyone be interested? Its completed. And it works<br />
<br />
:Sounds fabulous! Please tell us more about it.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 12:12, 12 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: Basically the way it works is it literally just changes the Google search results.. If you type in a topic that would normally have a Wikipedia entry at the top it will change it to the text found on conservapedia as well as taking you to conservapedia if you click it.. I've tested it and it works as long as there is a conservapedia page with the same name as the Wikipedia one.. If not it will just default to Wikipedia..<br />
I'm currently working to find some developers to improve it and see if it's possible to plant search results for conservapedia pages that don't exist on Wikipedia.. but so far it already works really well. Ive uploaded it here https://gofile.io/d/Q63V6k<br />
And you can download it and open it in a text editor to see that it's legitt<br />
<br />
==Getting into search results==<br />
<br />
I was wondering if there's any way to develop a chrome extension or a user script or something that can replace Wikipedia information in Google search with conservapedia?<br />
<br />
Wikipedia is obviously unreliable and it would be nice to have conservapedia results insteadd {{unsigned|Mikephshdj}}<br />
<br />
:An extension should be able to do this, but you would probably need to make it from scratch. It sounds like you are talking about modifying the search result page itself, so that might be bit difficult, though. The search engine will still be returning WP results, so I think you would need your addon to check independently for a CP page on the same topic, then do post processing on that page to overlay that CP result on top of the WP result. A somewhat "lazier" option would be to do DNS replacement/interception in the addon, and simply redirect wikipedia.org URIs to conservapedia URIs. The search results would look the same, but when a WP link is clicked, you would end up on CP instead. Of course, if CP doesn't have a page by the same exact name as WP, that wouldn't work. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">DavidB4</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:09, 12 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: The second option you gave probably wouldn't work because obviously you want the results to have the correct text.. But the first option would work.. I actually found somebody and they developed a user script.. it works pretty well.. I don't know if an administrator would be interested in advertising it on conservapedia because if they did it would enable users to create better search results..<br />
<br />
==Mobile Site Editing Not Working Properly==<br />
When I try to edit a page on the mobile site, as soon as I tap on a line all the text goes white and I have to try to guess where words are. I constantly have to turn off editing so I can see where sentences and things are, and then turn it back on so I can actually edit them. Is this supposed to happen, or is it a glitch of some kind. [[User:Eholkins|Eholkins]]<br />
<br />
:Well that sounds very problematic! No, that is not supposed to happen. It seems to work properly for me, although I typically switch out of mobile view and just scroll around on the standard view instead, just by preference (I know, it sounds crazy, but with good eyes and a large screen, it works). Have you tried a different browser on your phone, such as Firefox? --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">DavidB4</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 18:43, 4 June 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Congressman John Fleming==<br />
How can I update his photo? Thanks. Nathan posted that I need to contact an administrator to upload a photo. How do I contact an administrator? [[User:Dustygram|Dustygram]]<br />
<br />
:I'll upload it for you now. Please look for it in "Recent changes" (link on right side).--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 20:41, 20 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Andy Schlafly, I can't find "Recent changes" and a link. Where is this? On the article page? [[User:Dustygram|Dustygram]] ([[User talk:Dustygram|talk]]) 22:34, 22 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::The link is on the upper-lefthand corner of the screen, right below the CP logo. However, I have the link to the image here: [[:File:John Flemming.jpg]]. Doing it once should not be a problem, but please post something at the bottom of such a page next time. Thanks for contributing! --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:36, 22 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
::::Thanks 1990'sguy for uploading a more recent official portrait. Now, how can I replace the old one with the new one?--[[User:Dustygram|Dustygram]] ([[User talk:Dustygram|talk]]) 12:31, 23 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::::This is a very late reply, but I just noticed this never got answered. If you are still looking for an answer, just go to the article, and replace the name of the old image with the name of the new one. For future reference, image uploads can be formally requested here: [[Conservapedia:Image upload requests]]. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">DavidB4</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 18:48, 4 June 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Taking AP Biology ==<br />
Hello, I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but... I am a student in public high school, and am taking AP Biology. I have just learned that Evolution is an entire '''chapter''' in the course. Would it be moral for me to learn evolution without believing it just to pass the test? Or should I drop the course? (This would be very time consuming and difficult)- David {{unsigned|DavidKondner}}<br />
::Nothing immoral about learning about evolution at all. Go for it and you will be pleasantly surprised to learn what evolution is actually like. After all, the majority of people have major misconceptions on what it is which leads to their denial of it. Learning about something from those who support it is always best for learning the truth about the subject, don't limit your understanding of things to just those against it. [[User:Riddles|Riddles]] 23:30, 14 October 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I think Riddle is a very smart man and you should listen to what he has to say. No, you don't need to believe in evolutionism, but how are we suppose to become one peaceful humanity without learning about one another. [[user:horenvalle]] 14:01, October 16 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Learn a falsehood and pretend it's true, and more falsehoods, confusion, depression and errors will follow. Realize that atheists must believe in evolution despite its falsehood and you'll immediately see why they push, and push, and push it in public schools.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 22:56, 14 October 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::"Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never peril. [[Sun Tzu]]"<br />
::::If there's ''only'' a chapter on evolution in your course, I'd be amazed. Any non-creationist course on [[biology]] is likely to be [[evolution]]-centric. After all, if one won't accept special [[creation]], it's the only game in town! Just keep in mind the difference between science (testable, repeatable) and just-so stories ("This feature arose because ..."). Here are a couple of links you might find useful and encouraging:<br />
::::*[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2004/0920classroom.asp ‘Creation evangelism’ in the public school classroom]<br />
::::*[http://creation.com/how-do-i-do-my-assignment-about-evolution How do I do my assignment about evolution?]<br />
::::You also might want to invest in a copy of Evolution Exposed, a book that breaks down the evolutionary assumptions and explanations, explicit and implicit, and provides both brief answers and directions to finding more information on line.<br />
::::In short, you need to know what the evolutionists teach, even if you know it's wrong. ~ ''[[User:Mdotley|Webster]]'' ([[User talk:Mdotley|talk]]) 15:53, 24 October 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::better learn the material. College consists of a lot of required courses you have to take but don't have to believe. [[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 01:05, 27 September 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::All the examples of such requirements consist of learning and reciting anti-Christian beliefs. I'm not aware of any colleges or AP tests that require learning a Christian belief to obtain basic credits.<br />
<br />
:::Try homeschooling David, or try a college that does not require recitation of evolutionary beliefs.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 01:12, 27 September 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions! In the end I decided to take the course and found out it wasn’t nearly as bad as a thought it would be. I expressed my concerns to my teacher beforehand and he was very understanding. Before we started the unit he was very clear to the class that evolution was a theory and we were under no obligation whatsoever to believe evolution, however he still expects us to know the material for the AP exam. It’s amazing how similar some of God’s creatures can be and I can almost see how a Godless Atheist might believe they once shared a common ancestor. All in all, the course has been an enlightening experience and, for the most part, has given me greater respect and appreciation for God’s creatures and life in general. --[[User:Davidkon|Davidkon]] 14:59, 3 February 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
:Davidkon, we have no way to confirm your experience, but even if true it is not typically for public school science teachers, most of whom can be very liberal and very dogmatic about the theory of evolution. Also, I find it odd that "he still expects us to know the material for the AP exam." AP exams are like extra credit, for an extra charge, and are rarely a requirement of any public school class.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 17:21, 3 February 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
As I’ve said before, my AP Bio class is relatively harmless, but my AP government class is sure getting out of hand! The entire class is one big batch of liberal propaganda about how social reform is “necessary” and how that the current conservative platform on homosexuality is one of “intolerance and bigotry”, and that’s a direct quote from the textbook! There are countless other biases that I have to deal with on a daily basis. On top of that when I asked my teacher about concerns the course is liberally biased, she told me “David, I’m sorry to tell you this, but ''reality'' has a liberal bias.” Can you believe that!?!--[[User:Davidkon|Davidkon]] 22:22, 2 March 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Unable to edit? ==<br />
I would like to post the following to the Jesse Helms article after "Foreign Policy" but am locked out. I don't know why. {{unsigned|BertSchlossberg}}<br />
: Editing is often turned off overnight (U.S. time), which may have been your problem, although that means that you shouldn't have been able to post here, so unless it was turned back on in the meantime, I can't explain it. Would you like to try it again? [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 08:47, 19 December 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: Right. The [[Jesse Helms]] entry is not locked.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 09:06, 19 December 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
==When only part of an article is accepted==<br />
I recently posted an entry, [[F-105 Thunderchief]], and included a references section and a category, but in the final article, neither section shows up, although they are clearly present when the "Edit" button is clicked. Just now, this happened again with another entry I tried to make. What gives? Does the site only accept so much information in a new entry? --[[User:Frey|Frey]] 17:58, 27 February 2008 (EST)<br />
:You had a bad <nowiki><ref></nowiki> tag which I have fixed. [[User:BrianCo|BrianCo]] 18:02, 27 February 2008 (EST)<br />
::I did? Oopsie. And thanks.--[[User:Frey|Frey]] 18:09, 27 February 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
==KAL 007 article on Main page==<br />
I would like to propose having the article [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] as a featured article on the Main page. Thanks.[[User:BertSchlossberg|BertSchlossberg]] 15:32, 1 March 2008 (EST)<br />
(finally got it right!)<br />
<br />
: I'd like to review it in detail and hear what others think about it. On its surface, without yet studying it, it appears to be a major work. Congratulations!--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 15:58, 1 March 2008 (EST)<br />
:: There's a [[Conservapedia:Featured articles|page]] for listing proposed featured articles. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 17:52, 1 March 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
==To Kill The Child/Leaving Beirut==<br />
I just wrote an exteremly long and extensive article about these two songs. Then, when I went to save the page, it said that it did not save it because there was a quote in their to explain about the song that contained a profanity. What gives? I thought that this website was supposed to educate people, yet people cannot be educated if they cannot know what the article is talking about and what the proof is. {{unsigned|Std}}<br />
: We have a profanity filter for good reason, but sometimes exceptions need to be made. You haven't supplied enough information for us to judge if this warrants an exception. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 22:47, 10 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::What exactly are the exeptions that would get me the warrent?<br />
::How do you upload an image?{{unsigned|Std}} on 10 April 2008, 21:26 <br />
<br />
:::You have to ask an administrator. There was a problem with people uploading obscene materials. [[User:HenryS|HenryS]] 00:42, 11 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
:::An exception would be warranted if, for example, the word caught by the filter was not objectionable in the context. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 02:57, 11 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Article on Larry McDonald ==<br />
Can anyone do an article on Cong. [[Larry McDonald]], a passenger aboard KAL 007? —[[User:BertSchlossberg|BertSchlossberg]] 07:01, 8 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Proposal==<br />
I wrote some time ago about making plans to build Conservapedia into a force to be reckoned with. This site has the potential to become a powerful tool, but still has a ways to go, I think. As an example, I just did a search on [http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=NDZiMjkwMDczZWI5ODdjOWYxZTIzZGIyNzEyMjE0ODI= ACORN], a group funded by leftist billionaire [[George Soros]] that is becoming a very serious threat to the integrity of local elections. All I found was a one-line page about the oak tree. Of course the solution to this is to simply create the page myself. But I don't think this solves the larger issue; to my knowledge, there isn't a program of incentives inviting conservatives to contribute high-quality information and research articles on our opposition. How do we do this?<br />
<br />
For one, I take it that Conservapedia gets some heavy traffic. Heavy traffic = $$$ in potential advertising revenue. Use that money to attract the right people to help build Conservapedia into a powerhouse of information. This could include rewards for college students, or hired admins (background checked with references and resume, of course). Perhaps contact county or state Republican/conservative groups, show what you've done, and propose a team effort to get more people to contribute articles to the web site.<br />
<br />
In short, there's a million ways that this project can grow, and it is more important to me that the conservative cause succeeds than to keep these ideas to myself. My hope is that someone reading this will take hold of them... [[User:Alexander|Alexander]] 17:35, 29 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<br />
:If conservapedia isn't interested I would recommend infogalactic<br />
<br />
== IP address unblock request ==<br />
My IP address at home appears to have been blocked. Could someone please unblock me? [[User:FOIA|FOIA]] 15:16, 27 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Bobby R. Himes==<br />
I have a photo for the new article [[Bobby R. Himes]]. Can I get permission to upload it?[[User: Bhathorn|Bhathorn]] 18:24, 29 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
: If the picture is on-line (and available for Conservapedia to use, of course), post the address here or click [[Special:Emailuser/Philip_J._Rayment|here]] to e-mail me the link and I can upload it to Conservapedia for you. If it's on your computer, e-mail me via that link anyway and I will reply with my e-mail address for you to e-mail me the picture, so I can then upload it. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 23:59, 29 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Banning policy?==<br />
Hello, I represent a website interested in your work. However recently a member of ours, JMcClane used your website and edited a page on Obama because it stated he was a Muslim, which it has been proven he isn't, he has been banned for 5 years, care to comment? It was a JPatt who did the banning, would he like to comment too?<br />
:JMcClane removed a large amount of material in that article and replaced it with this:<br />
::''"Obama is regularly mistaken as Islamic due to his second name, in fact he is not Muslim though stands for equality between religions. He is in fact Christian, though rumours were spread by Conservative spin Doctors hoping to turn the public against him."''<br />
:And who is JMcClane to you? Care to comment on that? [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 14:16, 12 October 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Beyond the fact that you didn't answer my question mate, we're part of the same website who are interested in the current election in America, you might have heard of it. He became involved in this site and this happened, so I reiterate, gonna answer the question properly?<br />
::I did answer your question, "mate", and you're not going to act like you run ''this place''; you will answer mine now. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 14:33, 12 October 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:As I said, we're part of the same website. I'm sorry about the mate comments, I'm just friendly like that. You've said you banned him cause of the edit, but isn't it kind of harsh as it is proven he's not Muslim so the entire article was pointless. That's all I'd like to know. And 5 years does seem steep.<br />
<br />
Which website do you represent? Why are you interested in Conservapedia? Our banning policy is carefully calibrated and appropriate to the demands of the various situations. And sign your posts with four tildes, please; we are not interested in anonymous 'contributions'. [[User:Bugler|Bugler]] 17:10, 17 October 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Google misdirection==<br />
In Google Search, the entry for ""Alger Hiss - Conservapedia" was changed today from "http://www.conservapedia.com/Alger_Hiss" to misdirect to the nonexistent Web page "http://www.conservativeencyclopedia.com/wiki/Alger_Hiss." Is there a way to ask Google to restore the correct link? [[User:FOIA|FOIA]] 13:19, 4 February 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
*Thanks for noticing and reporting this, FOIA, but nothing needs to be done. When we had the hard drive failure, and temporarily re-directed, the search engine bots picked that up. Now that things are restored, the bots will report back to all the search engines, and in due time will be directing properly. The Google (and all other engines) are smart enough to compare and repair. Or so they say. Administrator Conservative might have more insight into this, and I have linked him to this page. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]<sub><small><small>/Admin</small></small></sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 14:23, 4 February 2009 (EST)<br />
** For what its worth, Google is pretty much 100% automated. They almost never manually intervene in their search results, and that's generally due to a court or otherwise governmental order. [[User:ArthurA|ArthurA]] 14:38, 4 February 2009 (EST)<br />
*** You mean that they generally ''only'' intervene due to court or governmental orders, correct? [[User:Npov2|Npov2]] 00:56, 24 April 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Copyright? ==<br />
I'd like to comment that [[:File:Kathleen Sebelius.jpg]] should probably be tagged as &#8220;fair use&#8221; rather than as &#8220;public domain.&#8221; Also, I think the description of the {{tl|commons}} template, both in [[Help:List of Templates]] and in the template body itself, is slightly misleading: items in Wikimedia Commons are not necessarily in the public domain. Thank you. [[User:Npov2|Npov2]] 00:56, 24 April 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Why does the Conservapedia page on the 1951 movie, "The Thing From Another World" say that, "The film is now in the public domain."? Was there a problem with the copyright, or its renewal?<br />
<br />
In suspense,<br />
<br />
William Clark<br />
<br />
tmcgeeclark@yahoo.com<br />
<br />
== Google Gadget? ==<br />
I understand that [[google]] has problems, but has there ever been thought to developing a "Google Gadget" with a conservapedia news feed?[[User:Mrguido45|Mrguido45]] 20:59, 9 June 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
========<br />
<br />
I dont know about a gadget but i did develop a userscript that replaces Wikipedia with conservapedia in search results<br />
<br />
It can be found here<br />
<br />
<br />
https://gofile.io/d/Q63V6k<br />
<br />
== Evolution feature on the Main Page ==<br />
The section of the main page devoted to the Evolution article states that, "In 2006, the prestigious science journal Science reported concerning the United States: "The percentage of people in the country who accept the idea of evolution has declined from 45 in 1985 to 40 in 2005. Meanwhile the fraction of Americans unsure about evolution has soared from 7 per cent in 1985 to 21 per cent last year." The study was conducted with 2000 Americans (approximately), selected by pseudo-random digit dialing over the telephone. the study found that the portion of people unsure about evolution has increased in a statistically significant manner. The second finding of the study was that the proportion of people who believe in evolution and creationism have not changed in any statistically significant way (i.e.: That the p-value of the 1985 and 2005 data sets is greater than 0.05 - simply put, that there is not enough detectable difference between the respondents in 1985 and 2005 to make any kind of statement about it). Essentially, the study cited on the main page didn't actually prove that the public belief in evolution is declining. I would request a change to that article to remove the irrelevant citation about a decrease in evolutionary thinking among Americans. [[User: Praboud|Praboud]] 19:52, 15 June 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Referred to as a Methodist ==<br />
Hi, I am not sure if this is the right location to ask this, but at the bottom of my user page there is a category section that says "Category: Methodist Conservapedians". I didn't place that there and it isn't available for editing out when I look at the editable content for my user page. I only bring this up because I am not a Methodist and I do not wish to mislead anyone into thinking I am. I do not know who added me to this category or why, or somehow if I accidentally did this myself. If possible, may I be added to the "Agnostic conservapedians" category instead? Thank you. -- [[User:BMcP|BMcP]] 8:42, 20 June 2009 [EDT]<br />
<br />
:It appears to be because of your userbox "This user believes in the United States Constitution." When I tried putting it on my user page, the Methodist category automatically appeared there as well. --[[User:OscarJ|OscarJ]] 09:02, 20 June 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Fixed. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]<sub><small><small>/Admin</small></small></sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 11:20, 20 June 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I might be wrong... ==<br />
But I do see quite a bit of bias on Conservapedia. If this is supposed to be "The Trustworthy Encyclopedia" then shouldn't bias be removed? I think that some of the articles are great and others are blatantly biased based upon the authors moral views. I know that some of the topics go against the beliefs of the people who run this site but it isn't a great way to run things. Tolerance of others and their beliefs, no matter what we think of them, is what Conservapedia should be about. Just my opinion and nothing more.<br />
<br />
:Just your '''unsupported''' opinion and nothing more, you might have said.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 21:35, 20 June 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I could have, but I figured that people would pick that up from "'''I might be wrong...'''". I never had any beliefs that my opinions were supported here, as I had to make an effort to "vocalize" them. Generally people on and off of the internet don't support my opinions.<br />
<br />
:::What I meant was that you made a claim of bias without providing any examples to support your claim.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 22:02, 20 June 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::Ah. [[http://www.conservapedia.com/Che_Guevara]] "Ernesto "Che" Guevara" "became a cultural icon for" "'''dumb white teenagers'''." [[http://www.conservapedia.com/Communism]] "Communism is an atheistic political system" Although extremely hilarious, I think that those articles are somewhat biased and detract from Conservapedia's accountability. I have not seen Wikipedia style hijackings yet though.<br />
<br />
:::::Conservapedia is definitely biased. Its even in the name<br />
<br />
Which is unfortunate because it would be great if it wasn't and we could make the case to certain search engines like DuckDuckGo to replace Wikipedia with it.. It has a great amount of information that you won't find on Wikipedia you're very dedicated user base.. unfortunately the bias does prevent it from ever serving as a true mainstream alternativ<br />
<br />
For a more moderate alternative theres always infogalactic<br />
<br />
But they don't really have much of a user base that keeps their articles up to datee<br />
<br />
==Tau ceti to Tau Ceti==<br />
I created an article called [[Tau ceti]], but it should be [[Tau Ceti]], is there anyway the name can be reset as the latter? Thank you. -- [[User:BMcP|BMcP]] 16:00, 24 June 2009 [EDT]<br />
<br />
:Yes, there [[Tau Ceti|'''is''']]. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]<sub><small><small>/Admin</small></small></sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 16:17, 24 June 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Thanks! -- [[User:BMcP|BMcP]] 16:22, 24 June 2009 [EDT]<br />
<br />
: In MediaWiki the proper way to do it is by a "move" operation, which preserves the editing and talk history. This feature is not currently enabled in Conservapedia for regular users. Ask an administrator to do it.&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;[[User:Philcooper81|Philcooper81]]<sup>[[User_talk:Philcooper81|T]]</sup> 16:31, 26 February 2013 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Alger Hiss==<br />
I just tried to link to The Encyclopedia of Ukraine at and got this message:<br />
<br />
::Spam protection filter<br />
<br />
::The page you wanted to save was blocked by the spam filter. This is probably caused by a link to a blacklisted external site.<br />
<br />
The spam filter apparently mistook part of the URL for an obscenity.<br />
<br />
Is there any way to fix this? Thanks![[User:FOIA|FOIA]] 21:40, 3 July 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
*You can give the URL without making it a link, so that people can copy and paste the link into their own browser, but I am not inclined to unblock any part of that corner of the world, for pretty obvious reasons. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]<sub><small><small>/Admin</small></small></sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 21:44, 3 July 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Kapteyn's star to Kapteyn's Star==<br />
The article I created called [[Kapteyn's star]] was created with a lower case s for star, it should be upper case, could someone with the rights change the title to [[Kapteyn's Star]]? Thank you. -- [[User:BMcP|BMcP]] 15:00, 8 July 2009 [EDT]<br />
<br />
== Double Redirects ==<br />
All three of the current [[Special:doubleredirects|double redirects]] are protected. Could a Sysop fix them, please? Thanks. ~ ''[[User:Mdotley|Webster]]'' ([[User talk:Mdotley|talk]]) 22:18, 17 September 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I'm having a bit of trouble with some linking==<br />
I'm trying to get the "Weather Report" and "Return to Forever" articles to link to jazz fusion. Instead, it's linking me to another jazz fusion article that I accidentally created and was recently deleted. Any help is much appreciated. [[User:Jdelong11|Jdelong11]]<br />
<br />
: Did my change fix this?--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 13:55, 28 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Username change==<br />
Is it possible to change one's username? I haven't decided what I want the new one to be but will let you know when I have.--[[User:TedM|TedM]] 13:30, 27 September 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
If this is possible, I would also be interested in doing so, since I have been recently denuked, and it would be disingenuous to continue with this username. [[User:Navy Nuke|Navy Nuke]]<br />
<br />
:Sure, just provide your requested new name here and I'll change it.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 08:35, 1 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
I'd to change my username to JonathanDP81. I'm standardizing my username across all my websites. [[User:JonathanDP|JonathanDP]] 10:47, 19 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==User additions to this site==<br />
Hi, I'm new here and I'm interested in adding some content to Conservapedia, namely in respect to firearm laws. Just a cursory glace makes me think that users can only edit existing topics? Am I wrong?<br />
--[[User:LibGunslinger|LibGunslinger]] 11:28, Dec 10 2009<br />
:You can add new pages if you so desire.--[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 14:32, 10 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Nova==<br />
I believe this is right place to ask this, so here I am. I want to write an article on the astronomical phenomenon known as a "Nova", however all search on this site for that word is already directed towards "NOVA", a stub on the PBS series of that name. Should I rebuild that article to focus on the astronomical phenomena as that is what the base definition of a nova means? Or start a whole new article, such as "nova_(star)"? Thanks. --[[User:BMcP|BMcP]] 13:18, 28 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
: I'll move "NOVA" to "NOVA (PBS)", and you can then have "Nova". Thanks.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 13:56, 28 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::I turned the NOVA page into a disambiguation page that now points to both [[NOVA_(PBS)]] and [[Nova_(star)]], is this good? May want to make it Nova instead of NOVA though. --[[User:BMcP|BMcP]] 17:29, 28 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::It's fine as you did it. Thanks.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 19:53, 28 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Writing Plan==<br />
User Ed Poor requested a writing plan from me. How exactly do I submit it to him?<br />
Thank you. --[[User:JohnLee|JohnLee]] 16:53, 11 October 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: Anyone can post to his talk page: [[User talk:Ed Poor]]. Thanks.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 17:00, 11 October 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Editing complaint==<br />
Someone started a debate page without posting any comments, so I decided to start the discussion. I spent about half an hour writing the post, clicked on save, and was redirected to a page informing me that I didn't have permission to edit it (Probably because it was the first post). And I was unable to go back and copy/paste what I'd written to post it later. Can someone please fix this so that if you click on a page to edit that you can't edit, it tells you straight away and doesn't simply waste your time. Thanks. - JamesCA, 31 July 2011<br />
:And something similar. I recently tried to edit a page because some of the information was out of date, and did not find out until after I tried to save it, that it was locked for only administrators to edit. - [[User:JamesCA|JamesCA]] 19:02, 29 August 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Both of the above comments surprise me, and the software should not lose information as you described. The browser being used may have an effect on this also.<br />
<br />
::I thought that locked pages (which I think are a very small percentage of entries here) announced themselves as such when there is an attempt to edit them. The browser should not discard information regardless.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 19:11, 29 August 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::It looks like you lock up editing at night. Is it possible that these folks were just caught by the deadline? --[[User:DrDean|DrDean]] 20:03, 29 August 2011 (EDT)<br />
::::That is possible, I just tried editing the same page, and it worked. Also, because of my different timezone, I sometimes find that while looking through Conservapedia articles, the edit tag suddenly disappears, because the deadline suddenly comes in. Is there a way to check how long until the deadline? I'll check to make sure the information actually is lost when I get a chance. And does the deadline cut off at the same time every night? And also, who can start new pages (including debate pages)? Thanks - [[User:JamesCA|JamesCA]] 21:56, 29 August 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Christianity and Politics==<br />
I'm wondering what is your take (creators of conservapedia) on the mixing of Christianity and politics? I ask because as a young Christian I'm a little confused about how much focus I should give for politics alongside my faith. Other opinions I've read disregard politics completely within a Christian life, as if Christians in general should simply accept and respect whatever form of government rules over them regardless of the corruption or misguided policies such governments may contribute to the falling of the nation. Please clarify this conundrum for me as I feel uncertain if politics should be in any part of my life. God bless. --[[User:gravis57|gravis57]] 12:32PM, 8 August 2011 (EDT)<br />
:Do you mean with regards to being active in politics, or how much your religious beliefs should influence your political opinions? One suggestion, try coming up with and arguing using non-religious points to support views that stem from religious beliefs. It'll enable you to more effectively argue against those who believe that the Bible alone is not enough to justify moral opinions. It'll also give you a wider range of arguments you can call on when discussing religion, politics or morality, and will enable you to more easily come up with counterpoints to arguments that you've never come across before. For example, if you're arguing against gay marriage, try using points such as family values, and the effect it would have on the institution of marriage, instead of using (only) quotes from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and points based around what God says. - JamesCA (not a creator of conservapedia), August 9 2011<br />
<br />
:Not exactly. I'm asking as a Christian to another Christian(s) as to how much politics should be a part of my life, or if they should even be apart of it at all. I mean while the founders of this great nation used God's principles to create a system of government that ensured rights, liberty, and freedom--is it wrong or vain to wish to inform, protect, or care about my country when Christ called us to spread his Word and not (unless I'm mistaken) deal with lesser matters in regard to such (political) things. This is where I'm confused about whether I should become even somewhat active within politics or simply disregard it entirely to focus on Christianity. - gravis57, August 8, 2011<br />
<br />
:It's not wrong, and it's not vain, to wish to inform, protect or care about your country. It's part of serving one's country, part of helping people. There are many varied ways that you can help and serve people, and God. Christ called us not just to spread his Word, but to serve. 'For the son of God came not to be served, but to serve.' Can you serve God by becoming involved in politics? Maybe. Could you help people by becoming involved in politics, and by getting Congress to give them what they need? Or would it be better for you to serve another way? If you did become involved in politics, would it make it more difficult for you to serve God? I guess my general point is this: you can still serve God and the people by becoming involved in politics, but whether or not that is the best place for you to serve is a different matter. I'm starting to think that I might not be able to give you as good of an answer as you're looking for. Hopefully someone else will see this and help answer your question. Note about dates: different time zones is causing the inconsistent dates. - JamesCA, August 9 2011<br />
<br />
==Request for disambiguation==<br />
Hi there. I was hoping to work on the page [[poetry]] as well as other pages about poetic forms. However, as it exists right now, there is only the page [[form]] which talks about musical form. I'd like to include a form page about poetry, is there any way someone can disambiguate it into 2 articles, form (music), form (poetry) for me? Or is it preferred that I just start a new section within the existing form page? Much love --[[User:RLorain|RLorain]] 16:27, 27 August 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Question regarding Debate==<br />
Someone posted a new debate semi-recently, [[Debate:Should the United States of America really be counted as a country?]] It was tagged for speedy deletion as it was silly and a non-debate. After a bit, I decided to answer the question, explaining what is necessary for something to be considered a country, and that the US clearly falls into the current definitions. My answer was then copy/pasted onto a new page for the theory of what constitutes a country, and the speedy-deletion tag was removed. No one else has posted on the page, and as the debate is quite silly, is it appropriate for me to delete the page? (And if it is, but I can't, can someone else do it, thanks). - [[User:JamesCA|JamesCA]] 03:21, 14 October 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Greetings and couple questions==<br />
I just signed up a couple of days ago or so, so please bare with me as I learn the ropes!<br />
By way of background, I love God and truth and science (like physics, math, electronics, computer programming, etc.) I'm very conservative.<br />
I do have three questions!<br />
First, question: Is edit turned off at night? I work full-time during the day often don't get home till late and sometimes the edit links are gone, But right now, they are on and it's late so maybe it's hit or miss!<br />
<br />
Second, is the owner's goal of this site to be a full spectrum source of family friendly information (like with articles on math, science, electronics, etc.) or is it supposed to be more geared toward moral issues or issues specific to conservatism? If full-spectrum, I will be glad to contribute scientific information as time permits.<br />
<br />
Third, is the owner's goal to have articles relating to moral issues to carry a conservative slant, or is the goal to be as factual and unbiased as possible?<br />
<br />
My tendency is toward truth whether it's comfortable for me or not -- rather than slanted either way.<br />
However I fully respect the site owner's right to run his private property as he wishes and I wouldn't want to upset anybody (or waste my time) making edits that weren't pleasing to the owner.<br />
Thanks & have a great day! [[User:Jesseg|Jesseg]] 01:57, 8 February 2013 (EST)<br />
<br />
:Jesseq, three answers...<br />
::1. Editing is sometimes turned off at night at owner's discretion, but productive newbies are granted night-editing privileges.<br />
::2. The goal of the site is a full, online encyclopedia covering as many subjects as possible, with the intent that the content be family-friendly. So, you can pretty much contribute in any subject.<br />
::3. Moral issues can carry a conservative slant, but I believe that these issues should also be in a "right vs wrong" slant as well. We sometimes tell what the liberal side believes in, but we also will tell why that side is wrong at times.<br />
:So, pick a subject, commence editing, check your sources, and do the very best you can. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 02:25, 8 February 2013 (EST)<br />
How do I put those nice little tabs that show your opinions on my user page? I know almost nothing about computers, so help me out here.<br />
[[User:SGrosman|SGrosman]] 15:22, 30 March 2013 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<br />
==Partnership with Conservapedia==<br />
Hello. I am Superdadsuper, an Administrator and Bureaucrat on [http://bible.wikia.com/wiki/ Biblicalapedia] a biblical-history wiki. This is a very short message but I was wondering if it were possible to have some kind of partnership. We can discuss in more detail when I get a response<br />
Thanks,<br />
Superdadsuper, Biblicalapedia Administrator and Bureaucrat<br />
:Sent message to owner and sysops. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 11:44, 10 December 2014 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Delete request==<br />
Hi there, could you please delete this page [[Jeremy Shum]]. Thank you [[User:Matthewbible|Matthewbible]] ([[User talk:Matthewbible|talk]]) 10:14, 25 January 2017 (EST)<br />
:Done.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 20:52, 20 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Unable to edit==<br />
I tried to add a website to the list of conservative humor sites, but my edit never shows, even though I clicked "Save".<br />
anyway the site is: http://thepeoplescube.com/ <br />
You can add it if you see this.<br />
<br />
==Unknown stalker==<br />
Need assistance; someone is following me on conservapedia and leaving vulgar remarks. The culprit removed a page of text, but I was apparently able to put it back in place. The stalker then again removed the article [[George B. Campbell]].[[User:BHathorn|BHathorn]] ([[User talk:BHathorn|talk]])<br />
<br />
== Username change to Winston Smith. ==<br />
<br />
Hello, would it possible to change my name from my current one to a new one called Winston Smith? Thanks.<br />
:Just create a winstonsmith account. If there is a way to rename a username via the Wikimedia software, we don't know how to do it.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:40, 21 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
::The user that wrote the request created that account only a few hours ago and only made two edits, both of them being requests to change the username. It's ridiculous to create a new account and immediately ask for a name change without doing anything else. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 19:41, 21 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Please change title of article==<br />
From [[Leroy Shafer]] to Manzell Shafer.[[User:BHathorn|BHathorn]] ([[User talk:BHathorn|talk]]) 13:38, 2 May 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Done! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:20, 2 May 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Hallo. Please also change the title of the article at present called "Karen White alias Stephen Wood alias David Thompson alias". The final word is an error. I don't know how to edit the title or move it to another fresh page. Apologies [[User:GraceDalrymple|GraceDalrymple]] ([[User talk:GraceDalrymple|talk]])<br />
<br />
== Username change to Publius. ==<br />
Hey, guys! Am I able to change my username to "Publius?" -- [[User:Geopolitician|Geopolitician]] ([[User talk:Geopolitician|talk]]) 14:41, 9 June 2018 (EDT)<br />
:You have to create a new account.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 15:08, 9 June 2018 (EDT)<br />
::Wait. I thought Andy was able to approve new usernames and change it. Well, at least back in 2009, he was. -- [[User:Geopolitician|Geopolitician]] ([[User talk:Geopolitician|talk]]) 15:20, 9 June 2018 (EDT)<br />
:::If you are correct, you could go to Andy's talk page. But why bother him with a request like this? So much easier to create an account called publius1 or publius2, publius472, etc. etc.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 15:35, 9 June 2018 (EDT)<br />
::::Andy has that power, but he rarely uses it. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 16:52, 9 June 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== FUNimation page deleted labled as advertisement when it wasn't. ==<br />
One of the admins deleted the page even though it was against their libral practices like other pages on this wiki. I think it was probably mistaken as advertisement due to lack of sources. I want the page back and I want to improve the page including adding sources. I was following how the page on The Walt Disney Company was created. I think FUNimation needs a page here and was mistakenly deleted. I wanted to tell the admin that deleted it mistaking it for advertisement with my account [[User:Conservaboy|Conservaboy]] but I can't edit for some reason so I made an alt account until that can be fixed. By the way, both account links are red because I haven't put info on them yet and I will do that on my current alt account. -- [[User:Naan|Naan]] 8:19, 13 March 2020 [PT]<br />
:The admin who deleted that page and blocked your account is [[User:Karajou]]. You will need to speak with him on this matter. It was probably seen as an advertising attempt because it is a paid service, and lacked in citations and overall notability. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">DavidB4</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 11:40, 13 March 2020 (EDT)<br />
::Thanks. I will tell him and I will point out that it was mistaken as an advertisement attempt instead of an actual page and that I forgot to put citations and that I will do that once the page is restored or recreated and add some more information on their shady business practictes that made people upset including removing the cancel function on their service FUNimation now and blamed it on a glitch and provide a link to a YouTube video that proves that they have left wing agenda in their dubs. I'm now back on my original account. -- [[User:Conservaboy|Conservaboy]] 10:43, 13 March 2020 [PT]<br />
<br />
==[[Ehsan Sehgal]]==<br />
I came here from Wikipedia to ask whether this site allow anyone to use Conservapedia to shamelessly self promote their-self? This guy has been curating his bio both on Wikipedia and Conservapedia for the past one decade yet remained under the radar. Other than self promotional material, I also found most of the information on his Conservapedia bio is made up and is fabricated. His Wikipedia bio was deleted this week and I'm curious what do you guys think of this Conservapedia bio? --[[User:Saqib|Saqib]] ([[User talk:Saqib|talk]]) 15:44, 18 May 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Hi Saqib, we generally do oppose self-promotion articles. The article was imported by [[User:JusticeOfJustice]], who said they are the original author of the text. I will look into it a bit further. Thanks for the heads-up! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">DavidB4</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:53, 18 May 2020 (EDT)<br />
::@David, JusticeOfJustice is actually Ehsan Sehgal himself. On Wikipedia, his username was Justice007. See this deletion: [thread https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Ehsan_Sehgal_(4th_nomination)]. --[[User:Saqib|Saqib]] ([[User talk:Saqib|talk]]) 16:04, 18 May 2020 (EDT)<br />
:::Mr. Sehgal is very sick. There is no point in upsetting him by deleting the article before he dies. I locked the article.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 13:01, 19 May 2020 (EDT)<br />
::::Yup. I can see [https://web.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10221662477326238&set=pcb.10221662485886452 that]. --[[User:Saqib|Saqib]] ([[User talk:Saqib|talk]]) 16:23, 20 May 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== CAPTCHA Questions ==<br />
Hello. I have trouble answering some of the CAPTCHA questions relating to the New Testament, because I am Jewish. Is there a way that I can select certain CAPTCHA questions to be removed for my account? [[User:Ethan Parmet|Ethan Parmet]] ([[User talk:Ethan Parmet|talk]]) 16:07, 26 May 2020 (EDT)<br />
: Ask [[User:Aschlafly]] to remove the CAPTCHA from your account. Tell him [[User: Conservative]] recommend him doing so. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:42, 26 May 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Conservapedia in other languages ==<br />
Are there any possibility to create other language versions of Conservapedia for active conservative communities around the world (for example, German, Polish, Russian, Hungarian)? Of course, some of them already have their own wikis, like traditio.wiki, but there are no interwiki links between projects. Such projects also lack base for homeschooling, thus being completely useless for parents with conservative views.<br />
If engine of the Conservapedia could give us the possibility to link to existing wikis in other languages or create the very new language versions, it would be perfect for the development and spreading of the conservative thought worldwide.<br />
[[User:Lakonur|Lakonur]]<br />
<br />
:Hmm, interesting idea. Perhaps [[CP]] can be modified so that there's an option to change the displayed language for this online encyclopedia? —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 18:27, 2 November 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm really interested in this idea. I want to create a conservapedia project in Spanish (from Spain). Contact with me please.--[[User:Alvaro|Alvaro]] ([[User talk:Alvaro|talk]]) 18:01, 16 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Irrelevant post==<br />
Whats up with Evolution and the wiki in general?<br />
Pretty sure evolution shouldnt be treated like that, it doesnt violate religious beliefs and has been proven over and over again. Just a suggestion-maybe be a bit less anti-evolution, you ever heard of tolerance? There's a reason why this wiki is inactive. Your only audience essentially consists of RationalWiki editors spying on the wiki. Do you ever address opposition or do you just spam banhammers? I dont speak out against someone or anything usually, but this is the exception. So much conservative bias on this wiki that it isnt even FUNNY. You suppress any and all people who have SLIGHTLY different beliefs than you. You should be ashamed, you are acting just like a cowardly dictator. Heh, not many of your cronies are left anyways. {{unsigned|Syncronyzer07}}<br />
:Two things: first, evolution has been proven wrong too many times to count, and we are going to print such evidence on this website. Try doing that in Wikipedia, and you'll have your edits reverted immediately and then blocked from the site. Which leads to second: don't come here and scream to us about tolerance and how we should be accommodating to all of those beliefs you think we suppress at the drop of a hat. We see in the news every single day how it is YOUR SIDE OF THE FENCE that routinely suppresses thoughts and opinions they don't like. So don't lecture us. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] ([[User talk:Karajou|talk]]) 13:13, 19 February 2021 (EST)<br />
First of all, YOUR first argument is irrelevant, its funny how every person like you says that. Second, Wikipedia says that Evolution is a scientific theory, which means that it is something that has CONSISTENTLY been verified by scientists. Very funny-well, how do you know that i'm a Liberal? Do I hear conservative bias? Anyways, even if you are right, and the liberals are part of some worldwide conspiracy, well, dont you think that Conservatives would do the same thing? Just some food for thought. You are a hypocrite. YOU dont lecture me, Karajou-theres a reason why i put it at the very top.--[[User:Syncronyzer07|Syncronyzer07]] ([[User talk:Syncronyzer07|talk]]) 13:51, 19 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Its irrelevant if you say so. And your point about Wikipedia is actually pointless, as it is written by amateurs with little to no credentials on the subjects they are talking about, while writing about a ''theory'' that they say is a ''fact'', and you come here using their bias on the subject to insist we have a bias against it here. And yes, I'm going to lecture you. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] ([[User talk:Karajou|talk]]) 14:05, 19 February 2021 (EST)<br />
::And it's so very obvious you're a liberal. We always get the occasional rant from the clown who just has to come here and whine about our bias how much we restrict his freedom of speech...and usually from the very first posting he makes. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] ([[User talk:Karajou|talk]]) 14:10, 19 February 2021 (EST)<br />
Seriously? Are you joking right now? I've been on this site on alt accounts for longer than you think. Enjoy. https://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html--[[User:Syncronyzer07|Syncronyzer07]] ([[User talk:Syncronyzer07|talk]]) 14:12, 19 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:::And its obvious that you are not here to engage in anything remotely resembling a meaningful discussion. Enjoy! [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] ([[User talk:Karajou|talk]]) 14:25, 19 February 2021 (EST)<br />
==Editing complaint==<br />
Recently, I tried to create a article but I failed to do. When I click on 'publish', then it takes me to CAPTCHA. Then after finishing 'CAPTCHA' correctly, the page is again reloaded or sometimes I am redirected to another page. My changes aren't being saved. Please somebody help me. [[User:Prinon|Prinon]] ([[User talk:Prinon|talk]]) 10:09, 11 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:The article in question that you posted was copied word-for-word from Wikipedia; that is not generally approved of here unless you were the original author of the article there, and even then it would need some revision to conform to Conservapedia's [[Conservapedia:Editing article and talk pages|manual of style]]. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 10:53, 11 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Access==<br />
HI can I have access to upload images and delete page<br />
--[[User:HamzhaSaleem|HamzhaSaleem]] ([[User talk:HamzhaSaleem|talk]]) 15:16, June 27, 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Media==<br />
How do i upload media? I am only here to write articles about Belgium and the Belgian monarchy during the era of the Belgian Colonial Empire (1844-1960), so majority of the pictures that i use are in the Public domain. Kind regards. [[User:Belgium|Belgium]] ([[User talk:Belgium|talk]]) 20:57, October 2, 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Move page name? ==<br />
<br />
I created the article "[[False climate change predictions]]", but want to change the name to "Failed climate change predictions". Can someone do this for me? Thanks. [[User:Ethan Parmet|Ethan Parmet]] ([[User talk:Ethan Parmet|talk]]) 17:31, October 2, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Could you please address the hate content regarding homosexuality? ==<br />
Not only is it highly offensive to many homosexuals, it may be classified as hate speech in many places, thus making it illegal. [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 06:25, May 25, 2023 (EDT)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Public_schools_in_the_United_States&diff=1950022Talk:Public schools in the United States2023-05-25T10:14:53Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* What's so bad about homosexual students in schools? */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Please read sections below to ascertain that your point has not already been covered.'''<br />
<br />
==Atheistic Public Schools?==<br />
Public schools are not atheistic institutions. Just because they obey the constitution and don't promote prayer, it doesn't make them atheistic. In addition, they don't promote atheism at all, they merely don't promote religion. If no one minds, I'll remove the first section from the article.--[[User:Blinkadyblink|Blinkadyblink]] 19:17, 7 December 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
:I agree completely. Saying that because public schools do not preach christianity means that they are "atheistic" is ridiculous. Aren't conservatives the ones who say parents should educate their children about morals, not the government? Schools should teach math, science, history, writing, art, and foreign language and leave the rest for people to decide on their own. ''That'' is limited government. --[[User:Mars2035|Mars2035]] 21:21, 18 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::My high school had agnostic students--thought they were atheist--with many Christian/Catholic teachers. +_+ <sub>always tired</sub> [[User:Kektklik|Kektk]] 14:03, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Religion is censored from [[public schools]]: there is no classroom prayer, no religious symbols, no emphasize on moral right and wrong, etc. Sure, students may be agnostic or religious, but they better not try to say a group prayer during class time or they risk being punished. That's an atheistic culture.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 14:50, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::Mr Schlafly: It is one thing to assert something and another to actually provide a reference. Is there any chance you could provide a valid reference that states American public schools are atheistic? In my daughter's school, students are allowed to pray during class hours, moral values are taught and emphasized during civics and other classes, and she has never seen anyone punished for praying. The atheist tag you are placing on this article wouldn't be constantly challenged if you could provide a solid reference. --[[User:Jimmy|Jimmy]] 16:09, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::There is no classroom prayer in any [[public school]] in the [[United States]]. Does that really need a reference? No morals are taught either and no religious symbols are displayed. The [[Ten Commandments]] cannot be found either. References could be supplied for these obvious facts; indeed, you could add them yourself.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 16:45, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::Mr. Schlafly: Please reference my last comment. There is obviously prayer allowed and morals taught at my daughter's PUBLIC SCHOOL which is in AMERICA so you are wrong about asserting, without evidence, that prayer in public schools is prohibited in America. And yes, your assertion needs a reference because it flies in the face of every statement issued by the Clinton and Bush administrations concerning prayer in public schools. This is even mentioned in the article. I even posted other evidence concerning the opinions of many civil liberties groups and their support of the constitutional right of students to pray in public school but you declared that edit was 'liberal' and deleted it. Now if you want to insist that both Clinton and Bush are completely wrong and the advice they got from their legal advisors is completely without merit, please post a valid reference that disputes the opinions of our country's leaders and legal experts. I don't have the slightest clue where I would find a reference that supports what you are claiming or I would gladly assist. Please provide the reference to your assertion so we can all lay this matter to rest. --[[User:Jimmy|Jimmy]] 17:50, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
This article states that public schools are "atheistic," and atheism is defined by this encyclopedia as the denial of the existence of God. I don't mean to get overly technical here, but it seems illogical that a broadly defined institution such as American public schools could be said to deny the existence of God, unless there has been some statement (or a rash of statements) that I am not aware of (and is not cited) on behalf of public schools specifically denying that God exists. The thrust of this article seems to be not that public schools are atheistic but that they are Godless institutions, lacking in the moral fundamentals of religion and defining themselves as expressly secular. Therefore, I am changing "atheistic" to "Godless" in the header. [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 12:43, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Public schools are not "secular", which means reflective of society as a whole. Rather, they are deliberately exclusive of faith, morality and religion. "Godless" is a pejorative term, and atheistic is better because it encompasses atheistic ideologies like evolution that are taught in schools.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:11, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I suppose you're right, although "secular" is often used to mean "exclusive of religion." Yes, "Godless" is a pejorative, but so is "atheistic," as least as it is defined in this encyclopedia. I also contest that evolution is an (exclusively) atheistic ideology, as many scientists who believe in evolution are theists. Finally, do you have any citations to support the fact that public schools specifically deny the existence of God, or are you using "atheistic" more as a catch-all to describe the godless mindset in general (and, if so, I'd like a better definition of the term). [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 13:34, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::There may or may not be theistic evolutionists, but evolution is predominantly an atheistic ideology. Ditto for other things taught in public school, such as materialism. Schools are not merely "godless", as they exclude teaching of "right" and "wrong". The term "secular" is misused to mean "exclusive of religion." That is not its actual meaning.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:42, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::Sorry, just one more point here, regarding the definition of "secular:" according to dictionary.com, which may not be the best source, the first 3 definitions specifically mean "non-religious" and there is no definition given for "reflective of a society as a whole." [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 14:13, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::I just checked Merriam-Webster and ''none'' of the definitions mean "non-religious." [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secular]--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 16:02, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::: As usual, I hate to differ with you, but 'I' just checked Merriam-Webster, and the first two definitions say "non-religious." [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 20:01, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::: My cite doesn't. One of the definitions does say not ''specifically'' religious, as in denominational.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 20:23, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::::: Not to beat a dead horse, BUT the definition I'm seeing on Merriam-Webster.com says this: "1 a: of or relating to the worldly or temporal <secular concerns> b: not overtly or specifically religious <secular music> c: not ecclesiastical or clerical <secular courts> <secular landowners>" thus clearly defining secular as equivalent to nonreligious or nonspiritual. The next definition gets at more of the nondenominational meaning, but I don't see how you can say that this does not mean nonreligious. Furthermore, a search on Merriam-Webster's Thesaurus defines "secular" to mean "not involving religion or religious matters <that's an issue for the secular authorities, not the church>". On the other hand, I have not seen a single dictionary support your definition of secular as "reflective of society as a whole." [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 23:51, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I think "non-religious" is a better term.[[User:JPohl|JPohl]] 13:51, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: "Non-religious" does not capture the hostility, such as the affirmative censorship of prayer. A group may be non-religious and still allow, and even welcome, an occasional prayer. But an atheistic culture censors the occasional group prayer, as public schools do.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:54, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I think this is a good point, but what I want to know is why you want to characterize hostility toward religion on the part of public schools (an unsourced pejorative), yet you won't use "godless" on the grounds that it is pejorative. Also, I was hoping for an answer to the other concerns I brought up, and if I may add one more to that: you say that "Schools are not merely godless, as they exclude teaching of right and wrong," but don't you think that being godless inherently suggests the lack of morality, in the same way that atheism does? Again, you need to cite some sources to describe this broader atheistic lifestyle you seem to be describing. [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 14:06, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::As I've said before (I think, but I'm too lazy to check), I'd prefer "nontheistic" to "atheistic." Usual disclaimers apply. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 22:16, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::: [[Public schools]] are hostile to more than [[God]], such as right and wrong, and promote (false) ideologies that lead students to [[atheism]].--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 00:37, 11 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
There not so much Atheistic as they are anti-Christian. [[User:Ultimahero|Ultimahero]] 23:40, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::It is very obvious that you and whoever wrote this article has never set foot in a public school with competent staff. I am a high school senior and we have a moment of silence every day. The majority of my teachers are Christians, and although they do not press their beliefs on anyone, they certainly make it known.<br />
<br />
::::My biology teacher frequently emphasizes the fact that evolution can coexist with the teachings of the three mainstream religions. He presents evolution as a fact (because...I'm sorry, but it is one. We're in the 21st century now, guys) but does not discount panspermia (the belief that life came from another planet) or intelligent design. He is a Christian, but does not bias his information one way or the other.<br />
<br />
::::In my Theory of Knowledge class, the liberals, conservatives, Christians, Hindus, and atheists openly debate the definition and roots of ethics, morality, and religion. Sometimes we reach a conclusion leaning towards atheism, sometimes we reach one leaning towards Christianity. But the point is, we are presented the facts and we debate, discuss, research, and discover the roots, impacts, and issues of many ethical paradoxes and religious issues. The teacher provides input, but only to clarify and guide us in the direction of the class standards. I've learned more about what is right and wrong through arguments in that class than I have in any religious service. I've won debates and been viciously proven wrong, but at the end of the day we're all classmates who joke about it later, because unlike so many people, we have an open enough mind to throw our opinions out there and see if they stand the tests of debate and scrutiny.<br />
<br />
::::Not that anything on this site is remotely correct (I thought this site was a joke when I read the Obama "article"...it still could be for all I know), but public education is something I just gotta take a stand on. No one knows better than someone who's been through 11.5 years of it. And if anyone's wondering, I live in the conservative state of SC, smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt. So don't tell me my surroundings influence my opinions, because they don't. I know this comment (or parts of it) will be deleted/altered shortly after it is posted (because I don't agree with you...very fair, I know), but I hope at least one diehard conservative reads this and realizes that not every issue can be defended from his upper-middle class white Christian Hummer-driving viewpoint. If anyone would like to discuss my contribution further on an unbiased, uncensored, free medium, my AIM name is kevh89 and my e-mail address is Nivek_04085@yahoo.com. So much for access to Conservapedia, because like a dissenter in communist Russia, I will probably be exiled from the IP for disagreeing. I'll just have to log in on a friends' computer for my daily laughs. This "encyclopedia" is an insult to education. [[User:Frogmaster13|Frogmaster13]] 21:58, 15 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
I feel the need to point out that the reason prayer and whatnot are not used in public schools is because the United States Law ensures freedom of religion and separation of church and state, which is meant to advance this end. Not all public school students are Christian. Many are atheist, agnostic, or some other religion that does not have the same rituals (specifically, praying to God) as Christianity. Not only would prayer and whatnot in public schools be illegal, it would be unfair to all of the young Americans who are non-Christian. That is my interpretation. [[User:Luminite2|Luminite2]] 23:05, 9 April 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::I'm a religious person, devout in my faith, but I don't think that prayer should be allowed. For my faith or any other, do you know why? No one is of the same religion. I had a buddy, an Atheist, go to a school. A public school. When people found out he wasn't Christian, they tried to beat him up int he name of Jesus Christ. My children will be raised in my faith, a pagan faith. We are small in number, and as your site suggests, very good people. But with people out there that would attack my future children for not being of the same faith, why would I want to bring that upon them? Also, I'm a moderate, I'd actually consider myself to be moderate-conservative, but I had outrageous conservative views *pushed* upon me at my school. Not liberal views. Conservative. I had a teacher tell the students not to vote for Kerry because he supported gay rights. And why do schools need to teach morals? Teach right and wrong? Isn't that why parents exist? I'll teach my kids morals. I'll teach them what I believe to be right and wrong. I don't need some teacher telling them right and wrong. That isn't their job. To me, this article makes it sound like conservatives want to be lazy and have schools do all of their parenting work for them. - JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
::::Liberals believe in free speech for their views, but not for conservative ones. Public schools have liberal speech ad nauseum. It's tyranny to censor prayer and other conservative speech in public schools.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 09:47, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::: I believe in free speech for everyone. My school, conservatives were beating up liberals for their liberal views. I was in a public school my whole life (fortunately, my parents weren't rich enough to put me in a private school). Liberals cut off conservatives and conservatives cut off liberals. Neither one of them are better than the other. But all of these comments are garbage. Because Jesus isn't pushed onto me at school is why I have a lower vocabulary? You really think religion has anything to do with lower grades? And why just Christianity? Do you really think that my children deserve to have a religion forced upon them at a public school? I thought this was a free country? Free of religion. You're acting like this country should be freedom of religion for Christians and nothing else. I don't want my kids learning from the Ten Commandments at school. So tell me, if Christianity should be allowed back in school, should teaching my religion be allowed as well? - JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
:::::You don't believe in meaningful free speech if you insist on censoring classroom prayer. Your claims about people beating each other up is just a liberal way to justify censorship of conservative speech in school. Even if that were your criterion, there's a lot more "beating up" done in the absence of classroom prayer.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 10:35, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::: Oh, I believe in Freedom of Speech. And also, my 'claims' aren't a 'liberal way'. These aren't conservative views you're throwing here, they are hateful Christian views. I don't care if people pray in school, I'm talking about organized prayer. When you have "prayer time" and not everyone believes in praying, it makes those people outcasts. It's not a good thing. If a group of kids want to go pray to their god during lunch time, that's fine by me. Go right ahead and more power to you. It happened in my school and people didn't get into trouble. But I'm talking about when prayer time is set aside in the classroom in the school. It's a public school, prayer is a religious thing. Religion, mine or yours or in general, doesn't need to be forced on anyone. I'm sure you can agree to that. -JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
:::::While I do not believe that teachers should influence students on any single religion (religion is a fascinating thing and I believe all major religions should be taught, and equally at that), I also don't see any problem with students praying in school, or even teachers (as long as they don't force a student to pray). Another thing is that sports coaches in high school should be allowed to lead their players in a prayer before going out to a game. If the player isn't religious, or not Christian, or whatever, no harm done. They don't have to participate. I'm new here and I don't mean to offend or anything, just sharing my opinion. I apologize if its been stated already. [[User:CeruleanFalls|SarahH]]<br />
<br />
:::::I agree with that, Sarah. Prayer was allowed in my school, just not organized prayer. From what I can tell, that's how the law states. No one was in trouble when they prayed. It was when they forced their beliefs that the trouble came. That's why I don't understand this. In fact, my school, a public school, had a religious studies class. It studied religions. That would make it not an atheist school. Also, don't say major religions. There are minor religions out there too. Don't play favorites here. -JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
::::::JaffaLycosa, I can't tell if you're unaware of how liberals censor prayer in public schools, or if you're aware but in denial. In public schools, there cannot be a classroom prayer ever, under any circumstance. A coach cannot participate in a prayer with players. Do you support this censorship, or not?--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 12:41, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::Andy, I don't support censorship much at all to be honest. If people want to pray, more power to them. Having an organized "prayer time" I don't agree is a good idea. If students want to pray, let them. Don't let them force their beliefs on others, however. Same with teachers. After 9/11, I took part in a prayer circle on my school grounds. Although it was Christian oriented, I still took part out of respect for those that died. No one got into trouble for it. I don't see this total attack against prayer. All I've seen is an attack against organized prayer. Now, if you want to have a time set aside during the day for "self reflection" and people want to pray during that time, that's fine. I don't even care if there are religious groups involved at school, as long as all religions are allowed to be represented and even non-theists and atheists are allowed to have groups. I pray to my gods, Andy, trust me. I don't think that praying is bad at all, but we have to go about it in an intelligent way. The last thing schools need is a religious war in their halls. And on that note, I think that teaching religion in schools is a good idea. A class enveloping all of the religions to teach respect for one another, which to me, is the American way. I may be "pagan" Andy, but I'm not hateful towards Christians in the slightest nor do I wish for their religious views and beliefs to be stamped out, even in schools. -- JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
:::::::JaffaLycosa, the students want to start the class with a prayer, and the teacher wants to participate. '''This is illegal in public schools'''. The football players want to say a prayer before taking the field, and the coach wants to join them. '''This is illegal in public schools'''. Do you support that ban, or not? Please state your position first, and only afterward is it productive to discuss your reasons. This isn't rocket science, and I'll move on to other discussions if your position still remains unclear.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 14:03, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::::Its pretty clear to me that Jaffa has already stated that he/she (not sure if male or female) agrees that teachers and high school sports team coaches should be allowed to pray if they want to, as Jaffa stated they agree with me when I said that. I am unclear as to whether there is an actual ban in place stating teachers/coaches can under no circumstances participate in prayers in public schools. Could you cite a specific law or policy which prevents teachers/coaches from participating in prayer organized by the students/players, Mr. Schlafly? I'd be very interested in seeing what is in place, exactly. Thank you. [[User:CeruleanFalls|SarahH]] 14:33, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::::If it weren't rocket science, Andy, then you'd have came to the same conclusion Sarah just did. I don't care if students and teachers want to pray. As long as they don't shove their beliefs on others, as long as they don't act like someone is wrong because they don't participate in the same prayer, I don't care. But I want to know, Andy, would you mind if the teacher started a pagan prayer with the class? If you heard about a teacher that prayed a pagan prayer with some pagan students, how would you react? Please be honest, I'd like to know your stance on teachers and students taking part in organized non-Christian/Jewish/Islam prayers. But to answer your question clearly, I'm not against it. As I said, I took part in a '''Christian''' prayer with both '''students''' and '''teachers''' involved while a pagan. If people want to pray, let them. Just don't beat people up or treat them like crap if they don't. Also, I'm a guy. - JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
:::::::::How'd I know you weren't going to answer that question? - JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
::::::::::You probably knew because I already said "I'll move on to other discussions if your position still remains unclear." Also, 100% of your edits have been talk, talk, talk, in violation of our [[90/10 Rule]]. Unlike Wikipedia, we help students and others here and nonstop talk doesn't advance that goal.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 20:25, 10 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
I just thought I would chime in here. I currently attend a public school, and they aren't atheistic. We have a world religions class, there is a religion diversity mural painted on one wall of the school, and lastly, in te library, there is a whole religion section with only one atheist book, which is only about 100 pages long.<br />
<br />
==Uncited Assertions==<br />
I would like to see evidence for the assertion that public schools are atheistic and spoken prayer is forbidden in the classroom. The idea that this should be present without a reference goes against the standards of this encyclopedia.--Jimmy 13:56, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
:Then go ahead and help find it. If I can find such references within the time it takes you to complain about the lack of them, then you can find them as well and help contribute to the building of this encyclopedia. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 14:06, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
::It is my understanding that the person making the claim needs to provide the source documentation. For the record, I do not know of any reputable source that claims the American public school system is atheistic. Nor do I know of any law or court decision that prohibits all spoken prayer in the classroom, hence my request for a citation.<br />
<br />
::Just so you know, I am contributing to the building of this encyclopedia. In the time I have taken to voice my objection to the lack of sources, have you come up with your own references?--Jimmy 15:26, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
:::Yes I have. I've known for years that school prayer was removed from the schools as a result of an atheistic loudmouth named Madalyn Murray O'Hair, who used her son to force her religious beliefs through the Supreme Court in 1962. The account was also written in the book "Let Us Pray", by William Murray, an evangelical pastor who was O'Hair's tool back then.<br />
:::Whining about lack of references does not build up this encyclopedia; helping out to fill in the missing holes does, and I expect you to do so. You don't know because you never bothered to look; you sat there and expected everyone else to do it for you. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 15:58, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::Prayer has not been removed from public schools and anyone that thinks this is the case is seriously misinformed. O'Hair's lawsuit, ''Murray v. Curlett'', (consolidated with ''Abington Township School District v. Schempp'') declared school sponsored Bible reading in public schools in the United States to be unconstitutional. The key words here are 'school sponsored'. Students are allowed to pray as long as it is initiated by them and does not interfere with classes or instruction. Please reference this court ruling and the additional references I included in the article concerning the opinions of the Clinton and Bush administrations position on public school prayer. <br />
<br />
::::You are referring to my requests for documentation as 'whining'. Yet all I am trying to do is follow the commandments and guidelines of this encyclopedia. This is Conservapedia, an organization where the article writers must provide documentation for their articles. This is not Wikipedia where everyone is entitled to their own opinion without providing references. What is wrong with insisting that everyone follow the rules and guidelines? <br />
<br />
::::I'm sure that you noticed that the vast majority of this article has been written by me. Every word I have written is backed-up by references as required by the commandments. Yet this doesn't seem to satisfy you, why not? I've put a significant amount of time into this article and when someone makes an unreferenced assertion, I would like them to provide the same type of references that I am required to. <br />
<br />
::::If you have an addition to this article or a source that can back-up what is already written, then please contribute your efforts. Where this article is concerned, all you have done is complain when someone is trying to make valid contributions. --Jimmy 16:28, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::: Jimmy, sources are readily available on the internet, or simply ask someone who goes to public school, or teaches there.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 16:36, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::If the sources are readily available, then they should be listed with the article. A person reading the article shouldn't have to do their own research when the article writer is required to provide a reference.--Jimmy 16:53, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::I think this represents one of the biggest problems I've identified with site in that it is built upside down. Most articles seem to start with conclusions (public schools are bad, atheism is bad, Obama is a Muslim) and then looks for evidence to support these conclusions. If no evidence is found, the statements are usually just left. An encylopedia should look at the evidence first, then see which conclusions can be drawn from it.--[[User:RonAbdul|RonAbdul]] 10:24, 4 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::: Provide your best specific example and let's look at it. The "biggest problem" with the detractors, with all due respect, is a lack of an open mind.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 10:31, 4 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::::::: Well, I've been trying to draw your attention to the problems with the Tone Section in the Obama article, which I tried to address on the Obama talk page.--[[User:RonAbdul|RonAbdul]] 15:33, 4 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Mandatory / Teacher-lead / Spoken Prayers==<br />
<br />
I'm sorry if there was some sort of misunderstanding, but I wasn't aware that all spoken prayer is banned in public schools... would a student making a simple prayer (at a practical time) really be punished for doing so? Perhaps I'm missing another sort of prayer, other than teacher-led, that is also banned? I was just trying to clarify what is actually "forbidden" and where these lines are drawn in most public schools. [[User:Feebasfactor|Feebasfactor]] 16:06, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
: Yes, it is banned. Surely you know someone who goes to public school, or teaches there???? Anyone, teacher or student, who tries to lead a prayer in school is likely to be disciplined and have that go on his record.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 16:34, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
::I know people that go to and teach at public schools and prayer is allowed many times during the day, even during class time as long as it does not interfere with instruction. Yet the article states: ''''Spoken prayer … are expressly forbidden in public schools classrooms during school hours, and teaching of morality is implicitly disfavored.'''' I would like to see a reference that supports that sentence, it seems to be at odds with what I observe and current legal reasoning.--Jimmy 16:50, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::Ah, yes, I see what you mean Andy... sorry, I didn't mean to overemphasize who it was leading the prayer. In public schools, essentially any prayer beyond individual, inconspicuous prayer on one's own time is banned or strongly discouraged. Perhaps instead of "spoken prayer"... "group prayer" or "collective prayer" might more accurately denote this situation? I'm not sure, the current term seemed a bit confusing - but that might just be me. Anyway, clarify it if you like, thanks for explaining. [[User:Feebasfactor|Feebasfactor]] 20:34, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::Why were my edits reverted? I've been asking for a reference for the school prayer comments at the top of the page for a while and none were provided. The comment about prominent Americans not attending public schools since 1962 was deleted because I felt it was a little odd to have that sentence there when it is obvious that it was not true.--Jimmy 13:21, 4 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::: The list shows that the only prominent Americans were educated before 1962, and there is no disputing the observation about prayer being banned at public schools, along with the Ten Commandments. You can easily find cites for that if that were your goal. Deleting factual information for liberal reasons is allowed at Wikipedia, but not here.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:24, 4 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::There are two lists of prominent Americans educated in public schools. The second list provides the names of fifteen that were educated after 1962 so why are you insisting that there aren't any prominent Americans educated after 1962? I am disputing your observation concerning public school prayer because according to George W. Bush and the Department of Education, you are wrong, and Bush is far from being a liberal. <br />
<br />
::::::I can't find any cites to support your conclusions about public school prayer; that is why I want you to provide them. If they exist, please show me where, according to the commandments it is your responsibility to do so. Since Conservapedia is supposed to be "The Trustworthy Encyclopedia", I feel that references should be provided for every alleged fact presented in its pages. I don't see how that has a liberal stance, facts are facts.--Jimmy 13:40, 4 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::::::Um, last time I checked, only teacher led/mandatory prayer in schools was banned. Students/Teachers can pray, however, they can't be disruptive to the class or make others pray that don't want to. Anyways, then there is the matter of which religion's prayers/worship style should be used. That would show favoritism to one religion and annoy other people who get offended. This leads to either having the class do prayers, etc.. of every religion or not having any prayer mandatory. The first option is infeasible because it would detract from time that could be used to learn subject material. So that is why teacher led/mandatory prayer isn't allowed in public schools. Willing individuals can pray together, however it must not be a distraction to a class. This is my two cents.[[User:JudgeKing|JudgeKing]] 13:00, 25 October 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Unjustified Edits==<br />
Mr. Schlafly:<br />
<br />
This is just getting worse. Your reference to the prohibition of the Ten Commandments in public schools is a reference to another Conservapedia article which itself doesn't have a reference. How is that suppose to work? And this reference has nothing to do with the alleged prohibition of spoken prayer or teaching of morality. I'll ask again, can you provide valid references for the following opinions you have made; spoken prayer is prohibited in public schools, school prayer was banned in 1962, and the teaching of morality is disfavored? According to the commandments of this encyclopedia, you are not providing the proper documentation for most of your opinions expressed in this article and yet I get the feeling you wouldn't tolerate unreferenced edits from me. <br />
<br />
Changing the heading of the second list of Americans that attended public schools doesn't make sense. Of the fifteen people listed, only three can be considered 'celebrities'. The rest are prominent business men, astronauts, politicians, an aviator and a soldier. Since only 20% of the people listed are celebrities, how does that add up to 'mostly celebrity'?<br />
<br />
I get the feeling that I am going to be blocked soon. I was warned once before about not insisting on people following the rules of this encyclopedia and that I should be expected to look up the references for other people's opinions even if I didn't think they were valid. I hope I'll be able to make contributions to this website.--Jimmy 20:38, 4 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:Not quite yet, but I reverted your last edit here. If you feel that schools are teaching morality, reversing the wording of one sentence isn't helping the article.<br />
<br />
:Can you write a few sentences on [[Morality in public schools]], please? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 23:22, 5 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::I would like to write a section about morality in public schools, but what good would it do. The second sentence of this article claims, without providing any evidence whatsoever, that student prayer in public schools is prohibited and morality implicitly disfavored. It doesn't matter that I provided plenty of evidence that this assertion is completely without basis. Unless the second sentence is changed to reflect reality, this article will always look goofy. The latest reference that Aschlafly supplied actually shows prayer is allowed at public schools. I quote from the reference, "'''It ended in the spring of 2006 when the Knox County School Board promised in writing to allow students "religious expression" during "discretionary time'''." Far from demonstrating that public schools are forbidding prayer, this reference makes it clear that if students are denied the right to pray during non-instructional times, they always have someone that will fight for them and restore their rights.<br />
<br />
::Look at the edits I made earlier that were reverted. Notice how many times 'atheistic' was replaced with 'secular' before it wasn't reverted. A list showing a broad coalition of civil liberties groups supporting public school prayer was removed for being 'liberal'. I've had no luck removing the 'disclaimer' about prominent Americans being educated in public schools. It still states prayer is banned and no 'prominent Americans' have been educated in public schools even though I have demonstrated otherwise. I've made continuous requests for references to support the opinions expressed in the second sentence of this article only to be ignored and threatened. Will you offer any assurance that what I write will not be summarily dismissed? I'd hate to waste my time.--Jimmy 00:07, 6 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Political Correctness as a Hindering Factor==<br />
It's frequently noted that private schools tend to do better than public schools, and that other countries (India, China, and so forth) are turning out more and better-equipped scientists and engineers than America at present.<br />
<br />
I would suggest that there's a common factor: none of those educational environments are guided by the notion that every student has equal ability, and that if we just try really hard, every student can achieve at the same level.<br />
<br />
Bluntly: that notion is political correctness, and it's a tremendous handicap for several reasons.<br />
<br />
First, it makes it all but impossible to hold students accountable for their own education. Social promotion ensures that students who make no effort continue to be passed on to higher grades. While in school, they face essentially no consequences for lack of effort; the consequences only catch up with them when they get out into the real world and discover that they're woefully unqualified for any job. <br />
<br />
Second, the one-size-fits-all approach to education hurts both gifted and non-gifted students in the name of "not labeling." Modern educational theory insists that students at all levels of ability need to be taught in the same classroom at the same time, resulting in a Catch-22. Either the teacher can teach at the level of the lowest students in the class--ensuring that the rest of the class will be bored stiff and receive little useful information--or at a higher level, ensuring that the struggling students will be lost.<br />
<br />
This is hand-waved with bland optimism and buzzwords like "differentiated instruction." There's only so much differentiation you can do in forty minutes, though.<br />
<br />
''Why'' is it wrong to suggest that working with a group of students who are at roughly the same level will enable lessons to be tailored to that level? Why is it wrong to suggest that students who excel in English, in science, or in mathematics be given the chance to excel and to push beyond the baseline curriculum? ''That'' is how other countries produce better-educated engineers and scientists: they don't try to educate everyone to the same level.<br />
<br />
Apologies for the rant, but as a teacher in a public school myself, I'm frequently frustrated by having my hands tied. --[[User:Benp|Benp]] 20:30, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Atheistic and secular==<br />
The secularism of the US public schools promotes atheism. Let's not pretend otherwise. [[User:Human]], you do indeed [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Public_schools&diff=prev&oldid=507180 risk your editing rights] to assert otherwise.<br />
<br />
If you can find support for religion in any public school, you may add that to the counterexamples section (or start such a section). But the trend is clearly toward [[Atheism]], a positive '''denial''' of the existence of [[God]], along with [[Materialism]], an explicit denial of the reality of the [[supernatural]].<br />
<br />
Do not use edit summaries as a debate forum. You know better than this. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:11, 30 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
''The secularism of the US public schools promotes atheism.'' This, I think may be true. But that's a different thing from saying the schools ARE atheist. If you take a look at the US Dept of Ed's Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools US Dept of Ed's Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools:[http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html], which is the government's official word on the subject, you get a pretty good idea of the governing principals and where the line is supposed to be drawn. (Of course, there are always school districts here and there who step over the line one way or another, usually with much fanfare in the press. This doesn't, however, change the fact that schools are ''supposed'' to follow the guidelines set forth by the Dept of Ed.) Some highlights:<br />
<br />
*'''''The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment requires public school officials to be neutral in their treatment of religion, showing neither favoritism toward nor hostility against religious expression such as prayer.''''' This, I would argue, is pretty much the definition of "secular". It's certainly not atheist.<br />
<br />
*''Accordingly, the First Amendment '''forbids religious activity that is sponsored by the government''' but '''protects religious activity that is initiated by private individuals''', and the line between government-sponsored and privately initiated religious expression is vital to a proper understanding of the First Amendment's scope. As the Court has explained in several cases, "there is a crucial difference between government speech endorsing religion, which the Establishment Clause forbids, and private speech endorsing religion, which the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses protect."'' <br />
<br />
* ''Although the Constitution forbids public school officials from directing or favoring prayer, students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate," and the Supreme Court has made clear that "private religious speech, far from being a First Amendment orphan, is as fully protected under the Free Speech Clause as secular private expression."''<br />
<br />
* ''"nothing in the Constitution ... prohibits any public school student from voluntarily praying at any time before, during, or after the school day," and students may pray with fellow students during the school day on the same terms and conditions that they may engage in other conversation or speech.<br />
''<br />
* ''Prayer During Noninstructional Time - Students may pray when not engaged in school activities or instruction, subject to the same rules designed to prevent material disruption of the educational program that are applied to other privately initiated expressive activities. Among other things, students may read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace before meals, and pray or study religious materials with fellow students during recess, the lunch hour, or other noninstructional time to the same extent that they may engage in nonreligious activities.'' <br />
<br />
* ''Organized Prayer Groups and Activities - Students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, and "see you at the pole" gatherings before school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities groups. Such groups must be given the same access to school facilities for assembling as is given to other non-curricular groups, without discrimination because of the religious content of their expression.'' <br />
<br />
* ''Teachers, Administrators, and other School Employees - Teachers may take part in religious activities where the overall context makes clear that they are not participating in their official capacities. Before school or during lunch, for example, teachers may meet with other teachers for prayer or Bible study to the same extent that they may engage in other conversation or nonreligious activities. Similarly, teachers may participate in their personal capacities in privately sponsored baccalaureate ceremonies.''<br />
<br />
* ''Moments of Silence - If a school has a "minute of silence" or other quiet periods during the school day, students are free to pray silently, or not to pray, during these periods of time.'' <br />
<br />
* ''Religious Expression and Prayer in Class Assignments - Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions.''<br />
<br />
I think "secular" is the more accurate term, despite a few examples of schools which mistakenly restricted students' rights to prayer. Trends away from secularism, and so on, can be described in a paragraph later in the entry. --[[User:Hsmom|Hsmom]] 17:12, 30 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: "Secular" means: "1 a: of or relating to the worldly or temporal <secular concerns> b: not overtly or specifically religious <secular music> c: not ecclesiastical or clerical <secular courts> <secular landowners>"[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secular]<br />
<br />
: None of those definitions describes the overwhelmingly [[atheistic]] leadership and culture of [[public schools]]. Students are more likely to hear God mentioned or worshiped in an atheistic country than in a public school.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 18:50, 30 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Nitpick: My Circular Reasoning sense is tingling: You look at a definition for "secular", realize that it doesn't meet your assumption that the public schools are atheistic (and not secular) and then conclude that "secular" is not the right word. --[[User:DirkB|DirkB]] 18:57, 30 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Late comment: I'd prefer the term "nontheistic." "Atheistic" implies explicit denial of the existence of a higher being; "nontheistic" implies that the schools just don't address the concept. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 14:59, 16 November 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Removal of Section on Famous Americans==<br />
There are ''so'' many things wrong with the section on famous Americans who have attended public school. How do you define "attended": is it graduates only, or those who have spent even a day in a public institution? How do you define "prominent American"? Politicians, musicians, artists, owners of large corporations, athletes, who counts? Also, note that the list would probably require several hundred pages, considering that virtually ever American who has a graduate-level education (GED-worthy) attended a public school, including a vast, vast majority of Americans that would be considered "prominent." And what's up with that statistic that claims that fewer prominent Americans have come out of the public school system since prayer was banned? There is absolutely no way that a claim like that can be tested, measured, or even looked at in a serious light. I vote to delete the section entirely. And mind you I have many, many friends who graduated from the public school system who are doing just fine, which is remarkable considering that I live in Los Angeles, which has one of the highest dropout rates in the country. I remember my mother still works at a particularly prominent school in Hollywood, and at the end of each year she takes several students who graduated out to lunch to congratulate them because it's such an achievement at some schools in the city. I don't think that has anything to do with prayer though (religious children fail to graduate just as often as secular ones). -[[User:Ilikecake|Ilikecake]] 17:04, 11 November 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:This is the worst section on an even worse page. The list of post and pre 1962 section should be thousands of pages long! I'm going to delete it. I know it's going to be put back in a couple minutes though.<br />
<br />
::If you already believe something will be reverted when you begin to edit, that is a good indicator not to do so. Also please remember to sign your posts. --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big><sub>/Admin</sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 21:59, 25 February 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Statistics==<br />
*A few comments on the recently-added statistics:<br />
:*Illegal drugs: The survey that statistic comes from includes both public and private schools. (See [http://monitoringthefuture.org/purpose.html])<br />
:*Teen pregnancy: The number is for one city in Virginia, and makes no distinction between public school, private school, and homeschooled teens.<br />
:*Obesity: A similar comment. The number is for one school district.<br />
:*Mental health: According to [http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec1.html#table3_1 this] government website, an estimated 20% of people 9-17 years old have some sort of mental disorder. Since the source for the "almost 10%" statistic (I think it would be better just to say 8%, by the way) doesn't say what exactly it means by "mental health issues," there's really no way to determine what the significance of the number is. Also, that number is for one school district. It's not enough data to say the number applies to public school students in general.<br />
:Usual disclaimers apply. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 20:34, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: Any study that includes public and private schools is going to be 90% public school, so the private school distinction is insignificant. If anything, private schools are better, which makes the real public school statistic ''even worse'' than reported. The teen pregnancy statistic is for public and private schools, not homeschoolers (where teen pregnancy rates are virtually 0). The government estimate on mental health is interesting but does not change the school statistic.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 20:57, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::*The teen pregnancy statistic is for all teens in the relevant area - which includes homeschoolers. (You can find the data from [http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/HealthStats/stats.asp#data this page] on the VA department of health's website. Under "Data Tables," pick either 2007 table from the Teenage Pregnancies drop-down box.)<br />
:::*No, the estimate doesn't change the school statistic; however, it does change its significance.<br />
:::*You have failed to address my comments regarding the samples. Except for the illegal drugs statistic and the government mental health statistic, all the numbers I mentioned come from samples that were relatively small and not particularly diverse; you can't just assume those statistics are equal to those for the general public school population. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 21:06, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::: You only challenge 4 out of the 11 points, and one of your 4 (the obesity statistic) can hardly be disputed. Just look at how fat public school kids are. Maybe the statistic is slightly off, but I could find 5 stories in 60 seconds decrying the obesity in public school kids.<br />
<br />
:::: And that illustrates the problem with your comments. You're not showing a genuine interest in the crisis when you deny facts that you could easily confirm yourself and improve the entry with additional references. I'm not here to persuade someone determined not to be persuaded. I already suggest to parents that they get their kids out of public school, and yet still try to help those stuck in the system and still look for ways to improve the system for the kids. You, however, seem determined ''not'' to help.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 21:15, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::::Because I don't challenge all of the statistics, my criticisms can't be taken seriously? Also, note that all I deny is that you are correctly interpreting the statistics. Finally, you still haven't responded to my comments regarding the samples. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 21:34, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Where is your proof?==<br />
Why did you insert that 77% statistic into the [[public school]] article? The article provided did not say that statistic. Where is your proof?<br />
--[[User:Metzky|Metzky]] 20:42, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:Note: when stating "article" I mean the conservapedia article, but when I say "source", I mean the source that is cited.<br />
:After reading the sources from the statistics, I have a major problems with what the article is claiming to have evidence of:<br />
<br /><br />
:1.One source says "In 1991, 62 percent had used illicit drugs. In 2007, the number jumped to 77 percent." (it is the link with the number "6"). However, this does '''not''' mean "77% do illegal drugs", as stated in the article. It simply means that, at one point in their life, 77% '''have done''' drugs. The difference in verb tense makes a huge difference. Note that "have done" can be anything as small as having one drink ''in their entire life'' or smoking marijuana ''once''.<br />
:2.I was unable to find where the pregnancy rate of 10% came from. I read the entire article sourced for the statistic twice and was unable to find it. The only thing close to it was "In a school of 2,211 students, there are at least 70 girls who are soon-to-be or already mothers." This indicates a pregnancy rate of 3%, not 10%. Also, the statistic of about half getting abortions is not representative of the population, as there was only a sample size of 200 from Alexandria in Virginia.<br />
:3.Also, the article sourced for "nearly 10% have mental health problems" specifically states in the second paragraph: "8 percent had mental health issues." 10% and 8% are huge differences in the world of statistics. There is no problem with stating "8%". Also, the study was on students in a Memphis school district. This means that the statistic is unable to be extrapolated to all of American public school students. Memphis students are not representative of the entire population of students, so no such claim is possible.<br />
:4.The same goes for the 35% said to be obese. (Added in after originally posted <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 21:23, 2 January 2009 (EST))<br />
:5.The same error just mentioned is committed when stating "20% go on dangerous "binge drinking," and 50% drink illegally". The statistic cited is for ''Ottowa County'' in Michigan. (not representative of the entire population)<br />
:6.An even more egregious error is committed concerning the number of students who watch more than 3 hours of television. The national average that the source refers to '''is''' public school students. The 60% statistic is for ''Memphis'' students. The 35% is the national average for public school students.<br />
:7.On bullying, the source states "Nationally, about 160,000 students miss school daily because they fear being bullied". When checking this, the source is '''completely''' wrong:<br />
::*http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/personal/09/06/bullies/index.html<br />
::If you want a source that is not CNN, then:<br />
::*http://books.google.com/books?id=D_LpPNZt3iMC&pg=PA461&lpg=PA461&dq=160,000+students+bully+one+day+year&source=web&ots=Ycyex5n4s6&sig=qlrlKQNjNIOScUryWSg048NbSlE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result<br />
:In reality, it is "Every year more than 160,000 students report missing some school because they are afraid." (added after originally posted <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 21:32, 2 January 2009 (EST)) It is not ''every day'', but at least some every year. This includes simply ''being late'' in ''one day'' the entire year.<br />
<br /><br />
:Overall, the sources seem to be taken from where public schools are doing the '''worst''' rather than average public schools. The sample sizes are extremely small and are taken specifically from the regions where public schools are doing the worst. These are not representative of how the entire public school system is doing. The statistics have either been gravely misinterpreted or are being misconstrued on purpose by the person who wrote that part of the article. The article is very misleading.<br />
:I hope this is fixed soon. <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 21:19, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: In response to point 1 above, drugs are addictive. Very few people do drugs only once. In response to point 2 above, please realize that boys don't get pregnant, and half of pregnant high school girls get an [[abortion]].<br />
<br />
:: Guys, I stopped there. Raise the quality of your criticisms, please, if you want a response. And pick your best criticism rather than pretending that quantity is a substitute for quality. It isn't.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 21:47, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:::That's too bad. Numbers six and seven seem valid, if not the others. [[User:LiamG|LiamG]] 22:00, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
If you want to help paint a clear statistical picture of US public schools, I'm ready to help. I know enough math (and logic) to keep both sides honest. But I'll tell you from the start, liberals are much more likely to make math errors and to believe what they want - than conservatives. The way they treat [[John Lott]] is a case in point. Another example is how many children "go to bed hungry each night".<br />
<br />
Remember, the figures do not lie, but "liars figure". --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 22:45, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:I'm guessing a good place to start would be to read the points that Andy won't. [[User:LiamG|LiamG]] 22:52, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: No, Liam, a good place to start is to admit the basic errors in the criticism and take steps to prevent recurrence of more errors like them.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 22:54, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:::You already said you didn't read the whole thing. You say the first two are flawed, ok. But you literally can't know if there are errors in the rest. [[User:LiamG|LiamG]] 22:56, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
::::I see your point in that my second point was flawed (I can't believe I forgot to take that into account), but that '''still only''' raises the pregnancy rate to 6%. This does not allow us to make the conclusion that there is a 10% pregnancy rate in '''all public schools'''. The statistic specifically applies to the school it was taken from because ''data was only taken from that particular school''.<br />
:::::Let me elaborate. In statistics, there is a rule that before making a statement about a ''population'' (every person the statistic is about) that "the sample must be representative of the population". This means that samples for the statistic have to come from '''many''' locations. If data is ''not'' taken from many locations (that are relevant to the statistic), then the statistics develop '''bias''', or when the result given is not what is true in real life.<br />
::::In context of my point about the 6% pregnancy rate, this means that it is O.K. for the result to be applied to where it came from: the Memphis school. There is no bias ''when taking it in that '''specific''' context''. However, when applying it to ''the entire country'', there is bias. Well, where does it come from? There wasn't bias when applying it to the school, so what is the problem with applying it to the entire country? Let me respond to those questions by giving an example:<br />
::::*"A recent statistic showed that 1900 of 2000 randomly polled people in Washington D.C. are liberal. This means that 95% of ''the entire country'' is liberal."<br />
::::This is obviously '''completely''' incorrect. The only thing that the statisticians can deduce from that is that 95% of people who live ''in Washington D.C.'' are liberals. No information was taken from Texas, Kentucky, New York, Maine, California, Alaska, Florida, Oklahoma, etc.. Data can only be said to represent our country if it is taken from a variety of locations.<br />
::::That is why I have a problem with a variety of the statistics: these were a ''local'' studies rather than ''national'' studies (except for bullying and drugs).<br />
::::Thank you for taking the time to read this. <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 07:36, 3 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
You've got the cart before the horse, William. How about helping us with a series of articles on [[statistics]]? The elementary rules you mentioned should be outlined so clearly that all you'd have to do is refer readers to the article in question. (Absent that, your comments might take on a "lecturing" tone here.) --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 07:48, 3 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:Being a teacher yourself, you may know of the "lecture reflex". I'll take you up on your offer. <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 08:00, 3 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
Good. In the mean time ([[average|no pun intended]]), the [[teen pregnancy]] rate would seem to be 30 to 35 percent - not 10 percent. This is calculating pregnancies per girl (up to age 19) - not some annualized rate. <br />
<br />
But advocates on both sides of a [[social issue]] have been known to magnify or minimize a problem. Read [[Darrell Huff]]'s "[[How to Lie with Statistics]]" for some tips on how to fight back. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 08:04, 3 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::Cutting in here for a moment to address Andy's point that 77% admitting to trying it once equates to 77% doing drugs routinely because drugs are addictive. It's not that black and white. Marijuana is not addictive. MDMA is not addictive. LSD is not addictive. And I can guarantee these three make up most of a student's drug intake.--[[User:RonAbdul|RonAbdul]] 16:03, 4 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Textbook CBN story==<br />
This might fit in here or some other article as an external link.<br />
<br />
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6bARRmEpH8 CBN story on Harvard University recommending anti-Israel, anti-European textbooks]<br />
<br />
: Great point. Please add to this entry where you think best. Thanks and Godspeed.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 14:08, 22 August 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Statistics, Sampling and The Truth==<br />
Generally the statistics given are a good picture of public schools all over America. What is to be gained by parsing the language to weaken the statement, obfuscate it, to make it appear they have better results than they do? Oh, wait, I forgot that liberals want to hide from obvious truths! Public schools are mostly cesspools. That a precious few excel doesn't alter reality. --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big><sub>/Admin</sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 17:13, 1 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Source for 10% pregnancy rate?==<br />
If the statistic that 10% of public school girls get pregnant is true, it's a very powerful statement about public schools. The source given doesn't include this fact, though. Pregnancy rates are deplorably high in public schools, but I can't find any sources that put the number as high as 10%. I need help finding a source on this. [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 21:56, 10 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
:I'm getting some conflicting data on this as well. [http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf This] (PDF file) states that in 2006, the teen pregnancy rate for ALL women was 71.5 in 1,000 (~7.2%). However, [http://www.livestrong.com/article/12504-teen-pregnancy-rates-usa/ This] article states that 1/3 of girls get pregnant before the age of 20. If the latter is the case, I would say that 10% pregnancy rate is an ''under-estimation'' given that most children are in the public school system. I'm still searching, though ... -- [[User:JLauttamus|Jeff W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|<sub>Discussion</sub>]] 22:09, 10 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
::I found a [http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Robeson.High.School.2.1251642.html source] that puts the pregnancy rate at about 14.375% among the girls at one high school, but we need something better before we can make a statement about public schools in general, as this school is hardly a typical example. I imagine that the distribution of pregnancy rates among public schools would resemble something of an inverse bell curve: a number of public schools (primarily urban ones) would have extremely high pregnancy rates while many others (mostly suburban/rural schools) would have very low pregnancy rates. There are probably relatively few schools that fall in the middle because there are very few schools that have an equal mix of students from the cultures, environments, etc. that lead to teen pregnancy.<br />
::I bet a large number of the supposed 1/3 pregnancies comes from girls that are 19, and hence out of school. Also, that statistic for all women is actually for "all women between 15 and 19." They slid that detail in at the top of the chart where it's not very noticeable. I don't know where the CDC gets its number, but there's a huge difference between 7% of girls between 15 and 19 getting pregnant and 33% of girls being pregnant before 20. I'm more inclined to believe the 7%; that number sounds much more reasonable and other data from the study makes sense as well. The CDC, on the other hand, is the same agency that continually warned us of the dangers of the imminent swine flu pandemic... that everyone with sense knew wasn't going to happen. [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 22:54, 10 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
:::The source given in the article says that birth/abortion rates among teens in Alexandria was about 50/50. The first source that JLauttamus provided gives data for the whole nation, and puts abortion rates at 32%. Neither source mentioned public schools, so we don't have any data on that. I'm going to add a citation needed tag to the article about the pregnancy rates, and research further into abortion rates. [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 15:39, 14 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::All the evidence seems to point to a percentage even higher than 10%, so I don't see why the 10% estimate would be considered unacceptable for somehow being too high. I wouldn't expect public schools to admit to this problem or for precise data to be available.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:35, 14 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::We don't really have any evidence to point to a particular number. We have a number from a ''single'' school (and an atypical one, at that) giving us about 14%. The only piece of data that evaluates the whole nation gives us about 7%, but that's just pregnancy rates among 15-19 year olds in general, and doesn't mention schooling at all. We could technically say that "One public school has a pregnancy rate of over 14% among its female students," but that would be kind of weaselly. We don't have any evidence from which to draw conclusions about a typical public school or public schools as a whole. [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 13:34, 16 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::If no source has been provided to back up this statistic, I'll remove it on June 24th. (Two weeks after this issue was raised.) [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 22:55, 19 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==30% of public schools fail to graduate from high school? ==<br />
I found a rather major and embarrassing error in the opening lines. The list of statistics are said to be "characteristics of public schools" when they are in fact describing their students. I edited the heading sentence before the list to reflect this, but my edits were reversed, because "the public schools create the students." I agree that we do need to find a way to emphasize this, but the error still needs removal. Any suggestions on how to accomplish both goals while keeping everyone happy? [[User:JimAB|JimAB]] 21:19, 27 March 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Jim, the schools teach and train the students. That's what the schools are paid to do, at astronomical costs. When someone refers to "public schools," it does not mean merely the bricks in the buildings.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 22:49, 27 March 2011 (EDT)<br />
::To me "public schools" refers to the lessons, the students, the teachers and the rubbish that is being taught. [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 23:00, 27 March 2011 (EDT)<br />
:::As 'schools' it doesn't make logical sense. I'll try and fix it. --[[User:AlaskanEconomy|AlaskanEconomy]] 17:05, 9 April 2011 (EDT)<br />
::::Thanks, AE. [[User:JimAB|JimAB]] 22:19, 9 April 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Claim of dubious worth==<br />
60% of students in one region watch more than 3 hours of TV vs. 35% nation wide. Since that national population with 35% over the line is 90% public school students I think that it's safe to say the 60% number has a lot more to do with the region than public schools. --[[User:AlaskanEconomy|AlaskanEconomy]] 17:36, 9 April 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==George Orwell's account of Public Schools in England==<br />
* These are not public 'national schools', but something quite the opposite: exclusive and expensive residential secondary schools, scattered far apart. Until recently they admitted almost no one but the sons of rich aristocratic families. It was the dream of nouveau riche bankers of the nineteenth century to push their sons into a Public School. At such schools the greatest stress is laid on sport, which forms, so to speak, a lordly, tough and gentlemanly outlook. Among these schools, Eton is particularly famous. Wellington is reported to have said that the victory of Waterloo was decided on the playing fields of Eton. It is not so very long ago that an overwhelming majority of the people who in one way or another ruled England came from the Public School. [http://www.netcharles.com/orwell/articles/ukrainian-af-pref.htm]<br />
<br />
If we are to rely on Orwell's account, we'll have to revise the article somewhat. In fact, we may need to rewrite the article a good deal, and expand it.<br />
<br />
We need to write about education in the English-speaking West, for that is the topic of which "Public schools" or [[Public schools in the United States]] is only a part. Also, we should write a bit more about the strengths, for schools in North America have had many good aspects or elements. Let's take the good with the bad, and write a balanced article (or series of articles). --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 17:40, 16 August 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Picture of school with security cameras==<br />
I have a bit of an issue with the picture at the top of the article. It is of Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, FL. I happened to graduate from this high school two years ago. The original school was destroyed by Hurricane Charley and the new school was rebuilt with all of the cameras. There were hardly any problems with violence or vandalism (unless you consider leaving lunch trays on the table vandalism). In fact, the school's academic team consistently defeated the area's best private schools' teams. Not only is the school a bad example of the bad things about public schools, it is a terrific example of some of the best accomplishments of public schools.--[[User:BubbaRomney|BubbaRomney]] 21:50, 18 June 2012 (EDT)<br />
:I have no idea who you are, but that's not how I remember the kids at that school; I graduated from Punta Gorda Middle School in 2006 (probably the same year you did, whoever you are) and school choiced into the Port Charlotte school because of the violence and drama at the Punta Gorda one. Of course, no one ever said that CHS is the worst school in the world or anything, just saying that public schools are becoming more and more violent every year. Welcome to Conservapedia! [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] 15:36, 19 June 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==4-day week==<br />
(moved from entry re: 4-day week) This above paragraph is not completely true, as, at least in Missouri, there are classes taught by teachers five days a week, and between 7 and 8 hours a day. <small>unsigned</small><br />
<br />
:The entry does not say that all schools in Missouri use a 4-day week, but apparently it is allowed for some to shorten their week.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 18:32, 12 April 2013 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Please do clarify that in the real article, because it is obvious to anyone who has stopped out of homeschool that you are trying to distort the truth.<br />
==Reorganization==<br />
This article is badly out-of-date and does not reflect the fact that [[Donald Trump]] and [[Betsy DeVos]] have taken over leadership of the federal role in US public education. [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Public_schools_in_the_United_States&diff=prev&oldid=1363386 I have started to reorganize the article]. Does anyone have objections to making it more aligned with current developments? I will add more about special education and pre-K. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 20:08, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:The fact that DeVos is the SoE does not change the fact that public schools still promote left-wing, anti-Christian beliefs. '''Much''' more is needed than a Republican administration to change public schools -- if they can even be changed at all at this point. Besides, your edit takes away the fact that public schools promote left-wing views from the intro. Having a GOP administration does not make that change OK. If that is the main part of your proposal, then I oppose such an edit. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:23, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
::I will wait another day to see what other people think, but the current article is very out-of-date and does not explain what public education in the US is, before it is criticised. I did not remove any of the criticisms. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 21:09, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::I know you did not remove the criticisms, but you diluted the article by moving them further down. Most readers don't look that far down. They only read the intro. The fact that public schools promote secular and left-wing views is probably the most important and most overlooked fact about public schools. Why state the obvious in the intro when this is more important? --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:17, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
::::It is true that the lede paragraph should provide an overall summary of the topic covered by the encyclopedia article. It is also true that Commandment #5 is "Do not post personal opinion on an encyclopedia entry." and a lot of the current article is personal opinion and should probably be deleted. [[Conservapedia:Writing a Good Article]] says, "The intro paragraph is meant to be a short paragraph which introduces the subject to the reader, generally about four to five sentences long." I believe that the introductory paragraph that I wrote better fit our long-standing policy than what is there now. With a conservative President, a conservative Secretary of Education, many conservative Governors, thousands of conservative members of local Boards of Education, why do you believe that public schools "promote secular and left-wing views?" If you have recent sources, please add them to the article, because I am not impressed by studies of students who graduated high school in 2001. Thanks, [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 21:33, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::::First off, it is way too premature to change the article to make it seem that public schools are all of a sudden bastions of conservatism when the new administration just started. Second, once again, having conservatives in power is not automatically going to lead to a more conservative education system. Public schools became more left-wing during the presidencies of Reagan and both Bushes, and the bureaucracy continued to grow. This isn't Eastern Europe, where conservative governments can easily institute what could almost easily be called propaganda in schools. Teachers and teachers unions remain powerful forces, and they are overwhelmingly liberal. The federal deep state bureaucracy remains very liberal even with a conservative president (and besides, states still have most of the say).<br />
:::::This is a major CP article. If you want to make major changes like this, I strongly recommend asking Andy. It's his website, after all. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:44, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
::::::How do you define a "major article"? I welcome every editor to comment, and please do not misrepresent my views. I am not saying that public schools are "bastions of conservatism". I am saying that many conservatives have become active in school policy over the last two decades and things keep changing. I don't know whether '''your''' claim that "public schools still promote left-wing, anti-Christian beliefs" is true or false today, but I know that that debate needs more than being squeezed into the lede paragraph. So, the logical organization is a lede to explain the scope of public schools, a brief history, and then the various issues and controversies. The reader can better follow the discussion of the issues and controversies after reading the introduction and history. Finally, Conservapedia is a team effort, and we are all working hard to make the best possible articles. This is a group effort refecting "the best of the public" and not a personal blog. Thanks, [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 22:04, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::::::I graduated from a public school a relatively short time ago. I still know people who attend my public school (which is in a relatively red county where Republicans hold office in nearly every position). My old school was and is still very left-wing. Trump's election is not changing that. From experience, my claim is definitely true. Also just because conservatives are active in school policy does not mean they are ''reversing'' changes made by liberals. There is a general trend of liberals making many changes while in office, but when conservatives take control, they merely act as seat warmers and keep the status quo until liberals take their positions back and enact more left-wing policies. Also, this article does not need to be "a personal blog" in order to notify people about the important state of public schools. It must be at the top for people to see. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:16, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
[undent]]I would think that 1990sguy meant that either you were born in the 1990s (and were 27-30 years old) or that you left school in the 1990s and were 40-50 years old.<br />
<br />
For sometime, the article has a section titled "Suppression and intolerance of alternative views" which claimed that the teaching of Islam as a religion was excluded from public school teaching. I added some sentences and a reference to snopes.com. You then move the material to "Views on morals" section but kept back one uncited opinion sentence. I then tried to work everything in to the "Views on morals" section, but you just reverted me, resulting in a strange split of this idea into two different places. Please pick one place for the discussion of Islam: "Views on morals" or "Suppression and intolerance of alternative views"? Since you are talking about teaching kids not to hate all muslims, it might better fit in the latter, because by definition nobody is advocating adoption of Islamic views on morals.<br />
<br />
Finally, 1990sguy has a very odd understanding of judicial activism and legal precedent. Once the Supreme Court decides a Constitutional question, all other judges assume that cases should be decided consistent with that decision. Perhaps '''policy activists''' bring new lawsuits to court, but the judges that decide those new cases consist with the earlier Supreme Court case are not "activist judges". The local school board in the intelligent design case ended up costing the school district over a million dollars in legal fees. Many parents felt this was a waste of time and money. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 22:33, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:As for my user name, the former, and I'm a bit younger than that. As for the info, it is much more appropriate in the "Teaching of Islam in the public schools" section, not the "Suppression and intolerance of alternative views" section. This info has to do with the teaching of Islam in public schools. Seems easy to me. Also, I did not change what you added, other than removing a snippet that stated that Islam classes did not present religious indoctrination.<br />
:Regarding the courts, the Constitution remains the same regardless of what the Court says. It can technically say whatever it wants. We see this in decisions on issues such as civil rights and labor unions, which had changed precedents. Just because the Supreme Court says something does not mean the judges are not influenced by the "living constitution" view, nor that they are trying to improve society through their decisions (which should not be a factor in court cases -- only the Constitution). --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:44, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Perhaps you should read more about the legal system and also go back and read the arguments in these cases. Getting back to this article, the subtitle on the paragraph begs the question of whether it belongs in the "Views on morals" or "Suppression and intolerance of alternative views" section. Please explain your preference, because it seems that the point has nothing to do with how morals are included in the curriculum. I have been reading all of the concerns on this talk page, and there are many editors' concerns which are not addressed by the current version, which as I noted above is badly out of date. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 11:55, 1 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::I have studied many Supreme Court cases. You are making the mistake of viewing the Court as the infallible interpreter of the Constitution that is never wrong. As for the Islam stuff, the info clearly belongs in the section entitled "Teaching of Islam in the public schools," because it is about the teaching of Islam in public schools. Maybe the parent header ("Views on morals") could be renamed for clarity? --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 12:12, 1 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Sources? ==<br />
<br />
A lot of the comments on this thread seem to share a common critique, that the evidence used in this article is misleading or insufficient. William Beason talks specifically about the statistics used, and I agree with what he’s saying about the flawed statistic analysis. A lot of the sources used to support the arguments being made in this article aren’t reliable, if they exist at all. Many links lead nowhere when clicked, as is the case in references 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Similarly, a lot of the evidence used to cite claims, especially those making broad statements, like “public schools are predominantly liberal and atheistic” and “liberals unrolled a large-scale campaign that blanketed the district with pro-Satan propaganda” use very little evidence. In both cases, the only source that can actually be read is a single article. A single article demonstrating a single instance of something occurring does not necessarily represent a trend. This is talked about in the earlier section, Atheistic Public Schools, specifically about the word choice used. <br />
<br />
This really isn’t enough information to completely condemn public schools, particularly because there is a lot of evidence that public schools do very well by their students when properly funded. Increasing school funding has been correlated with increased test scores, and increased educational and economic success, according to studies from the [http://www.nber.org/papers/w20847%20National%20Bureau%20of%20Economic%20Research%5D National Bureau of Economic Research] and [http://cdn.equitablegrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/16081142/031616-rothstein-schoolfin1.pdf the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.]. <br />
<br />
Public education is a very nuanced and complex topic, and public schools themselves are very flawed institutions. This article does not comprehensively address this. This article needs to be significantly expanded to do this. Liberals often cherry-pick sources to support their claims, and it’s important not to do the same. Presenting all the evidence informing an opinion allows other people to come to the same conclusion, and as others have pointed out, there are multiple instances where reasonable arguments are presented, but there isn’t enough evidence to back them up Conservapedia is a resource for people who want the truth. It’s not a place for liberal opinions, but for facts. By not presenting ample evidence that can be reliably examined, this article fails to provide readers with the whole truth. <br />
<br />
To provide the whole truth, this article needs to be expanded to highlight important aspects of public education. A section with statistics to highlight how public schools fail low-income and minority students, the unequal allocation of resources, and comparing the schools of the United States with other countries seems needed. Similarly, this article doesn’t mention segregation. This is a really important part of public education history, one that reflects very poorly on the system. Addressing the less-than-illustrious history of public schools demonstrates their failings almost more than the statistics. <br />
These are just suggestions, but looking at articles like this and their sources in order to make reasoned arguments seems more aligned with Conservapedia’s guidelines, and could help lend credence to Conservapedia as a whole. Best, [[User:Robert-Anderson|Robert-Anderson]]<br />
:[http://www.bbc.com/news/stories-43700153 ‘I was a teacher for 17 years, but I couldn’t read or write’][[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:54, 17 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== What's so bad about homosexual students in schools? ==<br />
<br />
Surely you can accept people of different sexual orientations? That part of the article seems pretty discriminating to me. [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 06:14, May 25, 2023 (EDT)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Public_schools_in_the_United_States&diff=1950021Talk:Public schools in the United States2023-05-25T10:14:21Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* What's so bad about homosexual students in schools? */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Please read sections below to ascertain that your point has not already been covered.'''<br />
<br />
==Atheistic Public Schools?==<br />
Public schools are not atheistic institutions. Just because they obey the constitution and don't promote prayer, it doesn't make them atheistic. In addition, they don't promote atheism at all, they merely don't promote religion. If no one minds, I'll remove the first section from the article.--[[User:Blinkadyblink|Blinkadyblink]] 19:17, 7 December 2007 (EST)<br />
<br />
:I agree completely. Saying that because public schools do not preach christianity means that they are "atheistic" is ridiculous. Aren't conservatives the ones who say parents should educate their children about morals, not the government? Schools should teach math, science, history, writing, art, and foreign language and leave the rest for people to decide on their own. ''That'' is limited government. --[[User:Mars2035|Mars2035]] 21:21, 18 March 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::My high school had agnostic students--thought they were atheist--with many Christian/Catholic teachers. +_+ <sub>always tired</sub> [[User:Kektklik|Kektk]] 14:03, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Religion is censored from [[public schools]]: there is no classroom prayer, no religious symbols, no emphasize on moral right and wrong, etc. Sure, students may be agnostic or religious, but they better not try to say a group prayer during class time or they risk being punished. That's an atheistic culture.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 14:50, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::Mr Schlafly: It is one thing to assert something and another to actually provide a reference. Is there any chance you could provide a valid reference that states American public schools are atheistic? In my daughter's school, students are allowed to pray during class hours, moral values are taught and emphasized during civics and other classes, and she has never seen anyone punished for praying. The atheist tag you are placing on this article wouldn't be constantly challenged if you could provide a solid reference. --[[User:Jimmy|Jimmy]] 16:09, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::There is no classroom prayer in any [[public school]] in the [[United States]]. Does that really need a reference? No morals are taught either and no religious symbols are displayed. The [[Ten Commandments]] cannot be found either. References could be supplied for these obvious facts; indeed, you could add them yourself.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 16:45, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::Mr. Schlafly: Please reference my last comment. There is obviously prayer allowed and morals taught at my daughter's PUBLIC SCHOOL which is in AMERICA so you are wrong about asserting, without evidence, that prayer in public schools is prohibited in America. And yes, your assertion needs a reference because it flies in the face of every statement issued by the Clinton and Bush administrations concerning prayer in public schools. This is even mentioned in the article. I even posted other evidence concerning the opinions of many civil liberties groups and their support of the constitutional right of students to pray in public school but you declared that edit was 'liberal' and deleted it. Now if you want to insist that both Clinton and Bush are completely wrong and the advice they got from their legal advisors is completely without merit, please post a valid reference that disputes the opinions of our country's leaders and legal experts. I don't have the slightest clue where I would find a reference that supports what you are claiming or I would gladly assist. Please provide the reference to your assertion so we can all lay this matter to rest. --[[User:Jimmy|Jimmy]] 17:50, 25 May 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
This article states that public schools are "atheistic," and atheism is defined by this encyclopedia as the denial of the existence of God. I don't mean to get overly technical here, but it seems illogical that a broadly defined institution such as American public schools could be said to deny the existence of God, unless there has been some statement (or a rash of statements) that I am not aware of (and is not cited) on behalf of public schools specifically denying that God exists. The thrust of this article seems to be not that public schools are atheistic but that they are Godless institutions, lacking in the moral fundamentals of religion and defining themselves as expressly secular. Therefore, I am changing "atheistic" to "Godless" in the header. [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 12:43, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Public schools are not "secular", which means reflective of society as a whole. Rather, they are deliberately exclusive of faith, morality and religion. "Godless" is a pejorative term, and atheistic is better because it encompasses atheistic ideologies like evolution that are taught in schools.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:11, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I suppose you're right, although "secular" is often used to mean "exclusive of religion." Yes, "Godless" is a pejorative, but so is "atheistic," as least as it is defined in this encyclopedia. I also contest that evolution is an (exclusively) atheistic ideology, as many scientists who believe in evolution are theists. Finally, do you have any citations to support the fact that public schools specifically deny the existence of God, or are you using "atheistic" more as a catch-all to describe the godless mindset in general (and, if so, I'd like a better definition of the term). [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 13:34, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::There may or may not be theistic evolutionists, but evolution is predominantly an atheistic ideology. Ditto for other things taught in public school, such as materialism. Schools are not merely "godless", as they exclude teaching of "right" and "wrong". The term "secular" is misused to mean "exclusive of religion." That is not its actual meaning.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:42, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::Sorry, just one more point here, regarding the definition of "secular:" according to dictionary.com, which may not be the best source, the first 3 definitions specifically mean "non-religious" and there is no definition given for "reflective of a society as a whole." [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 14:13, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::I just checked Merriam-Webster and ''none'' of the definitions mean "non-religious." [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secular]--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 16:02, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::: As usual, I hate to differ with you, but 'I' just checked Merriam-Webster, and the first two definitions say "non-religious." [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 20:01, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::: My cite doesn't. One of the definitions does say not ''specifically'' religious, as in denominational.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 20:23, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::::: Not to beat a dead horse, BUT the definition I'm seeing on Merriam-Webster.com says this: "1 a: of or relating to the worldly or temporal <secular concerns> b: not overtly or specifically religious <secular music> c: not ecclesiastical or clerical <secular courts> <secular landowners>" thus clearly defining secular as equivalent to nonreligious or nonspiritual. The next definition gets at more of the nondenominational meaning, but I don't see how you can say that this does not mean nonreligious. Furthermore, a search on Merriam-Webster's Thesaurus defines "secular" to mean "not involving religion or religious matters <that's an issue for the secular authorities, not the church>". On the other hand, I have not seen a single dictionary support your definition of secular as "reflective of society as a whole." [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 23:51, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I think "non-religious" is a better term.[[User:JPohl|JPohl]] 13:51, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: "Non-religious" does not capture the hostility, such as the affirmative censorship of prayer. A group may be non-religious and still allow, and even welcome, an occasional prayer. But an atheistic culture censors the occasional group prayer, as public schools do.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:54, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I think this is a good point, but what I want to know is why you want to characterize hostility toward religion on the part of public schools (an unsourced pejorative), yet you won't use "godless" on the grounds that it is pejorative. Also, I was hoping for an answer to the other concerns I brought up, and if I may add one more to that: you say that "Schools are not merely godless, as they exclude teaching of right and wrong," but don't you think that being godless inherently suggests the lack of morality, in the same way that atheism does? Again, you need to cite some sources to describe this broader atheistic lifestyle you seem to be describing. [[User:Kristkrispies|Kristkrispies]] 14:06, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::As I've said before (I think, but I'm too lazy to check), I'd prefer "nontheistic" to "atheistic." Usual disclaimers apply. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 22:16, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::: [[Public schools]] are hostile to more than [[God]], such as right and wrong, and promote (false) ideologies that lead students to [[atheism]].--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 00:37, 11 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
There not so much Atheistic as they are anti-Christian. [[User:Ultimahero|Ultimahero]] 23:40, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::It is very obvious that you and whoever wrote this article has never set foot in a public school with competent staff. I am a high school senior and we have a moment of silence every day. The majority of my teachers are Christians, and although they do not press their beliefs on anyone, they certainly make it known.<br />
<br />
::::My biology teacher frequently emphasizes the fact that evolution can coexist with the teachings of the three mainstream religions. He presents evolution as a fact (because...I'm sorry, but it is one. We're in the 21st century now, guys) but does not discount panspermia (the belief that life came from another planet) or intelligent design. He is a Christian, but does not bias his information one way or the other.<br />
<br />
::::In my Theory of Knowledge class, the liberals, conservatives, Christians, Hindus, and atheists openly debate the definition and roots of ethics, morality, and religion. Sometimes we reach a conclusion leaning towards atheism, sometimes we reach one leaning towards Christianity. But the point is, we are presented the facts and we debate, discuss, research, and discover the roots, impacts, and issues of many ethical paradoxes and religious issues. The teacher provides input, but only to clarify and guide us in the direction of the class standards. I've learned more about what is right and wrong through arguments in that class than I have in any religious service. I've won debates and been viciously proven wrong, but at the end of the day we're all classmates who joke about it later, because unlike so many people, we have an open enough mind to throw our opinions out there and see if they stand the tests of debate and scrutiny.<br />
<br />
::::Not that anything on this site is remotely correct (I thought this site was a joke when I read the Obama "article"...it still could be for all I know), but public education is something I just gotta take a stand on. No one knows better than someone who's been through 11.5 years of it. And if anyone's wondering, I live in the conservative state of SC, smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt. So don't tell me my surroundings influence my opinions, because they don't. I know this comment (or parts of it) will be deleted/altered shortly after it is posted (because I don't agree with you...very fair, I know), but I hope at least one diehard conservative reads this and realizes that not every issue can be defended from his upper-middle class white Christian Hummer-driving viewpoint. If anyone would like to discuss my contribution further on an unbiased, uncensored, free medium, my AIM name is kevh89 and my e-mail address is Nivek_04085@yahoo.com. So much for access to Conservapedia, because like a dissenter in communist Russia, I will probably be exiled from the IP for disagreeing. I'll just have to log in on a friends' computer for my daily laughs. This "encyclopedia" is an insult to education. [[User:Frogmaster13|Frogmaster13]] 21:58, 15 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
I feel the need to point out that the reason prayer and whatnot are not used in public schools is because the United States Law ensures freedom of religion and separation of church and state, which is meant to advance this end. Not all public school students are Christian. Many are atheist, agnostic, or some other religion that does not have the same rituals (specifically, praying to God) as Christianity. Not only would prayer and whatnot in public schools be illegal, it would be unfair to all of the young Americans who are non-Christian. That is my interpretation. [[User:Luminite2|Luminite2]] 23:05, 9 April 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::I'm a religious person, devout in my faith, but I don't think that prayer should be allowed. For my faith or any other, do you know why? No one is of the same religion. I had a buddy, an Atheist, go to a school. A public school. When people found out he wasn't Christian, they tried to beat him up int he name of Jesus Christ. My children will be raised in my faith, a pagan faith. We are small in number, and as your site suggests, very good people. But with people out there that would attack my future children for not being of the same faith, why would I want to bring that upon them? Also, I'm a moderate, I'd actually consider myself to be moderate-conservative, but I had outrageous conservative views *pushed* upon me at my school. Not liberal views. Conservative. I had a teacher tell the students not to vote for Kerry because he supported gay rights. And why do schools need to teach morals? Teach right and wrong? Isn't that why parents exist? I'll teach my kids morals. I'll teach them what I believe to be right and wrong. I don't need some teacher telling them right and wrong. That isn't their job. To me, this article makes it sound like conservatives want to be lazy and have schools do all of their parenting work for them. - JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
::::Liberals believe in free speech for their views, but not for conservative ones. Public schools have liberal speech ad nauseum. It's tyranny to censor prayer and other conservative speech in public schools.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 09:47, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::: I believe in free speech for everyone. My school, conservatives were beating up liberals for their liberal views. I was in a public school my whole life (fortunately, my parents weren't rich enough to put me in a private school). Liberals cut off conservatives and conservatives cut off liberals. Neither one of them are better than the other. But all of these comments are garbage. Because Jesus isn't pushed onto me at school is why I have a lower vocabulary? You really think religion has anything to do with lower grades? And why just Christianity? Do you really think that my children deserve to have a religion forced upon them at a public school? I thought this was a free country? Free of religion. You're acting like this country should be freedom of religion for Christians and nothing else. I don't want my kids learning from the Ten Commandments at school. So tell me, if Christianity should be allowed back in school, should teaching my religion be allowed as well? - JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
:::::You don't believe in meaningful free speech if you insist on censoring classroom prayer. Your claims about people beating each other up is just a liberal way to justify censorship of conservative speech in school. Even if that were your criterion, there's a lot more "beating up" done in the absence of classroom prayer.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 10:35, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::: Oh, I believe in Freedom of Speech. And also, my 'claims' aren't a 'liberal way'. These aren't conservative views you're throwing here, they are hateful Christian views. I don't care if people pray in school, I'm talking about organized prayer. When you have "prayer time" and not everyone believes in praying, it makes those people outcasts. It's not a good thing. If a group of kids want to go pray to their god during lunch time, that's fine by me. Go right ahead and more power to you. It happened in my school and people didn't get into trouble. But I'm talking about when prayer time is set aside in the classroom in the school. It's a public school, prayer is a religious thing. Religion, mine or yours or in general, doesn't need to be forced on anyone. I'm sure you can agree to that. -JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
:::::While I do not believe that teachers should influence students on any single religion (religion is a fascinating thing and I believe all major religions should be taught, and equally at that), I also don't see any problem with students praying in school, or even teachers (as long as they don't force a student to pray). Another thing is that sports coaches in high school should be allowed to lead their players in a prayer before going out to a game. If the player isn't religious, or not Christian, or whatever, no harm done. They don't have to participate. I'm new here and I don't mean to offend or anything, just sharing my opinion. I apologize if its been stated already. [[User:CeruleanFalls|SarahH]]<br />
<br />
:::::I agree with that, Sarah. Prayer was allowed in my school, just not organized prayer. From what I can tell, that's how the law states. No one was in trouble when they prayed. It was when they forced their beliefs that the trouble came. That's why I don't understand this. In fact, my school, a public school, had a religious studies class. It studied religions. That would make it not an atheist school. Also, don't say major religions. There are minor religions out there too. Don't play favorites here. -JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
::::::JaffaLycosa, I can't tell if you're unaware of how liberals censor prayer in public schools, or if you're aware but in denial. In public schools, there cannot be a classroom prayer ever, under any circumstance. A coach cannot participate in a prayer with players. Do you support this censorship, or not?--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 12:41, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::Andy, I don't support censorship much at all to be honest. If people want to pray, more power to them. Having an organized "prayer time" I don't agree is a good idea. If students want to pray, let them. Don't let them force their beliefs on others, however. Same with teachers. After 9/11, I took part in a prayer circle on my school grounds. Although it was Christian oriented, I still took part out of respect for those that died. No one got into trouble for it. I don't see this total attack against prayer. All I've seen is an attack against organized prayer. Now, if you want to have a time set aside during the day for "self reflection" and people want to pray during that time, that's fine. I don't even care if there are religious groups involved at school, as long as all religions are allowed to be represented and even non-theists and atheists are allowed to have groups. I pray to my gods, Andy, trust me. I don't think that praying is bad at all, but we have to go about it in an intelligent way. The last thing schools need is a religious war in their halls. And on that note, I think that teaching religion in schools is a good idea. A class enveloping all of the religions to teach respect for one another, which to me, is the American way. I may be "pagan" Andy, but I'm not hateful towards Christians in the slightest nor do I wish for their religious views and beliefs to be stamped out, even in schools. -- JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
:::::::JaffaLycosa, the students want to start the class with a prayer, and the teacher wants to participate. '''This is illegal in public schools'''. The football players want to say a prayer before taking the field, and the coach wants to join them. '''This is illegal in public schools'''. Do you support that ban, or not? Please state your position first, and only afterward is it productive to discuss your reasons. This isn't rocket science, and I'll move on to other discussions if your position still remains unclear.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 14:03, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::::Its pretty clear to me that Jaffa has already stated that he/she (not sure if male or female) agrees that teachers and high school sports team coaches should be allowed to pray if they want to, as Jaffa stated they agree with me when I said that. I am unclear as to whether there is an actual ban in place stating teachers/coaches can under no circumstances participate in prayers in public schools. Could you cite a specific law or policy which prevents teachers/coaches from participating in prayer organized by the students/players, Mr. Schlafly? I'd be very interested in seeing what is in place, exactly. Thank you. [[User:CeruleanFalls|SarahH]] 14:33, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::::If it weren't rocket science, Andy, then you'd have came to the same conclusion Sarah just did. I don't care if students and teachers want to pray. As long as they don't shove their beliefs on others, as long as they don't act like someone is wrong because they don't participate in the same prayer, I don't care. But I want to know, Andy, would you mind if the teacher started a pagan prayer with the class? If you heard about a teacher that prayed a pagan prayer with some pagan students, how would you react? Please be honest, I'd like to know your stance on teachers and students taking part in organized non-Christian/Jewish/Islam prayers. But to answer your question clearly, I'm not against it. As I said, I took part in a '''Christian''' prayer with both '''students''' and '''teachers''' involved while a pagan. If people want to pray, let them. Just don't beat people up or treat them like crap if they don't. Also, I'm a guy. - JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
:::::::::How'd I know you weren't going to answer that question? - JaffaLycosa<br />
<br />
::::::::::You probably knew because I already said "I'll move on to other discussions if your position still remains unclear." Also, 100% of your edits have been talk, talk, talk, in violation of our [[90/10 Rule]]. Unlike Wikipedia, we help students and others here and nonstop talk doesn't advance that goal.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 20:25, 10 December 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
I just thought I would chime in here. I currently attend a public school, and they aren't atheistic. We have a world religions class, there is a religion diversity mural painted on one wall of the school, and lastly, in te library, there is a whole religion section with only one atheist book, which is only about 100 pages long.<br />
<br />
==Uncited Assertions==<br />
I would like to see evidence for the assertion that public schools are atheistic and spoken prayer is forbidden in the classroom. The idea that this should be present without a reference goes against the standards of this encyclopedia.--Jimmy 13:56, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
:Then go ahead and help find it. If I can find such references within the time it takes you to complain about the lack of them, then you can find them as well and help contribute to the building of this encyclopedia. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 14:06, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
::It is my understanding that the person making the claim needs to provide the source documentation. For the record, I do not know of any reputable source that claims the American public school system is atheistic. Nor do I know of any law or court decision that prohibits all spoken prayer in the classroom, hence my request for a citation.<br />
<br />
::Just so you know, I am contributing to the building of this encyclopedia. In the time I have taken to voice my objection to the lack of sources, have you come up with your own references?--Jimmy 15:26, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
:::Yes I have. I've known for years that school prayer was removed from the schools as a result of an atheistic loudmouth named Madalyn Murray O'Hair, who used her son to force her religious beliefs through the Supreme Court in 1962. The account was also written in the book "Let Us Pray", by William Murray, an evangelical pastor who was O'Hair's tool back then.<br />
:::Whining about lack of references does not build up this encyclopedia; helping out to fill in the missing holes does, and I expect you to do so. You don't know because you never bothered to look; you sat there and expected everyone else to do it for you. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 15:58, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::Prayer has not been removed from public schools and anyone that thinks this is the case is seriously misinformed. O'Hair's lawsuit, ''Murray v. Curlett'', (consolidated with ''Abington Township School District v. Schempp'') declared school sponsored Bible reading in public schools in the United States to be unconstitutional. The key words here are 'school sponsored'. Students are allowed to pray as long as it is initiated by them and does not interfere with classes or instruction. Please reference this court ruling and the additional references I included in the article concerning the opinions of the Clinton and Bush administrations position on public school prayer. <br />
<br />
::::You are referring to my requests for documentation as 'whining'. Yet all I am trying to do is follow the commandments and guidelines of this encyclopedia. This is Conservapedia, an organization where the article writers must provide documentation for their articles. This is not Wikipedia where everyone is entitled to their own opinion without providing references. What is wrong with insisting that everyone follow the rules and guidelines? <br />
<br />
::::I'm sure that you noticed that the vast majority of this article has been written by me. Every word I have written is backed-up by references as required by the commandments. Yet this doesn't seem to satisfy you, why not? I've put a significant amount of time into this article and when someone makes an unreferenced assertion, I would like them to provide the same type of references that I am required to. <br />
<br />
::::If you have an addition to this article or a source that can back-up what is already written, then please contribute your efforts. Where this article is concerned, all you have done is complain when someone is trying to make valid contributions. --Jimmy 16:28, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::: Jimmy, sources are readily available on the internet, or simply ask someone who goes to public school, or teaches there.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 16:36, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::If the sources are readily available, then they should be listed with the article. A person reading the article shouldn't have to do their own research when the article writer is required to provide a reference.--Jimmy 16:53, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::I think this represents one of the biggest problems I've identified with site in that it is built upside down. Most articles seem to start with conclusions (public schools are bad, atheism is bad, Obama is a Muslim) and then looks for evidence to support these conclusions. If no evidence is found, the statements are usually just left. An encylopedia should look at the evidence first, then see which conclusions can be drawn from it.--[[User:RonAbdul|RonAbdul]] 10:24, 4 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::: Provide your best specific example and let's look at it. The "biggest problem" with the detractors, with all due respect, is a lack of an open mind.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 10:31, 4 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::::::: Well, I've been trying to draw your attention to the problems with the Tone Section in the Obama article, which I tried to address on the Obama talk page.--[[User:RonAbdul|RonAbdul]] 15:33, 4 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Mandatory / Teacher-lead / Spoken Prayers==<br />
<br />
I'm sorry if there was some sort of misunderstanding, but I wasn't aware that all spoken prayer is banned in public schools... would a student making a simple prayer (at a practical time) really be punished for doing so? Perhaps I'm missing another sort of prayer, other than teacher-led, that is also banned? I was just trying to clarify what is actually "forbidden" and where these lines are drawn in most public schools. [[User:Feebasfactor|Feebasfactor]] 16:06, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
: Yes, it is banned. Surely you know someone who goes to public school, or teaches there???? Anyone, teacher or student, who tries to lead a prayer in school is likely to be disciplined and have that go on his record.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 16:34, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
::I know people that go to and teach at public schools and prayer is allowed many times during the day, even during class time as long as it does not interfere with instruction. Yet the article states: ''''Spoken prayer … are expressly forbidden in public schools classrooms during school hours, and teaching of morality is implicitly disfavored.'''' I would like to see a reference that supports that sentence, it seems to be at odds with what I observe and current legal reasoning.--Jimmy 16:50, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::Ah, yes, I see what you mean Andy... sorry, I didn't mean to overemphasize who it was leading the prayer. In public schools, essentially any prayer beyond individual, inconspicuous prayer on one's own time is banned or strongly discouraged. Perhaps instead of "spoken prayer"... "group prayer" or "collective prayer" might more accurately denote this situation? I'm not sure, the current term seemed a bit confusing - but that might just be me. Anyway, clarify it if you like, thanks for explaining. [[User:Feebasfactor|Feebasfactor]] 20:34, 1 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::Why were my edits reverted? I've been asking for a reference for the school prayer comments at the top of the page for a while and none were provided. The comment about prominent Americans not attending public schools since 1962 was deleted because I felt it was a little odd to have that sentence there when it is obvious that it was not true.--Jimmy 13:21, 4 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::: The list shows that the only prominent Americans were educated before 1962, and there is no disputing the observation about prayer being banned at public schools, along with the Ten Commandments. You can easily find cites for that if that were your goal. Deleting factual information for liberal reasons is allowed at Wikipedia, but not here.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:24, 4 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::::::There are two lists of prominent Americans educated in public schools. The second list provides the names of fifteen that were educated after 1962 so why are you insisting that there aren't any prominent Americans educated after 1962? I am disputing your observation concerning public school prayer because according to George W. Bush and the Department of Education, you are wrong, and Bush is far from being a liberal. <br />
<br />
::::::I can't find any cites to support your conclusions about public school prayer; that is why I want you to provide them. If they exist, please show me where, according to the commandments it is your responsibility to do so. Since Conservapedia is supposed to be "The Trustworthy Encyclopedia", I feel that references should be provided for every alleged fact presented in its pages. I don't see how that has a liberal stance, facts are facts.--Jimmy 13:40, 4 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::::::Um, last time I checked, only teacher led/mandatory prayer in schools was banned. Students/Teachers can pray, however, they can't be disruptive to the class or make others pray that don't want to. Anyways, then there is the matter of which religion's prayers/worship style should be used. That would show favoritism to one religion and annoy other people who get offended. This leads to either having the class do prayers, etc.. of every religion or not having any prayer mandatory. The first option is infeasible because it would detract from time that could be used to learn subject material. So that is why teacher led/mandatory prayer isn't allowed in public schools. Willing individuals can pray together, however it must not be a distraction to a class. This is my two cents.[[User:JudgeKing|JudgeKing]] 13:00, 25 October 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Unjustified Edits==<br />
Mr. Schlafly:<br />
<br />
This is just getting worse. Your reference to the prohibition of the Ten Commandments in public schools is a reference to another Conservapedia article which itself doesn't have a reference. How is that suppose to work? And this reference has nothing to do with the alleged prohibition of spoken prayer or teaching of morality. I'll ask again, can you provide valid references for the following opinions you have made; spoken prayer is prohibited in public schools, school prayer was banned in 1962, and the teaching of morality is disfavored? According to the commandments of this encyclopedia, you are not providing the proper documentation for most of your opinions expressed in this article and yet I get the feeling you wouldn't tolerate unreferenced edits from me. <br />
<br />
Changing the heading of the second list of Americans that attended public schools doesn't make sense. Of the fifteen people listed, only three can be considered 'celebrities'. The rest are prominent business men, astronauts, politicians, an aviator and a soldier. Since only 20% of the people listed are celebrities, how does that add up to 'mostly celebrity'?<br />
<br />
I get the feeling that I am going to be blocked soon. I was warned once before about not insisting on people following the rules of this encyclopedia and that I should be expected to look up the references for other people's opinions even if I didn't think they were valid. I hope I'll be able to make contributions to this website.--Jimmy 20:38, 4 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:Not quite yet, but I reverted your last edit here. If you feel that schools are teaching morality, reversing the wording of one sentence isn't helping the article.<br />
<br />
:Can you write a few sentences on [[Morality in public schools]], please? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 23:22, 5 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
::I would like to write a section about morality in public schools, but what good would it do. The second sentence of this article claims, without providing any evidence whatsoever, that student prayer in public schools is prohibited and morality implicitly disfavored. It doesn't matter that I provided plenty of evidence that this assertion is completely without basis. Unless the second sentence is changed to reflect reality, this article will always look goofy. The latest reference that Aschlafly supplied actually shows prayer is allowed at public schools. I quote from the reference, "'''It ended in the spring of 2006 when the Knox County School Board promised in writing to allow students "religious expression" during "discretionary time'''." Far from demonstrating that public schools are forbidding prayer, this reference makes it clear that if students are denied the right to pray during non-instructional times, they always have someone that will fight for them and restore their rights.<br />
<br />
::Look at the edits I made earlier that were reverted. Notice how many times 'atheistic' was replaced with 'secular' before it wasn't reverted. A list showing a broad coalition of civil liberties groups supporting public school prayer was removed for being 'liberal'. I've had no luck removing the 'disclaimer' about prominent Americans being educated in public schools. It still states prayer is banned and no 'prominent Americans' have been educated in public schools even though I have demonstrated otherwise. I've made continuous requests for references to support the opinions expressed in the second sentence of this article only to be ignored and threatened. Will you offer any assurance that what I write will not be summarily dismissed? I'd hate to waste my time.--Jimmy 00:07, 6 January 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Political Correctness as a Hindering Factor==<br />
It's frequently noted that private schools tend to do better than public schools, and that other countries (India, China, and so forth) are turning out more and better-equipped scientists and engineers than America at present.<br />
<br />
I would suggest that there's a common factor: none of those educational environments are guided by the notion that every student has equal ability, and that if we just try really hard, every student can achieve at the same level.<br />
<br />
Bluntly: that notion is political correctness, and it's a tremendous handicap for several reasons.<br />
<br />
First, it makes it all but impossible to hold students accountable for their own education. Social promotion ensures that students who make no effort continue to be passed on to higher grades. While in school, they face essentially no consequences for lack of effort; the consequences only catch up with them when they get out into the real world and discover that they're woefully unqualified for any job. <br />
<br />
Second, the one-size-fits-all approach to education hurts both gifted and non-gifted students in the name of "not labeling." Modern educational theory insists that students at all levels of ability need to be taught in the same classroom at the same time, resulting in a Catch-22. Either the teacher can teach at the level of the lowest students in the class--ensuring that the rest of the class will be bored stiff and receive little useful information--or at a higher level, ensuring that the struggling students will be lost.<br />
<br />
This is hand-waved with bland optimism and buzzwords like "differentiated instruction." There's only so much differentiation you can do in forty minutes, though.<br />
<br />
''Why'' is it wrong to suggest that working with a group of students who are at roughly the same level will enable lessons to be tailored to that level? Why is it wrong to suggest that students who excel in English, in science, or in mathematics be given the chance to excel and to push beyond the baseline curriculum? ''That'' is how other countries produce better-educated engineers and scientists: they don't try to educate everyone to the same level.<br />
<br />
Apologies for the rant, but as a teacher in a public school myself, I'm frequently frustrated by having my hands tied. --[[User:Benp|Benp]] 20:30, 10 June 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Atheistic and secular==<br />
The secularism of the US public schools promotes atheism. Let's not pretend otherwise. [[User:Human]], you do indeed [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Public_schools&diff=prev&oldid=507180 risk your editing rights] to assert otherwise.<br />
<br />
If you can find support for religion in any public school, you may add that to the counterexamples section (or start such a section). But the trend is clearly toward [[Atheism]], a positive '''denial''' of the existence of [[God]], along with [[Materialism]], an explicit denial of the reality of the [[supernatural]].<br />
<br />
Do not use edit summaries as a debate forum. You know better than this. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:11, 30 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
''The secularism of the US public schools promotes atheism.'' This, I think may be true. But that's a different thing from saying the schools ARE atheist. If you take a look at the US Dept of Ed's Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools US Dept of Ed's Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools:[http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html], which is the government's official word on the subject, you get a pretty good idea of the governing principals and where the line is supposed to be drawn. (Of course, there are always school districts here and there who step over the line one way or another, usually with much fanfare in the press. This doesn't, however, change the fact that schools are ''supposed'' to follow the guidelines set forth by the Dept of Ed.) Some highlights:<br />
<br />
*'''''The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment requires public school officials to be neutral in their treatment of religion, showing neither favoritism toward nor hostility against religious expression such as prayer.''''' This, I would argue, is pretty much the definition of "secular". It's certainly not atheist.<br />
<br />
*''Accordingly, the First Amendment '''forbids religious activity that is sponsored by the government''' but '''protects religious activity that is initiated by private individuals''', and the line between government-sponsored and privately initiated religious expression is vital to a proper understanding of the First Amendment's scope. As the Court has explained in several cases, "there is a crucial difference between government speech endorsing religion, which the Establishment Clause forbids, and private speech endorsing religion, which the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses protect."'' <br />
<br />
* ''Although the Constitution forbids public school officials from directing or favoring prayer, students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate," and the Supreme Court has made clear that "private religious speech, far from being a First Amendment orphan, is as fully protected under the Free Speech Clause as secular private expression."''<br />
<br />
* ''"nothing in the Constitution ... prohibits any public school student from voluntarily praying at any time before, during, or after the school day," and students may pray with fellow students during the school day on the same terms and conditions that they may engage in other conversation or speech.<br />
''<br />
* ''Prayer During Noninstructional Time - Students may pray when not engaged in school activities or instruction, subject to the same rules designed to prevent material disruption of the educational program that are applied to other privately initiated expressive activities. Among other things, students may read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace before meals, and pray or study religious materials with fellow students during recess, the lunch hour, or other noninstructional time to the same extent that they may engage in nonreligious activities.'' <br />
<br />
* ''Organized Prayer Groups and Activities - Students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, and "see you at the pole" gatherings before school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities groups. Such groups must be given the same access to school facilities for assembling as is given to other non-curricular groups, without discrimination because of the religious content of their expression.'' <br />
<br />
* ''Teachers, Administrators, and other School Employees - Teachers may take part in religious activities where the overall context makes clear that they are not participating in their official capacities. Before school or during lunch, for example, teachers may meet with other teachers for prayer or Bible study to the same extent that they may engage in other conversation or nonreligious activities. Similarly, teachers may participate in their personal capacities in privately sponsored baccalaureate ceremonies.''<br />
<br />
* ''Moments of Silence - If a school has a "minute of silence" or other quiet periods during the school day, students are free to pray silently, or not to pray, during these periods of time.'' <br />
<br />
* ''Religious Expression and Prayer in Class Assignments - Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions.''<br />
<br />
I think "secular" is the more accurate term, despite a few examples of schools which mistakenly restricted students' rights to prayer. Trends away from secularism, and so on, can be described in a paragraph later in the entry. --[[User:Hsmom|Hsmom]] 17:12, 30 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: "Secular" means: "1 a: of or relating to the worldly or temporal <secular concerns> b: not overtly or specifically religious <secular music> c: not ecclesiastical or clerical <secular courts> <secular landowners>"[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secular]<br />
<br />
: None of those definitions describes the overwhelmingly [[atheistic]] leadership and culture of [[public schools]]. Students are more likely to hear God mentioned or worshiped in an atheistic country than in a public school.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 18:50, 30 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Nitpick: My Circular Reasoning sense is tingling: You look at a definition for "secular", realize that it doesn't meet your assumption that the public schools are atheistic (and not secular) and then conclude that "secular" is not the right word. --[[User:DirkB|DirkB]] 18:57, 30 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Late comment: I'd prefer the term "nontheistic." "Atheistic" implies explicit denial of the existence of a higher being; "nontheistic" implies that the schools just don't address the concept. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 14:59, 16 November 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Removal of Section on Famous Americans==<br />
There are ''so'' many things wrong with the section on famous Americans who have attended public school. How do you define "attended": is it graduates only, or those who have spent even a day in a public institution? How do you define "prominent American"? Politicians, musicians, artists, owners of large corporations, athletes, who counts? Also, note that the list would probably require several hundred pages, considering that virtually ever American who has a graduate-level education (GED-worthy) attended a public school, including a vast, vast majority of Americans that would be considered "prominent." And what's up with that statistic that claims that fewer prominent Americans have come out of the public school system since prayer was banned? There is absolutely no way that a claim like that can be tested, measured, or even looked at in a serious light. I vote to delete the section entirely. And mind you I have many, many friends who graduated from the public school system who are doing just fine, which is remarkable considering that I live in Los Angeles, which has one of the highest dropout rates in the country. I remember my mother still works at a particularly prominent school in Hollywood, and at the end of each year she takes several students who graduated out to lunch to congratulate them because it's such an achievement at some schools in the city. I don't think that has anything to do with prayer though (religious children fail to graduate just as often as secular ones). -[[User:Ilikecake|Ilikecake]] 17:04, 11 November 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:This is the worst section on an even worse page. The list of post and pre 1962 section should be thousands of pages long! I'm going to delete it. I know it's going to be put back in a couple minutes though.<br />
<br />
::If you already believe something will be reverted when you begin to edit, that is a good indicator not to do so. Also please remember to sign your posts. --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big><sub>/Admin</sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 21:59, 25 February 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Statistics==<br />
*A few comments on the recently-added statistics:<br />
:*Illegal drugs: The survey that statistic comes from includes both public and private schools. (See [http://monitoringthefuture.org/purpose.html])<br />
:*Teen pregnancy: The number is for one city in Virginia, and makes no distinction between public school, private school, and homeschooled teens.<br />
:*Obesity: A similar comment. The number is for one school district.<br />
:*Mental health: According to [http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec1.html#table3_1 this] government website, an estimated 20% of people 9-17 years old have some sort of mental disorder. Since the source for the "almost 10%" statistic (I think it would be better just to say 8%, by the way) doesn't say what exactly it means by "mental health issues," there's really no way to determine what the significance of the number is. Also, that number is for one school district. It's not enough data to say the number applies to public school students in general.<br />
:Usual disclaimers apply. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 20:34, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: Any study that includes public and private schools is going to be 90% public school, so the private school distinction is insignificant. If anything, private schools are better, which makes the real public school statistic ''even worse'' than reported. The teen pregnancy statistic is for public and private schools, not homeschoolers (where teen pregnancy rates are virtually 0). The government estimate on mental health is interesting but does not change the school statistic.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 20:57, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::*The teen pregnancy statistic is for all teens in the relevant area - which includes homeschoolers. (You can find the data from [http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/HealthStats/stats.asp#data this page] on the VA department of health's website. Under "Data Tables," pick either 2007 table from the Teenage Pregnancies drop-down box.)<br />
:::*No, the estimate doesn't change the school statistic; however, it does change its significance.<br />
:::*You have failed to address my comments regarding the samples. Except for the illegal drugs statistic and the government mental health statistic, all the numbers I mentioned come from samples that were relatively small and not particularly diverse; you can't just assume those statistics are equal to those for the general public school population. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 21:06, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::: You only challenge 4 out of the 11 points, and one of your 4 (the obesity statistic) can hardly be disputed. Just look at how fat public school kids are. Maybe the statistic is slightly off, but I could find 5 stories in 60 seconds decrying the obesity in public school kids.<br />
<br />
:::: And that illustrates the problem with your comments. You're not showing a genuine interest in the crisis when you deny facts that you could easily confirm yourself and improve the entry with additional references. I'm not here to persuade someone determined not to be persuaded. I already suggest to parents that they get their kids out of public school, and yet still try to help those stuck in the system and still look for ways to improve the system for the kids. You, however, seem determined ''not'' to help.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 21:15, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
:::::Because I don't challenge all of the statistics, my criticisms can't be taken seriously? Also, note that all I deny is that you are correctly interpreting the statistics. Finally, you still haven't responded to my comments regarding the samples. -[[User:CSGuy|CSGuy]] 21:34, 21 December 2008 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Where is your proof?==<br />
Why did you insert that 77% statistic into the [[public school]] article? The article provided did not say that statistic. Where is your proof?<br />
--[[User:Metzky|Metzky]] 20:42, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:Note: when stating "article" I mean the conservapedia article, but when I say "source", I mean the source that is cited.<br />
:After reading the sources from the statistics, I have a major problems with what the article is claiming to have evidence of:<br />
<br /><br />
:1.One source says "In 1991, 62 percent had used illicit drugs. In 2007, the number jumped to 77 percent." (it is the link with the number "6"). However, this does '''not''' mean "77% do illegal drugs", as stated in the article. It simply means that, at one point in their life, 77% '''have done''' drugs. The difference in verb tense makes a huge difference. Note that "have done" can be anything as small as having one drink ''in their entire life'' or smoking marijuana ''once''.<br />
:2.I was unable to find where the pregnancy rate of 10% came from. I read the entire article sourced for the statistic twice and was unable to find it. The only thing close to it was "In a school of 2,211 students, there are at least 70 girls who are soon-to-be or already mothers." This indicates a pregnancy rate of 3%, not 10%. Also, the statistic of about half getting abortions is not representative of the population, as there was only a sample size of 200 from Alexandria in Virginia.<br />
:3.Also, the article sourced for "nearly 10% have mental health problems" specifically states in the second paragraph: "8 percent had mental health issues." 10% and 8% are huge differences in the world of statistics. There is no problem with stating "8%". Also, the study was on students in a Memphis school district. This means that the statistic is unable to be extrapolated to all of American public school students. Memphis students are not representative of the entire population of students, so no such claim is possible.<br />
:4.The same goes for the 35% said to be obese. (Added in after originally posted <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 21:23, 2 January 2009 (EST))<br />
:5.The same error just mentioned is committed when stating "20% go on dangerous "binge drinking," and 50% drink illegally". The statistic cited is for ''Ottowa County'' in Michigan. (not representative of the entire population)<br />
:6.An even more egregious error is committed concerning the number of students who watch more than 3 hours of television. The national average that the source refers to '''is''' public school students. The 60% statistic is for ''Memphis'' students. The 35% is the national average for public school students.<br />
:7.On bullying, the source states "Nationally, about 160,000 students miss school daily because they fear being bullied". When checking this, the source is '''completely''' wrong:<br />
::*http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/personal/09/06/bullies/index.html<br />
::If you want a source that is not CNN, then:<br />
::*http://books.google.com/books?id=D_LpPNZt3iMC&pg=PA461&lpg=PA461&dq=160,000+students+bully+one+day+year&source=web&ots=Ycyex5n4s6&sig=qlrlKQNjNIOScUryWSg048NbSlE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result<br />
:In reality, it is "Every year more than 160,000 students report missing some school because they are afraid." (added after originally posted <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 21:32, 2 January 2009 (EST)) It is not ''every day'', but at least some every year. This includes simply ''being late'' in ''one day'' the entire year.<br />
<br /><br />
:Overall, the sources seem to be taken from where public schools are doing the '''worst''' rather than average public schools. The sample sizes are extremely small and are taken specifically from the regions where public schools are doing the worst. These are not representative of how the entire public school system is doing. The statistics have either been gravely misinterpreted or are being misconstrued on purpose by the person who wrote that part of the article. The article is very misleading.<br />
:I hope this is fixed soon. <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 21:19, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: In response to point 1 above, drugs are addictive. Very few people do drugs only once. In response to point 2 above, please realize that boys don't get pregnant, and half of pregnant high school girls get an [[abortion]].<br />
<br />
:: Guys, I stopped there. Raise the quality of your criticisms, please, if you want a response. And pick your best criticism rather than pretending that quantity is a substitute for quality. It isn't.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 21:47, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:::That's too bad. Numbers six and seven seem valid, if not the others. [[User:LiamG|LiamG]] 22:00, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
If you want to help paint a clear statistical picture of US public schools, I'm ready to help. I know enough math (and logic) to keep both sides honest. But I'll tell you from the start, liberals are much more likely to make math errors and to believe what they want - than conservatives. The way they treat [[John Lott]] is a case in point. Another example is how many children "go to bed hungry each night".<br />
<br />
Remember, the figures do not lie, but "liars figure". --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 22:45, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:I'm guessing a good place to start would be to read the points that Andy won't. [[User:LiamG|LiamG]] 22:52, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
:: No, Liam, a good place to start is to admit the basic errors in the criticism and take steps to prevent recurrence of more errors like them.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 22:54, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:::You already said you didn't read the whole thing. You say the first two are flawed, ok. But you literally can't know if there are errors in the rest. [[User:LiamG|LiamG]] 22:56, 2 January 2009 (EST)<br />
::::I see your point in that my second point was flawed (I can't believe I forgot to take that into account), but that '''still only''' raises the pregnancy rate to 6%. This does not allow us to make the conclusion that there is a 10% pregnancy rate in '''all public schools'''. The statistic specifically applies to the school it was taken from because ''data was only taken from that particular school''.<br />
:::::Let me elaborate. In statistics, there is a rule that before making a statement about a ''population'' (every person the statistic is about) that "the sample must be representative of the population". This means that samples for the statistic have to come from '''many''' locations. If data is ''not'' taken from many locations (that are relevant to the statistic), then the statistics develop '''bias''', or when the result given is not what is true in real life.<br />
::::In context of my point about the 6% pregnancy rate, this means that it is O.K. for the result to be applied to where it came from: the Memphis school. There is no bias ''when taking it in that '''specific''' context''. However, when applying it to ''the entire country'', there is bias. Well, where does it come from? There wasn't bias when applying it to the school, so what is the problem with applying it to the entire country? Let me respond to those questions by giving an example:<br />
::::*"A recent statistic showed that 1900 of 2000 randomly polled people in Washington D.C. are liberal. This means that 95% of ''the entire country'' is liberal."<br />
::::This is obviously '''completely''' incorrect. The only thing that the statisticians can deduce from that is that 95% of people who live ''in Washington D.C.'' are liberals. No information was taken from Texas, Kentucky, New York, Maine, California, Alaska, Florida, Oklahoma, etc.. Data can only be said to represent our country if it is taken from a variety of locations.<br />
::::That is why I have a problem with a variety of the statistics: these were a ''local'' studies rather than ''national'' studies (except for bullying and drugs).<br />
::::Thank you for taking the time to read this. <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 07:36, 3 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
You've got the cart before the horse, William. How about helping us with a series of articles on [[statistics]]? The elementary rules you mentioned should be outlined so clearly that all you'd have to do is refer readers to the article in question. (Absent that, your comments might take on a "lecturing" tone here.) --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 07:48, 3 January 2009 (EST)<br />
:Being a teacher yourself, you may know of the "lecture reflex". I'll take you up on your offer. <font color="#237923">[[User:WilliamBeason|William Beason]]</font><sup>[[User talk:WilliamBeason|talk]]</sup> 08:00, 3 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
Good. In the mean time ([[average|no pun intended]]), the [[teen pregnancy]] rate would seem to be 30 to 35 percent - not 10 percent. This is calculating pregnancies per girl (up to age 19) - not some annualized rate. <br />
<br />
But advocates on both sides of a [[social issue]] have been known to magnify or minimize a problem. Read [[Darrell Huff]]'s "[[How to Lie with Statistics]]" for some tips on how to fight back. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 08:04, 3 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
::Cutting in here for a moment to address Andy's point that 77% admitting to trying it once equates to 77% doing drugs routinely because drugs are addictive. It's not that black and white. Marijuana is not addictive. MDMA is not addictive. LSD is not addictive. And I can guarantee these three make up most of a student's drug intake.--[[User:RonAbdul|RonAbdul]] 16:03, 4 January 2009 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Textbook CBN story==<br />
This might fit in here or some other article as an external link.<br />
<br />
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6bARRmEpH8 CBN story on Harvard University recommending anti-Israel, anti-European textbooks]<br />
<br />
: Great point. Please add to this entry where you think best. Thanks and Godspeed.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 14:08, 22 August 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Statistics, Sampling and The Truth==<br />
Generally the statistics given are a good picture of public schools all over America. What is to be gained by parsing the language to weaken the statement, obfuscate it, to make it appear they have better results than they do? Oh, wait, I forgot that liberals want to hide from obvious truths! Public schools are mostly cesspools. That a precious few excel doesn't alter reality. --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big><sub>/Admin</sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 17:13, 1 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Source for 10% pregnancy rate?==<br />
If the statistic that 10% of public school girls get pregnant is true, it's a very powerful statement about public schools. The source given doesn't include this fact, though. Pregnancy rates are deplorably high in public schools, but I can't find any sources that put the number as high as 10%. I need help finding a source on this. [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 21:56, 10 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
:I'm getting some conflicting data on this as well. [http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf This] (PDF file) states that in 2006, the teen pregnancy rate for ALL women was 71.5 in 1,000 (~7.2%). However, [http://www.livestrong.com/article/12504-teen-pregnancy-rates-usa/ This] article states that 1/3 of girls get pregnant before the age of 20. If the latter is the case, I would say that 10% pregnancy rate is an ''under-estimation'' given that most children are in the public school system. I'm still searching, though ... -- [[User:JLauttamus|Jeff W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|<sub>Discussion</sub>]] 22:09, 10 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
::I found a [http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Robeson.High.School.2.1251642.html source] that puts the pregnancy rate at about 14.375% among the girls at one high school, but we need something better before we can make a statement about public schools in general, as this school is hardly a typical example. I imagine that the distribution of pregnancy rates among public schools would resemble something of an inverse bell curve: a number of public schools (primarily urban ones) would have extremely high pregnancy rates while many others (mostly suburban/rural schools) would have very low pregnancy rates. There are probably relatively few schools that fall in the middle because there are very few schools that have an equal mix of students from the cultures, environments, etc. that lead to teen pregnancy.<br />
::I bet a large number of the supposed 1/3 pregnancies comes from girls that are 19, and hence out of school. Also, that statistic for all women is actually for "all women between 15 and 19." They slid that detail in at the top of the chart where it's not very noticeable. I don't know where the CDC gets its number, but there's a huge difference between 7% of girls between 15 and 19 getting pregnant and 33% of girls being pregnant before 20. I'm more inclined to believe the 7%; that number sounds much more reasonable and other data from the study makes sense as well. The CDC, on the other hand, is the same agency that continually warned us of the dangers of the imminent swine flu pandemic... that everyone with sense knew wasn't going to happen. [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 22:54, 10 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
:::The source given in the article says that birth/abortion rates among teens in Alexandria was about 50/50. The first source that JLauttamus provided gives data for the whole nation, and puts abortion rates at 32%. Neither source mentioned public schools, so we don't have any data on that. I'm going to add a citation needed tag to the article about the pregnancy rates, and research further into abortion rates. [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 15:39, 14 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::All the evidence seems to point to a percentage even higher than 10%, so I don't see why the 10% estimate would be considered unacceptable for somehow being too high. I wouldn't expect public schools to admit to this problem or for precise data to be available.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:35, 14 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::We don't really have any evidence to point to a particular number. We have a number from a ''single'' school (and an atypical one, at that) giving us about 14%. The only piece of data that evaluates the whole nation gives us about 7%, but that's just pregnancy rates among 15-19 year olds in general, and doesn't mention schooling at all. We could technically say that "One public school has a pregnancy rate of over 14% among its female students," but that would be kind of weaselly. We don't have any evidence from which to draw conclusions about a typical public school or public schools as a whole. [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 13:34, 16 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::If no source has been provided to back up this statistic, I'll remove it on June 24th. (Two weeks after this issue was raised.) [[User:ChrisGT90|ChrisGT90]] 22:55, 19 June 2010 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==30% of public schools fail to graduate from high school? ==<br />
I found a rather major and embarrassing error in the opening lines. The list of statistics are said to be "characteristics of public schools" when they are in fact describing their students. I edited the heading sentence before the list to reflect this, but my edits were reversed, because "the public schools create the students." I agree that we do need to find a way to emphasize this, but the error still needs removal. Any suggestions on how to accomplish both goals while keeping everyone happy? [[User:JimAB|JimAB]] 21:19, 27 March 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Jim, the schools teach and train the students. That's what the schools are paid to do, at astronomical costs. When someone refers to "public schools," it does not mean merely the bricks in the buildings.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 22:49, 27 March 2011 (EDT)<br />
::To me "public schools" refers to the lessons, the students, the teachers and the rubbish that is being taught. [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 23:00, 27 March 2011 (EDT)<br />
:::As 'schools' it doesn't make logical sense. I'll try and fix it. --[[User:AlaskanEconomy|AlaskanEconomy]] 17:05, 9 April 2011 (EDT)<br />
::::Thanks, AE. [[User:JimAB|JimAB]] 22:19, 9 April 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Claim of dubious worth==<br />
60% of students in one region watch more than 3 hours of TV vs. 35% nation wide. Since that national population with 35% over the line is 90% public school students I think that it's safe to say the 60% number has a lot more to do with the region than public schools. --[[User:AlaskanEconomy|AlaskanEconomy]] 17:36, 9 April 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==George Orwell's account of Public Schools in England==<br />
* These are not public 'national schools', but something quite the opposite: exclusive and expensive residential secondary schools, scattered far apart. Until recently they admitted almost no one but the sons of rich aristocratic families. It was the dream of nouveau riche bankers of the nineteenth century to push their sons into a Public School. At such schools the greatest stress is laid on sport, which forms, so to speak, a lordly, tough and gentlemanly outlook. Among these schools, Eton is particularly famous. Wellington is reported to have said that the victory of Waterloo was decided on the playing fields of Eton. It is not so very long ago that an overwhelming majority of the people who in one way or another ruled England came from the Public School. [http://www.netcharles.com/orwell/articles/ukrainian-af-pref.htm]<br />
<br />
If we are to rely on Orwell's account, we'll have to revise the article somewhat. In fact, we may need to rewrite the article a good deal, and expand it.<br />
<br />
We need to write about education in the English-speaking West, for that is the topic of which "Public schools" or [[Public schools in the United States]] is only a part. Also, we should write a bit more about the strengths, for schools in North America have had many good aspects or elements. Let's take the good with the bad, and write a balanced article (or series of articles). --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 17:40, 16 August 2011 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Picture of school with security cameras==<br />
I have a bit of an issue with the picture at the top of the article. It is of Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, FL. I happened to graduate from this high school two years ago. The original school was destroyed by Hurricane Charley and the new school was rebuilt with all of the cameras. There were hardly any problems with violence or vandalism (unless you consider leaving lunch trays on the table vandalism). In fact, the school's academic team consistently defeated the area's best private schools' teams. Not only is the school a bad example of the bad things about public schools, it is a terrific example of some of the best accomplishments of public schools.--[[User:BubbaRomney|BubbaRomney]] 21:50, 18 June 2012 (EDT)<br />
:I have no idea who you are, but that's not how I remember the kids at that school; I graduated from Punta Gorda Middle School in 2006 (probably the same year you did, whoever you are) and school choiced into the Port Charlotte school because of the violence and drama at the Punta Gorda one. Of course, no one ever said that CHS is the worst school in the world or anything, just saying that public schools are becoming more and more violent every year. Welcome to Conservapedia! [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] 15:36, 19 June 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==4-day week==<br />
(moved from entry re: 4-day week) This above paragraph is not completely true, as, at least in Missouri, there are classes taught by teachers five days a week, and between 7 and 8 hours a day. <small>unsigned</small><br />
<br />
:The entry does not say that all schools in Missouri use a 4-day week, but apparently it is allowed for some to shorten their week.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 18:32, 12 April 2013 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Please do clarify that in the real article, because it is obvious to anyone who has stopped out of homeschool that you are trying to distort the truth.<br />
==Reorganization==<br />
This article is badly out-of-date and does not reflect the fact that [[Donald Trump]] and [[Betsy DeVos]] have taken over leadership of the federal role in US public education. [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Public_schools_in_the_United_States&diff=prev&oldid=1363386 I have started to reorganize the article]. Does anyone have objections to making it more aligned with current developments? I will add more about special education and pre-K. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 20:08, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:The fact that DeVos is the SoE does not change the fact that public schools still promote left-wing, anti-Christian beliefs. '''Much''' more is needed than a Republican administration to change public schools -- if they can even be changed at all at this point. Besides, your edit takes away the fact that public schools promote left-wing views from the intro. Having a GOP administration does not make that change OK. If that is the main part of your proposal, then I oppose such an edit. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:23, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
::I will wait another day to see what other people think, but the current article is very out-of-date and does not explain what public education in the US is, before it is criticised. I did not remove any of the criticisms. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 21:09, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::I know you did not remove the criticisms, but you diluted the article by moving them further down. Most readers don't look that far down. They only read the intro. The fact that public schools promote secular and left-wing views is probably the most important and most overlooked fact about public schools. Why state the obvious in the intro when this is more important? --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:17, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
::::It is true that the lede paragraph should provide an overall summary of the topic covered by the encyclopedia article. It is also true that Commandment #5 is "Do not post personal opinion on an encyclopedia entry." and a lot of the current article is personal opinion and should probably be deleted. [[Conservapedia:Writing a Good Article]] says, "The intro paragraph is meant to be a short paragraph which introduces the subject to the reader, generally about four to five sentences long." I believe that the introductory paragraph that I wrote better fit our long-standing policy than what is there now. With a conservative President, a conservative Secretary of Education, many conservative Governors, thousands of conservative members of local Boards of Education, why do you believe that public schools "promote secular and left-wing views?" If you have recent sources, please add them to the article, because I am not impressed by studies of students who graduated high school in 2001. Thanks, [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 21:33, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::::First off, it is way too premature to change the article to make it seem that public schools are all of a sudden bastions of conservatism when the new administration just started. Second, once again, having conservatives in power is not automatically going to lead to a more conservative education system. Public schools became more left-wing during the presidencies of Reagan and both Bushes, and the bureaucracy continued to grow. This isn't Eastern Europe, where conservative governments can easily institute what could almost easily be called propaganda in schools. Teachers and teachers unions remain powerful forces, and they are overwhelmingly liberal. The federal deep state bureaucracy remains very liberal even with a conservative president (and besides, states still have most of the say).<br />
:::::This is a major CP article. If you want to make major changes like this, I strongly recommend asking Andy. It's his website, after all. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:44, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
::::::How do you define a "major article"? I welcome every editor to comment, and please do not misrepresent my views. I am not saying that public schools are "bastions of conservatism". I am saying that many conservatives have become active in school policy over the last two decades and things keep changing. I don't know whether '''your''' claim that "public schools still promote left-wing, anti-Christian beliefs" is true or false today, but I know that that debate needs more than being squeezed into the lede paragraph. So, the logical organization is a lede to explain the scope of public schools, a brief history, and then the various issues and controversies. The reader can better follow the discussion of the issues and controversies after reading the introduction and history. Finally, Conservapedia is a team effort, and we are all working hard to make the best possible articles. This is a group effort refecting "the best of the public" and not a personal blog. Thanks, [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 22:04, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::::::I graduated from a public school a relatively short time ago. I still know people who attend my public school (which is in a relatively red county where Republicans hold office in nearly every position). My old school was and is still very left-wing. Trump's election is not changing that. From experience, my claim is definitely true. Also just because conservatives are active in school policy does not mean they are ''reversing'' changes made by liberals. There is a general trend of liberals making many changes while in office, but when conservatives take control, they merely act as seat warmers and keep the status quo until liberals take their positions back and enact more left-wing policies. Also, this article does not need to be "a personal blog" in order to notify people about the important state of public schools. It must be at the top for people to see. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:16, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
[undent]]I would think that 1990sguy meant that either you were born in the 1990s (and were 27-30 years old) or that you left school in the 1990s and were 40-50 years old.<br />
<br />
For sometime, the article has a section titled "Suppression and intolerance of alternative views" which claimed that the teaching of Islam as a religion was excluded from public school teaching. I added some sentences and a reference to snopes.com. You then move the material to "Views on morals" section but kept back one uncited opinion sentence. I then tried to work everything in to the "Views on morals" section, but you just reverted me, resulting in a strange split of this idea into two different places. Please pick one place for the discussion of Islam: "Views on morals" or "Suppression and intolerance of alternative views"? Since you are talking about teaching kids not to hate all muslims, it might better fit in the latter, because by definition nobody is advocating adoption of Islamic views on morals.<br />
<br />
Finally, 1990sguy has a very odd understanding of judicial activism and legal precedent. Once the Supreme Court decides a Constitutional question, all other judges assume that cases should be decided consistent with that decision. Perhaps '''policy activists''' bring new lawsuits to court, but the judges that decide those new cases consist with the earlier Supreme Court case are not "activist judges". The local school board in the intelligent design case ended up costing the school district over a million dollars in legal fees. Many parents felt this was a waste of time and money. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 22:33, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
:As for my user name, the former, and I'm a bit younger than that. As for the info, it is much more appropriate in the "Teaching of Islam in the public schools" section, not the "Suppression and intolerance of alternative views" section. This info has to do with the teaching of Islam in public schools. Seems easy to me. Also, I did not change what you added, other than removing a snippet that stated that Islam classes did not present religious indoctrination.<br />
:Regarding the courts, the Constitution remains the same regardless of what the Court says. It can technically say whatever it wants. We see this in decisions on issues such as civil rights and labor unions, which had changed precedents. Just because the Supreme Court says something does not mean the judges are not influenced by the "living constitution" view, nor that they are trying to improve society through their decisions (which should not be a factor in court cases -- only the Constitution). --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:44, 30 July 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Perhaps you should read more about the legal system and also go back and read the arguments in these cases. Getting back to this article, the subtitle on the paragraph begs the question of whether it belongs in the "Views on morals" or "Suppression and intolerance of alternative views" section. Please explain your preference, because it seems that the point has nothing to do with how morals are included in the curriculum. I have been reading all of the concerns on this talk page, and there are many editors' concerns which are not addressed by the current version, which as I noted above is badly out of date. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 11:55, 1 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::I have studied many Supreme Court cases. You are making the mistake of viewing the Court as the infallible interpreter of the Constitution that is never wrong. As for the Islam stuff, the info clearly belongs in the section entitled "Teaching of Islam in the public schools," because it is about the teaching of Islam in public schools. Maybe the parent header ("Views on morals") could be renamed for clarity? --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 12:12, 1 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Sources? ==<br />
<br />
A lot of the comments on this thread seem to share a common critique, that the evidence used in this article is misleading or insufficient. William Beason talks specifically about the statistics used, and I agree with what he’s saying about the flawed statistic analysis. A lot of the sources used to support the arguments being made in this article aren’t reliable, if they exist at all. Many links lead nowhere when clicked, as is the case in references 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Similarly, a lot of the evidence used to cite claims, especially those making broad statements, like “public schools are predominantly liberal and atheistic” and “liberals unrolled a large-scale campaign that blanketed the district with pro-Satan propaganda” use very little evidence. In both cases, the only source that can actually be read is a single article. A single article demonstrating a single instance of something occurring does not necessarily represent a trend. This is talked about in the earlier section, Atheistic Public Schools, specifically about the word choice used. <br />
<br />
This really isn’t enough information to completely condemn public schools, particularly because there is a lot of evidence that public schools do very well by their students when properly funded. Increasing school funding has been correlated with increased test scores, and increased educational and economic success, according to studies from the [http://www.nber.org/papers/w20847%20National%20Bureau%20of%20Economic%20Research%5D National Bureau of Economic Research] and [http://cdn.equitablegrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/16081142/031616-rothstein-schoolfin1.pdf the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.]. <br />
<br />
Public education is a very nuanced and complex topic, and public schools themselves are very flawed institutions. This article does not comprehensively address this. This article needs to be significantly expanded to do this. Liberals often cherry-pick sources to support their claims, and it’s important not to do the same. Presenting all the evidence informing an opinion allows other people to come to the same conclusion, and as others have pointed out, there are multiple instances where reasonable arguments are presented, but there isn’t enough evidence to back them up Conservapedia is a resource for people who want the truth. It’s not a place for liberal opinions, but for facts. By not presenting ample evidence that can be reliably examined, this article fails to provide readers with the whole truth. <br />
<br />
To provide the whole truth, this article needs to be expanded to highlight important aspects of public education. A section with statistics to highlight how public schools fail low-income and minority students, the unequal allocation of resources, and comparing the schools of the United States with other countries seems needed. Similarly, this article doesn’t mention segregation. This is a really important part of public education history, one that reflects very poorly on the system. Addressing the less-than-illustrious history of public schools demonstrates their failings almost more than the statistics. <br />
These are just suggestions, but looking at articles like this and their sources in order to make reasoned arguments seems more aligned with Conservapedia’s guidelines, and could help lend credence to Conservapedia as a whole. Best, [[User:Robert-Anderson|Robert-Anderson]]<br />
:[http://www.bbc.com/news/stories-43700153 ‘I was a teacher for 17 years, but I couldn’t read or write’][[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:54, 17 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== What's so bad about homosexual students in schools? ==<br />
<br />
Surely you can accept people of different sexual orientations? Seems pretty discriminating to me. [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 06:14, May 25, 2023 (EDT)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Public_schools_in_the_United_States&diff=1950019Public schools in the United States2023-05-25T10:11:55Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Remove uncited statement about eSports teams, I know many people who are conservatives and got top marks in school and played games</p>
<hr />
<div>{{See also|Public school culture}}<br />
[[File:800px-Warning signs at CHS.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Because of violence, vandalism, and other undesirable elements, this public school has a glaring sign warning of the on-campus surveillance cameras at its parking lot entrance.]]<br />
[[File:Oregon KKK March 1920s.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Oregon Klansmen in the 1920s. The Ku Klux Klan extolled compulsory public education, aligning with the stances of the [[National Education Association]] a century ago.<ref>Slade, Stephanie (February 2023). [https://reason.com/2023/01/23/the-kkks-push-for-a-federal-education-department/ The KKK's Push for Compulsory Schooling and a Federal Education Department]. ''Reason''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref>]]<br />
[[File:Wm. D. Upshaw LCCN2016822333.jpg|thumb|right|240px|[[William D. Upshaw]], a progressive leader and [[Klansman]] who called for a [[U.S. Department of Education]] in the 1920s.<ref>"One Hundred Percent American," p. 209.</ref><ref>1924. [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Home_School_and_Community/rKGf_05UPtEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=william+upshaw+department+of+education&pg=RA21-PA31&printsec=frontcover Home, School, and Community: Volumes 16-18], p. 31. ''Google Books''. Retrieved May 19, 2023.</ref>]]<br />
'''Public schools in the [[United States]]''' are government-sponsored institutions intended to indoctrinate children up through 12th grade. The failures of underperforming public schools are a paradigm of [[socialism]], along with [[landfills]] and the [[Canada|Canadian]] health care system. Public schools are generally split into:<br />
*"Grade School" (sometimes called "Elementary School"), usually housing children from pre-kindergarten through 5th (or 6th) grade,<br />
*"Middle School" (sometimes called "Junior High School"), usually housing children from 6th (or 7th) grade through 8th grade, and<br />
*"High School", usually housing children from 9th through 12th grade (the collegiate terms "freshmen", "sophomores", "juniors", and "seniors", representing grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, respectively, are sometimes used as synonyms).<br />
<br />
There are also some "Technical Schools" for training in specific skills or careers (the term "magnet school" is common, and is usually oriented toward a specific career requiring a college education).<br />
<br />
Schools are arranged into [[school district]]s, which generally are independent of city/town, borough/township/county, or other jurisdictions, though they may share common geographical boundaries (such as a city or county). In some areas, a large city may (due to growth into neighboring areas) be served by several districts (this is the case in [[Texas]], where districts are (with one exception) totally independent of cities; most of the major cities are served by many districts, with the district carrying the city's name being the poorest performing and least-desirable for parents).<br />
<br />
Public schools have become predominantly [[liberal]] and [[atheistic]]<ref>[http://www.exodusmandate.org/art_exodus_from_public_schools_gets_helping_hand.htm Exodus from "public schools" gets a helping hand], Exodus Mandate, Sept 15, 1998</ref><ref>For example, "in 2005, officials at East Brunswick High School adopted a policy prohibiting representatives of the school district from participating in student-initiated prayer." [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=61806]</ref><ref>From 2004 to 2006, a [[public school]] banned [[Bible]] study by children ... ''during recess''. A teacher complained about the use of the Bible and the principal then censored the study activity, according to a sworn statement by a teacher told to stop it. Principal "Summa, having learned of a complaint by a teacher and of the students' Bible study, told fourth-grade teacher Virginia Larue to nix the group's recess meeting. ... Larue later told one of Luke's Bible study colleagues the group could no longer meet at recess."[http://knoxnews.com/news/2008/jan/03/recess-bible-study-spurs-lawsuit/]</ref><ref>[[Atheists]] routinely impose their views on [[public schools]], though liberals deny it. For example, a court prohibited a moment of silence in [[Illinois]] "Township High School District 214 after atheist activist Rob Sherman challenged" it.[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-moment_of_silence_bothmay30,0,7722271.story]</ref><ref>[https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/34408-firsthand-account-of-deep-state-in-public-schools Firsthand account of Deep State in Public Schools]. ''The New American''. December 22, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.</ref> government institutions that employ 3 million people and spend more than $410 billion annually at a cost of more than $10,000 per student. [[Liberals]] censor [[classroom prayer]], the [[Ten Commandments]], sharing of [[faith]] in classrooms during school hours, and teaching [[Bible]]-based [[morality]].<ref>''See, e.g.'', ''[[Stone v. Graham]]'' (1980) (excluding Ten Commandments from public school).</ref><ref>A public school banned [[Bible]] study by children ... ''during recess''. A teacher complained about the use of the Bible and the principal then censored the study activity, according to a sworn statement by a teacher told to stop it. [http://knoxnews.com/news/2008/jan/03/recess-bible-study-spurs-lawsuit/]</ref> Mandatory [[Homosexual Agenda|homosexual indoctrination]] is common as early as elementary school in more [[liberal]] states.<ref>http://www.massresistance.org/media/video/brainwashing.html</ref> <br />
<br />
The following are characteristics of US public schools:<br />
<br />
*30% of public school students fail to graduate from [[high school]],<ref name="graduate">"Only 70% of all students in public high schools graduate, and one study found that only 32% of all students in the high school class of 2001 left high school qualified to attend four-year colleges."[http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_03.htm]</ref> and more 40% of minorities fail to graduate;<ref>"Only 71 percent of kids graduate from high school within four years, and for minorities, the numbers are even worse -- 58 percent for Hispanics and 55 percent for African Americans," [Bill Gates] wrote. "If the decline in childhood deaths [in developing countries] is one of the most positive statistics ever, these are some of the most negative."[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/29/AR2009032901353.html?wpisrc=newsletter]</ref> the real drop-out rate may be 50%.<ref>http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/47272207.html</ref><br />
*Nearly 70% of students leave high school unqualified to attend four-year college, and many are unable to hold a steady job.<ref name="graduate"/><br />
*A 2007 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 77% of students between eighth and 12th grade had used illicit drugs.<ref>According to Monitoring the Future, a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, illicit drug use is up among students between eighth and 12th grade. In 1991, 62 percent had used illicit drugs. In 2007, the number jumped to 77 percent. [http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20081207/NEWS08/812070305/1002]</ref> Fatal overdoses are common but underreported.<ref>Fatal overdoses are common, although often underreported.[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E5DB123EF932A25750C0A9629C8B63 Reporting of a heroin overdose by 16-year-old [[public school]] student was an exception to the underreporting].</ref> Public schools are required to present "[[drug education]]" to students.<br />
*More than 60% of public school teenagers (in one regional study) watch more than 3 hours of television a day, compared with a national average of 35%<ref>http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/dec/01/memphis-youth-make-progress-on-risky-behavior/ (study of Memphis students)</ref><br />
*About half of the viable pregnancies among girls attending public school end in [[abortion]]s and about half end in birth. Public schools "[[Sex education|educate]]" kids about sex.<ref>"There is zero shame [to [[teenage pregnancy]]]," the school nurse observed.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR2008121203507.html]</ref><br />
*"About 160,000 students miss school daily because they [[fear]] being [[Bully|bullied]]," and students viciously fight each other and post videos of it on [[YouTube|YouTube.com]].<ref>One victim is now "being [[homeschooled]] at state expense."[http://starbulletin.com/2008/05/18/news/story01.html]</ref> <br />
*20% of students had been dangerously "[[binge drinking]]" in the previous 30 days, and 50% of seniors regularly drink illegally, according to a 2007 study of Ottawa County, Michigan.<ref>The Grand Rapids Press The Grand Rapids Press: Ottawa County confronts teen drinking, By Greg Chandler, December 04, 2008 [http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2008/12/ottawa_county_confronts_teen_d.html]</ref><ref name="Oregon">http://www.mlive.com/chronicle/news/index.ssf/2008/12/ottawa_co_youth_survey_surpris.html</ref><br />
*10-20% of students become [[Addiction|addicted]] to [[cigarettes]]<ref name="Oregon"/><ref>http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/dec/01/memphis-youth-make-progress-on-risky-behavior/</ref><br />
*More than 10% of public high schools have a [[Homosexuality|homosexual]] student club.<br />
*The majority of public school students are completely ignorant about the Bible, even as [[Bible history|history]] and literature<br />
*35% of students are overweight.<br />
*Health screening of public schools in Memphis, Tennessee, found that nearly 10% of students have mental health problems.<br />
*California public schools, largest in the nation, now rank at the bottom in academic achievement.<br />
*Public schools are among the main locations where [[socialism]] is promoted.<ref>Cunningham, Andrew (March 11, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/how-did-socialism-become-okay-in-america-through-the-schools How did socialism become okay in America? Through the schools]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved March 11, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Religious origins===<br />
In 1647, [[Massachusetts]] [[Puritans]] enacted the second law, after Scotland in 1616,<ref>The Social, Economic & Political Reasons for the Decline of Gaelic in Scotland [http://www.scottishhistory.com/articles/highlands/gaelic/gaelic_page1.html]</ref> establishing universal public [[school]]s in the English-speaking world to block the attempts by "ould deluder Satan to keepe men from the whole knowledge of the Scriptures".<ref>''Family Encyclopedia of American History'' (Reader's Digest 1975)</ref> Each settlement larger than 50 families was required to pay a [[teacher|schoolmaster]] to teach reading, writing and religious doctrine to the [[children]] in the community. Beginning in 1670, Massachusetts provided [[taxation|tax]] funding for school maintenance. This model was then copied throughout the colonies, and even throughout the world.<br />
<br />
====Curricula used====<br />
According to [[Noah Webster]], "the books used were chiefly or whole Dilworth's Spelling Books, the Psalter, Testament and Bible".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DYVX2qf5xIAC&pg=PA118|last1=Gutjahr|first1=Paul C.|title=An American Bible: A History of the Good Book in the United States, 1777-1880|date=1999|work=[[Stanford University]] Press|pages=118}}</ref> Other sources such as the U.S. Office of Education note the following books used: The ABC, the Horn Book, the New England Primer, the Bible, Catechisms, and the Psalters.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gwENAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA8-PA19|title=Statistics of Land-grant Colleges and Universities, Volume 1, Issues 1-26|date=1921|work=Office of Education|pages=18–19}}</ref><br />
<br />
''[[The New England Primer]]'' is of particular note given its widespread use over such a long period of time.<ref name=encyclopedia>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e6YoCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA874|title=Encyclopedia of Christian Education, Volume 3|date=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|pages=874}}</ref> The ''Primer'', also known as ''The Little Bible'', was in use in schools for over 150 years.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-New-England-Primer The New-England Primer], [[Encyclopedia Britannica]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Importation of the Prussian model===<br />
In the mid 19th century, [[Horace Mann]], an early education reformer, studied the methods of [[Prussian Education]] and brought them back to the [[United States]]. According to [[John Dewey]]:<br />
{{cquote|Horace Mann and the disciples of [[Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi|Pestalozzi]] did their peculiar missionary work so completely as intellectually to crowd the conservative to the wall. For half a century after their time the ethical emotion, the bulk of exhortation, the current formulae and catchwords, the distinctive principles of theory have been found on the side of progress, of what is known as reform. The supremacy of self-activity, the symmetrical development of all the powers, the priority of character to information, the necessity of putting the real before the symbol, the concrete before the abstract, the necessity of following the order of nature and not the order of human convention - all these ideas, at the outset so revolutionary, have filtered into the pedagogic consciousness and become the commonplace of pedagogic writing and of the gatherings where teachers meet for inspiration and admonition.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JXkBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA332|last1=Dewey|first1=John|title=Journal of Proceedings and Addresses|date=1901|work=[[National Education Association]]}}</ref>}}<br />
Mann would travel to [[Prussia]] in 1843 to visit the schools and study them.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UrxSUMN4-FsC&pg=PA224|last1=Karier|first1=Clarence J.|title=The Individual, Society, and Education: A History of American Educational Ideas|date=1986|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0252013096|quote="In 1843, it was these Pestalozzian practices which so impressed Horace Mann on his visit to the Prussian Schools.}}</ref><br />
<br />
====Secularization====<br />
According to historian Ellwood Cubberly:<br />
{{cquote|He(Horace Mann) will always be regarded as perhaps the greatest of the "founders" of our American system of free public schools. No one did more than he to establish in the minds of the American people the conception that education should be universal, non-sectarian, and free, and that its aim should be social efficiency, civic virtue, and character, rather than mere learning or the advancement of sectarian ends.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J_tEAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA167|last1=Cubberley|first1=Ellwood. P|title=Public Education in the United States: A Study and Interpretation of American Educational History; an Introductory Textbook Dealing with the Larger Problems of Present-day Education in the Light of Their Historical Development|date=1919}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
John Dewey regarded Horace Mann as the "patron saint of progressive education."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t7QTC8NuGL8C&pg=PA181|last1=Dewey|first1=John|title=The Later Works, 1925-1953: 1935-1937|publisher=SIU Press|date=1987}}</ref><br />
<br />
===20th century===<br />
Many children did not attend public school for the first two centuries. It was not until 1852 that Massachusetts became the first state to require attendance<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7V83obZcnvkC&pg=PA34|last1=Mathison|first1=Sandra|last2=Ross|first2=E. Wayne|title=Battleground : Schools|date=2007|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|quote=""Mann was eventually successful, and in 1852 Massachusetts passed the first compulsory education laws in North America."}}</ref> by students aged 6 through 16, and it was not until 1918 that all states had [[compulsory attendance]] laws. High schools did not generally exist until after the [[Civil War]], and the first American [[kindergarten]] didn't exist until 1856 in Watertown, Wisconsin.<br />
<br />
==Improvement of early childhood education==<br />
Many public schools have launched pre-kindergarten programs for 3 and 4-year-old children. Some states have shifted from half-day kindergartens to programs that match the school day schedule of the other grades. Currently, 14 states and the District of Columbia require full-day kindergarten. <br />
<br />
Research has demonstrated the importance of testing third graders for reading ability. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia require non-proficient readers to repeat third grade if they fail a reading test.<br />
<br />
Historically, early childhood education focused on reading and writing. However, the research shows that young children's minds are receptive to math and logic. So public schools are adding Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM Education) to the lower grades.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/strengthening-the-kindergarten-third-grade-continuum.aspx|title=Strengthening the Kindergarten-Third Grade Continuum|date=December 21, 2016|accessdate=June 17, 2017}}</ref><br />
==Views on morals==<br />
[[File:Public School Bulletproof Glass.jpeg|thumb|right|In response to increasing violence in public schools, public schools are installing security devices such as metal detectors and bullet-proof glass]]<br />
===So-called "character education"===<br />
<br />
In response to the perception that public schools have stopped teaching morality, many state education departments have or are in the process of developing "morality" that avoid good and evil, right and wrong, and instead present under the heading of "character" education.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3971/is_199910/ai_n8866284]</ref> The lack of appreciation for right and wrong can surprise outsiders, and even school principals. When one public school student was charged with [[felony]] [[computer crime]] for altering the grades of 20 students, the principal said, we "want to teach them what's right and wrong, and it's tough for some kids to catch on to the idea that changing grades is the wrong thing to do."<ref>http://cw2.trb.com/news/kwgn-student-grade-felony,0,7871401.story</ref> The impact of the removal of morality from the [[public school]] curriculum (which is also used in private schools) is that "more than one in three boys (35 percent) and one-fourth of the girls (26 percent) — a total of 30 percent overall — admitted stealing from a store within the past year."<ref>http://charactercounts.org/programs/reportcard/index.html</ref> Liberal politicians are the most frequent opponents of initiatives designed to build moral fiber in the public school system, with organizations like the [[ACLU]] and teacher's unions devoting a significant amount of their resources towards this end. In 2010, a school board in [[North Dakota]] decided to change the name of their mascot from the "Satans." Liberals unrolled a large-scale media campaign that blanketed the district with pro-Satan propaganda in an attempt to keep the name, but they were unsuccessful.<ref>http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-11/news/ct-perspec-0311-things-20120311_1_devil-man-great-deceiver-native-americans</ref><br />
<br />
=== Prayer ===<br />
<br />
{{See also|Classroom prayer}}<br />
<br />
The White House announced the release of Revised Religious Guidelines for America's Public Schools on May 29, 1998. Within this announcement, President [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] stated, "Nothing in the [[First Amendment]] converts our public schools into religion-free zones, or requires all religious expression to be left behind at the school house door."—President Clinton, July 12, 1998<ref>http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/05-1998/wh-0530.html</ref> <br />
<br />
In 2003, the Education Department released the following guidelines that clarified and added requirements to Public Schools to ensure the religious rights of students.<ref>http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=17550</ref> <br />
<blockquote><br />
Schools that don’t allow students to pray outside the classroom or that prohibit teachers from holding religious meetings among themselves could lose federal money, the Education Department said late last week.<br /><br />
<br /><br />
The guidance reflects the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] administration’s push to ensure that schools give teachers and students as much freedom to pray as the courts have allowed.<br /><br />
The department makes clear that teachers cannot pray with students or attempt to shape their religious views.<br />
The instructions, released by the department on Feb. 7, broadly follow the same direction given by the [[Clinton administration]] and the courts. Prayer is generally allowed provided it happens outside the class and is initiated by students, not by school officials.<br /><br />
<br /><br />
The department, however, also offered some significant additions, including more details on such contentious matters as moments of silence and prayer in student assemblies. And for the first time, federal funds are tied to compliance with the guidelines. The burden is on schools to prove compliance through a yearly report.<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
===Teaching the Bible in public schools ===<br />
The [[National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools]]<ref>http://www.bibleinschools.net/</ref> (NCBCPS) provides a program for teaching the Bible in public schools. Currently, the NCBCPS's Bible curriculum has been voted into 462 school districts (over 1,900 high schools) in 38 states. Over 210,000 students have already taken this course nationwide, on the high school campus, during school hours, for credit.<br />
<br />
However, many public schools suffer from a [[liberal bias]], resulting in policies opposed the Bible and Christianity, while topics favored by leftists, such as other religions or the [[homosexual agenda]], are promoted.<br />
<br />
===Teaching of Islam in the public schools===<br />
Public school textbooks have been found to be portraying [[Islam]] in a positive light. Some world history textbooks in [[Florida]] claim ''Muslims profess to worship the same God as Christians and Jews'', women historically had more rights in the Islamic world than the Christian world, and [[Jihad]] is not a violent movement, among other falsehoods. These lies have caused patriots some areas of the state to complain to local school boards, but not much has been done by the boards to actually remove the Islamic propaganda.<br />
<br />
In California seventh grade social studies classes, students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Islam in the Middle Ages. Hence, Islam is one of eleven units taught in the class.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/islam.asp|title=Islam Studies in California Schools|date=April 5, 2015|accessdate=July 30,3027}}</ref><ref>Nazarian, Adelle (February 2, 2015). [https://www.breitbart.com/california/2015/02/02/is-islamic-indoctrination-being-taught-in-la-public-schools/ Is Islamic Indoctrination Being Taught in LA Public Schools?] ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 30, 2017.</ref> In addition, a [[San Diego]] school district worked with [[CAIR]] to add "anti-Islamophobia" classes.<ref>Moons, Michelle (April 23, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/california/2017/04/23/san-diego-school-district-pushes-forward-cair-assisted-anti-islamophobia-plan-for-fall/ San Diego School District Pushes CAIR-Assisted ‘Anti-Islamophobia’ Plan]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 30, 2017.</ref><br />
<br />
==Censorship==<br />
<br />
Public schools enforce liberal ideology through aggressive censorship of right-wing and conservative students, including for speech or conduct occurring off school grounds. Conservatives, as well as some libertarian organizations, have challenged instances of school censorship under well-established legal precedent protecting free speech against all state actors, including public schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2018/03/gun_group_says_it_will_sue_school_after_students_a.html|title=HS students' suspension over gun range photo ignites uproar, potential lawsuit|date=April 5, 2015|accessdate=July 30,3027}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Gender disparity== <br />
Public schools as of late have seen girls' scores soar above boys' because schools have been geared toward the needs of girls and schools seek to emasculate boys by preventing healthy roughhousing and having psychiatrists prescribe boys drugs such as Ritalin. Then boys often come to hate school because radical feminists seek to prevent men from being men and forcing males to go through counseling to "discuss their feelings" and other liberal values treating all students as if they were female. Colleges, because of this trend, see a trend of 60/40 female to male ratio because of feminist drivel such as romance novels in literature and ineffective therapy and attempts to push feminine traits on boys and young men making them frustrated and fed up with the system unless they agree to the school's desire to become effeminate.<br />
<br />
Schools commonly suspend students for defending themselves from violent bullying, even though that is illegal under the laws of all 50 states which protect the right to self-defense. <br />
<br />
Liberal ideology has also eliminated most male role models in public schools, such that less than a quarter of the teachers are men now.<ref>http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=28</ref><br />
<br />
In areas on such standardized tests as ACT and SAT, girls have typically scored higher in areas such as mathematics and science. Colleges have become majority female, and the feminization of men is strong on college campuses with events that openly advocate female superiority. Females are also intent on emasculating males by forcing them to see "chick flicks" and concerts of female singers which also promote feminist nonsense, strongly continuing a trend that begins in high school which results in a large number of males taking up historically female programs such as psychology and nursing; this begins in school where teachers and administrators teach boys and girls to be girls and not only condone but encourage such emasculation which only continues throughout the boys' lives as learned behaviors are strongest during the crucial formative years these boys are in school.<br />
<br />
Most U.S. public schools receive federal funding. Those that do are subject to [[Title IX]] which among other things requires equal access to extra curricular activities and sports.<br />
<br />
==Suppression and intolerance of alternative views==<br />
Several courts, including the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], which frequently engage in [[judicial activism]], have ruled that teaching [[creationism]]<ref>https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/482/578/case.html</ref> and [[intelligent design]] in public schools is unconstitutional because they claim that such teachings would amount to a government establishment of religion, which is prohibited by the First Amendment.<ref>''See'' ''Kitzmiller'', 400 F.Supp.2d at 765</ref> Hypocritically, nothing has been done to remove the religions of Secular Humanism and Islam from the schools.<br />
<br />
==Educational outcomes==<br />
<br />
===Declining literacy ===<br />
Since the rapid expansion and liberalization of public schools after [[World War II]], students' [[literacy]] levels have dropped significantly. While the average 14-year-old had a vocabulary of 25,000 words in 1945, the equivalent student in 2000 had a vocabulary of only 10,000 words, a severe disadvantage in an increasingly textual world.<ref>''Utne Reader'' (July–August 2000), 28-9.</ref><br />
<br />
===Liberal bias in textbooks===<br />
{{See also|Textbook bias}}<br />
<br />
[[Textbook]]s (K-12) have been systematically analyzed in a study funded by the U.S. government. The 1986 findings were that massive, systematic [[liberal bias]] exists, resulting in several information blackouts in four key areas of modern American life&mdash;[[marriage]], [[religion]], [[politics]], and [[business]]. While an actual conspiracy was then ruled out, the cause was found to be a "a very widespread [[secular]] and [[liberal]] mindset" pervading "the leadership in the world of education [and textbook publishing]".<ref>''Censorship: Evidence of Bias in Our Children's textbooks'', [[Paul C. Vitz]], Servant Books, 1986, ISBN 0-89283-305-X</ref><br />
<br />
Professor Larry Schwikart, of the [[University of Dayton]], wrote a book about biased textbooks. False claims common in those texts included that the [[Founding Fathers]] wanted a "wall of [[Separation of church and state|separation" between church and state]], that "[[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln]] issued the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] only because he needed [[Black Soldiers in the Civil War|black soldiers]]", and that "[[Mikhail Gorbachev]], not [[Ronald Reagan]], was responsible for ending the [[Cold War]]".<ref>http://www.emailwire.com/release/20086-Controversial-Historian-on-the-Price-of-Business-Show.html</ref><br />
<br />
Evidence for bias in school textbooks includes promotion of [[Homosexual]] agenda, support of liberal viewpoint, as well as support of the unproven theory of evolution. Most Biology textbooks do not provide the [[Creationist]] viewpoint a chance, or even a second thought.<br />
<br />
===Non-Dismissal of tenured teachers===<br />
Due to the strength of the nation's teachers' [[Labor union|union]], it is nearly impossible to fire a bad performing teacher with [[tenure]]. The process can take years and involves countless steps to even attempt. The union claims that the protections are needed against arbitrary and malicious lawsuits.<br />
<br />
The New York public schools system has approximately 700 teachers accused of insubordination to sexual misconduct. They remain in seclusion from the classroom but are paid full salaries until their cases are heard, sometimes from months to years later. All because their union contract makes it extremely difficult to fire them.<ref>[https://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/us_rubber_rooms/2009/06/22/227959.html 700 NYC Teachers Paid to Do Nothing] AP, June 22, 2009</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Pathtodismissal.JPG|center|thumb|800px| Flow chart showing the "process" for firing teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second largest school district.]]<br />
<br />
== 4-day week ==<br />
In order to save on transportation costs and reduce time spent on travel, many states have been experimenting with holding school on four days a week leaving the fifth day for medical appointments and athletic events. In such programs, the school day is lengthened to provide the same number of hours per week of instruction. The option is more frequently used in large rural school districts. These states include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Washington. In states which have legislation permitting a 4-day school week, each school district decides whether to implement it. Arkansas, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Virginia and Washington have no schools using the option.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/educ/school-calendar-four-day-school-week-overview.aspx|title=Four-Day School Weeks|accessdate=June 17, 2017}}</ref><br />
==Notable graduates==<br />
=== Before 1962 ===<br />
Given that public schools educate about 90% of [[Americans]], it is astounding how few prominent Americans attended public school after the banning of school-sponsored prayer in 1962. Here is an impressive list of people who attended public schools ''before'' the banning of school-sponsored prayer.<br />
<br />
*[[Ronald Reagan]]<ref>http://www.dixonil.com/reagan/reagan2.htm</ref> graduated from Dixon High School, Illinois<br />
*[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]<ref>http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/press_releases/2007/PR07_11_August_02_2007_Eisenhower_Co_Sponsor_Little_Rock.pdf</ref> attended Abilene High School in Abilene, Kansas<br />
*[[Richard M. Nixon]]<ref>http://www.nndb.com/edu/836/000068632/</ref> attended Fullerton and Whittier High Schools, California<br />
*[[Gerald Ford]]<ref>http://www.visitgrandrapids.org/ford-facts.php</ref> attended Grand Rapids South High School, Michigan<br />
*[[Lyndon B. Johnson]]<ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/062/000023990/</ref> attended Johnson City High School, Texas<br />
*[[Harry S Truman]]<ref>http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/103truman/103visual1.htm</ref> attended Independence High School, Missouri<br />
*[[H. Ross Perot]]<ref>http://www.famoustexans.com/rossperot.htm</ref> attended public schools and Texarkana Junior College, Texas<br />
*[[Richard Cheney]]<ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/598/000022532/</ref> graduated from Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming.<br />
*[[Colin Powell]] graduated from Morris High School, NY in 1954 and received his B.A. in geology from the City College of New York in 1958 <ref>http://gale.cengage.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/powell_c.htm</ref><br />
*[[Billy Graham]] graduated from Sharon High School, NC in May 1936<ref>http://online-bibleconcordance.com/Ministers/BillyGraham.aspx</ref><br />
*[[Michael Medved]] graduated from Palisades High School, CA <ref>michaelmedved.townhall.com/About.aspx</ref><br />
*[[The Wright Brothers]] attended public schools in Richmond, India and Dayton OH but did not graduate <ref>http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/inventor/wright/index.html</ref><br />
*[[Roy Jay Glauber]], Nobel laureate, graduated from Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY in 1941.<ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/738/000138324/</ref><br />
*[[Frederick Reines]], Nobel laureate, attended Union Hill High School, NJ, during the late 1930s.<ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/052/000099752/</ref><br />
*[[Oliver North]], US Army Officer, political commentator, graduated from Ockawamick High School in 1961.<ref>http://libraryoflibrary.com/E_n_c_p_d_Ollie_North.html</ref><br />
<br />
=== After 1962 ===<br />
Here is a mostly unimpressive list of people who attended public school ''after'' school-sponsored prayer was banned in 1962:<br />
<br />
*[[Brad Pitt]], actor, graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri, 1981; dropped out of college.<ref>http://www.rolemodel.net/brad_pitt.cfm<br />
</ref><br />
*[[Tom Cruise]], actor, attended several public high schools including Glen Ridge High School, New Jersey during the 1970s.<ref>http://www.nndb.com/people/791/000022725/<br />
</ref><br />
*[[John Sununu]], former one-term Senator from [[New Hampshire]], graduated from Salem High School in the 1970s;<ref>http://www.sununu.senate.gov/biography.html</ref> claiming to be [[pro-life]], Sununu arranged for the nomination of [[David Souter]] to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], where he then repeatedly voted on the side of [[abortion]]<br />
*[[John Edwards]], indicted in 2011 on allegations arising from his affair with a mistress, was a former one-term Senator from [[North Carolina]] and two-time unsuccessful candidate for nomination for president, attended public school in Robbins, N.C. during the 1960s.<ref>https://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2004/primaries/edwards_bio.html</ref> <br />
*[[Spike Lee]], producer, actor, graduated from John Dewey High School, Brooklyn, NY.<ref>http://movies.nytimes.com/person/99175/Spike-Lee/biography</ref><br />
*[[Laura Bush]] attended James Bowie Elementary School, San Jacinto Junior High School, and Midland Lee High School in Midland, Texas (Graduated 1964); came out in support of [[gay marriage]] and [[abortion]] in 2010.<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/laura-bush-supports-gay-marriage-abortion/story?id=10629213</ref><br />
*[[William J. Clinton]]<ref>http://www.hotsprings.org/things_to_do/historic_hotsprings/presidents_hometown.asp</ref> graduated from Hot Springs High School in Arkansas in 1964, and became the only president impeached in the 20th century.<br />
*[[Anthony Weiner]], a congressman who resigned in disgrace in 2011 after first denying but then confirming an indecent use of [[Twitter]], and later dropped out of the race for New York City Mayor following a second sex scandal, graduated from a public high school in [[Brooklyn]].<br />
*[[Steve Jobs]], founder of [[Apple Inc.]], graduated from Homestead High School in Cupertino, CA in 1972; his colleague, [[Steve Wozniak]], graduated from the same high school in 1968.<br />
*[[Eminem]], a liberal [[rapper]], repeatedly failed 9th grade in public school and ultimately dropped out.<br />
*[[Alan Colmes]], a liberal news commentator, attended public school in [[New York City]].<br />
*[[Sarah Palin]], vice presidential candidate on the [[Republican Party]] ticket in 2008 and favorite of some [[Tea Party]] groups, went to [[Wasilla High School]] and graduated in 1982 and then attended 5 different colleges before becoming more [[conservative]] later in life.<ref>http://outhouserag.typepad.com/outhouserag/2008/09/sarah-palin-198.html</ref><br />
*[[Rick Perry]], [[Texas]] governor, infringed on [[parental rights]] by requiring young girls to receive an HPV vaccine.<br />
*[[Kenneth D. Cockrell]], [[Texas]] Graduated from Rockdale High School, Rockdale, Texas, in 1968. A veteran of five spaceflights, Cockrell has logged more than 1,560 hours in space.<ref>http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cockrell.htmll</ref><br />
*[[Russell Alan Hulse]], [[New York]] Graduated from Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, New York, in 1966. Winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics.<ref name="alumni.bxscience.edu">http://alumni.bxscience.edu/?page=NotableAlumni</ref><br />
*[[Richard Axel]], [[New York]] Graduated from Stuyvesant High School, New York, New York, in 1963. Winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Axel</ref><br />
*[[Hugh David Politzer]], [[New York]] Graduated from Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, New York, in 1966. Winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics.<ref name="alumni.bxscience.edu"/><br />
*[[Christine O'Donnell]] graduated from Moorestown High School in 1987.<ref>[http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201010100363&nclick_check=1 "Delaware politics: From middle-class New Jersey, moral activist Christine O'Donnell knew 'God was calling'", ''Delaware Online'']</ref><br />
*[[Scott Walker]] graduated from Delavan-Darien High School in 1986.<ref>[http://walworthcountytoday.com/news/2010/sep/07/rock-county-close-home-walker/ Ames, Ann Marie, "Rock County Close to Home for Walker", ''Walworth County Today'', Sept. 7, 2010]</ref><br />
*[[Paul Ryan]], an establishment [[Republican]], graduated from Joseph A. Craig High School, Janesville, WI in 1988.<ref>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/06/16/politics/wis-ryan/</ref><br />
*[[Sharron Angle]] (born 1949) graduated from Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada.<ref>[http://www.sharronangle.com/sharron-angle-biography "Sharron Angle, Biography"]</ref><br />
*[[Jon Huntsman]], Republican Presidential candidate and former Governor of Utah, attended Highland High School in Salt Lake City, Utah before he dropped out in 1978 to pursue a career as a rock and roll keyboardist.<ref>[http://www.jon2012.com/jon]</ref><br />
*[[Michelle Bachmann]], Republican member of the House of Representatives graduated from Anoka High School, Anoka, Minnesota in 1974.<ref>[http://www.startribune.com/local/north/129276683.html?refer=y]</ref><br />
*[[Mike Huckabee]], former Republican Governor of Arkansas, graduated from Hope High School, Hope Arkansas, in 1974.<ref>[http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=108]</ref><br />
*[[Benjamin Netanyahu]], Prime Minister of Israel, Graduated from Cheltenham High School, Wyncote, Pennsylvania, in 1967.<ref>[http://cheltenhamalumni.org/BIOS/netanyahu-benjamin.htm]</ref><br />
*[[Rand Paul]], Republican Senator, Graduated from Brazoswood High School, Clute, Texas in 1981.<ref>[http://politics.laws.com/rand-paul]</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Public school culture]]<br />
* [[School Choice]]<br />
* [[Atheism and public schools]]<br />
* [[Parental rights]] (focusing on the rights of parents to control the education, upbringing and discipline of their children)<br />
* [[Education in the United Kingdom]]<br />
* [[Essay:Worst Liberal Falsehoods in School]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://beforeitsnews.com/story/1610/466/Dumb_As_A_Rock:_You_Will_Be_Absolutely_Amazed_At_The_Things_That_U.S._High_School_Students_Do_Not_Know.html Dumb As A Rock: You Will Be Absolutely Amazed At The Things That U.S. High School Students Do Not Know]<br />
*[http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/03/28/9-notorious-teacher-sex-scandals/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058?test=latestnews 8 Bizarre Teacher Scandals You Won't Believe]<br />
*[https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/31250-education-s-future-globalization-of-indoctrination Education’s Future: Globalization of Indoctrination], by Alex Newman of ''The New American, February 6, 2019.<br />
*[https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/31260-benefits-of-homeschooling Benefits of Homeschooling], by Israel Wayne of ''The New American'', February 7, 2019.<br />
*[https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/31230-the-case-for-christian-education The Case for Christian Education], by Israel Wayne of ''The New American'', February 7, 2019.<br />
*[https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/31271-get-them-out Get Them Out!], by Dr. Duke Pesta & Alex Newman of ''[[The New American]]'', February 8, 2019.<br />
*[https://www.theepochtimes.com/chapter-twelve-sabotaging-education-part-i_2636144.html Chapter Twelve: Sabotaging Education (Part I)], ''The Epoch Times'' (from ''How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World'').<br />
*[https://www.theepochtimes.com/chapter-twelve-sabotaging-education-part-ii_2657473.html Chapter Twelve: Sabotaging Education (Part II)], ''The Epoch Times'' (from ''How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World'').<br />
*[https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/public-schools-in-america-are-imploding...and-its-getting-worse Public schools in America are imploding…and it’s getting worse], by E. Jeffrey Ludwig, ''LifeSiteNews''.<br />
<br />
<br />
{{liberalism}}<br />
[[Category:Schools]]<br />
[[Category:United States History]]<br />
[[Category:Progressive Era]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Transphobia&diff=1949621Transphobia2023-05-24T03:38:54Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Why is it not my call to make? This is a wiki that *anyone* can edit, as long as the rules are abided by. I did not violate the CPOV rules.</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Transphobia''' is a term to refer to people with a fear or hatred of transgender people.</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jack_Dorsey&diff=1949618Jack Dorsey2023-05-24T03:36:48Z<p>ChenXiansheng: spelling</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Dorsey.jpeg|right|thumb|200px|Jack Dorsey.]]<br />
'''Jack Patrick Dorsey''' (b. November 19, 1976 - ) from St. Louis, [[Missouri]], is a [[leftwing]] [[totalitarian]] [[fascist]] [[Big Tech]] [[oligarch]] and former [[CEO]] of [[Twitter]]. Dorsey is known for his illegal anti-[[free speech]] activities and advocacy of [[single party control|single party]] [[corporatism]]. The corporate CEO sports a nose ring, an ancient [[pagan]] disciplinary device to denote a [[slave]] who needs to be lead around by the nose. As CEO of a [[Big Tech]] [[monopoly]], Dorsey illegally interfered in the [[2020 Presidential election]] in an attack on [[American]] [[democracy]]. When Twitter destroyed its own reputation and popularity, losing advertising money for meddling in the elections, Dorsey decided to step down as CEO.<ref>[https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/jack-dorsey-steps-down-as-twitter-ceo/ar-AARgk54 Jack Dorsey steps down as Twitter CEO]</ref> Twitter stock soared after the announcement of his resignation.<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/twitter-stock-soars-ceo-jack-164429067.html Twitter Stock Soars After CEO Jack Dorsey Announces He Will Step Down]</ref><br />
<br />
In the [[Islamist]] tradition, Dorsey does not trim or shave his beard. Dorsey claimed in Congressional testimony under oath that [[Iran]]ian [[Ayatollah Khamenei]]’s threatening, [[anti-Semitic]] tweets don’t violate Twitter rules.<ref>https://saraacarter.com/jack-dorsey-says-khameneis-threatening-antisemitic-tweets-dont-violate-twitter-rules/</ref> [[White House]] Press Secretary [[Kayleigh McEnany]] said of Dorsey's efforts at [[censorship]], [[blackmail]], and election interference saying "This is what happens in [[North Korea]], not the United States.”<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2020/10/29/kayleigh-mcenany-condemns-twitter-censorship-ny-post-jack-dorsey-hunter-biden-laptop/</ref><br />
<br />
In a July 2012 interview with the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' Dorsey explained his future plans. The paper noted, "Twitter executives still fight a perception that the service is only for tech geeks or narcissists, and there remain doubts about how big the San Francisco company can grow."<ref name=wsj/> Twitter wants to encourage users to communicate about particular events while they happen. Twitter plans to encourage independent application developers to use Twitter as a platform. It hopes to add tools to allow companies to analyze messages that discuss particular companies and events.<ref name=wsj/><br />
<br />
Dorsey was active in the [[Biden Putsch]] [[coup]] plot.<br />
<br />
==Misleading investors==<br />
In September 2021 Twitter disclosed a binding agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit, under which the social network wOULD pay $809.5 million to resolve claims it provided misleading user-engagement info to investors.<br />
<br />
The original lawsuit, filed in 2016 by a Twitter shareholder, alleged Dorsey and others including former CEO Dick Costolo and board member Evan Williams hid facts about Twitter’s slowing user growth while they sold their personal stock holdings “for hundreds of millions of dollars in insider profits.”<ref>https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/twitter-investor-lawsuit-settlement-payment-jack-dorsey-1235068982/</ref><br />
<br />
==2020 election interference==<br />
<br />
Twitter imposed new [[draco]]ian censorship measures aimed at [[conservative]] users in October 2020.<ref>https://markzuckerberg.news/2020-09-30-doj-targets-big-tech-censorship-election-meddling-racketeering.html</ref> One example is labeling criticism of mail-in balloting as "misinformation". [[James Woods]] commented the new labeling is clear:<br />
{{quotebox-float|“They are closing down conservative voices completely now. Be prepared that you will no longer be able to see most of my communications, if indeed my account remains open at all. Sorry, folks, but it’s over. And they couldn’t care less what you think. This is the face of [[tyranny]].”<ref>https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/10/12/twitters-new-policy-sparks-sad-warning-from-james-woods-sorry-folks-but-its-over-983577</ref>}}<br />
[[File:Jack Dorsey Taliban.PNG|right|200px|thumb|Dorsey refused to ban the Taliban terrorist organization from Twitter.]]<br />
For first time in [[American history]] social media companies took [[direct action]] against a major U.S. publisher,<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/twitter-and-facebooks-assault-on-freedom-of-the-press_3540670.html</ref> ''[[The New York Post]]'' when it published a story on [[Biden-Burisma]] scandal.<ref>*https://nypost.com/2020/10/14/email-reveals-how-hunter-biden-introduced-ukrainian-biz-man-to-dad/<br>*https://youtu.be/r4Kcc7a114I<br>*https://youtu.be/89ByR-vrnc4</ref> ''The Post'' is among the top five newspapers by circulation in the United States. These actions raised serious questions about many social media platforms future [[Section 230]] immunity status.<br />
<br />
Twitter and Facebook illegally interfered in the 2020 presidential election by blocking links to the article.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/14/election-interference-facebook-suppressing-new-york-post-bombshell-story-of-damaging-hunter-biden-emails/</ref><ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/10/14/bookmark-todays-date-big-tech-has-crossed-the-event-horizon-to-protect-joe-biden/</ref> Twitter and Facebook both have many foreign stockholders.<ref>"Finalized January of 2011, the transaction included a $450 million investment from Goldman Sachs, $50 million from DST, and $1 billion from unnamed foreign investors." http://whoownsfacebook.com/#Goldman<br>*https://qz.com/519388/this-saudi-prince-now-owns-more-of-twitter-than-jack-dorsey-does/</ref> Twitter illegally banned people who posted ''The New York Post'' story,<ref>https://www.wnd.com/2020/10/twitter-now-banning-users-posting-ny-post-story-hunter-biden/</ref> including [[White House]] Press Secretary [[Kayleigh McEnany]] for sharing the article,<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/15/twitter-bans-white-house-press-secretary-for-sharing-hunter-and-joe-biden-corruption-article/</ref> and illegally locked the Trump Campaign account less than three weeks before the 2020 Presidential election.<ref>https://creativedestructionmedia.com/news/politics/2020/10/15/twitter-locks-trump-campaign-account-less-than-3-weeks-before-presidential-election/</ref> Rep. [[Jim Jordan]] posted the Biden-Burisma story on a federal government website after Twitter censored the House Judiciary GOP, at which point the link was promptly censored by Twitter.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/jim-jordan-posts-hunter-biden-burisma-story-twitter-censors-house-judiciary-gop/</ref> [[Wikipedia]] editors censored the [[Hunter Biden]] bombshell, and baselessly called the ''New York Post'' an "unreliable" source.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/wikipedia-editors-censor-hunter-biden-bombshell-call-new-york-post-unreliable-source/</ref> [[Google]] also was reported to be illegally meddling in [[U.S. Senate]] elections.<ref>https://patriotdailypress.org/2020/10/13/google-researcher-warns-google-may-be-shifting-power-to-flip-senate/</ref> The [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] announced that Twitter CEO [[Jack Dorsey]] would be [[subpoena]]ed to explain the meddling.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/15/senate-judiciary-committee-will-subpoena-twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-over-ny-post-censorship/</ref> Former [[James Comey]] general counsel [[James A. Baker (DOJ)]], who was complicit in the [[Obamagate timeline|Obamagate]] and [[FISA abuse]] scandals, is [[Twitter]]'s lead counsel.<ref>https://nypost.com/2020/06/16/twitter-hires-former-fbi-chief-counsel-as-deputy-lawyer/</ref> The [[RNC]] made a formal complaint to the [[Federal Elections Commission]] which reads in part,<br />
{{quotebox-float|"Respondent’s feud with President Trump is well known, as are its frequent efforts to censor the President’s tweets and the “shadow banning” of prominent Republicans, including RNC’s Chair, [[Ronna McDaniel]], and several Republican Members of Congress. Respondent’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, and other senior executives are prolific donors to the Democrat party and other left-wing causes, with 98.7% of the company’s total political contributions going to Democrats. In addition, there appears to be a revolving door between the Biden campaign and the company, with Respondent’s Public Policy Director recently leaving to join the Biden transition team and [[Senator Kamala Harris]]’s former Press Secretary now serving as Respondent’s Senior Communications Manager."<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/480341244/RNC-Complaint-Against-Twitter-Inc-Web#from_embed</ref>}}<br />
By "fact checking" one candidate and not another, [[Big Tech]] gave an enormous in-kind campaign contribution of immeasurable monetary value to the [[2020 Biden campaign|Biden campaign]].<br />
<br />
==Quotes==<br />
*''What if you could share your status with all your friends really easily, so they know what you're doing?''<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
* [[Facebook]]<br />
* [[MySpace]]<br />
* [[Digg]]<br />
* [[EBay]]<br />
* [[PayPal]]<br />
* [[My Yahoo]] <br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
*[https://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/05/twitter-founders-thrive-on-micro-blogging-constraints137.html Twitter Founders Thrive on Micro-Blogging Constraints.]<br />
*[http://www.crunchbase.com/person/jack-dorsey Jack Dorsey.]<br />
<br />
{{communism}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Jack}}<br />
[[Category:Internet]]<br />
[[Category:Online Social Networking]]<br />
[[Category:Liberals]][[Category:Anti-Semitism]][[Category:Racism]][[Category:Bigotry]][[Category:Anti-American]][[Category:Anti-Constitutionalists]]<br />
[[Category:Snowflakes]]<br />
[[Category:Elites]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Free Speech]]<br />
[[Category:Pro-Surveillance]][[Category:SJWs]]<br />
[[Category:Democrat Establishment]]<br />
[[Category:Corruption in Democrat Party]]<br />
[[Category:Perpetrators of Cancel Culture]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:ChenXiansheng&diff=1946728User talk:ChenXiansheng2023-05-12T01:50:22Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Hey, sorry */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{greeting|username=Liberaltears|sig=—[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 19:02, July 2, 2021 (EDT)}}<br />
<br />
== Note ==<br />
<br />
Hi ChenXiansheng, about some of your edits that got you blocked by 1990'sguy, please try to make sure any statements you add are substantiated and cited, and generally don't outright remove cited details as you did [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Microsoft&diff=prev&oldid=1775117 here]. Thanks! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 21:02, July 25, 2021 (EDT)<br />
:It would probably help to have some understanding of law and the U.S. Consitution before making an edit like this [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gun_control&diff=prev&oldid=1778188]. The Consitution does not grant guns rights to U.S. citizens, it recognizes that God granted that right to Canadians, too. My apologies if admins or editors on this site lose patience with the garbage and brainwashing taught in Canadian public schools or spewed by Canadian state media. But you ought to think first before regurgitating commie agitprop on this site. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:50, July 25, 2021 (EDT)<br />
:@ChenXiansheng: Most importantly, don't change content to reflect a leftist/establishment/theologically liberal viewpoint. Wikipedia already exists for that. CP is a conservative website, and by "conservative," I don't mean Max Boot. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:08, July 25, 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Freedom Convoy article ==<br />
<br />
Do not edit the [[Freedom Convoy]] article to impose a liberal POV by removing factual data again. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 15:43, February 17, 2022 (EST)<br />
:Removing unsourced content is not necessarily "imposing liberal POV" (that would presuppose the article contained "liberal POV' before the unsourced content was added). This discussion should be occurring on the Freedom Convoy talk page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Let's Go Brandon!]]</sup> 16:11, February 17, 2022 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please don't copypaste text from Wikipedia if you didn't write it ==<br />
<br />
I quickly noticed, in your edit [[Special:Diff/1921663|here]], that there's invalid parameters in the citation templates. After doing a bit of digging, I found that it's the exactly same text copied from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_behavior_analysis#Views_of_Autistic_community this Wikipedia article]. Did you author that section of text in the WP article? If not, then please don't copy it verbatim onto Conservapedia, and instead rewrite it on your own words. Thanks. —[[User:LT|<code><span style="background:#FF8181">'''LT'''</span></code>]] '''''[[User talk:LT|<sup>(Mark 8:36)</sup>]]''''' Tuesday, 22:22, January 9, 2023 (EST)<br />
<br />
== ADHD is curable. You are taking a defeatist attitude in your neorodiversity article ==<br />
<br />
I am writing to you about your [[neurodiversity]] article. <br />
<br />
*[https://mindalive.com/pages/adhd Clinical Studies Using AVE for ADHD and Academic Performance]<br />
<br />
*[https://docplayer.net/183954150-Attention-behavior-issues-and-the-use-of-magnetic-products-by-dr-margolis-and-others.html ATTENTION/BEHAVIOR ISSUES AND THE USE OF NIKKEN MAGNETIC PRODUCTS by Dr. Margolis and others]<br />
<br />
A lady in an office building I worked in used the AVE technology produced by this Canadian company and was cured within a month. Many schools are now using this technology successfully.<br />
<br />
This article is too [[woke]]!<br />
<br />
But I do realize that we live in a fallen world and some people have incurable diseases from a medical perspective. But even then, [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbjmSS6LZDGpbj_WPgVj5u-Pj82cnt6x0 God can work miracles].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 22:26, January 9, 2023 (EST)<br />
:ADHD is bunk. It's an invented disease by [[Big Pharma]] to sell pills. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 22:28, January 9, 2023 (EST)<br />
:<See Cons, I made a point without spamming.> [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 22:30, January 9, 2023 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Generally speaking, don't mass-remove mainspace content without discussion on the corresponding talk page ==<br />
<br />
—[[User:LT|<code><span style="background:#FF8181">'''LT'''</span></code>]] '''''[[User talk:LT|<sup>(Matthew 26:52)</sup>]]''''' Thursday, 08:35, March 30, 2023 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:That's true; Minuteman is programmed to block vandals who do mass removals. OTOH, the [[Poe's Law]] page was created by Ratvandals. I don't know what's on it, but it would be interesting to see how much is a cut n paste from RW. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 13:56, March 30, 2023 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I stand corrected. User:Cons created the page, evidently in response to the wiki wars at that time which extensively referred to Poe's law, whatever that is. It still would be interesting to compare the two. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 15:20, March 30, 2023 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[[User:RobSmith|RobS]] Poe's Law is also used by right-wing people to criticize far-left people, and by left-wing people to criticize far-right people. It's not limited to just creation anymore. Therefore, the article is biased and presents a narrow view of the topic, all because it originated in a topic that Conservative didn't like. [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 21:57, March 31, 2023 (EDT)<br />
:I don't know; all I know is it probably originated in a [[Usenet]] discussion group and can probably be considered a [[meme]]. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 22:08, March 31, 2023 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Hey, sorry==<br />
I've been meaning to get back to you. The past few days have been hectic for me, but I will get back to you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 04:39, May 9, 2023 (EDT)<br />
:No problem, take your time. [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 21:50, May 11, 2023 (EDT)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Canada&diff=1946318Canada2023-05-09T08:26:06Z<p>ChenXiansheng: This is wrong, dental care is usually paid for by private insurance</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Country<br />
|name =''Canada''<br />
|map =Canada pol99.jpg<br />
|map2 =Loc of Canada.png<br />
|flag =Flag of Canada.svg<br />
|arms =Canada arms.png<br />
|capital =Ottawa<br />
|capital-raw =<br />
|government =Leftist totalitarian dictatorship<br />
|government-raw =<br />
|language =English, French<br />
|king =Charles III<br />
|queen = <br />
|monarch-raw =<br />
|president =<br />
|president-raw =<br />
|chancellor =<br />
|chancellor-raw =<br />
|pm =Justin Trudeau<br />
|pm-raw =<br />
|conservative-leader=Maxime Bernier<br />
|conservative-leader-raw=<br />
|chairman =<br />
|premier =<br />
|area = <br />
|pop =38,000,000 (2020)<br />
|pop-basis =<br />
|gdp =$1,700,000,000,000 (2020)<br />
|gdp-year =<br />
|gdp-pc =$44,737<br />
|currency =Canadian dollar<br />
|idd =<br />
|tld =<br />
}}<br />
'''Canada''' is a Representative [[Democracy]] in [[North America]] which extends from the [[Pacific Ocean]] in the west to the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in the east and northward to the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Canada is the largest country by total area in [[North America]] and the second largest in the world behind [[Russia]]. It also has the longest coastline of any nation, as well as the longest border with the [[United States]] to the south and northwest. Its border with the [[U.S.]] is the longest undefended border in the world.<br />
<br />
Canada's motto, ''A Mari usque ad Mare'' (From sea to sea), is based on [[Bible|biblical]] scripture: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8)."<ref>[http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/arm2_e.cfm The Arms of Canada- Description]</ref><br />
<br />
Canada suspended the civil liberties of all its citizens on February 14, 2022, under its [[Liberal Party of Canada]] ruling party.<ref>https://www.newswars.com/canada-has-abolished-civil-liberties-in-the-name-of-safety/</ref><br />
<br />
Many Canadian musicians have been successful in the [[United States]],<ref>https://seerocklive.com/70-canadian-singers-and-bands-who-made-it-big-in-america/</ref> including such performers as Guy Lombardo, Percy Faith, Paul Anka, [[Neil Young]], Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams, David Foster, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne and Justin Bieber.<br />
<br />
==Etymology==<br />
The name Canada originated in 1535 by [[Jacques Cartier]] is based on the Iroquoian word "kanata", meaning "village."<ref name="Canadian_Encylopedia">[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&ArticleId=A0001216 The Canadian Encyclopedia]</ref> By 1545, Europeans began referring to this region as Canada.<br />
<br />
The name ''Dominion of Canada'' was adopted during [[British North America Act|confederation]] in 1867. The name continued until the [[Constitution Act]] of 1982, when "Canada" became the legal name. Canada Day, on July 1, used to known as be Dominion Day.<br />
<br />
== Anthem==<br />
[[File:E-canada.jpg|thumb|450px|political map of Canada]]<br />
The Canadian national anthem, '[[O Canada]]', was written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier as a poem, to which music, composed by Calixa Lavall&eacute;e, was later added, in 1880. The original was composed in French, and was first translated into English by Dr. Thomas Bedford Richardson of Toronto, Ontario, in 1906. However, it was not officially adopted as the national anthem until 1980.<ref>[http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/anthem_e.cfm National Anthem: O Canada]</ref> It is important to distinguish between 'O Canada', the national anthem, and 'God Save The Queen', which is the Royal anthem, played as a salute to Her Majesty [[Queen Elizabeth II]] as Queen of Canada. The English lyrics and French lyrics have several notable differences, with the French version being slightly longer.<br />
<br />
==Geography==<br />
<br />
At the time of Confederation, Canada was comprised of four provinces: Upper Canada (now Ontario), Lower Canada (now Québec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Since that time, six additional provinces have joined Canada or have been created. From west to east, the provinces are [[British Columbia]], [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], [[Manitoba]], [[Ontario]], [[Québec]], [[New Brunswick]], [[Prince Edward Island]], [[Nova Scotia]], and [[Newfoundland|Newfoundland and Labrador]]. Newfoundland was the last province to join Canada, in 1949. The provinces all elect a single (unicameral) legislature, headed by Premier, who is selected the same way as the Prime Minister. A Lieutenant-Governor represents the Queen, similar to the Governor General. <br />
Canada has three territories: the [[Yukon Territory]], the [[Northwest Territories]], and [[Nunavut]],. Territories have only have those powers delegated to them by the federal government. Nunavut is the newest territory, created as a homeland for the Inuit people in 1999.<br />
<br />
*Area: 9.9 million km<sup>2</sup>. (3.8 million sq. mi.); second-largest country in the world. <br />
*Cities: Capital—Ottawa (pop. 1,017,449). Other major cities—Toronto (2,794,356), Montreal (1,762,949), Calgary (1,306,784), Edmonton (1,010,899), Winnipeg (749,607), Mississauga (717,961), Vancouver (662,248), Brampton (656,480), Hamilton (569,353), Surrey (568,322), Quebec City (549,459) and Halifax (439,819). <br />
*Terrain: Mostly plains with mountains in the west and lowlands in the southeast. <br />
*Climate: Temperate to arctic. <br />
{{Clear}}<br />
<br />
==People==<br />
[[File:Canadian Aboriginal Festival.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Aboriginal leader at the 13th Annual Canadian Aboriginal Festival, 2006.]]<br />
*Population (2008 est.): 33.1 million. <br />
*Ethnic groups: British/Irish 28%, French 23%, other European 15%, Asian/Arab/African 6%, indigenous Amerindian 2%, mixed background 26%.<br />
*Religions: Roman Catholic 43.6%, Protestant 29.2%, other Christian 4.3%, Muslim 2.0%, Jewish 1.1%, Buddhist 1.0%, Hindu 1.0% other 1.3%, none 16.5%.<br />
*Languages: English (official) 57.8%, French (official) 22.1%, other 20.1% (including Chinese and aboriginal languages). <br />
*Education: Literacy—99% of population aged 15 and over has at least a ninth-grade education. <br />
*Health: Infant mortality rate—5.4/1,000. Life expectancy—77.7 yrs. male, 82.5 yrs. female. <br />
*Work force (2008, 18.2 million): Goods-producing sector—25%, of which: manufacturing 15%; construction 6%; agriculture 2%; natural resources 2%; utilities 1%. Service-producing sector—75%, of which: trade 16%; health care and social assistance 11%; educational services 7%, accommodation and food services 7%; professional, scientific, and technical services 7%; finance 6%; public administration 5%; transportation and warehousing 5%; information, culture, and recreation 5%; other services 4%. <br />
<br />
In 2005 the city of [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]] was voted "the world's best place to live" in the world.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4306936.stm Vancouver is "best place to live"] ("Canadian cities scored well, as did Austria's Vienna and Switzerland's Geneva, because they are not seen as targets for terror attacks.")</ref> Calgary has been named on several occasions the world's cleanest city.<br />
Canada's population is increasingly urban, with 6 cities recording a population over 1 million ([[Toronto]], [[Montreal]], [[Vancouver]], [[Ottawa]]-Gatineau, [[Calgary]], [[Edmonton]]); these 6 cities represent over 45% of Canada's population. Canada is becoming an increasingly multicultural country, with most new immigrants settling in [[Toronto]], [[Montreal]] and [[Vancouver]]. [[Toronto]] is the world's most multicultural city, with 43% a member of a visible minority.<ref>http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=bb0fee45-b305-490a-b161-a21bcb1d7329&k=34160</ref><br />
<br />
====Culture====<br />
[[Image:800px-Canada-satellite.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A satellite image of Canada.]]<br />
Due to its colonial past, Canadian culture has historically been heavily influenced by British culture. Quebec maintains a French culture but has been largely cut off from Parisian trends for 250 years. Since 1800 Canadian culture has been greatly influenced by American culture, due to the proximity and the migration of people, ideas, and capital. Amidst this, Canadian culture has developed some unique characteristics, and many Canadian movies, authors, television shows, and musicians are equally popular in United States. The Canadian television industry has a local content requirement, which requires the use of Canadian actors in Canadian productions. Canadian culture has also been influenced by indigenous cultures, and by immigrant groups from around the world. It has the highest per capita immigration rate of any country in the world, with the percentage growing every day.<ref>http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/080402/d080402a.htm</ref><br />
<br />
Canada has two federal official languages, French and English. The province of Quebec has French as its official language, New Brunswick both French and English, making it the only bilingual province, and all other provinces English (although in some parts of Ontario French has special status). The territory of Nunavut has Inuktitut and Innuinaqtun as official languages in addition to French and English, the North West territories has eleven official languages, and the Yukon recognizes French and English.<br />
<br />
Canada tends to reflect significantly more liberal social policies than the neighboring states of the northern U.S. One such example is the legalizing of [[same-sex "marriage"]] in June 2005.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/06/28/samesex050628.html CBC news article on passing of gay marriage law]</ref> Another is its single-payer health care system.<br />
<br />
In comparing the suicide rates between Canada and its closest neighbour the US, Canada has a slightly higher rate.<ref>[http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suiciderates/en/ WHO: Suicide rates]</ref> It has been suggested that this slightly higher rate of suicide is induced by Seasonal Affective Disorder, a mental health disorder prevalent in northern countries due the significantly reduced or non-existent daylight hours during the winter. Severe episodes of Seasonal Affective Disorder can cause suicidal thoughts.<ref>http://www.cmha.ca/bins/content_page.asp?cid=3-86-93-291</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<center><br />
[[File:Toronto Canada 2009.jpg]]<br />
<br />
Panorama of Toronto, Ontario.<br />
</center><br />
<br />
===Sports===<br />
See [[Canadian sports]]<br />
[[File:Canada Orchestra.jpg|thumb|Collegiate band.]]<br />
Notable sports which are enjoyed throughout Canada include [[hockey]], [[curling]], [[lacrosse]], and [[football]]. Canada collected 18 medals in the Summer Olympics, more per capita than the United States but less than Australia. The country finished third overall in the Torino Winter Olympics, with a total of 24 medals, one less than the United States and 10 more than next-place [[Sweden]]. The most recent winter Olympics was held in 2010 in Vancouver and Whistler. Canada finished third overall in the medal count and was first in the gold medal count with 14 gold. This was the first instance of Canada winning a gold medal on home ground and a moment of national pride.<br />
<br />
====Cultural Style====<br />
<br />
Canadian culture puts stress on open-mindedness and tolerance of multiple viewpoints.<ref>See [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/features/cucanada.xml&source=EMC-exp_01102008 National Cultural Profiles, a guide from the London ''Telegraph'' to the thinking patterns of all the world's major cultures]</ref> Canadian opinion shows a strong sense of wanting to be independent of the U.S., although their economy, society, and culture closely resembles the U.S., and most Canadians live a short drive from the border. Canada is usually contrasted as a "cultural mosaic" to the United States' "melting pot". Canadian and U.S. polls habitually confirm citizens of both countries view the relationship with each other in a highly positive light, and consider each other with a special respect afforded to common allies.<ref>http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/canadian-cultural-mosaic-american-melting-pot</ref><br />
<br />
====Education====<br />
[[File:Mount St Helens erupting at night by Paul Kane.jpg|thumb|330px|Mount St Helens erupting at night by Paul Kane, 1847.]]<br />
Education in Canada is the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments; curriculum and marking schemes are completely removed from the control of the federal government. Each province uses a different method of administering education, with variation in the number of years and the curriculum. Quebec, for example, has five years of secondary school finishing at the equivalent of grade 11 followed by two years of CEGEP, while Ontario has two years of kindergarten. Most provinces have kindergarten with school starting at age 5 going to grade 12 (age 17) as part of the public system. Some provinces have standardized provincial exams at the end of secondary school and/or at other designated grades.<br />
<br />
Several provinces have two publicly funded school systems: public and private(either corporate or religious). The constitution also guarantees education in one's first official language and, as such, all provinces and territories have both English and French language schooling. Additionally, private schools both religious and secular exist throughout the country. Alberta has an additional category, known as charter schools. Charter schools are schools that have been created in the community to surround a particular theme. They could be artistic, vocational, etc.<br />
<br />
A source of comparison is the Human Development Index, a measurement of literacy, education, life expectancy and standard of living. Using this scale, Canada scores +.967 and the U.S. +950.<br />
<br />
====Religion====<br />
''See also:'' [[Canada and irreligion]]<br />
[[File:Gurion Hyman Jewish people of Canada.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Jewish people of Canada.]]<br />
For the total population, in 2001, 12.9 million (44%) were Roman Catholic, with 8.7 million Protestants (29%). 4.9 million (16% ) report no religious affiliation (including atheists and agnostics). Other religions of significance in Canada include 580,000 Muslims; 330,000 Jews; 300,000 Buddhists; 297,000 Hindus; and 278,000 Sikhs.<ref>See [http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo30a-eng.htm "Population by religion, by province and territory (2001 Census)"]</ref> <br />
<br />
Catholicism formerly dominated Quebec until the "[[Quiet Revolution]]" of the 1960s, which has greatly reduced the power of the Catholic Church in Quebec, and its participation rates.<br />
<br />
The proportion attending religious services on a regular basis has declined over the past 20 years. According to the General Social Survey (GSS), 21% of Canadians aged 15 and over reported they attended a religious service at least once a week in 2005, down from 30% in 1985.<ref>Colin Lindsay, "Canadians attend weekly religious services less than 20 years ago," [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-630-x/2008001/article/10650-eng.htm ''Statistics Canada'' (2008)]</ref> Between 1985 and 2004, the share of Canadians aged 15 and older reporting no religious affiliation increased by seven percentage points from 12% to 19%. 37% of Canadians who rarely attend formal services nevertheless regularly engage in personal religious practices. Of of those who had not attended any religious services over the previous year, 27% engaged in weekly religious practices on their own. Overall this group of adults who regularly engage in private religious practices, but infrequently or never attend religious services, represent, 21% of the adult population. This pattern was most prevalent among older Canadians.<ref>Warren Clark and Grant Schellenberg, "Who's religious?" [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2006001/9181-eng.htm '"Statistics Canada'' (2008)]</ref><br />
<br />
Civil liberties organizations, the media, and some members of Parliament occasionally criticized federal and provincial human rights commissions and tribunals for their application of hate speech restrictions included in federal and provincial human rights acts, claiming that the commissions and tribunals at times limited free speech and expression, and religious rights. The commissions are required by law to process all complaints they receive.<br />
<br />
A complaint against the editor of ''Catholic Insight'', alleging the magazine promoted hatred against homosexuals, remained before the Canadian Human Rights Commission at the end of 2008. The complainant alleged that he was upholding Catholic teaching on homosexuality in the magazine.<br />
<br />
In June 2008 members of the Ontario legislature voted unanimously to maintain the tradition of reading the Lord's Prayer in the provincial legislature and to add a rotation of prayers from other major religious traditions and a moment of silent reflection for atheists. The vote was prompted by a proposal by Ontario's premier in February 2008 to discontinue the religious observance.<br />
<br />
In July 2022 the Trudeau dictatorship imposed sanctions on Russian Orthodox Patriarch His Holiness Archbishop Kirill. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman [[Maria Zakharova]] observed, "Only [[satanist]]s could have imposed sanctions on the patriarch."<ref>https://srbin.info/en/svet/zaharova-o-potezu-kanade-sankcije-patrijarhu-su-mogli-da-uvedu-samo-satanisti/</ref><br />
<br />
==Government==<br />
[[File:Justin Trudeau blackface2.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Canadian socialist fuhrer Justin Trudeau, 2015-present.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/09/20/canadas-liberals-defend-trudeau-from-resignation-calls-amid-blackface-scandal/ Canada’s Liberals Defend Trudeau from Resignation Calls amid Blackface Scandal]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 20, 2019.</ref>]]<br />
The government of Canada is split into two orders, federal and provincial, as outlined by the BNA Act. Each has very specific responsibilities, with some overlap. For instance, universal health care is mandated by the Federal Government, but it is administered by the Provincial Governments. Neither level has supremacy over the other. The Federal Government is run out of [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]]; the provincial governments are run out the ten provincial capitals.<br />
<br />
The federal parliament is bicameral, including both a lower house - the Canadian House of Commons - and an upper house - the Canadian Senate. The parliamentary system is based on the British parliament. Members of Parliament represent specific geographical areas, generally chosen to have approximately equal population. A single member is elected from each on a [[first past the post]] system. The [[prime minister]] is usually the leader of the party with the most seats, though two or more parties may form a [[coalition]] to form a government. The governor General (GG) thus appoints the Prime minister.<br />
<br />
The Senate is made up of senators appointed for life by the prime minister (acting on behalf of the Governor General).<br />
<br />
In almost all cases, Acts of Parliament are created in the House of Commons. After passing three readings in the House of Commons, the bill is passed to the Senate. The job of the Senate is to further debate the proposed legislation, before passing it to the Governor General for Royal Assent. The Governor General is the official representative of Her Majesty [[Queen Elizabeth II]], Queen of Canada. The senators and the governor general are appointed positions by the sitting government. Senators are "lifetime" (until 75 years old) appointments and the Governor General will sit for, approximately, five yerars. The Prime Minister of Canada is the head of Government of Canada, acting as the Minister of the Crown, a practise inherited from the British system. The PM's term can last up to five years.<br />
<br />
All provincial legislatures are unicameral. The legislative process for provincial legislation is the same as for federal legislation, except that there is no Senate and the legislation is given royal assent by the provincial Lieutenants Governor, who represent the monarch at the provincial level.<br />
<br />
From 1841 to 1844, the capital city of what would become Canada was located in [[Kingston|Kingston, Ontario]]. Subsequently, the capital alternated between [[Toronto]] and [[Montreal]] until 1857, when the capital moved to [[Ottawa|Ottawa, Ontario]].<br />
<br />
The 40th Canadian Federal General Election occurred on October 14, 2008.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/09/07/election-call.html "Vote set for Oct. 14"]</ref> Currently, the Prime Minister is Justin Trudeau, a member of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]], while His Excellency David Lloyd Johnston is the Governor General. At present Canada is governed by a liberal [[majority government]].<ref>http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/</ref><br />
<br />
===Principal Government Officials===<br />
*Head of State—[[Queen Elizabeth II]]<br />
*Governor General— Mary May Simon, Canada's first Indigenous governor general. <br />
*Prime Minister—[[Justin Trudeau]]<br />
*Minister of Foreign Affairs—[[Mélanie Joly]]<br />
*Ambassador to the United Nations—[[Bob Rae]]<br />
<br />
===Politics===<br />
<br />
On October 19, 2015, Liberal Party [[racist]] Justin Trudeau was elected; he was re-elected in 2021.<br />
<br />
On February 6, 2006, [[Stephen Harper]], leader of the Conservative Party, became Canada's twenty-second prime minister, succeeding Liberal Paul Martin. A policy wonk from Alberta, Harper rose from the ranks of conservative political party staffers. In Parliament, he became Leader of the Opposition (2002-6). In 2003 he became head of the western-based Canadian Alliance. He was elected the first leader of the Conservative Party of Canada when it was created in 2003 through the merger of Harper's Canadian Alliance and Peter MacKay's Progressive Conservative Party. The January 23, 2006 election victory by the Conservative Party ended twelve years of Liberal Party rule that, in the end, was tainted by accusations of corruption and ethical missteps. In the federal election on October 14, 2008, the Conservatives won 38% of the vote and formed a second minority government with 143 seats in the House of Commons. The Liberals won 26% of the vote and 77 seats in the House of Commons. As the party with the second-largest number of seats, the Liberals form the "official opposition."<br />
[[Image:Supreme Court of Canada.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The Supreme Court of Canada.]]<br />
The Conservatives made unexpected gains in Quebec by winning ten seats in the January 2006 election, but failed to increase their number of seats in the province in the 2008 election. The separatist Bloc Quebecois (BQ) had a majority (49) of Quebec's 75 seats (the BQ runs candidates only in Quebec). The left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) had 37 seats, and two independents also sat in Parliament. Harper beat off a threatening no-confidence vote in late 2008 by warning that a government that included the BQ separatists—who want Quebec to break away from Canada—was hostile to Canada's national unity.<br />
<br />
On May 2, 2011, there was another election. The outcome was very dramatic and ground breaking. The Liberals traditionally placing first or second were reduced to just 34 seats becoming the third party of Canada. This happened from vote splitting in Ontario in which the leftists split their votes between the Liberals and the NDP. The Bloc Quebecois were destroyed in Quebec as the so-called "Orange Crush" of the NDP swept that province taking 59 out of 75 seats, leaving the BQ with a mere 4 seats. The NDP had their best results of all time and for the first time in history became the Official Opposition. The Conservatives came out on top though with 166 seats giving them their coveted majority. The Conservative lost the election of 2015 to the Liberal Party by a large margin.<br />
<br />
Canada is ranked 5th on the [[Fraser Institute]]'s [https://www.fraserinstitute.org/economic-freedom/map?page=map&year=2014 Economic Freedom Index], with a score of 7.98 out of 10.<br />
<br />
[[File:Commie vandals.png|right|300px|thumb|Communists vandalized the Memorial to the 100 million dead victims of Communism.]]<br />
====2020 Leftist insurrection====<br />
<br />
:{{See also|2020 Marxist insurrection}}<br />
Canada did not escape the [[violence]], mayhem, and destruction of the 2020 [[Marxist]] uprising. In Toronto, [[Antifa]] declared [[class war]].<ref>https://youtu.be/XEQbLsRn6Zo</ref> In Montreal, a check cashing establishment was looted and destroyed<ref>https://streamable.com/3hwkx2</ref> and other businesses.<ref>https://streamable.com/92h4rr</ref> The Memorial to the 100 million dead [[victim]]s of [[Communism]] was vandalized.<br />
<br />
====Leftwing totalitarianism====<br />
[[File:2022 Freedom Convoy.PNG|left|250px|thumb|The 2022 winter Freedom Convoy protests against fascist [[vaccine mandate]]s and [[mask mandate]]s was the beginning of a movement to rollback leftwing totalitarianism.]]<br />
{{main article|CCP virus in Canada}}<br />
On April 1, 2021, [[Fox News]] host [[Tucker Carlson]] took aim at Canadian "COVID-19 hotels" created and funded by Liberal party boss Justin Trudeau, which Carlson compared with internment camps and which he pointed out illegally violate human rights by forcing Canadian travelers returning from overseas vacations to either be detained for quarantine at the facilities or risk heavy fines and imprisonment.<ref>[https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/tucker-carlson-canadas-covid-internment-camps-violate-the-most-basic-human-rights Tucker Carlson: Canada’s COVID internment camps violate ‘the most basic human rights’] at LifeSiteNews</ref> Carlson also reported on the substandard conditions of the detainment facilities, including food and water shortages, missing locks on doors and female detainees being sexually assaulted, and he also criticized state broadcaster the CBC for spreading [[disinformation]] about the facilities. In a similar earlier criticism of those facilities and the Trudeau regime's actions, Rebel News reporter Keean Bexte, who had similarly been illegally targeted and coerced after returning from an assignment in Florida, compared them to [[gulag]]s, pointed out that what the Trudeau regime is doing flagrantly violates sections of the Charter and announced that Rebel News would be suing the regime to force the abolition of the pandemic facilities program.<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/no_covid_jails_donation Update: We're suing the Trudeau government over COVID jails] at Rebel News</ref> On April 26, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the "COVID-19 hotels" violated Charter protections (specifically, against Section 7, covering the right to life, liberty and security of person, and Section 9, covering the right to not be arbitrarily detained), though it did not issue an injunction against the program; a full hearing on the constitutionality of said facilities is scheduled for June 1–3, 2021.<ref>[https://www.jccf.ca/federal-court-rules-isolation-hotels-violate-charter-protection-against-arbitrary-detention-declines-to-issue-injunction/ Federal Court agrees isolation hotels violate Charter protection against arbitrary detention, declines to issue injunction]</ref><br />
<br />
On April 26, 2021, the ''Toronto Sun'' newspaper published the results of a study by Douglas W. Allen, an economics professor at Simon Fraser University in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia, indicating that the CCP flu lockdowns are ineffective and that the long-term societal harms of the lockdowns, including job losses and mental health challenges, are 282 times greater than any presumed benefits.<ref>[https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-new-canadian-study-breaks-down-ineffectiveness-and-harms-of-lockdowns FUREY: New Canadian study breaks down 'ineffectiveness' and harms of lockdowns] at the Toronto Sun</ref> On the basis of that report, independent (formerly [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]) Member of Parliament Derek Sloan pointed out that the lockdowns are destroying Canadian communities and that few politicians in Canada were willing to oppose the lockdown diktats due to cowardice and lack of courage;<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/lockdowns_are_destroying_our_communities_derek_sloan_with_ezra_levant Lockdowns are destroying our communities | Derek Sloan with Ezra Levant] at Rebel News</ref> Sloan also spoke out against "vaccine passports" and the mass injection of children with the experimental CCP flu "vaccines", calling them "...an absolute negligent crime against Canadians."<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/it_is_an_absolute_negligent_crime_against_canadians_derek_sloan_on_experimental_covid_vaccines "It is an absolute negligent crime against Canadians": Derek Sloan on experimental COVID vaccines] at Rebel News</ref><br />
<br />
Prior to an anti-lockdown rally in Toronto on May 15, 2021, [[People's Party of Canada]] leader [[Maxime Bernier]] stated in an interview with Rebel News reporter Alexa Lavoie that all CCP flu lockdowns in Canada should be ended immediately, citing how the lockdowns have negatively affected many small businesses across the country; he also voiced opposition to "vaccine passports", saying that such documents would cause the creation of a "show me your papers" society (akin to [[Nazi Germany]] and the [[USSR]] and other Communist-ruled countries) and the creation of new societal classes based on vaccination status (i.e. medical apartheid<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*[https://www.stopmedicalapartheid.org/ Stop Medical Apartheid website]<br />
*[https://billmuehlenberg.com/2021/06/09/forced-vaccines-health-fascism-and-medical-apartheid/ Forced Vaccines, Health Fascism, and Medical Apartheid]<br />
*[https://www.rebelnews.com/thousands_of_torontonians_rally_to_voice_concerns_about_medical_apartheid_and_government_overreach Thousands of Torontonians rally to voice concerns about medical apartheid and government overreach] at Rebel News</ref>).<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/we_need_to_have_an_ideological_revolution_maxime_bernier_on_lockdowns_vax_passports_bill_c10 People's Party leader Maxime Bernier on lockdowns, vax passports, Bill C-10] at Rebel News</ref><br />
<br />
As in the United States,<ref>[https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/10/09/the-governments-unfair-treatment-of-churches-during-covid-pandemic/ The Government’s Unfair Treatment of Churches During COVID Pandemic] at the Daily Signal</ref> worship services,<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoOpd3N5R9M Pastor James Coates returns to GraceLife, RCMP try to disrupt services] at Rebel News YouTube channel<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdpKoymxJAo Freedom of religion vs. B.C.'s Dr. Bonnie Henry: Time to open churches] at Rebel News<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pUgkSv5WV8 Religion vs. State Day 2: should churches in B.C. really be closed?] at Rebel News YouTube channel<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz2mOy-TjeY “Without hope, people have nothing”: Pastor criticizes Alberta COVID-19 response] at Rebel News YouTube channel</ref> other public gatherings<ref name="Edmonton Police">[https://www.rebelnews.com/edmonton_police_attack_peaceful_protesters_then_turn_against_journalists Edmonton police attack peaceful protesters, then turn against journalists] at Rebel News</ref> and many businesses in Canada<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*[https://www.rebelnews.com/they_dont_care_if_my_business_shuts_down_ontario_small_biz_owner_speaks_out_against_town_council_covid_rules “They don't care if my business shuts down”: Ontario small biz owner speaks out against town council COVID rules] at Rebel News<br />
*[https://www.rebelnews.com/manitoba_businesses_individuals_are_being_charged_its_time_to_fight_the_fines FIGHT BACK: Manitoba businesses, individuals are being charged & it's time Fight The Fines] at Rebel News<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5-SS5lr21w “Alienated” from Alberta Health: New Dimension Tattoos followed mask bylaw, ticketed anyway] at Rebel News YouTube channel<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIZl5y3rwRE Spa THREATENED with $100,000 a day in fines — Boho owner says microblading safer than WalMart] at Rebel News YouTube channel<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkA1uCFgfqk “Common sense has gone out the window”: Noble Fox still fighting AHS] at Rebel News YouTube channel</ref> have been negatively affected by the illegal and unconstitutional diktats, police harassment/persecution and unjust punishments imposed by Justin Trudeau, Theresa Tam and their liberal provincial and municipal counterparts (including British Columbia premier [[John Horgan]],<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/bc_slapped_with_new_lockdown_restrictions_for_only_three_weeks B.C. slapped with new lockdown restrictions — for only “three weeks”] at Rebel News</ref> Ontario premier [[Doug Ford]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOwBv17Qbas&t=6s WATCH: Doug Ford THIRD Lockdown Announcement!] at Rebel News YouTube channel</ref> Calgary mayor [[Naheed Nenshi]]<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/mayor_nenshi_is_the_one_who_asked_for_tougher_covid_enforcement_keean_bexte_joins_ezra_levant Mayor Nenshi is the one who asked for tougher COVID enforcement | Keean Bexte joins Ezra Levant] at Rebel News</ref> and Toronto mayor [[John Tory]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w0MJS2it-g Toronto's “top doctor” lays out the plan for the New World Order] at Rebel News YouTube channel</ref>) during the pandemic while hypocritically allowing leftists to hold "protest" events.<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/bc_judge_rules_to_keep_churches_closed_but_peaceful_protests_wide_open B.C. judge rules to keep churches closed but peaceful protests wide open] at Rebel News</ref> [[Rebel News]] has also questioned why Theresa Tam and Canada's unelected provincial public health officers have turned into tyrants drunk on their own power, shutting down churches, fitness gyms, restaurants and various small businesses based solely on flaunting the power bestowed upon them by Justin Trudeau and the provincial premiers.<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/tyrants_public_health_officials_drunk_with_power TYRANTS: Our public health officials have become drunk with power] at Rebel News</ref><br />
<br />
====Liberals declare martial law====<br />
{{See also|Justin Trudeau|Vaccine mandate|Faucism#Opponents of Faucism}}<br />
[[File:Liberal fascist goons murder elderly disabled woman.PNG|right|500px|thumb|Canadian police trample an elderly [[Native American]] covid mandate protester in February 2022 whom the government labeled as a [[Nazi]] with "unacceptable views".]]<br />
Canada illegally suspended the civil liberties of all its citizens in violation of the [[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]] on February 14, 2022, under its ruling [[Liberal Party of Canada]] regime via [[Justin Trudeau]]'s invocation of the [[Emergencies Act (Canada)|Emergencies Act]] in a paranoid and desperate attempt to crush the anti-[[CCP flu]] mandate [[Freedom Convoy]] peaceful protests in the capitol of [[Ottawa]] and related protests elsewhere in the country.<ref>[https://www.rebelnews.com/justin_trudeau_invokes_emergencies_act_against_peaceful_truckers_rebellion Justin Trudeau invokes Emergencies Act against peaceful truckers' rebellion] at Rebel News</ref><br />
<br />
Under Canadian law, Parliament must ratify implementation of the Act within 7 days; on the fourth day of debate, the Liberals suspended parliament, ending debate.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10529061/Canadas-Parliament-SUSPENDS-debate-Trudeaus-Emergencies-Act.html</ref><br />
<br />
Trudeau refused to negotiate with the freedom truckers. Instead, Trudeau consulted with U.S. socialist premier Joe Biden who urged him to use federal force and coercion against the protesters by invoking martial law. Trudeau promised "quick action."<ref>https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/11/readout-of-president-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-justin-trudeau-of-canada/</ref> On February 14, 2022, at the urging of [[Joseph Biden|Biden]]<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/14/trudeau-invoked-emergency-act-only-after-biden-urged-canada-to-use-federal-powers/ Trudeau Invoked ‘Emergency’ Act Only After Biden Administration Urged Canada to Use ‘Federal Powers’] at Breitbart News Network</ref> Trudeau invoked martial law against peaceful protesters in the [[Freedom Convoy]].<ref>Two references:<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/02/14/justin-trudeau-grabs-powers-under-never-before-used-emergencies-act-to-stomp-out-trucker-protests/ Justin Trudeau Grabs Powers Under Never-Before Used Emergencies Act to Stomp Out Trucker Protests] at Breitbart News Network<br />
*[https://dailycaller.com/2022/02/14/justin-trudeau-invokes-emergencies-act-canada-freedom-convoy/ Justin Trudeau Invokes ‘Emergencies Act’ In Unprecedented Move] at the Daily Caller</ref> Trudeau's move drew massive criticism and condemnation on social media from the public, while in response, the truckers in Ottawa announced that they will not back down from Trudeau (in spite of his threats to illegally freeze their assets and crowdfunding support<ref>Two references:<br />
*[https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/wow-trudeau-regime-announces-terrorist-funding-will-now-include-crowdfunding-donations-anything-dont-like-video/ WOW! Trudeau Regime Announces Terrorist Financing Will Now Include Crowdfunding Donations for Anything They Don’t Like] at the Gateway Pundit<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/14/trudeau-targets-crowdfunding-platforms-cryptocurrencies-under-terrorist-financing-rules/ Trudeau Targets Crowdfunding Platforms, Cryptocurrencies Under ‘Terrorist Financing’ Rules] at Breitbart News Network</ref> and revoke their insurance for standing up to him and his diktats<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/14/trudeau-threatens-freeze-assets-suspend-insurance-freedom-convoy-truckers/ Trudeau Threatens to Freeze Assets, Suspend Insurance of Freedom Convoy Truckers] at Breitbart News Network</ref>) or give in to his illegal power grab.<ref>[https://youtu.be/oBnVGDzbFVw Trucker Freedom Convoy 2022 Coverage (Ottawa, Windsor Ambassador Bridge, Coutts)] at YouTube</ref> Polls showed Trudeau's approval ratings at 16%.<ref>https://www.independentsentinel.com/trudeau-tries-to-get-his-16-favorability-up-with-martial-law-against-truckers/</ref><br />
<br />
On February 16, 2022, Trudeau delivered an address in the Canadian House of Commons on the implementation of the ''Emergencies Act''. After [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative MP]] Mellissa Lantsman grilled Trudeau for fanning the flames of an “unjustified national emergency.”, Trudeau implied that the those in the [[Freedom Convoy]] were "[[Nazi]]s" when he said, <br />
{{Quotebox-float|"[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]] members can stand with people who wave [[swastika]]s; they can stand with people who wave the [[Confederate flag]].” &mdash;[[Justin Trudeau]] <ref name="politico.com">https://www.politico.com/newsletters/ottawa-playbook/2022/02/17/ottawa-deserves-better-00009716</ref>}} Mellissa Lantsman is [[Jewish]]. In response to this egregious comment by Trudeau, members of the opposition immediately demanded Trudeau retract his comment. Conservative MP Dane Lloyd rose to the floor and called him out saying,<br />
<br />
{{Quotebox-float|"I've never seen such shameful remarks coming from this Prime Minister – my great grandfather [[Bombing of Germany|flew over 30 missions]] over [[Nazi Germany]]. My great great uncle's body [[World War II|lies at the bottom]] of the [[English Channel]]. There are members of this body who are descendants of victims of the [[Holocaust]]. For the Prime Minister to accuse any colleagues in this House of standing with the [[swastika]]<ref name="conservapedia.comflag_of_nazi_germany.png">http://www.conservapedia.comflag_of_nazi_germany.png</ref> is shameful – I'm giving the Prime Minister an opportunity. I'm calling upon him to unreservedly apologize for this shameful remark,” <br />
<br />
&mdash;Dane Lloyd<ref name="thedesertreview.com">[https://www.thedesertreview.com/opinion/columnists/trudeau-takes-a-beating-in-parliament/article_2ac42b8c-9026-11ec-abd3-53b2d2c1bb89.html]</ref><ref name="breitbart.com">https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/17/parliament-scolds-justin-trudeau-for-saying-conservative-jewish-lawmaker-stands-with-nazis/</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">[https://www.politico.com/newsletters/ottawa-playbook/2022/02/17/ottawa-deserves-better-00009716]</ref>}} <br />
After Trudeau continued to ignore<ref name="thedesertreview.com">[https://www.thedesertreview.com/opinion/columnists/trudeau-takes-a-beating-in-parliament/article_2ac42b8c-9026-11ec-abd3-53b2d2c1bb89.html]</ref> the multiple<ref name="politico.com">https://www.politico.com/newsletters/ottawa-playbook/2022/02/17/ottawa-deserves-better-00009716</ref> requests for apology, Dane Lloyd again rose and said,<br />
{{Quotebox-float|"The fact is, I don't know how any member of the Government Caucus can stand by this Prime Minister – when he accuses honorable members of the House of standing with a swastika! I'm calling on ALL members of the Liberal Caucus to denounce the Prime Minister. I've given him two chances to apologize – he has refused to apologize. Mr. Prime Minister – APOLOGIZE!"<ref name="conservapedia.comflag_of_nazi_germany.png">http://www.conservapedia.comflag_of_nazi_germany.png</ref> is shameful – I'm giving the Prime Minister an opportunity. I'm calling upon him to unreservedly apologize for this shameful remark,”<br />
<br />
&mdash;Dane Lloyd<ref name="thedesertreview.com">[https://www.thedesertreview.com/opinion/columnists/trudeau-takes-a-beating-in-parliament/article_2ac42b8c-9026-11ec-abd3-53b2d2c1bb89.html]</ref><ref name="breitbart.com">https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/17/parliament-scolds-justin-trudeau-for-saying-conservative-jewish-lawmaker-stands-with-nazis/</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">[https://www.politico.com/newsletters/ottawa-playbook/2022/02/17/ottawa-deserves-better-00009716]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
===Policy===<br />
<br />
Policy priorities of the Conservatives under Harper have remained fairly consistent since 2006: fighting the [[Recession of 2008]]; aiding the ailing [[Automobile]] industry; improving accountability and ethics in government; lowering taxes; fighting crime; reinvesting in defense; bolstering Canada's Arctic sovereignty; promoting national unity; and raising the profile of Canada's role abroad, through its combat mission in Afghanistan, contributions to stabilization in Haiti, and renewed partnership with Latin America. Harper has been friendly with the U.S., despite growing Canadian annoyance with restrictions on border crossings. Harper has been a strong supporter of [[NAFTA]], and works to increase Canada's oil exports to the U.S. He remains strong in the polls as Canada has suffered less from the worldwide [[Recession of 2008]] than the EU or the U.S.<br />
<br />
[[Quebec]], with 23% of the national population, its distinctive French-language ("francophone") culture, angered the western provinces by wielding undue influence on the Federal Government and its repeated threats to national unity. Until Harper of Alberta became prime minister in 2006, the western provinces had denounced Ottawa's failure to appreciate the oil interests, one of Canada's major industries. Ontario complains that it pays out far more to the Federal Government than it gets back in revenues, while the Atlantic Provinces seek to assert greater control over fishing and mineral rights off their shores. The Federal Government ceded some power in a few areas of provincial jurisdiction, while seeking to strengthen the federal role in many other areas such as inter-provincial trade and the regulation of securities. <br />
<br />
====National Unity====<br />
Popular support for Quebec sovereignty appears to be on the wane, although Francophone pride in that province's unique cultural and linguistic identity remains very strong. Most Quebec voters seem to appreciate the economic benefits of remaining in the Canadian confederation and aim to advance their separate Francophone identity within the confederation. In a provincial election held on December 8, 2008, provincial Liberal Leader Jean Charest won a majority government. The separatist Parti Quebecois placed second.<br />
<br />
====Quebec Secession Movement and the October Crisis====<br />
[[File:Quebec1759.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Painting of British landing at Quebec, 1759.]]<br />
There are trivial separatist movements lobbying for independence from Canada in British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec. The only movement of real significance is in Quebec, where the province has twice voted on whether or not to separate from Canada, once in 1980 and again in 1995; the vote in 1995 failed by just 1 percent. On November 27, 2006, the Federal Government passed a motion declaring Québec a nation "within a united Canada".<ref>http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Pub=hansard&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1&DocId=2544166&File=0#OOB-1799206</ref><br />
<br />
This movement did reach a violent level however when the [[FLQ]] (Front de liberation du Quebec) undertook a series of letterbombings from 1963 to 1970 [http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0005880.com] The terror campaign reached a fever pitch when Pierre Laporte and James Cross were kidnapped in their own homes by gun wielding FLQ members. [http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/civil_unrest/topics/101/] The government initiated a crackdown in which the War Measures Act was put in place. This allowed the government to detain suspected terrorists without trial, and is the only time where the measure has been enacted in peace time. [http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/terrorists_spies/terrorists/flq/11.html]. The measure was widely supported by Canadians at the time. The action was short-lived however as the members of the FLQ were tracked down and arrested. The body of Pierre Laporte was discovered in the trunk of a car outside a Canadian military base. James Cross was released after intense negotiations with the government. The remaining members of the FLQ were either jailed or as a result of negotiations deported to Cuba.<br />
<br />
===Taxation===<br />
The average tax rate in Canada is higher than in the United States. In 2003, Canada's tax burden equals about 33.8% of GDP placing it in the middle of the G7 countries, with Japan lowest at 25.3% and France highest at 43.4%.<ref>[http://www.fin.gc.ca/activty/faq1e.html#Taxation Department of Finance Canada: FAQs]</ref> The US rate is roughly 25.6%; this discrepancy is consistent with the differing levels of social services which the governments funds. Canada also had managed to run without a budget deficit for a number of years under the last Liberal government.<br />
<br />
Equalization payments, worth 11.7 billion Canadian dollars are made by the federal government to the provinces from richer provinces (currently Alberta, Newfoundland,<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/11/03/have-not.html]</ref> and British Columbia) and the poorer provinces (Ontario,<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/11/03/flaherty-ministers.html]</ref> Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan). This is to ensure that reasonably uniform standards of services and taxation are kept between the richer and poorer provinces.<ref>[http://www.budget.gc.ca/2007/bp/bpc4e.html Budget 2007]</ref> These payments have not been without controversy as provinces begin to make more revenues from natural resources they do not want to give up the Equalization payments.<br />
[[File:Urmas Paet Canadian Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan, 2010.jpg|thumb|250px|The Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan with Urmas Paet, Estonian Foreign Minister, 2010.]]<br />
British Columbia's combined federal and provincial corporate tax rate is lower than any jurisdiction in the United States.<ref name=tax>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/Invest/Business-Climate/Pages/CompetitiveTaxClimate.aspx|title=Competitive Tax Climate|publisher=British Columbia|accessdate=Aug 12, 2012}}</ref> The BC corporate rate is 10% and the federal rate is 15%.<ref name=tax/><br />
<br />
Canada also has a national sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5% on all purchases. Some provinces add an additional percentage in the form of a Provincial Sales Tax (PST), or a combined Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) combining GST and the Provincial Sales Tax. Based on actual income, and a number of other factors, the government will refund GST/HST to eligible tax payers in quarterly installments on the fifth of the month in July, October, January, and April.<br />
<br />
====Public Health Care====<br />
<br />
{{See also|Two-tier system}}<br />
In 1984, the Federal Government, under the leadership of the Liberals and The Right Honourable [[Pierre Trudeau|Pierre Elliot Trudeau]], enacted the Canada Health Act. This act was based on the five principles of "universality, accessibility, portability, comprehensiveness, and public administration".<ref>[http://www.fin.gc.ca/FEDPROV/hise.html History of Canada Health and Social Transfer]</ref> This public health care system is run in partnership by Health Canada and provincial Ministries of Health, who both contribute tax revenues. The federal government sets policy, while the provinces are responsible for actual administration. In 1995, the Canada Health and Social Transfer was created to replace existing systems for the transferral of tax funding to the provinces to administer social programs. The rationale behind the system is to allow all Canadians equal access to equal treatment, regardless of socio-economic status. <br />
<br />
In Canada health care is frequently listed as top issue in election campaigns and is both a topic of frequent debate and a point of pride for many Canadians, Tommy Douglas the founder of medicare was, for example, voted the "Greatest Canadian" on a CBC television programme in 2004.<ref><br />
http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/</ref><br />
<br />
The current state of Canada's public health care system is gathering increasing media attention due to rising wait times. David Gratzer wrote:<br />
<blockquote>... government researchers have provided the best data on the doctor shortage, noting, for example, that more than 1.5 million Ontarians (or 12 percent of that province’s population) can’t find family physicians.<ref>[http://city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html The Ugly Truth about Canadian Healthcare]</ref></blockquote><br />
Most of the blame for the current state of affairs has been placed on successive government mismanagement. This represents a failure of the federal government to properly regulate the level of service being offered in the provinces. People regularly have to wait between four and eight months for non-emergency surgeries. The median wait time for an MRI across Canada is 10.3 weeks in 2006.<ref>http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&id=753</ref> In fact, former Prime Minister [[Jean Chretien|Jean Chrétien]] campaigned on a promise to shut down private MRI clinics because it creates a two tier system, regardless of the demand for more facilities.<br />
<br />
In recent years, there has been suggestion from some lobby groups that Canada should adopt a two-tier health care system, while others have expressed strong opposition to this idea, including the federal government under the Liberal Party. Some argue that Canada already does have a two-tier health care system as the very wealthy can go to the United States for treatment. The argument for allowing private health care is twofold. The first reason is that competition may improve the quality of products and services, while the increase in options will allow those with the means to access private health care and may relieve some of the burden off the public system. Critics argue that health is a right, and that everyone should have access to the same standard of care.<br />
<br />
Recently, in [[Québec]], a provincial judge has ruled that private health care providers must be allowed to compete with the government-run health care system.<br />
<br />
Much as was the case in [[Nazi]] Germany, poor, disabled and sick Canadians are routinely [[Genocide|executed]] by the Government, with the taxpayer footing the bill.<ref>https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-is-canada-euthanising-the-poor-</ref><br />
<br />
===Foreign relations===<br />
====Ukraine====<br />
[[File:Freeland nazism.PNG|right|350px|thumb|Deputy Prime Minister [[Chrystia Freeland]] holding a nazi banner.<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/canadas-deputy-pm-caught-holding-pro-nazi-scarf-at-ukraine-rally</ref>]]<br />
On November 9, 2021, ''Ottawa Citizen'' military reporter David Pugliese revealed that when [[Canadian]] military officials met with the neo-Nazi [[Azov Battalion]] in June 2018, they knew the group used the Nazi “Wolfsangel” symbol and praised officials who helped slaughter [[Jews]] and [[Polish|Poles]] during World War II. “A year before the meeting,” reports Pugliese, "Canada’s Joint Task Force Ukraine produced a briefing on the Azov Battalion, acknowledging its links to Nazi ideology."<ref>https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-officials-who-met-with-ukrainian-unit-linked-to-neo-nazis-feared-exposure-by-news-media-documents</ref> Rather than express public disagreement with their views, Canadian military officials sought to manage any potential public relations fallout from at least two meetings, which included Azov representatives boasting about their Canadian support.<br />
<br />
A September 2021 report from an Institute at George Washington University revealed that Centuria boasted about being trained by some of the 200 Canadian troops in the Ukraine. The report detailed Centuria members making Nazi salutes, praising [[SS]] units and promoting [[white supremacy]].<ref>https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/far-right-extremists-in-ukrainian-military-bragged-about-canadian-training-report-says-1.5631304</ref><br />
<br />
In March 2016 retired Canadian soldier Oksana Kuzyshyn spoke at an event titled “A Canadian’s experience training the AZOV Battalion to NATO standards”.<ref name="ucpbacalgary.ca">https://ucpbacalgary.ca/event/march-31-2016-one-canadians-experience-training-the-azov-batallion-to-nato-standards/</ref> One month earlier “nearly 200 officer cadets and professors of Canada’s Royal Military College” attended a screening of Ukrainians/Les Ukrainiens: God's Volunteer Battalion, which praised fascist militias fighting in the [[Donbas]].<ref name="ucpbacalgary.ca"/><br />
<br />
Since U.S. and Canadian backed ultranationalists overthrew [[democracy|democratically]] elected President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] in the 2014 Maidan coup, Canadian politicians have spoken alongside and marched with Canadian members of Ukraine's [[Pravy Sektor]],<ref>http://theleftchapter.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-is-far-right-organisation-right.html</ref> which said it was “defending the values of white, Christian Europe against the loss of the nation and deregionalisation.”<ref>https://mondediplo.com/2014/03/02ukraine</ref> Pravy Sektor has been implicated in the [[Odessa Trade Unions House massacre]] wherein at least 46 ethnic Russians were burnt alive by Maidan fascists. The black and red flag of Pravy Sektor is based on the Nazi-era "bloods and soil" flag. <br />
<br />
Alongside the U.S., Canada has funded, equipped and trained the neo-Nazi infiltrated National Police of Ukraine (NPU), which was founded after the democratically Yanukovych was overthrown. A former deputy commander of the Azov Battalion, Vadim Troyan had a series of senior positions in the NPU, including acting chief.<ref>https://yvesengler.com/2020/03/01/neo-nazis-arrest-highlights-ottawas-support-for-ukrainian-far-right/</ref><br />
[[File:Trudeau Parubiy.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Justin Trudeau meeting with neo-Nazi party founder Andriy Parubiy just before the [[Maidan coup]].<ref>https://tnc.news/2022/03/15/trudeau-freeland-met-with-ukrainian-neo-nazi-party-cofounder/</ref>]]<br />
Efraim Zuroff, the Director of the [[Simon Wiesenthal|Simon Wiesenthal Center]] in [[Israel]], denounced Canadian troops for training neo-Nazi fighters in Ukraine, saying Ottawa has a responsibility to prevent such things from happening. “The Government of Canada did not exercise due diligence” Ephraim Zuroff told ''Citizen'' of Ottawa. “There is no doubt that there are neo-Nazis in Ukraine in various forms, whether in the Azov Regiment or other organizations."<ref>https://www.b92.net/eng/news/world.php?yyyy=2022&mm=04&dd=14&nav_id=113531</ref><br />
<br />
During his trip to Ukraine in 2016 Justin Trudeau was photographed with Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy, who had a background with the ultranationalists and was accused of praising [[Hitler]].<ref>https://www.mondialisation.ca/meet-andriy-parubiy-the-former-neo-nazi-leader-turned-speaker-of-ukraines-parliament/5520502</ref> In ''Canada is Not Back: How Justin Trudeau is in Over His Head on Foreign Policy'', Jocelyn Coulon, who was a member of Trudeau's International Affairs Council of Advisers and then an adviser to former foreign minister Stephane Dion, described how the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) sabotaged efforts to lessen tension with Russia. “Dion’s determination to restore relations with Russia quickly came up against pro Ukrainian pressure groups,” he wrote.<br />
<br />
To a large extent Ottawa and Washington view the Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia. As part of this geopolitical competition, they've backed neo-Nazi militia members fighting the independent [[Donbas]] republics.<ref>https://mronline.org/2021/11/13/military-knows-it-looks-bad-but-works-with-neo-nazis-anyway/</ref><br />
<br />
==Military==<br />
[[File:Canadian Army ambulance Medical Truck.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]<br />
[[File:Afghanistan Canadian army.JPEG|thumb|280px|Canadian army at Afghanistan.]]<br />
As of the most recent cabinet shuffle, Conservative MP Peter MacKay has assumed the role of Minister of National Defense.<br />
<br />
The Canadian Forces is comprised of the Regular Force and the Reserve Force. The Regular and Reserve Forces employ over 62,000 and 25,000 members respectively, about the same size as the [[United Arab Emirates]]. While the various branches wear distinctive elemental uniforms (DEU), the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force were amalgamated in 1968 into one common command structure.<ref>http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/about/index_e.asp</ref> <br />
The Canadian Forces are <ref>http://www.canadianally.com/ca/forces-cf-en.asp</ref> equipped with modern vehicles such as the Canadian-built LAV III, the German-built Leopard CII tanks and both the American-built CF-18 Hornet and CC-177 Globemaster III. The Canadian government spends about 17 billion Canadian dollars annually on defence.<ref>[http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20072008/me-bd/part1/ME-030_e.asp http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20072008/me-bd/part1/ME-030_e.asp]</ref><br />
<br />
The Conservative government has continued the trend of increased defense spending initiated by the Liberals, and have also taken steps to decrease red-tape preventing the troops from having the necessary equipment to keep them safe and effective. They have also taken steps to establish Canada's sovereignty over its arctic regions.<br />
<br />
Over 3000 Canadian troops are currently deployed around the world, including a few fighter planes used in operations in the middle East. Another 500 are deployed to the Middle East where they are attached to a US-led coalition fleet and the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). These are prime examples of Canada's capability for interoperability with foreign military forces.<br />
<br />
==Economy==<br />
[[File:O-bad-for-canada.jpg|thumb|200px|Leading Canadian newsmagazine evaluates Obama's threat to Canada, June 29, 2009]]<br />
<br />
*GDP: $1.700 trillion (2020)<br />
*GDP growth rate: 1.9% (2020)<br />
*GDP per capita: 44,737 (2020)<br />
*Natural resources: Petroleum and natural gas, hydroelectric power, metals and minerals, fish, forests, wildlife, abundant fresh water. <br />
*Agriculture: Products—wheat, livestock and meat, feed grains, oil seeds, dairy products, tobacco, fruits, vegetables. <br />
*Industry: Types—motor vehicles and parts, machinery and equipment, aircraft and components, other diversified manufacturing, fish and forest products, processed and unprocessed minerals. <br />
*Trade: U.S. merchandise exports to Canada (2007)--$248.9 billion: motor vehicles and spare parts, industrial and electrical machinery, plastics, computers, chemicals, petroleum products and natural gas, and agricultural products. In 2007, 65% of Canada's imports came from the United States. U.S. merchandise imports from Canada (2007)--$313.1 billion: motor vehicles and spare parts, crude petroleum and natural gas, forest products, agricultural products, metals, industrial machinery, and aircraft. In 2007, 76% of Canada's exports went to the U.S.<br />
<br />
===Liberal fascist expropriation of property===<br />
<br />
In February 2022 Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced an expansion of “terrorist financing” rules that would allow banks to freeze assets with no oversight. The new measures also apply to crowdfunding outlets and payment processing providers. “We are broadening the scope of Canada’s anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules so that they cover crowdfunding platforms and the payment service providers they use,” Freeland said. The expanded rules also apply to digital assets, such as cryptocurrency. In enacting the changes, Freeland said that what she claimed were "illegal" blockades "...have highlighted the fact that crowdfunding platforms and some of the payment service providers they use are not fully captured under the proceeds of crime and terrorist financing act." All crowdfunding platforms and service providers were required to register with the Canadian government's financial intelligence unit, FINTRAC, and report “large and suspicious transactions.”<ref>https://nationalfile.com/canada-expand-scope-terrorist-financing-rules-will-allow-banks-freeze-assets-no-oversight/</ref><br />
<br />
GPS tracking of cell phone data is able to identify anyone within the vicinity of where protests take place.<br />
<br />
Freeland went on to threaten Canadian Freedom Truckers with extreme measures if they do not go home. “If your truck is being used in these illegal blockades, your corporate accounts will be frozen, the insurance on your vehicle will be suspended,” Freeland added. Banks and financial services providers will also be allowed by Freeland to freeze or suspend accounts without a court order, intended by her to specifically target the Freedom Convoy and its supporters while hypocritically ignoring crowdfunding campaigns by violent leftist groups such as Antifa. “In doing so, they will be protected against civil liability for actions taken in good faith,” the Deputy PM continued - while she ignored that by acting at Freeland's behest in targeting the Freedom Convoy and other peaceful and legal protests, the banks would be acting in ''bad'' faith and thus would ''not'' be protected against civil liability.<br />
[[File:Trudeau run on the banks.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Run on banks as a result of the liberal fascist regime's expropriation orders.]]<br />
As part of his continued overreach of power, the Trudeau regime and the RCMP began sending the names of those taking part in the Freedom Convoy protests to Canadian banks with orders to freeze the accounts of the participants for standing up to Trudeau's actions.<ref>Two references:<br />
*[https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/17/canada-police-to-distribute-names-of-trucker-protesters-to-financial-institutions/ Canada Police to Send Names of Trucker Protesters to Financial Institutions] at Breitbart News Network<br />
*[https://www.rebelnews.com/confirmed_bank_accounts_are_being_frozen_under_justin_trudeaus_emergency_economic_measures_order CONFIRMED: Bank accounts are being frozen under Justin Trudeau's Emergency Economic Measures Order] at Rebel News</ref> The opposition Conservatives condemned Trudeau and Freeland's heavy-handed move of freezing bank accounts without evidence of what the regime claimed was "extremist activity", with acting Conservative leader Candice Bergen stating that Trudeau "...has jumped straight to the most extreme measure."<br />
<br />
Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti told CTV News that citizens identified as supporting [[President Donald Trump]] are subject to “de-banking” as part of the Canadian government's official target identification process. During the segment, Lametti hedged and dodged questioning about what terms and conditions the Canadian government is using to instruct the RCMP and financial institutions. However, after equating the Trudeau order to the same principles around terrorism, the ‘Justice Minister’ finally said:<br />
{{quotebox-float|”If you are a member of a pro Trump movement who is donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to this kind of thing, then you ought to be worried.”<ref>https://youtu.be/Qisd2juHvps</ref>}}<br />
Trudeau's expropriation order caused a panic and a run on the banks.<ref>https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/trudeau-inadvertently-caused-a-bank-run-in-canada/</ref> People rushed to ATM's to withdraw their cash before the government could seize it. Five major Canadian banks went offline, preventing a number of customers from using e-Transfers, online banking, and mobile banking services. The financial institutions affected by the outage included the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), BMO (Bank of Montreal), Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).<ref>https://finbold.com/five-major-canadian-banks-mysteriously-go-offline-in-hours-long-outage/</ref><br />
<br />
===Business===<br />
<br />
Canada has invested heavily in high-tech, export-oriented businesses, achieving major success in:<br />
* Aerospace: Canada's global share of aerospace activity has tripled in the last 20 years, making Canada the world's 5th largest aerospace producer. <br />
* Ag-biotech: Canadian firms’ revenues exceed those of US agro-based companies and are more than double those of Japan and the UK. <br />
* Agri-food: Canada is the world's fourth-largest exporter of agricultural products. <br />
* Automotive: Canada is among the Top 10 automotive countries and the 3rd largest exporter of automotive products after Japan and the U.S. Most of the output goes to the U.S. market.<br />
* Biotechnology: Canada is a leader in biotechnology—one of the top five countries in the world. <br />
* Plastics: Canada is the world's fourth largest exporter of moulds and eighth largest exporter of plastics processing machinery.<br />
* see also [[Canadian railways]]<br />
<br />
Canadians worry that Obama's economic policies will damage Canada's economy, especially [[cap and trade]], the Buy America rule in the 2009 stimulus, and environmental hostility to Canadian oil produced from oil sands.<br />
<br />
===Energy===<br />
Canada has vast natural resources and is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of energy. In 2005, Canada produced 19.1 quadrillion British Thermal Units (Btu) of total energy, the fifth-largest amount in the world. Since 1980, Canada's total energy production has increased by 86%, while its total energy consumption has increased by only 48% during that period. Almost all of Canada's energy exports go to the United States, making it the largest foreign source of U.S. energy imports: Canada is consistently among the top sources for U.S. oil imports, and it is the largest source of U.S. natural gas and electricity imports.<ref>See Energy Information Administration, [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Canada/Background.html "Canada" (2009 report)]</ref><br />
<br />
In 2005, the largest source of energy consumption in Canada was oil (31%), followed by hydroelectricity (25%) and natural gas (24%). Both coal (12%) and nuclear (7%) constitute a smaller share of the country's overall energy mix. From 1985 to 2005, Canada's overall energy mix has remained relatively stable, though hydroelectricity has decreased from 31%to 25%, as oil drilling is more popular than dam building. As of 2011, the trend has reversed, and Hydroelectricity is making 32% of the country's electricity. The remainder is produced by oil, and renewables.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
[[File:800px-Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Tombe du Soldat inconnu.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.]]<br />
* See [[History of Canada]]<br />
On October 20, 2014, during the [[Obama administration]]'s support for the [[global jihad]],<ref>https://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/18032</ref> a homegrown Canadian jihadist struck two soldiers with his car in a Quebec shopping mall parking lot, killing one and injuring the other.<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/man-who-killed-soldier-car-was-radical-muslim-authorities-say-n230526</ref> Two days later, a Canadian born [[jihad]]i shot and killed an honor guard in the back at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the grounds of the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The jihadi fled to the Parliament building where Members of Parliament were caucusing. In an exchange of gunfir, the jihadi was shot and killed by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons. Three others sustained injuries in the melee.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Canadian Security Intelligence Service]]<br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* '''See [[History of Canada]] for a more detailed bibliography.'''<br />
[[File:VC John Robert Osborn Statue Military of Canada Hong Kong.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Statue, Military of Canada, John Robert Osborn, VC, [[Hong Kong]]'s Park.]]<br />
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCESubjects&Params=A1 ''Canadian Encyclopedia'' (2008)] reliable detailed encyclopedia, on-line free<br />
* Artibise, Alan F. J., ed. ''Interdisciplinary Approaches to Canadian Society: A Guide to the Literature.'' McGill-Queen's U. Press, 1990. 156 pp. <br />
* Bickerton, James, and Alain Gagnon. ''Canadian Politics'' (2004) 584 pages, textbook<br />
* Blore, Shawn. ''Frommer's Canada'' (2004) 828 pages travel guide<br />
* Campbell, Robert Malcolm et al. ''The Real Worlds of Canadian Politics: Cases in Process and Policy,'' (2004) 342 pages<br />
* Conrad, Margaret, and Alvin Finkel. ''Canada: A National History.'' (2003), college textbook. <br />
* DK Publishing. ''Canada'' (Eyewitness Travel Guides) by Hugh Thompson (2002) [https://www.amazon.com/Canada-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Publishing/dp/0789495619/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249580319&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]<br />
* Hallowell, Gerald, ed. ''The Oxford Companion to Canadian History'' (2004) 1650 very good entries<br />
* Johnson, William. ''Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada'' (2006) [https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Harper-Future-William-Johnson/dp/0771095546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239348955&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]<br />
* Morton, Desmond. ''A Short History of Canada'' 5th ed (2001) <br />
* ''National Atlas of Canada'' (1st ed. 1906; 2nd ed. 1915; 3rd ed. 1957; 4th ed. 1974; 6th ed. 1999 is electronic)<br />
* Pammett, Jon H., and Christopher Dornan. ''The Canadian Federal Election of 2006'' (2006) <br />
* Pryke, Kenneth G. and Walter C. Soderlund, eds. ''Profiles of Canada.'' (2003). 3rd edition of textbook<br />
* Toye, William, ed. ''The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature.'' (1983). 843 pp. <br />
* Wells, Paul. ''Right Side Up: the Fall of Paul Martin and the Rise of Stephen Harper's New Conservatism'' (2006)<br />
* Westhues, Anne. '' Canadian Social Policy: Issues and Perspectives,'' 2003<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
[[File:David Sorensen Horizon Center Focus No 2 Horizon-Series 2004.jpg|thumb|David Sorensen, Horizon Center Focus No. 2, Horizon-Series, 2004.]]<br />
* [http://www.gc.ca/ Government of Canada]<br />
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/ Parliament of Canada]<br />
* [http://www.pch.gc.ca/ Department of Canadian Heritage]<br />
* [http://cansim2.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-win/cnsmcgi.pgm?Lang=Eng&SP_Action=Main-Principal&SP_Mode=2 Statistics Canada current data]<br />
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html CIA World Factbook:Canada]<br />
* [http://www.forces.ca The Canadian Forces], military<br />
* [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-516-x/3000140-eng.htm ''Historical Statistics of Canada'' (1983)] The major historical data source.<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwDvF0NtgdU Canadian National Anthem]<br />
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNlTwaPQQH4&feature=related Canadian National Anthem (French)]<br />
*[http://www.asianramblings.com/travel/hong-kong/battle-hong-kong/canadian-heroes-china-john-robert-osborn/ Battle of Hong Kong - Canadian Heroes in China: John Robert Osborn, VC.]<br />
<br />
<br />
=== Political Party Websites (Major) ===<br />
* [http://www.conservative.ca Conservative Party of Canada]<br />
* [http://www.liberal.ca Liberal Party of Canada]<br />
* [http://www.ndp.ca New Democratic Party of Canada]<br />
* [http://www.blocquebecois.org Bloc Québécois]<br />
* [http://www.greenparty.ca Green Party of Canada]<br />
* [https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/ People's Party of Canada]<br />
<br />
=== Political Party Websites (Minor) ===<br />
* [http://www.fpnpoc.ca/ First Peoples National Party of Canada]<br />
* [http://www.partyofalberta.org/ Party of Alberta]<br />
* [http://www.progressivecanadian.org/ Progressive Canadian Party]<br />
* [http://www.mlpc.ca/ Marxist-Leninist Party]<br />
* [http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/ Canadian Action Party]<br />
* [http://www.peoplespoliticalpower.ca/ People's Political Power Party]<br />
* [http://www.animalalliance.ca/ Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party]<br />
* [http://www.westernblockparty.com/ Western Bloc Party]<br />
* [http://www.chp.ca/en/index.html Christian Heritage Party of Canada]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Canada| ]]<br />
[[Category:North American Countries]]<br />
[[Category:NATO Members]][[Category:Russia-Ukraine War]]<br />
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]<br />
[[Category:Canadian History]]<br />
[[Category:Welfare State]]<br />
[[Category:Socialism]]<br />
[[Category:Gun Control]]<br />
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Transphobia&diff=1946135Transphobia2023-05-07T11:25:41Z<p>ChenXiansheng: use more respectful language</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Transphobia''' is a term to refer to people with a fear or hatred of transgender people.</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Cashless_society&diff=1945622Cashless society2023-05-04T14:21:13Z<p>ChenXiansheng: removing certain denominations does not equal cashless society. Canada got rid of the penny because it does not make economic sense for the gov to manufacture it and it is rarely necessary</p>
<hr />
<div>A '''cashless society''' refers to states and nations which have removed the ability of the people to independently conduct transactions without some larger entity such as a bank, credit card company, government, or other knowing about it.<br />
<br />
[[Seventh-day Adventists]] speculate that the move towards a cashless society constitutes the creep towards the formation of the image of the beast, citing {{bibleref|Revelation|13|17}} and pointing out the ability for centralized governments to instantly freeze bank accounts of individuals who do not comply with the [[mark of the beast]]. Adventists also note the exacerbation the [[coronavirus pandemic]] had in propelling the enactment of a cashless society, as written about in the media.<ref>Drenik, Gary (January 18, 2022). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/garydrenik/2022/01/18/headline-a-cashless-society-is-imminent-heres-what-we-can-expect-for-live-events-in-2022/?sh=6b672e5c607f A Cashless Society Is Imminent: Here’s What We Can Expect For Live Events In 2022]. ''Forbes''. Retrieved May 4, 2023.</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Currency]]<br />
[[Category:Society]]<br />
[[Category:Government]]<br />
[[Category:Totalitarianism]]<br />
[[Category:End Times]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Video_games&diff=1945621Video games2023-05-04T14:08:22Z<p>ChenXiansheng: chess was literally just mentioned</p>
<hr />
<div>A '''video game''' is an electronic game, which is played on a device such as a [[computer]] or console. Board games such as [[chess]] are also played online. Video games provide the user with audio and visual feedback when the game is played. Today, they are often played with others, either in-person or over the [[Internet]]. Video games, even ones exported to [[Russia]], increasingly promote the [[homosexual agenda]] contrary to the policy of Russia and elsewhere.<ref>https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/ea-keeps-lgbtq-content-in-russian-release-of-sims-4-wedding-pack/</ref> By exploiting [[addiction]], the "Global Video Games Market to Reach $293.2 Billion by 2027."<ref>https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-video-games-market-reach-104400018.html</ref> In 2022 in [[Japan]], "17 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 12 spend more than four hours a day gaming — up from 9% in 2017, with a similar jump seen among those between the ages of 12 of 15."<ref>https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/12/18/national/social-issues/video-game-addiction/</ref><br />
<br />
Violent video games are particularly addictive for boys and young men,<ref>https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/video-game-addiction</ref><ref>https://americanaddictioncenters.org/video-gaming-addiction</ref> and '''''apparently train some [[young mass murderers]] to go on their heinous shooting rampages'''''. Video games are also associated with dropping out of school.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-all-night-gaming-results-in-dropping-out-of-college-11566898208</ref> The video game industry is criticized for exploiting its workers, too.<ref>http://www.carillonregina.com/labour-exploitation-rampant-in-video-game-industry/</ref><br />
<br />
At least one study showed that "young men are playing video games instead of getting jobs," as reported by the ''Chicago Tribune''.<ref>https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-video-games-jobs-emploment-20160923-story.html</ref> Teenagers and young men would help themselves by seeking alternatives to video games for spending their spare time.<br />
<br />
The video game industry itself also receives significant government support; in [[Quebec]], all large video game projects can receive tax credits up to 37%, which they are loath to give up, increasing either public debt or taxes for everyone else. <ref>https://www.montrealinternational.com/app/uploads/2019/02/industry_profile_videogame_2019-1.pdf</ref><br />
<br />
== Nature of video games ==<br />
Video games vary greatly in type and complexity, but all games are alike in that they translate player input (from a controller, mouse, keyboard or motion sensor) into onscreen actions. Games are often stored on some sort of digital media - ROM cartridge, [[CD]], [[DVD]], flash memory chip, or even cassette tape for early computer games. Older or less expensive games sometimes used dedicated chips which were pre-programmed to play certain games only. In recent years, game developers have moved to digital distribution, allowing customers to purchase game licenses online, and download over the internet. On PCs, this is often done through marketplaces such as Valve corporation's Steam service, or Electronic Arts' Origin service, while the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have their own digital distribution services.<br />
<br />
Home consoles are classified by ''generation'' to indicate their relative power and date of release. The current major consoles (Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch) are considered ''eight generation''. Handheld consoles are not generally put into generations due to their more irregular release schedules.<br />
<br />
== Various genres ==<br />
Video games in the course of their existence have grown from the simple arcade-style games, and have become more detailed and separated from one another. Genres can now include [[first person shooters]], [[racing]], [[Simulation game|simulation]], [[role-playing]], [[sports]], [[action]], [[strategy]], massively multiplayer online (MMO), puzzle, Sport simulation, and many others.<ref>https://www.idtech.com/blog/different-types-of-video-game-genres</ref><ref>https://thoughtcatalog.com/jane-hurst/2015/02/12-types-of-computer-games-every-gamer-should-know-about/</ref> Even then, games can combine genres, such as ''Mass Effect'' (Role Playing and Third Person Shooting), or not fit nicely into any genre, like ''The Mystery of the Druids''. The most popular genres tend to be shooters, action, and roleplaying games. Some video games are based on movies, such as Star Wars.<br />
<br />
== Popularity and controversy ==<br />
Games have risen in popularity over the years, as is shown in the rise of video games sales from the 1980s until today. This has brought with it a various amount of controversy as the video game industry continues to grow with its original player base.<br />
<br />
Video games are addictive activities targeted at teenagers, sometimes with tragic results.<ref>Some claim that 2/3rds of videogamers are over 18 years old, but far more people are over that age and a much higher percentage of minors are ... and apparently train some [[young mass murderers]] to go on shooting rampagesvideogamers.[http://www.pan-o-matic.com/blog/?p=45 Only a third of videogamers are under 18]</ref> Certain genres of games are becoming increasingly violent and offensive, attracting the attention of legislators in many states to protect the exploitation of children by them. Games such as ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' are very violent, sexually explicit, and feature [[criminal]] behavior. These games are rated "M 17+" for "Mature," but courts have stricken down laws preventing retailers from selling them to children, under an interpretation that the First Amendment protects offensive video games even for children.<ref>http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/148962.html</ref> After a ''Conservapedian'' filed an [[amicus brief]] with the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] to consider this issue, it surprised [[liberal]]s by granting ''[[certiorari]]''.<br />
<br />
However, in 2011, the Supreme Court denied a ban on the sale of violent video games in California, claiming they were protected as they "qualify for First Amendment Protection" and pointing out that there has historically been no shortage of violent imagery in children's fairytales, classical literature, and comics. Writing for the majority, Justice Scalia pointed out that "disgust is not a valid basis for restricting expression", and continued that any effects of violent video games on children "are both small and indistinguishable from effects produced by other media".<ref>[https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/08-1448.pdf BROWN, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL. v. ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION ET AL.]</ref><br />
<br />
It has also been suggested that it is the role of parents to regulate what their children play, and that laws restricting video game vendors are an effort to replace parents' decisions with the government's decisions.<ref>https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700150989/Violent-games-2-Its-parents-responsibility-to-monitor-what-kids-play.html</ref><ref>https://segmentnext.com/2018/03/09/dear-parents-take-responsibility-kids-stop-blaming-video-games/</ref><br />
<br />
As some wake up to how harmful violent video games are, the video game industry declined in 2012,<ref>http://www.nbc12.com/story/20289219/us-video-game-sales-drop-11-pct-in-november</ref> though it remains much bigger than Hollywood. Video games are likely the single biggest cause of bright young men dropping out of college. While video games were originally designed for children and adolescent males, video games have become too popular with adult males, many of whom will often neglect family and work to spend a copious number of hours playing video games including online games as World of Warcraft in a video game addiction. [[Liberal denial]] discourages people from recognizing the problem.<br />
<br />
==Arguments against video game usage==<br />
[[File:Stephen-Fry.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|The [[Atheism|atheist]] [[Stephen Fry]] said, "I do enjoy [[Video games|video gaming]]... In the early days of games, I would spend hours. I mean literally. I would find it would be 4AM, and I would say: 'God, I have be at work at 6.'"<ref>[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeuj29_stephen-fry-talks-gaming_news Stephen Fry talks gaming]</ref> ''See also: [[Irreligion, video game usage and obesity]] and [[Atheism and obesity]]'' ]]<br />
''See [[young mass murderers]] for their connection to video games''.<br /><br />
<br />
Video games have been accused of being linked to [[Young mass murderers|murders by young people]] and other [[violence]], stress-induced health problems (including unexpected heart attacks),<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/russian-teenager-dies-after-playing-online-computer-game-defence-of-the-ancients-for-22-days-in-a-row/story-fnh81p7g-1227512824314 Teenager dies from a video game addiction]</ref> [[atheism]], [[obesity]],<ref>[http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/ Childhood Obesity] Department of Health and Human Services, retrieved Sept 18th 2011</ref> and [[sexual immorality]]. Several prominent murderers in recent years were inspired by video games.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-316491/Teenager-gets-life-Manhunt-murder.html</ref><ref>Adelmann, Bob (August 5, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/33028-search-for-motives-in-recent-mass-shootings-ignores-impact-of-violent-video-games Motives in Recent Mass Shootings Should Include Impact of Violent Video Games]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 5, 2019.</ref> [[Young mass murderer]] [[Adam Lanza]] was "immersed in a perverse video game world" and "killed himself to prevent law enforcement from taking his 'points.'" He plotted his rampage far in advance and "learned the principles of ... the tactical reload" from his [[video games]].<br />
Video games has also been used as "murder simulators" by American army, in order to desensitize young man, into triggering the gun better, and with less doubt, thus killing enemies more efficiently.<br />
<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lupica-lanza-plotted-massacre-years-article-1.1291408#ixzz2NuWeFMNO]</ref><br />
<br />
After a murderous rampage by another video game user in Norway:<ref>http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/871121-norway-stores-pull-violent-video-games-including-call-of-duty-after-massacre#ixzz1erUdaLo5</ref><br />
{{cquote|A number of Norway stores have pulled violent video games from sale - including several Call of Duty games and World of Warcraft - in the wake of the massacre carried out by Anders Behring Breivik on July 22.}}<br />
Unbeknownst to many, the video game industry is partly subsidized by taxpayers, even in the [[conservative]] Texas. In 2015, a spat broke out between the video game and film industries about the millions they would receive from government.<ref>http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/27/drama-between-film-video-game-groups-dooms-funding/</ref><br />
<br />
=== Video game usage and excess weight ===<br />
''See also:'' [[Video game usage and excess weight]] and [[Obesity]]<br />
<br />
Due to the sedentary lifestyle of many who abuse video games or play them for extremely long amounts of time, there is an absence of exercise - meaning [[addiction]] to video games can cause an increase in weight to unhealthy proportions.<br />
<br />
[[File:Childhood obesity.JPG|thumb|200px|The state of Utah was acclaimed with the lowest percentage of children overweight, and was found to have the second lowest proportion of children spending 2 or more hours on TV/Video game play. <br />
<br /><br />
<br /><br />
The District of Columbia, found to have the highest percentage of overweight children, also had the highest percentage nationwide of children spending an incredible 4 hours plus in front of a screen.<ref>[http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/component/content/article/1-nof-in-the-media/338-tvvideo-games-and-child-obesity.html TV Video Games and obesity]</ref>]]<br />
The National Obesity Forum indicates:<br />
{{cquote|The figures highlighted by the "F as in Fat" annual report [Trust for America's Health 2007 Annual Report] were retrieved from the Data Resource Center on Child and Adolescent Health website. The analysis of these figures reveals a strong positive correlation between hours spent on TV/Video game play and the percentage of children classed as overweight per state. The state of Utah was acclaimed with the lowest percentage of children overweight, and was found to have the second lowest proportion of children spending 2 or more hours on TV/Video game play. The District of Columbia, found to have the highest percentage of overweight children, also had the highest percentage nationwide of children spending an incredible 4 hours plus in front of a screen.<ref>[http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/component/content/article/1-nof-in-the-media/338-tvvideo-games-and-child-obesity.html TV Video Games and obesity]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
''Slate'' reported in 2012:<br />
{{cquote|The American Academy of Pediatrics tells parents that children’s total entertainment media time should not exceed two hours daily. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, average kids watch at least twice that much television. They also spend more than an hour per day online and another hour on video games. These activities, collectively called “screen time,” are widely blamed for the tripling of obesity rates in children since the 1980s.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2012/04/are_video_games_making_kids_fat_screen_time_and_childhood_obesity_.html Are TV and Video Games Making Kids Fat?]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
The University of Texas at Austin declares:<br />
{{cquote|A study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin suggests that watching television is not associated with children’s weight, but playing electronic games may be—especially for girls.<br />
<br />
“Children with higher weight status spent moderate amounts of time playing electronic games, while children with lower weight status spent either a little or a lot of time playing electronic games,” said Dr. Elizabeth A. Vandewater, who led the study published in the February issue of the Journal of Adolescence.<br />
<br />
Although the greater weight/video game link was found in this study with girls, she noted that future studies may reveal similar findings for boys. Either way, the findings could be significant considering how many American children play electronic games.<ref>[http://news.utexas.edu/2004/03/23/nr_video_games Video games rather than TV may be linked to childhood obesity], University of Texas at Austin news</ref>}}<br />
<br />
The ''Pittsburg Gazette'' reports: "A 2010 study from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found video games to blame, chiefly because children, boys especially, tend to eat more when they're playing them."<ref>[http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2012/11/12/TV-video-games-linked-to-obesity/stories/201211120171 TV, video games linked to obesity], Pittsburg Gazette</ref><br />
<br />
=== Irreligion, video game usage and obesity ===<br />
''See also:'' [[Irreligion, video game usage and obesity]] and [[Atheism and obesity]]<br />
<br />
''Relevant Magazine'' reported about the journal article in ''The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion'' entitled ''No Other Gods Before Mario?: Game Preferences Among [[Atheism|Atheistic]] and Religious Individuals'':<br />
{{Cquote|[http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10508619.2011.638606 A new study] of 228 college students found that while just about everyone prefers video games to regular board games (duh), those who claim no religion vastly prefer video games compared to the religious peers. It's a small study, but the director, Chris Burris, has an interesting hypothesis about why [[Atheism|atheists]] prefer video games. Burris believes that atheists tend to be less good at "generating emotionally evocative internal simulations of experience." Simply put, he believes that religious people tend to be more imaginative, and are able to craft their own sense of play around simple games, while non-religious people tend to prefer the concrete rules afforded by video games.<ref>[http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/why-do-atheists-video-games-more-religious-people-do Why Do Atheists Like Video Games More Than Religious People Do?], ''Relevant Magazine''</ref>}}<br />
<br />
As far as the relationship between irreligion and obesity, please examine the articles below:<br />
<br />
*[[Atheism and obesity]]<br />
<br />
*[[Millennials, irreligion and obesity]]<br />
<br />
*[[Generation X, irreligion and obesity]]<br />
<br />
*[[Baby boom generation, irreligion and obesity]]<br />
<br />
=== Exergaming ===<br />
As far as "exergaming" (Video games which prompt the users to engage in physical activity), ''Slate'' reports:<br />
{{cquote|After three months, “there was no evidence that children receiving the active video games were more active in general or at any time,” the authors wrote. (The year before, a similar study in New Zealand had shown only minor improvement with active games; kids weighed just a pound less after six months of "exergaming".)<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2012/04/are_video_games_making_kids_fat_screen_time_and_childhood_obesity_.html Are TV and Video Games Making Kids Fat?]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
== Overcoming addiction to video games ==<br />
As with any [[addiction]], video game usage can be hard to overcome as soon as one is drawn into it. Fortunately, [[faith]]-based efforts to overcome addiction can be effective and rewarding, and churches exist in part to help people overcome harmful vices in the world. (See also: [[habit]]) The Online Gamers Anonymous website is a good example, and has chapters in many places, nooks and crannies.<br />
<br />
[[Catholicism]] recommends that people give up something they like on Fridays, and throughout all of [[Lent]]. For some, it is easy to end a bad habit altogether once one is successful in giving it up at least one day a week, or throughout the 40 days of Lent. <br />
<br />
In this regard, the [[Bible]] can be extraordinarily helpful and inspiring. Replacing video game usage with readings from books such as [[Psalms]] and [[Proverbs]] can turn a [[vice]] into an enormous boost to one's life. One approach is to read the Proverbs chapter having the same number as the day of the month (e.g., on February 17 read Proverbs 17), and read five chapters in Psalms that also correspond to the day of the month (e.g., read Psalms 81-85) on February 17 (17 times 5 is 85). [[New Testament]] passages in which [[Jesus]] mentions [[Hell]] can also be tremendously beneficial in combating vice. See, e.g., Mark 9:43.<br />
<br />
In general, acquiring good habits can help drive out bad ones. Setting goals helps: Give yourself a weekly or monthly report card on all aspects of life. (See also: [[Beating NFL addiction]])<br />
<br />
===Violence===<br />
Most of the controversy comes from the rising trend toward violence in video games, as pioneered by ''[[Doom (video game series)|Doom]]'', ''[[Quake]]'', "[[Spring]]", and the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series. <br />
<br />
Some people point out that violent video games cause violent behavior in children. The effects of violent video games on the developing psyches of children and adolescents vary greatly and of course depend on the mental stability of the subject in question.<br />
Serious crimes have often been associated with video games. For example, a 14-year-old brutally murdered a video arcade employee one morning and his cousin stands trial for murdering the store manager when he entered the store shortly thereafter.<ref>http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1212467732102240.xml&coll=1</ref><br />
In the [[United States|USA]], all retail games carry ratings from the [[ESRB]], a video game ratings organization.<br />
<br />
Some claim that kids who don't play video games at all seem to show more violent tendencies. Of course, as expected, those who played violent video games for large amounts of time also showed violent tendencies; the study, however, claims that this is a "risk marker", not an actual cause.<ref>http://wii.qj.net/New-research-reveals-kids-who-don-t-play-videogames-at-all-are-more-at-risk-of-violent-tendencies/pg/49/aid/118505 New research reveals kids who don't play video games at all are more at risk of violent tendencies</ref> <br />
<br />
Multiple studies have shown a correlation between violent video games and increased levels of aggression, caused by playing some of the aforementioned video games.<ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/014616702237649</ref><ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197103000976</ref> However, in such cases, it is vital to keep in mind the fact that correlation does not equal causation. <ref>https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/false-cause</ref><br />
<br />
===Sexuality===<br />
Although nudity is not prominent in [[western]] video games, there are various products containing sexually suggestive material. One reason for the relative lack of explicitly sexual material in western games may be the refusal of retailers including [[Wal-Mart]]<ref>http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=440903</ref> to sell games carrying an "Adults-Only" rating. One notable target of controversy is the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series after a third-party mod was released that allowed the player to engage in a mini-game containing explicit sexual material. Mods are, as "third-party" would imply, fan-made and are not the responsibility of the game's developer. Other sources of this criticism relate to the game ''[[Tomb Raider]]'', one of the first games to depict and advertise a female character (the protagonist) as a sex symbol.<ref>Ashley, Robert. "The Secret History of Videogame Sex." Official Playstation Magazine Feb. 2006: 96-99.</ref><br />
<br />
==Arguments for video game usage==<br />
Video games have been suspected of giving otherwise liberal people some virtual conservative viewpoints.<ref>http://kotaku.com/5764327/5764327/are-video-games-turning-liberals-into-virtual-conservatives</ref> They have also been shown to help people to become more attuned to their surroundings and increase coordination, and in the future may be used to treat people with visual problems and to train soldiers.<ref>http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0528_030528_videogames.html</ref><br />
<br />
While evidence is somewhat conflicting, some also say that video games keep the participants engaged and more mentally active than alternative entertainment, such as watching television. <br />
<br />
== Video games and society ==<br />
As video games become more popular, their impact on society becomes ever more present. A prime example of this is the massive ad campaigns for the ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'' and ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' franchises. Advertising, merchandising, and even social pressures have changed in the ever-growing influence of video gaming.<br />
<br />
Due to their popularity, various corporations have begun placing advertisements for their products within the context of the game. ''[[Second Life]]'', an Internet-based virtual world, has attempted to blur the lines between real world and virtual world, and companies such as Adidas, Reebok, and Dell have set up virtual stores selling real-world products within the game. [[Reuters]] also operates a news bureau reporting news in the game.<br />
== NPC internet meme ==<br />
<br />
[[File:NPC internet meme.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|Popular graphic used in the NPC internet meme.]]<br />
The [[NPC internet meme]] (derived from non-player character in video gaming), is a politically [[right-wing]] internet [[meme]] that represents [[liberal]]s/[[leftism|leftists]] who do not think for themselves, lack [[critical thinking]] skills and have been politically indoctrinated.<br />
<br />
According to website The Verge:<br />
{{Cquote|Last week, ''The [[New York Times]]'' published a piece about an insular 4chan meme that had started to bleed over into political [[Twitter]]. At the time, NPC — an acronym for the gaming term “non-playable character” — had been weaponized.. in an attempt to “own the libs” by calling them automatons, but it was still a relatively niche meme very few outlets had touched.<br />
<br />
Along with a couple of stories before it, the Times’ article kicked off a domino effect: its publication prompted popular members of the [[alt-right]] — including [[Paul Joseph Watson]] and [[Infowars]] — to amplify the meme to their audiences through YouTube videos, articles, and tweets. Search results for “NPC” increased, according to Google Trends...<br />
<br />
Suddenly, a meme... [was] telegraphed to a massive audience in a jarringly forced display of virality that highlights just how quickly an inside joke from an insular community can spread with the oxygen of press coverage.<br />
<ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/23/17991274/npc-meme-4chan-press-coverage-viral The NPC meme went viral when the media gave it oxygen], The Verge, 2018</ref>}}<br />
<br />
=== The rise of the NPC internet meme ===<br />
[[File:NPC Google trends.jpg|thumbnail|center|1400px|Google Trends graph of the number of worldwide searches for the term NPC]]<br />
{{Clear}}<br />
There has been a huge rise in the use of the NPC meme on the internet as can be seen [https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=NPC by this Google Trends graph of worldwide searches for the term ]. <br />
<br />
The main factors are: <br />
<br />
'''1.''' [[Elon Musk]] taking over Twitter which gave a boost to the political right.<br />
<br />
'''2.''' Supporters of [[right-wing]] politics are getting more active in [[culture war]] issues such as anti-[[woke]] backlash.<br />
<br />
'''3.''' The growing hunger for [[free speech]] and anti-[[cancel culture]] sentiments.<br />
<br />
'''4.''' The rise of a few other right-wing friendly social media platforms (Rumble, Gab, etc.).<br />
<br />
'''5.''' [[Right-wing]]ers are [https://www.axios.com/2021/12/06/conservative-social-media-crypto-publishing-internet aggressively building their own ecosystem].<br />
<br />
'''6.''' A right-wing populist programme normally encompasses factors such as economic protectionism/problems and anti-imigration/anti-illegal immigration sentiments and these factors are rising in some countries.<br />
<br />
'''7.''' European right-wing political figures ([[Marine Le Pen]], [[Viktor Orbán]], Andrej Duda, etc.) are using the European Union corruption scandal as a political weapon and inciting anti-EU sentiment ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections which is giving a bounce to right-wingers.<br />
<br />
== Education in video games ==<br />
It is unlikely that there is any educational value in video game usage, compared with better activities that could be pursued.<br />
<br />
But Firaxis Games, a noteworthy video game development company, has been creating a video game series called ''Civilization'' for nearly a decade.<ref>http://www.firaxis.com/company/</ref> Civilization is a simulation game that allows the player to lead a nation from ancient times to modern-day. It features a dynamic military system, politics, trading, and historical content. It has been recognized for its unintentional educational properties.<ref>http://www.firaxis.com/community/teacher.php</ref><br />
<br />
Microsoft Flight Simulator is another example of a video game that may have some slight educational value.<ref>https://www.microsoft.com/Products/Games/FSInsider/product/Pages/InfoEducators.aspx</ref><br />
<br />
Some games are also created specifically as teaching tools. While they may not offer detailed, useful knowledge, they typically attempt at least to teach useful concepts or general information. An example of these is the now-dated game, Oregon Trail.<br />
<br />
== Faith in video games ==<br />
[[Faith]] in video games has, as a rule, either led to the creation of new and dynamic antagonists, or video games that are mediocre, such as ''[[Spiritual Warfare]]'' and ''[[Bible Adventures]]'' for the Nintendo Entertainment System, or ''[[The Bible Game]]'' for various systems. ''Bible Adventures'' in particular is infamous for its poor design and playability.<br />
<br />
The Bible, or other such religious texts, tell a story spanning many different viewpoints. Turning these ideas into a video game, however, most often leads to games that tend to bore most video game audiences.<br />
<br />
Religion has, however, taken a prominent place amongst the various heroes and villains in video games. The ''Breath of Fire'' series and the ''Shin Megami Tensei'' games, in particular, use a god as a main antagonist in many of its incarnations. Other games to use religion in some way include the ''Final Fantasy'' series, ''[[Left Behind: Eternal Forces]]'', ''Black and White'', ''Heaven and Hell'', ''Xenogears'', ''Okami'', and the ''Tales'' series, particularly ''Tales of Symphonia''. Unfortunately, many (not all) of the aforementioned games (And nearly any Role Playing game from East Asia) present religion (or it's respective church and followers) as evil, fake, or having ulterior and nefarious motives. <br />
<br />
Games may include a fictional religion as part of the setting if the use of a real religion may invite undesirable controversy.<br />
<br />
Video game reviewers have sometimes unjustly attacked and reviewed games where real-world religion plays a notable role. One of the most prominent examples of this is the game ''[[Left Behind: Eternal Forces]]''.<ref>http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/left_behind</ref><br />
<br />
==Popular video game franchises==<br />
*''[[Assassins Creed]]'' - Taking place, after a fashion, during the [[Crusades]]. Play as Altair, and kill leaders from both sides to stop a deadly plot.<br />
*''[[Age of Empires]]'' - An [[Real-Time Strategy|RTS]] in which the player leads an ancient civilization.<br />
*''[[Call of Duty]]'' - A series of [[first person shooters]] in which a player is either a soldier in World War II or a soldier involved in the [[War on Terror]].<br />
*''[[Civilization]]'' - A strategy game in which the player leads a civilization from it's birth, and into the future. <br />
*''[[Donkey Kong]]'' - An early platform game in which [[Mario]] (then known as "Jumpman") tries to save his girlfriend Pauline from a barrel-flinging ape named Donkey Kong. Both Donkey Kong and Mario went on to star in many other successful video games.<br />
*''[[Final Fantasy]]'' - A very popular and long running [[RPG]] series in both the [[United States]] and [[Japan]]. Earlier games were rather child friendly, but the series has become more mature over time.<br />
*''[[Gears of War]]'' - Mankind has been annihilated by an underground race of beings.<br />
*''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' - A game series about gangster like characters who perform missions to rise to the top by killing, stealing, and other, sometimes violent, missions.<br />
*''[[Guitar Hero]]'' - A game where players play the role of the [[guitar]]ist in a band. Uses a special controller in the shape of and played similarly to a guitar.<br />
*''Half-Life'' and ''Half-Life 2'' - First Person Shooter series about Gordon Freeman, a luckless scientist turned hero-from-desperation. This game uses one of the leading physics engine in first person shooters, the Source engine.<br />
*''[[Halo]] - A trilogy of games following a super soldier during a fictional future [[war]]. <br />
*''[[Harvest Moon]]'' - Farm life simulator, with many sequels spreading from various platforms. Character runs a farm, raises animals, and can eventually marry. <br />
*''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' - A popular series of fantasy action-adventure games.<br />
*''[[Mass Effect]]'' - A science fiction RPG for mature players.<br />
*''[[Medal of Honor]]'' - A first person shooter series usually taking place in the front lines of World War II. <br />
*[[Mortal Kombat]] - Multi-player fighting game which is famous for violence, blood, and gory finishing moves called "fatalities".<br />
*''[[NHL]]'' series - A series of Hockey games produced by EA Sports.<br />
*''[[Pac-Man]]'' - An old maze game. It was very popular with kids and adults back in the eighties.<br />
*''[[Portal]]'' - A popular first person shooter/puzzle game using the same game engine as ''Half-Life 2'' involving inter-dimensional travel through portals in an abandon testing facility. This game is known for its deadpan sense of humor. <br />
*''[[Resident Evil]]'' - Survival/horror video game series, revolving around viral zombies and the survivors of the zombie attacks.<br />
*''[[The Sims]]'' - A life simulator produced by EA.<br />
*''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' - Series of Nintendo fighting games. It mixes characters from different [[Nintendo]] franchises [with some exceptions] in wide environments. <br />
*''[[Soul Calibur]]'' - A weapon-based fighting game. Revolves around the tale of two weapons, Soul Edge [Cursed] and Soul Calibur [Blessed], and those who fight for control or destruction of the weapons.<br />
*''[[Street Fighter]]'' - One-on-one [[martial arts]] fighting game series, where a player selects one of various martial artists and battles other players or against computer-controlled characters. <br />
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' - Side-scrolling platform game series by [[Nintendo]]. Players play as Mario and Luigi, two Italian plumber brothers, who explore the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Peach from the evil Bowser [called Koopa in Japan]. Possibly the most well known game in the world.<br />
*''[[Tomb Raider]]'' - Series of games following the adventures of Lara Croft.<br />
*''[[Pong]]'' - the first real video game, resembling 2-d ping-pong.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Young mass murderers]]<br />
*[[Video game controversy]]<br />
*[[Jack Thompson]]<br />
*[[Video game industry]]<br />
*[[Addiction]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.whattheyplay.com/ What They Play - the parent's guide to video games]<br />
*[http://www.leftbehindgames.com/index.php Left Behind Games - a Christian, family-friendly video game company]<br />
*[https://www.theepochtimes.com/chapter-fourteen-popular-culture-a-decadent-indulgence_2685394.html Chapter Fourteen: Popular Culture–A Decadent Indulgence], ''The Epoch Times'' (from ''How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World'').<br />
<br />
[[Category:Entertainment]]<br />
[[Category:Video Games]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=China&diff=1944803China2023-05-01T06:20:24Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Internet censorship */ use VPN to bypass</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Country<br />
|name ='''[[People's Republic of China]]'''<br/>''Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó''<br/>中华人民共和国<br />
|map =NewsX-Real-Chinese-Map.jpg<br />
|map2 =<br />
|flag =Flag_of_the_PRC.png<br />
|arms =Arms of PR China.png<br />
|capital =Beijing<br />
|capital-raw =<br />
|government =Communist<br />
|government-raw =<br />
|language =Chinese (Mandarin)<br />
|king =<br />
|queen =<br />
|monarch-raw =<br />
|president =Xi Jinping<br />
|premier =Li Keqiang<br />
|chancellor =<br />
|chancellor-raw =<br />
|pm =<br />
|pm-raw =<br />
|area =1,447,497 sq mi(excluding occupied territories)<br />
|pop =1,440,000,000 (2020)<br />
|pop-basis =<br />
|gdp =$15,000,000,000,000 (2020)<br />
|gdp-year =<br />
|gdp-pc =$10,417 (2020)<br />
|currency =Yuan<br />
|idd =<br />
|tld =<br />
}}<br />
'''China''' is the world's second largest country by population,<ref>https://www.downtoearth.org.in/video/governance/india-surpasses-china-to-become-most-populous-country-in-the-world-87257#:~:text=According%20to%20projections%20by%20the,now%20stands%20at%201.41%20billion.</ref> currently a totalitarian [[communist]] [[one-party state]].<ref>Gallagher, Mike (November 7, 2019). [https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/469429-seeking-truth-from-facts-on-china Seeking truth from facts on China]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved November 7, 2019.</ref> With thousands of years of continuous traditions, in three decades it has dramatically changed itself from a poor backward nation to a world power and is one of the world's top economies, second only to the [[United States]]. <br />
<br />
However, a number of leading geopolitical analysts are skeptical about China remaining a global power as is faces a number of serious intractable problems (See: [[Skepticism about China remaining a global power]]). The American geopolitical analyst and author [[Peter Zeihan]] said in 2022, "I do not worry about China at all... I don't think that there is going to be a China for much longer."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKFsn8xwQSw Energy at the End of the World | Part 4 | Demographics | Peter Zeihan]</ref> On December 22, 2022, ''Foreign Affairs'' magazine noted in their article ''China’s Dangerous Decline'' "...China is teetering on the edge of a cliff. Ten years of [[Xi Jinping|Xi]]’s “reforms” — widely characterized in the West as successful power plays—have made the country frail and brittle, exacerbating its underlying problems while giving rise to new ones. ...a growing number of Western [[neoconservative]] analysts—including Michael Beckley, Jude Blanchette, Hal Brands, Robert Kaplan, Susan Shirk, and [[Fareed Zakaria]]—have begun to highlight this reality..."<ref>[https://archive.md/hEgDs China's dangerous decline], ''Foreign Affairs'' magazine, December 22, 2022</ref><br />
<br />
It has emerged as a major regional power in East Asia, and formerly it was averaging over 9% economic growth per year since 1978 when it introduced a market-based economic system known as socialism under capitalist management. Foreign businesses have flocked to invest in China, Americans and others rush to buy its cheap factory output, Chinese exports flooded the world. It has vast reserves of dollar holdings. China is modernizing its military, has joined numerous regional and international institutions, and plays an increasingly visible role in international politics. However, the paper statistics of China's growth hide the fact that it may have a weaker economy than it admits, as seen in the many "ghost towns", among other factors.<ref>Fong, Dominique (June 15, 2018). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-ghost-towns-haunt-its-economy-1529076819 China’s Ghost Towns Haunt Its Economy]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved June 15, 2018.</ref> China is trying to overtake the U.S. economy and position as a world leader, and impose its model of [[Socialism]] with Chinese characteristics upon the planet.<br />
<br />
The nation is under the control of the [[Chinese Communist Party]], which encompasses mainland China, albeit with many border disputes. Since taking power in 1949, an estimated 60 million to 80 million Chinese people have been killed by [[democide]]. This number exceeds the total number of deaths in two World Wars combined.<ref>''Commentary 7, On the Chinese Communist Party's History of Killing. ''Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.''<br>http://www.ninecommentaries.com/english-7</ref> The communist Beijing regime claims [[Taiwan]] as a province, but Taiwan has never been part of the People's Republic of China and the survival of Taipei's democratic sovereignty is threatened. <br />
<br />
Unlike most other nations, the [[People's Liberation Army]] does not exist to defend the country or the people of China. Nor is it under the control of the state council, or government, of China. The PLA is the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party and also the largest military establishment in the world. Its origins are in the Chinese Communist Party, and control of it has always remained within the party. The government or [[bureaucracy]] is called the State Council, and all [[civil service system|civil servants]] are required to be party members. The PLA exists to maintain and defend the Communist Party's control over the State Council and the people, and further the Party's interests. Not only is there no civilian control over the military, there is separation of the military from all government or State Council control.<br />
<br />
Since China's accession to the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) in 2001, China represents a vast market that is growing more affluent and sophisticated while remaining a low-cost base for export-oriented production. The CCP has encouraged a form of Chinese ethno-centric [[national socialism]] amongst the younger generation.<ref name="aspistrategist.org.au">https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/xi-jinpings-conception-of-socialism/</ref> Educationally, China is forging ahead with partnerships, and exchanges with foreign universities to steal [[intellectual property]] and [[subvert]] foreign governments and societies.<br />
<br />
For more information on China, see [[World History Lecture Three]].<br />
<br />
==Name==<br />
{{language box<br />
|s=中国<br />
|t=中國<br />
|l=central nation<br />
|p=Zhōngguó<br />
|w=Chung<sup>1</sup>-kuo<sup>2</sup><br />
}}<br />
The word "China" is derived from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word ''Cin'' (چین), which is from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''Cīna'' (चीन).<ref name="AmHer">"[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/China?qsrc=2888 China]". ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (2000). Boston and New York: Houghton-Mifflin.</ref> It is first recorded in 1516 in the journal of the Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa.<ref>"China". ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (1989). ISBN 0-19-957315-8.<br />''[https://books.google.com.vn/books?id=edzW9fuOF-cC&pg=PA211&dq=#v=onepage&q=%22Very%20Great%20Kingdom%20of%20China%22&f=false The Book of Duarte Barbosa]'' (chapter title "The Very Great Kingdom of China"). ISBN 81-206-0451-2. In the [http://purl.pt/435/ Portuguese original], the chapter is titled "O Grande Reino da China".</ref> The journal was translated and published in England in 1555.<ref>Eden, Richard (1555). ''Decades of the New World'': <br />{{cite book | title=Western Views of China and the Far East, Volume 1 | publisher=Asian Research Service | year=1984 | page=34 |first=Henry Allen |last=Myers}}</ref> The traditional theory, proposed in the 17th century by Martino Martini, is that ''Cīna'' is derived from "Qin" (秦), the westernmost of the Chinese kingdoms during the [[Zhou Dynasty]].<ref name="Martini">Martino, Martin, ''Novus Atlas Sinensis'', Vienna 1655, Preface, p. 2.</ref> However, the word was used earlier in [[Hindu]] scripture, including the ''Mahābhārata'' (5th century BC) and the ''Laws of Manu'' (2nd century BC). Indian writers were not aware of China until the second century AD. Earlier usage of the word presumably refers to another entity, perhaps a country near the Tibetan-Burma border.<ref>See Liu, Lydia He, ''The Clash of Empires'', p. 77<br />Wade, Geoff. "[http://www.sino-platonic.org/complete/spp188_yelang_china.pdf The Polity of Yelang and the Origin of the Name 'China']". ''[[Sino-Platonic Papers]]'', No. 188, May 2009, p. 20.</ref><br />
<br />
==People==<br />
Although the CCP has lifted restrictions on income and penalties for success in recent years, the CCP opposes what it calls "celebrity culture" as is common in Western societies among highly paid athletes and movie stars. Many successful role models have found themselves "disappeared" or "unpersonned". A few have reemerged after being "rectified" and rehabilitated in reeducation camps, expressing their effusive praise for the CCP for allowing their success, and deeply apologetic to the public for having strayed from the leftist line and notions of [[social justice]].<br />
<br />
According to Yan Shitong, director of Shingwa University's Institute of International Studies, Chinese university students born in 2000 or later ([[Gen Z]]) "usually have a strong sense of superiority and confidence and they tend to look at other countries from a condescending perspective." They look at international relations through wishful thinking and<br />
believe that China's foreign policy goals can be achieved easily. ''Nikkei Asia'' quoted the leading Chinese scholar as saying, "They think humankind's universal values such as peace, morality, fairness and justice are China's inherent traditions. They think that only China is just, while all other countries, especially the [[Western civilization|Western countries]], are evil." This is the legacy of China's one child policy, which has given rise to single children brought up as pampered royalty by parents and grandparents, impacting their perception of China and the world.<br />
<br />
===Ethnic groups===<br />
[[File:China Ethnic language.jpg|thumb|right|Chinese Ethnolinguistic Groups.]]<br />
China officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups. The largest ethnic group is the Han Chinese, who constitute about 91.9% of the total population. The remaining 8.1% are Zhuang (16 million), Manchu (10 million), Hui (9 million), Miao (8 million), [[Uighur]] (7 million), Yi (7 million), Mongolian (5 million), Tibetan (5 million), Buyi (3 million), Korean (2 million), and other ethnic minorities.<br />
<br />
In July 2009 large-scale rioting erupted as the [[Uighur]] minority fought Chinese riot police in major cities in Xinjiang or East Turkmenistan. Hundreds were killed.<ref>See [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/world/asia/07kadeer.html?ref=world Wrik Eckholm, "China Points to Another Leader in Exile," ''New York Times'' July 6, 2009]</ref> Uighurs are angry at political, cultural and religious persecution as well as the growing presence in the region of Han Chinese - China's main ethnic group. Han now predominate in the cities, and Uighurs in the countryside. This was the first major violent unrest in China reported that received global attention in two decades.<br />
<br />
===Language===<br />
<br />
There are seven major Chinese dialects and many subdialects. [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] (or Putonghua), the predominant dialect, is spoken by over 70% of the population. It is taught in all schools and is the medium of government. About two-thirds of the Han ethnic group are native speakers of Mandarin; the rest, concentrated in south and southeast China, speak one of the six other major Chinese dialects. Non-Chinese languages spoken widely by ethnic minorities include Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur and other Turkic languages (in occupied East Turkestan), and Korean (in the northeast). <br />
<br />
All Chinese dialects use the same written character sets. In mainland China, the [[Simplified Chinese|Simplified]] characters have been in use since 1949.<br />
<br />
====Pinyin system of Romanization====<br />
On January 1, 1979, the Chinese Government officially adopted the [[Hanyu pinyin|pinyin]] system for spelling Chinese names and places in Roman letters. A system of Romanization invented by the Chinese, pinyin has long been widely used in China on street and commercial signs as well as in elementary Chinese textbooks as an aid in learning Chinese characters and for common character input systems. Variations of pinyin also are used as the written forms of several minority languages. <br />
<br />
Pinyin has now replaced other conventional spellings in China's English-language publications. The U.S. Government also has adopted the pinyin system for all names and places in China. For example, the capital of China is now spelled "Beijing" rather than "Peking."<br />
<br />
In 2008 the Republic of China government finally adopted the pinyin system, replaces the [[Wade-Giles]] system which is gradually pushed away by the Chinese diaspora.<br />
<br />
=== Past population policy ===<br />
<br />
{{main|One-child Policy}}<br />
Xi Jinping had the disastrous Mao-era [[One-child Policy]] scrapped and replaced it with a Two-child Policy on October 29, 2015, which then took effect on January 1, 2016. On May 31, 2021, he announced that married couples will be allowed to have up to three children to deal with an aging population while giving financial support for families, but next month on June 18, he decided to end all childbirth restrictions by 2025.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-plans-further-shift-toward-encouraging-childbirth-11624003448</ref><br />
<br />
=== Current subreplacement level of births and its projected large population loss ===<br />
<br />
According to ''Forbes'' magazine, as far as the fertility rate of China: "...the Total Fertility Rate (births per woman) dropped in 2021 to just 1.15, far below the 2.1 required for a stable population."<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/sites/franklavin/2022/10/12/chinas-demographics-it-gets-worse/?sh=6102ba4331d1 China’s Demographics: It Gets Worse], Forbes magazine, Oct 12, 2022</ref> In 2022, the historian [[Niall Ferguson]] indicated that China's population is projected to drop by 50-75% by the end of the century.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2vqnpXWM0Y&t=601s Niall Ferguson on the projected drop of China's population in the 21st century]</ref><br />
<br />
==Disputed territories==<br />
:{{See also|China disputed territories}}<br />
[[File:3-march-2012-001.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Map of China including the disputed territories of Tibet, Inner Mongolia, and East Trukestan.]]<br />
The PRC lays claim to almost all of the [[South China Sea]] bordered by the [[Philippines]], [[Vietnam]], [[Malaysia]], [[Brunei]], and Taiwan. Beijing has sought to bolster its claims in the strategic waterways by building artificial islands in the area and building military outposts on them. In one and half years, between 2013 and 2014 under Xi's rule, the PRC created more than 3,200 acres of territory.<br />
<br />
In relation to Taiwan, the regime views the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has vowed to bring Taiwan under its fold with force if necessary. CCP academics openly teach students the regime could bribe Taiwanese politicians, ban trade and tourism from China, convince the few remaining countries that recognize Taiwan diplomatically to switch to the PRC, block Taiwan's participation in international organizations and meetings, and [[assassination|assassinate]] some Taiwanese to instill fear among the population.<br />
<br />
During the opening ceremonies of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, NBC Sports broadcasting network did not represent Taiwan or the South China Sea as part of the PRC on a map as the People's Republic of China athletes were being introduced. The Chinese Consulate General in New York said in a statement that [[NBC]] “hurt the dignity and emotions of the Chinese people. We urge NBC to recognize the serious nature of this problem and take measures to correct the error."<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2021/07/24/china-olympics-opening-ceremony-nbc-taiwan-south-sea/</ref> The official state funded media organ ''Global Times'' called it a "dirty political trick."<ref>https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1229509.shtml</ref><br />
<br />
Since 1950, the PRC has been illegally occupying the countries of [[Tibet]] and [[East Turkestan]]. <br />
<br />
====East Turkestan (Xinjiang)====<br />
:{{Main article|East Turkestan}}<br />
[[File:Uyghur forced labor and reeducation camp for girls.jpg|right|300pc|thumb|Uyghur forced labor and reeducation camp for girls in Xinjiang.<ref>[https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale Uyghurs for sale], Vicky Xiuzhong Xu, Danielle Cave, Dr. James Leibold, Kelsey Munro & Nathan Ruser, Australia Strategic Policy Institute, March 1, 2020.</ref>]]<br />
The main inhabitants of East Turkestan are the [[Uighur]]s among other Turkic peoples such as [[Kazakh]]s, Kirghiz, Uzbek and Tatars. East Turkestan was an independent country until the year 1949, when it was invaded by the [[Communist Chinese]].<ref name="iuhrdf.org">https://www.iuhrdf.org/uyghurs</ref> From the years 1951–1959, there were over 14 major armed rebellions against the Chinese occupation. The largest armed rebellion took place in Khotan from December 28–31, 1954.<br />
<br />
According to some reports, the CCP has begun to move large numbers of Uyghurs, including many former detainees, into textile, apparel, and other labor-intensive industries in Xinjiang and other PRC provinces. Uyghurs who refuse to accept such employment may be threatened with detention. They continue to be heavily monitored outside of work, and are required to attend political study classes at night. A study by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute identified nearly 120 Chinese and foreign companies, including global brands, that the institute alleges directly or indirectly benefit from Uyghur labor in potentially abusive circumstances.<ref>https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10281</ref><br />
<br />
Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 83 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including [[Apple]], [[BMW]], Gap, [[Huawei]], [[Nike, Inc.]], [[Samsung]], [[Sony]] and [[Volkswagen]]. In factories far away from home, they typically live in segregated dormitories, undergo organised Mandarin and ideological training outside working hours, are subject to constant surveillance, and are forbidden from participating in religious observances.<ref>https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale</ref><br />
<br />
===Hong Kong===<br />
:{{Main article|Hong Kong Independence Movement}}<br />
[[File:Hong Kong protests.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Grafetti from the late November 2019 Hong Kong democracy protests reads: "Dear World, CCP will infiltrate your government, Chinese enterprises $ interfere your political stance, China will harvest your home like [[Xinjiang]]. BE AWARE or BE NEXT!"<ref>https://twitter.com/HKstreetart/status/1196483549492391937/photo/1</ref>]]<br />
[[Hong Kong]] was guaranteed its democratic sovereignty in a peace arrangement between the [[United Kingdom]] in 1997, and [[Macau]] was handed over by [[Portugal]] in 1999. <!--Both territories are now [[Special Administrative Region]]s and have autonomy over local affairs. However, the autonomy has been eroded in recent years, particularly after the 2014 "Umbrella Revolution".--> In 2020, the CCP violated and abolished the international peace agreement guarantying Hong Kong's democratic sovereignty, and brought the formerly free people under control of the oppressive socialist and communist slave system.<br />
<br />
The Hong Kong branch of the Chinese Communist Party was founded in 1947 as the Xinhua News Agency Hong Kong Branch. Although the party has ruled Hong Kong since 1997, it remains technically illegal, or "underground." This status, unique among the world's ruling parties, allows the CCP to evade local laws that require political parties to disclose financing and to provide a membership list. In 2000, the name of the branch was changed to "Liaison Office of the Central People's Government." It is headquartered in a tower in the city's Sai Ying Pun district. In 2003, the office was reorganized as a "second government" parallel and equal in status to the "local government" in Admiralty. Since 2012, Sai Ying Pun has been the dominant partner in the Hong Kong government. The Liaison Office is headed by a director, currently Luo Huining. Luo is a member of the national party's central committee. The office has extensive and undisclosed property holdings through Newman Investment, a subsidiary. The office reports to the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, an agency of the Beijing government. This agency is currently headed by Xia Baolong, also a central committee member.<br />
<br />
The Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 provides that Hong Kong will enjoy a "high degree of autonomy except for foreign and defence affairs" under a "one country, two systems" approach. This approach was to last for fifty years, from 1997 to 2047. China promised that it would hold a direct election for chief executive by 2017. In August 2014, the Chinese parliament announced that Hong Kong voters would choose a chief executive from two or three candidates nominated by a committee. This announcement triggered mass pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in the form of the Umbrella Movement. The protests failed to the stop the selection of Carrie Lam as chief executive in 2017. In 2017, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that the joint declaration was no longer valid.<br />
<br />
In 2019 the Hong Kong government proposed a bill to [[extradite]] suspects who were wanted on the mainland. Unlike Hong Kong courts, mainland courts do not provide suspects with due process or other legal protections. A series of the enormous protests were held in Hong Kong and the bill was withdrawn on October 23, 2019. Parties that supported the pro-democracy protesters swept the District Council elections that were held in November.<ref>Loh, Christine, "[https://hkupress.hku.hk/pro/con/1724.pdf Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong]" Second Edition.</ref><br />
<br />
After the Hong Kong ''anschluss'', school textbooks were trimmed to "patriotic" standards. Terms like "Republic of China" are no longer to be found.<br />
<br />
===East Ladakh===<br />
:{{See also|Ladakh}}<br />
China has illegally occupied a portion of Eastern Ladakh since the late 1950s.<ref>https://tfipost.com/2020/06/why-aksai-chin-and-not-china-occupied-ladakh-aksai-chin-tells-a-story-of-indias-appeasement-policy-towards-china/</ref><br />
<br />
In June 2020 troops from the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and India clashed in the Galwan Valley.<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53062484</ref> The battle was fought with rocks, batons, and barbed wire-wrapped clubs. A 1996 agreement banned the use of guns and explosives along the disputed line of control. India reported 20 of their soldiers were killed, whereas the People's Republic of China (PRC) did not report any of its deaths. Indian media and the [[Russia]]n news agency [[TASS]] reported that as many as 45 PLA soldiers may have been killed.<ref>https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/china-says-5-military-officers-soldiers-killed-in-galwan-clash-with-india-report-2373770</ref> Over the following 12 months the PLA increased its troop strength along the border from 15,000 to 50,000 by July 2021, and moved advanced surface-to-air missiles including its HQ-9 system, which is similar to Russia's S-300 and America's [[Patriot missile]].<ref>https://archive.is/6Hbvt</ref><br />
<br />
===Tibet===<br />
:{{Main article|Tibet}}<br />
[[File:Dalai Lama visits Obama.jpeg|right|300px|thumb|The [[Dalai Lama]], the [[Head of State]] of [[Tibet]], is escorted out of an [[Oval Office]] meeting with [[Barack Obama]] past garbage bags; the photo-op was staged to please Obama's communist Chinese financiers.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/18/obama.dalailama/index.html ''CNN''</ref>]]<br />
Resistance to the Chinese occupation started to take on organized forms as early as 1952, reached massive proportions in 1959, and has continued, primarily underground, ever since.<ref>[http://www.tibet.com/WhitePaper/exesum.html Tibet: Proving Truth from Facts]</ref> Tibetans inside Tibet have no basic [[human rights]]. Particularly, nuns and monks are being denied the right to practice their religion freely. People are forced to denounce their spiritual leader, His Holiness the [[Dalai Lama]]. Even carrying a photo of the Dalai Lama is prohibited.<ref>http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/05/201253192951400741.html</ref><br />
<br />
The Dalai Lama was made Tibetan head of state in 1950, the same year that China invaded and occupied Tibet.<ref name=DalaiLama>FlorCruz, Jaime, CNN Beijing Bureau Chief (February 18, 2010). [https://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/analysis.china.dalai.lama/index.html "Analysis: Why the Dalai Lama angers China"]. Cable News Network website/World/Asia Pacific.</ref> [[CNN]] reports the Chinese government finds it "unacceptable when they see the Dalai Lama treated as a VIP, or even akin to a [[head of state]]."<ref name=DalaiLama/><br />
<br />
After the Dalai Lama met with Barack Obama in February, 2010 he was unceremoniously escorted through a side door that trash is regularly carried out for a photo op with awaiting cameras.<br />
<br />
On Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]]'s first official visit to China, the Secretary told Chinese leaders the [[Obama administration]] considered [[human rights]] concerns secondary to economic survival<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4735087/Hillary-Clinton-Chinese-human-rights-secondary-to-economic-survival.html Hillary Clinton: Chinese human rights secondary to economic survival,] Richard Spencer, ''[[Daily Telegraph]],'' 20 Feb 2009.</ref> and asked the CCP leaders for help financing President Obama's massive $787 billion economic stimulus plan by buying US Treasury securities.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.42a44b0f5d9cf5c9762e80574e79a3d5.831&show_article=1 Clinton wraps Asia trip by asking China to buy US debt,] [[Breitbart.com]], Feb 22 2009.</ref> <br />
<br />
Often portrayed as a religious leader by [[Western]] media, the Dalai Lama was made Tibetan head of state in 1950, the same year that Communist China committed an act of aggression against Tibet.<ref name=Dalai>[https://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/analysis.china.dalai.lama/index.html Analysis: Why the Dalai Lama angers China,] Jaime FlorCruz, CNN Beijing Bureau Chief, February 18, 2010.</ref><br />
<br />
===Southern Mongolia (Inner Mongolia)===<br />
:{{Main article|Southern Mongolian Independence Movement}}<br />
The Southern Mongolian Independence Movement (also known as the Inner Mongolian Independence Movement) is a movement for the independence of Inner Mongolia from China. Some in the movement also advocate for a merger with Mongolia.<ref name="unpo.org">https://unpo.org/members/7883</ref><br />
[[File:Hada.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hada, leader of the e Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance, has been arrested and detained beyond his term of sentence.<ref>http://www.smhric.org/Hada/Hada_1.htm</ref>]]<br />
Southern Mongolia (formally the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center or SMHRIC) has been a Member of UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization) since 2007. UNPO supports the endeavors of the SMHRIC through advocating for its cause and raising awareness of the PRC's discriminatory policies within the region in the [[European Union]] (EU) and United Nations (UN). SMHRIC's main goal is to establish a democratic structure in Southern Mongolia through gathering and distributing facts and information regarding the ongoing human rights violations within Southern Mongolia. SMHRIC also aims to educate the Mongolian population about human rights and democracy. SMHRIC runs the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center at www.shhric.org with regular updates on the struggles of the Mongolian people living in the PRC.<ref>http://www.smhric.org/index.htm</ref><br />
<br />
According to the UNPO website, the history of Southern Mongolia within China is marked with perpetual injustice and indignity. Starting from its annexation by the PRC in 1949 Southern Mongolia has undergone a series of political purges, ethnic cleansing, cultural assimilation, economic marginalization, and environmental destruction. It has not simply a case of the people being denied their basic right to [[self-determination]], but also of a people who have been subject to perpetual systematic persecution, a denial of basic human rights, dignities and cultural heritage. The state apparatus in China has been implementing hostile policies that directly and adversely affect the Mongolian pastoralist way of life, while also causing immeasurable damage to the environment. Within the last few years, the consequences of these policies whose aim is to extract minerals from the region, as well as the violence associated with them have increased.<br />
<br />
Mongolian herders have been displaced through policies such as ‘ecological migration’ and ‘ban over livestock grazing’ leaving many landless, jobless and [[homeless]]. Moreover, through these policies, the PRC attempts to replace the traditions and cultures of Mongolians with more Sino-centric cultural characteristics. Thousands of Chinese state-run mining companies have come to occupy vast territories of Southern Mongolia, continuing to destroy the local economy by dumping hazardous waste in traditional herder grasslands.<ref name="unpo.org"/><br />
<br />
===Manchuria===<br />
<br />
:{{Main article|Manchuria}}<br />
Manchuria is a country currently under the occupation of China.<ref>https://maps.nls.uk/view/101105755</ref> The current Emperor, who resides exiled in Japan, is Dokuritsu Aisingyoro. There is a Manchu government in exile that advocates for the restoration of its independence.<ref>http://www.manchukuo.net/index33e.htm#National_Name</ref> Manchuria was occupied when the Republic of China was established in 1912. In 1932, Manchukuo gained independence from the Republic of China. The last Qing emperor, Emperor Henry Puyi Aisingyoro became the Manchukuo emperor.<br />
<br />
After Japan's defeat in the Great East Asian War in 1945, Manchuria was occupied by China again. Japan regained sovereignty in 1952, yet Manchuria remained occupied by the totalitarian Chinese communists.<br />
<br />
The Manchukuo Temporary Government was established in 2004 to fight for independence again. The successor of the Aisingyoro family succeeded to the throne. From 2015, Dokuritsu Aisingyoro succeed the throne and appointed Mr. Cheung Siu Bong as the President. On March 7, 2019. The Manchukuo Government in Exile and Manchukuo Temporary Government merged into the Manchukuo Government. Mr Fu Jun became the New President.<br />
<br />
Manchukuo has an ambassador in Japan and representatives in the United States, Taiwan and Brazil.<br />
<br />
===Cantonia===<br />
:{{Main article|Cantonia Independence Movement}}<br />
Cantonese speaking China. 14th largest economy on the planet.<br />
[[File:SouthChinaSea.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Disputed claims in the South China Sea.]]<br />
<br />
===South China Sea===<br />
The South China Sea lies to the south of the China mainland and is bounded by the coastlines of the People's Republic of China (PRC), [[Vietnam]], [[Malaysia]], [[Brunei]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Taiwan]]. In the south-west it becomes the Gulf of Thailand. To the south the Serat Karimata gives access to the Java Sea; to the east the Balabac and Mindoro straits give access to the Sulu Sea and the Luzon Strait north of the Philippines gives access to the [[Pacific Ocean]]. The South China Sea contains a number of small island groups, uninhabited or inhabited only on a temporary basis by fishermen or by military detachments. These include the Paracel Islands and the [[Spratly Islands]]. <br />
<br />
China has constructed artificial islands around seven reefs in the Spratly Islands archipelago. The islands are central to Beijing's apparent ambition to "have absolute control" over the South China Sea, which holds an estimated 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 11 billion barrels of oil in proven and probable reserves, in addition to maritime resources such as fish.<ref>https://amti.csis.org/south-china-sea-energy-exploration-and-development/#:~:text=The%20South%20China%20Sea%20holds,with%20much%20more%20potentially%20undiscovered.</ref><br />
<br />
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that roughly 80% of global trade by volume and 70% by value is transported by sea. Of that volume, 60% of maritime trade passes through Asia, with the South China Sea carrying an estimated one-third of global shipping.<br />
<br />
==Racism==<br />
:''See also: [[Atheistic China and racism]]''<br />
===Africans/Blacks===<br />
An article entitled ''Racism in China'' declares:<br />
{{quotebox-float|The Han Chinese have traditionally considered themselves more advanced and civilized than other ethnic groups in China. In the imperial era, this was almost state policy. The sentiment continues today even though laws have been enacted to protect minorities, racism is officially condemned and Chinese multi-ethnicity is celebrated in propaganda. In recent years assimilation has been encouraged, particularly in Tibet and Xinjiang, whose ethnic groups are regarded as a threat.<br />
<br />
The Chinese have many prejudiced views about race, gender and nationality. Chinese often have no compunctions about directly mocking ethnic minorities, and there sometimes seems to be a prevailing belief that anything non-Chinese is primitive.<ref>[http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat5/sub29/item1686.html Racism in China]</ref>}}<br />
The Internations organization website says this about racism in China:<br />
{{quotebox-float|When it comes to foreign nations against which racism in China exists, the Japanese are particularly disliked. The use of slurs, such as “little Japanese” and even “Japanese devils”, is fairly common. The two countries’ bloody history — particularly Japan’s occupation of China and the atrocities against Chinese citizens during World War II — is neither forgotten nor forgiven. According to a BBC World Service poll, nine out of ten Chinese think negatively of their island neighbors.<br />
<br />
Black people are often regarded suspiciously, too, and considered as all coming from Africa, regardless of their actual origin. In a society where light skin is still deemed desirable and seen as a sign of fortune, darker skin is often associated with less favorable traits. There have, for instance, been reports of African-American English teachers (and thus native speakers) being turned down in favor of white English teachers with non-native language skills.<br />
<br />
China’s economic investment in a number of African countries may well have helped to create the prejudice that all Africans are poor and profiting from money that should rather be invested at home, thus fostering racism in China. In Guangzhou, where a large number of Africans have settled over the last few years, racial tensions have been particularly high.<ref>[https://www.internations.org/china-expats/guide/29460-safety-security/discrimination-and-racism-in-china-17752 Discrimination and Racism in China], Internations.org website</ref>}}<br />
[[File:This-is-Africa-offensive-images.jpg|right|300px|thumb]]<br />
[[File:CCP This is Africa.png|right|300px|thumb|Images from the Hubei Provincial Museum Wuhan exhibit, "This is Africa," 2017.<ref>https://qz.com/africa/1101699/africans-in-china-are-infuriated-over-a-museum-exhibit-comparing-africans-to-animals/</ref>]]<br />
Leroy Adams writes in an article entitled ''What is it like to be Black in China?'': "China is a country plagued by racism. To be Black or African in China is to be labeled unintelligent, dangerous, unattractive, or to see an empty seat next to you on a crowded subway.<ref>[https://www.inkstonenews.com/opinion/black-panther-what-it-be-black-china/article/2136990 ''What is it like to be Black in China?''], Inkstone News</ref> Barry Sautman published via the ''Cambridge University Press'' about racism in post-Mao Zedong China: "Expressions of anti-black sentiment by Chinese students have caught the world's attention periodically since the end of the 1970s. Demonstrations against African students in Nanjing and other cities between late 1988 and early 1989 received wide press coverage. Because the African population in China is small and transient, some observers saw these events as a manifestation of a vestigial xenophobia, not as part of a developing trend of thought within a key segment of Chinese society. Placed next to the brutal ethnic conflicts that plague much of the world, the episodic, non-lethal incidents in China seemed evanescent, with only fleeting implications for China's foreign policy.<ref>[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/china-quarterly/article/anti-black-racism-in-post-mao-china/862AF22CB97347DD0EF289792919640B Anti-Black Racism in Post-Mao China] by Barry Sautman, ''Cambridge University Press''</ref><br />
<br />
One of the biggest ways the outbreak of the CCP coronavirus has damaged China's international reputation is by exposing the country's racist attitude toward Africans. The Leftwing communist government's response to the coronavirus was to blame foreigners for importing the virus.<ref>https://www.ibtimes.com/china-blames-world-new-coronavirus-cases-all-imported-no-local-transmission-2946187</ref> [[Black]] Africans and [[African American]]s were evicted from their apartments and refused service in local shops and restaurants.<ref>https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/africans-in-china-being-evicted-from-homes-after-lockdown-ends/ar-BB12uxqM</ref> Such an attitude obviously has angered millions of Africans back home.<ref>https://www.visiontimes.com/2020/05/05/africans-enraged-at-chinas-racist-attitude.html</ref> Those who could leave the socialist paradise ended up living on the streets, constantly harassed by the [[police]].<ref>https://www.france24.com/en/20200411-if-you-re-black-you-can-t-go-out-africans-in-china-face-racism-in-covid-19-crackdown</ref><br />
<br />
On April 13, 2020, the U.S. consulate had to issue an alert warning [[African-American]]s to avoid the [[Guangzhou]] region since they could be racially targeted. It advised African-Americans in China to always carry their identity documents with them since it was less likely for officials to target an American citizen.<br />
<br />
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused the U.S. of trying to drive a wedge between Africa and China, saying that the United States was being neither responsible nor [[moral]]. A [[State Department]] spokesperson pointed out that the mistreatment meted out to Africans in China is a clear signal of how hollow the China-Africa relationship is despite Beijing constantly masquerading as being a benefactor for African people.<ref>https://en.tuidang.org/news/communist-regime/2020/05/africans-enraged-at-chinas-racist-attitude.html</ref><br />
<br />
===Uyghurs and Muslims===<br />
According to various estimates, the Chinese Communist authorities have placed anywhere from 1-3 million Turkic Muslims, mostly ethnic [[Uyghur]]s, and [[Kazakh]]s, in concentration camps without formal charges, trials or hearings, and with no timetable for release. Many detainees have little or no contact with their families and, in some cases, young children. Some CCP officials describe the Xinjiang camps as “vocational education institutions” in which “trainees” learn the Chinese language, legal knowledge, and job skills, and undergo “de-extremization.” Other CCP authorities state that detainees are “infected with religious extremism and violent terrorist ideology.” According to some reports, many prisoners had engaged in activities that authorities may now deem “extremist,” including participating in religious services outside of officially sanctioned places of<br />
worship; [[home-schooling]] one's children; spending time abroad or having relatives living abroad; and expressing religious sentiments.<br />
<br />
Many detainees reportedly are compelled to express or chant their love of the Communist Party and President Xi Jinping, sing patriotic songs, renounce or reject many of their religious beliefs and customs, including their avoidance of pork, alcohol, and smoking, and undergo ideological indoctrination and self-criticisms. According to former detainees, treatment and conditions in the camps include beatings, food deprivation, and crowded and unsanitary conditions. Some reeducation centers reportedly contain factories where detainees are forced to work, in some cases producing goods for export.<br />
<br />
Recent security measures include the following:<br />
*Police Presence and Surveillance: Thousands of “convenience” police stations, furnished with anti-riot and high-tech [[surveillance]] equipment, have been installed.<br />
*Biometric data collection: Authorities have systematically collected and cataloged [[DNA]] samples, [[blood type]]s, and fingerprints and performed eye scans of Uyghurs for identification purposes as part of its social stability campaign, often under the guise of “health physicals.”<br />
*Internet and Social Media Controls: Uyghurs in some areas of the XUAR are required to install an application on their [[mobile phone]]s that enables authorities to monitor their online activities.<br />
*Home stays: The government has sent an estimated one million officials and state workers from outside the XUAR, mostly ethnic Han, to live temporarily in the homes of Uyghurs to assess their hosts’ loyalty to the Communist Party.<ref>https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1148671/download</ref><br />
<br />
===Indians===<br />
The [[CCP]] run Xinhua news agency made a racist video mocking Indians after the Doklam Standoff in 2017.<ref>https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/doklam-standoff-chinese-media-releases-racist-video-parodying-indians/story-eQCqrkLsrcueW7hA1zmrjO.html</ref><br />
<br />
===Japanese===<br />
The [[CCP]] controlled Movie/TV portrays Japanese as "Devils".<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBW1lQw_WrI</ref><br />
<br />
==China and State Sponsored Terrorism==<br />
:{{Main article|China and State Sponsored Terrorism}}<br />
==Religion==<br />
<br />
''See also:'' [[Growth of Christianity in China]] and [[China and atheism]] and [[Future of atheism in China]]<br />
<br />
A February 2007 survey concluded that 31% of Chinese citizens ages 16 and over, representing 300 million persons, follow some kind of religion,<ref>This is approximately three times the official figure reported by the Government in April 2005. See [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108404.htm U.S. State Department "International Religious Freedom Report 2008"]</ref> provided that the Communist Party is recognized as the supreme entity above any deity.<br />
<br />
There are reportedly more than 100,000 officially recognized sites for religious activities, 300,000 officially recognized clergy, and more than 3,000 officially recognized religious organizations.<br />
<br />
The Government officially recognizes five main religions: [[Buddhism]], [[Taoism]], [[Islam]], [[Catholicism]], and [[Protestantism]]. There are five state-sanctioned "Patriotic Religious Associations" (PRAs) that manage the activities of the recognized faiths. The Russian Orthodox Church operates in some regions, particularly those with large populations of Russian expatriates or with close links to Russia. Foreign residents in the country who belonged to religious faiths not officially recognized by the Government were generally permitted to practice their religions. There is very little freedom for Christians however.<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-25502760</ref><br />
<br />
It is difficult to estimate the number of Buddhists and Taoists because they do not have congregational memberships and many practice exclusively at home. The following are informed estimates published by Freedom.org or religious communities (with the exception of Taoism, for which no figures were available), drawing on official figures, public opinion surveys, academic studies, media reports, and religious groups’ own reporting as of 2019.<ref>https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/FH_ChinasSprit2016_FULL_FINAL_140pages.pdf</ref><br />
[[File:CCP religion.PNG|right|300px|thumb|Traditional Buddhist allowed to pray to the gods of communism, Mao and XI]]<br />
*Chinese Buddhists 185-250M<br />
*Protestants 60-80M<br />
:*Registered ~30-50M<br />
:*Unregistered ~30M<br />
<br />
*Muslims 21-23M<br />
:*Hui 12M<br />
:*Uighur 11M<br />
<br />
*Catholics 12M<br />
:*Registered 6M<br />
:*Unregistered 6M<br />
<br />
*Falun Gong practitioners 7-20M<br />
<br />
*Tibetan Buddhists 6-8M<br />
<br />
The Government estimated that there are 16,000 Buddhist temples and monasteries, 200,000 Buddhist monks and nuns, more than 1,700 reincarnate lamas, and 32 Buddhist schools. Most believers, particularly ethnic Han Buddhists, practice Mahayana Buddhism, while the majority of Tibetans and ethnic Mongolians, as well as a growing number of ethnic Chinese, practice Tibetan Buddhism, a Mahayana adaptation. Some ethnic minorities in southwest Yunnan Province practice Theravada Buddhism, the dominant tradition in parts of neighboring Southeast Asia.<br />
<br />
There are more than 25,000 Taoist priests and nuns, more than 1,500 Taoist temples, and 2 Taoist schools. Traditional folk religions (worship of local gods, heroes, and ancestors) are practiced by hundreds of millions of citizens and are often affiliated with Taoism, Buddhism, or ethnic minority cultural practices.<br />
<br />
The government says there are twenty million Muslims. Independent estimates range as high as fifty million or more. There are more than 40,000 Islamic places of worship, more than half of which are in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), more than 45,000 imams nationwide, and 10 Islamic schools. The country has ten predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Hui, estimated to number more than ten million. The Hui are centered in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, but there are significant concentrations of Hui throughout the country, including in Gansu, Henan, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Hebei Provinces, as well as in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and the XUAR. Hui Muslims slightly outnumber Uighur Muslims, who live primarily in the XUAR. According to an official 2005 report, the XUAR had 23,900 mosques and 27,000 clerics at the end of 2004, but fewer than half of the mosques were authorized to hold Friday prayer and holiday services. The country also has more than one million Kazakh Muslims and thousands of Dongxiang, Kyrgyz, Salar, Tajik, Uzbek, Baoan, and Tatar Muslims.<br />
<br />
Officials from the Three-Self Patriotic Movement/China Christian Council (TSPM/CCC), the government branch (committee) in charge of the Christianity Churches (officially led by the CPC), estimated that at least twenty million citizens worship in official churches. Government officials stated that there are more than 50,000 registered TSPM churches and 18 TSPM theological schools. The Pew Research Center estimates that between 50 million and 70 million Christians practice without state sanction. However, some estimates over 100million people are Christians. The World Christian Database estimates that there are more than 300 unofficial house church networks.<br />
<br />
The Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) reports that 5.3 million persons worship in its churches and it is estimated that there are an additional 12 million or more persons who worship in unregistered Catholic churches that do not affiliate with the CPA. According to official sources, the government-sanctioned CPA has more than 70 bishops, nearly 3,000 priests and nuns, 6,000 churches and meeting places, and 12 seminaries. There are thought to be approximately 40 bishops operating "underground," some of whom are in prison or under house arrest. During the reporting period, at least three bishops were ordained with papal approval. In September 2007 the official media reported that Liu Bainian, CPA vice president, stated that the young bishops were to be selected to serve dioceses without bishops and to replace older bishops. Of the 97 dioceses in the country, 40 reportedly did not have an acting bishop in 2007, and more than 30 bishops were over 80 years of age.<br />
===State atheism and religious discrimination===<br />
<br />
''See also:'' [[China and atheism]] and [[Communism and religious persecution]] and [[Persecution of Christians in the People's Republic of China]]<br />
<br />
China has the world's largest [[atheism|atheist]] population.<ref>[http://www.thechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013</ref> China has [[state atheism]] (see: [[China and atheism]]).<br />
<br />
The Government restricts legal religious practice to government-sanctioned organizations and registered religious groups and places of worship, and seeks to control the growth and scope of the activity of both registered and unregistered religious groups, including "house churches." Government authorities limit proselytism, particularly by foreigners and unregistered religious groups, but permit proselytism in state-approved religious venues and private settings. The Chinese government explicitly prohibits students and civil servants from participating in certain religious practices, even when not in school or at work.<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/china-bans-ramadan-fast-muslim-northwest-103756197.html Didi Tang "China bans Ramadan fast in Muslim northwest." July 3, 2014. Associated Press.]</ref> <br />
[[File:Great Mosque Xi an China.jpg|thumb|330px|Great Mosque of Xi'an.]]<br />
In 2008, the Government's repression of religious freedom intensified in some areas, including in Tibetan areas and in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Unregistered Protestant religious groups in Beijing reported intensified harassment from government authorities in the lead up to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Media and China-based sources reported that municipal authorities in Beijing closed some house churches or asked them to stop meeting during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. During the reporting period, officials detained and interrogated several foreigners about their religious activities and in several cases alleged that the foreigners had engaged in "illegal religious activities" (alleged) and canceled their visas. Media reported that the total number of expatriates expelled by the Government due to concerns about their religious activities exceeded one hundred. Officials in the XUAR, the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), and other Tibetan areas tightly controlled religious activity. The Government sought the forcible return of several Uighur Muslims living abroad, some of whom had reportedly protested restrictions on the Hajj and encouraged other Muslims to pray and fast during Ramadan. Followers of Tibetan Buddhism, including those in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and most Tibetan autonomous areas, faced more restrictions on their religious practice and ability to organize than Buddhists in other parts of the country. "Patriotic education" campaigns in the TAR and other Tibetan regions, which required monks and nuns to sign statements personally denouncing the Dalai Lama, and other new restrictions on religious freedom were major factors that led monks and nuns to mount peaceful protests at a number of monasteries on March 10, 2008. The protests and subsequent security response gave way to violence in Lhasa by March 14 and 15. <br />
Moreover, Christians, including the Catholic, Protestant Christians, are facing societal hostility generated by the government, and the Christians are facing difficulties when comes to the decision of ascension in the governmental (regime) enterprises and will be arrested if evangelizing on governmental schools' campus (public schools, but with heavy involvement from the Communist party branches).<br />
<br />
"Underground" Roman Catholic clergy faced repression, in large part due to their avowed loyalty to the Vatican, which the Government accused of interfering in the country's internal affairs. The Government continued to repress groups that are designated as "cults," most of which included several Christian groups and Falun Gong.<br />
<br />
Religious and ethnic minority groups such as Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims experienced societal discrimination not only because of their religious beliefs but also because of their status as ethnic minorities with distinct languages and cultures. After the March 2008 protests in Lhasa and other Tibetan areas, there were reports of increased tensions between Tibetan Buddhists and Hui Muslims.<br />
<br />
The Falun Gong is a self-described spiritual movement that blends aspects of Taoism, Buddhism, and the meditation techniques and physical exercises of qigong (a traditional Chinese exercise discipline), with the teachings of Falun Gong leader Li Hongzhi. There are estimated to have been at least 2.1 million adherents of Falun Gong before the Government cleansed and persecute the group in 1999. Hundreds of thousands may practice Falun Gong privately, but with serious risks, and once discovered by the government agents, the practitioners will be jailed, losing jobs, and may not even attend the universities. Moreover, the practitioners will risk the risk of having their organs live-harvested by the Communist government.<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/new-documentary-secret-audio-recordings-of-politburo-standing-committee-members-reveal-vast-state-run-enterprise-of-live-organ-harvesting_2263247.html</ref><br />
<br />
=== Suppression of religion through murder and torture ===<br />
:{{See also|Atheistic communism and torture|China and involuntary organ harvesting}}<br />
The Chinese communist regime has used beatings, harassment and torture to suppress religion in China and continues to use these practices.<ref name="Amnesty1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/3b83b6e00.html |title=China: The crackdown on Falun Gong and other so-called "heretical organizations"|date=23 March 2000|publisher=Amnesty International|accessdate=17 March 2010}}</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AESx5u6yMw Militant Atheist extremist regime persecuting and torturing Christians in China]</ref><ref>[https://www.apnews.com/61cdf7f5dfc34575aa643523b3c6b3fe Woman describes torture, beatings in Chinese detention camp] By MARIA DANILOVA, AP News, November 26, 2018</ref><br />
<br />
Several researchers — for example, Canadian human rights lawyer David Matas, former Canadian parliamentarian David Kilgour, and the investigative journalist Ethan Gutmann estimate that tens of thousands of Falun Gong prisoners in Communist China have been killed to supply a financially lucrative trade in human organs and cadavers, and that these human rights abuses may be an ongoing concern.<ref>[http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/slaughter-mass-killings-organ-harvesting Review of: Ethan Gutmann, “''The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting and China’s Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem''”, (Prometheus Books, 2014).]</ref><br />
<br />
==Government==<br />
The People's Republic of China is a [[totalitarian]]/[[authoritarian]] regime in which the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) is the base structure and source of power. Moreover, the society has been forced to run according to the motive of the Communist Party in the past decades, although not successful. Party members hold almost all top government, police, and military positions. The children of high-level officials, dubbed “[[princelings]]” (''taizi'') in colloquial Chinese, are particularly prominent at the highest levels of the Chinese political system. The party is controlled by roughly 800 political dynasties, likened to [[mafia]] families, spread throughout the country. China's most prominent princeling is '''[[Xi Jinping]]'''.<ref>[https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41007.pdf Understanding China’s Political System], ''Congressional Research Service'', March 20, 2013.</ref> Ultimate authority rests with the 25-member political bureau (Politburo) of the CCP and its nine-member standing committee. Xi Jinping holds the three most powerful positions as CCP general secretary, president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission. To remain in power the party, under Xi, is obsessed with not having "another [[Gorbachev]]."<ref>https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Xi-s-Gorbachev-obsession-put-China-on-a-Soviet-path</ref> Since Xi's rise to power in 2012, by 2021 more than 600,000 political refugees applied for asylum in other countries, and the number continues to grow.<ref>https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/07/28/under-xi-jinping-the-number-of-chinese-asylum-seekers-has-shot-up</ref><br />
<br />
==Chinese Communist Party==<br />
<br />
''See also:'' [[Chinese Communist Party]]<br />
<br />
The 89 million-member CCP, totalitarian in structure and ideology, continues to dominate government. Nevertheless, China's population, geographical vastness, and social diversity frustrate attempts to rule by fiat from Beijing. Core leaders are attempting to adopt several changes in order to support their own greed in power as a totalitarian state. <br />
<br />
In periods of greater openness, the influence of people and organizations outside the formal party structure has tended to increase, particularly in the economic realm. This phenomenon is most apparent today in the rapidly developing coastal region. Nevertheless, in all important government, economic, and cultural institutions in China, party committees work to see that party and state policy guidance is followed and that non-party members do not create autonomous organizations that could challenge party rule. Party control is tight- although not being felt directly. <br />
<br />
Theoretically, the party's highest body is the Party Congress, which traditionally meets at least once every 5 years. The primary organs of power in the Communist Party include: <br />
*The [[Politburo Standing Committee]], which currently consists of seven members;<br />
*The Politburo, consisting of 24 full members, including the members of the Politburo Standing Committee; <br />
*The Secretariat, the principal administrative mechanism of the CCP, headed by the General Secretary; <br />
*The Central Military Commission; <br />
*The [[Discipline Inspection Commission]], which is charged with maintaining loyalty among party cadres. <br />
<br />
Member of the Politburo Standing Committee do not have equal voice or representation. Rather, they are ranked 1 to 7.<br />
<br />
===Principal party and government officials===<br />
Most senior party officials living today were indoctrinated into the socialist system as teenagers during the [[Cultural Revolution]] of the 1960s.<br />
<br />
(After Oct. 2017)<br />
*General Secretary of the CCP, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and President of the State Council—Xi Jinping<br />
*Politburo Standing Committee—(responsible for day-to-day affairs, ranked 1–7) Xi Jinping (General Secretary), Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, [[Wang Huning]], Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi<br />
*Party Politburo members (meets irregularly, mostly provincial heads and Senior State Council members)— Ding Xuexiang, Wang Chen, Liu He, Xu Qiliang, Sun Chunlan (Arrested), Li Xi, Li Qiang, Li Hongzhong, [[Yang Jiechi]], Zhang Youxia, Chen xi, Chen Quanguo, Zhao Leji, Guo Shengkun, Huang Kunming, Cai Qi. (alternate)<br />
[[File:Xi and Mao.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Xi an Mao]]<br />
*Alternate Politburo Members—Wang Gang<br />
<br />
*Vice President—[[Wang Qishan]]<br />
*Premier, State Council—Li Qiang<br />
*NPC Chair—Wu Bangguo<br />
*Vice Premier—[[Zhang Gaoli]]<br />
*Foreign Affairs—Yang Jiechi<br />
*Minister of Commerce—Zhong Shan<br />
*Minister of Finance—Jin Renqing<br />
*Minister of Agriculture— <br />
*Minister of Industry and Digitalization —Wang Xudong<br />
*Governor, People's Bank of China—Zhou Xiaochuan<br />
*Minister, State Development and Reform Commission—Ma Kai<br />
*Ambassador to the U.S.--Zhou Wenzhong <br />
*Ambassador to UN—Wang Guangya<br />
<br />
===Military===<br />
{{cquote|It is indeed brutal to kill one or two hundred million Americans. But that is the only path that will secure a Chinese century, a century in which the CCP leads the world. We, as revolutionary humanitarians, do not want deaths, but if history confronts us with a choice between deaths of Chinese and those of Americans, we’d have to pick the latter, as, for us, it is more important to safeguard the lives of the Chinese people and the life of our Party.|||Chi Haotian, ex-Vice-Chairman of China’s Military Commissionm<ref>https://eagleforum.org/publications/efr/may21/chinas-communist-party-wants-to-kill-you.html</ref>}}<br />
:{{See also|Peoples Liberation Army}}<br />
The establishment of a professional military force equipped with modern weapons and doctrine was the last of the "Four Modernizations" announced by [[Zhou Enlai]] and supported by Deng Xiaoping. In keeping with Deng's mandate to reform, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which includes the strategic nuclear forces, army, navy, and air force, demobilized millions of men and women beginning in 1978 and introduced modern methods in such areas as recruitment and manpower, strategy, and education and training. <br />
<br />
Following the June 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, ideological correctness was temporarily revived as the dominant theme in Chinese military affairs.<br />
<br />
In just one generation, China has transformed itself from a largely agrarian country into a manufacturing and trading powerhouse — with a matching boom in military and technology power. In 2010 the budget of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was roughly $35 billion. By 2020 it was around $250 billion. China's military boasts capable long-range ballistic missiles, 5th-generation fighter aircraft, aircraft carriers, and the largest surface combatants in the world. Its forces are increasingly active in not just the [[Pacific]] but also carrying out operations far beyond. Its arms and equipment are the products of China's defense industry. Once reliant on imports for high-end capabilities, China is now in the top tier of research, design, and production in fields that range from established areas like rocketry, shipbuilding, and aviation, to some of the most cutting-edge areas like robotics, AI, quantum, and hypersonic flight. This shift has also upended the global arms trade. China's arms trade shows now preview not just what will equip the PLA next, but what will also show up next in the battlefields of the developing world.<ref>https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/05/introducing-china-intelligence/174256/</ref><br />
<br />
It should be remembered that the Military is still under the Party's control. It is not to be equated with the European and American Armed forces.<br />
<br />
====Unrestricted warfare doctrine====<br />
<br />
Since the publication in 1999 of ''Unrestricted Warfare: Two Air Force Senior Colonels on Scenarios for War and the Operational Art in an Era of Globalization'', by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangs<br />
<br />
ui, it has been understood that hard-line elements within the Chinese National Security community have been envisioning and positioning themselves for war with the USA. As the title suggests, this book subverts the strategic thinking and rules of "old-style warfare”, proposes “new types of warfare” and explores military tactics, strategy and organization in the age of globalization. The “unrestricted” part of “unrestricted warfare” avoids direct military confrontation and seeks instead to conquer through non-kinetic means.<br />
<br />
The authors argued that the notion that “national defense being the country’s main security goal is somewhat outdated, at least rather inadequate." Under such circumstances, a country, especially a weak one, must go beyond the limits of "traditional war" in order to win when it is faced with an opponent stronger than itself. <br />
[[File:CCP Unrestricted Warfare.PNG|right|500px|thumb]]<br />
"Traditional war" follows certain rules or boundaries, for example, protections for the civilians and civilian facilities, humanitarian treatment to [[POW]]s, banning the use of [[weapons of mass destruction]], etc. These principles were formally established in a series of international agreements. "Unrestricted warfare" means going beyond the limit, whether it is material, spiritual, ethical or technical; and whether it is called 'range', ‘restriction’, ‘restraint’, ‘boundary’, ‘rules’, ‘law’, ‘limit’, or ‘taboo’ ". In “unrestricted warfare” there is no distinction between "front and rear", "military and civilian”, country and territory. It is not restrained by moral and ethical limits. Any person and any facility can be considered as a military target. In order to achieve the goal, you can do whatever you want.<br />
<br />
Unrestricted warfare tactics are divided into three categories, "military, trans-military and non-military. To operate “unrestricted warfare”, any item in the table of the three categories can be combined with one or more other items as needed to form "combined tactics". The authors specifically pointed out in the note: "The three categories of operations here are real wars, not metaphors or descriptions." <br />
<br />
When all the boundaries of “old-style warfare” are broken, there is only one reality left: the entire human society is treated as a battlefield. There is no doubt that the [[United States]] is the simulated enemy against whom the unrestricted warfare was formulated. The reasoning goes that the People's Republic of China, being the weaker party compared with the United States in terms of military technology and power justifies [[tactic]]s described in ''Unrestricted Warfare'', since conventional tactics may not ensure victory against the US.<ref>https://jianglinswritings.blogspot.com/2020/05/unrestricted-warfare-rulelessness-is.html</ref><br />
<br />
According to the U.S. EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security, China has the ability to conduct an Electromagnetic Pulse first-strike attack on the United States.<ref>https://archive.is/9nCcu#selection-4439.21-4443.320</ref> Dr. Peter Pry, a longtime expert on [[EMP attack|EMP warfare]], China developed the weapons as part of its Total Information Warfare. Dr. Pry found that China is eager to shoot first with “high-altitude electromagnetic pulse,” or HEMP, weapons launched from satellites, ships, and land. “China’s military doctrine — including numerous examples presented here of using HEMP attack to win on the battlefield, defeat U.S. aircraft carriers, and achieve against the U.S. homeland a surprise ‘[[Pearl Harbor attack|Pearl Harbor]]’ writ large — is replete with technical and operational planning consistent with a nuclear first-strike.”<ref>https://archive.is/AL7lu</ref><br />
<br />
====Science and technology====<br />
:{{See also|Technocracy}}<br />
[[File:Shi Zhengli 2.PNG|250px|thumb|Since 2015, there is no distinction between civilian and military research. All science and technology is shared equally between the military and non-military researchers.]]<br />
The 13th Five year Plan, which ran from 2016 - 2020, eliminated a distinction between civilian and military science and technology research, fusing them together in a two-way flow of technology and other resources.<ref>http://english.scio.gov.cn/m/featured/chinakeywords/2018-03/16/content_50714999.htm</ref><br />
<br />
Science and technology have always preoccupied China's leaders; indeed, China's political leadership comes almost exclusively from technical backgrounds and has a high regard for science. Deng called it "the first productive force." Distortions in the economy and society created by party rule have severely hurt Chinese science, according to some Chinese science policy experts. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, modeled on the Soviet system, puts much of China's greatest scientific talent in a large, under-funded apparatus that remains largely isolated from industry, although the reforms of the past decade have begun to address this problem. <br />
<br />
Chinese science strategists see China's greatest opportunities in newly emerging fields such as biotechnology and computers, where there is still a chance for China to become a significant player. Most Chinese students who went abroad have not returned, but they have built a dense network of trans-Pacific contacts that will greatly facilitate U.S.-China scientific cooperation in the coming years. The U.S. space program is often held up as the standard of scientific modernity in China. China's small but growing space program, which successfully completed its second manned orbit in October 2005, is a focus of national pride. <br />
<br />
The U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement remains the framework for bilateral cooperation in this field. A 5-year agreement to extend the Science and Technology Agreement was signed in April 2006. The Agreement is among the longest-standing U.S.-China accords, and includes over eleven U.S. Federal agencies and numerous branches that participate in cooperative exchanges under the S&T Agreement and its nearly 60 protocols, memoranda of understanding, agreements, and annexes. The Agreement covers cooperation in areas such as marine conservation, renewable energy, and health. Biennial Joint Commission Meetings on Science and Technology bring together policymakers from both sides to coordinate joint science and technology cooperation. Executive Secretaries meetings are held biennially to implement specific cooperation programs. Japan and the European Union also have high-profile science and technology cooperative relationships with China.<br />
<br />
====Biological weapons====<br />
:{{See also|CCP global pandemic|}}<br />
[[File:WIV.png|right|350px|thumb]]<br />
China agreed to the Biological Weapons Convention in 1984, but both academics and government agencies have asserted that the regime is a world leader in [[bioweapon]] production.<ref>https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/questions-surround-canadian-shipment-of-deadly-viruses-to-china-66254</ref> The [[U.S. State Department]] and other agencies stating publicly in 2009 that they believe China has offensive biological agents.<ref>https://www.voanews.com/archive/china-denies-us-report-it-has-biological-weapons-capabilities</ref> China is “commonly considered to have an active biological warfare program,” says the Federation of American Scientists. An official with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defence charged that China is the world leader in toxin “threats.”<ref>https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/7/23/defense-officials-see-increased-threat-from-chinese-russian-chembio-weapon</ref><br />
<br />
the [[Wuhan Institute of Virology]] (WIV) is linked to Beijing's covert bioweapons program. WIV is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but certain laboratories within it have linkage with the PLA or BW-related elements within the Chinese defense establishment. Suspicions were raised about the WIV when a group of Chinese virologists working in Canada improperly sent to China samples of what he described as some of the deadliest viruses on earth, including the Ebola virus.<ref>https://greatgameindia.com/coronavirus-bioweapon/</ref><br />
<br />
In 2015, Chinese military scientists discussed how to weaponize SARS [[coronavirus]]es to "cause the enemy’s medical system to collapse." In a 263-page document, written by People's Liberation Army scientists and senior Chinese public health officials and obtained by the US State Department during its investigation into the origins of [[COVID-19]], suggests that SARS coronaviruses could herald a "new era of genetic weapons," and noted that they can be "artificially manipulated into an emerging human disease virus, then weaponized and unleashed in a way never seen before."<ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/chinese-military-discussed-weaponizing-covid-2015-cause-enemys-medical-system-collapse</ref><br />
<br />
====War in space====<br />
China aims to become the world's leading space power by 2045.<ref>https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-11/17/content_34653486.htm</ref> China is taking steps to establish a commanding position in the commercial launch and satellite sectors relying in part on aggressive state-backed financing that foreign market-driven companies cannot match. <br />
<br />
The CCP has invested heavily in new satellite clusters, anti-satellite weapons, and electronic warfare packages designed to shut down America's access to its own satellite network. In early 2021, Chinese state-owned media announced that the state-owned China Telecom corporation would be launching 10,000 satellites over the course of the next 5 to 10 years.<ref>https://archive.is/1ud4D#selection-1185.229-1185.334</ref><br />
<br />
One cornerstone of China's space program is the Beidou Navigation Satellite system (BDS), a global navigation satellite system that provides positioning, navigation and timing, in addition to data communication. The People's Liberation Army created the program in order not to be dependent on the US-controlled GPS network.<ref>https://jamestown.org/program/the-beidou-satellite-network-and-the-space-silk-road-in-eurasia/</ref> The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission wrote in its 2019 Annual Report to Congress: "Beijing uses its space program to advance its terrestrial geopolitical objectives, including cultivating customers for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)... China is taking steps to establish a commanding position in the commercial launch and satellite sectors relying in part on aggressive state-backed financing that foreign market-driven companies cannot match."<ref>https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2019-11/Chapter%204%20Section%203%20-%20China%E2%80%99s%20Ambitions%20in%20Space%20-%20Contesting%20the%20Final%20Frontier.pdf</ref><br />
<br />
The September 2020 Pentagon report, ''Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2020'', stated, "the PRC is developing electronic warfare capabilities such as satellite jammers; offensive cyber capabilities; and directed-energy weapons. ...China has an operational ground-based Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile intended to target low-Earth orbit satellites/"<ref>https://media.defense.gov/2020/Sep/01/2002488689/-1/-1/1/2020-DOD-CHINA-MILITARY-POWER-REPORT-FINAL.PDF</ref><br />
<br />
====Nuclear weapons====<br />
<br />
In 1955, Mao Zedong's Chinese Communist Party decided to proceed with a nuclear weapons program; it was developed with Soviet assistance until 1960. After its first nuclear test in October 1964, Beijing deployed a modest but potent ballistic missile force, including land- and sea-based intermediate-range and [[intercontinental ballistic missile]]s. <br />
<br />
In late 2011, Phil Karber, a national security expert in the [[Reagan administration]] and [[Georgetown University]] professor, released a study titled the ''Underground Great Wall'' that revealed,<ref>https://anthonyclarkarend.com/dr-phillip-a-karber-and-the-chinese-tunnel-project-at-georgetown-d1676da7d3c2</ref> through open-source analysis, that the CCP had some 3,000 miles of underground tunnels and that the PLA's nuclear arsenal was much bigger than officially estimated by the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] and the U.S. [[intelligence community]].<ref>https://archive.is/wip/DNolb</ref><br />
[[File:China Hami-silos-1024x617.jpg|right|350px|thumb|One of two nuclear missile fields discovered under construction in mid-2021.]]<br />
The nuclear missile silo construction discovered in the summer of 2021 at Yumen and Hami constitutes the most significant expansion of the Chinese nuclear arsenal ever. China has for decades operated about 20 silos for liquid-fuel DF-5 ICBMs. With 120 silos under construction at Yumen, another 110 silos at Hami, a dozen silos at Jilantai, and possibly more silos being added in existing DF-5 deployment areas, the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) appears to have approximately 250 silos under construction – more than ten times the number of ICBM silos in operation today.<br />
<br />
The number of new Chinese silos under construction exceeds the number of silo-based ICBMs operated by [[Russia]], and constitutes more than half of the size of the entire US ICBM force. The Chinese missile silo program constitutes the most extensive silo construction since the US and Soviet missile silo construction during the Cold War.<br />
<br />
The 250 new silos under construction are in addition to the force of approximately 100 road-mobile ICBM launchers that PLARF deploys at more than a dozen bases. It is unclear how China will operate the new silos, whether it will load all of them with missiles or if a portion will be used as empty decoys. If all the new silos are loaded with single-warhead missiles, then the number of warheads on Chinese ICBMs could potentially increase from about 185 warheads today to as many as 415 warheads. If the new silos are loaded with the new MIRVed DF-41 ICBMs, then Chinese ICBMs could potentially carry more than 875 warheads (assuming 3 warheads per missile) when the Yumen and Hami missile silo fields are completed.<br />
<br />
The silo construction represents a significant increase of the Chinese arsenal, which the Federation of American Scientists as of 2021 estimates includes approximately 350 nuclear warheads. The Pentagon stated in 2020 that China had “an operational nuclear warhead stockpile in low-200s,” and STRATCOM commander Adm. Charles Richard said in early 2021 that “China’s nuclear weapons stockpile is expected to double (if not triple or quadruple) over the next decade.”<ref>https://fas.org/blogs/security/2021/07/china-is-building-a-second-nuclear-missile-silo-field/</ref><ref>https://www.nspirement.com/2021/07/24/chinas-nuclear-capabilities.html</ref><br />
<br />
====Missile technology====<br />
China has the most active ballistic missile development program in the world.<ref>https://missilethreat.csis.org/country/china/</ref> The September 2020 Pentagon report, ''Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2020'', stated, "The PRC has more than 1,250 ground-launched ballistic missiles (GLBMs) and ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCMs) with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The United States currently fields one type of conventional GLBM with a range of 70 to 300 kilometers and no GLCMs."<br />
<br />
Although it is not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the multinational effort to restrict the proliferation of missiles, in March 1992 China undertook to abide by MTCR guidelines and parameters. China reaffirmed this commitment in 1994 and pledged not to transfer MTCR-class ground-to-ground missiles. In November 2000, China committed not to assist in any way the development by other countries of MTCR-class missiles. However, on August 29, 2003, the U.S. Government imposed missile proliferation sanctions lasting two years on the Chinese company China North Industries Corporation ([[NORINCO]]) after determining that it was knowingly involved in the transfer of equipment and technology controlled under Category II of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex that contributed to MTCR-class missiles in a non-MTCR country. <br />
[[File:Laioning.PNG|right|350px|thumb|''Liaoning CV-16''. ''Photo: ChinaPower''<ref>https://chinapower.csis.org/aircraft-carrier/</ref>]]<br />
In December 2003, the P.R.C. promulgated comprehensive new export control regulations governing exports of all categories of sensitive technologies.<br />
<br />
====PLA Navy====<br />
<br />
The PLA Navy (PLAN) had a 335-ship fleet as of 2019, about 55 percent larger than in 2005. Based on this expansion speed, the PLA Navy fleet is projected to have more than 450 ships and about 110 submarines by 2030.<ref>https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/3/9/eagle-vs-dragon-how-the-us-and-chinese-navies-stack-up</ref> China currently has two carriers. The ''[[Liaoning (16)|Liaoning]]'' entered service in 2012. The nation's first fully indigenously built carrier, the ''Shandong'', entered service in late 2020. Comparatively, the [[U.S. Navy]] had 293 ships in 2019, an increase of just two in the last 15 years.<br />
<br />
====Peoples Armed Police====<br />
The Peoples Armed Police (PAP) are not under the control of the government (State Council). The Peoples Armed Police is a section with the Peoples Liberation Armey (PLA), the Chinese Communist Party's military wing. The PAP is a paramilitary component of China's armed forces; its primary mission is internal security. Although the PAP has specialized units for a variety of functions, such as border security and firefighting, most units address internal security. PAP units are organized into contingents for each province, autonomous region, and centrally administered city. There are also a small number of mobile divisions available to deploy anywhere in the country to respond to crises.<br />
<br />
In 2017, authorities announced that the PAP would be commanded by the Central Military Commission (CMC), removing the State Council from the chain of command and removing the PAP from the direct control of provincial authorities.<ref>https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2126039/reason-why-chinas-armed-police-will-now-only-take</ref> Moreover, the changes removed all troops not involved in domestic security duties from the PAP. Following the changes, the PAP has become a force exclusively focused on domestic security that operates under the command of the CMC. <br />
<br />
The CCP also revised PAP funding to strengthen central control. Stronger central control of the PAP removes these troops from possible misuse by local power holders, deters potential challengers to Beijing's authority, and enables the central government to deploy the forces to carry out its own strategic plans, such as consolidation of political control over the western provinces. However, the militarization of the PAP raises the prospect that domestic security concerns will be considered in military terms, further weakening what little remains of the rights of the people of China, especially in the ethnic-minority dominated provinces featuring a heavy PAP presence.<br />
<br />
===State Council===<br />
<br />
The State Council is the civilian administrative or bureaucratic civil service. It is subservient to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). All members are required to be CCP members. The Chinese military, the Peoples Liberation Army, is wholly independent of the government and is Party organ.<br />
<br />
The Chinese Government is constructed around the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); its role is to implement party policies. The primary organs of state power are the National People's Congress (NPC), the President (the head of state), and the State Council. Members of the State Council include Premier Li Keqiang (the head of government), a variable number of vice premiers (now four), five state councilors (protocol equivalents of vice premiers but with narrower portfolios), and 22 ministers and four State Council commission directors. <br />
<br />
Under the state constitution, the NPC is the highest organ of political power in Mainland China. It meets annually for about 2 weeks every March to review and approve major new policy directions, laws, the budget, and major personnel changes. These initiatives are presented to the NPC for consideration by the State Council after previous endorsement by the Communist Party's Central Committee. Although the NPC generally approves State Council policy and personnel recommendations, various NPC committees hold active debate in closed sessions, and changes may be made to accommodate alternate views. <br />
<br />
When the NPC is not in session, its permanent organ, the Standing Committee, exercises state power.<br />
<br />
In 2010, China's national domestic security spending exceeded its spending on external defense for the first time.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-unrest-idUSTRE7222RA20110305</ref> According to some estimates, on a purchasing power parity basis, China's domestic security spending in 2017 was equivalent to about $349 billion, more than double the United States’ estimated $165 billion. Besides major increases in spending, security officials have adopted advanced technologies for surveillance and security purposes, such as facial recognition and “social credit” rating schemes through information technologies.<ref>https://www.defensepriorities.org/explainers/responsibly-competing-with-china</ref> The increasing expansion of [[law enforcement]] <br />
capabilities and international outreach raises the risk that Chinese security forces will extend their hunt for political opposition abroad.48 Already, requests by Chinese police officials to establish extradition agreements has raised concern that the MSS and MPS may serve as vehicles <br />
for capturing political dissidents.<ref>https://psmag.com/news/is-china-using-interpol-to-try-to-bring-back-political-dissidents-from-the-u-s</ref><br />
<br />
====Ministry of State Security====<br />
The MSS is the country's main civilian intelligence and [[counterintelligence]] agency. Its missions include protecting China's national security, securing political and social stability, conducting counterintelligence, and implementing the State Security Law and related laws.42 The provincial and municipal departments of the MSS are responsible for carrying out surveillance and domestic intelligence work. Some of the departments also carry out foreign intelligence work.<br />
<br />
====Ministry of Public Security====<br />
Chinese leaders rely on the MPS and the MSS as the primary forces for ensuring public order and controlling threats in the country. The MPS is responsible for domestic law enforcement, as well as overall maintenance of “social order,” riot control, and antiterror duties. Unlike the PAP <br />
or PLA, however, the MPS provides oversight of local police forces, most of which are controlled and funded by local and provincial officials. Locally hired Chinese police forces are generally regarded as poorly paid, poorly trained, and corrupt.<br />
<br />
====National Intelligence Law Article 7====<br />
:{{See also|Police state}}<br />
The CCP's National Intelligence Law, which went into effect in July 2017, compels all persons and companies doing businesses in China to cooperate with the CCP's internal security apparatus and the intelligence goals of the Chinese Communist Party.<br />
{{quotebox|''Any organization or citizen shall support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law, and keep the secrets of the national intelligence work known to the public.''<br />
<br />
''The State protects individuals and organizations that support, assist and cooperate with national intelligence work.''<ref>https://cs.brown.edu/courses/csci1800/sources/2017_PRC_NationalIntelligenceLaw.pdf</ref>}}<br />
The new law essentially codifies the principles of the Maoist Cultural Revolution to spy on or terrorize fellow citizens, as well as extends the Communist Party's reach into Chinese telecommunications companies throughout the world and foreign businesses operating in China.<br />
<br />
===Legal system===<br />
The government's efforts to promote rule of law appeared to be advancing, but impossible under the political structure constructed around the Communist Party. After the Cultural Revolution, China's leaders aimed to develop a legal system to restrain abuses of official authority and revolutionary excesses. In 1982, the Communist's National People's Congress adopted a new state constitution that emphasized the rule of law under which even party leaders are theoretically held accountable. <br />
<br />
Since 1979, when the drive to establish a functioning legal system began, more than 300 laws and regulations, most of them in the economic area, have been promulgated. The use of mediation committees—informed groups of citizens who resolve about 90% of China's civil disputes and some minor criminal cases at no cost to the parties—is one innovative device. There are more than 800,000 such committees in both rural and urban areas. <br />
<br />
Legal reform became a government priority in the 1990s. Legislation designed to modernize and professionalize the nation's lawyers, judges, and prisons was enacted. <!--The 1994 Administrative Procedure Law allows citizens to sue officials for abuse of authority or malfeasance. In addition, the criminal law and the criminal procedures laws were amended to introduce significant reforms.--> The criminal law amendments abolished the crime of "counter-revolutionary" activity, although many persons are still incarcerated for that crime. Criminal procedures reforms also encouraged the establishment of a more transparent, adversarial trial process. The Chinese constitution and laws provide for fundamental human rights, including due process, but these are often ignored in practice. In addition to other judicial reforms, the Constitution was amended in 2004 to include the protection of individual human rights and legally-obtained private property, but it is unclear how those provisions will be implemented. Although new criminal and civil laws have provided additional safeguards to citizens, previously debated political reforms, including expanding elections to the township level, and other legal reforms, including the reform of the reeducation through labor (RTL) system, have been put on hold. However, it is still impossible for certain groups to defend themselves as the legal system is constructed around the Communist Party.<br />
<br />
===Propaganda Department===<br />
All films, media, and publications were transferred from the State Council to the CCP's Propaganda Department in 2018.<ref>https://www.chinafile.com/conversation/chinas-communist-party-takes-even-more-control-of-media</ref><br />
<br />
===Foreign Relations===<br />
<br />
''See also:'' [[Skepticism about China remaining a global power]]<br />
<br />
Since its establishment, the Communist Party is doing all it can to lure countries to stand and advocate for its One-China policy that it is the sole legitimate government of all China, including Hong Kong, Macau, and [[Taiwan]]. In the early 1970s, Beijing was recognized diplomatically by most world powers. [[Beijing]] (Pekin) assumed the China seat in the [[United Nations]] in 1971 and has since become increasingly active in multilateral organizations. Japan established diplomatic relations with China in 1972, and the United States did so in 1979. As of July 2021, the number of countries that have diplomatic relations with Beijing had risen to 180, while 15 maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan. <br />
[[File:Yang Jiechi Antony Blinken.jpg|left|350px|thumb|Central Foreign Affairs Commission director [[Yang Jiechi]] to U.S. Secretary of State [[Antony Blinken]]: "The United States does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength.”<ref>https://www.waynedupree.com/2021/03/biden-china-us-argument-alaska/</ref>]]<br />
After the founding of the PRC, China's foreign policy initially focused on solidarity with the Soviet Union and other communist countries. In 1950, the Mainland Communist Regime sent the People's Liberation Army into North Korea to help [[North Korea]] halt the UN offensive that was approaching the Yalu River. After the Korean conflict stalemated, China sought to balance its identification as a member of the Soviet bloc by establishing friendly relations with Pakistan and other non-aligned countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. <br />
<br />
In the 1960s, Beijing competed with Moscow for political influence among communist parties and in the developing world generally. The PRC broke its connection with the foreign policy leadership provided by Moscow after the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]]. Following the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and clashes in 1969 on the Sino-Soviet border, Chinese competition with the Soviet Union increasingly reflected concern over China's own strategic position. <br />
<br />
In the 1970s and 1980s, China sought to create a secure regional and global environment for itself and to foster good relations with countries that could aid its economic development. To this end, China looked to the West for assistance with its modernization drive in what's called the post-Mao "Reform and opening" era.<br />
<br />
In the immediate aftermath of the Tiananmen massacre of thousands of Chinese people during the June 1989 democracy movement, many countries reduced their diplomatic contacts with China as well as their economic assistance programs. In response, China worked vigorously to expand its relations with foreign countries, and by late 1990, had reestablished normal relations with almost all nations. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, China also opened diplomatic relations with the republics of the former Soviet Union. <br />
<br />
In recent years, Chinese leaders have been regular travelers to all parts of the globe, and China has sought a higher profile in the UN through its permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and other multilateral organizations.<br />
<br />
[[South Korea]] is seriously considering closing all [[Confucius Institute]]s since too many parents have complained that the Chinese language institute wanted to teach their children a history of their own country dominated by China.<br />
<br />
====Influence operations====<br />
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses propaganda and influence operations as a means of projecting its power and weakening its enemies. These operations are coordinated and directed by the CCP's [[United Front Work Department]] (UFWD).<ref>https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/Research/China's%20Overseas%20United%20Front%20Work%20-%20Background%20and%20Implications%20for%20US_final_0.pdf</ref> The CCP's United Front system mobilizes the party's “friends” to strike the party's enemies. The system was greatly energized and expanded by Xi Jinping. It operates inside foreign political parties, diaspora communities, colleges and corporations, all with the goal of promoting the party's interests. The express goals of the United Front system include undermining social cohesion, exacerbating racial tension, and influencing politics.<ref>https://www.aspi.org.au/report/party-speaks-you</ref><br />
<br />
====Influencing international organizations====<br />
[[File:WHO-CCP Wuhan virus.PNG|right|300px|thumb|The WHO, headed by a Marxist [[fellow traveller]], publicly announced that the [[Wuhan]] virus posed no threat of contagious reaction between humans.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/18/flashback-who-china-coronavirus-contagious/</ref>]]<br />
Jin Canrong, a professor and associate dean of the School of International Studies at Beijing's Renmin University of China, explained the CCP's plan to exert greater influence over global bodies such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO), [[Interpol]], the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF), the International Olympic Committee, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).<br />
<br />
The Chinese regime's goal is for “all these international organizations to be controlled by China. We can appoint someone who speaks Chinese [who represents China] to be its leaders,” Jin said.<br />
<br />
During his speech, Jin emphasized that Xi Jinping was unlike his predecessors in his ambitions. Previous CCP leaders after Deng Xiaoping worked hard to develop the regime's power but didn't dare to use it. “No matter how much power you have, it’s nothing if you don’t dare to use it,” Jin said. “Chairman Xi dares to use it. [Xi’s authorities] have the power, dare to use that power, and all of its attacks make the other party bleed.”<br />
<br />
Xi's ambitions, however, cannot be revealed to the outside world, Jin Canrong said. When Xi took power in 2012, he urged the country to realize the “Chinese dream.” This meant becoming a “moderately well-off” country by 2021, and then a “strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious, and modern socialist country” by 2049.<br />
<br />
Jin explained that Xi's target is actually to replace the United States as the world's only superpower by 2049. “[Chinese] Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps on saying [at press briefings] that China loves peace. But no reporters at the press briefings believe this,” Jin said.<br />
<br />
====WTO membership====<br />
[[File:2018 trade deficit.jpg|thumb|500px|right|U.S. trade deficit with China. The difference between the red line and blue line represents an outflow of American wealth - [[capitalism|capital]] that could be used to create American jobs rather than jobs in China and prosperity for the [[Chinese Communist Party]].]]<br />
Despite the CCP's human rights abuses in the Tiananmen massacre, no trade sanctions were ever leveled by Western Powers and globalists. China was rewarded for its human rights abuses in 2001, despite the absence of reforms, by being welcomed into the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) with full membership and a year later granted [[Most Favored Nation]] trade status by the [[U.S. Congress]]. China formally joined the World Trade Organization in December 2001.<br />
<br />
According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), nearly 6 million U.S. manufacturing jobs were lost between 1999 and 2011, with a study published by the University of Chicago attributing almost 1 million of these manufacturing job losses and 2.4 million total job losses to competition with China. Meanwhile, according to the same CFR report, multinational corporations such as [[Apple, Inc.]] have benefited from increased access to China's market. Consumers in the Greater China region accounted for approximately 15 percent of Apple's revenue in 2020.<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/two-decades-after-joining-china-remains-woefully-short-of-meeting-wto-pledges-report_3938153.html</ref><br />
<br />
Beginning in 2017, the imposition of [[tariff]]s by U.S. President [[Donald J. Trump]] began to redress the imbalance of a half-trillion dollar a year [[trade deficit]] and the outflow of American wealth to China. China's economy was developed over those early decades of the 21st century as a coastal, manufacturing economy entirely dependent on exports. Young people left their home villages in the countryside to seek work in coastal factories. The prosperity was all built on access to the U.S. consumer market, and Americans' appetite for cheap manufactured goods. Scant attention was paid to developing a domestic service sector economy, while the vast interior remained impoverished, and increasingly so as young people abandoned rural agricultural work for urban factory work.<br />
<br />
Contrary to Cold War era belief that free trade would encourage non-democratic countries to become more democratic - an argument used to sell globalization - experience ultimately proved free trade only strengthens tyrannical regimes. By 2020, the notion that [[democracy]] and free trade go hand-in-hand had been thoroughly discredited.<br />
<br />
====Belt and Road Initiative====<br />
:{{Main article|One Belt One Road}}<br />
Chinese officials are quite open that [[Belt and Road]] is aimed at creating a Eurasia wide Chinese led bloc to counter the United States.<br />
<br />
China has been looking to construct a 120-kilometer mega canal cutting through the Isthmus of Kra, the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula in [[Thailand]]. This will open the [[South China Sea]] to the [[Indian Ocean]], bypassing the [[Strait of Malacca]]. What China is eyeing is a canal project in Thailand called the Kra Canal and the Thai leadership seems to be on board. Through this canal, China is trying to reduce dependence on the Strait of Malacca. Currently, 80 percent of China's oil imports passed through the South China Sea. <br />
<br />
The Strait of Malacca is a key reason why China has not been able to grow too powerful. Democratic and powers such as India, Australia, and<br />
other Southeast Asian nations are well-positioned to cut off Chinese supply lines in the event of a major military confrontation by creating a<br />
blockade around the Strait of Malacca. China wants to ensure that its commercial and naval vessels find an alternate route that altogether avoids the Malacca chokepoint while traveling between the Indian and [[Pacific Ocean]]s. This is an overhang of the maritime portion of Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative that seeks to connect Southeast Asia with the [[Middle East]] and [[Europe]].<br />
<br />
====Relations with Taiwan====<br />
:{{See also|Quad Alliance}}<br />
[[File:Flag of Taiwan ROC.png|right|225px|thumb|Flag of the independent sovereign republic of Taiwan.]]<br />
The People's Republic of China has threatened aggression against the sovereign republic of Taiwan since Mao's founding of the PRC in 1949. According to ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine,<ref>https://archive.is/4YC4C#selection-3285.0-3443.121</ref> to have any chance of conquering Taiwan, China might need to transport as many as two million troops across the Taiwan Strait. This would be a larger invasion force than the [[Normandy Invasion]]. The invasion force would have to land under fire at the island's 14 potential invasion beaches or 10 major ports.<br />
<br />
That is far more troops than the People's Liberation Army Navy can haul in its 11 new amphibious ships that can only haul around 25,000 troops. To transport the bulk of the invasion force, Beijing would take into service thousands of civilian ships. To that end, the Chinese Communist Party has created a legal and bureaucratic framework for taking control of thre PRC's commercial shipping, around 2,000 large commercial vessels crewed by around 650,000 mariners. On Jan. 1, 2017, China's National Defense Transportation Law went into effect. “Among other things, the law mandated that all of China’s basic infrastructure and related transportation platforms would henceforth be treated as military-civil fusion assets,” Ian Easton with the Project 2049 explained. “At the CCP’s discretion, they were now legally required to be designed, built and managed to support future military operations. In the event of conflict, they would be pressed into wartime service. Now they had to prepare accordingly in peacetime.” Meanwhile, naval engineers have begun modifying key vessels to make them better assault ships. Their crews actively are training for a possible assault on Taiwan.<br />
<br />
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), told ''[[Al Jazeera]]'' in 2018,<ref>https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/23/fake-news-rattles-taiwan-ahead-of-elections/</ref> "We received propaganda warfare coming from China for years, but this is taking a very different form,. It’s coming in not from newspapers or their propaganda machine but through our [[social media]], online chat groups, [[Facebook]], the zombie accounts set up, somewhere, by the Chinese government....It’s a more serious problem because China is so close to Taiwan, language-wise. They don’t have the cultural or language barrier and can easily fabricate news and they know the mentality of Chinese thinking, so it’s easier for them to orchestrate this misinformation.” Fake news was traced to servers in the PRC, the Chinese Communist Party, and it's [[50 Cent Army]]. Beijing has reached deep into Taiwan, sowing division and confusion through online disinformation, recruiting business figures, and funnelling cash to pro-Beijing politicians.<br />
<br />
====Relations with the United States====<br />
Jin Canrong, a professor and associate dean of the School of International Studies at Beijing's Renmin University of China,<ref>https://archive.is/z5RMg</ref> laid out a multi-pronged strategy involving a range of malign actions to subvert the United States while strengthening the Chinese regime.<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakingnews/xi-jinpings-adviser-outlines-plan-for-ccp-to-defeat-us-including-manipulating-elections_3748196.html</ref> They include: <br />
*interfering in U.S. elections, <br />
*controlling the American market, <br />
*cultivating global enemies to challenge the United States, <br />
*stealing American technology, <br />
*expanding Chinese territory, and <br />
*influencing international organizations.<br />
<br />
It has been alleged that China has a secret plan to invade and takeover the United States via Mexico. In November 1998, an investigative journalist by the name of Scott Gulbransen heard rumors while travelling through Texas of Chinese soldiers in the deserts of Mexico.<ref>http://www.jrnyquist.com/nyquist_2003_0627.htm</ref> One Texan citizen had gone to see for himself but did not make it back alive. Another Texan woman was warned by her family living Mexico not to come to their family ranch due to the presence of foreign soldiers. When the woman travelled to Mexico she learned that the foreign soldiers were "Asians" who were preparing to attack the United States. <br />
<br />
Gulbransen went to Mexico and talked with various people about Chinese troops. He collected stories from border patrol officers,Mexican policemen, fishermen and others. The main points made were these:<br />
<br />
1. '''China is pumping arms, ammunition, men and uniforms into Baja California through the port of Ensanada'''. Gulbransen says that "The fishermen of Ensanada know something is going on. They've seen it with their own eyes. But no one listens to poor fishermen. They're dirty drunks who smell like the fish they catch. They might be the first to witness the Chinese move on the United States but no one will listen."<br />
<br />
2. '''Communist bloc troops are in Mexico'''. There are military encampments in the deserts of Mexico from various communist countries. Based on examination of the rifle ammunition, the troops are composed of highly trained troops from China, North Korea and Cuba. According to witnesses, Mexican officials are bribed to conceal these troops. Those who threaten to expose the operation face death. <br />
<br />
4. '''Chinese military supplies are being smuggled into the United States'''. According to border patrol officers, U.S. officials are allowing trucks from Mexico carrying Chinese ammunition to pass through the border without question. Border patrol officers who have tried to blow the whistle on it have been threatened into silence. One officer died in a suspicious car accident after telling Gulbransen that she feared for her life. At one border crossing alone, 30 to 40 trucks loaded with Chinese military supplies were entering the United States per day. It appears that the Chinese are trying to set up ammunition dumps through the U.S. for a planned invasion by troops and insurgents. <br />
<br />
6. '''Communist guerillas in Mexico expect that the United States will soon be brought to its knees'''. "I am the leader of the La Conquidistas" a Mexican Communist guerilla told Gulbransen. Their plan is to take back Mexico from the "imperialist pigs of the U.S that hold the Mexican people in poverty." The guerilla leader added that "Fidel Castro is the only brave man to stand up to you." When Gulbransen said that the Conquidistas need more than AK47's to fight the U.S., the guerilla leader explained that the Mexican people are resourceful. He added that Mexico has "friends throughout the world who would help us." As Gulbransen left the secret meeting place, the guerilla leader told him, "You tell the fat Americans about the real Mexico. You tell them their day to pay is coming fast. Coming very fast."<br />
<br />
An unknown trucker from 2011, delivered a tractor-trailer load of food to a Chinese military base located 60 miles south of Laredo, Texas. The trucker described the base as 2 miles wide by 3 miles long, with 10,000 armored vehicles.<ref>https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/18/1893904_-analytical-and-intelligence-comments-chicom-troops-in.html</ref><br />
<br />
In a two hour telephone conversation in late February 2023, U.S. premier [[Joe Biden]] attempted to cajole President Xi Jinping to help end the [[war in Ukraine]] that the United States instigated by sanctioning Russia. ''New York Times'' diplomatic correspondent Edward Wong reported, "Xi didn't suggest a role China could play in ending the war…And he used a favorite phrase of his to cast blame on the US: 'Let he who tied the bell on the tiger’s neck take it off?'.”<ref>https://twitter.com/ewong/status/1504853536273797120</ref><br />
<br />
====PLA Infiltration into the U.S====<br />
Most of the fields and solar farms that are largely present in the American Southwest are actually controlled and run by the PLA. The PLA troops disguise themselves as "security personnel".<ref>https://www.invasionusa.news/2020-06-16-communist-china-invaded-usa-troops-disguised-security-solar-farms.html</ref><br />
<br />
====CCP Land Purchases====<br />
Since the mid-2000's, the [[CCP]] has been buying up valuable farmland in the U.S. especially in Texas and Oklahoma.<ref>https://www.newsweek.com/china-coming-american-farms-opinion-1619777</ref><ref>https://www.oklahoman.com/story/opinion/2021/09/03/chinese-land-ownership-threatens-economic-integrity/5618859001/</ref><ref>https://texasborderbusiness.com/why-is-china-buying-texas/</ref> Records from the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act show that Chinese land acquisitions "rose from less than 10 annually" before 2008 to "12 to 25 each year during 2008-2013".<br />
<br />
====Control over the News media====<br />
=====The New York Times=====<br />
Carlos Slim, who is the largest shareholder of the New York Times, controls around a third of the board. Slim's other ventures have close ties to the [[CCP]]. One of his companies Giant Motors is engaged in joint operations with China's JAC Motors to penetrate the Latin American market. Additionally, Slim owns a mobile phone company named America Movil, which is partnered with Huawei to sell 5G technology in Columbia.<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2020/05/04/has-china-compromised-every-major-mainstream-media-entity/</ref><br />
<br />
=====Washington Post=====<br />
Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post has close ties to China. Amazon's best selling products such as Echo and Kindle are manufactured in China.<ref>https://www.newsweek.com/amazon-jeff-bezos-foxconn-china-labor-echo-968691</ref> The Washington post includes a supplement called "China Watch" which is written directly by the [[CCP]]'s media arm. In short, Bezos is being paid money by China to run Chinese propaganda in an American newspaper.<ref name="qrius.com">https://qrius.com/china-owns-us-how-the-chinese-are-buying-up-america/</ref><br />
<br />
=====Cable News Network=====<br />
CNN which is owned by Warner Media is closely tied to China. They have a $50 million investment deal with the [[CCP]].<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324299104578529594007840524</ref><br />
<br />
=====NBC=====<br />
NBC has a partnership with the Chinese state run media Xinhua news agency to cooperate on international news.<ref>https://www.classeditori.it/en/partnership</ref><br />
<br />
=====ABC=====<br />
ABC arguably has the strongest ties with the Chinese economy and the [[CCP]]. The [[CCP]] and their enterprises provided significant support for the $3.6 billion cost of building a Disney World in Shanghai. ESPN, another affiliate of ABC, told their staff not to disparage the Chinese Communist regime and where possible to avoid the topic altogether.<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/espn-warns-staff-against-disparaging-chinese-communism</ref><br />
<br />
=====Bloomberg=====<br />
Bloomberg is heavily invested in China. They have sent over $150 billion into Chinese bond markets to 364 companies. Out of those 364 companies, 159 were directly controlled by the Chinese government. Bloomberg's media arm has been a willing servant of the CCP. In 2014, they suppressed a news story about the wealth of Chinese elites. They leveraged a non-disclosure agreement to silence both a reporter based in Beijing and his wife, neither of whom ever worked for Bloomberg.<ref name="qrius.com"/><br />
<br />
===Confucius Institutes===<br />
The [[CCP]] relies on what is known as "Confucius Institutes" to push a pro-China narrative at academic institutions in the U.S. Confucius Institutes generally offer Mandarin classes for students, coupled to cultural outreach to local communities and nearby K-12 schools.<ref>https://www.chinaownsus.com/whitepaper/</ref> The first Confucius Institute was established in 2004 at the University of Maryland. Since then, close to 100 similar programs have been opened across the United States. Confucius Institutes are supplemented by the [[PLA]] which is expanding scientific research cooperation with foreign colleges and universities. Since 2007, the [[PLA]] has sponsored more than 2,500 military scientists and engineers to study abroad, developing relationships with academic institutions in the U.S. and other Western nations.<ref>https://www.aspi.org.au/report/picking-flowers-making-honey</ref><br />
<br />
====Decoupling====<br />
Decoupling refers to restricting and terminating certain trade relationships with the Chinese Communist Party. Decoupling however, is not limited merely to commerce. It will affect student exchange programs as students from China are hand selected by the Chinese Communist Party and expected to serve the party upon graduation without becoming infected with ideas such as [[democracy]], [[justice]], and [[religion]] while in the United States. American students studying in China likewise are targeted for compromise, blackmail, and ideological subversion.<br />
<br />
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board oversees the Thrift Savings Plan, a retirement fund for federal employees and members of the uniformed military services, with about $600 billion in assets. Money is withheld from federal employees and the military's paychecks to contribute to the fund. Approximately 11% is invested in Chinese companies, some of which produce weapons designed to kill members of the U.S. military.<ref>https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/trump-orders-federal-retirement-money-invested-in-chinese-equities-to-be-pulled</ref> The government of China even prior to the CCP virus outbreak was in violation of U.S. sanctions law and engaged in humanitarian and human rights abuse.<br />
<br />
==Economy ==<br />
Under the CCP's model of ''Socialism with Chinese characteristics'', as in all socialist societies, there are no safeguards, guarantees, or protection of property rights. Hence, there is no [[private sector]] in China. While certain successful [[entrepreneur]]s are allowed to benefit and profit from their work or business, and even become extremely wealthy by Western standards, the state reserves the right to expropriate and take control of any person, business, or enterprise at any time. While foreign investment in recent decades has been attracted to China because of its large domestic market and cheap labor cost, foreigners are prohibited from owning more than 49% of any business and must have a 51% Chinese controlling partner who is subject to Chinese Communist law and expropriation of property rights.<br />
<br />
During the Post-Maoist Reform era after 1978, China introduced a system known as capitalist management of socialism, which it operates under today. China is not a true market economy, as the key resources, such as land, is not privately owned; the so-called collective ownership is still de facto government ownership. Moreover, in the Communist Regime's Constitution, Mainland China is still officially a Communist country. <br />
[[File:Concrete-in-china-info.png|right|350px|thumb|In the 3 years from 2011 to 2014, China used more cement than the US did in the entire 20th century.]]<br />
In 1985, based on [[IMF]] data,<ref>https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/SPROLLs/world-economic-outlook-databases</ref> China was the eleventh largest economy, with a GDP of $313 billion, below the United States, Soviet Union, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, and the Netherlands. China quickly got to tenth in 1990, with its $398 billion. China managed to get to eight in just five years, with a GDP of $737 billion. However, during this time, the Russian economy was collapsing, which meant that China went to seventh. The Italian economy got overtaken by the Chinese economy of $1.215 trillion in 2000. However, China nearly tied France and England around the $2.5 trillion mark. When the [[2008 financial crisis]] hit America and Europe, China boomed even further, becoming the 3rd largest economy in 2010, nearly tying Japan, with a $6 trillion GDP. <br />
<br />
In 2015 China grew to $11 trillion, clearly becoming the 2nd largest economy. China led the world in production of ships, iron, steel, textiles, cement, chemicals, toys, electronics, railcars, aircraft, solar cells, shoes, cellphones, air conditioners, and personal computers. More than 80% of medical pharma materials came from China. In rare earth minerals, which are vital to so many high technology industries, by 2021 China had an 80% lock on the supply. Other sectors the CCP means to dominate include satellite technology, [[AI]], cyber, quantum computing and communications, battery development and manufacturing, and robotics.<br />
<br />
In 2020, China hit 100 trillion yuan ($15.21 trillion), when the United States went down to $20 trillion, and Japan went down to $5 trillion, because of the [[CCP pandemic]]. China had a ''per capita'' income below [[Mexico]] but above the [[Dominican Republic]]. 40% of the population lives on less than $5 per day.<br />
<br />
China is expected to get to $25 trillion in 2025 and possibly hit $33 trillion in 2030, surpassing the United States' 30 trillion. The [[mainstream media]] appears to be cheerleading for China,<ref>https://danaloesch.com/some-media-democrats-diligently-defending-communist-china/</ref><ref>https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/15/economy/china-gdp-intl-hnk/index.html</ref> and boasted about how China will overtake the US economy before 2030.<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/chinas-economy-will-be-no-1-less-20-years-us-flna1C7511557</ref> <br />
<br />
By 2050, China could dwarf and double the US economy and military, with an overwhelming $100 trillion GDP, based on PricewaterhouseCoopers projections. China is eager to get the 1st place from the US and promote its agenda in an extreme way, even through killing 1.5 million people through a biological weapon, the Coronavirus.<ref>https://news.yahoo.com/china-wants-coronavirus-over-world-103022425.html</ref><br />
<br />
===996 work culture and laying flat protest===<br />
The 996 work culture refers to the CCP requirement that all workers work from 9 AM until 9 PM, 6 days a week. In the 21st century many youths protested the culture by "lying flat", or dropping out of the job market, also known as voluntary unemployment. With the one-child policy, the lying flat movement led to an extreme shortage of younger workers in the job market. As many as 13% of younger Chinese have dropped out of the job market by 2020.<br />
<br />
===Agriculture===<br />
China is the world's most populous country and one of the largest producers and consumers of agricultural products. Roughly half of China's labor force is engaged in agriculture, even though only 10% of the land is suitable for cultivation and agriculture contributes only 13% of China's GDP. China's cropland area is only 75% of the U.S. total, but China still produces about 30% more crops and livestock than the U.S. because of intensive cultivation, China is among the world's largest producers of rice, corn, wheat, soybeans, vegetables, tea, and pork. Major non-food crops include cotton, other fibers, and oilseeds. China hopes to further increase agricultural production through improved plant stocks, fertilizers, and technology. Incomes for Chinese farmers are stagnating, leading to an increasing wealth gap between the cities and the countryside. Government policies that continue to emphasize grain self-sufficiency and the fact that farmers do not own—and cannot buy or sell—the land they work have contributed to this situation. While this was the case in China before Communism, many other countries have since embrace individual ownership while China has not. In addition, inadequate port facilities and lack of warehousing and cold storage facilities impede both domestic and international agricultural trade.<br />
<br />
===Industry===<br />
<br />
Industry and construction account for about 46% of China's GDP. Major industries are mining and ore processing; iron; steel; aluminum; coal, machinery; textiles and apparel; armaments; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products including footwear, toys, and electronics; automobiles and other transportation equipment including rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; and telecommunications. <br />
<br />
China has the longest and most-used high-speed rail network in the world. China's high-speed rail network accounts for two-thirds of the world's total high-speed rail networks.<br />
<br />
China became a preferred destination for the relocation of global manufacturing facilities. Its strength as an export platform has contributed to incomes and employment in China. The state-run sector still accounts for about 40% of GDP. In recent years, authorities have been giving greater attention to the management of state assets—both in the financial market as well as among state-owned-enterprises.<br />
<br />
===Organ harvesting===<br />
[[File:SF-Falun-Gong-Vigil-20161022-1440x960.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Human organ transplants have been developed into a booming industry by the Chinese Communist Party. Virtually all donors are involuntary, with a few people in poverty being paid perhaps $25 for a kidney that is advertised globally, online, as a procedure costing $60,000.]]<br />
Since organ transplantation has been made a high priority in the Chinese Communist Party's national strategy and heavily emphasized as a future emerging industry, a large number of organ transplant projects have been funded under major national programs. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, other departments, and the military have invested heavily in research, development, and personnel training in transplantation technology to meet the needs of this rapidly-growing industry. New capabilities and techniques have emerged and been extensively spreading, allowing live organ transplantation in China to grow into a large, industrialized operation in less than two decades.<ref>[http://archive.is/tb0UM China Human Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee was established], <br />
National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China, 2014-03-07 http://www.nhfpc.gov.cn/</ref><br />
<br />
Before 2000, the technology in kidney and liver transplants had matured through the sourcing of organs from prisoners sentenced to death and prisoners of conscience. The repression of Falun Gong opened up a mass organ supply. If the Chinese Communist Party had not approved and supported the mass killing of Falun Gong for their organs, it would not have been possible for the transplant profession and the hospitals to participate in and benefit from these killings. Since 2001, the Party has incorporated organ transplantation into its Five-Year Plans.<ref>Update to ‘Bloody Harvest’ and ‘The Slaughter’, [https://endtransplantabuse.org/an-update-chapter-twelve-a-state-crime/#party-policy-and-transplant-volume Chapter Twelve: A State Crime IV. Party Policy and Transplant Volume], Hon. David Kilgour, Ethan Gutmann, & David Matas, 2017.</ref><br />
<br />
Until 2010, China had no organ donation system, but become one of the world's organ transplant leaders. China claimed that the organs came from executed prisoners, but the number of reported capital executions was only a fraction of the number of transplants. Wait times as short as 2 weeks, that in other countries were as long as 15 years, and an endless supply of donors, made China a popular destination for transplant surgeries.<ref>https://www.worldcat.org/title/human-harvest-chinas-organ-trafficking/oclc/956908484&referer=brief_results</ref> The trade is estimated to be worth $1 billion per year.<ref>https://youtu.be/n5s6aVBRdhw</ref><br />
<br />
===Foreign Investment===<br />
Any foreign business operating in China must have a Chinese partner. Foreigners are limited to 49% iwnership. Foreigners are prohibited from owning Chinese tech firms.<br />
<br />
As part of its WTO accession, China undertook to eliminate certain trade-related investment measures and to open up specified sectors that had previously been closed to foreign investment. New laws, regulations, and administrative measures to implement these commitments are being issued. Major remaining barriers to foreign investment include opaque and inconsistently enforced laws and regulations and the lack of a rules-based legal infrastructure. <br />
<br />
Opening to the outside remains central to China's development. Foreign-invested enterprises produce about half of China's exports, and China continues to attract large investment inflows. Foreign exchange reserves were $1.1 trillion at the end of 2006, and have now surpassed those of Japan, making China's foreign exchange reserves the largest in the world.<br />
<br />
===Regulatory environment===<br />
Though China's economy has expanded rapidly, its regulatory environment has not kept pace. Since Deng Xiaoping's open market reforms, the growth of new businesses has outpaced the government's ability to regulate them. This has created a situation where businesses, faced with mounting competition and poor oversight, will be willing to take drastic measures to increase profit margins, often at the expense of consumer safety. This issue has recently acquired more prominence, with a number of restrictions being placed on problematic Chinese exports by the U.S. The Chinese Government recognizes the severity of the problem, recently concluding that up to 20% of the country's products are substandard or tainted. However, the level of the Chinese corporate taxes is actually 60% of the annual income. Moreover, in September 2017 the Communist Regime announced that private enterprises that are over 50 employees are required to set up party branches.<br />
<br />
===Slave labor===<br />
[[File:Forced Labor Detention Facilities in China.PNG|thumb|right|300px|Location of socialist reeducation and slave labor camps.]]<br />
China's network of penal forced labor facilities, established in the early years of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government to hold both criminals and political dissidents, remains in operation today.<ref>It is also known as the “laogai” system. It's [[Russia]]n equivalent is '' Glavnoe Upravlenie Lagerei'' or ''gulag''.</ref> U.S. law prohibits the importation of goods produced “wholly or in part in any foreign country by convict labor or/and forced labor or/and indentured labor under penal sanctions.”<ref>Tariff Act of 1930, 19 U.S. Code 19 § 1307.</ref> Artificial flowers, Christmas lights, shoes, garments, umbrellas as well as coal, cotton, electronics, fireworks, footwear, nails, and toys have been identified as produced in Chinese prison factories for export. There have been several instances of letters and notes from prisoners describing their confinement, working conditions and mistreatment discovered in products purchased by consumers outside China; at [[Christmas]] in 2019 a six-year-old girl in [[London]], in a box of newly purchased Christmas cards, found one that had a message in English saying,<br />
{{quotebox-float|"We are foreign prisoners in Shanghai Qingpu prison China Forced to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organization."<ref>https://www.npr.org/2019/12/23/790832681/6-year-old-finds-message-alleging-chinese-prison-labor-in-box-of-christmas-cards</ref>}}<br />
Profitable prison companies help to fund the operations of both local and national government. Prison labor enterprises producing [[high-tech]] goods such as [[semiconductor]]s and optical instruments are the most profitable, each earning an estimated annual revenue of tens of millions of dollars and paying taxes to the Chinese government. According to the 2012 ''Trafficking in Persons Report'' from the [[United States Department of State]],<br />
{{quotebox-float|“[t]he [PRC] government reportedly profits from [the use of] forced labor. Many prisoners and detainees in ‘reeducation through labor’ facilities [are] required to work, often with no remuneration.”}}<br />
Many prisons function as subcontractors for Chinese firms. The State Department has noted cases in which <br />
{{quotebox|“detainees were forced to work up to 18 hours a day without pay for private companies working in partnership with Chinese authorities” and “were beaten for failing to complete work quotas."<ref>Cited in ''Prison Labor Exports from China and Implications for U.S. Policy'', U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Staff Research Report, July 9, 2014.</ref>}}<br />
The book ''Laogai: The Machinery of Repression in China'', published in 2009, stated that as many as 3 to 5 million people were imprisoned in laogai or gulag camps.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Laogai-The-Machinery-Repression-China/dp/1884167772 Laogai: The Machinery of Repression in China], 2009-10-01</ref><br />
<br />
In addition to criminal sentences imposed by a court, administrative detention imposed by police with no legal [[due process]] required, the CCP has a system of “Black Jails”, an unofficial system of unlicensed confinement facilities used by local CCP officials primarily to detain petitioners seeking redress of grievances.<ref>https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/china1109web_1.pdf</ref><br />
<br />
===Energy===<br />
Together with strong economic growth, China's demand for energy is surging rapidly. In 2003, China surpassed Japan to become the second-largest consumer of primary energy, after the United States. China is the world's second-largest consumer of oil, after the United States, and for 2006, China's increase in oil demand represented 38% of the world total increase in oil demand. China is also the third-largest energy producer in the world, after the United States and Russia. China's electricity consumption is expected to grow by over 4% a year through 2030, which will require more than $2 trillion in electricity infrastructure investment to meet the demand. China expects to add approximately 15,000 megawatts of generating capacity a year, with 20% of that coming from foreign suppliers. <br />
<br />
Coal makes up the bulk of China's energy consumption (70% in 2005), and China is the largest producer and consumer of coal in the world. As China's economy continues to grow, China's coal demand is projected to rise significantly. Although coal's share of China's overall energy consumption will decrease, coal consumption will continue to rise in absolute terms. China's continued and increasing reliance on coal as a power source has contributed significantly to putting China on the path to becoming the world's largest emitter of acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide and greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide. <br />
<br />
The 11th Five-Year Program, announced in 2005, calls for greater energy conservation measures, including the development of renewable energy sources and increased attention to environmental protection. Moving away from coal towards cleaner energy sources including oil, natural gas, renewable energy, and nuclear power is an important component of China's development program. China has abundant hydroelectric resources; the Three Gorges Dam, for example, will have a total capacity of 18 gigawatts when fully on-line (projected for 2009). In addition, the share of electricity generated by nuclear power is projected to grow from 1% in 2000 to 5% in 2030. China's renewable energy law, which went into effect in 2006, calls for 10% of its energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. <br />
<br />
Since 1993, China has been a net importer of oil, a large portion of which comes from the Middle East. Net imports are expected to rise to 3.5 million barrels per day by 2010. China is interested in diversifying the sources of its oil imports and has invested in oil fields around the world. Beijing also plans to increase China's natural gas production, which currently accounts for only 3% of China's total energy consumption. Analysts expect China's consumption of natural gas to more than double by 2010. <br />
<br />
In May 2004, then-Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) that launched the U.S.-China Energy Policy Dialogue. The Dialogue has strengthened energy-related interactions between China and the United States, the world's two largest energy consumers. The U.S.-China Energy Policy Dialogue builds upon the two countries' existing cooperative ventures in high energy nuclear physics, fossil energy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy and energy information exchanges. The NDRC and the Department of Energy also exchange views and expertise on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technologies, and we convene an annual Oil and Gas Industry Forum with China. <br />
<br />
===Environment===<br />
''See also:'' [[Atheism and the environment#Atheist controlled communist China and the environment|China and the environment]]<br />
<br />
One of the serious negative consequences of China's rapid industrial development has been increased pollution and degradation of natural resources. China is widely expected to surpass the United States as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases sometime in 2007 or 2008. A World Health Organization (WHO) report on air quality in 272 cities worldwide concluded that seven of the world's 10 most polluted cities were in China. According to China's own evaluation, two-thirds of the 338 cities for which air-quality data are available are considered polluted—two-thirds of them moderately or severely so. Respiratory and heart diseases related to air pollution are the leading cause of death in China. Almost all of the nation's rivers are considered polluted to some degree, and half of the population lacks access to clean water. By some estimates, every day approximately 300 million residents drink contaminated water. Ninety percent of urban water bodies are severely polluted. Water scarcity also is an issue; for example, severe water scarcity in Northern China is a serious threat to sustained economic growth and the government has begun working on a project for a large-scale diversion of water from the Yangtze River to northern cities, including Beijing and Tianjin. Acid rain falls on 30% of the country. Various studies estimate pollution costs the Chinese economy 7%-10% of GDP each year. <br />
[[File:Global carbon emissions.PNG|right|350px|thumb|The People's Republic of China (PRC) is responsible for 27% of global carbon emissions, more than all other developed nations combined.]]<br />
China's leaders are increasingly paying attention to the country's severe environmental problems. In 1998, the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) was officially upgraded to a ministry-level agency, reflecting the growing importance the Chinese Government places on environmental protection. In recent years, China has strengthened its environmental legislation and made some progress in stemming from environmental deterioration. In 2005, China joined the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development, which brings industries and governments together to implement strategies that reduce pollution and address climate change. During the 10th Five-Year Plan, China plans to reduce total emissions by 10%. Beijing in particular is investing heavily in pollution control as part of its campaign to host a successful Olympiad in 2008. Some cities have seen improvements in air quality in recent years. <br />
<br />
China is an active participant in climate change talks and other multilateral environmental negotiations, taking environmental challenges seriously but pushing for the developed world to help developing countries to a greater extent. It is a signatory to the Basel Convention governing the transport and disposal of hazardous waste and the Montreal Protocol for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, as well as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and other major environmental agreements. <br />
<br />
The question of environmental impacts associated with the Three Gorges Dam project has generated controversy among environmentalists inside and outside China. Critics claim that erosion and silting of the Yangtze River threaten several endangered species, while Chinese officials say the dam will help prevent devastating floods and generate clean hydroelectric power that will enable the region to lower its dependence on coal, thus lessening air pollution. <br />
<br />
The United States and China are members of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP). The APP is a public-private partnership of six nations—Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States—committed to explore new mechanisms to meet national pollution reduction, energy security, and climate change goals in ways that reduce poverty and promote economic development. APP members have undertaken cooperative activities involving the deployment of clean technology in partner countries in eight areas: cleaner fossil energy, renewable energy and distributed generation, power generation and transmission, steel, aluminum, cement, coal mining, and buildings and appliances. <br />
<br />
The United States and China have been engaged in an active program of bilateral environmental cooperation since the mid-1990s, with an emphasis on clean energy technology and the design of effective environmental policy. While both governments view this cooperation positively, China has often compared the U.S. program, which lacks a foreign assistance component, with those of Japan and several European Union (EU) countries that include generous levels of aid.<br />
<br />
===Digital currency===<br />
A new digital currency laid out in the Five-Year Plan for 2021-2025 is part of the PRC's goal to become technologically independent of [[the West]], to dominate global tech, and overtake the US as the world's dominant power by 2049. Unlike cryptocurrencies such as [[bitcoin]], which are not issued by governments and therefore cannot be used as means of payment in most daily transactions, China's digital currency is issued and controlled by China's central bank. <br />
<br />
The currency known as the digital renminbi or yuan, also known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP), is the opposite of bitcoin. The ultimate goal of a [[cryptocurrency]] in the West is the separation of money and state, whereas the new digital currency is another element in the toolbox of [[surveillance]] and controlling the population, ensuring that no transaction goes unrecorded.<br />
<br />
===Poor medical care===<br />
Mainland China, like most Communist regimes, gives low priority to medicine and medical care. Mainland China only spends 1% of GDP on health care, ranking #156 out of 196 nations surveys by the World Health Organization (WHO). Many people rely on traditional practitioners, having more faith in acupuncture than modern science. In any case, few have the opportunity to receive modern drugs or treatment with advanced devices. The local clinic has only a thermometer and stethoscope for instrumentation, and very few modern drugs. Only one in six medical personnel have a college degree, and those degrees are not high quality. The ordinary people want more medical care but that hardly matters, for in a dictatorship violence matters, but not public opinion.<ref>Gordon Fairclaugh, "In China, Rx for Ailing Health System," ''Wall Street Journal,'' Oct. 15, 2009</ref><br />
<br />
===Internet censorship===<br />
[[File:China-Winnie-Xi.jpg|right|300px|thumb|China banned Winnie-the-Pooh because of the similarities between Pooh and [[Xi Jingping]].]] <br />
Between 2006 and 2010, [[Google]] had a censored version of its search engine in mainland China on google.cn. In 2010, Google ended its censored Mainland Chinese version, instead offering a link to the Hong Kong Chinese version, which did not censor search results, but is blocked in the Mainland. The Communist Party promotes Internet use for commerce, but heavily censors content it deems pornographic, anti-social or politically subversive and blocks many foreign news and social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The censorship is nicknamed the "Great Firewall of China," which is based on the Great Wall of China. However, the censorship can be easily bypassed by using a VPN.<br />
<br />
When it was observed on social media that the cartoon character [[Winnie the Pooh]] resembled Xi Jinping at the beginning of his reign, the [[communist]] regime censored the character.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/winnie-the-pooh-censored-china-president-xi-jinping-comparisons/</ref> Under Xi Jinping, words, names and labels such as Dalai Lama, Wei Jingsheng, Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo who died of cancer in prison hospital, and anything critical of the CCP were no longer to be found on the tightly controlled Chinese internet. Terms like the [[Nobel Prize]], the Chinese Republic founded in 1911, and the word “mainland” were put on the index. The entire year 1989, the year of the Tiananmen Incident of 4 June 1989 (Tiananmen Massacre), disappeared from Baidu Baike (China's Wikipedia).<ref>The Chinese character for emerald green 翠(pronounced „cui“) was banned. The character for emerald green (翠) contains two so-called phonetic radicals, which, pronounced differently, also stand for the party leader’s surname 习 (surname: Xi) 近平 („first“ or call name: Jinping). But under the two phonetic radicals in the „head“ of the character „cui“ (翠), there is another character built in, which stands for „die“ and „perish“. Therefor using „cui“ (翠) for emerald green on the Chinese internet, according to the logic of the censors, would mean wishing something bad on the party leader.</ref><br />
<br />
===Higher education===<br />
Despite fears that China may be outpacing the United States in turning out engineers, the number of college students in China who study engineering is on the decline, according to ''[[Global Times]]'', a Chinese party-controlled newspaper. Fewer than one in 10 college graduates in 2009 majored in engineering. Instead, students are turning to economics, finance, and management, which pay more and carry more social status. "Engineering usually makes people think of factories, while factories often give people an impression of hard work, low wages, and layoffs," the newspaper quoted one professor as saying.<br />
<br />
Although there are some considerable effort of developing the universities, the Communist regime is still having issues with academic freedoms, which means that some improvements will be made, but the overall environment will not change. <br />
<br />
The exodus of Chinese undergraduate and graduate students continues; as 180,000 left in 2008, about 25% percent more than in 2007, as more families were able to pay overseas tuition. For every four students who left in the past decade, only one returned; those with American PhDs in science or engineering the least likely to return. The intellectual vitality, quality of science, pay scales, and political climate are much more attractive in the West. Those who return to China risk being shunned as "foreigners".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/world/asia/07scholar.html?hp Sharon LaFraniera, "Fighting Trend, China Is Luring Scientists Home," ''New York Times'' Jan. 6. 2010]</ref> Now the exodus are enlarged into high-school students and even primary school students.<br />
<!--===The Chinese in Africa===<br />
China has been spending huge amounts of money and time buying influence in various African countries.<ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2011/0217/China-s-latest-trade-visit-to-Africa-reveals-a-different-approach-to-business]</ref> China has given 45 African countries $115 billion, a figure which is growing at 44% every year. Africa has many desirable resources such as [[diamonds]], [[oil]], and rare earth metals such as [[Indium]] which is used to make the touch screens for new high-tech devices such as [[Apple]]'s [[iPad]]<ref>[http://blogs.indium.com/blog/an-interview-with-the-professor/assembled-cost-of-an-ipad]</ref> and [[iPhone]], often under [[sweat shop]] conditions.<br />
<br />
China's aim in Africa seems to be to buy up the emerging markets of the developing nations there. China has a big population, but does not have many of the resources (see above) that they will need to improve themselves. When countries go through [[industrialization]] they need to use a lot more resources, and China does not have them. By buying up Africa they get these natural resources cheaply. They will also be able to use these resources as poker chips against the west.<br />
US ambassador [[Johnnie Carson]] believes "China has no morals" in Africa,<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/09/cable-kenya-risks-new-violence-reforms/]</ref> which may be true given their [[communist]] ideology.--><br />
<br />
=== China and intellectual property theft ===<br />
<br />
See: [[Atheistic China and intellectual property theft|China and intellectual property theft]]<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
{{main|History of China}}<br />
{{History of China (full)}}<br />
Although archaeologists have found settlements in China dating to [[5000 BC]], the earliest nation that can be dated in the area of modern China is the [[Shang Dynasty]], approximately [[2000 BC]].<br />
<br />
Dynasty followed dynasty, as old regimes would lose the "mandate of heaven;" it was believed that each emperor ruled only with the approval of heaven, and a ruler who was unfit to rule would curse the nation until replaced. In addition, the Chinese capital would occasionally be overrun by "barbarians," who invariably would start a new dynasty in the Chinese capital, integrating their nations into the former dynasty.<br />
<br />
Chinese had an advanced artistic culture and well-developed science and technology. However, its science and technology stood still after 1700 and in the 21st century very little survives outside museums, except in for the popular forms of traditional medicine. <br />
<br />
===19th and 20th century===<br />
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by large-scale civil wars, major famines, military defeats by Britain and Japan, regional control by powerful warlords, and foreign intervention such as the [[Boxer Rebellion]] of 1900. In 1911 a revolution deposed the [[Qing dynasty]] and the [[Republic of China]] was proclaimed. <br />
<br />
Under the leadership of the [[KMT]] (Kuomintang), headed by [[Chiang Kai-shek]] (1887-1975), the central government finally suppressed the local warlords who effectively controlled many provinces. The KMT tried to destroy the Communists under [[Mao Zedong]], but they escaped in the "Long March" of 1934–35. Japan seized Manchuria in 1931, and in 1937 invaded all of China, seizing the coast, the major cities, and setting up a puppet government that controlled most of the population. China was allied with the U.S. and Britain against Japan, and at war's end joined the United Nations as a permanent member of the 5-nation Security Council, with a veto.<br />
<br />
The period from the [[Opium War]]s to the rise of [[New China]] under Mao is referred to in Communist Chinese history texts as the Century of Humiliation.<br />
<br />
===Great East Asian War===<br />
:{{See also|Second Sino-Japanese War}}<br />
When the war against [[Japan]] broke out in 1937, the Kuomintang (KMT) had more than 1.7 million armed soldiers, ships with 110,000 tons of displacement, and about 600 fighter planes of various kinds. <br />
<br />
The total size of the CCP Army, including the New Fourth Army, which was newly formed in November 1937, did not exceed 70,000 people. Its power was weakened further by internal fractional politics; it could have been eliminated in a single battle. If the CCP were to face the Japanese in battle, it would not be able to defeat a single division of Japanese troops. Sustaining its own power rather than ensuring the survival of the nation was the central focus and the reason for its emphasis on “national unity.” <br />
<br />
After the Japanese occupied the city of Shenyang on Sept. 18, 1931, thereby extending Japanese control over large areas in northeastern China, the CCP fought alongside Japanese invaders to defeat the KMT.<ref>https://u.osu.edu/mclc/2016/07/02/truth-of-mao-zedongs-collusion-with-the-japanese-army-1/</ref> <br />
<br />
The Japanese set up a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit in [[Harbin]]. Unit 731 and its affiliated units were involved in research, development and experimental deployment of epidemic-creating biowarfare weapons in assaults against the Chinese populace (both military and civilian) throughout World War II. Plague-infected fleas, bred in the laboratories of Unit 731 and Unit 1644, were spread by low-flying airplanes upon Chinese cities, including coastal Ningbo and Changde, [[Hunan]] Province, in 1940 and 1941.<ref name="ciadoc" /> This military aerial spraying killed tens of thousands of people with [[bubonic plague]] epidemics. An expedition to [[Nanjing|Nanking]] involved spreading [[Typhoid fever|typhoid]] and paratyphoid germs into the wells, marshes, and houses of the city, as well as infusing them into snacks to be distributed among the locals. Epidemics broke out shortly after, to the elation of many researchers, where it was concluded that paratyphoid fever was "the most effective" of the pathogens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://the-eye.eu/public/concen.org/Sheldon%20H.%20Harris%20-%20Factories%20of%20Death%20-%20Japanese%20Biological%20Warfare%2C%201932-1945%2C%20and%20the%20American%20Cover-Up%20%28pdf%29%20-%20roflcopter2110%20%5BWWRG%5D/Sheldon%20H.%20Harris%20-%20Factories%20of%20Death%20-%20Japanese%20Biological%20Warfare%20%28pdf%29%20-%20roflcopter2110%20%5BWWRG%5D.pdf|title=Factories of Death |last=Harris|first=Sheldon|page=77}}</ref><ref>Barenblatt, Daniel. ''A Plague Upon Humanity: the Secret Genocide of Axis Japan's Germ Warfare Operation'', HarperCollins, 2004. {{ISBN|0-06-018625-9}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><br />
<br />
At least 12 large-scale field trials of biological weapons were performed, and at least 11 Chinese cities were attacked with biological agents. An attack on Changda in 1941 reportedly led to approximately 10,000 biological casualties and 1,700 deaths among ill-prepared Japanese troops, with most cases due to cholera.<ref name="histpersp" /> Japanese researchers performed tests on prisoners with [[bubonic plague]], [[cholera]], [[smallpox]], [[botulism]], and other diseases.<ref>[https://fas.org/nuke/guide/japan/bw/ Biological Weapons Program-Japan] Federation of American Scientists</ref> This research led to the development of the defoliation bacilli bomb and the flea bomb used to spread bubonic plague.<ref>[http://www.centurychina.com/wiihist/germwar/731rev.htm Review of the studies on Germ Warfare] Tien-wei Wu ''A Preliminary Review of Studies of Japanese Biological Warfare and Unit 731 in the United States''</ref> Some of these bombs were designed with [[porcelain]] shells, an idea proposed by Ishii in 1938.<br />
<br />
Due to pressure from numerous accounts of the bio-warfare attacks, [[Chiang Kai-shek]] sent a delegation of army and foreign medical personnel in November 1941 to document evidence and treat the afflicted. A report on the Japanese use of plague-infested fleas on Changde was made widely available the following year, but was not addressed by the Allied Powers until [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] issued a public warning in 1943 condemning the attacks.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biohazard: Unit 731 and the American Cover-Up (Page 5)|url=https://www.umflint.edu/sites/default/files/groups/Research_and_Sponsored_Programs/MOM/b.altheide.pdf|website=[[University of Michigan–Flint]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Guillemin|first=Jeanne|date=2017|editor-last=Friedrich|editor-first=Bretislav|editor2-last=Hoffmann|editor2-first=Dieter|editor3-last=Renn|editor3-first=Jürgen|editor4-last=Schmaltz|editor4-first=Florian|editor5-last=Wolf|editor5-first=Martin|title=The 1925 Geneva Protocol: China's CBW Charges Against Japan at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal|journal=One Hundred Years of Chemical Warfare: Research, Deployment, Consequences|language=en|publisher=Springer International Publishing|pages=273–286|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-51664-6_15|isbn=9783319516646|doi-access=free}}</ref><br />
<br />
===Mao era===<br />
====Yan'an rectification movement====<br />
:{{See also|Yan'an rectification movement|Rectification}}<br />
In northern Shaanxi Province, while sandwiched between the Japanese and the KMT, the CCP began the Yan’an Rectification Movement of mass cleansing, killing many people. More than 10,000 were killed in the "rectification" process,<ref name="UJPRS">US Joint Publication research service. (1979). ''China Report: Political, Sociological and Military Affairs.'' Foreign Broadcast Information Service. No ISBN digitized text March 5, 2007</ref> as the Party made efforts to attack intellectuals and replace the culture of the [[May Fourth Movement]] with that of Communist culture.<ref>Twitchett, Denis and Fairbank, John K. ''The Cambridge History of China.'' {{ISBN|0-521-24336-X}}</ref><ref>Borthwick, Mark. (1998). ''Pacific Century: The Emergence of Modern Pacific Asia.'' Westview Press. {{ISBN|0-8133-3471-3}}</ref><ref name="Apter">Apter, David Ernest. (1994). Revolutionary Discourse in Mao's Republic. Harvard University Press. {{ISBN|0-674-76780-2}}</ref> This type of repetitive massacre on such a massive scale did not prevent the CCP from eventually expanding its power to rule all of China. The CCP expanded this pattern of internal rivalry and killing from the small Soviet areas to the whole nation. ''The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party'' describes the Yan'an rectification movement as,<br />
{{quotebox-float|"the largest, darkest, and most ferocious power game ever played out in the human world. In the name of “cleansing petty bourgeoisie toxins,” the Party washed away morality, independence of thought, freedom of action, tolerance, and dignity... Humiliation became a fact of life in Yan’an—it was either humiliate other comrades or humiliate oneself. People were pushed to the brink of insanity, having been forced to abandon their dignity, sense of honor or shame, and love for one another to save their own lives and their own jobs. They ceased to express their own opinions and recited Party leaders’ articles instead."}}<br />
Mao developed the techniques of "thought reform" (literally "washing the brain" in Chinese). Mao's tactics often included isolating and attacking dissenting individuals in "study groups." These techniques of pressure, ostracism, and reintegration were particularly powerful in China, where the culture puts great value on "saving face", protecting one's innermost thinking, and above all, identifying with a group. Individuals put through thought reform later described it as excruciating. The resulting changes in views were not permanent, but the experience overall seriously affected the lives of those who went through it. The CCP has used these same types of techniques on millions of Chinese since 1949.<br />
<br />
====Maoist revolution====<br />
:{{See also|New China|History of the Chinese Communist Party}}<br />
[[File:Anti-landlordism campaign.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Diorama depicting anti-landlordism, c. 1973.<ref>https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agsphoto/id/44723</ref>]]<br />
In 1945–46, the U.S. attempted to force a negotiated settlement between the KMT and the Communists, but failed. In the face of economic collapse,<ref>See [[Harry Dexter White#Betrayal of the Kuomintang]]</ref> the Communists won the civil war in 1949 under [[Mao Zedong]] established a totalitarian regime, forcing the elected constitutional ROC Government to Taiwan. Taiwan is recognized as an integral part of China in theory, but in practice has been independent since 1949. <br />
<br />
Mao liquidated millions of opponents, acting against the International society in the [[Korean War]] (1950–53), and around 1960 broke bitterly with the Soviet Union over the control of the Communist world. Mao's regime imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. Mao bluntly said,<br />
{{quotebox-float|“What can Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] brag about? He only killed 460 [[Confucius|Confucian]] scholars, but we killed 46,000 intellectuals. There are people who accuse us of practicing dictatorship like Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and we admit to it all. It fits the reality. It is a pity that they did not give us enough credit, so we need to add to it.”<ref name="ninecommentaries.com">http://www.ninecommentaries.com/english-3</ref>}}<br />
<br />
====Cold War era====<br />
Throughout most of the [[Cold War]] era, the United States and its allies adopted a Two-China policy, referring to Mainland China as [[Red China]], and the allied Taiwanese government as [[Free China]]. The government of Taiwan held the permanent seat assigned to China on the United Nations Security Council from the founding of the United Nations Charter in 1945, until Red China's accession to the post in 1971. Since 1971, Red China, or the People's Republic of China, has insisted upon a One-China policy in all its diplomatic relations. The common reference to Mainland China as "China" proper in American academia and media, in accordance with PRC propaganda and its foreign policy stance, is a relatively late development of more recent decades.<br />
<br />
====Great Leap Forward====<br />
<br />
The Great Leap Forward (1958–60) and the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) were the two worst periods of leftist domination in the history of China. Deng Xiaoping claimed the death toll to be 16 million, while the lowest estimate is 8 million <ref>Mao: The Real Story by Alexander P. Pantsov with Steven I. Levine, pg. 472</ref> <br />
<br />
Mao's grand strategy for Cold War competition inflicted a catastrophic agricultural failure in China and victimized tens of millions of Chinese peasants. After [[Nikita Khrushchev]] boasted in 1957 that the Soviet Union would soon surpassing the United States in key economic outputs, Mao decided to launch an even faster industrialization program that would push China past Britain in some production categories within 15 years. Beginning in 1958, Mao imposed unrealistic targets on Chinese grain production to extract funds from agriculture for rapid industrial growth. Maoists placed relentless pressure on Communist cadres for ruthless implementation of the Great Leap Forward. Contrary to Maoist plans, China's grain output in 1959-60 declined sharply from 1957 levels and rural per capita grain retention decreased dramatically. Throughout China, party cadres' mismanagement of agricultural production was responsible for the decline in grain output, and the Communist state's excessive requisition of grain caused food shortages for the peasants. But the key factor determining the famine's uneven impact on the peasantry in the provinces was the degree to which provincial leaders genuinely and energetically embraced Maoist programs.<ref>Yixin Chen, "Cold War Competition and Food Production in China, 1957-1962," ''Agricultural History'' 2009 83(1): 51-78,</ref><br />
<br />
Although the Great Leap Forward was much more disastrous in both human and economic terms, the Cultural Revolution receives the more negative assessment in China. This harsher review of the Cultural Revolution stems from the facts that it occurred more recently, was much longer in duration, and that many of its victims were cadres and intellectuals.<ref>William A. Joseph, "A Tragedy of Good Intentions: Post-mao Views of the Great Leap Forward." ''Modern China'' 1986 12(4): 419-457. Issn: 0097-7004 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/189257 in Jstor ]</ref> Mao said, {{quotebox|“What can Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] brag about? He only killed 460 [[Confucius|Confucian]] scholars, but we killed 46,000 intellectuals. There are people who accuse us of practicing dictatorship like Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and we admit to it all. It fits the reality. It is a pity that they did not give us enough credit, so we need to add to it.”<ref name="ninecommentaries.com">http://www.ninecommentaries.com/english-3</ref>}}<br />
<br />
====Cultural Revolution====<br />
:{{See also|Cultural Revolution}}<br />
[[File:Def01.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Poster from the Maoist Cultural Revolution.[http://web.archive.org/web/20121015190740/http://www2.okcu.edu/honors/colloquiums.pdf] ]]<br />
In the early 1960s, State President Liu Shaoqi and his prot&#233;g&#233;, Party General Secretary Deng Xiaoping, took over direction of the party and adopted pragmatic economic policies at odds with Mao's revolutionary vision. Dissatisfied with China's new direction and his own reduced authority, Party Chairman Mao launched a massive political attack on Liu, Deng, and other pragmatists in the spring of 1966. The new movement, the "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution," was unprecedented in communist history. For the first time, a section of the Chinese communist leadership sought to rally popular opposition against another leadership group. China was set on a course of political and social anarchy that lasted the better part of a decade. <br />
<br />
In the early stages of the Cultural Revolution, Mao and his "closest comrade in arms," National Defense Minister Lin Biao, charged Liu, Deng, and other top party leaders with dragging China back toward capitalism. Radical youth organizations, called Red Guards, attacked party and state organizations at all levels, seeking out leaders who would not bend to the radical wind. <br />
<br />
Gradually, Red Guard and other radical activity subsided, and the Chinese political situation stabilized along complex factional lines. The leadership conflict came to a head in September 1971, when Party Vice Chairman and Defense Minister [[Lin Biao]] reportedly tried to stage a coup against Mao; Lin Biao later died in a plane crash in Mongolia. <br />
[[File:Li660912-1-b.jpg|left|300px|thumb|[[Cancel culture]] and public shaming was reserved for the enemies of socialism who survived the Cultural Revolution.]]<br />
Mao's regime imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. The [[Cultural Revolution]] of 1966-76 was inspired by Mao and devastated the intellectual class. Tens of thousands of intellectuals and teachers were educators were insulted, tortured, driven to suicide or executed by their students. Mobilized as members of the Red Guards, a new youth organization, the students attacked the educators as "capitalist intellectuals." From 1967 to 1978, the state "send-down" (rustication) policy 17 million urban youth to live and work in rural areas, with a permanent negative impact on their intellectual development and careers.<ref>Xueguang Zhou and Liren Hou, "Children of the Cultural Revolution: the State and the Life Course in the People's Republic of China." ''American Sociological Review'' 1999 64(1): 12-36. Issn: 0003-1224 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2657275 in Jstor ]</ref> <br />
<br />
The upheaval was not limited to the cities. Maoist political ideology and teachings provided the catalyst for village conflicts that brought out traditional grievances and further escalated the conflicts. Some of the catalysts were student activists carrying out Mao's teachings, factional disputes, and the Four Clean-up campaigns that purged village officials and corruption. These conflicts spread to traditional grievances like lineage and hamlet hostilities and disputes over leadership and rights. Often, the conflicts caused by Party politics intersected traditional conflicts to the extent that the root causes of the conflicts were lost. This resulted in further escalation of the conflicts, which became more complex and widespread. <br />
<br />
In rural China an estimated 750,000 to 1.5 million people were killed, and about as many permanently injured; 36 million who suffered some form of political persecution. The vast majority of these casualties occurred from 1968 to 1971, after the end of the period of popular rebellion and factional conflict and the establishment of provisional organs of local state power.<ref>Jonathan Unger, "Cultural Revolution Conflict in the Villages." ''China Quarterly'' 1998 (153): 82-106. Issn: 0305-7410 [http://www.jstor.org/pss/655831 in Jstor] ; Andrew G. Walder, and Yang Su, "The Cultural Revolution in the Countryside: Scope, Timing and Human Impact." ''China Quarterly'' 2003 (173): 74-99. Issn: 0305-7410</ref> <br />
<br />
Mao's policies were illustrated in posters that used art for political purposes. The posters glorified Mao, criticized his opponents, urged cooperation among all revolutionary groups, and condemned capitalism and foreign imperialists.<ref>Patricia Powell, and Joseph Wong, "Propaganda Posters from the Chinese Cultural Revolution." ''Historian'' 1997 59(4): 776-793. Issn: 0018-2370 in [[EBSCO]]</ref> Major leadership changes and purges occurred at the top, involving [[Lin Biao]], the [[Gang of Four]], and Deng Xiaoping.<br />
<br />
===Deng and successors===<br />
:{{See also|China under Deng and successors}}<br />
<br />
After 1978, Mao's successor [[Deng Xiaoping]] constructed a market-economy system, while still remain de facto control over the land by imposing the length of usage of the land, and by 2000 output had increased, population growth ended (by imposing a one-child policy), and regular diplomatic contacts were established with the West. For much of the population, living standards improved and the material choices grew, yet totalitarian rule and the ownership of the Internet still remain firmly gripped.<br />
[[File:Deng successors.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Deng successors Xi, Hu, and Jiang.]]<br />
In 1989, the [[Tiananmen Square democracy protests]] were inspired by an explosion of democracy protests worldwide that resulted in the [[Fall of the Berlin Wall]], the Czech [[Velvet Revolution]], and the collapse of Soviet Communism. The Chinese protests, however, were quashed when the so-called "People's Liberation Army" killed over 10,000 Chinese people. The Chinese Communist Party then established a registry of social organizations, in order to head off political upheaval. [[Falun Gong]], a revival of pre-Maoist Cultural Revolution traditions, registered with the Chinese government in 1992. It soon attracted “tens of millions of adherents."<ref>Maria Hsia Chang, ''Falun Gong: The End of Days.''</ref> Falun Gong started holding enormous gatherings; by the mid- 1990s, there were more than two thousand Falun Gong practice sites in [[Beijing]] alone. Troubled by the possibility that a large part of the population was becoming more loyal to Falun Gong than to the Communist Party, the government began cracking down on groups and banning sales of Falun Gong publications. <br />
<br />
By 1999, the CCP estimated that the group had seventy million adherents; that year, more than ten thousand of them staged a silent protest in Tiananmen Square. An arrest warrant was issued for Li Hongzhi, the group founder, who had by then immigrated to Queens, New York. The Chinese National Congress subsequently passed, and began [[violent]]ly enforcing, an "anti-cult law".<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20101127131821/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/16/world/china-expels-53-foreign-falun-gong-followers.html</ref> <br />
<br />
The [[610 Office]] was the main organization created to eliminate Falun Gong. It is nominally subordinate to the Political and Legal Affairs Committee (PLAC). The Political and Legal Affairs Committee purview was expanded after the 610 Office was incorporated into it. The 610 Office derives its name from the date of its founding, June 10, 1999. After that date, almost every Party branch, from the province to the county to the district level, established its own 610 Office. The source of the 610 Office's ability to operate extralegally and with impunity is not drawn from the State. Neither the People's Congress nor the State Council has authorized its actions. Rather, approval and support for its deeds comes from the CCP. Each 610 Office takes orders from the 610 Office one level above it, going up to the Central Committee 610 Office. The local 610 Offices also take orders from the leadership team of the CCP Committee at its same organizational level.<ref>http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/droi/dv/506_yiyangxia_/506_yiyangxia_en.pdf</ref> It later changed its name to the Central Leading Group on Dealing with Heretical Religions or Office of Maintaining Stability.<br />
<br />
China's economy changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade, to a socialism under capitalist management model and is a major player in the global economy.<br />
<br />
====One child policy====<br />
<br />
{{main|One-child Policy}} <br />
With a population officially just over 1.3 billion and an estimated growth rate of about 0.6%, China is very concerned about its population growth and has attempted with mixed results to implement a strict birth limitation policy. Until 2013 the government permitted one child per family, with allowance for a second child under certain circumstances (such as twins), especially in rural areas, and with guidelines looser for ethnic minorities with small populations. Enforcement varies and relies largely on "social compensation fees" to discourage extra births. Official government policy opposed forced [[abortion]] or sterilization, but in some localities, there were instances of forced [[abortion]]. The government's goal was to stabilize the population in the first half of the 21st century.<br />
<br />
Boys are highly prized, and because screening of fetuses was done to determine gender, selective abortion resulted in 119 boys born for every 100 girls. <br />
<br />
Fertility rates dropped below 2.0 by 1990. The magnitude of female [[infanticide]] in China became astonishing in the decades between 1990 and 2010, when well over ten million female infants were killed. The result was a skewed sex ratio in the generation born since 1980. By 2020, there were about 50 million more males than females.<br />
<br />
====Tiananmen Square massacre====<br />
<br />
:{{See also|Tiananmen Square massacre}}<br />
In the months prior to the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]], pro-democracy movements worldwide flourished and socialism fell into disrepute. The CCP faced the challenge of large-scale protests in Beijing's [[Tiananmen Square]] and in more than 400 other cities between April 15, 1989, and June 4, 1989. <br />
[[File:Tiananmen June 4 1989.gif|left|350px|thumb|APCs moving on students in Tiananmen Square, June 4, 1989.]]<br />
After [[Zhao Ziyang]] became the party General Secretary, the economic and political reforms he had championed came under increasing attack. His proposal in May 1988 to accelerate price reform led to widespread popular complaints about rampant [[inflation]] and gave opponents of rapid reform the opening to call for greater centralization of economic controls and stricter prohibitions against Western influence. This precipitated a political debate, which grew more heated through the winter of 1988–89. <br />
<br />
The death of [[Hu Yaobang]] on April 15, 1989, coupled with growing economic hardship caused by high inflation, provided the backdrop for a large-scale protest movement by students, intellectuals, government employees, [[journalist]]s, workers, [[police officer]]s, members of the armed forces, and other members of a disaffected urban population. University students and other citizens camped out in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mourn Hu's death and to protest against those who would slow reform. Their protests, which grew despite government efforts to contain them, called for an end to official corruption and for defense of freedoms guaranteed by the Chinese constitution. At least one million residents of Beijing were taking part in the protests.<ref>https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/one-million-protesters-take-to-the-streets-in-beijing</ref> Protests also spread to many other cities, including [[Shanghai]], [[Chengdu]], and [[Guangzhou]]. By late May, Tiananmen Square was overcrowded and beginning to face health and hygiene problems. <br />
<br />
Disagreements about how to respond split the top Party leadership and forced out the Party General Secretary at the time, Zhao Ziyang. The decisions by Wang Zhen, Li Peng, and Paramount Leader [[Deng Xiaoping]] led them to conclude that the survival of their regime was at stake. Martial law was declared on May 20, 1989, and at least 30 divisions were mobilized. As many as 250,000 troops were eventually sent to the capital.<br />
[[File:Tiananmen victims crushed by tank treads.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Human remains crushed by PLA armoured personnel carriers in Tiananmen Square, June 4, 1989.]]<br />
The 27th Army of Shanxi Province, whose troops were described as 60 percent illiterate and primitives, were responsible for most of the atrocities at Tiananmen Square.<ref>https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB16/docs/doc18.pdf</ref> The 27th Army “snipers shot many civilians on balconies, street sweepers etc for target practice” and used expanding dum-dum bullets. The 27th Army was chosen because its troops were considered “the most reliable and obedient”.<br />
<br />
Late on June 3, 1989, and early on the morning of June 4, PLA units were brought into Beijing using automatic weapons, advancing in tanks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), and trucks from several directions toward Tiananmen Square. They used armed force to clear demonstrators from the streets.<br />
<br />
At 4:30 am protesters, joined by some PLA members, were given one hour to leave the Square, however five minutes later the 27th Army's armoured personnel carriers opened fire before running the crowd over at 65 kph [40 miles per hour]. “Students linked arms but were mown down. APCs then ran over the bodies time and time again to make, quote ‘pie’ unquote. Their remains were collected by bulldozer later that morning, incinerated, and then hosed down drains.<br />
<br />
The 27th Army was ordered to spare no one. Wounded girl students begged for their lives but were bayoneted. A three-year-old girl was injured, but her mother was shot as she went to her aid, as were six others.<br />
<br />
1,000 survivors were told they could escape but were then mown down from specially prepared machine gun positions.<br />
<br />
Army ambulances, who attempted to give aid, were shot up, as was a Sino-Japanese hospital ambulance. With the medical crew dead, the wounded driver attempted to ram attackers but was blown to pieces by an anti-tank weapon.<br />
<br />
In another incident, the troops shot one of their own officers. “27 Army officer shot dead by own troops, apparently because he faltered. Troops explained they would be shot if they hadn’t shot the officer.”<br />
<br />
The true scale of the murders went unreported in Western media for nearly 30 years,<ref>https://archive.is/6nzNI#selection-2459.16-2479.159</ref> as globalists negotiated trade agreements and welcomed the [[PRC]] into the World Trade Organization. Western sources, including [[Wikipedia]], toe the Chinese Communist Party line on many events and details, including casualty statistics.<br />
<br />
In an object lesson about the duplicity of socialist slogans, buzzwords, and phrases geared toward seducing the youth and the naive - China's People's Army killed 10,000 of China's own people.<ref>"[https://dailycaller.com/2017/12/24/chinese-killed-at-least-10000-at-tiananmen-square-newly-declassified-documents-claim/ Chinese Killed At Least 10,000 At Tiananmen Square, Newly Declassified Documents Claim]", ''Daily Caller'', 12/24/2017.</ref> In fact, China's People's Army has killed more of China's own people than any foreign enemy in its entire history.<br />
<br />
====Most Favored Nation status with the U.S.====<br />
:{{See also|Most favored nation}}<br />
As China has been growing in power, it has also become increasingly aggressive on the international stage.<ref>Scaliger, Charles (February 19, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/31388-china-s-new-aggression-on-the-world-stage China’s New Aggression on the World Stage]. ''The New American''. Retrieved February 19, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*Blanchard, Ben (September 24, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-anniversary-timeline/timeline-seven-decades-of-communist-china-idUSKBN1WA03Z Timeline: Seven decades of Communist China]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved September 25, 2019.<br />
*Newman, Alex (September 25, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/is-trump-really-to-blame-for-chinas-rise-at-the-un-as-media-claim_3094695.html China’s Subversion of the United Nations]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved September 26, 2019.</ref> The country's Communist Party also increased control over the country and economy,<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Byas, Steve (March 7, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/31676-chinese-communists-tighten-grip-as-70th-anniversary-nears Chinese Communists Tighten Grip as 70th Anniversary Nears]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 8, 2019.<br />
*Li, Olivia (March 6, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-cracks-down-on-private-enterprises_2825959.html China Cracks Down on Private Enterprises]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved March 8, 2019.<br />
See also:<br />
*Blanchard, Ben (March 7, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-parliament-politics/in-sensitive-year-for-china-warnings-against-erroneous-thoughts-idUSKCN1QO0X0 In sensitive year for China, warnings against 'erroneous thoughts']. ''Reuters''. Retrieved March 9, 2019.<br />
*Timm, Leo; Hao, Nicole (December 24, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/year-in-review-for-communist-china-the-worst-is-yet-to-come_3180253.html Year in Review: For Communist China, the Worst Is yet to Come]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved December 24, 2019.<br />
*Adelmann, Bob (December 30, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/34476-china-facing-massive-headwinds-in-2020 China Facing Massive Headwinds in 2020]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 30, 2019.</ref> and foreign companies worked to appease the Chinese government.<ref>Lowe, Tiana (August 15, 2019). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/woke-capitalism-cowers-to-china Woke capitalism cowers to China]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved August 26, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*Kraychik, Robert (October 14, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2019/10/14/rob-spalding-china-silenced-its-critics-buying-off-americas-elites/ Rob Spalding: China Silenced Its Critics by Buying Off America’s Elites]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 14, 2019.<br />
*Virgil (October 20, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/10/20/virgil-five-takeaways-from-capitalisms-kowtow-to-china/ Virgil: Five Takeaways from Capitalism’s Kowtow to China]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 21, 2019.</ref> China uses about half of the world's steel and cement/concrete. In the 3 years from 2011 to 2014, China used 6.6 gigatons of cement, which is more than the US did in the entire 20th century.<ref>https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Concrete-in-China</ref> China also worked to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.<ref>Schmitt, Gary (September 26, 2019). [https://thehill.com/opinion/international/463290-china-is-quietly-winning-the-diplomatic-war-with-taiwan China is quietly winning the diplomatic war with Taiwan]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved September 26, 2019.</ref> China became the dominant trading partner of a large majority of the world's countries, overtaking the U.S.<ref>[https://twitter.com/MhaskarChief/status/1198862204876931072 Zeeshan Mhaskar]. ''Twitter''. November 24, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*Akan, Emel (January 6, 2020). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/chinas-rise-had-a-negative-impact-on-global-innovation-say-experts_3195603.html China’s Rise Has Had Negative Impact on Global Innovation, Experts Say]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved January 6, 2020.</ref> Under Xi Jinping, China regressed back to Mao's totalitarianism.<ref>Adelmann, Bob (December 30, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/34470-china-s-xi-jinping-is-now-the-people-s-leader China’s Xi Jinping Is Now the “People’s Leader”]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 30, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
====Persecution of Falun Gong====<br />
[[File:Organ-harvesting-profits.jpg|right|thumb|These values come from the China International Transplantation Network Assistance Center (CITNAC) at www.zoukiishoku.com. CITNAC was founded in the transplantation institute at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. Its website was shutdown soon after organ harvesting was exposed, here is the [http://web.archive.org/web/20050407211151/http://en.zoukiishoku.com/list/cost.htm archived page].]]<br />
{{See also|Forced organ harvesting}}<br />
While the [[CCP pandemic]] unfolded the China Tribunal, an independent people's tribunal, released its full judgment on Chinese forced organ harvesting. The panel was chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice who previously led the [[prosecution]] of former [[Yugoslavia]] [[Prime Minister]] [[Slobodan Milosevic]] for [[war crimes]] at the International Criminal Tribunal and included other experts in law, transplant surgery, international politics, Chinese history and business. The experts concluded that the grisly practice has continued unabated. In June 2019 the tribunal delivered its findings in [[London]], concluding beyond a reasonable doubt that state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience has taken place for years in China on a significant scale and is still taking place. The main organ supply came from imprisoned practitioners of the persecuted spiritual group [[Falun Gong]]. <br />
<br />
The Chinese regime has persecuted the group for more than two decades. Hundreds of thousands of adherents have been thrown into prisons, labor camps, and brainwashing centers where many have been tortured in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. The tribunal concluded that the Chinese regime sustained a campaign of forced organ harvesting constituted a crime against humanity. Many people have died indescribable hideous deaths for no reason, that more may suffer in similar ways, and that all of us live on a planet where extreme wickedness may be found in the power of those, who for the time being, are running a country that is one of the oldest civilizations known to modern man.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gfN2_uOvTM</ref><br />
<br />
====Bo Xilai affair and 2012 coup attempt====<br />
<br />
Bo Xilai sat on the 25-member Party Politburo and Central Committee and was Party Secretary of a powerful municipality. Bo styled himself as a champion of the poor and dispossessed, supporting the state-run economy, lead a crackdown on supposed organized crime bosses, and fanned nostalgia for the violent [[Antifa|Anti-fascist]] Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Bo's rhetoric was critical of the [[income gap]] and broken promises to the [[working class]] that accompanied China's rise to become the world's second-largest economy. Bo was widely reported as a candidate for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee.<br />
<br />
Bo's wife was convicted of [[murder]] of a British businessman in August 2012. Bo's vice mayor was convicted of “bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking” in September 2012. Days later, the Party Politburo expelled Bo from the Party's ranks and announced that it was transferring his case to state judicial authorities. The Party investigation concluded that Bo “bore major responsibility” in the cases of his vice-mayor's actions and his wife's involvement in the murder, and alleged that he “took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family.” [[Social media]] brought the scandal to light, creating problems for existing leadership.</ref> had this particular murder victim not been foreign, the case likely would never have been investigated. Like in American politics, scandals and coverups often take a different narrative than true underlying facts. Bo, a "reformer and corruption fighter", was removed and prosecuted on corruption charges. The 2012 Bo Xilai Affair highlighted the degree to which the families of top Party officials were able to parlay access to political power into vast personal wealth. <br />
<br />
On the night of March 19, 2012, Zhou Yongkang, then secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of the Communist Party of China, launched an attempted coup. It is reported that the purpose was to snatch the key witness of the Bo Xilai case, the wealthy businessman Xu Ming of Dalian Shide, and to assassinate the former Premier Wen Jiabao. It is also said that Zhou Yongkang mobilized large-scale armed police forces to surround Xinhuamen and Tiananmen. Hu Jintao rushed the 38th Army into Beijing and confronted the armed police outside the Political and Legal Committee building. The armed police fired warning shots to the sky, but the elite troops of the 38th Army quickly disarmed all the armed police. Many Beijing residents heard gunshots that night.<br />
<br />
===Xi era===<br />
Xi's rise largely is the result of the 2012 Bo Xilai affair. Bo was the "[[Bernie Sanders]] of China," a corrupt kleptocrat and supposed advocate for the poor and oppressed. Bo was a member of the [[Politburo]] and candidate to the seven-member Standing Committee. A Jiang flunky, Bo was mayor of Dalian City in Liaoning Province in 1999 when the roundup Falun Gong began, and steadily rose in ranks for the next decade. As Governor, Dalian City and Liaoning Province, arrest and kidnappings of Falun Gong was more intense than in many other areas of China.<ref>http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/4/26/132920.htmlM</ref> Xi took advantage of the scandal which exposed the policy of [[genocide]] of Falun Gong being ordered by the Politburo and to aid in the cover-up of CCP's inherent and inimical use of murder and to destroy rivals for power.<br />
<br />
With the amendment to the constitution in 2018 repealing presidential term limits, allowing Xi Jinping to become a ruler for life,<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/11/world/asia/china-xi-constitution-term-limits.html</ref> the Reform era begun by Deng Xiaoping came to an end. The repeal of these reforms on the highest offices of state violated long sought-after conditions and agreements with the GATT organization and WTO for admission.<br />
<br />
On March 1, 2020, ten days before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the [[CCP virus]] a global [[pandemic]], the international China Tribunal published its Final Report declaring that the CCP had indeed performed hundreds of thousands of involuntary organ harvesting of hearts, lungs, kidneys, and livers from Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience in a budding for-profit organ transplant industry for recipients worldwide.<ref>https://chinatribunal.com/china-tribunal-releases-judgment-2020/</ref><br />
<br />
====National socialism with Chinese characteristics====<br />
:{{See also|National socialism}}<br />
Xi Jinping's swift rise to power was accomplished by so-called "anti-corruption" campaigns, stomping out rival power centers in the military and party. According to China expert Ian Easton, in January 2016, the CCP launched a sweeping military reform and reorganization program. It was the first time a purge like this had happened in Communist China's 70-year history. To succeed, Xi fired, imprisoned, and, in several cases, executed, well over 100 high-ranking generals in front of their peers.<ref name="youtu.be">https://youtu.be/Se_r1qwWMMA</ref><br />
<br />
In February 2018 the CCP Central Committee approved a measure making Xi Jinping dictator for life.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/26/xi-jinping-china-presidential-limit-scrap-dictator-for-life</ref> The abolition of the presidential term limit amounts to an acknowledgment that the old CCP adage “only socialism can save China” requires the new corollary that “only Xi Jinping can save socialism."<ref>https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/research/docs/clm56am.pdf</ref> Xi Jinping is said to be surrounded by sycophant's and yes men. <br />
<br />
Outside observers have seen certain changes as a movement toward [[National Socialism]] with Chinese [[racial]] characteristics.<ref name="aspistrategist.org.au"/><ref>https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/11/15/national-socialism-with-chinese-characteristics/</ref><ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/12/nazi-china-communists-carl-schmitt/617237/</ref> John Xenakis of ''[[Breitbart]]'' observed there is no difference between ''Xi Jinping Thought'', ''Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era'' and [[Adolf Hitler]]’s Thoughts and National Socialism:<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/10/24/24-oct-17-world-view-xi-jinpings-socialism-with-chinese-characteristics-is-identical-to-hitlers-national-socialism/</ref><br />
*China has become an international criminal nation by building military bases in international waters in the [[South China Sea]], in direct violation of international law as defined by the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. [[Nazi Germany]] did the same thing in [[Czechoslovakia]] and [[Poland]].<br />
*China has become a military dictatorship, developing multiple missile systems whose only purpose is to attack American aircraft carriers, military bases, and cities. Those missiles will be launched long before 2050. Hitler did the same thing by building a massive air force in preparation for war with [[Britain]], in violation of international law and the agreements it had signed after [[World War I]].<br />
*And now we have ''Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a new era''. It and Hitler's National Socialism explain why their government model is superior to everyone else's, why they are right about everything and everyone else is wrong, and why military force is OK at any time that anyone else is not doing what their government demands.<br />
*The Chinese people hold strong nationalist, [[xenophobic]], and [[racist]] views targeting the [[Tibet]]ans, [[Uighur]]s, [[Japan]]ese, [[South Korea]]ns, [[Philippine]] people, and [[Vietnam]]ese. Hitler had similar racist and xenophobic views targeting [[Jews]], [[Russia]]ns, [[French]], and [[English]].<br />
*For a war to be supported by the population, every war leader must provide an ideological framework to justify [[torture]], [[rape]], [[Mass murder|mass slaughter]], and streets filled with blood, whether it is killing infidels or Marxism. China's ''Socialism with Chinese Characteristics'' and Hitler's National Socialism both use an ideological framework based on Marxism.<br />
<br />
In July 2019, the CCP released a threatening defense white paper that read, <br />
{{quotebox-float|“Solving the Taiwan problem and achieving complete national unification is in the fundamental interest of the Chinese race. It is obviously necessary for achieving the Chinese race’s great renewal... China must be unified and obviously will be... If anyone splits Taiwan off from China, China’s military will pay any price to totally defeat them.”<ref>http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2019/10/28/2003724771</ref>}}<br />
====610 Office====<br />
<br />
Under Xi Jinping the 610 Office changed its name to the Central Leading Group on Preventing and Dealing with Heretical Religions, but is still commonly known as the 610 Office. The [[610 Office]] is the main organization created to eliminate Falun Gong and is similar to [[Nazi Germany]]’s [[Gestapo]],<ref>[https://www.google.com/search?q=610+office&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CaTgbTS0lwdKImDI8MzVwg5ieby7coLKB55Y38Il6Uf4LSOU5BKWR6DhUCVUrUVTHZMWrfkIQ9QzZ95REgSXMwBTtBjk4WjdFOEQnSdJhmkWXK6qnTUoRWTTBhP71MRr5NQZqUUwNfokYrMqEgnI8MzVwg5ieRFO6zJ2DoP3jSoSCby7coLKB55YEU7rMnYOg_1eNKhIJ38Il6Uf4LSMRTusydg6D940qEgmU5BKWR6DhUBFO6zJ2DoP3jSoSCSVUrUVTHZMWEU7rMnYOg_1eNKhIJrfkIQ9QzZ94RzvQIkOPrUr4qEglREgSXMwBTtBHO9AiQ4-tSvioSCRjk4WjdFOEQEbOXi0254iA5KhIJnSdJhmkWXK4RzvQIkOPrUr4qEgmqnTUoRWTTBhGzl4tNueIgOSoSCRP71MRr5NQZEbOXi0254iA5KhIJqUUwNfokYrMR8Jk7TX2bxnlhx-bsD10kW9o&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCo6vB4v3pAhXQKs0KHQujCbYQuIIBegQIARA6&biw=1280&bih=881&dpr=1 Google images]</ref> The office was originally the creature of a rival CCP faction headed by former CCP boss [[Jiang Zemin]], but in an alleged "anti-corruption, reform campaign," Xi replaced Jiang cronies with his own and changed the agency's name.<br />
[[File:TiananmenSquareAppeal-minghui.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Falun Gong arrests in Tiananmen Square.]]<br />
610 has the power to command all [[police]] and [[judicial]] organs. It is an ''ad hoc'' agency at the highest levels endowed with extraordinary and extralegal power. <br />
<br />
Between 2018 and 2019, structural reforms under Xi Jinping called for the 610 Office's functions to be merged into the Chinese police force, as well as a powerful Communist Party organ, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission (PLAC). According to analysts, scrapping the Office represented a move by Xi to further consolidate his power over the regime security forces, which had been dominated by a rival faction of former party boss Jiang Zemin allies throughout the 2000s.<ref>https://sinoinsider.com/2018/03/politics-watch-decoding-chinas-party-and-state-institutional-reforms/</ref><br />
<br />
According to documents obtained by Chinese-language ''[[Epoch Times]]'' (''The Great Era''),<ref>*https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/20/4/12/n12023895.htm<br>*https://www.conservapedia.com/User:RobSmith/%22Exclusive%22_internal_documents_leak_610_super_power_not_terminated</ref> shows that despite Xi's aggressive restructuring of Party's institutions and the sacking of the central "610" and its offices since he took office in 2012, the extralegal power of the "610" has not diminished.<br />
<br />
The leaked documents show that the District Anti-Cult Guidance Section is responsible for evaluating the performance of party and government organs, from the Political and Legal Commission, the Organization Department, the [[Commission for Discipline Inspection]], the Public Security Bureau, the Procuratorate, the Court, the Propaganda Department, the Finance Bureau, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Housing and Construction Commission, the SASAC, the Health and Health Commission, the Internet Trust Office, to the National People's Congress, the CPPCC, the United Front Department, the Education Commission, the Commerce Bureau, the Municipal Administration of Law Enforcement, the Landscaping Bureau, the Agricultural and Rural Bureau, and so on, almost all the party and government organs are subject to "610" assessment.<br />
<br />
The main inhabitants of East Turkestan are the [[Uighur]]s among other Turkic peoples such as [[Kazakh]]s, Kirghiz, Uzbek and Tatars. East Turkestan was an independent country until the year 1949, when it was invaded by the [[Communist Chinese]].<ref name="iuhrdf.org"/> From the years 1951–1959, there were over 14 major armed rebellions against the Chinese occupation. The largest armed rebellion took place in Khotan from December 28–31, 1954.<br />
<br />
====Uyghur genocide====<br />
<br />
:{{See also|Xinjiang concentration camps}}<br />
Natural population growth in Xinjiang has declined dramatically; growth rates fell by 84 percent in the two largest Uyghur prefectures between 2015 and 2018, and declined further in several minority regions in 2019. For 2020, one Uyghur region set an unprecedented near-zero birth rate target: a mere 1.05 per mille, compared to 19.66 per mille in 2018. This was intended to be achieved through “family planning work.”<br />
<br />
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) government documents bluntly mandate that birth control violations are punishable by extrajudicial internment in “training” camps. This confirms evidence such violations were the most common reason for internment (Journal of Political Risk, February 2020).<br />
[[File:CCP concentration camp.jpg|right|300px|thumb|A transport of Uighur prisoners at a CCP [[concentration camp]] in Xinjiang.<ref>https://www.businessinsider.com/china-xinjiang-prisoners-blindfolded-tied-up-leaked-drone-footage-2019-10</ref>]]<br />
XUAR documents from 2019 reveal plans for a campaign of mass female sterilization in rural Uyghur regions, targeting 14 and 34 percent of all married women of childbearing age in two Uyghur counties that year. This project targeted all of southern Xinjiang, and continued in 2020 with increased funding. This campaign likely aims to sterilize rural minority women with three or more children, as well as some with two children—equivalent to at least 20 percent of all childbearing-age women. Budget figures indicate that this project had sufficient funding for performing hundreds of thousands of tubal ligation sterilization procedures in 2019 and 2020, with at least one region receiving additional central government funding. In 2018, a Uyghur prefecture openly set a goal of leading its rural populations to accept widespread sterilization surgery. <br />
<br />
By 2019, XUAR planned to subject at least 80 percent of women of childbearing age in the rural southern four minority prefectures to intrusive birth prevention surgeries (IUDs or sterilizations), with actual shares likely being much higher. In 2018, 80 percent of all net added IUD placements in China (calculated as placements minus removals) were performed in Xinjiang, despite the fact that the region only makes up 1.8 percent of the PRC's population.<br />
<br />
Shares of women aged 18 to 49 who were either widowed or in menopause have more than doubled since the onset of the internment campaign in one particular Uyghur region. These are potential proxy indicators for unnatural deaths (possibly of interned husbands), and/or of injections given in internment that can cause temporary or permanent loss of menstrual cycles. <br />
<br />
Between 2015 and 2018, about 860,000 ethnic Han residents left Xinjiang, while up to 2 million new residents were added to Xinjiang's Han majority regions. Also, population growth rates in a Uyghur region where Han constitute the majority were nearly 8 times higher than in the surrounding rural Uyghur regions (in 2018). These figures raise concerns that Beijing is doubling down on a policy of Han settler [[colonialism]].<br />
<br />
These findings provide the strongest evidence yet that Beijing's policies in Xinjiang meet one of the [[genocide]] criteria cited in the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, namely that of Section D of Article II: “imposing measures intended to prevent births within the [targeted] group” (United Nations, December 9, 1948).<ref>[https://jamestown.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Zenz-Internment-Sterilizations-and-IUDs-UPDATED-July-21-Rev2.pdf?x79141 STERILIZATIONS,IUDS, AND MANDATORY BIRTH CONTROL: THE CCP’S CAMPAIGN TO SUPPRESS UYGHUR BIRTHRATES IN XINJIANG]'', Adrian Zenz, June 2020 Updated July 21, 2020. The Jamestown Foundation.</ref><br />
<br />
Xinjiang's largest concentration camp is twice the size of [[Vatican City]].<ref>https://japantoday.com/category/world/ap-looks-inside-china%27s-largest-detention-center-in-xinjiang1</ref> As of 2021, Xinjiang had over 300 concentration camps, or 206 million square feet with enough capacity to incarcerate seven times the prison population in the United States.<ref>https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/china-can-lock-million-muslims-xinjiang-once</ref><br />
<br />
====Wuhan Coronavirus epidemic====<br />
:{{See also|CCP virus||Atheism and the coronavirus pandemic|Wuhan coronavirus - Chinese Communist Party response}}<br />
[[File:Mao corona.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Chinese communists suppressed news of the covid outbreak for two months, arrested doctors who posted on social media about it, and did not advise the people of Wuhan until after the virus spread throughout the world.]]<br />
In July 2019, Xiangguo Qiu and a number of Qiu's students were forcibly removed from Canada's only level-4 laboratory. A Level 4 virology facility is a lab equipped to work with the most serious and deadly human and animal diseases. The laboratory in Winnepeg, [[Manitoba]] is one of only a handful in [[North America]] capable of handling pathogens requiring the highest level of containment.<ref>https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/chinese-researcher-escorted-from-infectious-disease-lab-amid-rcmp-investigation-1.5211567</ref><br />
<br />
Bio-warfare experts questioned why Canada was sending lethal viruses to China.<ref>https://edmontonjournal.com/health/bio-warfare-experts-question-why-canada-was-sending-lethal-viruses-to-china/wcm/fce2a521-4ce1-4eb0-8ccf-43f165713c0b/</ref><br />
<br />
The unity within the Chinese Communist Party is shattering as all three factions (Shanghai, Beijing, and Zhenjiang) in the party are embroiled in a feud. The Shanghai faction is led by Jiang Zemin, the Beijing faction is led by [[Hu Jintao]], and the Zhenjiang faction is led by President Xi Jinping. Each one of the three is trying to nullify the influence of the other faction. Since 2012, when Xi Jinping took office political oppression has intensified and it has blanketed China. Press, social media, film, arts, literature, and the Internet in China is heavily censored. Many intellectuals, Tibetans, Uighurs, lawyers, university students have been persecuted for voicing their opinions in favor of democracy.<br />
<br />
Cracks appeared in Xi Jinping's hold on the Chinese Communist Party over the catastrophic handling of the [[CCP pandemic]]. This opened an opportunity for the Shanghai faction and the Beijing faction.<br />
<br />
====2020 U.S. Presidential election interference====<br />
:{{See also|United States presidential election, 2020}}<br />
Di Dongsheng, a vice-dean at the School of International Relations at Renmin University in Beijing, made public statements before a large audience on November 28, 2020:<br />
{{Quotebox-float|"We know that the Trump administration is in a trade war with us, so why can’t we fix the Trump administration? Why did China and the US used to be able to settle all kinds of issues between 1992 and 2016?" he asked. "I’m going to throw out something maybe a little bit explosive here. It’s just because we have people at the top. We have our old friends who are at the top of America’s core inner circle of power and influence."<br />
<br />
"During the US-China trade war, [[Wall Street]] tried to help, and I know that my friends on the US side told me that they tried to help, but they couldn’t do much. But now we’re seeing Biden was elected, the traditional elite, the political elite, the establishment, they’re very close to Wall Street, so you see that, right?"<br />
<br />
"Trump has been saying that Biden’s son has some sort of global foundation. Have you noticed that? Who helped [Hunter] build the foundations? Got it? There are a lot of deals inside all these."<ref>https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/12/08/top_chinese_intellectual_boasts_about_old_friends_who_are_at_the_top_of_americas_core_inner_circle_of_power_and_influence.html#!</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/lyQUtPEBBSA</ref><ref>https://thepostmillennial.com/watch-tucker-carlson-exposes-how-media-democrats-have-been-working-on-behalf-of-china/</ref>}}<br />
====Cultural Revolution 2.0====<br />
Officially referred to as Xi Jinping's “Common Prosperity” campaign, this transformation is proceeding along two parallel lines: a vast regulatory crackdown roiling the private sector economy and a broader moralistic effort to reengineer Chinese culture from the top down. Chinese minors have been banned from playing the “spiritual opium” of [[video games]] for more than three hours per week; [[LGBT]] groups have been scrubbed from the internet; and abortion restrictions have been significantly tightened. As one nationalist article promoted across state media explained, if the liberal West is allowed to succeed in causing China's “young generation lose their toughness and virility then we will fall…just like the [[Soviet Union]] did.” The purpose of Xi's “profound transformation” is to ensure that “the cultural market will no longer be a paradise for sissy stars, and news and public opinion will no longer be in a position of worshipping Western culture.” Xi declared in January 2021 that “achieving common prosperity is not only an economic issue, but also a major political issue related to the party’s governing foundations.”<br />
<br />
Anti-monopoly investigations hit China's top technology firms with billions of dollars in fines and forced restructurings and strict new data rules have curtailed China's internet and social media companies. Record-breaking [[IPO]]s were put on hold. <br />
<br />
The government killed off the private tutoring sector overnight.<br />
*The CCP took over the private schools without compensation. There were 190,000 private schools in China educating 20% of all schoolchildren. Private schools were teaching free thought and not teaching communist doctrine.<br />
*A purge on private tutoring, especially online schooling. It was a $137 billion a year industry. Educators were told to stop charging for their classes.<br />
*Scrapping [[English]] in primary school.<br />
*A ban on foreign textbooks. Children only learn from books written, vetted, and approved by the Communist Party.<br />
*Filter history and misrepresenting facts. In Hong Kong, a history textbook for sixth graders revised the Chinese Civil War of 1946–49. The old text said the government of the [[Republic of China]] moved to Taiwan in 1949. The new text denies the fact that the government of China, which fought Japan in World War II and was allied to the United States, moved to Taiwan in 1949.<br />
<br />
The Education Ministry introduced a "Xi Jinping Thought" textbook nationwide in elementary, middle, and high schools beginning in 2021.<br />
<br />
====Assassination attempts====<br />
<br />
[[File:Lai Xiaomin.jpeg|right|300px|thumb|Lai Xiaomin was sentenced on January 6, 2021, and executed on January 29, 2021.]]<br />
According to China expert Ian Easton. in January 2016, the CCP launched a sweeping military reform and reorganization program. It was the first time a purge like this had happened in Communist China's 70-year history. To succeed, Xi fired, imprisoned, and, in several cases, executed, well over 100 high-ranking generals in front of their peers.<ref name="youtu.be"/> <br />
<br />
In 2021 observers noted increasing signs of Xi Jinping's fear for his own personal security.<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion-six-hidden-threats-xi-jinping-has-to-guard-against_3725889.html</ref> Xi had not left the country in nearly two years, and addressed the United Nations General Assembly via teleconference. The power struggle between the various factions of the CCP became increasingly fierce. <br />
<br />
In January 2021, Lai Xiaomin, the former head of China Huarong Asset Management, a China "Big Four" asset management company, was sentenced to death without reprieve on alleged corruption charges. It was revealed months later Lai was involved in the 2014 plot to kill Xi Jinping in Nanjing. Lai was known to have close ties to Zeng Qinghong, the former vice president of China. Zeng was a die-hard loyalist of former CCP leader Jiang Zemin. <br />
<br />
Two top figures in the 610 office were removed by Xi Jinping, Sun Lijun and Fu Zhenghua. Both climbed the ranks of the political and legal affairs apparatus during Jiang's era of dominance from 1997 to 2012. Both were also trusted enough by the Jiang faction to be allowed to helm its anti-Falun Gong campaign. In 2015, Fu was head of the supra-authority 610 Office and Sun was his deputy. Fu until recently was deputy director of the Social and Legal Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), or Justice Minister, came under disciplinary investigation at the direction of Xi Jinping. Fu led the 2013 purges which became the cornerstone of Xi's power.<br />
<br />
After the August 2021 Baidu conference, there have been rumors about whether Wang Yang would replace Xi as the next top leader of the CCP. On September 6, 2021, Xi appointed five generals, the first time that the new positions of the five people were publicly disclosed. It's worth noting that the Commander of the Western Theatre, the largest theater, is the fourth change of commander in nine month. In addition, because the Central Theater determines Beijing's safety, the replacement of commanders is also of great concern. The control of the PLA has always been Xi's weak point. <br />
<br />
On September 14, 2021, a mainland website published an article exposing a plot by a gang of high-ranking police officials to assassinate a top CCP official. Analysts deduced that the target of the assassination was Xi Jinping.<ref>https://www.breakinglatest.news/world/the-detective-captain-wants-to-assassinate-xi-jinpingofficials-confessed-to-disobedience-to-leaders-video-international-news-eye-ccp-trends/</ref><br />
<br />
On September 16, the CCP's official magazine "Qiu Shi" published a long article, stating that “the Party commands the gun” is the foundation of the People's Liberation Army and the soul of it; then the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) published an article on September 19, saying that there is no "iron hat prince", who cannot be punished in the anti-corruption campaign.<ref>https://youtu.be/FHvjoRJ9_1o</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Chinese National Day]]<br />
*[[Great Wall of China]]<br />
*[[Oriental art]]<br />
*[[Chinese Painting]]<br />
* [[Nuclear target structures]]<br />
*[[China and involuntary organ harvesting]]<br />
*[[Traditional Chinese medicine]]<br />
*[[Atheistic China and alcoholism]]<br />
*[[Atheistic China and loneliness]]<br />
*[[China and obesity]]<br />
*[[Previous Breaking News/China|Articles about '''China''' from previous "Breaking News"]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.chinadetail.com/Nation/ All About China]<br />
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm BBC News - ''Country Profile: China'']<br />
*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html CIA World Factbook - ''China'']<br />
*[http://www.monthlyreview.org/1105wu.htm "Rethinking ‘Capitalist Restoration’ in China"] by Yiching Wu<br />
*[http://www.gov.cn/ The Central People's Government of People's Republic of China]<br />
*[http://www.china.org.cn/ China's Official Gateway for News & Information]<br />
*[http://www.globalpolitician.com/articles.asp?ID=341 The Dragon's Dawn: China as a Rising Imperial Power] February 11, 2005.<br />
*[http://www.danwei.org/ Media, advertising, and urban life in China.]<br />
*[http://factoidz.com/the-largest-ethnic-group-in-the-world-han-chinese-of-china/ The Largest Ethnic Group in the World: Han Chinese of China.]<br />
* [http://www.chinaknowledge.org/History/Ming/ming.html Timeline, with maps and short histories from prehistoric era to present]<br />
* [http://www.academylink.com/et/CurriculumCenter/NHAHistoryInteractive/CHI/CHI_Index.html ancient and feudal China]<br />
<br />
{{Asian Countries}}{{communism}}<br />
[[Category:China]]<br />
[[Category:Communist States]]<br />
[[Category:Oppression]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-American]]<br />
[[Category:Police State]]<br />
[[Category:Welfare State]]<br />
[[Category:Left-wing Nationalism]]<br />
[[Category:Nuclear Defense]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Free Speech]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Canadian_Broadcasting_Corporation&diff=1942738Talk:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation2023-04-18T11:52:24Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Created page with "==Why is this page so anti-CBC?== ~~~~"</p>
<hr />
<div>==Why is this page so anti-CBC?==<br />
[[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 07:52, April 18, 2023 (EDT)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:ChenXiansheng&diff=1940877User talk:ChenXiansheng2023-04-01T01:57:37Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Generally speaking, don't mass-remove mainspace content without discussion on the corresponding talk page */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{greeting|username=Liberaltears|sig=—[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 19:02, July 2, 2021 (EDT)}}<br />
<br />
== Note ==<br />
<br />
Hi ChenXiansheng, about some of your edits that got you blocked by 1990'sguy, please try to make sure any statements you add are substantiated and cited, and generally don't outright remove cited details as you did [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Microsoft&diff=prev&oldid=1775117 here]. Thanks! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 21:02, July 25, 2021 (EDT)<br />
:It would probably help to have some understanding of law and the U.S. Consitution before making an edit like this [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gun_control&diff=prev&oldid=1778188]. The Consitution does not grant guns rights to U.S. citizens, it recognizes that God granted that right to Canadians, too. My apologies if admins or editors on this site lose patience with the garbage and brainwashing taught in Canadian public schools or spewed by Canadian state media. But you ought to think first before regurgitating commie agitprop on this site. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:50, July 25, 2021 (EDT)<br />
:@ChenXiansheng: Most importantly, don't change content to reflect a leftist/establishment/theologically liberal viewpoint. Wikipedia already exists for that. CP is a conservative website, and by "conservative," I don't mean Max Boot. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:08, July 25, 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Freedom Convoy article ==<br />
<br />
Do not edit the [[Freedom Convoy]] article to impose a liberal POV by removing factual data again. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 15:43, February 17, 2022 (EST)<br />
:Removing unsourced content is not necessarily "imposing liberal POV" (that would presuppose the article contained "liberal POV' before the unsourced content was added). This discussion should be occurring on the Freedom Convoy talk page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Let's Go Brandon!]]</sup> 16:11, February 17, 2022 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please don't copypaste text from Wikipedia if you didn't write it ==<br />
<br />
I quickly noticed, in your edit [[Special:Diff/1921663|here]], that there's invalid parameters in the citation templates. After doing a bit of digging, I found that it's the exactly same text copied from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_behavior_analysis#Views_of_Autistic_community this Wikipedia article]. Did you author that section of text in the WP article? If not, then please don't copy it verbatim onto Conservapedia, and instead rewrite it on your own words. Thanks. —[[User:LT|<code><span style="background:#FF8181">'''LT'''</span></code>]] '''''[[User talk:LT|<sup>(Mark 8:36)</sup>]]''''' Tuesday, 22:22, January 9, 2023 (EST)<br />
<br />
== ADHD is curable. You are taking a defeatist attitude in your neorodiversity article ==<br />
<br />
I am writing to you about your [[neurodiversity]] article. <br />
<br />
*[https://mindalive.com/pages/adhd Clinical Studies Using AVE for ADHD and Academic Performance]<br />
<br />
*[https://docplayer.net/183954150-Attention-behavior-issues-and-the-use-of-magnetic-products-by-dr-margolis-and-others.html ATTENTION/BEHAVIOR ISSUES AND THE USE OF NIKKEN MAGNETIC PRODUCTS by Dr. Margolis and others]<br />
<br />
A lady in an office building I worked in used the AVE technology produced by this Canadian company and was cured within a month. Many schools are now using this technology successfully.<br />
<br />
This article is too [[woke]]!<br />
<br />
But I do realize that we live in a fallen world and some people have incurable diseases from a medical perspective. But even then, [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbjmSS6LZDGpbj_WPgVj5u-Pj82cnt6x0 God can work miracles].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 22:26, January 9, 2023 (EST)<br />
:ADHD is bunk. It's an invented disease by [[Big Pharma]] to sell pills. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 22:28, January 9, 2023 (EST)<br />
:<See Cons, I made a point without spamming.> [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 22:30, January 9, 2023 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Generally speaking, don't mass-remove mainspace content without discussion on the corresponding talk page ==<br />
<br />
—[[User:LT|<code><span style="background:#FF8181">'''LT'''</span></code>]] '''''[[User talk:LT|<sup>(Matthew 26:52)</sup>]]''''' Thursday, 08:35, March 30, 2023 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:That's true; Minuteman is programmed to block vandals who do mass removals. OTOH, the [[Poe's Law]] page was created by Ratvandals. I don't know what's on it, but it would be interesting to see how much is a cut n paste from RW. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 13:56, March 30, 2023 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I stand corrected. User:Cons created the page, evidently in response to the wiki wars at that time which extensively referred to Poe's law, whatever that is. It still would be interesting to compare the two. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''Give Peace a chance'']]</sup> 15:20, March 30, 2023 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[[User:RobSmith|RobS]] Poe's Law is also used by right-wing people to criticize far-left people, and by left-wing people to criticize far-right people. It's not limited to just creation anymore. Therefore, the article is biased and presents a narrow view of the topic, all because it originated in a topic that Conservative didn't like. [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 21:57, March 31, 2023 (EDT)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Poe%27s_law&diff=1940681Poe's law2023-03-30T11:41:54Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Poe's Law is now not just limited to creationism debates, but is also used by all people to criticize both far-left and far-right people, so it's used generally now and not just in the context of creation debates</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Poe’s Law''' is an Internet adage stating that unless some tone indicator is used, it is impossible to tell the difference between an extreme view being sincerely espoused and an extreme view being satirized.<ref>https://www.dictionary.com/browse/poe-s-law</ref> The original version of this "law" was formulated by Nathan Poe on the Internet site ''Christian Forums'' in August 2005: {{cquote|Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is [utterly] impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that ''someone'' won't mistake for the genuine article.<ref name=origpost>{{cite web|last=Poe|first=Nathan|title=Big contradictions in the evolution theory|url=http://www.christianforums.com/t1962980-6/#post17606580|work=christianforums.com|date=11 August 2005|quote=Poe's Law: Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is uttrerly [sic] impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that ''someone'' won't mistake for the genuine article.|accessdate=20 August 2011}}</ref>}} The adage is sometimes generalized as, "It is impossible to tell for certain the difference between genuine stupidity and a parody of stupidity." <br />
<br />
Poe's law is directed both toward [[conservative]] and [[fundamentalist]] [[Christianity]], especially in the field of [[creationism]], as well as those on the [[far-left]] and [[far-right]].<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
<br />
*[[Murphy's law]]<br />
*[[Godwin's law]]<br />
*[[Creation vs. evolution debates]]<br />
*[[Richard Dawkins' public refusal to debate creationists]]<br />
*[[Instances of Richard Dawkins ducking debates]]<br />
<br />
Christian [[satire]] of atheism and evolution:<br />
<br />
*[[Comedy and satires concerning atheism and evolution]] (large collection of comedy/satire concerning atheism and evolution) <br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
<br />
*[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/poes-law Poe's law] - Knowyourmeme.com<br />
*[https://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/social-networking/networks/poes-law.htm Poe's Law Explains a Lot About the Modern Internet], Howstuffworks.com<br />
<br />
[[Category:Satire]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|2}}</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Fact-check&diff=1940137Fact-check2023-03-25T09:55:08Z<p>ChenXiansheng: remove inaccurate statement</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Fact-checking''' is a tool to “verify factual information.”<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fact-check</ref><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
<br />
[[Category:Fake News]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Mozilla_Firefox&diff=1938361Mozilla Firefox2023-03-14T11:50:19Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Disadvantages */ same as prev</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Firefox-v43.0.4.jpg|right|thumb|Mozilla Firefox v43.0.4 running on [[Windows 7]].]]<br />
[[Image:Firefox-first-run.png|right|thumb|Mozilla Firefox v2.0 running on [[Windows Vista]].]]<br />
: <small>''[[Firefox]] redirects here. For the novel and film of this title, see [[Firefox (novel and film)]]. For other uses, see [[Firefox (disambiguation)]].''</small><br />
<br />
'''Mozilla Firefox''' is a free, [[open source]] web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The software is licensed under the ''Mozilla Public License version 2.0.'' As the second most popular web browser in the world, it is the main competitor of [[Google Chrome]].<ref>https://www.netmarketshare.com/browser-market-share.aspx</ref><br />
<br />
==Advantages==<br />
Mozilla Firefox is a fast, stable browser with plenty of options. It is continually being updated, patched and improved. It can also be customized with a variety of addons from Mozilla's library. Third party plugins may also be added to the browser. Firefox has also been showing an interest in security lately. They have been making security-motivated changes, some of which are not found in Chromium and other competitors.<br /><br />
With the development of the new "quantum" engine, this browser has apparently improved its performance significantly.<ref name="blog quantum engine"/><br />
<br />
==Disadvantages==<br />
When compared to [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]], this browser has historically failed to perform quite as quickly. However, the new engine has helped to eliminate this deficiency. Although addons are plentiful and easy to create, they must be frequently updated, or the browser will disable them. For these reasons, some opt for forks of Firefox.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
Firefox was originally developed as an offshoot of the Mozilla Browser project, developed by [[Netscape]], as a lightweight version of the software. The original Mozilla browser was extremely feature rich, including such things as an [[HTML]] editor, which created a large and correspondingly slow piece of software. Firefox has gone through several name changes, all due to existing trademarks. It was originally named ''Phoenix'', then ''Firebird'' and finally ''Firefox''.<br /><br />
<br />
For many years, Firefox used Mozilla's "Gecko" engine. However, Mozilla's Project Quantum developed a new browser engine, which was released in fall 2017. A developer edition of the browser with this new engine was released in September 2017<ref>https://hacks.mozilla.org/2017/09/firefox-quantum-developer-edition-fastest-firefox-ever/</ref> with a general release taking place two months later. This new engine is at least twice as fast as the old gecko engine, and uses less system memory that Chromium.<ref>https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/quantum/</ref><ref name="blog quantum engine">https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2017/09/26/firefox-quantum-beta-developer-edition</ref> However, some forks of Firefox stayed with the old Gecko engine, at least initially.<br />
<br />
==Market penetration==<br />
Since its original release in 2002, Firefox had a continued increase in the market share of web browsers until 2009, then a small decline due to competition from [[Google Chrome]]. Exact numbers are difficult to determine, but as of November 2012 worldwide, Firefox had a 24% share,<ref>[http://marketshare.hitslink.com/browser-market-share.aspx?qprid=0 Browser market share]</ref> and as of November 2012, 28.5% in Europe.<ref>[http://en.atinternet.com/Resources/Surveys/Browser-Barometer/Browser-Barometer-April-2011/index-1-2-3-236.aspx AT Internet Institute - Article]</ref> By spring 2016, however, the browser's market share had dropped off to just over 15%.<ref>https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/05/firefox-overtakes-microsoft-internet-explorer-edge-browsers-first-time-statcounter/</ref> Through heavy advertising and promotion, Google has continued to take market share from Mozilla and other competitors.<br />
<br />
The browser is officially supported in over 70 languages,<ref>[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html Firefox International Versions]</ref> and is available for the different versions of Microsoft [[Windows]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] Mac [[OS X]], and [[Linux]] operating systems. Unofficial builds are available for Sun Microsystems Solaris, BSD, and other operating systems.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Tails (operating system)]] and [[TOR]] [[Firefox]] [[browser]] [[encryption]] for [[Internet]] [[anonymity]] to protect [[unalienable rights]]<br />
* [[Opera (web browser)]]<br />
* [[Vivaldi (web browser)]]<br />
* [[Brave (web browser)]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox Firefox Home Page]<br />
*[http://developer.mozilla.org Programming Center]<br />
*[http://www.mozilla.org/foundation Mozilla Foundation]<br />
*[https://nightly.mozilla.org Firefox Nightly (testing builds)]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Web Browsers]]<br />
[[Category:Free Software]]<br />
[[Category:Open Source]]<br />
[[Category:Gecko Engine]]<!--still in outdated copies--></div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Mozilla_Firefox&diff=1938360Mozilla Firefox2023-03-14T11:49:07Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Why does an article about a common web browser need to be so political?!</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Firefox-v43.0.4.jpg|right|thumb|Mozilla Firefox v43.0.4 running on [[Windows 7]].]]<br />
[[Image:Firefox-first-run.png|right|thumb|Mozilla Firefox v2.0 running on [[Windows Vista]].]]<br />
: <small>''[[Firefox]] redirects here. For the novel and film of this title, see [[Firefox (novel and film)]]. For other uses, see [[Firefox (disambiguation)]].''</small><br />
<br />
'''Mozilla Firefox''' is a free, [[open source]] web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The software is licensed under the ''Mozilla Public License version 2.0.'' As the second most popular web browser in the world, it is the main competitor of [[Google Chrome]].<ref>https://www.netmarketshare.com/browser-market-share.aspx</ref><br />
<br />
==Advantages==<br />
Mozilla Firefox is a fast, stable browser with plenty of options. It is continually being updated, patched and improved. It can also be customized with a variety of addons from Mozilla's library. Third party plugins may also be added to the browser. Firefox has also been showing an interest in security lately. They have been making security-motivated changes, some of which are not found in Chromium and other competitors.<br /><br />
With the development of the new "quantum" engine, this browser has apparently improved its performance significantly.<ref name="blog quantum engine"/><br />
<br />
==Disadvantages==<br />
When compared to [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]], this browser has historically failed to perform quite as quickly. However, the new engine has helped to eliminate this deficiency. Although addons are plentiful and easy to create, they must be frequently updated, or the browser will disable them. Additionally, Mozilla has taken a very liberal political stance, which some find hard to agree with. For these reasons, some opt for forks of Firefox.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
Firefox was originally developed as an offshoot of the Mozilla Browser project, developed by [[Netscape]], as a lightweight version of the software. The original Mozilla browser was extremely feature rich, including such things as an [[HTML]] editor, which created a large and correspondingly slow piece of software. Firefox has gone through several name changes, all due to existing trademarks. It was originally named ''Phoenix'', then ''Firebird'' and finally ''Firefox''.<br /><br />
<br />
For many years, Firefox used Mozilla's "Gecko" engine. However, Mozilla's Project Quantum developed a new browser engine, which was released in fall 2017. A developer edition of the browser with this new engine was released in September 2017<ref>https://hacks.mozilla.org/2017/09/firefox-quantum-developer-edition-fastest-firefox-ever/</ref> with a general release taking place two months later. This new engine is at least twice as fast as the old gecko engine, and uses less system memory that Chromium.<ref>https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/quantum/</ref><ref name="blog quantum engine">https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2017/09/26/firefox-quantum-beta-developer-edition</ref> However, some forks of Firefox stayed with the old Gecko engine, at least initially.<br />
<br />
==Market penetration==<br />
Since its original release in 2002, Firefox had a continued increase in the market share of web browsers until 2009, then a small decline due to competition from [[Google Chrome]]. Exact numbers are difficult to determine, but as of November 2012 worldwide, Firefox had a 24% share,<ref>[http://marketshare.hitslink.com/browser-market-share.aspx?qprid=0 Browser market share]</ref> and as of November 2012, 28.5% in Europe.<ref>[http://en.atinternet.com/Resources/Surveys/Browser-Barometer/Browser-Barometer-April-2011/index-1-2-3-236.aspx AT Internet Institute - Article]</ref> By spring 2016, however, the browser's market share had dropped off to just over 15%.<ref>https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/05/firefox-overtakes-microsoft-internet-explorer-edge-browsers-first-time-statcounter/</ref> Through heavy advertising and promotion, Google has continued to take market share from Mozilla and other competitors.<br />
<br />
The browser is officially supported in over 70 languages,<ref>[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html Firefox International Versions]</ref> and is available for the different versions of Microsoft [[Windows]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] Mac [[OS X]], and [[Linux]] operating systems. Unofficial builds are available for Sun Microsystems Solaris, BSD, and other operating systems.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Tails (operating system)]] and [[TOR]] [[Firefox]] [[browser]] [[encryption]] for [[Internet]] [[anonymity]] to protect [[unalienable rights]]<br />
* [[Opera (web browser)]]<br />
* [[Vivaldi (web browser)]]<br />
* [[Brave (web browser)]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox Firefox Home Page]<br />
*[http://developer.mozilla.org Programming Center]<br />
*[http://www.mozilla.org/foundation Mozilla Foundation]<br />
*[https://nightly.mozilla.org Firefox Nightly (testing builds)]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Web Browsers]]<br />
[[Category:Free Software]]<br />
[[Category:Open Source]]<br />
[[Category:Gecko Engine]]<!--still in outdated copies--></div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=1938359User talk:Northwest2023-03-14T11:33:58Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* Are you also User:Northwest on Wikipedia? */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div>{{welcome}}[[User:Brenden|brenden]] 23:37, 18 September 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== same sex marriage revert? ==<br />
<br />
Greetings, and hope you are well. Just wanted to ask, why the revert of my same-sex marriage page edit?<br />
<br />
[[User:KatieKomori|KatieKomori]] 10:19, 1 December 2012 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Vandal==<br />
A vandal on the loose. [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Benkumar] I have told four other editors. If you are able, please block him[[User:U.U|U.U]] ([[User talk:U.U|talk]]) 02:34, 27 February 2016 (EST)<br />
:Thank you. When I see an edit of minus five digits on a page like Republican Party, it's pretty obvious that a vandal swept by. Well done. --[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 22:18, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Are you sure that was vandalism? It could have been an inadvertent removal of information when he intended on just adding "pro-capitalism" to the article. I have seen numerous times where this has happened, which an editor adding info but for whatever reason accidently removing a whole bunch of information without even knowing it, and in those other times, it was clearly a mistake. I honestly don't see how it was intentional. I request that you review your block. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 23:35, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::It turns out that user was a sock of TAR, and he was blocked by an admin (but for a different reason). Thank you for your work on this site, Northwest. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:43, 20 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Expansion of Greatest Conservative TV Shows and Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies, as well as Star Wars. ==<br />
<br />
Hi.<br />
<br />
I noticed the great job you did in expanding the Worst Liberal TV Shows, and was wondering whether you are planning to do something similar regarding the Greatest Conservative TV Shows and the Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies lists (namely the opening paragraphs).<br />
<br />
Also, since I noticed you're doing a lot of edits regarding Star Wars currently, I was wondering whether you could expand it to include any real life influences on the characters and franchise. I know that the Empire was largely inspired by America during the time of the Vietnam War, and that the Rebel Alliance was based on the Vietcong (in fact, that's actually the reason why I'm, albeit reluctantly, an Empire supporter now, and probably full time as well). I included a bit regarding Palpatine being directly inspired by Richard Nixon, for example. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:53, 3 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
+==<br />
Okay mate, that's enough! If you want to revert my edits then give me reasons that have more veracity than the weasel words you gave in the Summary of one of the pages. <br />
:I have reread the article(s), struggled through TAR's attached blogs, read your [[Northwest]] edit history and have realised you have no real understanding or knowledge of the words involved. Nor do you understand it is not advisable to link to non-existent pages which your reverts always do.<br />
:I am about to revert... again! If you revert me without good reason I will ban you.<br />
:[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] ([[User talk:AlanE|talk]]) 00:59, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: Lenin quote in Bourgeoisie article ==<br />
<br />
re: [[Bourgeoisie]] article<br />
<br />
AlanE is acting in good faith about the Lenin quote: http://www.azcentral.com/story/claythompson/2014/10/13/lenin-ronald-reagan-quotes/17226727/<br />
<br />
If you want to discuss the matter of the historicity of the quote with AlanE on the talk page of the article, here is a useful resource: [http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
Thanks. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 02:31, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: your note to me ==<br />
<br />
I respond to your email from me. <br />
<br />
Second, I will write a note to AlanE.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 13:04, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Princess and the Frog revert. ==<br />
<br />
Just writing because I'm not sure why you reverted the Princess and the Frog removal from Worst Liberal Movies. The movie promoteshard work and family while condemning hedonism and nihilism and p k it's out the danger of accepting handouts and feeling entitled. This seems to me to be a deeply conservative film. --[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 07:47, 1 June 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Evolution==<br />
A simple question: do you believe in it, Creationism, or otherwise?--[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 03:29, 23 August 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Account promoted==<br />
Your account has just been given a promotion to 24x7 editing and blocking privileges. Congratulations!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:02, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:Congratulations! You do very good work on this wiki, which I appreciate. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:20, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
::Congrats! Keep up the good work! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:55, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:::Congratulations. It is good working with you. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 03:36, 7 March 2017 (EST)<br />
==JohnZ==<br />
Dear Northwest, I changed your two-year block to 1 day for [[User:JohnZ]]. While I do not like profanity, I think that we should show a kind and understanding approach to users who have been around for years. Let's give him a second chance, and if he does it again, then we would be justified in coming down hard. This is a volunteer project, and CP wants to avoid a reputation of long-blocks-at-the-drop-of-a-hat. Thank you for your understanding. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 14:57, 12 March 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I like that==<br />
Replace "religion" with "ideology™. Because of certain legal issues the US will face in the future, I go out of my way never to refer the a certain collective entity as a "faith" or "religion". " Political system" I use a lot, but haven't of thought of "ideology". We should collect a whole basket of different terms that can be used, and always insert them wherever necessary. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''CIA v Trump updated score'':CIA 3, Trump 2]]</sup> 05:10, 2 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== IRC ==<br />
<br />
Hello,<br /><br />
After some discussion (on [[User_talk:DavidB4#Conservapedia_IRC_channel|my talk page]] and [[User_talk:Aschlafly#IRC|Andy's]]) it has been decided that I start an [[Internet Relay Chat]] channel for Conservapedia, since our old one has been dead since 2009. It is now registered and somewhat set up. I don't know if you use IRC or are interested in doing so, but anyone with block privileges on Conservapedia can also get block privileges on the new IRC channel. Unfortunately, IRC accounts are deleted after 30 days of being unused, so unless you plan on using the IRC at least once a month, there is probably not much point in registering. In any case, feel free to try it out--if you account gets deleted, we can always make another one later. If you are interested, please let me know!<br /><br />
The IRC channel is: #conservapedia @irc.accessIRC.net<br /><br />
Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else, also! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:36, 11 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Misslizzynj ==<br />
<br />
Please don't block new users due to the name policy unless they have usernames that are obviously offensive or silly. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:58, 11 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Length of blocks ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest, Andy recently messaged me on my talk page and told me to refrain from using blocks longer than around six months because many people's IP addresses change by then. I see you changed the length of a block for an impersonator of you, and I am not going to challenge that, but please refrain from doing long blocks for non-serious vandalism, per what Andy told me. Thanks. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 16:37, 2 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Trolls ==<br />
<br />
Don't feed them. Block them and move on. I would have emailed this to you, but you don't seem to have email activated. [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 16:04, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
:Just block trolls. Do not communicate with them.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:22, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Whizkid ==<br />
<br />
One comment, as blunt and rude as it may have been, is not enough to block a long-time editor for any amount of time. You should have warned him about making such comments first. Don't ever make such a block again.<br />
<br />
While I'm commenting here, you realize that the links [[Democrat Party]] and [[Democratic Party]] link to two different articles? I see that you're changing every link to "Democrat Party" (which I support, for the most part), but you're having every article link to a different article. Please change the links so they link to the actual article about the party, even if you pipe it so the reader sees "Democrat Party." --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
:It was made clear to me when I was promoted to Assistant SysOp that this role is only for blocking blatant vandals, not working in good faith. While I haven't carefully studied the issue, he was disputing your changes in good faith. As [[Conservapedia:User_rights#Blocking_rights|officially stated]], only full administrators are to resolve disputes. Just because you have the block button doesn't mean you should use it whenever someone disagrees. In your defense, edit warring is discouraged, but it takes two to edit war. If you are the one making a change, then it is reasonable to assume that the original version should take precedence until the dispute can be resolved. Please discuss it with an administrator rather than just blocking someone. Should he have kept reverting your changes? Probably not. Should you have kept forcing your change back in? Probably not. Please take it to an admin next time, rather than just abusing the block button. Thank you. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:28, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
::First of all, I apologize for being rude. It was a fit of pique, brought on by my feeling you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying. Still, it was inappropriate, and I don't believe you're vandalizing the site, or that you're attempting to be deceitful. So I hope that you can forgive me and we can come to the understanding that, even if we disagree on things, we're both working for what we believe to be the good, and we should treat each other with respect and charity. I hope we can agree on that much at least.<br />
<br />
::That being said, I still strongly disagree with your position about this, and don't feel that it's ultimately good for the site, but I have no desire to get into an edit war with you that won't do anything but waste both our time. So maybe we could agree to make our cases before an administrator or someone, for the sake of harmony, and get a decision on this. Let me know what you think.--[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 23:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Liberal Denial revert? ==<br />
<br />
Why did you do this? We know that the ultimate goal of liberals is to do more than just censor Christianity in America. A site made for American conservatives should be about politics as much as it is about religion.<br />
<br />
[[User:MacTavish|MacTavish]] ([[User talk:MacTavish|talk]]) 16:44, 29 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please backup your recent edits ==<br />
<br />
Please try to either save a copy of your recent edits, or just refrain from editing for the next 24 hours or so. Conservapedia is changing web servers, and there is a risk that pages might be exported before you make the change, meaning your change will be lost. Thanks for understanding! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 17:56, 12 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Islam ==<br />
<br />
I saw you reverting my edits to the article on [[Islam]]. There is a belief system to Islam, but it's more about worshiping an ''ideology'' than any God or gods. Even so, the source cited says Islam "…is an amalgam of social, political and judicial systems '''as well as''' a belief system. It is neither one thing nor the other – Islam is unique."<br />
<br />
== Marijuana article ==<br />
<br />
Did you see that there was a talk page discussion on the marijuana article about the content in question? I recommend that you explain [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Marijuana&curid=7524&diff=1412346&oldid=1412214 your reverting] there and reach an agreement with the other editors, and I strongly recommend that you leave an edit summary when you revert. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:35, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
:Same, an edit summary would really be helpful there to clarify your intent. Did you read the Talk page discussion about how those portions of the lede undermine our argument? Please see [[Talk:Marijuana#Objections_to_presentation_of_lead]]. [[User:DavidLReyes|DavidLReyes]] ([[User talk:DavidLReyes|talk]]) 21:27, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Discussing Christian Denominations on This Site ==<br />
<br />
I am someone who believes very staunchly in the five solas. I think that Ephesians 2:8-9 indicates the validity of Sola Gratia and Sola Fide, John 14:6 for Solo Christo, and Psalm 115 for Sola Deo Gloria. I am not here to debate religious issues with you, but as you are a high-ranking admin on this site and Catholic, I have to ask you, what would you do if you saw edits to certain articles promoting a Protestant point of view? [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 12:58, 16 December 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== My Ban ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I was banned for making edits that I thought were accurate on the Political Spectrum page under my account Classical Liberal. I didn't know how to contact you, so I created this page instead so I could. I'm really sorry. I'm a new user who just registered within the same hour of getting banned, I am a conservative, but I prefer that we take our title of being the liberals back, I'm not a troll, and I'm a student who's interested in politics and all I'm trying to do is inform people about modern conservatives so women and minorities aren't deceived anymore and will come back home to the Republican Party. I don't see how my edits were lies or revisionist history. I was just trying to inform people who wrongly accuse us of what the Democrats did like the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation because they always claim whenever you tell them that the Democrats were responsible for all of it that that's when the Democrats were the conservative party because they think that the parties switched and since I learned that the word liberal was redefined in the 1930s, I also thought the word conservative was redefined as well and that classical conservatism meant modern liberalism now just like how classical liberalism means modern conservatism now. I thought that I should've informed people that the conservatives of the past who the modern liberals pin the actions of on us modern conservatives were the modern liberals because the word liberal was hijacked from us and redefined and they like to accredit modern liberals for the things we classical liberals and modern conservatives actually did before the word liberalism was redefined. They'll argue with us conservatives and tell us that Lincoln would be a Democrat since he was a liberal because they don't realize that he was a liberal when the definitions of liberal and conservative were reversed. They believe the parties were reversed instead. I thought that since we were called the liberals in the past before they hijacked and redefined the term for themselves, they were called the conservatives because they're trying to pin the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation on modern conservatives and blame us for it and insist that since Democrats are now called the liberals and Republicans are called the conservatives, that the parties switched rather than the definitions of liberal and conservative. I thought this was the correct explanation since liberals of today whenever you point out the Democrats' history say "that's when the Republicans were the liberals and the Democrats were the conservatives and Lincoln would be a Democrat today since the liberal party is the Democratic Party now." They're unaware that when we were the liberal party, that the word liberal did not mean what it does now. I was just trying to clear the confusion that the Democrats created up when they redefined the word liberal and hijacked it from us. I thought that since classical liberalism means what modern conservatism does, classical conservatism must've meant what modern liberalism does now because I thought that since we were called the liberals before the New Deal, that the Democrats must've been called the conservatives then because what else would that have made them if we were called the liberals before the New Deal and conservatives after? If we were called liberals prior to the New Deal, what were they called? Conservatives wanting to keep blacks enslaved and minorities and women oppressed who had a bad reputation and stole our term? And I thought that them stealing the term liberal from us and us having to call ourselves the conservatives instead of liberals which we used to be called was part of their plan to push the party switch myth 30 years later because we have the title of conservative and they have the title of liberal that they stole from us and I thought the Democrats did this to make it look like the parties switched instead of the titles and to make it look like they were the good guys since they're now called "liberals" instead and no longer us which we used to be called until they hijacked the term from us. I thought this was the best way to debunk the claim that modern conservatives of the Republican Party who used to be called liberals prior to the definition switch had anything to do with what the Democrats did in the past. I thought that if being a conservative meant what being a liberal meant before the word was redefined, that being a liberal meant what being a conservative meant because I thought that since the term liberal belonged to us at one time, the term conservative must've belonged to them and that if classical liberalism means modern conservatism, classical conservatism must mean modern liberalism. You see where I'm getting at? I thought that if the word liberal belonged to us at one time, the word conservative belonged to them if we were called the liberals because what is the opposite of liberal? Conservative. And I thought that since the word liberal had a different definition, the word conservative had a different definition too. So I'm sorry if I in your words inserted historical revisionism and lies. That was not my intent. My intent was to clear up confusion, not create it. I want people to stop accrediting modern liberals for what we did and stop claiming that we used to be the Democrats and that the Republicans used to be what Democrats are now which is not true. I'm new to all this and I'm a beginner. I'll probably need some help with editing. I'm still learning my history. History and philosophy and studying the Bible are my favorite things. I'm obsessed with politics. I'm really good at explaining things and I was just trying to help. You could've just let me know where you thought I was wrong instead of slapping a 2-year ban on me. If unbanned, from now on, I will verify with you the things I want to add to pages before I add them so this won't happen again. Please give me another chance. I'm only a guy in his late teens whose been into politics for 7 years now. I share your information with everyone I can and I've convinced many family members to become Republicans while even being disowned by several others which you could just imagine how that makes someone feel. Especially someone my age. {{unsigned|Modern Conservative}}<br />
:I have unblocked the "Classical Liberal" account. I strongly recommend you first go to the article talk pages before making changes like this before unilaterally making them. Then, we can discuss those changes, which will be helpful. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 08:59, 11 February 2019 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Sissy punk site ==<br />
<br />
[[User_talk:DMorris/Archive_1#Sissy_punks|Per Jpatt and the late TK, I would try to avoid mentioning that vandal site at all, fair enough?]] [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 21:10, 24 March 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The atheist page has straw man arguments and generalisations against atheism like that atheism is a worldview. You cannot just delete and ban everybody that doesn't agree with you. The evolution page is full of inconsistencies too.<br />
<br />
== New show ==<br />
<br />
Hey, since you seem to be the most active person on the [[Essay:Greatest_Conservative_TV_Shows|Greatest Conservative TV Shows]] page I figured you might want to add Preacher to the page. It is about a disgraced preacher coming back to church and trying to find God.<br />
<br />
== Please help defend Catholicism from the baiters! ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, if you have the time, can you please look out for the Catholic-baiters on this site (RobSmith, Conservative, VargasMilan, and Shobson20) and rebuke them if need be? They have [[User talk:NishantXavier|harshly attacked NishantXavier on his talk page]], and it's evident that they spread lies, smears, baiting rhetoric, and mischaracterizations to "prove" their points, which are often times fallacious. Thank you! —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 15:03, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Don't listen to him, he has as much of a victim complex as BLM supporters. Actually, the most mature thing you can do is not get involved in this argument like you have all along. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:06, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Wait, I have the victim mentality in the same manner of BLM idiots? Need I remind you, Shobson20, for the gazillionth time that ''you'' were the one whining immediately after NishantXavier was promoted and you weren't yet? —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 16:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Deflection. You've done plenty of whining yourself and STILL doing it. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:33, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::You're the one who's posting on other people's talk pages trying to get them involved, not us. First you tried to get Karajou, now Northwest. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 18:18, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I'm really sorry this guy is trying to drag you into his fight. If you want to, you can contribute [[Debate:Does the Catholic Church have the biblical authority of Christ Himself to preach and to teach the truth forever?| this debate page]]. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:01, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The truth is that a Catholic vs. Protestant argument was getting out of hand, so User:Conservative suggested making that debate page to make the debate more structured and civil. Since then, both sides have been mostly talking there, but Liberaltears just can't let things go. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Great to see you around again! ==<br />
<br />
Great to see you back, Northwest! How are you doing? —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 00:26, 9 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Check this out==<br />
[https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/murder-for-ratings/ Murder for Ratings]. I'm fairly certain I put the assault by Jacob Lebron Kelly at a Sanders rally in the February 2020 list of violence. I'm checking it now. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 20:27, 13 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Here it is https://www.conservapedia.com/Left-wing_violence_in_the_Trump_era_(2020)#cite_note-49 and footnote 50<br />
<br />
== Juvenile Delinquent ==<br />
<br />
What can we do, if the Juvenile Delinquent comes after us? He came after me again. --[[User:United States|United States]] ([[User talk:United States|talk]]) 19:41, 2 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== A note about that troll ==<br />
<br />
Please don't take this the wrong way, but the troll whose socks you were quick to block was probably trying to make a fool out of you and CP in general. Since the imbecile thought that you would immediately block him upon sight, he trolls you with usernames like [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=&user=&page=User%3ALightningBlocks&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= this] to prove he's correct in a sense and make us look paranoid. —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 22:50, 31 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please help formulate the Mission Statement ==<br />
<br />
I need input on [[Conservapedia:Mission Statement]]. Please contribute. I want Conservapedia to leave Wikipedia in its dust.--[[User:Amorrow|Amorrow]] ([[User talk:Amorrow|talk]]) 01:22, 21 January 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Chimpout==<br />
Good catch on User:Chimpout. [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Chimpout] I never would have caught it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 03:25, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
:Just doing what needs to be done. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Debate ==<br />
<br />
:Hi Northwest. I would like to get your input on a debate page I just created [[Debate:Should the United States attack Pakistan?]]. Thanks.[[User:Bytemsbu|Bytemsbu]] ([[User talk:Bytemsbu|talk]]) 21:37, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
+ <br />
==Proposal==<br />
We would appreciate your input at [[Conservapedia:Community_Portal#Proposal]]. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:59, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:You have no real interest in "civil" discussion, only to be disruptive, to act in an uncivil manner and to hide comments I make specifically calling you out for your behavior here in the past four days because you don't like what I have to say. Karajou's even had to undo what you're trying to do, but your reversals of his undos show that you're just not interested in doing the right thing and would rather seize power here and do exactly what Pokeria1 pointed out you're trying to do - take Conservapedia in a more leftward direction, which is not what this site is about. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 22:12, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
== Thanks ==<br />
Thanks for the tremendous blocking last night on the avalanche of vandal accounts. Today I've written and installed a program to minimize that from occurring again. Really appreciate your blocks!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 16:07, 3 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== re: RobS ==<br />
<br />
Later in this week, I will be attempting to mediate the dispute involving RobS as RobS creates a lot of content. <br />
<br />
In the meantime and in the future, please do not provoke RobS. I cannot stress this enough. <br />
<br />
Also, thank you for all your contributions to Conservapedia.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:08, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Who was this topic made by? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 04:31, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Re: your editing warring with RobS about Obama's birthplace ==<br />
<br />
Northwest, you wrote about Obama: "because of him not being a natural-born citizen". <br />
<br />
At Conservapedia, you cannot '''definitively state''' that Obama was not a natural born citizen because there is no definitive/absolute/direct proof to that effect. The best you can do is point out that certain sources/people suspect that Obama was not a natural born citizen for X, Y, Z, etc. reasons. If you are definitively insisting that Obama was not a natural born citizen in articles, please stop. In many cases, historical claims are probabilistic. This is one of those cases.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 20:34, 10 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Why are you and rob fighting ==<br />
<br />
Why. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 01:03, 20 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== RobS' talk page. It's his castle ==<br />
<br />
Please stop endeavoring to retain your postings on RobS' user talk page. <br />
<br />
As per Mr. Schlafly, "We respect users' control over their own talk pages as much as possible. Wikipedia treats users' own talk pages like government or public property, and it becomes a place for Wikipedia editors to bully users."[https://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:How_Conservapedia_Differs_from_Wikipedia] Source: [[Conservapedia:How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:25, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Also, "Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users, and their opinions. Users are free to remove comments from their own user talk pages."[https://conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Guidelines] Source: [[Conservapedia:Guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:28, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== There’s no RationalWiki article yet. ==<br />
<br />
Why is that? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 07:42, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Basically denying the site traffic. Probably for the best. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:22, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Multiple admins there are ruining what was already a bad site and made it even worse --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 08:23, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Don't take content disputes to user talk pages. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages ==<br />
<br />
You immediately took a content dispute to a user's personal talk page. <br />
<br />
You shouldn't immediately take content disputes to a user's talk page. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages and endeavor to have a cordial, constructive dialogue with the person to resolve matters. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 04:09, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
=== Re: Don't take content disputes to user talk pages ===<br />
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when RobS chose ''not'' to be cordial or constructive (as per his history) with me or other editors during the kerfuffle back in January that led to his being desysopped and stripped of his admin powers. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 04:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
:For all parties involved, I suggest practicing forgiveness and trying to start things over with a new slate. <br />
<br />
:I have been talking to Andy about this matter and he wants greater civility and constructive dialogue by all parties involved. <br />
<br />
:This coming weekend, I will be talking to Andy about upgrading Conservapedia's civility guidelines.<br />
<br />
:In addition, I will be talking to Andy about Conservapedia articles/content having an more encyclopedic tone. Why? Because Andy raised this issue with me and would like to see Conservapedia have a more encyclopedic tone in all cases where it is important to do so (I will explain this matter). Encyclopedia articles should first and foremost be designed to inform and shouldn't go out of their way to troll. For example, as far as a an article dispute you had with RobS, you insisted that the word "transgender" be struck out and "gender confusion" be used instead because you said that liberals don't like the phrase "gender confusion". But the purpose of articles is not to tick off liberals, but to inform the public. From what I understand, the topic had to do with transgenderism so when you insisted that "gender confusion" be used it unnecessarily clouded the meaning of the article as that is a broader term. Even when I write on provocative topics like [[Gay bowel syndrome]], [[Homosexuality and Parasites|Homosexuality and parasites]], [[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]] and [[Atheism and bestiality]], I make every effort to keep the articles encyclopedic in tone. I am also not a fan of RobS using "Biden junta" for article titles or article content. The term "Biden junta" is fine for essays, but not articles in my estimation. Andy wants main page right content to have a more encyclopedic tone too. I plan on talking to RobS about this matter this coming weekend and to talk to Andy about this matter too. In short, if you want content to have a very provocative tone, that is fine, but do it in essays.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:10, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::I upgraded the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]] as far as the civility portion. I will be talking to Andy this week to get it approved. <br />
<br />
::This is my addition: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unneccesary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:24, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Well, what I actually stated in my edit summaries was that since this is a conservative wiki, use of liberal-preferred terms should be avoided except in certain contexts (such as in quotes made by public figures, or names of liberal organizations). If liberals don't like their preferred terms not being used, that's their issue, but giving in on that subject is essentially a matter of "give them an inch..." (or to be more specific, give liberals an inch and they'll eventually demand the distance between Earth and Pluto, as they always do). [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 06:43, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in Google searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 07:04, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::Really? You're using Google searches for viability? Newsflash, Google manipulates search results. We even have an entire article on the subject on here. Even if we kowtow to Liberal redefining of things, Google STILL will end up manipulating search results to block us out. Better be a pure conservative site than sacrifice even a small amount of conservativism under the belief it would give us more traffic. If anything, you should go by DuckDuckGo or even Bing. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 07:14, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::You are correct. Here's my revised statement: "The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in <s>Google</s> searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text." I removed the offensive proper noun. That should be helpful now, [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:35, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: latest edit war with RobS ==<br />
<br />
As far as your latest edit war with RobS, If you are going to source material, please do better than Quora or sites like it such as Yahoo Answers. Anyone can put material on sites like that. The fourth footnote for the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]] indicates, "Sources should be authoritative works, not merely published opinions by others. No sources advocating or supporting unlawful activity of any kind are allowed."<br />
<br />
Quora is not an authoritative work.<br />
<br />
Under the new civility rules update that Andy approved, it does state you have to properly source material.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:01, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Friendly invite to a new Conservapedia project ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest! I hope you are having a good day. I wanted to invite you to [[Conservapedia:Project Current Events]] since it is a new project that I recently started. The goal of the project is to improve Conservapedia within current events, Hopefully you will consider joining. --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 12:36, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:46, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: your edit to the European migrant crisis article ==<br />
<br />
Please look at this edit of yours: https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=European_migrant_crisis&diff=prev&oldid=1309224 which you posted in 2017. <br />
<br />
1990sguy and RobS spent countless hours on the article. <br />
<br />
I want to focus on one aspect of your edit to that article. In 2017, after Barack Obama served 8 years as the president of the USA, your edit indicated the following and I will quote it : "When Barack Hussein Obama became "president"". Norwest, when you posted "president", with no explanation, its obvious your intent was to merely "stick it to the libs" and not to educate the public. The purpose of an encylopedia is to inform the public and not merely to upset people who hold to a certain political ideology. <br />
<br />
Now in an article devoted to specific topic of [[Barack Hussein Obama]] one can certainly briefly go over the pro/con arguments of Obama's actual birthplace (like the various arguments of computer experts on Obama's online long form birth certificate giving the pro-con arguments of the various computer experts opinions on its authenticity). In addition, in that main Obama arrticle one can have a link to a longer article specifically geared to the issue of Obama's birthplace controversy. <br />
<br />
But an article which merely refers to "President" Obama for example is potentially confusing to the reader as he/she may not know what it means. For example, a young person in India who reads "President" Obama could easily be confused on why the quotation marks are there. <br />
<br />
One the reasons why I shared Fischer's rules above is to point out that historical investigations/conclusions are often probabilistic. A historian looking into the birthplace of Obama would carefully weigh all the evidence and after doing so would not make dogmatic statements like "Obama was definitely not born in the USA" because he would actually have no absolute certainty. For example, I know that one Republican computer expert said the online rendition of Barack Obama's birth certification document was a bona fide copy of Obama's birth certificate. Some computer experts on the other hand say the online, long form birth certificate was a fraud.<br />
<br />
If you stick the facts in articles and not needlessly inject opinions that claim to be facts, you will have more harmony with other editors.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 23:41, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Re: Trump Reverts==<br />
Thanks for leaving a message. You bring up a very good point about whether Joe Biden should even legally be in power, because of how greatly distrusted last year's election was. But it also raises the question of, if Joe Biden is not the legal president, then who is? It can't be Donald Trump, because he failed to win Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona (which had no voting law changes and the suburbs and working-class voters there were almost certainly going to hand the state to Joe Biden), so massive voter fraud in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which was declined by a leftist agenda of the courts in those locations, would not have been able to change the election. Plus, courts with a political agenda are nothing new either. Bush v. Gore, for example, only favored Bush because of a rightist agenda of the court. So even if there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election like we suspect, don't courts and local election officials serve the bottom line for presidential legitimacy? Not only do I find it very unlikely that Republican officials wish to promote a big-government leftist agenda, but the reason I say all this is because even if Joe Biden didn't receive as many votes as it seemed in 2020, he may still be a legal president. Even if it is the fault of the people who ran the election, the Biden administration may not be the one to blame. - [[User:TrumpLover84|TrumpLover84]]([[User talk:TrumpLover84|talk]])<br />
<br />
==Vandal patrol==<br />
While on vandal patrol, you missed the most obvious. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 This edit] claims Stacey Abrams is a bizarre conspiracy theorist cause she accused brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger of election rigging with voting machines before Sidney Powell or Donald Trump did.<br />
<br />
== Question ==<br />
<br />
Do I use infobox officeholder or dictator bio for this person https://conservapedia.com/Albert_René as he was accused of using torture against people. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 19:28, 25 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Conservapedia Guidelines==<br />
[[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility]] states:<br />
*''Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However '''you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users''', and their opinions.''<br />
You Userpage mainspace presently has an attack upon another CP editor placed by you. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:Northwest&curid=123230&diff=1753219&oldid=1752798] Please remove the abusive content. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:58, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:If you ask me, the only one actually coming across as a bully is you, Rob. And quite frankly, I have to agree with Northwest, your actions are coming across as unjust, and more likely to aid the liberal agenda as it is. We formed Conservapedia specifically to get AWAY from the liberal bias that is Wikipedia. We cannot allow ourselves to become Wikipedia-lite. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 23:22, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==John Wayne==<br />
Why don't you go fix the [[John Wayne]] article and change it to [[Marion Wayne]]? [https://turtledove.fandom.com/wiki/John_Wayne] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:And how was my edit summary regarding the Bruce Jenner article a "snide comment" (which you yourself are guilty of leaving in other past edits of yours[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=next&oldid=1730163][https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=next&oldid=1730429]), even though it was not - it simply stated the truth, which you then proceeded to hide (and in so doing, makes you look guilty of covering up that truth) by hiding that summary and by protecting the [[Bruce Jenner]] redirect[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Bruce_Jenner&action=history] to prevent a move back to what the article should be - which, in your doing, makes it look like you're trying to coddle, enable and encourage a mental disorder instead of treating it as what it is.[https://fwipetitions.org/fwi/16-facts-on-gender-confusion/] <br />
<br />
:And, oh yeah - [[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility|civility]], remember? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 23:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Don't worry. You don't have edit war with [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=next&oldid=1758240 the guy harassing you.] I reverted to [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&curid=24281&action=history your version] and locked the page. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:55, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Unjustified block==<br />
The blockee here was not "lying". [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Rozovoevino] [https://clarion.causeaction.com/2021/05/21/house-candidate-says-he-impregnated-14-year-old-when-he-was-18/] He should have been asked for a citation and more context. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:55, 22 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Earlier I had View source message and couldn't edit? ==<br />
<br />
Does Conservapedia ever lock its editing at night to only trusted contributors? I couldn't edit earlier & the edit tab was displayed as "View source". [[User:Patriotic Gamer|Patriotic Gamer]] ([[User talk:Patriotic Gamer|talk]]) 09:23, 26 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Got it, that's what I thought. Good idea for you guys to do that. By the way, have I been doing good thus far? I've noticed that you've been adding some articles as well, such as episodes on [[Popeye the Sailor]]. Has Conservapedia expanded its scope in recent times (especially because liberalism is slowly corrupting more and more things). [[User:Patriotic Gamer|Patriotic Gamer]] ([[User talk:Patriotic Gamer|talk]]) 11:01, 26 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Discussion==<br />
Why does a 90 minute discussion warrant a 48 hour block? [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Ivermectin&action=history] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:28, September 2, 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Well, let's run down the highlights:<br />
<br />
:*I originally told Astaka that Wikipedia [[Wikipedia#Unreliability of Wikipedia|was not a credible source]][https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=1794054&oldid=1794053] when he used a Wikipedia article as his source when he was arguing about the history of writing;<br />
:*Astaka then proceeded (as Andy later explained when he replied[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=1794150&oldid=1794137]) to argue in circles and tried to have it both ways in his argument (see the text) after I pointed out to him that two sources that he supplied, which he hoped to use to bolster Wikipedia's claims, actually discredited them;[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=1794060&oldid=1794059]<br />
:*I warned him about his behavior[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=next&oldid=1794095] after he started getting abusive[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=1794094&oldid=1794092] because he didn't like my pointing out that he discredited his own arguments with his own sources;<br />
:*After his arguments got shot down at Andy's talk page, I offered Astaka an easy out to cut his losses and walk away from the argument,[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=1794086&oldid=1794085][https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=1794095&oldid=1794094] but he refused to take it and insisted on continuing to argue;<br />
:*At the [[Ivermectin]] talk page, Astaka denied the effectiveness of that medication using a biased website as his "source", then he started arguing after I countered his claim by posting how Joe Rogan cured his case of the CCP flu using Ivermectin;[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Ivermectin&diff=1794064&oldid=1794061]<br />
:*After I shot down all of his arguments there (finishing by pointing out how his source would have reason to lie about Ivermectin[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Ivermectin&diff=1794089&oldid=1794087]), he descended to trolling[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Ivermectin&diff=1794103&oldid=1794101] - and that's what earned him the block. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 06:03, September 3, 2021 (EDT)<br />
:: Okay, good. You issued a warning first. We are trying to foster a friendlier editing environment less dependent on arbitrary blocking. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 05:28, September 4, 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Are you also called Northwest on Wikipedia, or is that someone else? ==<br />
<br />
[[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 12:06, September 8, 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reason I blanked my old user page ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, I should be allowed to blank my old user talk page, as I don't want my future employer to know that I was on a site like this. Thanks for your understanding! [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 19:32, October 29, 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Please don't bite the newbies==<br />
[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Pino-Basher] There was nothing objectionable that I could see in this lone contrib. Let's let the newbies who aren't trolling get comfortable and adjust before removing their work. Offering a helping hand or suggestions is more effective at retaining editors. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Let's Go Brandon!]]</sup> 22:47, December 12, 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
:as to User:Hokkainado, the inscription wasn't Japanese, it was Chinese. Even at that, the behavior does not necessarily require getting hit with the maximum for a first-time offense. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Let's Go Brandon!]]</sup> 20:23, December 20, 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
::psst, take a hint: we don't block for "lying" anymore. [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Sisko] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Let's Go Brandon!]]</sup> 03:37, December 29, 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Sports and such==<br />
I would personally like to thank you, Northwest, for helping keep the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] page (and template) up to date. If you need anything at all, please let me know if you need anything. <br />
[[User:Man O Wisdom]]<sup>[[User talk:Man O Wisdom|Remember the Alamo!]]</sup> 01:22, December 31st, 2021 (CST)<br />
<br />
== help needed ==<br />
<br />
Hi, wondering why I got blocked. All I wanted to do was help build this wiki. I can't email you so I made a new account if thats okay. Thanks!<br />
<br />
== Spectacular work! ==<br />
<br />
Absolutely fabulous, Northwest! I nominate you as goaltender for our next [[Olympics]] soccer team. Seriously, thanks for your unbelievable quick and effective work!!!!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 15:53, March 4, 2022 (EST)<br />
:You are not going to be able to block all troll accounts - and they just turn around and create ''more'' accounts. Good faith users get caught up in the blocking spree. <br />
<br />
:The way to fight this is wait until violations occur, then apply page protect. Also, removing talk page comments that do not contain profanity, personal attacks or other violations is not helpful. You removed a link to where this vandal attack was organized 23 hours ago, how many participants, and what pages and subjects are being targeted and other useful information. Simply because a comment on talk is made by a troll or suspected troll, that is not profane or a personal attack, '''''is not cause to remove the comment'''''. Communication between sysops is vital, and covering up the motivations for this attack is not helpful. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Let's Go Brandon!]]</sup> 17:54, March 4, 2022 (EST)<br />
<br />
:They are provoking you to limit our userbase, and do ''their'' dirty work for them. Karajou did that for 15 years, and you see the results. 17:58, March 4, 2022 (EST)<br />
<br />
==American Thinker ==<br />
If I were to edit the American Thinker article with language and a link from the actual website, would that be considered ‘liberal POV’?--[[User:LSimons|LSimons]] ([[User talk:LSimons|talk]]) 20:39, March 26, 2022 (EDT)<br />
:At least 86 judges, nominated by Democrats and Republicans, including President Donald Trump, from the lowest level state courts to the U.S. Supreme Court, rejected lawsuits filed by Trump and his supporters contesting the election result. Yet here you are brazenly insisting Dominion is exercising criminal behavior. I am not making excuses for the mythical criminal actions you are directing at Dominion. If you are correct, why didn’t Trump and his lawyers succeed at any of their lawsuits? I’d like an answer to my question. Is it alright if I post an edit to the American Thinker article that comes exclusively from their website? Or would that be ‘liberal POV’? --[[User:LSimons|LSimons]] ([[User talk:LSimons|talk]]) 23:27, March 26, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== CCP virus in Canada ==<br />
<br />
Edit rather than revert, and provide ''your'' better source. --[[User:Jackin the box|Jackin the box]] ([[User talk:Jackin the box|talk]]) 14:50, April 12, 2022 (EDT)<br />
:So you believe that covid is a mild flu and that there have been no deaths in Canada? US? What ivory tower do you live in? --[[User:Jackin the box|Jackin the box]] ([[User talk:Jackin the box|talk]]) 20:15, April 12, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Obama ==<br />
<br />
See this edit [https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Michelle_Obama&diff=1851764&oldid=1850444]] and this discussion [https://www.conservapedia.com/User_talk:Aschlafly#Obscenity:_Lewd_pictures_and_comments]. I'm presuming that you didn't look closely at the picture. Thanks. --[[User:Jackin the box|Jackin the box]] ([[User talk:Jackin the box|talk]]) 11:10, April 16, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Image Upload ==<br />
<br />
:Is it possible if you can upload this image [[https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/51542744_rare-ku-klux-klan-kkk-original-robe-postcard]]?Thanks.<br />
<br />
== It's in the username ==<br />
<br />
Now will you? [[User:ReadTheAnswerKeyMan|ReadTheAnswerKeyMan]] ([[User talk:ReadTheAnswerKeyMan|talk]]) 01:31, May 4, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== "Sebastian Bibby" ==<br />
<br />
Hey there. <br />
Rob has decided that "Sebastian Bibby" (the article about a fake person you deleted after I had flagged it as trolling) is real, so I'm going to double down on that and expand it. Hugs and kisses, [[User:ClaudeMcH|ClaudeMcH]] ([[User talk:ClaudeMcH|talk]]) 13:45, May 4, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Women==<br />
Please, let Jackinthe box work. We can discuss on talk and copyedit afterward. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Z]]</sup> 17:17, May 20, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Apology ==<br />
<br />
Sorry if I offended you Northwest. I overreacted to being called a liberal. I believe that the following upset you: "When you understand history better you can use the word liberal". This is too personal, I agree, especially in an online context. --[[User:Jackin the box|Jackin the box]] ([[User talk:Jackin the box|talk]]) 18:36, May 26, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Don't bite the newbies==<br />
We're trying to build the userbase. The days of chasing users away [https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Knowstuff&curid=173332&diff=1876560&oldid=1876515 before they did anything are over.] Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Z+]]</sup> 00:26, July 28, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Note: [https://www.conservapedia.com/User_talk:Northwest#Please_don.27t_bite_the_newbies Second notice]. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Z+]]</sup> 01:14, July 28, 2022 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Your recent reversions ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, when it comes to ChenXiansheng's edits, I notice that they usually attempt to neutralize some particularly dogmatic tones in lead sections of more popular articles. The edit summaries in your reversions indicate that you think his edits aren't "legitimate," which comes off as an unnecessary slander of his evident good-faith attempts to improve several pages. In the future, if you disagree with his edits, please first discuss in the corresponding talk page before undoing them. —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="background:#FF8181">'''LT'''</span></code>]] '''''[[User talk:Liberaltears|<sup>(The Old Right was right!)</sup>]]''''' Thursday, 11:19, November 24, 2022 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Quit pointlessly reverting ChenXiansheng ==<br />
<br />
His edits are good faith efforts to make articles more objective in tone, and if you disagree with them, then bring it up on the corresponding talk page. —[[User:LT|<code><span style="background:#FF8181">'''LT'''</span></code>]] '''''[[User talk:LT|<sup>(Matthew 26:52)</sup>]]''''' Friday, 00:26, March 10, 2023 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Are you also User:Northwest on Wikipedia? ==<br />
<br />
[[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 07:33, March 14, 2023 (EDT)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Theory_of_relativity&diff=1938358Theory of relativity2023-03-14T11:31:49Z<p>ChenXiansheng: same as previous</p>
<hr />
<div>In physics, the '''theory of relativity''' is a scientific theory describing the effects due to the invariance of the speed of light. In particular, the meaning of space and time are altered by the motion of the observer. Relativity proposes time dilation and length contraction for observers moving relative to one another at very high ("relativistic") speeds.<br />
<br />
'''Relativity''' refers to two closely-related mathematical theories in [[physics]]:<br />
[[Image:600px-Albert Einstein Head.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|<br />
*"I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional [[Atheism|atheist]] whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being." - [[Albert Einstein]]<ref name="Isaacson390">Isaacson, Walter (2008). [https://books.google.com/books?id=cdxWNE7NY6QC&pg=PT390 ''Einstein: His Life and Universe''] (New York: Simon and Schuster), p. 390. Retrieved from GoogleBooks archive on February 19, 2015.</ref>]]<br />
*'''[[Special theory of relativity|Special relativity]]''' (SR) is a theory to describe the laws of motion for non-accelerating bodies traveling at a significant fraction of the [[speed of light]]. As speeds approach zero, Special Relativity tends towards equivalence with [[Newton's Laws of Motion]]. Special Relativity was put forward by [[Albert Einstein]]; its mathematical framework was independently developed and formalized by [[Hendrik Lorentz]], [[Henri Poincaré]], and [[Hermann Minkowski]].<ref>"German mathematician who developed the geometrical theory of numbers and who made numerous contributions to number theory, mathematical physics, and the theory of relativity." [https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9052860/Hermann-Minkowski Hermann Minkowski -- ''Britannica Online Encyclopedia'' website]</ref><ref>[http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Minkowski.html Hermann Minkowski, Biography]</ref><br />
<br />
*'''[[General theory of relativity|General Relativity]]''' (GR) is a theory to explain the laws of motion as viewed from accelerating reference frames and includes a geometric explanation for gravity. This theory was originally developed by Einstein, with help from [[David Hilbert]] in its final mathematical formulation, as a generalization of the postulates of Special Relativity to account for non-inertial, accelerating observers, particularly those in a gravitational field.<ref>"[T]he German mathematician David Hilbert submitted an article containing the correct field equations for general relativity five days before Einstein."[http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/physics/relativity/history-1.html Nobel Prize historical account]</ref> A dramatic but later discredited<ref>Stephen Hawking, ''Brief History of Time'' ("Their measurement had been sheer luck, or a case of knowing the result they wanted to get."). Hawking was being kind. In fact, Eddington excluded data that did not fit his preconceived view. Further discrediting of Eddington's study was published by Earman, J., Glymour, C., ''Hist. Stud. Phys. Sci.'' 11, 49-85 (1980), and Collins, H. M., Pinch, T., The Golem: What Everyone Should Know About Science. Cambridge University Press (1993) (as cited in [http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070907/full/news070903-20.html#B2])</ref> claim by Sir [[Arthur Eddington]] of experimental proof of General Relativity in 1919 popularized the theory.<br />
<br />
These theories have augmented earlier approaches, such as [[Galilean Relativity]].<br />
<br />
The theory of relativity is defended with religious-like zeal, such that no college faculty tenure, Ph.D degree, or [[Nobel Prize]] is ever awarded to anyone who dares criticize the theory, as the example of denying a Nobel Prize to the most accomplished physicist of the 20th century, [[Robert Dicke]], illustrates. Other critics of the theory are [[Nikola Tesla]], who called it a "...magnificent mathematical garb which fascinates, dazzles and makes people blind to the underlying errors. The theory is like a beggar clothed in purple whom ignorant people take for a king ... its exponents are brilliant men but they are metaphysicists, not scientists..."<ref>[http://www.plasmacosmology.net/tesla.html ''New York Times'', July 11, 1935, p23, c8]</ref> and Louis Essen [1908-1997], the man credited with determining the speed of light. He wrote fiery papers and many feature articles of the subject in science journals with popular audiences against it such as "Relativity and Time Signals"<ref>http://gsjournal.net/Science-Journals/Journal%20Reprints-Relativity%20Theory/Download/3297</ref> and "Relativity - Joke or Swindle?".<ref>http://www.ekkehard-friebe.de/Essen-L.htm</ref> Perhaps the most famous website opposing relativity is this one, with its [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] page. The cornerstone item in that page involves the experimental measurements of the advance of the perihelion of Mercury that show a shift greater than predicted by Relativity, well beyond the margin of error.<br />
<br />
There are some issues of continuity and limits arising in the mathematical analysis of the theory of relativity. See [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] for discussion of this point.<br />
<br />
The theory of relativity consist of complex mathematical equations relying on several hypotheses. For example, at Hofstra University general relativity is taught as part of an upperclass math course on differential geometry, based on three stated assumptions.<ref>http://people.hofstra.edu/Stefan_Waner/diff_geom/tc.html</ref> Special relativity assumes that all observers in inertial frames of reference will measure the same value for the speed of light, '''c''' and that all inertial frames of reference are equivalent. These hypotheses that can never be fully tested. Relativity rejects Newton's [[action at a distance]], which is basic to Newtonian gravity and also found to be a consequence of [[quantum mechanics]]. The mathematics of relativity assume no exceptions, yet in the time period immediately following the origin of the universe the relativity equations could not possibly have been valid, since quantum effects would not be negligible (in the same way non-relativistic quantum mechanics is not valid when dealing with particles traveling near the speed of light). <br />
<br />
The "continuous" nature of space and time postulated by relativity is in conflict with the "discrete" nature in [[quantum mechanics]],<ref>For example, Relativity claims that space and time are smooth and continuous, while [[quantum mechanics]] suggests otherwise. [https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/1025/Is-the-universe-a-big-hologram-This-device-could-find-out.] Relativity also denies [[action-at-a-distance]], while quantum mechanics suggests otherwise. Relativity denies any role for chance, while quantum mechanics is heavily dependent on it.</ref> and although theories like [[string theory]] and [[quantum field theory]] have attempted to unify relativity and quantum mechanics, neither has been entirely successful or proven.<br />
<br />
Unlike [[Classical mechanics|Newtonian physics]], in which space and time intervals are each invariant as seen by all observers, in SR the only invariant quantity is a quadratic combination of space and time intervals (''x''<sup>2</sup> - ''c''<sup>2</sup> ''t''<sup>2</sup>). The instantaneous transmission of Newtonian gravitational effects also contradicts relativity.<br />
<br />
In quantum mechanics, the [[uncertainty principle]] suggests that virtual particles can sometimes travel faster than the speed of light which would violate causality, but "[t]he only known way to resolve this tension involves introducing the idea of antiparticles."<ref>http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2004/wilczek-lecture.pdf (p. 102)</ref> Consequently, in 1928 [[Paul Dirac]] derived the Dirac equation, one of the first quantum mechanical equations compatible with special relativity, by which Dirac predicted the existence of antimatter. Four years later, antimatter (the positron) was discovered by Carl Anderson, as successfully predicted by relativistic quantum mechanics. [[Quantum field theory]], a generalization of quantum mechanics, is fully compatible with special relativity but not with general relativity, and still lacks a vital piece: evidence of the [[graviton]].<br />
<br />
== Special Relativity ==<br />
Lorentz and Poincaré developed Special Relativity as way of understanding how Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism could be valid in different frames of reference. Einstein famously published an explanation of Poincaré's theory<ref>http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/www/ "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies"</ref> in terms of two assumptions (postulates):<br />
<br />
#''The laws of physics are identical in all inertial reference frames.''<br />
#''The [[speed of light]] is the same for all (inertial) observers, regardless of their velocities relative to each other.''<br />
<br />
As an example of the first of these, if one performs an experiment&mdash;say, with a pendulum or some similar apparatus&mdash;in a railroad car traveling uniformly at 50 miles per hour, one would find the results of the experiment (positions, speeds, etc.) to be consistent with the laws of physics in the railroad car. An outside stationary observer, looking through the window, would also find the results consistent with the laws of physics in his stationary reference frame. He would simply have to subtract 50 miles per hour from the velocities of the objects in order to get values that agree with the values obtained by the observer on the train. But the two observations would each be consistent with the laws of physics. This is all straightforward and obvious to modern people, and has been since the time of Galileo. This principle is now called "Galilean relativity". Another way of stating this is:<br />
*''There is no "preferred" frame of reference.''<br />
Neither observer can claim that his frame of reference is "right". Of course, the observer on the train would think that the Earth is moving at 50 miles per hour under the wheels.<br />
<br />
The second postulate is what makes relativity what it is. Using the above principle, if someone in the railroad car shines a beam of light forward, he would observe it moving at a speed of 670,000,000 miles per hour. One would expect, according to the first postulate, that an observer standing on the ground would measure its speed as 670,000,050 miles per hour. But the second postulate says that the stationary observer measures the same speed, 670,000,000 miles per hour. While this seems paradoxical, many experiments, such as the [[Michelson-Morley experiment]] show that it is nevertheless true. Special Relativity explains the apparent inconsistency between these postulates.<br />
<br />
Why was this not observed until around 1900? Because the speed of light is so great that the discrepancy is very hard to measure. For example, in the railroad experiment described above, the discrepancy between the two speeds is 7.5 parts per million.<br />
<br />
There are many far-reaching consequences of this, and many experimental verifications, some of which are listed below. Two of the more interesting consequences are that:<br />
#No material object of nonzero mass can travel at or greater than the speed of light. (Objects of zero mass, such as photons, travel at exactly the speed of light.)<br />
#Information can not travel faster than the speed of light.<ref>This assumption is commonly restated in this manner. For example, a discussion of hypothetical [[tachyons]] talks "about using tachyons to transmit information faster than the speed of light, '''in violation of Special Relativity'''."[http://www.math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/ParticleAndNuclear/tachyons.html]</ref> This is sometimes stated as:<br />
#There is no "action at a distance," because that would make observations dependent on the frame of reference. See [[Action at a distance]] for a discussion of this point.<br />
<br />
When the assumptions are stated clearly as above, the weaknesses in the theory are more apparent. There “is” action at a distance in [[quantum entanglement]] and apparently also in gravity, as no gravitons can be found. However, no information has yet been transmitted via quantum entanglement, so while non-locality violates the spirit of relativity it is consistent with it if relativity is limited to the transmission of information. [[Quantum field theory]], an attempt to partially reconcile [[quantum mechanics]] with relativity, is incomplete at best. As to the second assumption, it is contrary to the [[arrow of time]], which illustrates the lack of symmetry in time. Logical defects include the incoherence of relativistic mass (see discussion below) and the lack of relativistic constraints near the beginning the universe (see above).<br />
<br />
Special Relativity (SR) was initially developed by [[Henri Poincaré]] and [[Hendrik Lorentz]], working on problems in electrodynamics and the [[Michelson-Morley experiment]], which had not found any sign of Earth's orbital motion through the [[aether (science)|luminiferous aether]], which was believed to be the substance which carried electromagnetic waves. Special relativity alters [[Isaac Newton]]'s laws of motion by assuming that the speed of light will be the same for all observers, despite their relative velocities and the source of the light. (Therefore, if A sends a beam of light to B, and both measure the speed, it will be the same for both, no matter what the relative velocity of A and B. In Newtonian/Galilean mechanics, If A sends a physical object at a particular velocity towards B, and nothing slows it, the velocity of the object relative to B depends on the velocities of the object and of B relative to A.)<br />
<br />
At low speeds (relative to light-speed), the Lorentz-Poincaré relativity equations are equivalent to Newton's equations. The media-promoted equation ''[[E=mc²]]'', implausibly suggests a relationship between typically unrelated concepts of energy, the rest mass of a body and the speed of light.<br />
<br />
Under relativity, particles at low mass and low speed can be accurately approximated by [[classical mechanics]] (such as [[Isaac Newton]]'s laws of motion). At the two extremes, modeling the behavior of electrons requires that relativistic effects be taken into account (the chemically significant phenomenon of electron spin arises from relativity), and the course of light passing through a region containing many massive bodies such as galaxies will be distorted ([[classical mechanics]], in which light travels in straight lines, does not predict this). These are both experimentally confirmed (electron spin was known before relativity arose, and telescopic observations confirm that galactic clusters distort the paths of the light passing through them).<br />
<br />
Many scientists have indicated problems with the postulates of special relativity. Paul Davies, formerly of Macquarie University and now at the University of Arizona believes that the speed of light has changed over time. Since the speed of light is a constant speed 'c' this indicates problems with the theory [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2181455.stm light speed]. Other engineers and scientists have written about problems in the basic set of special relativity equations. Based on the ideas of not Einstein but of the scientist Fitzgerald as well as others, a length contraction effect was predicted as an explanation of the failure of the Michelson-Morley experiment to detect Earth's orbital motion. This idea was taken up by Hendrik Lorentz and shown by others to be a useful mechanism by which theory could be derived from experimental results. In fact, the Michelson-Morley experiment is often cited in textbooks as the derivation of relativity, though there are many other experiments that do this; see below.<br />
<br />
In 2005, Michael Strauss, a computer engineer, claimed to have shown clear contradictions in Special Relativity, invalidating much of it.<br />
In 2004 he wrote the book ''Requiem for Relativity (The Collapse of Special Relativity)'', ASIN 0976312506. An archived ad for the book may be found at [https://web.archive.org/web/20120303075834/http://www.relativitycollapse.com/]. The original web site for it is no longer active.<br />
<br />
== General Relativity ==<br />
<br />
::::''See the [[General theory of relativity]] page for more in-depth coverage of this topic.''<br />
<br />
General Relativity is a theory of gravity that is compatible with Special Relativity. Einstein explains a thought experiment involving two elevators. The first elevator is stationary on the Earth, while the other is being pulled through space at a constant acceleration of g. Einstein realized that any physical experiment carried out in the elevators would give the same result. This realization is known as the equivalence principle and it states that accelerating frames of reference and gravitational fields are indistinguishable. General Relativity is the theory of gravity that incorporates Special Relativity and the equivalence principle. <br />
<br />
General Relativity is a mathematical extension of Special Relativity. GR views space-time as a 4-dimensional [[manifold]], which looks locally like [[Minkowski space]], and which acquires [[curvature]] due to the presence of massive bodies. Thus, near massive bodies, the geometry of space-time differs to a large degree from that of other parts of the universe. Just as in classical physics, objects travel along [[geodesic]]s in the absence of external forces. Importantly though, near a massive body, geodesics are no longer straight lines. It is this phenomenon of objects traveling along geodesics in a curved spacetime that accounts for gravity.<br />
<br />
The "anomalous precession" of Mercury's [[perihelion]] (slow shift of the orbit's major axis) is explained by the Theory of General Relativity, but not by Newtonian mechanics. Some precession (5600 arcseconds per century) is caused by purely classical phenomena, mostly the gravitational attraction of other planets. But a small amount (43 arcseconds per century) of the observed precession, goes beyond that which classical Newtonian mechanics can explain. General relativity explains it accurately.<br />
There was another explanation based on Newtonian gravity, involving a slight alteration to the precise inverse-square relation of Newtonian gravity to distance, but it was quickly discarded when it gave very bad results for the Moon's orbit. The relativistic explanation of the anomalous precession is disputed on the [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] page of Conservapedia.<br />
<br />
British Historian Paul Johnson declared the turning point in 20th century to have been when fellow Briton Sir [[Arthur Eddington]], an esteemed English astronomer, ventured out on a boat off Africa in 1919 with a local Army unit to observe the bending of starlight around the sun during a total eclipse. Upon his return to England declared that his observations proven the theory of relativity. In fact recent analysis of Eddington's work revealed that he was biased in selecting his data, and that overall his data were inconclusive about the theory of relativity. The prediction was later confirmed by more rigorous experiments, such as those performed by the [[Hubble Space Telescope]].<ref>[http://www.spaceimages.com/gravlen.html Hubble Gravitational Lens Photo]</ref><ref>[[Gravitational lensing]]</ref><ref>[http://www.iam.ubc.ca/~newbury/lenses/glgallery.html]</ref> [[Hendrik Lorentz]] had this to say on the discrepancies between the empirical eclipse data and Einstein's predictions.<br />
<br />
::''It indeed seems that the discrepancies may be ascribed to faults in observations, which supposition is supported by the fact that the observations at Prince's Island, which, it is true, did not turn out quite as well as those mentioned above, gave the result, of 1.64, somewhat lower than Einstein's figure.''<ref>Lorentz, H.A. [http://ia331314.us.archive.org/2/items/theeinsteintheor11335gut/11335-h/11335-h.htm The Einstein Theory of Relativity]</ref><br />
<br />
The bending of light by gravity is predicted both by Newtonian physics and relativity. Experimental observation agrees with the latter amount (1.75 arcseconds for the Sun), rather approximately for Eddington's measurements, and very accurately for more modern measurements.<br />
<br />
Special relativity is the limiting case of general relativity where all gravitational fields are weak. Alternatively, special relativity is the limiting case of general relativity when all reference frames are inertial (non-accelerating and without gravity).<br />
<br />
==Lack of evidence for Relativity==<br />
The Theory of relativity assumes that time is symmetric just as space is, but the biggest early promoter of relativity, Arthur Eddington, coined the term "[[arrow of time]]" admitting how time is ''not'' symmetric but is directional. The passage of time is tied to an increase in disorder, or [[entropy]]. The Theory of relativity cannot explain this, and implicitly denies it, specifically allowing for theoretical time travel (e.g., [[wormholes]]) and different rates of passage of time based on velocity and acceleration.<br />
<br />
The [[Global Positioning System]] ([[GPS]]) requires exquisitely accurate timekeeping in the satellite clocks&mdash;down to the nanosecond. This precision is so great that the effects of both special relativity and general relativity play an important role. Without making corrections to the timing signals from the satellite clocks, the results of GPS measurements would be so far off that the system would be useless. The required amount of correction is well known, and the system makes those corrections. Those corrections are consistent with special relativity and general relativity, and it is generally accepted that this is no coincidence&mdash;relativistic effects are the reason why the corrections are necessary. But one doesn't need to believe that relativity is the reason the corrections are needed; one only needs to make the corrections in order to get the system to work.<br />
<br />
Tom Van Flandern, an astronomer hired to work on GPS in the late 1990s, concluded that "[t]he GPS programmers don't need relativity." He was quoted as saying that the GPS programmers "have basically blown off Einstein."<ref>http://archive.salon.com/people/feature/2000/07/06/einstein/index.html See also [http://www.metaresearch.org/solar%20system/gps/absolute-gps-1meter-3.ASP], where Van Flandern discusses how relativistic corrections might improve GPS accuracy.</ref> Asynchronization can be easily addressed through communications between the satellites and ground stations, so it is unclear why any theory would be needed for GPS. While Van Flandern believed that relativity is unnecessary for GPS, he also asserted that observations of GPS satellites supported both general and special relativity, writing that "we can assert with confidence that the predictions of relativity are confirmed to high accuracy over time periods of many days," with unrelated factors interfering with longer-term observations.<ref>http://www.metaresearch.org/cosmology/gps-relativity.asp</ref><br />
<br />
Some internet articles claim that GPS timing differences ''confirm'' the Theory of Relativity or its Lorentzian counterpart (which uses a preferred frame of reference). GPS clocks run slower in the weaker gravitation field of the satellites than on ground stations on Earth, with the effects predicted by general relativity far outweighing the effects predicted by special relativity. However, the articles claiming that the slower GPS satellite clocks confirm relativity do not address the effect, if any, of the weaker gravitational force under Newton's theory on the GPS satellite clocks, likely because in Newtonian Mechanics every clock in the universe keeps time at the same rate regardless of velocity, acceleration, or the presence or absence of force.<br />
<br />
Currently, GPS satellites are synchronized to Coordinated Universal Time by radio signals from the ground; therefore, they cannot currently be used to test general relativity.<ref>[http://www.phys.lsu.edu/mog/mog9/node9.html "General Relativity in the Global Positioning System."] Neil Ashby, U. of Colorado</ref><br />
<br />
The effects of relativity have been observed with the frequency shift of the signal being sent back to [[Earth]] several times as various spacecraft have dipped into the gravity wells around massive objects such as the [[sun]] (see image at right)<ref>[http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases-03/20031002-pr-a.cfm Saturn-Bound Spacecraft Tests Einstein's Theory]</ref> or Saturn.<ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12517102.600-science-encounter-with-saturn-confirms-relativity-theory.html Encounter with Saturn confirms relativity theory]</ref> The [[Gravity Probe B]] satellite was put in orbit about the Earth to examine the effects of frame dragging and geodetic warping of space. One report<ref>[https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gpb/index.html NASA Gravity Probe B mission page]</ref> was that it showed "unprecedented precision", and one<ref>[http://einstein.stanford.edu/ Gravity Probe B project page]</ref> showed a 95% confidence that the measured effect was consistent with General Relativity. Note, however, that one interpretation of Newtonian mechanics also predicts deflection of light by gravity. This is the "light is particles" interpretation, and gives a deflection of 0.875 arcseconds, whereas the "light is waves" interpretation predicts a deflection of zero. The experimentally measured deflection is 1.75 arcseconds, and is the value given by General Relativity (though Einstein's initial calculation was 0.875.).<ref>http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-03/6-03.htm</ref> <br />
<br />
None of the NASA spacecraft incorporates predictions of relativity into their own timing mechanisms, as Newtonian mechanics is adequate even for probes sent deep into space so long as they do not undergo accelerations near the speed of light or enter any massive gravity wells.<ref>There is no reported reliance on relativity by any space probe.</ref><br />
<br />
A decade of observation of the [[pulsar]] pair [[PSR 1913 16|PSR B1913+16]] detected a decline in its orbital period, which was attributed to a loss in energy by the system. It is impossible to measure the masses of the pulsars, their accelerations relative to the observers, or other fundamental parameters. Professors Joseph Taylor and Russell Hulse, who discovered the binary pulsar, found that physical values could be assigned to the pulsars to make the observed decline in orbital period consistent with the Theory of General Relativity, and for this they were awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize for Physics, which is the only award ever given by the Nobel committee for the Theory of Relativity.<ref>http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1993/press.html</ref> In 2004, Professor Taylor utilized a correction to the derivative of the orbital period to fit subsequent data better to the theory. At most, assumptions can be made and altered to fit the data to the theory, rather than the data confirming the theory.<br />
<br />
The [[perihelion]] of Mercury's [[orbit]] [[precession|precesses]] at a measurable rate, but even after accounting for gravitational perturbations caused all other planets in the [[solar system]], Newton's theory (assuming a precise inverse-square relationship for distance) predicts a rate of precession that differs from the measured rate by approximately 43 [[arcsecond]]s per century. While general relativity was developed on purely theoretical grounds, it was soon discovered that it explained these precession observations.<ref>http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node98.html#SECTION032121000000000000000</ref><ref>http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/336k/lectures/node117.html</ref> Newton's theory can also explain the Mercury precession by making tiny adjustments to parameters in the gravitational equation, but doing so would give the same precession for all orbiting bodies everywhere, a phenomenon which is not observed.<br />
<br />
General relativity predicts twice as much bending in light as it passes near massive objects than Newton's theory might predict.<ref>http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-03/6-03.htm</ref> This phenomenon is known as [[gravitational lensing]]. A large number of instances of gravitational lensing have been observed, and it is now a standard astronomical tool.<ref>http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/features/news/grav_lens.html</ref><ref>http://astro.berkeley.edu/~jcohn/lens.html</ref><ref>http://www.iam.ubc.ca/~newbury/lenses/glgallery.html</ref> Note, however, that the extent of bending of light predicted by Newton's theory is open to debate, and depends on assumptions about the nature of light for gravitational purposes.<ref>http://cosmictimes.gsfc.nasa.gov/1919/guide/gravity_bends_starlight.html</ref><br />
<br />
In 1972, scientists flew extremely accurate clocks ("atomic clocks") around the world in both directions on commercial airlines, and claimed to observe relativistic time dilation; the eastbound clock gained 273 ns and the westbound clock lost 59 ns, matching the predictions of general relativity to within experimental accuracy.<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/hafele-keating-experiment Hafele-Keating Experiment]</ref> However, the inventor of the atomic clock, Louis Essen, declared that the experiment was inaccurate.<ref>Louis Essen, Electron. Wireless World 94 (1988) 238.</ref> Dr A. G. Kelly examined the raw data from the experiment and declared it inconclusive.<ref>A. G. Kelly,Reliability of Relativistic Effect Tests on Airborne Clocks, Monograph No.3 Feb.1996, The Institution of Engineers of Ireland, ISBN 1-898012-22-9</ref> The Nobel Committee chose not to honor this experiment for the significance that was claimed.<br />
<br />
==Experimental and Observational Evidence Confirming Relativity==<br />
<br />
The different effects predicted by special relativity, compared to classical formulations, are extremely tiny. Most relativistic effects are negligible at the speeds of ordinary phenomena observed by humans. The effects only become significant when the speeds involved are a significant fraction of the speed of light, which is <math>3 \times 10^8</math> meters per second&mdash;such speeds are called ''relativistic''. (However, it's worth noting that ordinary magnetism can be considered an effect of relativity, dictated by the need for electrostatic theory to be correct under relativity. The speed of light in fact appears in the formulas ([[Maxwell's Equations]]) governing electricity and magnetism, though these equations were developed long before relativity was proposed.)<br />
<br />
Because the effects of relativity are so tiny, scientists have been devising sophisticated and sensitive tests ever since the theory was formulated in 1905.<br />
<br />
It is important to be aware that it is fairly rare for an experiment to '''prove''' a theory. In general, experiments can only '''refute''' a theory. They can also '''be consistent with''' a theory. When enough experiments, especially experiments that investigate a wide variety of phenomena, are shown to be consistent with a theory, it lends credence to that theory. When no other plausible theory can explain those observations, we can say that they '''validate''' the theory. The Mercury observations are just one phenomenon. By themselves they couldn't validate or prove GR. And there was at one time another competing theory&mdash;the Newcomb-Hall exponent-fudging theory. That one didn't hold up for things other than Mercury. No other theory has come up explaining the phenomenon; SR and GR have withstood the test of time. That goes a long way toward validating them. There are many other observations and experiments, covering a wide variety of phenomena, described below&mdash;bending of light, gravitational time dilation, gravitational waves, geodetic precession, Shapiro effect, etc. It is these widely disparate observations, ''and the lack of any alternative theories explaining any of them'', that lead people to say that SR and GR are "experimentally validated".<br />
<br />
There's also the matter of simply "accepting" something, when a phenomenon is consistent with a theory that is already known to be valid. The recoil from a gun is an example of this. Everyone knows that there is a backward recoil when a gun is fired. This is explained to people when they are first being taught how to use a gun, and they get used to it with practice. The reason for the recoil is that it is an obvious consequence of Newtons' laws of motion. But people don't specifically think about Newton's laws, or consider this to be a "proof", when they are firing a gun. They just accept that the recoil is a known consequence of those laws. Newton's laws of motion have been validated through thousands of experiments much more focused than the firing of a gun.<br />
<br />
The [[Cockcroft and Walton Experiment|Cockcroft/Walton experiment]] is an example of this kind of acceptance. The results are consistent (to within 5% when analyzed carefully) with Special Relativity, and many people consider it to be a validation of SR. But there were too many other things going on, such as the use of the newly-invented particle accelerator, to make it a definitive test. One would have to think very carefully about what assumptions have to be made about what is happening in the experiment if one wanted to use it to assert anything about [[E=mc²]]. However, famous as the experiment was at the time, it is no longer suggested as a validation of this formula. Special Relativity had already been validated through more focused and definitive tests. There are no known alternative theories, published in the scientific literature or listed in [[Counterexamples to Relativity]], explaining the loss of mass. See [[Cockcroft and Walton Experiment]].<br />
<br />
The anomalous behavior of the timing signals from [[GPS]] satellites is another example. The phenomenon is well known&mdash;the system compensates for this; otherwise it wouldn't work&mdash;and the phenomenon is known to be a consequence of both special and general relativity. But the GPS system should not be considered and experiment to test relativity. No sensible person would build the GPS system as a test of relativity, if only because it exhibits two phenomena (time dilation of special relativity, 7 milliseconds per day, and time compression of general relativity, 45 milliseconds per day) that work against each other. No one would design an experiment that tests two phenomena working against each other.<br />
<br />
The bending of light in a gravitational field is another example. (In fact, it was the first, and, for a while, most famous piece of evidence in favor of GR, even though it was sloppily done.) Newtonian physics also might predict the bending of light depending on whether one posits the "wave" formulation (deflection is zero) or the "particle" formulation (deflection is 0.875 arc seconds). But the actual deflection is 1.75 arc seconds, and GR predicts this value. The are no known versions of Newtonian gravity that get this larger value.<br />
<br />
While the experimental tests for General Relativity are rather esoteric, those for Special Relativity are fairly straightforward. So much so that the Michelson-Morley experiment could be said to have single-handedly established the case for SR&mdash;the logical syllogism leading from Michelson-Morley to SR and the Lorentz transform was fairly clear once people saw it.<br />
<br />
When analyzing an experiment to see whether it validates a theory, one must be careful not to assume the theory in one's reasoning. For establishing Special Relativity with the Michelson-Morley experiment, the assumptions are:<br />
<br />
#Newtonian and Galilean mechanics.<br />
#Galilean relativity, that is, the notion that there is no absolute frame of reference.<br />
#The universality of the speed of light.<br />
#And, of course, proper calibration of the equipment.<br />
#:The third one was the observation that Michelson and Morley made.<br />
#:<br />
#:<br />
#:For the derivation of E=mc², these assumptions are added:<br />
#:<br />
#Conservation of energy.<br />
#Conservation of momentum.<br />
#:All of the assumptions listed above constitute SR.<br />
#:<br />
#:It would be nearly inconceivable to derive GR without SR. Gravitational time dilation, for example, requires a lot of information coming from SR. <br />
#:So, for the experiments listed below for GR, the assumptions are the 6 above plus:<br />
#The Equivalence Principle.<br />
#:So the experiments below for GR are really just establishing that the Equivalence Principle is valid, and that GR follows logically from that.<br />
<br />
The most famous experiment, and the one that is commonly cited in textbooks as the experiment that established the case for relativity,<ref>Though relativity did not actually originate from this experiment</ref> was the [[Michelson-Morley experiment]]. This showed that all observers will obtain the same measured value for the speed of light (3x10<sup>8</sup> meters per second) no matter what their state of motion. This is the first of the two fundamental principles:<br />
#''The [[speed of light]] is constant for all observers, regardless of their velocities relative to each other.''<br />
#''The laws of physics are identical in all reference frames.''<br />
(The second is just a restatement of Galilean relativity, that is, the "common sense" that had been accepted for centuries.)<br />
A naive "common sense" interpretation of Galilean relativity would require that measurements of the speed of light (or anything else) by different observers would get results that differ by the observers' relative speeds, and hence that principle #1 can't be true. Special relativity fixes this apparent paradox.<br />
<br />
All of special relativity derives for these two principles, plus assumptions of exact conservation of momentum and energy in all cases.<br />
<br />
There are hundreds of experiments or observations that, to varying extents, "prove", "validate", or "are consistent with" special and general relativity. A good survey may be found at [http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/experiments.html this site]. Some experiments can be as simple as a spinning [[Alnico]] magnet<ref>http://www.naturalphilosophy.org/pdf/abstracts/abstracts_1213.pdf</ref><ref>modern magnets are even more powerful and can show the effect more easily.</ref> and a voltmeter, that can be performed on a tabletop in a science classroom. Just a few of the more important ones will be described here.<br />
<br />
===The [[Michelson-Morley experiment]]===<br />
This is the most famous experiment, and is often taken as the experiment establishing the correctness of special relativity. It is described elsewhere.<br />
<br />
===Mass Change Associated With Energy Change===<br />
This is the famous formula "E=mc²". At the end of Einstein's original 1905 paper on the subject,<ref>http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/E_mc2/www/ "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend its Energy Content?"</ref> he speculates on the possibility that the equation <math>E = m c^2</math>, which would normally be very hard to verify, could be verified with the extremely high energies of the newly discovered phenomenon of radioactivity.<ref>This equation is not related to [[quantum mechanics]].</ref> In the 1910s, with the invention of the mass spectrometer, it became possible to measure masses of nuclei accurately. This led to the clearing up of the mystery of atomic masses not being exact integers,and strongly suggested the existence of a "mass defect" (or "packing fraction") consistent with the mass-energy equivalence. In the 1930s, experiments with known nuclear reactions showed a very accurate correlation between the masses of the nuclei involved and the energy released. See [[Quantitative Analysis of Alpha Decay]].<br />
<br />
===Time Dilation===<br />
Another prediction of special relativity was time dilation in rapidly moving objects. This effect was most famously verified in the anomalously slow decay of relativistic cosmic muons.<ref>Some have suggested that other explanations are possible for this effect. We are trying to track this down.</ref> Time dilation has since been verified many times, and is routinely taken into account in all high-energy nuclear physics experiments, as in Hadron collision experiments.<ref>Experiments specifically designed to check dilation are rarely conducted any more.</ref><br />
<br />
===The [[Cockcroft and Walton Experiment]]===<br />
This one is quite famous, because it was one of the earliest observations of phenomena involving mass change. But, as noted above, it can't really be taken as a "proof" of relativity.<br />
<br />
===Bending of Light in a Gravitational Field===<br />
Unlike special relativity, predictions of general relativity turn out to be obscure and difficult to test. The two most famous predictions in the early days were the bending of light in a gravitational field and the precession of the perihelia of orbiting planets. Several other phenomena have arisen more recently.<br />
<br />
The first of these was famously tested during a total eclipse in 1919. That test was somewhat muddled by an incorrect initial calculation, by several people including Einstein himself, of what the effect would be, and some "cherry picking" of the data to be used.<ref>''Einstein's Luck'', John Waller, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-860719-9</ref> The observed result was about 1.5 arc seconds. The data selection could be considered "manipulation" or "fudging", by a person (Arthur Eddington) who had a personal stake in the outcome. His analysis techniques would not pass muster today. The announcement of this test, flawed though it was, made Einstein world-famous.<ref>[http://einstein.stanford.edu/Library/images/lightsAllAskewBig.jpg The New York Times, Nov. 10, 1919]</ref><ref>[https://www.worldbooklearning.com/how-did-an-eclipse-help-make-albert-einstein-famous/ How did an eclipse help make Albert Einstein famous]</ref><ref>[https://blog.supplysideliberal.com/post/44934715350/how-albert-einstein-became-a-celebrity How Albert Einstein became a celebrity]</ref><ref>[https://www.sciencealert.com/general-relativity-experiment-confirms-accuracy-for-galaxies "The public's mind was blown by the results, effectively turning Albert Einstein into a household name and cementing the concept of general relativity into physics books."]</ref><br />
<br />
It should be noted that pre-relativistic (Newtonian) physics may also predict a bending, depending on whether one uses the 17th century "corpuscular" formulation or the 19th century "wave" formulation. The former would give a value of 0.875 arc seconds, while the latter would give a value of zero.<br />
<br />
Relying on the usual assumptions&mdash;Newtonian mechanics, Galilean relativity, conservation of energy and momentum, the universality of the speed of light (that is, special relativity), the Equivalence Principle, and the geodesic equation in empty space (that is, general relativity), and the proper calibration of the instruments, observations of later eclipses, and the observations of quasar 3C273, confirm predictions of the theory, which is that the bending is 1.75 arc seconds.<br />
<br />
No Nobel Prize was awarded for this. A few years later Einstein won the Nobel Prize for the (unrelated) [[Photoelectric effect]].<br />
<br />
===Precession of the orbit of Mercury===<br />
The second "classical" test of general relativity was the advance of the perihelion of the orbit of Mercury. There are many complex effects contributing to this, including gravitational perturbations from other planets and the effect of the oblateness of the Sun. These are hard to calculate accurately, but, by 1860 it was known quite accurately that there was an "anomalous" precession, that is, a precession beyond all other known effects, of 43 arc seconds per century. This is a very tiny effect, but astronomical measurements were sufficiently accurate by that time to show it clearly. This was based on observations going all the way back to about 1700.<ref>http://www.math.toronto.edu/~colliand/426_03/Papers03/C_Pollock.pdf</ref> It was calculated with great accuracy, and reported in 1859, by Urbain Leverrier. This was long before relativity was formulated.<br />
::One might wonder how astronomical observations accurate enough to measure such a tiny effect could have been made with the technology of that era. A clever trick was used: Solar transits of Mercury were observed and timed. Some of these transits were timed with an accuracy of about 15 seconds.<br />
<br />
:This created quite a problem&mdash;physicists by then were accustomed to having their theories check out very accurately. One proposal that was made, by Simon Newcomb and Asaph Hall, was that the exponent of the radius in the gravitational formula wasn't exactly 2. He showed that, by choosing an exponent of <math>2+\delta</math>, the precession, as a fraction of a full orbit per planet's year, is <math>\delta/2</math>. By setting <math>\delta</math> to .000000157, that is, an exponent of 2.000000157, Newcomb was able to get a precession of .000000078 revolutions per Mercury year, or 43 arcseconds per Earth year. Whatever value is chosen for <math>\delta\,</math>, it gives the same precession, per revolution, for all orbiting bodies, but gravitational effects from other planets diminish that effect the further the planet is from the sun.<br />
<br />
:The approximation given at the end of Einstein's 1916 paper <ref>http://hermes.ffn.ub.es/luisnavarro/nuevo_maletin/Einstein_GRelativity_1916.pdf "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity"</ref> is <math>24 \pi^3\frac{a^2}{T^2c^2 (1-e^2)}</math> revolutions per planet's "year", where a is the semi-major axis, T is the length of the planet's year, and e is the eccentricity. A much simpler, but less accurate, approximation, designed to show how the precession relates to the planet's speed, is <math>3{}v^2/c^2</math> revolutions per planet's "year", where <math>v</math> is the planet's average orbital speed. These are just approximations. Getting an accurate value requires integrating the geodesic equation of the Schwartzschild metric, where Ricci's tensor is zero.<br />
<br />
:While Newcomb's theory, and general relativity, don't lead to closed-form solutions, both theories can be solved numerically to as much precision as one desires.<br />
<br />
:The following table shows some approximate parameters for the planets. Note that Mercury has the smallest orbit, and the fastest speed. Precession of planets other than Mercury is extremely hard to measure, but measurements of the actual anomalous precessions are in good agreement.<ref>http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-02/6-02.htm</ref><br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
!Planet<br />
!Period, seconds x 10<sup>6</sup><br />
!Semimajor axis, meters x 10<sup>9</sup><br />
!Speed, meters/second x 10<sup>3</sup><br />
!Gravitational force, Newtons per kilogram<br />
!Anomalous precession, arcseconds per (Earth) century, pure Newtonian mechanics<br />
!Anomalous precession, Newtonian with exponent of 2.000000157<br />
!Anomalous precession, general relativity<br />
!Measured anomalous precession (estimated uncertainty)<ref>http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-02/6-02.htm</ref><br />
|-<br />
|Mercury<br />
|7.57<br />
|58.9<br />
|48<br />
|.039<br />
|0<br />
|43<br />
|43<br />
|43.5(5)<br />
|-<br />
|Venus<br />
|19.6<br />
|108<br />
|35<br />
|.011<br />
|0<br />
|16.6<br />
|9<br />
|8(5)<br />
|-<br />
|Earth<br />
|31.6<br />
|150<br />
|30<br />
|.006<br />
|0<br />
|10.3<br />
|4<br />
|5(1)<br />
|-<br />
|Mars<br />
|59.3<br />
|227.9<br />
|24<br />
|.0025<br />
|0<br />
|5.5<br />
|1.4<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Jupiter<br />
|374<br />
|778.4<br />
|13<br />
|.0002<br />
|0<br />
|0.87<br />
|0.07<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Saturn<br />
|929<br />
|1426<br />
|9.7<br />
|.00006<br />
|0<br />
|0.35<br />
|0.014<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Uranus<br />
|2651<br />
|2870<br />
|6.8<br />
|.000016<br />
|0<br />
|0.12<br />
|0.002<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Neptune<br />
|5200<br />
|4498<br />
|5.5<br />
|.000007<br />
|0<br />
|0.063<br />
|0.0008<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
:Considering only the ''anomalous'' precession, that is, the precession that remains after all known other factors (other planets and asteroids, solar oblateness) have been accounted for, and using very accurate calculations rather than the approximations given above, general relativity predicts 42.98 ±0.04 arcseconds per century. Some observed values, as of 2008, are:<br />
::: 43.11 ± 0.21 (Shapiro et al., 1976)<br />
::: 42.92 ± 0.20 (Anderson et al., 1987)<br />
::: 42.94 ± 0.20 (Anderson et al., 1991)<br />
::: 43.13 ± 0.14 (Anderson et al., 1992) <br />
::: (Source: [https://arxiv.org/PS_cache/astro-ph/pdf/9804/9804258v1.pdf Pijpers 2008])<br />
:These error bars, and that of the general relativity prediction, all overlap.<br />
<br />
Choosing a phenomenon to measure, and setting up an experiment to measure it, often benefits from a great deal of planning. For example, the Lee-Yang-Wu experiment that disproved parity in the weak force, took months to plan, and only about 15 minutes to conduct. Measurements of orbital precession due to general relativity are also aided by careful choice of the exact phenomena to measure.<br />
<br />
The scientific community didn't have a lot of choice in how to measure the mechanical effects of general relativity in 1915. The only manifestation that was known at the time was the precession of planetary orbits. The orbit of Mercury was used because it has the highest precession of all the planets in the solar system. This is because it moves faster than any other planet. Though it is still nowhere near to being "relativistic", so the effect was extremely small.<br />
<br />
#The first question that is of interest is whether precession occurs, and how much. The precession of Mercury had been known, with considerable accuracy due to observations of transits of the Sun, for about 50 years. The precession does occur, and in very good agreement with theory. The data on this are discussed just above in this article.<br />
#We now have access to much better examples of orbits affected by general relativity, showing the effect much more strongly than could have been done in 1915. This is because orbiting bodies emit [[gravitational waves]], which remove energy from the system and make the orbit decay. This effect is utterly impossible to observe in the case of Mercury's orbit, but it became possible with the discovery of pulsars in 1967. Binary pulsars are sufficiently massive, and orbit sufficiently closely, that their decay can be observed. This was observed for binary pulsar [[PSR B1913+16]], and Joseph Taylor and Russell Hulse were awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize for this. The gravitational waves themselves were still far to weak to be observed directly.<br />
#By 2015, the LISA detector was able to observe gravitational waves directly, from decaying and colliding black holes and neutron stars.<br />
#In addition to the more recent discoveries involving much stronger "signals" than the observations of Mercury, those signals were much less contaminated by extraneous phenomena, or "noise". The calculated relativistic precession of Mercury is 43 arcseconds per (Earth) century, in the context of 5600 arcseconds per century of total precession. The latter effects are mostly due to the gravitational forces from other planets, 0.03 arcseconds from solar oblatenes, and 0.002 arcseconds from Lense-Thirring precession.<br />
<br />
The orbits of stars near the black holes in galactic centers, while not showing decay or radiation, present a much stronger signal than Mercury. While the precession can't be quantified, it is still a very clear effect.<br />
<br />
People have argued at great length (often here at Conservapedia) over the total precession discrepancy (about 1 arcsecond per century according to an article cited at Wikipedia) and relativity's role in it, but in fact there are other phenomena that are vastly better suited to testing Einsteinian gravity.<br />
<br />
===The Shapiro Effect===<br />
[[Image:Cassini-science-289.jpg|right|thumb|The Shapiro effect: A spacecraft signal dipping into a gravity well around the [[Sun]] is delayed slightly.]]<br />
<br />
Another is the ''Shapiro effect'', involving time delay in radio signals passing through the gravity well of the Sun or a planet. Various spacecraft (such as Cassini) have confirmed this.<ref>http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v425/n6956/full/nature01997.html</ref><br />
<br />
===Gravitational Time Dilation===<br />
Gravitational time dilation is an effect separate from the time dilation of special relativity. It was tested by the Pound-Rebka experiment in 1959. No Nobel Prize was awarded for this. Professor Pound had previously shared in the 1952 Nobel for his contributions to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging.<br />
<br />
===Gravitational Waves===<br />
Later in the 20th century, even more subtle phenomena were tested. One was the phenomenon of ''gravitational radiation'', or "gravitational waves". These waves are incredibly difficult to observe, and had never been observed until 2015. But extremely dense binary pulsars radiate gravitational waves with sufficient energy loss that, even though we can't detect the waves from Earth, we can see the effect of the energy loss from the radiation. The extreme precision of the timing of pulses from pulsars makes it possible to observe their energy loss with great accuracy. Observations by Hulse and Taylor of the pulsar pair known as B1913+16, found the energy loss to be consistent with the predicted radiation. This required choosing orbital parameters to be consistent with observation, in the same way that Kepler chose orbital parameters to fit observed planetary motion to his theory. The rotating pulsars have since moved such that Earth is now out of the beams. The assumptions required for this, in addition to those listed above, were that pulsars behave consistently. The 1993 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for this.<br />
<br />
In late 2015 (and announced in 2016), the LIGO instruments directly detected gravitational waves allegedly from colliding [[black hole]]s. See [[Gravitational waves]]. Unlike the waves from orbiting pulsars, that could only be detected by the loss of rotation energy, the waves from colliding black holes were strong enough to be detected directly. The assumptions required for this, in addition to those listed above, were that the objects emitting the radiation (generally believed to be black holes, of course) satisfy the Schwartzschild solution to relativistic mechanics. The 2017 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for this.<br />
<br />
Since that very early announcement, further observations of gravitational waves have continued to come in.<ref>https://ligo.org</ref> In August 2019 the first detection of the gravitational waves from the merger of a [[black hole]] and a neutron star occurred.<ref>https://ligo.org/news/index.php#O3updateAug19</ref> This was event S190814bv, 870 million light years away, and hence actually occurred 870 million years ago.<ref>https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/296902-scientists-detect-first-ever-collision-between-black-hole-and-neutron-star</ref><br />
<br />
In 2018 an observation of the 3-body system PSR J0337+1715, consisting of 2 white dwarfs and a pulsar, was consistent with (and hence tended to confirm) general relativity under conditions of extremely high gravity, to enormous precision. The assumptions made were the same as those listed above. One of the researchers stated "If there is a difference [between observation and the prediction of the Equivalence Principle], it is no more than three parts in a million."<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/einstein-s-theory-relativity-passes-its-toughest-test-yet-ncna889021</ref><br />
<br />
In 2018, observations of a star orbiting the supermassive black hole "Sagittarius A*" at the center of our galaxy, showed that the light was stretched from the black hole's gravity just as relativity predicted. The star orbits Sagittarius A* at speeds of up to 16 million miles per hour. This was the first observation of such intense gravity.<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/einstein-s-theory-relativity-aces-its-first-black-hole-test-ncna896641</ref><br />
<br />
===Local Position Invariance===<br />
The ''equivalence principle'', which is the underpinning of gravity under general relativity, states that there is absolutely no perceived effect of gravity on an object in free fall, that is, in a gravitational field. This has been tested many times, and is the basis of all space-time calculations in relativity. But in March 2019, it was reported to have been successfully tested in a gravitational field very much stronger than ever before. The phenomenon is called ''local position invariance'', or LPI. It was measured on the light emitted from a star called "S0-2", closely orbiting the "Sagittarius A*" black hole at the center of the galaxy. The gravitational field that S0-2 is subject to is vastly more powerful than any other gravitational field that has been measured.<ref>https://physics.aps.org/synopsis-for/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.101102</ref><br />
<br />
===Further Measurements near Sagittarius A*===<br />
In July 2019, another star, S0-102, was characterized accurately by Andrea Ghez and her team.<ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2019/07/24/science.aav8137</ref> It is even closer to the Sagittarius A* black hole than S0-2. Together, the two stars made it possible to map the gravity well in 3 dimensions, providing an even more accurate test of General Relativity. "Making a measurement of such fundamental importance has required years of patient observing, enabled by state-of-the-art technology. Through their rigorous efforts, Ghez and her collaborators have produced a high-significance validation of Einstein's idea about strong gravity." The statistical significance of these measurements is 5-sigma (5&sigma;). That means that the probability that this result came about by sheer chance is 1 in 3.5 million. It is the commonly accepted criterion for definitive validations.<br />
<br />
===Geodetic Precession===<br />
''Geodetic precession'' (also known as "de Sitter precession"), and ''frame dragging'' (also known as the "Lense-Thirring effect") were tested by the "Gravity Probe B" satellite early in the 21st century.<ref>http://prl.aps.org/accepted/L/ea070Y8dQ491d22a28828c95f660a57ac82e7d8c0</ref><ref>http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/306430</ref><ref>http://www.nap.edu/html/gpb/summary.html</ref><ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/73870/title/Gravity_Probe_B_finally_pays_off_</ref><ref>https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gpb/</ref><ref>http://einstein.stanford.edu/</ref><ref>http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/the-gravity-probe-b-bailout</ref><ref>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/nasa-concludes-gravity-probe-b-space-time-experiment-proves-e/</ref> The precision required to observe this was phenomenal. The results were announced on May 4, 2011.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<!-- make the Shapiro picture not obliterate the next section heading --><br />
<br />
==Predicted consequences of the Theories==<br />
===Time dilation===<br />
<!-- NOTE [[Time dilation]] redirects to this section, so the section name should not be changed without amending that redirect. --><br />
[[Image:Light cone.png|right|thumb|Light-cone diagram]]<br />
One important consequence of relativity is that an observer in one reference frame will not in general observe a clock in another frame to be "ticking" at the same rate as one in the observer's own frame.<br />
<br />
In [[special relativity]], where acceleration and gravitational effects are ignored, this can be derived using basic geometry. The result is that clocks in all other [[inertial frames of reference]] other than the one you are in appear to tick slower. This can be summarised by the well known phrase "moving clocks run slow".<br />
<br />
However, with [[general relativity]], there are similar effects such as gravitational time dilation where a clockthat is higher in a gravitational field runs faster. Often the effects of relativity are negligible. However the high precision required for the [[GPS|GPS system]] needs relativistic corrections. The rest of this section will concern only [[special relativity]].<br />
<br />
The length of an event <math>t</math>, as seen by a (relative) stationary observer observing an event is given by:<br />
<br />
<math> t = \frac{t_{0}} {\sqrt{1 - \frac{u^{2}}{c^{2}}}}</math> <br />
<br />
Where <br />
:<math>t_0</math> is the "proper time" or the length of the event in the observed frame of reference.<br />
:<math>u</math> is the relative velocity between the [[inertial frame of reference|reference frames]].<br />
:<math>c</math> is the speed of light (3x10<sup>8</sup> m s<sup>-1</sup>).<br />
<br />
Evidence for time dilation was discovered by studying muon decay. [[Muons]] are [[subatomic particles]] with a short [[halflife]] of 1.53 microseconds. When produced by interactions of [[cosmic rays]] in the upper atmosphere, they have a speed around 0.994c. By putting muon detectors at the top (D<sub>1</sub>) and bottom (D<sub>2</sub>) of a mountain with a separation of 1900 m, scientists could measure accurately the proportion of muons reaching the second detector in comparison to the first. The proportion found was different to the proportion that was calculated without taking into account relativistic effects.<br />
<br />
Using the equation for [[exponential decay]], they could use this proportion to calculate the time taken for the muons to decay, relative to the muon. Then, using the time dilation equation they could then work out the dilated time. The dilated time showed a good correlation with the time it took the [[muons]] to reach the second sensor, thereby supporting the existence of time dilation.<br />
<br />
The time taken for a muon to travel from D<sub>1</sub> to D<sub>2</sub> as measured by a stationary observer is:<br />
<br />
<math> t = \frac{s}{v} = \frac{1900}{0.994\times(3\times10^{8})} = 6.37\mu\textrm{s} </math><br />
<br />
The fraction of muons arriving at D<sub>2</sub> in comparison to D<sub>1</sub> was 0.732. (Given by <math> \frac{N}{N_0} = 0.732 </math>)<br />
<br />
Since (from the equation for exponential decay) <math> \frac{N}{N_{0}} = e^{-\lambda t_{0}} </math> then<br />
<br />
<math> t_{0} = \frac {ln(0.732)}{ln (0.2)} \times 1.53\times 10^{-6} = 0.689\mu\textrm{s}</math><br />
<br />
This gives the time for the proportion of decay to occur for an observer who is stationary, relative to the muon.<br />
<br />
Putting this into the time dilation equation gives:<br />
<br />
<math> t = \frac{t_{0}}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^{2}}{c^{2}}}} = \frac{0.689 \times{10^{-6}}}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{0.994^{2}}{1^{2}}}} = 6.3\times 10^{-6}\textrm{s}</math><br />
<br />
This is in good agreement with the value calculated above, thereby providing evidence to support time dilation.<br />
<br />
Since either [[inertial frame of reference|reference frame]] is equally valid, from the [[muon]]'s point of view it sees the [[earth]] approach it at nearly the [[speed of light]]. Hence time passes faster for the muon (slower for an observer on the ground). This appears to be a contradiction. However, the [[muon]] sees the height of the mountain contracted and so travels a shorter distance in its own frame. See length contraction below.<br />
<br />
====Time Dilation and Creation Science====<br />
<br />
{{main|Starlight problem#Humphreys.27_model}}<br />
<br />
Creation scientists such as physicists Dr. [[Russell Humphreys]] and Dr. [[John Hartnett]] have used relativistic time dilation to explain how the earth can be only 6,000 years old even though cosmological data (background radiation, supernovae, etc.) set a much older age for the universe.<br />
<br />
====Derivation of Time Dilation====<br />
<br />
Time dilation is most easily derived using the [[Lorentz transformation]]s, though geometrical solution is also straight forward. Using the transformation relating [[time]] between two [[Inertial frame of reference|frames of reference]], <math>t</math> and <math>t'</math>. We can find the time difference between two events that occur at the '''same''' location in space. The events shall be called event one and event 2. This results in the equations:<br />
<br />
<math>t'_1 = \gamma \left(t_1 - \frac{ux}{c^2} \right) </math><br/><br />
<math>t'_2 = \gamma \left(t_2 - \frac{ux}{c^2} \right) </math><br />
<br />
where<br />
:<math>\gamma</math> is the [[Lorentz factor]]<br />
:<math>u</math> is the relative [[speed]] between [[Inertial frame of reference|reference frames]]<br />
:<math>c</math> is the [[speed of light]]<br />
<br />
Subtracting the top equation from the bottom produces the time between the events as measured in each reference frame, so:<br />
<br />
<math>t'_2 - t'_1 = \gamma (t_2 - t_1)</math><br />
<br />
This the equation for time dilation and is the same equation as earlier.<br />
<br />
===Length contraction===<br />
When two inertial reference frames move past each other in a straight line with constant relative velocity, an observer in one reference frame would observe a metre rule in the other frame to be shorter along the direction parallel to the relative motion.<br />
<br />
The length, <math>l</math>, of an object as seen by a (relative) stationary observer is given by:<br />
<br />
<math> l = l_{0} \sqrt{1- \frac{u^{2}}{c^{2}}} = \frac{l_0}{\gamma}</math><br />
<br />
Where <br />
:<math>l_0</math> is the "proper length" or the length of the object in its own [[inertial frame of reference|frame of reference]].<br />
:<math>u</math> is the relative velocity between the reference frames.<br />
:<math>c</math> is the speed of light <math>3 \times 10^8 </math> m s<sup>-1</sup><br />
:<math>\gamma</math> is the [[Lorentz factor]]<br />
<br />
====Derivation====<br />
<br />
Length contraction may be derived using the [[Lorentz transformation]]s as with time dilation. This time we use the equation for <math>x</math>. In this case, the time in the undashed frame must be the '''same'''. Following the same procedure as above we find that:<br />
<br />
<math>x'_2 -x'_1 = \frac{x_2 - x_1}{\gamma}</math><br />
<br />
This is the same as above with <math>x_2 - x_1</math> and <math>x'_2 - x'_1</math> being the lengths in the undashed and dashed frames respectively. Again, geometrical arguments may be used to achieve the same result.<br />
<br />
===Apparent mass increase===<br />
<br />
For decades the theory of relativity taught that as a body moves with increasing velocity its [[mass]] also increases.<ref>For example, this was taught as recently as in the 1991 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica.</ref><br />
<br />
Under this view, the mass, <math>m</math>, of an object as detected by a (relative) stationary observer is given by:<br />
<br />
:<math> m = \frac{m_{0}} {\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}</math><br />
<br />
Where <br />
:<math>m_0</math> is the "rest mass" or the mass of the object measured by an observer in the same reference frame as the object.<br />
:<math>v</math> is the relative velocity of the object.<br />
:<math>c</math> is the speed of light (3x10<sup>8</sup> ms<sup>-1</sup>).<br />
<br />
Since speed is relative, it follows that two observers in different inertial reference frames may disagree on the mass and kinetic energy of a body. Since all inertial reference frames are treated on an equal footing, it follows that mass and energy are interchangeable.<br />
<br />
In recent years most physicists have shifted away from Einstein's original reliance on relativistic mass and his suggestion that mass increases{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}. Instead, most physicists today teach that <br />
<br />
:<math>F=\frac{d}{d\tau} p</math> <br />
<br />
where<br />
:<math>p</math> is the momentum defined by <math>\gamma m v</math><br />
:<math>\gamma</math> is the standard Lorentz factor<br />
:<math>\tau</math> is the proper time<br />
<br />
Force F defined this way is a [[vector]] and thus can handle the directional aspect of the relativistic effects better than the concept of relativistic mass can.<br />
The abandonment by physicists of the concept of relativistic mass, however, has the consequence of undermining the traditional claim under relativity that<br />
<br />
:<math>m - m_0 = \frac{E}{c^2}</math> <br />
<br />
also popularly known as<br />
<br />
:<math>E = m c^2</math><br />
<br />
Now a concept of the 4-momentum <math>p</math> of a particle is taught, such that the square of the magnitude of <math>p</math> satisfies:<br />
<br />
<math>||p||^2 = -p_x^2-p_y^2-p_z^2+E^2 = m_0^2c^4</math> <br />
<br />
in any inertial reference frame. The magnitude of the 4-momentum, in any inertial frame, equals the rest mass <math>m_0</math> of the particle (in units where <math>c=1</math>).<br />
<br />
== Relativity in everyday life ==<br />
<br />
Due to the small speeds and gravitational fields in normal life, relativistic phenomena such as time dilation and length contraction are rarely observed. However some things in everyday life can be explained using relativity:<br />
<br />
*GPS, the satellites experience time dilation due to the difference in speed and the strength of gravitational field between the satellite and the ground. This is corrected by daily synchronisation between the ground and the atomic clocks in the satellites.<br />
*While most elemental metals such as [[silver]], [[zinc]] and [[mercury]] have a silver/grey appearance, some metals like [[gold]] and [[copper]] do not. This difference can be explained using relativistic quantum mechanics.<ref>http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/golden_glow/</ref><br />
<br />
== Paradoxes ==<br />
<br />
The predictions of the theory of relativity throw up a number of apparent paradoxes and anomalies relating to the effects of time dilatation and length contraction. Whilst these paradoxes are consistent with the theory, they are contrary to everyday human experience and therefore can seem like impossibilities.<br />
<br />
=== The Twin Paradox ===<br />
<br />
The twin paradox is usually stated as a thought experiment involving two twins, one of whom is sent on a long journey in a spacecraft travelling at close to the speed of light, whilst the other remains on Earth. Time dilatation means that the travelling twin, on his return to Earth, is younger that the twin who has remained at home. However, because neither twin is in a special position - each being in an inertial frame of reference - the reverse must also be true, and so the twin remaining on Earth must be younger. Hence each twin is younger than the other - a paradox.<br />
<br />
The problem can be resolved in two ways. One is to examine the effects of General Relativity: to come back to Earth, the travelling twin must undergo acceleration in order to reverse his course, causing temporal effects which make him permanently the younger. Alternatively, it can be explained entirely using Special Relativity and noting that the twins are not in symmetrical situations: the one on earth has remained in a single inertial frame of reference, whilst the travelling twin has travelled in two.<ref>http://mentock.home.mindspring.com/twins.htm</ref> Note that the length of the trip cannot be increased as to make the acceleration negligible.<br />
<br />
=== The Ehrenfest Paradox ===<br />
<br />
The Ehrenfest Paradox considers a rigid wheel or disc rotating a bout its axis at high speed (somewhat like a bicycle wheel spinning freely on its axle). The rim of the wheel travels at close to the speed of light and therefore undergoes length contraction, whereas the radius (the spokes, for the bicycle wheel) does not. Hence the circumference is no longer equal to 2<big><math>\pi</math></big>r, which is paradoxical.<br />
<br />
The apparent paradox was finally resolved in 1975 by the Norwegian scientist Øyvind Grøn.<ref>http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=224955</ref><br />
<br />
==Speed "paradox"==<br />
<br />
This is not a paradox. It arises from failure to know or understand the "speed addition" formula. The formula tells how fast each observer measures the speed of the other observer when they are both traveling toward each other, as seen by some outside observer, at speeds <math>u</math> and <math>v</math>. Under classical mechanics, the result is just <math>u+v</math>. But the formula under special relativity is<br />
<br />
<math>\frac{u + v}{1 + \frac{uv}{c^2}}</math><br />
<br />
This formula is a consequence of the Lorentz transform. It is a well known part of the basic undergraduate physics curriculum.<br />
<br />
So, if two spacecraft are approaching each other, each traveling at what an outside observer would measure as half the speed of light, a person ignorant of how relativity works might think they each see the other coming toward them at the speed of light. But the formula shows that they actually see each other moving at <math>\frac{4}{5}</math> of the speed of light.<br />
<br />
If <math>u</math> and <math>v</math> are both less than the speed of light, one can show that the result of the addition formula will be also.<br />
<br />
== Variable Speed of Light ==<br />
<br />
The Theory of Relativity implies that physical constants like c, the speed of light in a vacuum, have remained constant. But at least one study suggests that physical constants, and possibly even the speed of light, have changed as the universe has aged.<ref>James Glanz and Dennis Overbye, "Cosmic Laws Like Speed of Light Might Be Changing, a Study Finds," August 15, 2001.[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/15/science/15PHYS.html?ex=1185076800&en=d6467b6e3e346796&ei=5070]</ref><br />
<br />
"For the first time, scientists have experimentally demonstrated that sound pulses can travel at velocities faster than the speed of light, c. William Robertson's team from Middle Tennessee State University also showed that the group velocity of sound waves can become infinite, and even negative. ... Although such results may at first appear to violate special relativity (Einstein's law that no material object can exceed the speed of light), the actual significance of these experiments is a little different. These types of superluminal phenomena, Robertson et al. explain, violate neither causality nor special relativity, nor do they enable information to travel faster than c. In fact, theoretical work had predicted that the superluminal speed of the group velocity of sound waves should exist. 'The key to understanding this seeming paradox is that no wave energy exceeded the speed of light,' said Robertson."<ref>http://www.physorg.com/news88249076.html</ref><br />
<br />
"A team of researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has successfully demonstrated, for the first time, that it is possible to control the speed of light – both slowing it down and speeding it up – in an optical fiber, using off-the-shelf instrumentation in normal environmental conditions. Their results, to be published in the August 22 issue of Applied Physics Letters, could have implications that range from optical [[computing]] to the fiber-optic telecommunications industry."<ref>http://www.scienceblog.com/light.html</ref> Both slowing down and speeding up of light within a substance other than a vacuum is made possible, because the light travels through the material, and that material affects the speed of light, i.e. a photon hits an electron, which then exits and emits a slightly lower energy photon out in the direction that the original photon was traveling, thus maintaining conservation of momentum. No matter how transparent an object may appear, it radically impacts the speed of the light traveling through it, as demonstrated by the refractive production of a rainbow by a crystal, which Newton himself discovered.<br />
<br />
This apparent change in speed can be explained, however, by noting that the constant c refers to the speed of light in a vacuum, i.e., when it is unimpeded. The speed of light when traveling through physical media is, in fact, variable.<br />
<br />
"A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light - an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time. ... Dr Nimtz told New Scientist magazine: 'For the time being, this is the only violation of special relativity that I know of.'"<ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/16/scispeed116.xml</ref><br />
<br />
==Pending research==<br />
<br />
Today some physicists are working on hypothesizing how general relativity might have related to the other three forces of nature during the first fraction of a second of the [[Big Bang]]. Two of the more commonly studied attempts are [[string theory]] and [[loop quantum gravity]], but they have failed to produce any evidence that science mandates a science must have, and both typically take large amounts of work to even conform to what scientists believe. Critics increasingly point out that string theory and loop quantum gravity are largely untestable and unfalsifiable, and thus potentially unscientific under the principles of science advanced by [[Karl Popper]].<ref>See, for example, ''Not Even Wrong'', by Peter Woit</ref><br />
<br />
Relativity continues to be tested and some physics professors remain skeptical of the theory, such as University of Maryland physics professor Carroll Alley, who served as the principle physicist on the Apollo lunar project.<ref>https://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/21jul_llr.htm</ref><br />
<br />
===Government Support for Relativistic research===<br />
The Federal Government has funded the building of two gravity wave detectors: The first to test the principle, and the second (upgrade) to actually perform measurements. As a result of this work, on February 11, 2016, the LIGO team reported successful detection of gravitational waves caused by the merging of two black holes.<ref>https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211</ref><br />
<br />
{{Relativity}}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Attempts to prove E=mc²]]<br />
*[[Counterexamples to Relativity]]<br />
*[[Essay:Rebuttal to Counterexamples to Relativity]]<br />
*[[Logical Flaws in E=mc²]]<br />
*[[Essay:Rebuttal to Logical Flaws in E=mc²]]<br />
*[[Quantitative Analysis of Alpha Decay]]<br />
*[[Gravitational waves]]<br />
*[http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/experiments.html What is the experimental basis of Special Relativity?]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
<br />
==External links ==<br />
*[http://ia331314.us.archive.org/2/items/theeinsteintheor11335gut/11335-h/11335-h.htm The Einstein Theory of Relativity, by H.A. Lorentz.]<br />
*[http://www.relativitycalculator.com Relativity Science Calculator - Learn Special Relativity Mathematics ] The mathematics of special relativity presented in as simple and comprehensive manner possible within philosophical and historical contexts.<br />
*[http://www.relativitycalculator.com/history_of_time_clocks.shtml Relativity Science Calculator - Philosophic Question: are clocks and time separable?]<br />
*[http://www.relativityscience.com/twin_clock_paradox.shtml Relativity Science Calculator - Twin Clock Paradox]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Theory_of_relativity&diff=1938357Theory of relativity2023-03-14T11:31:18Z<p>ChenXiansheng: nothing to do with moral relativism</p>
<hr />
<div>''See also [[Counterexamples to Relativity]].''<br />
<br />
In physics, the '''theory of relativity''' is a scientific theory describing the effects due to the invariance of the speed of light. In particular, the meaning of space and time are altered by the motion of the observer. Relativity proposes time dilation and length contraction for observers moving relative to one another at very high ("relativistic") speeds.<br />
<br />
'''Relativity''' refers to two closely-related mathematical theories in [[physics]]:<br />
[[Image:600px-Albert Einstein Head.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|<br />
*"I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional [[Atheism|atheist]] whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being." - [[Albert Einstein]]<ref name="Isaacson390">Isaacson, Walter (2008). [https://books.google.com/books?id=cdxWNE7NY6QC&pg=PT390 ''Einstein: His Life and Universe''] (New York: Simon and Schuster), p. 390. Retrieved from GoogleBooks archive on February 19, 2015.</ref>]]<br />
*'''[[Special theory of relativity|Special relativity]]''' (SR) is a theory to describe the laws of motion for non-accelerating bodies traveling at a significant fraction of the [[speed of light]]. As speeds approach zero, Special Relativity tends towards equivalence with [[Newton's Laws of Motion]]. Special Relativity was put forward by [[Albert Einstein]]; its mathematical framework was independently developed and formalized by [[Hendrik Lorentz]], [[Henri Poincaré]], and [[Hermann Minkowski]].<ref>"German mathematician who developed the geometrical theory of numbers and who made numerous contributions to number theory, mathematical physics, and the theory of relativity." [https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9052860/Hermann-Minkowski Hermann Minkowski -- ''Britannica Online Encyclopedia'' website]</ref><ref>[http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Minkowski.html Hermann Minkowski, Biography]</ref><br />
<br />
*'''[[General theory of relativity|General Relativity]]''' (GR) is a theory to explain the laws of motion as viewed from accelerating reference frames and includes a geometric explanation for gravity. This theory was originally developed by Einstein, with help from [[David Hilbert]] in its final mathematical formulation, as a generalization of the postulates of Special Relativity to account for non-inertial, accelerating observers, particularly those in a gravitational field.<ref>"[T]he German mathematician David Hilbert submitted an article containing the correct field equations for general relativity five days before Einstein."[http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/physics/relativity/history-1.html Nobel Prize historical account]</ref> A dramatic but later discredited<ref>Stephen Hawking, ''Brief History of Time'' ("Their measurement had been sheer luck, or a case of knowing the result they wanted to get."). Hawking was being kind. In fact, Eddington excluded data that did not fit his preconceived view. Further discrediting of Eddington's study was published by Earman, J., Glymour, C., ''Hist. Stud. Phys. Sci.'' 11, 49-85 (1980), and Collins, H. M., Pinch, T., The Golem: What Everyone Should Know About Science. Cambridge University Press (1993) (as cited in [http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070907/full/news070903-20.html#B2])</ref> claim by Sir [[Arthur Eddington]] of experimental proof of General Relativity in 1919 popularized the theory.<br />
<br />
These theories have augmented earlier approaches, such as [[Galilean Relativity]].<br />
<br />
The theory of relativity is defended with religious-like zeal, such that no college faculty tenure, Ph.D degree, or [[Nobel Prize]] is ever awarded to anyone who dares criticize the theory, as the example of denying a Nobel Prize to the most accomplished physicist of the 20th century, [[Robert Dicke]], illustrates. Other critics of the theory are [[Nikola Tesla]], who called it a "...magnificent mathematical garb which fascinates, dazzles and makes people blind to the underlying errors. The theory is like a beggar clothed in purple whom ignorant people take for a king ... its exponents are brilliant men but they are metaphysicists, not scientists..."<ref>[http://www.plasmacosmology.net/tesla.html ''New York Times'', July 11, 1935, p23, c8]</ref> and Louis Essen [1908-1997], the man credited with determining the speed of light. He wrote fiery papers and many feature articles of the subject in science journals with popular audiences against it such as "Relativity and Time Signals"<ref>http://gsjournal.net/Science-Journals/Journal%20Reprints-Relativity%20Theory/Download/3297</ref> and "Relativity - Joke or Swindle?".<ref>http://www.ekkehard-friebe.de/Essen-L.htm</ref> Perhaps the most famous website opposing relativity is this one, with its [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] page. The cornerstone item in that page involves the experimental measurements of the advance of the perihelion of Mercury that show a shift greater than predicted by Relativity, well beyond the margin of error.<br />
<br />
There are some issues of continuity and limits arising in the mathematical analysis of the theory of relativity. See [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] for discussion of this point.<br />
<br />
The theory of relativity consist of complex mathematical equations relying on several hypotheses. For example, at Hofstra University general relativity is taught as part of an upperclass math course on differential geometry, based on three stated assumptions.<ref>http://people.hofstra.edu/Stefan_Waner/diff_geom/tc.html</ref> Special relativity assumes that all observers in inertial frames of reference will measure the same value for the speed of light, '''c''' and that all inertial frames of reference are equivalent. These hypotheses that can never be fully tested. Relativity rejects Newton's [[action at a distance]], which is basic to Newtonian gravity and also found to be a consequence of [[quantum mechanics]]. The mathematics of relativity assume no exceptions, yet in the time period immediately following the origin of the universe the relativity equations could not possibly have been valid, since quantum effects would not be negligible (in the same way non-relativistic quantum mechanics is not valid when dealing with particles traveling near the speed of light). <br />
<br />
The "continuous" nature of space and time postulated by relativity is in conflict with the "discrete" nature in [[quantum mechanics]],<ref>For example, Relativity claims that space and time are smooth and continuous, while [[quantum mechanics]] suggests otherwise. [https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/1025/Is-the-universe-a-big-hologram-This-device-could-find-out.] Relativity also denies [[action-at-a-distance]], while quantum mechanics suggests otherwise. Relativity denies any role for chance, while quantum mechanics is heavily dependent on it.</ref> and although theories like [[string theory]] and [[quantum field theory]] have attempted to unify relativity and quantum mechanics, neither has been entirely successful or proven.<br />
<br />
Unlike [[Classical mechanics|Newtonian physics]], in which space and time intervals are each invariant as seen by all observers, in SR the only invariant quantity is a quadratic combination of space and time intervals (''x''<sup>2</sup> - ''c''<sup>2</sup> ''t''<sup>2</sup>). The instantaneous transmission of Newtonian gravitational effects also contradicts relativity.<br />
<br />
In quantum mechanics, the [[uncertainty principle]] suggests that virtual particles can sometimes travel faster than the speed of light which would violate causality, but "[t]he only known way to resolve this tension involves introducing the idea of antiparticles."<ref>http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2004/wilczek-lecture.pdf (p. 102)</ref> Consequently, in 1928 [[Paul Dirac]] derived the Dirac equation, one of the first quantum mechanical equations compatible with special relativity, by which Dirac predicted the existence of antimatter. Four years later, antimatter (the positron) was discovered by Carl Anderson, as successfully predicted by relativistic quantum mechanics. [[Quantum field theory]], a generalization of quantum mechanics, is fully compatible with special relativity but not with general relativity, and still lacks a vital piece: evidence of the [[graviton]].<br />
<br />
== Special Relativity ==<br />
Lorentz and Poincaré developed Special Relativity as way of understanding how Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism could be valid in different frames of reference. Einstein famously published an explanation of Poincaré's theory<ref>http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/www/ "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies"</ref> in terms of two assumptions (postulates):<br />
<br />
#''The laws of physics are identical in all inertial reference frames.''<br />
#''The [[speed of light]] is the same for all (inertial) observers, regardless of their velocities relative to each other.''<br />
<br />
As an example of the first of these, if one performs an experiment&mdash;say, with a pendulum or some similar apparatus&mdash;in a railroad car traveling uniformly at 50 miles per hour, one would find the results of the experiment (positions, speeds, etc.) to be consistent with the laws of physics in the railroad car. An outside stationary observer, looking through the window, would also find the results consistent with the laws of physics in his stationary reference frame. He would simply have to subtract 50 miles per hour from the velocities of the objects in order to get values that agree with the values obtained by the observer on the train. But the two observations would each be consistent with the laws of physics. This is all straightforward and obvious to modern people, and has been since the time of Galileo. This principle is now called "Galilean relativity". Another way of stating this is:<br />
*''There is no "preferred" frame of reference.''<br />
Neither observer can claim that his frame of reference is "right". Of course, the observer on the train would think that the Earth is moving at 50 miles per hour under the wheels.<br />
<br />
The second postulate is what makes relativity what it is. Using the above principle, if someone in the railroad car shines a beam of light forward, he would observe it moving at a speed of 670,000,000 miles per hour. One would expect, according to the first postulate, that an observer standing on the ground would measure its speed as 670,000,050 miles per hour. But the second postulate says that the stationary observer measures the same speed, 670,000,000 miles per hour. While this seems paradoxical, many experiments, such as the [[Michelson-Morley experiment]] show that it is nevertheless true. Special Relativity explains the apparent inconsistency between these postulates.<br />
<br />
Why was this not observed until around 1900? Because the speed of light is so great that the discrepancy is very hard to measure. For example, in the railroad experiment described above, the discrepancy between the two speeds is 7.5 parts per million.<br />
<br />
There are many far-reaching consequences of this, and many experimental verifications, some of which are listed below. Two of the more interesting consequences are that:<br />
#No material object of nonzero mass can travel at or greater than the speed of light. (Objects of zero mass, such as photons, travel at exactly the speed of light.)<br />
#Information can not travel faster than the speed of light.<ref>This assumption is commonly restated in this manner. For example, a discussion of hypothetical [[tachyons]] talks "about using tachyons to transmit information faster than the speed of light, '''in violation of Special Relativity'''."[http://www.math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/ParticleAndNuclear/tachyons.html]</ref> This is sometimes stated as:<br />
#There is no "action at a distance," because that would make observations dependent on the frame of reference. See [[Action at a distance]] for a discussion of this point.<br />
<br />
When the assumptions are stated clearly as above, the weaknesses in the theory are more apparent. There “is” action at a distance in [[quantum entanglement]] and apparently also in gravity, as no gravitons can be found. However, no information has yet been transmitted via quantum entanglement, so while non-locality violates the spirit of relativity it is consistent with it if relativity is limited to the transmission of information. [[Quantum field theory]], an attempt to partially reconcile [[quantum mechanics]] with relativity, is incomplete at best. As to the second assumption, it is contrary to the [[arrow of time]], which illustrates the lack of symmetry in time. Logical defects include the incoherence of relativistic mass (see discussion below) and the lack of relativistic constraints near the beginning the universe (see above).<br />
<br />
Special Relativity (SR) was initially developed by [[Henri Poincaré]] and [[Hendrik Lorentz]], working on problems in electrodynamics and the [[Michelson-Morley experiment]], which had not found any sign of Earth's orbital motion through the [[aether (science)|luminiferous aether]], which was believed to be the substance which carried electromagnetic waves. Special relativity alters [[Isaac Newton]]'s laws of motion by assuming that the speed of light will be the same for all observers, despite their relative velocities and the source of the light. (Therefore, if A sends a beam of light to B, and both measure the speed, it will be the same for both, no matter what the relative velocity of A and B. In Newtonian/Galilean mechanics, If A sends a physical object at a particular velocity towards B, and nothing slows it, the velocity of the object relative to B depends on the velocities of the object and of B relative to A.)<br />
<br />
At low speeds (relative to light-speed), the Lorentz-Poincaré relativity equations are equivalent to Newton's equations. The media-promoted equation ''[[E=mc²]]'', implausibly suggests a relationship between typically unrelated concepts of energy, the rest mass of a body and the speed of light.<br />
<br />
Under relativity, particles at low mass and low speed can be accurately approximated by [[classical mechanics]] (such as [[Isaac Newton]]'s laws of motion). At the two extremes, modeling the behavior of electrons requires that relativistic effects be taken into account (the chemically significant phenomenon of electron spin arises from relativity), and the course of light passing through a region containing many massive bodies such as galaxies will be distorted ([[classical mechanics]], in which light travels in straight lines, does not predict this). These are both experimentally confirmed (electron spin was known before relativity arose, and telescopic observations confirm that galactic clusters distort the paths of the light passing through them).<br />
<br />
Many scientists have indicated problems with the postulates of special relativity. Paul Davies, formerly of Macquarie University and now at the University of Arizona believes that the speed of light has changed over time. Since the speed of light is a constant speed 'c' this indicates problems with the theory [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2181455.stm light speed]. Other engineers and scientists have written about problems in the basic set of special relativity equations. Based on the ideas of not Einstein but of the scientist Fitzgerald as well as others, a length contraction effect was predicted as an explanation of the failure of the Michelson-Morley experiment to detect Earth's orbital motion. This idea was taken up by Hendrik Lorentz and shown by others to be a useful mechanism by which theory could be derived from experimental results. In fact, the Michelson-Morley experiment is often cited in textbooks as the derivation of relativity, though there are many other experiments that do this; see below.<br />
<br />
In 2005, Michael Strauss, a computer engineer, claimed to have shown clear contradictions in Special Relativity, invalidating much of it.<br />
In 2004 he wrote the book ''Requiem for Relativity (The Collapse of Special Relativity)'', ASIN 0976312506. An archived ad for the book may be found at [https://web.archive.org/web/20120303075834/http://www.relativitycollapse.com/]. The original web site for it is no longer active.<br />
<br />
== General Relativity ==<br />
<br />
::::''See the [[General theory of relativity]] page for more in-depth coverage of this topic.''<br />
<br />
General Relativity is a theory of gravity that is compatible with Special Relativity. Einstein explains a thought experiment involving two elevators. The first elevator is stationary on the Earth, while the other is being pulled through space at a constant acceleration of g. Einstein realized that any physical experiment carried out in the elevators would give the same result. This realization is known as the equivalence principle and it states that accelerating frames of reference and gravitational fields are indistinguishable. General Relativity is the theory of gravity that incorporates Special Relativity and the equivalence principle. <br />
<br />
General Relativity is a mathematical extension of Special Relativity. GR views space-time as a 4-dimensional [[manifold]], which looks locally like [[Minkowski space]], and which acquires [[curvature]] due to the presence of massive bodies. Thus, near massive bodies, the geometry of space-time differs to a large degree from that of other parts of the universe. Just as in classical physics, objects travel along [[geodesic]]s in the absence of external forces. Importantly though, near a massive body, geodesics are no longer straight lines. It is this phenomenon of objects traveling along geodesics in a curved spacetime that accounts for gravity.<br />
<br />
The "anomalous precession" of Mercury's [[perihelion]] (slow shift of the orbit's major axis) is explained by the Theory of General Relativity, but not by Newtonian mechanics. Some precession (5600 arcseconds per century) is caused by purely classical phenomena, mostly the gravitational attraction of other planets. But a small amount (43 arcseconds per century) of the observed precession, goes beyond that which classical Newtonian mechanics can explain. General relativity explains it accurately.<br />
There was another explanation based on Newtonian gravity, involving a slight alteration to the precise inverse-square relation of Newtonian gravity to distance, but it was quickly discarded when it gave very bad results for the Moon's orbit. The relativistic explanation of the anomalous precession is disputed on the [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] page of Conservapedia.<br />
<br />
British Historian Paul Johnson declared the turning point in 20th century to have been when fellow Briton Sir [[Arthur Eddington]], an esteemed English astronomer, ventured out on a boat off Africa in 1919 with a local Army unit to observe the bending of starlight around the sun during a total eclipse. Upon his return to England declared that his observations proven the theory of relativity. In fact recent analysis of Eddington's work revealed that he was biased in selecting his data, and that overall his data were inconclusive about the theory of relativity. The prediction was later confirmed by more rigorous experiments, such as those performed by the [[Hubble Space Telescope]].<ref>[http://www.spaceimages.com/gravlen.html Hubble Gravitational Lens Photo]</ref><ref>[[Gravitational lensing]]</ref><ref>[http://www.iam.ubc.ca/~newbury/lenses/glgallery.html]</ref> [[Hendrik Lorentz]] had this to say on the discrepancies between the empirical eclipse data and Einstein's predictions.<br />
<br />
::''It indeed seems that the discrepancies may be ascribed to faults in observations, which supposition is supported by the fact that the observations at Prince's Island, which, it is true, did not turn out quite as well as those mentioned above, gave the result, of 1.64, somewhat lower than Einstein's figure.''<ref>Lorentz, H.A. [http://ia331314.us.archive.org/2/items/theeinsteintheor11335gut/11335-h/11335-h.htm The Einstein Theory of Relativity]</ref><br />
<br />
The bending of light by gravity is predicted both by Newtonian physics and relativity. Experimental observation agrees with the latter amount (1.75 arcseconds for the Sun), rather approximately for Eddington's measurements, and very accurately for more modern measurements.<br />
<br />
Special relativity is the limiting case of general relativity where all gravitational fields are weak. Alternatively, special relativity is the limiting case of general relativity when all reference frames are inertial (non-accelerating and without gravity).<br />
<br />
==Lack of evidence for Relativity==<br />
The Theory of relativity assumes that time is symmetric just as space is, but the biggest early promoter of relativity, Arthur Eddington, coined the term "[[arrow of time]]" admitting how time is ''not'' symmetric but is directional. The passage of time is tied to an increase in disorder, or [[entropy]]. The Theory of relativity cannot explain this, and implicitly denies it, specifically allowing for theoretical time travel (e.g., [[wormholes]]) and different rates of passage of time based on velocity and acceleration.<br />
<br />
The [[Global Positioning System]] ([[GPS]]) requires exquisitely accurate timekeeping in the satellite clocks&mdash;down to the nanosecond. This precision is so great that the effects of both special relativity and general relativity play an important role. Without making corrections to the timing signals from the satellite clocks, the results of GPS measurements would be so far off that the system would be useless. The required amount of correction is well known, and the system makes those corrections. Those corrections are consistent with special relativity and general relativity, and it is generally accepted that this is no coincidence&mdash;relativistic effects are the reason why the corrections are necessary. But one doesn't need to believe that relativity is the reason the corrections are needed; one only needs to make the corrections in order to get the system to work.<br />
<br />
Tom Van Flandern, an astronomer hired to work on GPS in the late 1990s, concluded that "[t]he GPS programmers don't need relativity." He was quoted as saying that the GPS programmers "have basically blown off Einstein."<ref>http://archive.salon.com/people/feature/2000/07/06/einstein/index.html See also [http://www.metaresearch.org/solar%20system/gps/absolute-gps-1meter-3.ASP], where Van Flandern discusses how relativistic corrections might improve GPS accuracy.</ref> Asynchronization can be easily addressed through communications between the satellites and ground stations, so it is unclear why any theory would be needed for GPS. While Van Flandern believed that relativity is unnecessary for GPS, he also asserted that observations of GPS satellites supported both general and special relativity, writing that "we can assert with confidence that the predictions of relativity are confirmed to high accuracy over time periods of many days," with unrelated factors interfering with longer-term observations.<ref>http://www.metaresearch.org/cosmology/gps-relativity.asp</ref><br />
<br />
Some internet articles claim that GPS timing differences ''confirm'' the Theory of Relativity or its Lorentzian counterpart (which uses a preferred frame of reference). GPS clocks run slower in the weaker gravitation field of the satellites than on ground stations on Earth, with the effects predicted by general relativity far outweighing the effects predicted by special relativity. However, the articles claiming that the slower GPS satellite clocks confirm relativity do not address the effect, if any, of the weaker gravitational force under Newton's theory on the GPS satellite clocks, likely because in Newtonian Mechanics every clock in the universe keeps time at the same rate regardless of velocity, acceleration, or the presence or absence of force.<br />
<br />
Currently, GPS satellites are synchronized to Coordinated Universal Time by radio signals from the ground; therefore, they cannot currently be used to test general relativity.<ref>[http://www.phys.lsu.edu/mog/mog9/node9.html "General Relativity in the Global Positioning System."] Neil Ashby, U. of Colorado</ref><br />
<br />
The effects of relativity have been observed with the frequency shift of the signal being sent back to [[Earth]] several times as various spacecraft have dipped into the gravity wells around massive objects such as the [[sun]] (see image at right)<ref>[http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases-03/20031002-pr-a.cfm Saturn-Bound Spacecraft Tests Einstein's Theory]</ref> or Saturn.<ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12517102.600-science-encounter-with-saturn-confirms-relativity-theory.html Encounter with Saturn confirms relativity theory]</ref> The [[Gravity Probe B]] satellite was put in orbit about the Earth to examine the effects of frame dragging and geodetic warping of space. One report<ref>[https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gpb/index.html NASA Gravity Probe B mission page]</ref> was that it showed "unprecedented precision", and one<ref>[http://einstein.stanford.edu/ Gravity Probe B project page]</ref> showed a 95% confidence that the measured effect was consistent with General Relativity. Note, however, that one interpretation of Newtonian mechanics also predicts deflection of light by gravity. This is the "light is particles" interpretation, and gives a deflection of 0.875 arcseconds, whereas the "light is waves" interpretation predicts a deflection of zero. The experimentally measured deflection is 1.75 arcseconds, and is the value given by General Relativity (though Einstein's initial calculation was 0.875.).<ref>http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-03/6-03.htm</ref> <br />
<br />
None of the NASA spacecraft incorporates predictions of relativity into their own timing mechanisms, as Newtonian mechanics is adequate even for probes sent deep into space so long as they do not undergo accelerations near the speed of light or enter any massive gravity wells.<ref>There is no reported reliance on relativity by any space probe.</ref><br />
<br />
A decade of observation of the [[pulsar]] pair [[PSR 1913 16|PSR B1913+16]] detected a decline in its orbital period, which was attributed to a loss in energy by the system. It is impossible to measure the masses of the pulsars, their accelerations relative to the observers, or other fundamental parameters. Professors Joseph Taylor and Russell Hulse, who discovered the binary pulsar, found that physical values could be assigned to the pulsars to make the observed decline in orbital period consistent with the Theory of General Relativity, and for this they were awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize for Physics, which is the only award ever given by the Nobel committee for the Theory of Relativity.<ref>http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1993/press.html</ref> In 2004, Professor Taylor utilized a correction to the derivative of the orbital period to fit subsequent data better to the theory. At most, assumptions can be made and altered to fit the data to the theory, rather than the data confirming the theory.<br />
<br />
The [[perihelion]] of Mercury's [[orbit]] [[precession|precesses]] at a measurable rate, but even after accounting for gravitational perturbations caused all other planets in the [[solar system]], Newton's theory (assuming a precise inverse-square relationship for distance) predicts a rate of precession that differs from the measured rate by approximately 43 [[arcsecond]]s per century. While general relativity was developed on purely theoretical grounds, it was soon discovered that it explained these precession observations.<ref>http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node98.html#SECTION032121000000000000000</ref><ref>http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/336k/lectures/node117.html</ref> Newton's theory can also explain the Mercury precession by making tiny adjustments to parameters in the gravitational equation, but doing so would give the same precession for all orbiting bodies everywhere, a phenomenon which is not observed.<br />
<br />
General relativity predicts twice as much bending in light as it passes near massive objects than Newton's theory might predict.<ref>http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-03/6-03.htm</ref> This phenomenon is known as [[gravitational lensing]]. A large number of instances of gravitational lensing have been observed, and it is now a standard astronomical tool.<ref>http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/features/news/grav_lens.html</ref><ref>http://astro.berkeley.edu/~jcohn/lens.html</ref><ref>http://www.iam.ubc.ca/~newbury/lenses/glgallery.html</ref> Note, however, that the extent of bending of light predicted by Newton's theory is open to debate, and depends on assumptions about the nature of light for gravitational purposes.<ref>http://cosmictimes.gsfc.nasa.gov/1919/guide/gravity_bends_starlight.html</ref><br />
<br />
In 1972, scientists flew extremely accurate clocks ("atomic clocks") around the world in both directions on commercial airlines, and claimed to observe relativistic time dilation; the eastbound clock gained 273 ns and the westbound clock lost 59 ns, matching the predictions of general relativity to within experimental accuracy.<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/hafele-keating-experiment Hafele-Keating Experiment]</ref> However, the inventor of the atomic clock, Louis Essen, declared that the experiment was inaccurate.<ref>Louis Essen, Electron. Wireless World 94 (1988) 238.</ref> Dr A. G. Kelly examined the raw data from the experiment and declared it inconclusive.<ref>A. G. Kelly,Reliability of Relativistic Effect Tests on Airborne Clocks, Monograph No.3 Feb.1996, The Institution of Engineers of Ireland, ISBN 1-898012-22-9</ref> The Nobel Committee chose not to honor this experiment for the significance that was claimed.<br />
<br />
==Experimental and Observational Evidence Confirming Relativity==<br />
<br />
The different effects predicted by special relativity, compared to classical formulations, are extremely tiny. Most relativistic effects are negligible at the speeds of ordinary phenomena observed by humans. The effects only become significant when the speeds involved are a significant fraction of the speed of light, which is <math>3 \times 10^8</math> meters per second&mdash;such speeds are called ''relativistic''. (However, it's worth noting that ordinary magnetism can be considered an effect of relativity, dictated by the need for electrostatic theory to be correct under relativity. The speed of light in fact appears in the formulas ([[Maxwell's Equations]]) governing electricity and magnetism, though these equations were developed long before relativity was proposed.)<br />
<br />
Because the effects of relativity are so tiny, scientists have been devising sophisticated and sensitive tests ever since the theory was formulated in 1905.<br />
<br />
It is important to be aware that it is fairly rare for an experiment to '''prove''' a theory. In general, experiments can only '''refute''' a theory. They can also '''be consistent with''' a theory. When enough experiments, especially experiments that investigate a wide variety of phenomena, are shown to be consistent with a theory, it lends credence to that theory. When no other plausible theory can explain those observations, we can say that they '''validate''' the theory. The Mercury observations are just one phenomenon. By themselves they couldn't validate or prove GR. And there was at one time another competing theory&mdash;the Newcomb-Hall exponent-fudging theory. That one didn't hold up for things other than Mercury. No other theory has come up explaining the phenomenon; SR and GR have withstood the test of time. That goes a long way toward validating them. There are many other observations and experiments, covering a wide variety of phenomena, described below&mdash;bending of light, gravitational time dilation, gravitational waves, geodetic precession, Shapiro effect, etc. It is these widely disparate observations, ''and the lack of any alternative theories explaining any of them'', that lead people to say that SR and GR are "experimentally validated".<br />
<br />
There's also the matter of simply "accepting" something, when a phenomenon is consistent with a theory that is already known to be valid. The recoil from a gun is an example of this. Everyone knows that there is a backward recoil when a gun is fired. This is explained to people when they are first being taught how to use a gun, and they get used to it with practice. The reason for the recoil is that it is an obvious consequence of Newtons' laws of motion. But people don't specifically think about Newton's laws, or consider this to be a "proof", when they are firing a gun. They just accept that the recoil is a known consequence of those laws. Newton's laws of motion have been validated through thousands of experiments much more focused than the firing of a gun.<br />
<br />
The [[Cockcroft and Walton Experiment|Cockcroft/Walton experiment]] is an example of this kind of acceptance. The results are consistent (to within 5% when analyzed carefully) with Special Relativity, and many people consider it to be a validation of SR. But there were too many other things going on, such as the use of the newly-invented particle accelerator, to make it a definitive test. One would have to think very carefully about what assumptions have to be made about what is happening in the experiment if one wanted to use it to assert anything about [[E=mc²]]. However, famous as the experiment was at the time, it is no longer suggested as a validation of this formula. Special Relativity had already been validated through more focused and definitive tests. There are no known alternative theories, published in the scientific literature or listed in [[Counterexamples to Relativity]], explaining the loss of mass. See [[Cockcroft and Walton Experiment]].<br />
<br />
The anomalous behavior of the timing signals from [[GPS]] satellites is another example. The phenomenon is well known&mdash;the system compensates for this; otherwise it wouldn't work&mdash;and the phenomenon is known to be a consequence of both special and general relativity. But the GPS system should not be considered and experiment to test relativity. No sensible person would build the GPS system as a test of relativity, if only because it exhibits two phenomena (time dilation of special relativity, 7 milliseconds per day, and time compression of general relativity, 45 milliseconds per day) that work against each other. No one would design an experiment that tests two phenomena working against each other.<br />
<br />
The bending of light in a gravitational field is another example. (In fact, it was the first, and, for a while, most famous piece of evidence in favor of GR, even though it was sloppily done.) Newtonian physics also might predict the bending of light depending on whether one posits the "wave" formulation (deflection is zero) or the "particle" formulation (deflection is 0.875 arc seconds). But the actual deflection is 1.75 arc seconds, and GR predicts this value. The are no known versions of Newtonian gravity that get this larger value.<br />
<br />
While the experimental tests for General Relativity are rather esoteric, those for Special Relativity are fairly straightforward. So much so that the Michelson-Morley experiment could be said to have single-handedly established the case for SR&mdash;the logical syllogism leading from Michelson-Morley to SR and the Lorentz transform was fairly clear once people saw it.<br />
<br />
When analyzing an experiment to see whether it validates a theory, one must be careful not to assume the theory in one's reasoning. For establishing Special Relativity with the Michelson-Morley experiment, the assumptions are:<br />
<br />
#Newtonian and Galilean mechanics.<br />
#Galilean relativity, that is, the notion that there is no absolute frame of reference.<br />
#The universality of the speed of light.<br />
#And, of course, proper calibration of the equipment.<br />
#:The third one was the observation that Michelson and Morley made.<br />
#:<br />
#:<br />
#:For the derivation of E=mc², these assumptions are added:<br />
#:<br />
#Conservation of energy.<br />
#Conservation of momentum.<br />
#:All of the assumptions listed above constitute SR.<br />
#:<br />
#:It would be nearly inconceivable to derive GR without SR. Gravitational time dilation, for example, requires a lot of information coming from SR. <br />
#:So, for the experiments listed below for GR, the assumptions are the 6 above plus:<br />
#The Equivalence Principle.<br />
#:So the experiments below for GR are really just establishing that the Equivalence Principle is valid, and that GR follows logically from that.<br />
<br />
The most famous experiment, and the one that is commonly cited in textbooks as the experiment that established the case for relativity,<ref>Though relativity did not actually originate from this experiment</ref> was the [[Michelson-Morley experiment]]. This showed that all observers will obtain the same measured value for the speed of light (3x10<sup>8</sup> meters per second) no matter what their state of motion. This is the first of the two fundamental principles:<br />
#''The [[speed of light]] is constant for all observers, regardless of their velocities relative to each other.''<br />
#''The laws of physics are identical in all reference frames.''<br />
(The second is just a restatement of Galilean relativity, that is, the "common sense" that had been accepted for centuries.)<br />
A naive "common sense" interpretation of Galilean relativity would require that measurements of the speed of light (or anything else) by different observers would get results that differ by the observers' relative speeds, and hence that principle #1 can't be true. Special relativity fixes this apparent paradox.<br />
<br />
All of special relativity derives for these two principles, plus assumptions of exact conservation of momentum and energy in all cases.<br />
<br />
There are hundreds of experiments or observations that, to varying extents, "prove", "validate", or "are consistent with" special and general relativity. A good survey may be found at [http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/experiments.html this site]. Some experiments can be as simple as a spinning [[Alnico]] magnet<ref>http://www.naturalphilosophy.org/pdf/abstracts/abstracts_1213.pdf</ref><ref>modern magnets are even more powerful and can show the effect more easily.</ref> and a voltmeter, that can be performed on a tabletop in a science classroom. Just a few of the more important ones will be described here.<br />
<br />
===The [[Michelson-Morley experiment]]===<br />
This is the most famous experiment, and is often taken as the experiment establishing the correctness of special relativity. It is described elsewhere.<br />
<br />
===Mass Change Associated With Energy Change===<br />
This is the famous formula "E=mc²". At the end of Einstein's original 1905 paper on the subject,<ref>http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/E_mc2/www/ "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend its Energy Content?"</ref> he speculates on the possibility that the equation <math>E = m c^2</math>, which would normally be very hard to verify, could be verified with the extremely high energies of the newly discovered phenomenon of radioactivity.<ref>This equation is not related to [[quantum mechanics]].</ref> In the 1910s, with the invention of the mass spectrometer, it became possible to measure masses of nuclei accurately. This led to the clearing up of the mystery of atomic masses not being exact integers,and strongly suggested the existence of a "mass defect" (or "packing fraction") consistent with the mass-energy equivalence. In the 1930s, experiments with known nuclear reactions showed a very accurate correlation between the masses of the nuclei involved and the energy released. See [[Quantitative Analysis of Alpha Decay]].<br />
<br />
===Time Dilation===<br />
Another prediction of special relativity was time dilation in rapidly moving objects. This effect was most famously verified in the anomalously slow decay of relativistic cosmic muons.<ref>Some have suggested that other explanations are possible for this effect. We are trying to track this down.</ref> Time dilation has since been verified many times, and is routinely taken into account in all high-energy nuclear physics experiments, as in Hadron collision experiments.<ref>Experiments specifically designed to check dilation are rarely conducted any more.</ref><br />
<br />
===The [[Cockcroft and Walton Experiment]]===<br />
This one is quite famous, because it was one of the earliest observations of phenomena involving mass change. But, as noted above, it can't really be taken as a "proof" of relativity.<br />
<br />
===Bending of Light in a Gravitational Field===<br />
Unlike special relativity, predictions of general relativity turn out to be obscure and difficult to test. The two most famous predictions in the early days were the bending of light in a gravitational field and the precession of the perihelia of orbiting planets. Several other phenomena have arisen more recently.<br />
<br />
The first of these was famously tested during a total eclipse in 1919. That test was somewhat muddled by an incorrect initial calculation, by several people including Einstein himself, of what the effect would be, and some "cherry picking" of the data to be used.<ref>''Einstein's Luck'', John Waller, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-860719-9</ref> The observed result was about 1.5 arc seconds. The data selection could be considered "manipulation" or "fudging", by a person (Arthur Eddington) who had a personal stake in the outcome. His analysis techniques would not pass muster today. The announcement of this test, flawed though it was, made Einstein world-famous.<ref>[http://einstein.stanford.edu/Library/images/lightsAllAskewBig.jpg The New York Times, Nov. 10, 1919]</ref><ref>[https://www.worldbooklearning.com/how-did-an-eclipse-help-make-albert-einstein-famous/ How did an eclipse help make Albert Einstein famous]</ref><ref>[https://blog.supplysideliberal.com/post/44934715350/how-albert-einstein-became-a-celebrity How Albert Einstein became a celebrity]</ref><ref>[https://www.sciencealert.com/general-relativity-experiment-confirms-accuracy-for-galaxies "The public's mind was blown by the results, effectively turning Albert Einstein into a household name and cementing the concept of general relativity into physics books."]</ref><br />
<br />
It should be noted that pre-relativistic (Newtonian) physics may also predict a bending, depending on whether one uses the 17th century "corpuscular" formulation or the 19th century "wave" formulation. The former would give a value of 0.875 arc seconds, while the latter would give a value of zero.<br />
<br />
Relying on the usual assumptions&mdash;Newtonian mechanics, Galilean relativity, conservation of energy and momentum, the universality of the speed of light (that is, special relativity), the Equivalence Principle, and the geodesic equation in empty space (that is, general relativity), and the proper calibration of the instruments, observations of later eclipses, and the observations of quasar 3C273, confirm predictions of the theory, which is that the bending is 1.75 arc seconds.<br />
<br />
No Nobel Prize was awarded for this. A few years later Einstein won the Nobel Prize for the (unrelated) [[Photoelectric effect]].<br />
<br />
===Precession of the orbit of Mercury===<br />
The second "classical" test of general relativity was the advance of the perihelion of the orbit of Mercury. There are many complex effects contributing to this, including gravitational perturbations from other planets and the effect of the oblateness of the Sun. These are hard to calculate accurately, but, by 1860 it was known quite accurately that there was an "anomalous" precession, that is, a precession beyond all other known effects, of 43 arc seconds per century. This is a very tiny effect, but astronomical measurements were sufficiently accurate by that time to show it clearly. This was based on observations going all the way back to about 1700.<ref>http://www.math.toronto.edu/~colliand/426_03/Papers03/C_Pollock.pdf</ref> It was calculated with great accuracy, and reported in 1859, by Urbain Leverrier. This was long before relativity was formulated.<br />
::One might wonder how astronomical observations accurate enough to measure such a tiny effect could have been made with the technology of that era. A clever trick was used: Solar transits of Mercury were observed and timed. Some of these transits were timed with an accuracy of about 15 seconds.<br />
<br />
:This created quite a problem&mdash;physicists by then were accustomed to having their theories check out very accurately. One proposal that was made, by Simon Newcomb and Asaph Hall, was that the exponent of the radius in the gravitational formula wasn't exactly 2. He showed that, by choosing an exponent of <math>2+\delta</math>, the precession, as a fraction of a full orbit per planet's year, is <math>\delta/2</math>. By setting <math>\delta</math> to .000000157, that is, an exponent of 2.000000157, Newcomb was able to get a precession of .000000078 revolutions per Mercury year, or 43 arcseconds per Earth year. Whatever value is chosen for <math>\delta\,</math>, it gives the same precession, per revolution, for all orbiting bodies, but gravitational effects from other planets diminish that effect the further the planet is from the sun.<br />
<br />
:The approximation given at the end of Einstein's 1916 paper <ref>http://hermes.ffn.ub.es/luisnavarro/nuevo_maletin/Einstein_GRelativity_1916.pdf "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity"</ref> is <math>24 \pi^3\frac{a^2}{T^2c^2 (1-e^2)}</math> revolutions per planet's "year", where a is the semi-major axis, T is the length of the planet's year, and e is the eccentricity. A much simpler, but less accurate, approximation, designed to show how the precession relates to the planet's speed, is <math>3{}v^2/c^2</math> revolutions per planet's "year", where <math>v</math> is the planet's average orbital speed. These are just approximations. Getting an accurate value requires integrating the geodesic equation of the Schwartzschild metric, where Ricci's tensor is zero.<br />
<br />
:While Newcomb's theory, and general relativity, don't lead to closed-form solutions, both theories can be solved numerically to as much precision as one desires.<br />
<br />
:The following table shows some approximate parameters for the planets. Note that Mercury has the smallest orbit, and the fastest speed. Precession of planets other than Mercury is extremely hard to measure, but measurements of the actual anomalous precessions are in good agreement.<ref>http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-02/6-02.htm</ref><br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
!Planet<br />
!Period, seconds x 10<sup>6</sup><br />
!Semimajor axis, meters x 10<sup>9</sup><br />
!Speed, meters/second x 10<sup>3</sup><br />
!Gravitational force, Newtons per kilogram<br />
!Anomalous precession, arcseconds per (Earth) century, pure Newtonian mechanics<br />
!Anomalous precession, Newtonian with exponent of 2.000000157<br />
!Anomalous precession, general relativity<br />
!Measured anomalous precession (estimated uncertainty)<ref>http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-02/6-02.htm</ref><br />
|-<br />
|Mercury<br />
|7.57<br />
|58.9<br />
|48<br />
|.039<br />
|0<br />
|43<br />
|43<br />
|43.5(5)<br />
|-<br />
|Venus<br />
|19.6<br />
|108<br />
|35<br />
|.011<br />
|0<br />
|16.6<br />
|9<br />
|8(5)<br />
|-<br />
|Earth<br />
|31.6<br />
|150<br />
|30<br />
|.006<br />
|0<br />
|10.3<br />
|4<br />
|5(1)<br />
|-<br />
|Mars<br />
|59.3<br />
|227.9<br />
|24<br />
|.0025<br />
|0<br />
|5.5<br />
|1.4<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Jupiter<br />
|374<br />
|778.4<br />
|13<br />
|.0002<br />
|0<br />
|0.87<br />
|0.07<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Saturn<br />
|929<br />
|1426<br />
|9.7<br />
|.00006<br />
|0<br />
|0.35<br />
|0.014<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Uranus<br />
|2651<br />
|2870<br />
|6.8<br />
|.000016<br />
|0<br />
|0.12<br />
|0.002<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Neptune<br />
|5200<br />
|4498<br />
|5.5<br />
|.000007<br />
|0<br />
|0.063<br />
|0.0008<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
:Considering only the ''anomalous'' precession, that is, the precession that remains after all known other factors (other planets and asteroids, solar oblateness) have been accounted for, and using very accurate calculations rather than the approximations given above, general relativity predicts 42.98 ±0.04 arcseconds per century. Some observed values, as of 2008, are:<br />
::: 43.11 ± 0.21 (Shapiro et al., 1976)<br />
::: 42.92 ± 0.20 (Anderson et al., 1987)<br />
::: 42.94 ± 0.20 (Anderson et al., 1991)<br />
::: 43.13 ± 0.14 (Anderson et al., 1992) <br />
::: (Source: [https://arxiv.org/PS_cache/astro-ph/pdf/9804/9804258v1.pdf Pijpers 2008])<br />
:These error bars, and that of the general relativity prediction, all overlap.<br />
<br />
Choosing a phenomenon to measure, and setting up an experiment to measure it, often benefits from a great deal of planning. For example, the Lee-Yang-Wu experiment that disproved parity in the weak force, took months to plan, and only about 15 minutes to conduct. Measurements of orbital precession due to general relativity are also aided by careful choice of the exact phenomena to measure.<br />
<br />
The scientific community didn't have a lot of choice in how to measure the mechanical effects of general relativity in 1915. The only manifestation that was known at the time was the precession of planetary orbits. The orbit of Mercury was used because it has the highest precession of all the planets in the solar system. This is because it moves faster than any other planet. Though it is still nowhere near to being "relativistic", so the effect was extremely small.<br />
<br />
#The first question that is of interest is whether precession occurs, and how much. The precession of Mercury had been known, with considerable accuracy due to observations of transits of the Sun, for about 50 years. The precession does occur, and in very good agreement with theory. The data on this are discussed just above in this article.<br />
#We now have access to much better examples of orbits affected by general relativity, showing the effect much more strongly than could have been done in 1915. This is because orbiting bodies emit [[gravitational waves]], which remove energy from the system and make the orbit decay. This effect is utterly impossible to observe in the case of Mercury's orbit, but it became possible with the discovery of pulsars in 1967. Binary pulsars are sufficiently massive, and orbit sufficiently closely, that their decay can be observed. This was observed for binary pulsar [[PSR B1913+16]], and Joseph Taylor and Russell Hulse were awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize for this. The gravitational waves themselves were still far to weak to be observed directly.<br />
#By 2015, the LISA detector was able to observe gravitational waves directly, from decaying and colliding black holes and neutron stars.<br />
#In addition to the more recent discoveries involving much stronger "signals" than the observations of Mercury, those signals were much less contaminated by extraneous phenomena, or "noise". The calculated relativistic precession of Mercury is 43 arcseconds per (Earth) century, in the context of 5600 arcseconds per century of total precession. The latter effects are mostly due to the gravitational forces from other planets, 0.03 arcseconds from solar oblatenes, and 0.002 arcseconds from Lense-Thirring precession.<br />
<br />
The orbits of stars near the black holes in galactic centers, while not showing decay or radiation, present a much stronger signal than Mercury. While the precession can't be quantified, it is still a very clear effect.<br />
<br />
People have argued at great length (often here at Conservapedia) over the total precession discrepancy (about 1 arcsecond per century according to an article cited at Wikipedia) and relativity's role in it, but in fact there are other phenomena that are vastly better suited to testing Einsteinian gravity.<br />
<br />
===The Shapiro Effect===<br />
[[Image:Cassini-science-289.jpg|right|thumb|The Shapiro effect: A spacecraft signal dipping into a gravity well around the [[Sun]] is delayed slightly.]]<br />
<br />
Another is the ''Shapiro effect'', involving time delay in radio signals passing through the gravity well of the Sun or a planet. Various spacecraft (such as Cassini) have confirmed this.<ref>http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v425/n6956/full/nature01997.html</ref><br />
<br />
===Gravitational Time Dilation===<br />
Gravitational time dilation is an effect separate from the time dilation of special relativity. It was tested by the Pound-Rebka experiment in 1959. No Nobel Prize was awarded for this. Professor Pound had previously shared in the 1952 Nobel for his contributions to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging.<br />
<br />
===Gravitational Waves===<br />
Later in the 20th century, even more subtle phenomena were tested. One was the phenomenon of ''gravitational radiation'', or "gravitational waves". These waves are incredibly difficult to observe, and had never been observed until 2015. But extremely dense binary pulsars radiate gravitational waves with sufficient energy loss that, even though we can't detect the waves from Earth, we can see the effect of the energy loss from the radiation. The extreme precision of the timing of pulses from pulsars makes it possible to observe their energy loss with great accuracy. Observations by Hulse and Taylor of the pulsar pair known as B1913+16, found the energy loss to be consistent with the predicted radiation. This required choosing orbital parameters to be consistent with observation, in the same way that Kepler chose orbital parameters to fit observed planetary motion to his theory. The rotating pulsars have since moved such that Earth is now out of the beams. The assumptions required for this, in addition to those listed above, were that pulsars behave consistently. The 1993 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for this.<br />
<br />
In late 2015 (and announced in 2016), the LIGO instruments directly detected gravitational waves allegedly from colliding [[black hole]]s. See [[Gravitational waves]]. Unlike the waves from orbiting pulsars, that could only be detected by the loss of rotation energy, the waves from colliding black holes were strong enough to be detected directly. The assumptions required for this, in addition to those listed above, were that the objects emitting the radiation (generally believed to be black holes, of course) satisfy the Schwartzschild solution to relativistic mechanics. The 2017 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for this.<br />
<br />
Since that very early announcement, further observations of gravitational waves have continued to come in.<ref>https://ligo.org</ref> In August 2019 the first detection of the gravitational waves from the merger of a [[black hole]] and a neutron star occurred.<ref>https://ligo.org/news/index.php#O3updateAug19</ref> This was event S190814bv, 870 million light years away, and hence actually occurred 870 million years ago.<ref>https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/296902-scientists-detect-first-ever-collision-between-black-hole-and-neutron-star</ref><br />
<br />
In 2018 an observation of the 3-body system PSR J0337+1715, consisting of 2 white dwarfs and a pulsar, was consistent with (and hence tended to confirm) general relativity under conditions of extremely high gravity, to enormous precision. The assumptions made were the same as those listed above. One of the researchers stated "If there is a difference [between observation and the prediction of the Equivalence Principle], it is no more than three parts in a million."<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/einstein-s-theory-relativity-passes-its-toughest-test-yet-ncna889021</ref><br />
<br />
In 2018, observations of a star orbiting the supermassive black hole "Sagittarius A*" at the center of our galaxy, showed that the light was stretched from the black hole's gravity just as relativity predicted. The star orbits Sagittarius A* at speeds of up to 16 million miles per hour. This was the first observation of such intense gravity.<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/einstein-s-theory-relativity-aces-its-first-black-hole-test-ncna896641</ref><br />
<br />
===Local Position Invariance===<br />
The ''equivalence principle'', which is the underpinning of gravity under general relativity, states that there is absolutely no perceived effect of gravity on an object in free fall, that is, in a gravitational field. This has been tested many times, and is the basis of all space-time calculations in relativity. But in March 2019, it was reported to have been successfully tested in a gravitational field very much stronger than ever before. The phenomenon is called ''local position invariance'', or LPI. It was measured on the light emitted from a star called "S0-2", closely orbiting the "Sagittarius A*" black hole at the center of the galaxy. The gravitational field that S0-2 is subject to is vastly more powerful than any other gravitational field that has been measured.<ref>https://physics.aps.org/synopsis-for/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.101102</ref><br />
<br />
===Further Measurements near Sagittarius A*===<br />
In July 2019, another star, S0-102, was characterized accurately by Andrea Ghez and her team.<ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2019/07/24/science.aav8137</ref> It is even closer to the Sagittarius A* black hole than S0-2. Together, the two stars made it possible to map the gravity well in 3 dimensions, providing an even more accurate test of General Relativity. "Making a measurement of such fundamental importance has required years of patient observing, enabled by state-of-the-art technology. Through their rigorous efforts, Ghez and her collaborators have produced a high-significance validation of Einstein's idea about strong gravity." The statistical significance of these measurements is 5-sigma (5&sigma;). That means that the probability that this result came about by sheer chance is 1 in 3.5 million. It is the commonly accepted criterion for definitive validations.<br />
<br />
===Geodetic Precession===<br />
''Geodetic precession'' (also known as "de Sitter precession"), and ''frame dragging'' (also known as the "Lense-Thirring effect") were tested by the "Gravity Probe B" satellite early in the 21st century.<ref>http://prl.aps.org/accepted/L/ea070Y8dQ491d22a28828c95f660a57ac82e7d8c0</ref><ref>http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/306430</ref><ref>http://www.nap.edu/html/gpb/summary.html</ref><ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/73870/title/Gravity_Probe_B_finally_pays_off_</ref><ref>https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gpb/</ref><ref>http://einstein.stanford.edu/</ref><ref>http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/the-gravity-probe-b-bailout</ref><ref>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/nasa-concludes-gravity-probe-b-space-time-experiment-proves-e/</ref> The precision required to observe this was phenomenal. The results were announced on May 4, 2011.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<!-- make the Shapiro picture not obliterate the next section heading --><br />
<br />
==Predicted consequences of the Theories==<br />
===Time dilation===<br />
<!-- NOTE [[Time dilation]] redirects to this section, so the section name should not be changed without amending that redirect. --><br />
[[Image:Light cone.png|right|thumb|Light-cone diagram]]<br />
One important consequence of relativity is that an observer in one reference frame will not in general observe a clock in another frame to be "ticking" at the same rate as one in the observer's own frame.<br />
<br />
In [[special relativity]], where acceleration and gravitational effects are ignored, this can be derived using basic geometry. The result is that clocks in all other [[inertial frames of reference]] other than the one you are in appear to tick slower. This can be summarised by the well known phrase "moving clocks run slow".<br />
<br />
However, with [[general relativity]], there are similar effects such as gravitational time dilation where a clockthat is higher in a gravitational field runs faster. Often the effects of relativity are negligible. However the high precision required for the [[GPS|GPS system]] needs relativistic corrections. The rest of this section will concern only [[special relativity]].<br />
<br />
The length of an event <math>t</math>, as seen by a (relative) stationary observer observing an event is given by:<br />
<br />
<math> t = \frac{t_{0}} {\sqrt{1 - \frac{u^{2}}{c^{2}}}}</math> <br />
<br />
Where <br />
:<math>t_0</math> is the "proper time" or the length of the event in the observed frame of reference.<br />
:<math>u</math> is the relative velocity between the [[inertial frame of reference|reference frames]].<br />
:<math>c</math> is the speed of light (3x10<sup>8</sup> m s<sup>-1</sup>).<br />
<br />
Evidence for time dilation was discovered by studying muon decay. [[Muons]] are [[subatomic particles]] with a short [[halflife]] of 1.53 microseconds. When produced by interactions of [[cosmic rays]] in the upper atmosphere, they have a speed around 0.994c. By putting muon detectors at the top (D<sub>1</sub>) and bottom (D<sub>2</sub>) of a mountain with a separation of 1900 m, scientists could measure accurately the proportion of muons reaching the second detector in comparison to the first. The proportion found was different to the proportion that was calculated without taking into account relativistic effects.<br />
<br />
Using the equation for [[exponential decay]], they could use this proportion to calculate the time taken for the muons to decay, relative to the muon. Then, using the time dilation equation they could then work out the dilated time. The dilated time showed a good correlation with the time it took the [[muons]] to reach the second sensor, thereby supporting the existence of time dilation.<br />
<br />
The time taken for a muon to travel from D<sub>1</sub> to D<sub>2</sub> as measured by a stationary observer is:<br />
<br />
<math> t = \frac{s}{v} = \frac{1900}{0.994\times(3\times10^{8})} = 6.37\mu\textrm{s} </math><br />
<br />
The fraction of muons arriving at D<sub>2</sub> in comparison to D<sub>1</sub> was 0.732. (Given by <math> \frac{N}{N_0} = 0.732 </math>)<br />
<br />
Since (from the equation for exponential decay) <math> \frac{N}{N_{0}} = e^{-\lambda t_{0}} </math> then<br />
<br />
<math> t_{0} = \frac {ln(0.732)}{ln (0.2)} \times 1.53\times 10^{-6} = 0.689\mu\textrm{s}</math><br />
<br />
This gives the time for the proportion of decay to occur for an observer who is stationary, relative to the muon.<br />
<br />
Putting this into the time dilation equation gives:<br />
<br />
<math> t = \frac{t_{0}}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^{2}}{c^{2}}}} = \frac{0.689 \times{10^{-6}}}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{0.994^{2}}{1^{2}}}} = 6.3\times 10^{-6}\textrm{s}</math><br />
<br />
This is in good agreement with the value calculated above, thereby providing evidence to support time dilation.<br />
<br />
Since either [[inertial frame of reference|reference frame]] is equally valid, from the [[muon]]'s point of view it sees the [[earth]] approach it at nearly the [[speed of light]]. Hence time passes faster for the muon (slower for an observer on the ground). This appears to be a contradiction. However, the [[muon]] sees the height of the mountain contracted and so travels a shorter distance in its own frame. See length contraction below.<br />
<br />
====Time Dilation and Creation Science====<br />
<br />
{{main|Starlight problem#Humphreys.27_model}}<br />
<br />
Creation scientists such as physicists Dr. [[Russell Humphreys]] and Dr. [[John Hartnett]] have used relativistic time dilation to explain how the earth can be only 6,000 years old even though cosmological data (background radiation, supernovae, etc.) set a much older age for the universe.<br />
<br />
====Derivation of Time Dilation====<br />
<br />
Time dilation is most easily derived using the [[Lorentz transformation]]s, though geometrical solution is also straight forward. Using the transformation relating [[time]] between two [[Inertial frame of reference|frames of reference]], <math>t</math> and <math>t'</math>. We can find the time difference between two events that occur at the '''same''' location in space. The events shall be called event one and event 2. This results in the equations:<br />
<br />
<math>t'_1 = \gamma \left(t_1 - \frac{ux}{c^2} \right) </math><br/><br />
<math>t'_2 = \gamma \left(t_2 - \frac{ux}{c^2} \right) </math><br />
<br />
where<br />
:<math>\gamma</math> is the [[Lorentz factor]]<br />
:<math>u</math> is the relative [[speed]] between [[Inertial frame of reference|reference frames]]<br />
:<math>c</math> is the [[speed of light]]<br />
<br />
Subtracting the top equation from the bottom produces the time between the events as measured in each reference frame, so:<br />
<br />
<math>t'_2 - t'_1 = \gamma (t_2 - t_1)</math><br />
<br />
This the equation for time dilation and is the same equation as earlier.<br />
<br />
===Length contraction===<br />
When two inertial reference frames move past each other in a straight line with constant relative velocity, an observer in one reference frame would observe a metre rule in the other frame to be shorter along the direction parallel to the relative motion.<br />
<br />
The length, <math>l</math>, of an object as seen by a (relative) stationary observer is given by:<br />
<br />
<math> l = l_{0} \sqrt{1- \frac{u^{2}}{c^{2}}} = \frac{l_0}{\gamma}</math><br />
<br />
Where <br />
:<math>l_0</math> is the "proper length" or the length of the object in its own [[inertial frame of reference|frame of reference]].<br />
:<math>u</math> is the relative velocity between the reference frames.<br />
:<math>c</math> is the speed of light <math>3 \times 10^8 </math> m s<sup>-1</sup><br />
:<math>\gamma</math> is the [[Lorentz factor]]<br />
<br />
====Derivation====<br />
<br />
Length contraction may be derived using the [[Lorentz transformation]]s as with time dilation. This time we use the equation for <math>x</math>. In this case, the time in the undashed frame must be the '''same'''. Following the same procedure as above we find that:<br />
<br />
<math>x'_2 -x'_1 = \frac{x_2 - x_1}{\gamma}</math><br />
<br />
This is the same as above with <math>x_2 - x_1</math> and <math>x'_2 - x'_1</math> being the lengths in the undashed and dashed frames respectively. Again, geometrical arguments may be used to achieve the same result.<br />
<br />
===Apparent mass increase===<br />
<br />
For decades the theory of relativity taught that as a body moves with increasing velocity its [[mass]] also increases.<ref>For example, this was taught as recently as in the 1991 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica.</ref><br />
<br />
Under this view, the mass, <math>m</math>, of an object as detected by a (relative) stationary observer is given by:<br />
<br />
:<math> m = \frac{m_{0}} {\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}</math><br />
<br />
Where <br />
:<math>m_0</math> is the "rest mass" or the mass of the object measured by an observer in the same reference frame as the object.<br />
:<math>v</math> is the relative velocity of the object.<br />
:<math>c</math> is the speed of light (3x10<sup>8</sup> ms<sup>-1</sup>).<br />
<br />
Since speed is relative, it follows that two observers in different inertial reference frames may disagree on the mass and kinetic energy of a body. Since all inertial reference frames are treated on an equal footing, it follows that mass and energy are interchangeable.<br />
<br />
In recent years most physicists have shifted away from Einstein's original reliance on relativistic mass and his suggestion that mass increases{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}. Instead, most physicists today teach that <br />
<br />
:<math>F=\frac{d}{d\tau} p</math> <br />
<br />
where<br />
:<math>p</math> is the momentum defined by <math>\gamma m v</math><br />
:<math>\gamma</math> is the standard Lorentz factor<br />
:<math>\tau</math> is the proper time<br />
<br />
Force F defined this way is a [[vector]] and thus can handle the directional aspect of the relativistic effects better than the concept of relativistic mass can.<br />
The abandonment by physicists of the concept of relativistic mass, however, has the consequence of undermining the traditional claim under relativity that<br />
<br />
:<math>m - m_0 = \frac{E}{c^2}</math> <br />
<br />
also popularly known as<br />
<br />
:<math>E = m c^2</math><br />
<br />
Now a concept of the 4-momentum <math>p</math> of a particle is taught, such that the square of the magnitude of <math>p</math> satisfies:<br />
<br />
<math>||p||^2 = -p_x^2-p_y^2-p_z^2+E^2 = m_0^2c^4</math> <br />
<br />
in any inertial reference frame. The magnitude of the 4-momentum, in any inertial frame, equals the rest mass <math>m_0</math> of the particle (in units where <math>c=1</math>).<br />
<br />
== Relativity in everyday life ==<br />
<br />
Due to the small speeds and gravitational fields in normal life, relativistic phenomena such as time dilation and length contraction are rarely observed. However some things in everyday life can be explained using relativity:<br />
<br />
*GPS, the satellites experience time dilation due to the difference in speed and the strength of gravitational field between the satellite and the ground. This is corrected by daily synchronisation between the ground and the atomic clocks in the satellites.<br />
*While most elemental metals such as [[silver]], [[zinc]] and [[mercury]] have a silver/grey appearance, some metals like [[gold]] and [[copper]] do not. This difference can be explained using relativistic quantum mechanics.<ref>http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/golden_glow/</ref><br />
<br />
== Paradoxes ==<br />
<br />
The predictions of the theory of relativity throw up a number of apparent paradoxes and anomalies relating to the effects of time dilatation and length contraction. Whilst these paradoxes are consistent with the theory, they are contrary to everyday human experience and therefore can seem like impossibilities.<br />
<br />
=== The Twin Paradox ===<br />
<br />
The twin paradox is usually stated as a thought experiment involving two twins, one of whom is sent on a long journey in a spacecraft travelling at close to the speed of light, whilst the other remains on Earth. Time dilatation means that the travelling twin, on his return to Earth, is younger that the twin who has remained at home. However, because neither twin is in a special position - each being in an inertial frame of reference - the reverse must also be true, and so the twin remaining on Earth must be younger. Hence each twin is younger than the other - a paradox.<br />
<br />
The problem can be resolved in two ways. One is to examine the effects of General Relativity: to come back to Earth, the travelling twin must undergo acceleration in order to reverse his course, causing temporal effects which make him permanently the younger. Alternatively, it can be explained entirely using Special Relativity and noting that the twins are not in symmetrical situations: the one on earth has remained in a single inertial frame of reference, whilst the travelling twin has travelled in two.<ref>http://mentock.home.mindspring.com/twins.htm</ref> Note that the length of the trip cannot be increased as to make the acceleration negligible.<br />
<br />
=== The Ehrenfest Paradox ===<br />
<br />
The Ehrenfest Paradox considers a rigid wheel or disc rotating a bout its axis at high speed (somewhat like a bicycle wheel spinning freely on its axle). The rim of the wheel travels at close to the speed of light and therefore undergoes length contraction, whereas the radius (the spokes, for the bicycle wheel) does not. Hence the circumference is no longer equal to 2<big><math>\pi</math></big>r, which is paradoxical.<br />
<br />
The apparent paradox was finally resolved in 1975 by the Norwegian scientist Øyvind Grøn.<ref>http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=224955</ref><br />
<br />
==Speed "paradox"==<br />
<br />
This is not a paradox. It arises from failure to know or understand the "speed addition" formula. The formula tells how fast each observer measures the speed of the other observer when they are both traveling toward each other, as seen by some outside observer, at speeds <math>u</math> and <math>v</math>. Under classical mechanics, the result is just <math>u+v</math>. But the formula under special relativity is<br />
<br />
<math>\frac{u + v}{1 + \frac{uv}{c^2}}</math><br />
<br />
This formula is a consequence of the Lorentz transform. It is a well known part of the basic undergraduate physics curriculum.<br />
<br />
So, if two spacecraft are approaching each other, each traveling at what an outside observer would measure as half the speed of light, a person ignorant of how relativity works might think they each see the other coming toward them at the speed of light. But the formula shows that they actually see each other moving at <math>\frac{4}{5}</math> of the speed of light.<br />
<br />
If <math>u</math> and <math>v</math> are both less than the speed of light, one can show that the result of the addition formula will be also.<br />
<br />
== Variable Speed of Light ==<br />
<br />
The Theory of Relativity implies that physical constants like c, the speed of light in a vacuum, have remained constant. But at least one study suggests that physical constants, and possibly even the speed of light, have changed as the universe has aged.<ref>James Glanz and Dennis Overbye, "Cosmic Laws Like Speed of Light Might Be Changing, a Study Finds," August 15, 2001.[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/15/science/15PHYS.html?ex=1185076800&en=d6467b6e3e346796&ei=5070]</ref><br />
<br />
"For the first time, scientists have experimentally demonstrated that sound pulses can travel at velocities faster than the speed of light, c. William Robertson's team from Middle Tennessee State University also showed that the group velocity of sound waves can become infinite, and even negative. ... Although such results may at first appear to violate special relativity (Einstein's law that no material object can exceed the speed of light), the actual significance of these experiments is a little different. These types of superluminal phenomena, Robertson et al. explain, violate neither causality nor special relativity, nor do they enable information to travel faster than c. In fact, theoretical work had predicted that the superluminal speed of the group velocity of sound waves should exist. 'The key to understanding this seeming paradox is that no wave energy exceeded the speed of light,' said Robertson."<ref>http://www.physorg.com/news88249076.html</ref><br />
<br />
"A team of researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has successfully demonstrated, for the first time, that it is possible to control the speed of light – both slowing it down and speeding it up – in an optical fiber, using off-the-shelf instrumentation in normal environmental conditions. Their results, to be published in the August 22 issue of Applied Physics Letters, could have implications that range from optical [[computing]] to the fiber-optic telecommunications industry."<ref>http://www.scienceblog.com/light.html</ref> Both slowing down and speeding up of light within a substance other than a vacuum is made possible, because the light travels through the material, and that material affects the speed of light, i.e. a photon hits an electron, which then exits and emits a slightly lower energy photon out in the direction that the original photon was traveling, thus maintaining conservation of momentum. No matter how transparent an object may appear, it radically impacts the speed of the light traveling through it, as demonstrated by the refractive production of a rainbow by a crystal, which Newton himself discovered.<br />
<br />
This apparent change in speed can be explained, however, by noting that the constant c refers to the speed of light in a vacuum, i.e., when it is unimpeded. The speed of light when traveling through physical media is, in fact, variable.<br />
<br />
"A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light - an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time. ... Dr Nimtz told New Scientist magazine: 'For the time being, this is the only violation of special relativity that I know of.'"<ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/16/scispeed116.xml</ref><br />
<br />
==Pending research==<br />
<br />
Today some physicists are working on hypothesizing how general relativity might have related to the other three forces of nature during the first fraction of a second of the [[Big Bang]]. Two of the more commonly studied attempts are [[string theory]] and [[loop quantum gravity]], but they have failed to produce any evidence that science mandates a science must have, and both typically take large amounts of work to even conform to what scientists believe. Critics increasingly point out that string theory and loop quantum gravity are largely untestable and unfalsifiable, and thus potentially unscientific under the principles of science advanced by [[Karl Popper]].<ref>See, for example, ''Not Even Wrong'', by Peter Woit</ref><br />
<br />
Relativity continues to be tested and some physics professors remain skeptical of the theory, such as University of Maryland physics professor Carroll Alley, who served as the principle physicist on the Apollo lunar project.<ref>https://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/21jul_llr.htm</ref><br />
<br />
===Government Support for Relativistic research===<br />
The Federal Government has funded the building of two gravity wave detectors: The first to test the principle, and the second (upgrade) to actually perform measurements. As a result of this work, on February 11, 2016, the LIGO team reported successful detection of gravitational waves caused by the merging of two black holes.<ref>https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211</ref><br />
<br />
{{Relativity}}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Attempts to prove E=mc²]]<br />
*[[Counterexamples to Relativity]]<br />
*[[Essay:Rebuttal to Counterexamples to Relativity]]<br />
*[[Logical Flaws in E=mc²]]<br />
*[[Essay:Rebuttal to Logical Flaws in E=mc²]]<br />
*[[Quantitative Analysis of Alpha Decay]]<br />
*[[Gravitational waves]]<br />
*[http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/experiments.html What is the experimental basis of Special Relativity?]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
<br />
==External links ==<br />
*[http://ia331314.us.archive.org/2/items/theeinsteintheor11335gut/11335-h/11335-h.htm The Einstein Theory of Relativity, by H.A. Lorentz.]<br />
*[http://www.relativitycalculator.com Relativity Science Calculator - Learn Special Relativity Mathematics ] The mathematics of special relativity presented in as simple and comprehensive manner possible within philosophical and historical contexts.<br />
*[http://www.relativitycalculator.com/history_of_time_clocks.shtml Relativity Science Calculator - Philosophic Question: are clocks and time separable?]<br />
*[http://www.relativityscience.com/twin_clock_paradox.shtml Relativity Science Calculator - Twin Clock Paradox]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Moral_relativism&diff=1938356Moral relativism2023-03-14T11:30:05Z<p>ChenXiansheng: it has nothing to do with relativity in science</p>
<hr />
<div>{| class="infobox bordered" style="font-size:95%; width:25em;"<br />
! style="font-size:120%; background:yellow; text-align:center; padding:5px 0;" | Inevitable consequences<br />
|-<br />
| style="padding:15px;" |“''It has often been said that everything is relative. If so, then it is difficult for man to look for a fixed point, which would allow for fundamental orientation. At times, I even got embarrassed about the thought of all-embracing relativity. I've often thought about it, and once I said: everything is relative — that means that even relativity, if we want to be consistent, is only relative, too. But if the relativity is only relative, it follows, that it itself also contains something of the absolute. I believe that in the world of metamorphoses and relative relations, only the effort to look also for absolute values can bring man to inner peace, or, at least, to get him closer to it. ”<br />
<div style="padding-left:40px;">&mdash; [[Albert Einstein]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Vědomí pokory — Myšlenky A. Einsteina (The sense of humbleness — thoughts of A. Einstein) |publisher=SUPRAPHON a.s. and 1 Music Rights Societies |pages=17min:10sec |accessdate=10 Mar 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylWYuKvcV4E |quote=Často se říká že všechno je relativní. Člověk pak těžko hledá pevný bod, který by mu dovolil základní orientaci. Myšlenka na všeobjímající relativnost mi někdy až naháněla hrůzu. Často jsem o tom přemýšlel a jednou jsme si řekl: Vše je relativní — tzn. že i sama relativita, chceme-li být důslední, je také len relativní. Je-li relativita pouze relativní, vyplývá z toho že v sobě obsahuje i něco absolutního. Domnívám se, že jedině snaha hledat ve světe proměn a relativních vztahů také hodnoty absolutní může člověka dovést k vnitřnímu klidu, nebo jej k němu alespoň přiblížit. |language = Czech}}</ref> </div><br />
|}<br />
'''Moral relativism''' is the theory that [[moral]] standards vary from society to society, and from time to time in history. Under this theory, [[ethical]] principles are not universal and are instead social products. This theory argues that there is no objective moral order or absolute [[truth]]. As examples, the acceptance of variability in what is seen as moral and of the variability of the application of those morals is seen throughout history: with the [[holocaust]]-[[genocide]] of the [[Jews]] by the [[Nazi Party]], the enslavement of the [[African]] people by [[African]], [[Islamic]], [[European]] and [[American]] powers, the persecution (including [[torture]] and murder) of [[Christians]] during [[Roman]] times and in modern [[Socialist]] states, all justified by the perpetrators in morally relativistic terms. Two more examples may be cited, which get to the heart of the matter, although subtly; for one [[Hitler]] justified his racial policies by saying:<br />
<br />
:''The greatest achievements in intellectual life can never be produced by those of [[immigrant|alien race]] but only by those who are inspired by the [[Aryan]] or [[German]] spirit. In view of the narrowness of the space within which German intellectual work and German intellectual workers have to live they had a natural moral claim to precedence and preference.''<ref>Hitler, Adolf (April 1933). [https://web.archive.org/web/19991103110620/http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/genocide/statements.htm "Hitler speech to the Doctors’ Union in April 1933 on racial purification of the German people"]. ''The Speeches of Adolf Hitler'', N. H. Baynes, ed. (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1942), vol. 1, p. 728. Republished at University of the West of England website/Web Genocide Documentation Centre (September 1999), Dr. S. D. Stein, ed. Retrieved from November 3, 1999 archive at Internet Archive.</ref><br />
<br />
Similarly, the case for [[slavery]] was often made in morally relativistic terms, with Thomas Dew arguing in 1832 that:<br />
<br />
:''With regard to the assertion, that slavery is against the spirit of Christianity, we are ready to admit the general assertion, but deny most positively that there is any thing in the Old or [[New Testament]], which would go to show that slavery, when once introduced, ought at all events to be abrogated, or that the master commits any offence in holding slaves. The children of [[Israel]] themselves were slave holders, and were not condemned for it.…When we turn to the New Testament, we find not one single passage at all calculated to disturb the conscience of an honest slave holder.''<ref>Dew, Thomas (1832). [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401804763.html "Text of the pro-slavery argument (1832, by Thomas Dew)"]. ''American History Told by Contemporaries'', Hart, Albert Bushnell, ed. (New York: Macmillan, 1901), vol. 3. Reprinted in ''Dictionary of American History'' (2003), Baumann, Mark D. (Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale). Republished at Encyclopedia.com website (Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning, 2009 or bef.)</ref><br />
<br />
In reference to these examples, both arguments depend on the false underlying belief, not found in the Bible, of an absence of a species-specific [[human nature]] which serves as a motive for us to adopt certain universal moral laws to direct our ways towards all human beings.<br />
<br />
== Moral relativism as TUMOR ==<br />
{| class="infobox bordered" style="font-size:95%; width:25em;"<br />
! style="font-size:120%; background:violet; text-align:center; padding:5px 0;" | Anything goes: preaching resignation as progress<br />
|-<br />
| style="padding:15px;" |“''‘anything goes’'' is a legitimate attitude for consenting adults toward each other, but for a [[culture]] to declare it as a [[credo]] is to miss entirely the stake all of us have in the harmony between the [[sex]]es and in the [[family]] as the irreplaceable necessity of [[society]]. This is a society that is increasingly denying its importance by calling it tolerance, preaching resignation and naming all this progress.”<div style="padding-left:40px;">&mdash; Herbert Hendin, psychoanalyst<ref>{{cite journal |title=HOMOSEXUALITY: Gays on the March |journal=''Time'' magazine |volume=106 |issue=10 |date=8 Sep 1975 |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601750908,00.html}}</ref> </div><br />
|}<br />
According to Ryan Dobson<ref name="Dobson">{{cite book<br />
|author=Ryan Dobson, Jefferson Scott<br />
|title=Be Intolerant in Love: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid<br />
|publisher=Tyndale House Publishers <br />
|location=Sisters, OR, USA<br />
|year=2007<br />
|isbn=978-1590-521526<br />
|pages=23–26<br />
|pages=121<br />
|url=http://books.google.no/books?id=yvSEGgAACAAJ&dq=dobson+be+intolerant+in+love&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4hGsT5XKA-mm4gTMqpilCQ&redir_esc=y<br />
|quote=}}</ref> moral relativism is a philosophy that can be abbreviated with mnemonic word '''TUMOR''':<br />
*'''T'''olerant: Moral relativism represents a hypocritical culture in which "[[tolerance]]" is emphasized (tolerance is "king") even though not honored even-handedly. Criticism is not welcome, except against opponents who dare to show their own independent opinion deviating from what is considered as '[[politically correct]]'. Many in the millennial generation are committed to what some scholars call the "eleventh commandment" of contemporary culture: ''Thou shalt not be intolerant''.<ref name="Mohler2015">{{cite book |title=We Cannot Be Silent: Speaking Truth to a Culture Redefining Sex, Marriage, and the Very Meaning of Right and Wrong |author=R. Albert Mohler, Jr. |publisher=Harper Collins |year=2015 |pages=134 |isbn=978-07180-32487 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNhhCAAAQBAJ |quote=}}</ref> A misconceived virtue of tolerance ends up in tolerance of moral deviations and vileness.<ref>{{cite web|title=Proč žijeme v absurdním světě? (Why we are living in an absurd world?)|author=Alexander Tomský |publisher=tyzden.sk |url=http://www.tyzden.sk/casopis/2013/15/proc-zijeme-v-absurdnim-svete.html|date=08-April-2013|accessdate=14-April-2013|quote=Špatně pochopená pokora myšlení vede k relativizmu, špatně pochopená mírumilovnost k pacifismu, špatně pochopená svoboda k anarchii, špatně pochopená důstojnost k bezuzdnému voluntarismu a špatně pochopená cnost snášenlivosti k toleranci deviace a vulgarity.|language=Czech}}</ref> Distorted philosophy of tolerance leads to life in complete opposition to its own central belief. [[Christianity]] calling for moral responsibility is however not tolerated by the "tolerance brigade".<ref name="Dobson"/> Its organized form, especially of a hierarchical sort, is a definite no-no.{{#tag:ref|cf. article II: 'Intolerance' in [[Anti-Christian sentiment]]|group=note}} Still, a moral relativist may be open to forms of Christianity offering spiritual experiences but would get likely offended by "arrogant" claims of Absolute Truth. Spirituality, whatever its source, is intriguing. The [[postmodernism|post-modern]] mindset of the moral relativist tends to "mix and match" ideas wherever they come from{{#tag:ref|cf.[[Syncretism]]|group=note}} and the borders between reality and fantasy are blurred.{{#tag:ref|cf.[[Logic of possibility]] and [[Postmodern science]]|group=note}}<ref name="Hope">{{cite book |title=Europe:Restoring Hope|author=Deborah Meroff|publisher=OM Books|place=Linz, Austria|year=2011|isbn=978-3-941750-06-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1mJhuQAACAAJ&dq=europe:restoring+hope&hl=en&sa=X&ei=G5bCUbmBJcWq4ASlsIGQCQ&redir_esc=y}}</ref> The twisted perception of tolerance can be traced back to [[Gnosticism]] where it was one of its fundamental hallmarks.<ref name="Skarsaune">{{cite book<br />
|author=Oskar Skarsaune<br />
|title=In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influence on Early Christianity<br />
|publisher=IVP Academic<br />
|year=2002<br />
|location=Downers Grove, IL<br />
|pages=252<br />
|chapter=12:Orthodoxy and Heresy<br />
|isbn=978-0-8308-2844-9<br />
|url=http://books.google.no/books?id=2q6qTb-A7GwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Oskar+Skarsaune+In+the+shadow+of+the+temple&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6WuMUIihIJTN4QSbnoGIBQ&redir_esc=y<br />
|quote=Such was the [[Gnostic]] position. It must have had much to recommend it to Hellenistic minds. And there was one added attraction: Gnosticism was tolerant. For most Gnostics, burning incense before [[Caesar]]'s image or fulfilling other social necessary religious obligations was no problem. It was in any case a merely outward rite, it did not affect one's soul.}}</ref> <br />
*'''U'''ntraditional: The culture of moral relativism naively favors everything labelled as "alternative": alternative music, alternative voices, [[alternative medicine]], alternative life styles. Rebellion against traditional values is promoted, often in form of provoking obscene "cultural" expressions.{{#tag:ref|cf.<br> <br />
''"Madonna told me to break every rule I could think of, and then when I was done to make up some new ones and break them."'' - the choreographer of Madonna's 1990 world tour<ref name="Guinness">{{cite book|first=Os |last=Guinness|editor= Virginia Mooney Withrow|title=When no one sees: Character and leadership in an age of Image|publisher=[http://www.ttf.org/ TheTrinityForum.org]|location=McLean, Virginia|year=2007|page=24|isbn= 1-57683-159-0}}</ref><br><br />
''"Sinclair believed that marijuana, and especially LSD, had provided the hip subculture with an alternative vision of life and transformed [[rock and roll]] from a rebellious into a revolutionary music."''<ref name="AmericanActivism">{{cite book |title=Leaders from the 1960s: A Biographical Sourcebook of American Activism |author=David DeLeon |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |place=Westport, CT |year=1994 |pages=451 |isbn=978-03132-74145 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oHYD-XUiSBEC |quote=...vision of a revolution driven by music and carried out by youth, who were enjoined to remain distant from the war, drop out of school, refuse to take the work offered by the mainstream society, ... and in other ways maintain an alternative sensibility. ... the culture of [[jazz]], [[Buddhism]], and Malcolm X's letter writings ...We had a vision of ...multi-cultural, communalistic society... }}</ref>|group=note}} The favorite topic of modern profane relativists is, for example, a fictional story on relationship between [[Jesus]] Christ and [[Mary Magdalene]] such as one by [[Jose Saramago]] in his blasphemous work ''The Gospel According to Jesus Christ''. Another example might be the movie ''Million Dollar Baby'' which is compared with the Nazi movie ''Ich klage an'' (''I Accuse''), banned by the Allies after [[World War II]] due to its hidden propaganda promoting the Nazi program for [[euthanasia]].<ref>{{cite book<br />
|author=Vladimír Palko<br />
|title=Levy prichdzajú (Lions are coming)<br />
|publisher=Vydavateľstvo Michala Vaška<br />
|location=Prešov, Slovakia<br />
|year=2012<br />
|language=Slovak<br />
|isbn=978-80-7165-870-2<br />
|url=http://blog.tyzden.sk/juraj-macko/2012/4/17/levy-prichadzaju-alebo-leninovi-bratranci-v-ruchu-baranka/<br />
|quote=}}</ref> Ironically, after the state adopted their agenda, the [[homosexuals]] in Norwegian radio 'radiOrakel' expressed their disappointment that ''"there is no fun being gay in Norway anymore ... all exotic part of being gay or lesbian is gone"''.<ref>{{cite web<br />
|title=Feministická a queer emancipace v Norsku (Feministic and queer emancipation in Norway)<br />
|publisher=Česká televize<br />
|pages=2min:26sec<br />
|url=http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/10121061347-q/212562210900015/video/205029<br />
|language=Czech, English<br />
|accessdate=2012-10-26}}</ref> What counts is having fun now, living for sensuous gratification and excitement at the very present moment.<ref name="Hope"/>{{#tag:ref|cf. [[Hedonism]]|group=note}} Moral relativists don't truly want anything that is unusual or new - because if they did, then Christianity might eventually become an alternative they would have to try. What they really want is [[Anti-Christian sentiment|anti-Christianity]]. Moral relativism actively rejects the faith of the New Testament and strongly recommends to pick another, more "flexible" belief system.{{#tag:ref|cf. ''"[[Bertrand Russell|Russel]], in particular, was so found of tergiversation that another celebrated British philosopher, C.D. Broad, once said, 'As we all know, Mr. Russell produces a different system of philosophy every few years.'"''<ref name="Flew">{{Cite book|title=There is a God, How the world's most notorious atheist changed his mind|author=Antony Flew|publisher=HarperOne|year=2008|isbn=978-0-06-133530-3|pages=VIII, XXI|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zbL66ePcjpQC&dq=There+is+God+how+the+world&hl=sk&sa=X&ei=G_SgUqqAJIPpywObp4AQ&redir_esc=y|quote=}}</ref>|group=note}}<br />
*'''M'''arginalized: Moral relativism is a culture that portrays delinquents as "''victims''". The misdeeds of celebrities, athletes, and politicians are quickly forgotten because their sordid behavior is deemed as driven by the unreasonable demands of fame and fortune. For example, supporters of [[Bill Clinton]] never wavered after the truth about the Lewinsky affair came out, claiming he was the "victim" of a "right-wing conspiracy". In a society marked by moral relativism, [[addiction]]s are portrayed as handicaps void of any personal responsibility of their practitioners<ref>{{cite book |title= It's Not My Fault: The No-Excuse Plan for Overcoming Life's Obstacles |author1=Henry Cloud |author2=John Townsend |publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc |year=2010 |pages=4 |isbn=9781418567989 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hg4jGLse0d4C |quote=…two girls were overweight and claimed that McDonald’s was responsible for their eating habits. The attorney for the plaintiffs argued that McDonald’s food was "physically or psychologically addictive." From that perspective, the poor girls just did not have a chance. The Golden Arches reached out and grabbed them, pulled them in, and forced-fed them. … How did we get to the place where someone would even think that they could sue a hamburger chain for their weight problem? Was it the permissive sixties that did away with personal responsibility in our culture? }}</ref> while many times the really handicapped people struggle to get their support.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/SODOM |title=Sodom |author=Arkady Mamontov |pages=11min:50sec |accessdate=9 January 2016 |quote=All over the world there are serious breaches of human rights, people are being killed, being tortured, they have to flee their homelands and cross the borders, living in the refugee camps; and this organization, instead of focusing on the true needs of the people around the world, they are trying to declare that homosexuality is a human right and they are devoting vast amounts of money to promote this agenda around the world instead of addressing genuine human rights.}}</ref> Social scientist Charles Sykes provided a classic example of how deeply victim psychology has permeated American culture. An [[FBI]] agent, who was fired for his crime of embezzling an amount of money and using it for gambling, went to court. There he successfully argued that his [[gambling]] behavior was a handicap, protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Thus, the FBI was forced to reinstate him.<ref>{{cite web|title='It's Not My Fault': A Nation of Victims |author=Chuck Colson|publisher=BreakPoint |date=August 22, 2002|accessdate=April 14, 2013 |url=http://www.breakpoint.org/commentaries/3045-its-not-my-fault |quote=Social scientist Charles Sykes tells the story of an FBI agent who embezzled $2,000 and used it for gambling. When he was fired for his crime, the agent did what a lot of folks do today: He began looking around to see whom he could blame. After he was fired, the FBI agent went to court. He successfully argued that his gambling behavior was a handicap, protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. And the FBI was forced to reinstate him. It's a classic example of how deeply victim psychology has permeated our culture.}}</ref> Ironically, adherents of moral relativism are themselves victims of the [[ideomotor effect]] that has more to do with self-delusion rather than just with external entities. <br />
*'''O'''utdoors: Moral relativism is associated with ''radical environmentalism''. Many of the same protagonists who defend a woman's "right" to kill her unborn child would hurl themselves in front of a bulldozer to rescue a nest of spotted owl eggs. <br />
*'''R'''eprobate: Reprobate means marked with [[immorality]]; deviating from what is considered right or proper or good according to a common wisdom based on the proven practical experience of the vast majority of the human community developed over the course of millennia. The culture of moral relativism has adopted an "''anything goes''"{{#tag:ref|''Anything goes'' is also a principle of methodological [[anarchism]] of Paul Karl Feyerabend that rejects the existence of privilege of norms.<ref name="Kuby">{{cite book<br />
|author=Gabriele Kuby<br />
|title=Globálna Sexuálna Revolúcia. Strata Slobody v mene Slobody. (Global Sexual Revolution. The loss of Freedom in the name of Freedom.)<br />
|location=Bratislava, Slovakia<br />
|publisher=Lúč<br />
|year=2013<br />
|page=115<br />
|isbn=978-80-7114-922-4<br />
|quote=The title in German original is “Die Globale sexualle Revolution.” The link is for later published English version.<br />
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-8C1jgEACAAJ<br />
|language=Slovak<br />
}}</ref>|group=note}} morality, a kind of moral ''whatever-ness''. Individuals are misusing their own rights without respecting the rights of others and often even without sensing they violate them.{{#tag:ref|cf. [[Disturbed character]]|group=note}} The typical example is a burglar who broke into a private house and sued the owners because he slipped on their floor.<ref name="Dobson"/> Those who consistently reject self-evident truth are eventually given over to a reprobate mind, meaning that their thinking gets so filled with false beliefs that they can no longer understand the truth. The prime example of reprobate thinking is sodomitical alias [[homosexual]] [[sin]].<ref name="Lively2009">{{cite book |title=Redeeming the Rainbow: A Christian Response to the "Gay" Agenda |author=Scott Lively |publisher=Veritas Aeterna Press |place=Springfield, MA |year=2009 |edition=1 (Version 1.1)|pages=11 |url=http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09b/Redeeming_rainbow}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Moral relativism and Absolute Truth==<br />
{| class="infobox bordered" style="font-size:95%; width:25em;"<br />
! style="font-size:120%; background:lightgray; text-align:center; padding:5px 0;" | The death of the death of absolute truth<br />
|-<br />
| style="padding:15px;" |And what about the idea that there is no absolute truth? I mean, first of all, ''the statement itself is a declaration of absolute truth''. If you have a moral relativist friend who says, "There is no such thing as absolute truth," he's laying out a truth that he believes will never change. He should put it this way: "It is absolute truth, that there is no such thing as absolute truth." Isn't that crazy? It's self-refuting. It's like me saying, "This sentence does not exist." <br />
<div style="padding-left:40px;">&mdash; Ryan Dobson<ref name="Dobson"/> </div><br />
|}<br />
Moral relativists like to proclaim the death of absolute truth. Their self-refuting argument is however based on logical fallacy known as the [[stolen concept]], since they implicitly assume the existence of the very same thing they try to deny. Dobson concludes with some [[irony]] that ''"The absolute truth is alive and well, and moral relativists count on it every day."''<ref name="Dobson"/>{{#tag:ref|cf. "According to J. Stott, the Christian faith cannot capitulate to pluralism and relativism promulgated by postmodernism which attacks claims on absolute truth. Christians must continue to argue that truth is truth" in [[Galileo's maxim]]|group=note}}<br />
<br />
== Moral relativism vs. absolute Right or Wrong ==<br />
{| class="infobox bordered" style="font-size:95%; width:25em;"<br />
! style="font-size:120%; background:lightyellow; text-align:center; padding:5px 0;" | A way that seems right, but...<br />
|-<br />
| style="padding:15px;" |'''"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."'''<br />
<div style="padding-left:40px;">&mdash; [[Proverbs]] 14:12</div><br />
|}<br />
Moral relativity is a [[philosophy]] that states there is no absolute Right or Wrong, and that anyone can freely use his own [[conscience]] to decide what is moral. A moral relativist will not say that [[theft]] or [[murder]] is wrong, because he believes it is up to the murderer or thief to decide whether his behavior is justified.<br />
<br />
Moral relativity and related foolish thinking is what allows [[liberal]]s to support [[abortion]], [[Homosexual rights advocacy|alleged homosexual rights]], and [[drug abuse]]. Moral relativity erodes principled [[self-defense]] and thereby leads to misguided demands for [[gun control]] as well as psychiatric problems resulting from a lack of mental self-defense.<br />
<br />
Moral relativism, while superficially similar to [[situational ethics]], differs from situational ethics with regard to whether there is an objective right or wrong. Situational ethics posits that there is an objective right or wrong, but that it is determined by the outcome of each situation, or in other words that the end justifies the means.<br />
<br />
== Moral relativism in Social sciences ==<br />
In recent times, according to the [[Discovery Institute]]:<br />
:''Moral relativism was uncritically adopted by much of the [[social sciences]], and it still under girds much of modern [[economics]], [[political science]], [[psychology]] and [[sociology]].'' [http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?id=349]<br />
<br />
== "Character morality" and its two opposite errors ==<br />
===Facts about human nature and laws of human nature===<br />
Many moral relativists might argue that there are no dependable laws concerning human nature to which a constant moral precept could apply. But there are probably fewer who would say there are no facts about human beings that it is possible to generalize as belonging to human nature.<br />
<br />
=== Christian belief ===<br />
The Bible can be taken as including many facts about human nature itself, although rarely combined together to be stated as laws of human nature. But that the Bible includes both, directly, probably ought to be taken as good as an assertion that belief in human nature is a sort of preamble to the faith it reveals. A proof text for such a law might be John 3:16: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life." Stated as law or rule of human nature this might read, "Every person who believes in the Son may have eternal life (because they have that capacity)".<br />
<br />
=== The opposite extreme: Moral determinism ===<br />
Therefore, the denial of human nature is not of faith, or at least can restrict faith. There is an opposite extreme, the details of which belonging to their own article, which might be called "[[Determinism|moral determinism]]", which states that human behavior is substantially determined or fixed by the lower aspects of human nature and environment and that a morally good or bad conscience is an illusion. Both extremes are non-Biblical, and both extremes, though contradictory, are accepted in liberalism. This gives support to the suggestion that these two extremes are not really reasoned beliefs so much as evasions.<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
<references group=note/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Objective morality]]<br />
* [[Indifference]]<br />
* [[Moral degeneration]]<br />
* [[Postmodernism]]<br />
* [[Liberal denial]]<br />
* [[Liberal arrogance]]<br />
* [[Anthropological Revolution]]<br />
* [[Good and evil]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
<br />
{{Liberalism}}<br />
{{relativity}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Philosophy]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Falsehoods]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Traits]]<br />
[[Category:Professor Values]]<br />
[[Category:Hollywood Values]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=LGBTQ%2B&diff=1938038LGBTQ+2023-03-12T07:28:14Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Undo revision 1937671 by Northwest (talk) What's wrong?</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:LGB.PNG|right|250px|thumb|]]<br />
'''LGBTQIAPK''' (more commonly shortened to '''LGBT''' or '''LGBTQ+''') is one of several acronyms intended to represent all current varieties of non-heterosexual sexual orientations. This acronym stands for: [[Lesbian]], [[Gay]] (or Genderqueer), [[Bisexual]], [[Transgender]], Queer (or Questioning), Intersex, Asexual (or Aromantic or Ally), [[Polyamorous]] (or pansexual) and Kink.<ref>http://www.mtv.co.uk/pride/news/lgbtq-acronym-guide</ref> There seems to be some minor disagreement over what each letter means, while others just add in multiples of each letter to include them all.<ref name="humans.media">https://humans.media/lgbtqiapk-and-what-it-means</ref><br /><br />
Some also say that even this is not a suitably detailed list, because other terms such as Agender, Bigender, Trigender, Pangender, Polygender, Cis, Gender Apathetic, Demigender are not included.<ref name="humans.media">https://humans.media/lgbtqiapk-and-what-it-means</ref> To be more "all-inclusive" and avoid causing someone to think someone else might be offended, sometimes a plus sign is added on the end of whatever acronym is used, to represent those not listed.<br /><br />
<br />
A Gallup poll released in February 2022 show that "7.1% of [[American]] adults identify as LGBTQ+, jumping from 3.5% in 2012."<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/17/lgbtq-americans-gallup-poll-survey</ref> The increase was mostly among young adults.<br />
<br />
The Canadian Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario hosted a "LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP inclusiveness training" on June 6, 2017. This was the first appearance of what was at the time, the longest version of such an acronym. The acronym was used somewhat facetiously in order to publicize the training. The EFTO stated that "the intent of the title was to draw workshop participants (teachers) by acknowledging that keeping track of diverse LGBTQ identities can be overwhelming, especially as our students are continuously identifying new ones. In our union, we use LGBTQ as an umbrella term for all marginalized sexual and gender identities."<ref>https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lggbdtttiqqaapp-lgbt-inclusiveness-training-flyer/</ref> [[Facebook]] recognizes 58 genders as of last count.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/13/tech/social-media/facebook-gender-custom/index.html</ref><br />
<br />
In [[Eastern Europe]] the LGBT rainbow flag is colloquially referred to as the "[[Western]] flag."<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Homosexual rights advocacy]]<br />
*[[Gender confusion]]<br />
*[[Progressive movement]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External link==<br />
*[https://rumble.com/vshjc6-lgbt-exposed-hard-hitting-major-russian-tv-film-sodom-hd-eng-dub.html LGBT EXPOSED Hard Hitting, Major Russian TV Film SODOM HD] in English.<br />
*[https://www.bitchute.com/video/252Rzrl9X9CB/ Armed Forces of Ukraine Recruiting Ad] (Note: The government of Ukraine is [[bankrupt]] and the ad was funded with $53 billion in U.S. taxpayer aid).<br />
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]<br />
[[Category:Homosexuality]]<br />
[[Category:Sexuality]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=LGBTQ%2B&diff=1937619LGBTQ+2023-03-10T01:37:11Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Tone down article a bit, also, describe the context of the super long acronym in the EFTO</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:LGB.PNG|right|250px|thumb|]]<br />
'''LGBTQIAPK''' (more commonly shortened to '''LGBT''' or '''LGBTQ+''') is one of several acronyms intended to represent all current varieties of non-heterosexual sexual orientations. This acronym stands for: [[Lesbian]], [[Gay]] (or Genderqueer), [[Bisexual]], [[Transgender]], Queer (or Questioning), Intersex, Asexual (or Aromantic or Ally), [[Polyamorous]] (or pansexual) and Kink.<ref>http://www.mtv.co.uk/pride/news/lgbtq-acronym-guide</ref> There seems to be some minor disagreement over what each letter means, while others just add in multiples of each letter to include them all.<ref name="humans.media">https://humans.media/lgbtqiapk-and-what-it-means</ref><br /><br />
Some also say that even this is not a suitably detailed list, because other terms such as Agender, Bigender, Trigender, Pangender, Polygender, Cis, Gender Apathetic, Demigender are not included.<ref name="humans.media">https://humans.media/lgbtqiapk-and-what-it-means</ref> To be more "all-inclusive" and avoid causing someone to think someone else might be offended, sometimes a plus sign is added on the end of whatever acronym is used, to represent those not listed.<br /><br />
<br />
A Gallup poll released in February 2022 show that "7.1% of [[American]] adults identify as LGBTQ+, jumping from 3.5% in 2012."<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/17/lgbtq-americans-gallup-poll-survey</ref> The increase was mostly among young adults.<br />
<br />
The Canadian Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario hosted a "LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP inclusiveness training" on June 6, 2017. This was the first appearance of what was at the time, the longest version of such an acronym. The acronym was used somewhat facetiously in order to publicize the training. The EFTO stated that "the intent of the title was to draw workshop participants (teachers) by acknowledging that keeping track of diverse LGBTQ identities can be overwhelming, especially as our students are continuously identifying new ones. In our union, we use LGBTQ as an umbrella term for all marginalized sexual and gender identities."<ref>https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lggbdtttiqqaapp-lgbt-inclusiveness-training-flyer/</ref> [[Facebook]] recognizes 58 genders as of last count.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/13/tech/social-media/facebook-gender-custom/index.html</ref><br />
<br />
In [[Eastern Europe]] the LGBT rainbow flag is colloquially referred to as the "[[Western]] flag."<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Homosexual rights advocacy]]<br />
*[[Gender confusion]]<br />
*[[Progressive movement]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External link==<br />
*[https://rumble.com/vshjc6-lgbt-exposed-hard-hitting-major-russian-tv-film-sodom-hd-eng-dub.html LGBT EXPOSED Hard Hitting, Major Russian TV Film SODOM HD] in English.<br />
*[https://www.bitchute.com/video/252Rzrl9X9CB/ Armed Forces of Ukraine Recruiting Ad] (Note: The government of Ukraine is [[bankrupt]] and the ad was funded with $53 billion in U.S. taxpayer aid).<br />
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]<br />
[[Category:Homosexuality]]<br />
[[Category:Sexuality]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gender_confusion&diff=1937616Gender confusion2023-03-10T01:27:55Z<p>ChenXiansheng: remove cross-dressers, for them, it is a choice, not gender dysphoria</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Gender confusion''' or '''gender dysphoria''' is the problematic state of not realizing or finding it difficult to accept what [[gender]] a person is. It is common among people who choose to not adhere to traditional [[gender roles]], such as [[homosexual]]s, [[transsexual]]s and [[transvestite]]s. Parents must make the roles of [[mother]] (=females) and [[father]] (=males) very clear, so that children can learn and affirm that there are differences between boys and girls. Under good parenting, the children will not become confused about gender.<ref>''Bringing Up Boys'', Dr. James C. Dobson. Tyndale House Publishers, 2005.</ref><br />
<br />
The fact that there are two genders – male and female, based on one's biological sex – is affirmed through [[Bible|Scripture]]:{{Bible quote|So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=27|version=ESV}}<br />
<br />
[[Far left]]ists hold to the [[pseudoscientific]] opinion that a person's gender can be [[anthropogenic]]ally altered by [[surgery]] and [[hormone]] treatment.<br />
<br />
In Europe, countries such as the [[United Kingdom]] and [[France]] have adopted policies promoting transgenderism.<ref>Friedman, Victoria (February 15, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/02/15/france-mother-father-parent-uk-govt-lawyer-mother-not-gender-specific/ Men Can Be Mothers in UK, While French Schools Erase Terms ‘Father,’ ‘Mother’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved February 15, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*UpadHayaya, Venus (May 3, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/outrage-as-primary-school-bans-teachers-from-calling-children-boys-and-girls_2905176.html Outrage as Primary School Bans Teachers From Calling Children Boys and Girls]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved May 3, 2019.</ref> In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their plans to raise their first child "gender fluid."<ref>https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/8536859/meghan-markle-and-prince-harry-will-raise-their-baby-as-gender-fluid-and-will-avoid-any-stereotypes-according-to-friends/</ref><br />
<br />
The question of gender dysphoria raises a question of medical ethics. Since there is a good body of scientific literature on the subject of gender dysphoria being a symptom of [[schizophrenia]] and other mental health issues, does a person suffering from gender dysphoria have the legal capacity to consent to [[sex change operation|surgical alteration of their birth gender]] or other forms of alleged treatment.<br />
<br />
Jamie Shupe, the first person to be classified as "non-binary" (where such a person demands that he/she be referred to using "they/them/their" pronouns, disregarding that these are technically plural), admitted his sexual view was the result of mental illness and that he did not receive real help from others.<ref>Shupe, Jamie (March 10, 2019). [https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/03/10/i-was-americas-first-non-binary-person-it-was-all-a-sham/ I Was America’s First ‘Nonbinary’ Person. It Was All a Sham.] ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved April 15, 2019.</ref> Among the more notable people currently claiming to be "non-binary" include [[Social Justice Warrior]] video game "developer" wannabe and scam artist Zoe Quinn, gender-confused Hollywood actress Ellen Page (who are both biologically female) and British singer Sam Smith (who is biologically male). Liberally biased Wikipedia has played along with them, encouraging and enabling their nonsense, narcissism, and attention-seeking behavior by changing the actual gender pronouns of Quinn and Page (she/her/hers) and Smith (he/him/his) to what they wish to be called to satisfy their delusions, as well as for the sake of ideology and political correctness.<br />
<br />
The Department of Defense Instruction 1300.28<ref>https://prhome.defense.gov/Portals/52/Documents/MRA_Docs/MPP/DoD%20TG%20Handbook%20%209-4-20.pdf></ref>, also known as the Donald Trump transgender personnel ban <ref>https://www.americanoversight.org/investigation/trump-administrations-transgender-military-ban></ref>, disallows people suffering from gender dysphoria (the liberal term for gender confusion) from joining the U.S. Armed Forces, although it grandfathers in all enlisted personnel prior to April 12th, 2019.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*[[Sexual disorientation]]<br />
*[[Gender identity disorder]]<br />
*[[Gender-neutral]]<br />
*[[LGBTQQIAAAPPK]]<br />
*[[War on Science]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Sexuality]]<br />
[[Category:Homosexuality]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Liberal&diff=1937614Liberal2023-03-10T01:24:31Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Undo revision 1934201 by Northwest (talk) Why is it not for me to decide? This is a wiki which is meant for everyone to edit, as long as it abides by the CPOV. The article would still be CPOV.</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Godwin's Law.png|thumbnail|right|340px|[[Elizabeth Warren]] ]]<br />
A '''liberal''' (alternately called a left-winger or [[leftism|leftist]]) in America is someone who advocates an increase in [[government]] spending, power, and control, such as [[ObamaCare]]. Liberals often support the [[censorship]] and [[denial]] of [[Christian]] [[Fundamentalist]] values<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Byas, Steve (March 18, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/31774-horowitz-american-left-is-at-war-with-christianity Horowitz: American Left Is at War With Christianity]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 18, 2019.<br />
* http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=2062<br />
*Anderson, Troy (June 4, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/32393-the-war-to-destroy-christianity-in-america The War to Destroy Christianity in America]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 4, 2019.<br />
*Dreher, Rod (October 14, 2019). [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/democrats-versus-traditional-christians-beto-orourke-elizabeth-warren/ Democrats Vs. Traditional Christians]. ''The American Conservative''. Retrieved October 15, 2019.<br />
*Dreher, Rod (October 11, 2019). [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/beto-vs-religious-liberty/ Beto Vs. Religious Liberty]. ''The American Conservative''. Retrieved October 15, 2019.<br />
*Scaliger, Charles (December 26, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/34255-the-left-s-abc-anything-but-christianity-syndrome The Left’s “ABC” (“Anything But Christianity”) Syndrome]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 26, 2019.</ref> and consistently [[conservative]] viewpoints. <br />
<br />
Increasingly, liberals side with the [[homosexual agenda]], including [[same-sex marriage|homosexual "marriage"]]. Liberals favor a [[welfare state]] where people receive endless entitlements without working.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/05/23/reform-conservatives-tackle-the-failed-liberal-welfare-state/ Reform conservatives tackle the failed liberal welfare state], [[Washington Post]]</ref> The liberal ideology has degenerated into economically unsound views and [[Liberal bigotry|intolerant ideology]]. All liberals support, in knee-jerk fashion, the opposite of [[conservative]] principles, while lacking an actual ideology or values of their own.<ref>http://eaglerising.com/22901/liberal-crybabies-get-offended-by-caitlyn-jenner-costume/</ref> [[Secular left|Many of them]] [[Secularized Language|cannot understand]] Christian language.<ref>Williams, Thomas D., Ph.D. (December 26, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/12/26/religiously-ignorant-liberals-mistake-new-king-at-christmas-for-donald-trump/ Religiously-Ignorant Liberals Mistake ‘New King’ at Christmas for Donald Trump]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved December 26, 2016.</ref> Liberals are especially prone to believe [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]], particularly those that denigrate people or views they disagree with,<ref>Murdock, Deroy (March 29, 2019). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/03/collusion-clingers-and-their-flat-earth-forebears/ Collusion Clingers and Their Flat-Earth Forebears]. ''National Review''. Retrieved March 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://video.foxnews.com/v/6020444417001/?playlist_id=5198073478001#sp=show-clips Tucker: Brennan and Comey disgraced themselves]. ''Fox News Video''. March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.</ref> and they are [[Liberal intolerance|increasingly intolerant]] of opposing viewpoints.<ref>Folks, Jeffrey (July 30, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/leftists-dont-want-equality-in-america-they-want-revenge Leftists don’t want equality in America. They want revenge.] ''LifeSiteNews'' (from the ''American Thinker''). Retrieved July 30, 2019.</ref> Modern liberals reject [[Classical Liberal|classical liberalism]], which is now a purported aspect of conservatism.<ref>Vance, Laurence M. (December 27, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/34256-review-of-for-a-new-liberalism Review of “For a New Liberalism”]. ''The New American''. Retrieved December 27, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
Polling data has consistently shown that a larger percentage of Americans identify as conservative, rather than as liberal, by a margin of 35% to 26% as of 2017; while the gap between self-identified conservatives and self-identified liberals has been narrowing in recent years,<ref>[https://news.gallup.com/poll/225074/conservative-lead-ideology-down-single-digits.aspx Conservative Lead in U.S. Ideology is Down to Single Digits]</ref> liberals and "progressives" oftentimes falsely claim that liberals outnumber conservatives. Liberals are especially active in universities.<ref>Lott, Maxim (January 18, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialism-rising-universities-and-radical-profs-helping-steer-leftward-shift-in-politics Socialism rising: Universities and ‘radical’ profs helping steer leftward shift in politics, critics say]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 18, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
==Political positions and practices of liberals ==<br />
{|class="infobox" style="float:right; font-size:85%; width:1ex; line-height:17px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 50px" cellpadding="1"<br />
|[[File:Lawrence O'Donnell raging.jpg|177px]]<br />
|[[File:Scarborough.jpg|233px]]<br />
|-<br />
|colspan="2"|<hr/>[[MSNBC]] propagandists [[Lawrence O'Donnell]] (left) and [[Joe Scarborough]] (right).<br />
|}<br />
'''Liberals support the following political positions and practices''':<ref>https://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2014/02/21/liberal-students-have-a-funny-definition-of-diversity-n1798157</ref><br />
<br />
*Opposition to, and hatred of, [[Natural Law]], [[unalienable rights]], [[republicanism]], [[Americanism]]; support for the [[War on Freedom]]<br />
<br />
* Wasting money on ineffective government programs (the significant economic problems in the [[Eurozone]] due to government debt will no doubt increasingly discredit this aspect of liberal ideology and make things more difficult for advocates of liberal economic ideologies)<br />
*Many liberals are increasingly attempting to limit free speech.<ref name="The slow death of free speech">[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/20/suzanne-fields-how-the-liberal-left-is-killing-fre/ The slow death of free speech] by Suzanne Fields, ''Washington Times'', 2015</ref><ref name="washingtonexaminer.com">[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/why-does-the-left-want-to-suppress-free-speech/article/2532270 Why does the left want to suppress free speech?] by Michael Barone, Washington Examiner, 2013</ref> <br />
<br />
*Judging people by the color of their skin, rather than the content of their character.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-woke-left-vs-martin-luther-king-jr The woke Left vs. Martin Luther King Jr.], ''[[Washington Examiner]]'', January 20, 2020.</ref><br />
<br />
*'''[[Faucism]]'''<br />
<br />
*In the [[United States]], the [[Democrat Party]] and liberals have moved so [[far left]] that there are now political figures involved in Democrat politics who are sympathetic to [[Communism]]. For example, [[Anita Dunn]], an American political strategist who served as [[White House]] Communications Director from April through November 2009 in [[Obama Administration]], said that [[Mao Zedong]] was her favorite political philosopher.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/10/17/obama-debate-advisor-anita-dunn-mao/ Obama Debate Coach Named Mao as Favorite Political Philosopher] by [[Ben Shapiro]], Bretbart News, 2012</ref> [[Bernie Sanders]], a leading candidate in the Democrat Party's 2016 presidential nomination, although he is an adherent of [[social democracy]], he also has a history of involvement with [[Marxism|Marxist]] organizations.<ref>[http://nypost.com/2016/01/16/dont-be-fooled-by-bernie-sanders-hes-a-diehard-communist/ Don’t be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he’s a diehard communist], New York Post by [[Paul Sperry]], New York Post,January 16, 2016</ref><ref name="IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST">[https://www.wnd.com/2016/01/is-bernie-sanders-a-communist/ IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST?] by Joseph Farah, WND, 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/kenneth-d-ackerman/history-lesson-bernie-san_b_9355082.html History Lesson: Bernie Sanders is no 'Communist,' and 'Democratic Socialists' are as American as Apple Pie], Huffington Post, 2012</ref> Sanders shocked his fellow liberals by putting up a [[Soviet Union]] flag in his Senate office.<ref>[http://nypost.com/2016/01/16/dont-be-fooled-by-bernie-sanders-hes-a-diehard-communist/ Don’t be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he’s a diehard communist], New York Post by Paul Sperry, New York Post, January 16, 2016</ref> In 1998, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which was founded by Sanders, had the song ''Red Revolution'' (a song advocating communist revolution) featured on a website that they shared with the Democratic Socialists of America.<ref name="IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST"/> <br />
* In 1993, Hugh E. Rodham, father of [[Hillary Clinton]], made the statement about the Democrat Party, which is a party strongly supported by liberals, “Democrats are one step short of Communism.”<ref name="constitution.com">[http://constitution.com/democrat-party-overrun-communist/ Before his death in 1993, Hugh E. Rodham, father of Hillary Clinton, made the statement, “Democrats are one step short of Communism.”], Constitution.com</ref> In 1988, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), after decades of running their own presidential candidates, stopped running presidential candidates because the gap between Democrats and American communists had grown smaller.<ref name="youtube.com">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjFfE1MNFk Communists, the Democrat Party and Snopes]</ref> In 2016, the CPUSA urged people not to vote for Donald Trump even if they disliked Hillary Clinton (an indirect endorsement of Clinton).<ref name="youtube.com"/> Although there are still some very substantial differences between Communists and Democrats/liberals, the line between Communists/Democrats/liberals continues to blur in the United States.<ref name="constitution.com"/> Ironically, the leading Communist country in the world, [[Communist Party of China|Communist China]], has moved farther away from Communism and now has a mixed economy of [[capitalism]] and state-owned enterprises.<ref>[China's The Most Viciously Free Market Economy On The Planet Right Now], Forbes, 2015</ref><br />
[[File:Hillary Clinton.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Hillary Clinton]] ]]<br />
* Denial of science<ref>[http://www.postlibertarian.com/2012/09/why-do-liberals-hate-science/ Why Do Liberals Hate Science?]</ref> (especially [[creation science]]) while conversely embracing [[pseudoscience]] for political and ideological reasons<br />
* Government's ability to solve economic problems<ref name=studentNews>[http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs]</ref><br />
{{anchor|Hypocrisy}}<br />
* [[Liberal Hypocrisy|Hypocrisy]]<ref>http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002849963/3038298682_real_verse_liberal_hypocrisy_xlarge.png</ref><br />
* The belief that Islamic terrorism is not a huge threat, and that the main reason for Islamic extremists' hostility towards America is because of bad foreign policy <ref name=studentNews /><br />
* Brainwashing voters with propaganda<br />
* [[Liberal hedonism|Hedonism]]<br />
* Taxpayer-funded and state-encouraged [[abortion]]<br />
* Rejection of Biblical standards<br />
* Naive acceptance of the [[Idea of Progress]]<br />
* [[Hate|Hatred]] of those they disagree with (see: [[Liberal hate speech]])<br />
* [[Murder]] (through [[abortion]], [[infanticide]], [[assisted suicide]], and [[euthanasia]]) {{anchor|Censorship}}<br />
* [[Censorship]] of people, organizations, and beliefs they disagree with<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/07/watch-what-you-say-the-new-liberal-power-elite-won-t-tolerate-dissent.html Watch What You Say, The New Liberal Power Elite Won’t Tolerate Dissent], [[The Daily Beast]]</ref><br />
* [[Socialism]]<ref>[http://famguardian.org/subjects/Politics/Articles/Liberals.htm 60 Hard Truths about "Liberals"]</ref><br />
* Unsuccessful Keynesian economics as opposed to sound free-market economics<br />
* Crying instead of accepting reality<ref>http://liberaltears.net/</ref><br />
* Cessation of teacher-led [[prayer]] in classrooms and school/state-sponsored religious events.<br />
* Ending Western morality<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2012/07/13/5_ways_liberalism_destroys_virtue]</ref><br />
* [[Gun control]]<br />
* Pseudo-intellectualism<ref>[http://eljam.blogspot.com/2005/09/i-hate-pseudo-intellectuals.html I hate pseudo-intellectuals]</ref><br />
* Affirmative action<ref name=studentNews /><br />
* Support and justification of [[pornography]]<ref>Jones, Angela (December 31, 2020). [https://www.salon.com/2020/12/30/the-anti-porn-religious-lobby-just-destroyed-the-livelihoods-of-thousands-of-pornographers/ The anti-porn religious lobby just destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of pornographers]. ''Salon''. Retrieved December 31, 2020.</ref><br />
* Support for obscenity, pornography and violence in video games<ref>The [[Warren Court]], led by '''liberal''' Justices [[William O. Douglas]], [[Hugo Black]], [[Abe Fortas]], [[William Brennan]] and Chief Justice [[Earl Warren]] issued 36 decisions granting [[First Amendment]] rights to obscenity and pornography. These decisions remain fully supported by liberals today.</ref><br />
* ''De facto'' authoritarian government<ref>[http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2014/07/liberal_authori.html Liberal Authoritarianism]</ref><br />
* [[Authoritarianism|Authoritarian]] mindset<ref>Richarson, Bradford (June 11, 2016). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/11/liberals-not-conservatives-more-likely-possess-psy/ Study from 2012 now corrected to show liberals, not conservatives, more authoritarian]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 29, 2018.</ref><br />
* Government-funded medical care, such as [[Obamacare]] and "[[Medicare For All]]"<br />
* [[Liberal Fascism|Fascist tendencies]] (see also: [[Homo-fascism]])<br />
* Strong support for the [[Nanny State]] and [[big government]] policies<br />
* Government interference into the smallest details of peoples' everyday lives<ref>Terrell, Rebecca (May 7, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/print-magazine/item/32100-forced-vaccinations Forced Vaccinations: Is It Time for Big Brother to Become Your Doctor?] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 7, 2019.</ref><ref>Duke, Selwyn (May 8, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/32236-tolerant-big-brother-let-people-drink-smoke-and-eat-red-meat-says-health-minister Tolerant Big Brother: Let People Drink, Smoke, and Eat Red Meat, Says Health Minister]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 8, 2019.</ref><br />
* Prioritizing social engineering and political correctness in the military over readiness and national security<ref>Chalk, Casey (November 8, 2019). [https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/what-is-the-woke-military-really-preparing-us-for/ What is the New ‘Woke’ Military Really Preparing Us For?] ''The American Conservative''. Retrieved November 8, 2019.</ref><br />
* [[evolution and liberalism|Belief in evolution]]<br />
* Destroying the Christian foundations on which America was built. <br />
* Destroying conservative family values and replacing them with immoral [[Hollywood values]], such as abortion<br />
* Brainwashing through government-censored [[public education]]<br />
* Limiting personal freedom.<ref>[http://conservative.wikia.com/wiki/Democratic_Party Democratic Party]</ref> Liberal support for gun control is an example of this.<br />
* High progressive taxes<ref>[http://www.ijreview.com/2014/07/157256-course-lower-state-taxes-helps-growth-studys-results-prove/ This Nationwide Study Challenges Everything Liberals Have Told You About Raising Taxes]</ref> as a form of class warfare against wealthy business owners.<ref>[http://www.conservapedia.com/Progressive_taxation Progressive taxation]</ref><br />
* Placement of men and women in the same jobs in the [[military]]<br />
* Slowly eroding the U.S. through [[Progressivism]].<ref>[http://americanprogressivism.wordpress.com/ What Is Progressivism?]</ref><br />
* Legalized [[same-sex marriage|same-sex "marriage"]] and homosexual adoption<br />
* Failed [[tax and spend]] economics<br />
* Smearing<ref>http://www.truthnation.com/trumps-slogan-is-a-throwback-to-reagan-and-liberals-are-furious-make-america-great-again/</ref><br />
* Libertine sexual morality (see: [[Evolutionary belief and sexual immorality]] and [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]])<br />
* Economic sector regulations<ref name=studentNews /><br />
* Denial of conservative roles in history. For example, liberals frequently claim<ref>[http://www.deism.com/washington.htm George Washington and Deism]</ref> that George Washington was a deist when he was actually a devout Episcopalian.<br />
* Spreading of [[political correctness]]<br />
* Government mass-surveillance<br />
* Non-syndicalist [[labor union]]s<br />
* Many liberals engage in [[racism]]<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2013/03/26/25-examples-of-liberal-racism-in-quotes-n1549044 25 Examples of Liberal Racism in Quotes]</ref> (see [[liberal racism]] and [[left-wing Anti-Semitism]])<br />
* [[Liberal bigotry|Bigotry]]<br />
* [[Trump Derangement Syndrome]]<br />
* [[Nazi]]-style book burning<ref>Mastrangelo, Dominick (February 17, 2021). [https://thehill.com/homenews/539149-library-staffer-fired-after-being-accused-of-burning-trump-coulter-books Library staffer fired after being accused of burning Trump, Coulter books]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 17, 2021.</ref><br />
* Advocating incorrect policies<ref>[https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/04/liberals-smug-condescending]</ref><br />
* Encouraging promiscuity and immorality through sexual education rather than teaching [[abstinence]] from premarital sex<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286671,00.html Democrats Aim To Kill Abstinence-Only Program Funding], [[Fox News]], Monday, June 25, 2007</ref><br />
* A "[[living Constitution]]" that is reinterpreted as liberals prefer, rather than how it is thought to have been intended.<br />
* Government programs to [[rehabilitate criminals]]<br />
* Slander<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Slander-Liberal-About-American-Right/dp/1400049520</ref> (see [[Liberal Smear Machine]] and [[Politics of personal destruction]])<br />
* Third- and fourth-wave [[feminism]], [[gender confusion]], and [[anti-family]] policies<br />
* [[Anti-Americanism]]<br />
* Abolition of the [[death penalty]]<br />
* [[Environmentalism]],<ref>and environmental organizations, for example [[Greenpeace]]</ref> including the [[Green New Deal]]<br />
* [[Globalism]], [[one-world government]], and opposition to national [[sovereignty]] (see also: [[War on Sovereignty]])<br />
*Lack of [[patriotism]]<ref>Bleau, Hannah (July 4, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/07/04/round-up-democrats-reveal-they-dislike-celebrating-america-after-all/ Round-Up: Democrats Reveal They Dislike Celebrating America After All]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 4, 2019.</ref><ref>Byas, Steve (July 4, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/32780-lack-of-pride-in-america-not-surprising-after-years-of-liberal-propaganda Lack of Pride in America Not Surprising After Years of Liberal Propaganda]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 4, 2019.</ref><br />
* Wiping out national identity, which unites a country and makes it distinct from other countries<ref>Kraychik, Robert (July 24, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/07/24/dennis-prager-leftists-dont-believe-in-national-identities/ Dennis Prager: Leftists ‘Don’t Believe in National Identities’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 26, 2018.</ref><br />
* Support for [[open borders]] with no border controls or [[border wall]]s<br />
* Support for [[amnesty]] for illegals, and for [[Voter fraud|non-citizens voting in U.S. elections]]<ref>Murphy, James (July 27, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/29650-liberal-cities-want-voting-rights-for-non-citizens-even-illegal-ones Liberal Cities Want Voting Rights for Non-Citizens — Even Illegal Ones]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 28, 2018.</ref><ref>Dinan, Stephen (October 18, 2018). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/18/texas-democrats-ask-noncitizens-register-vote/ Texas Dems ask noncitizens to register to vote, send applications with citizenship box pre-checked]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved October 18, 2018.</ref><br />
* Unconstitutionally mandated separation of church and state.<br />
* Opposition to full [[private property]] rights.<ref>For example, the liberal wing of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] issued the 5–4 [[Kelo v. City of New London]] decision authorizing the taking of private property by government in order to give the property to another private entity rather than convert it to a public use.</ref><br />
* Reinstatement of the [[Fairness Doctrine]]<br />
* Support for the [[Welfare State]]<br />
* Opposition to domestic wire-tapping as authorized in the [[Patriot Act]]<br />
* Oppression of business rather than a laissez-faire capitalist economy <br />
* American liberals often have opposition to the U.S. Constitution and/or are often ignorant of what the U.S. Constitution states. Liberals seek to expand federal power at the expense of local government and silence the conservatives who hold them back, violating the 10th and 1st Amendments respectively.<br />
* [[Liberal Denial|Denial]] of traditional [[gender roles]]<br />
* Support of financially irresponsible policies<br />
* Encouragement of [[Global Warming|"global warming" alarmism]]<br />
* Rejection of logical<ref>[http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140711/OPINION/140719804/2011/OPINION Liberals are illogical, and good at it]</ref> standards<br />
* Attacking people for acting decently merely because they personally don't like them, often smearing them of only seeking attention<br />
* Racism against Cuban-Americans<ref>Quintana, Ana (September 17, 2020). [https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/09/17/the-leftist-medias-unacceptable-bigotry-against-cuban-americans/ The Leftist Media’s Unacceptable Bigotry Against Cuban Americans]. ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved April 20, 2021.</ref><ref>Martel, Frances (November 13, 2015). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2015/11/13/2015-cubans-shouldnt-take-nbcs-racism-longer/ It’s 2015: Cubans Shouldn’t Have to Take NBC’s Racism Any Longer]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 20, 2021.</ref><ref>Sopo, Giancarlo (January 5, 2020). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/cnn-screed-exposes-progressives-growing-hatred-for-conservative-cuban-americans-like-marco-rubio The Left's growing hatred for conservative Cuban Americans exposed]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved April 20, 2021.</ref><ref>Fontova, Humberto (November 2, 2012). [https://townhall.com/columnists/humbertofontova/2012/11/02/democraticmedia-axis-again-furious-with-cubanamerican-voters-n974131 Democratic/Media Axis again FURIOUS with Cuban-American Voters!]. ''Townhall.com''. Retrieved April 20, 2021.</ref><br />
<br />
'''Some liberals support:'''<br />
<br />
* High tolerance of government corruption as long as it is done by other liberals <ref>http://www.infowars.com/correction-liberals-not-conservatives-are-psychotic</ref><br />
* [[Tyranny]] to varying degrees. In lesser forms, a [[Nanny State]] is preferred<ref>http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/george-iii</ref><br />
* [[Elitism]]<ref>https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130604122602AANvhvF</ref> See: [[Liberal elite]]<br />
* [[Treason]]<ref>http://crooksandliars.com/2016/07/mikes-blog-round-25</ref><br />
* [[Anti-Semitism]] (strong support for "[[Palestine]]", opposition to the state of [[Israel]], and even [[Holocaust denial]])<br />
* [[Genocide]] and [[eugenics]] in the form of [[abortion]] (see [[Abortion and eugenics]] and [[Margaret Sanger]])<br />
* Enforced celebration of homosexuality<ref>http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/weve-gone-from-tolerance-of-homosexuality-to-forced-celebration-of-it.html/</ref><br />
* Pedophilia<ref>[http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/liberals-hard-pressed-make-pedophilia-legal-get-ready-sharia-law/]</ref><br />
* Bestiality as a human right<ref>[http://www.peterheck.com/libtree/liberty_tree/view/1677/liberals_repeal_ban_on_bestiality_in_the_military Liberals Repeal Ban on Bestiality in the Military]</ref> See: [[Liberalism and bestiality]]<br />
* [[Sadism]]<ref>http://catholiccitizens.org/views/66534/uses-disgust-%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/</ref><br />
* [[Obesity]] via the [[Fat acceptance movement]] <ref>http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/rosie-odonnell-said-she-will-leave-america-youll-love-the-reason/</ref><br />
* Robbery and other forms of crime (see [[Gun control]])<br />
* A strong tendency to ban or censor things they do not like and make things they like compulsory – in other words, having the government control everything.<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*[https://www.washingtontimes.com/multimedia/collection/13-things-liberals-want-to-ban/ 13 Things Liberals Want To Ban]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 29, 2018.<br />
*Crowder, Steven (June 24, 2015). [https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/top-10-things-liberals-want-to-ban/ Top 10 Things Liberals Want to Ban]. ''Louder with Crowder''. Retrieved November 29, 2018.<br />
*Clayson, Dennis (May 16, 2018). [https://wcfcourier.com/news/opinion/clayson/if-liberals-don-t-like-it-they-ban-it/article_8ef54d06-5f65-11df-9f06-001cc4c002e0.html If liberals don't like it, they ban it]. ''The Courier''. Retrieved November 29, 2018.</ref><br />
*[[Neurodiversity]] and stopping [[autism]] treatments, considering these "torture".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theautismcafe.com/the-dangers-of-the-neurodiversity-movement/|title=Autism and the limits of the neurodiversity movement}}</ref><br />
__TOC__ <!--Do not remove this. We want to keep the insights on the first screen of viewing--><br />
<br />
[[File:Death-camps-trump-supporters.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Liberalism in 2019 America: "Death Camps for Trump Supporters Now!"]]<br />
<br />
== Liberal intolerance ==<br />
''See also:'' [[Liberal intolerance]] and [[Liberal bigotry]]<br />
Many modern liberals have a tendency of to be intolerant of ideas that contradict [[liberalism|liberal ideology]] which increasingly includes many strange notions<ref>Byas, Steve (August 8, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/29740-the-growing-intolerance-of-the-left The Growing Intolerance of the Left]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 8, 2018.</ref> (see: [[Liberal intolerance]]). For example, radical [[feminism|feminists]] commonly claim that one is not born a man or woman, but one becomes a man or woman through [[gender]] socialization.<ref>[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-gender/#GenSocCon - Feminist Perspectives on Sex and Gender - Gender socialization], Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy</ref><br />
<br />
A Pew Research study found that “consistent liberals” were most likely to block others on [[social media]] for disagreeing with them politically.<ref>[https://hotair.com/archives/2014/10/21/pew-survey-consistent-liberals-most-likely-to-block-others-on-social-media-for-disagreeing-with-them-politically/ Pew survey: “Consistent liberals” most likely to block others on social media for disagreeing with them politically]</ref><br />
[[Image:Coulter2006.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Leftists prevented Ann Coulter from speaking at [[University of California, Berkeley]] through threats of violence.<ref name="foxnews.com">[https://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/04/26/ann-coulter-cancels-berkeley-event-amid-protests.html Ann Coulter cancels Berkeley event amid protests, says decision 'a dark day for free speech in America'], Fox News, 2017</ref> ]]<br />
=== Liberal intolerance and violence ===<br />
{{See also|Left-wing violence in the Trump era}}<br />
As noted above, may liberals are increasingly attempting to limit free speech.<ref name="The slow death of free speech"/><ref name="washingtonexaminer.com"/> For example, there have been several intolerant, liberal mobs which have shut down conservative speakers at college campuses (in 2017, there were two cases in the United States where violence or threats of violence were used to shut down free speech at college campuses).<ref name="foxnews.com"/><ref>[http://www.mediaite.com/online/left-wing-hooliganism-wins-again-over-free-speech/ Intolerant Far-Left Mob Wins Again Over Free Speech, This Time at Berkeley], Mediaite, 2017</ref><ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/24/opinions/ann-coulter-berkeley-free-speech-randazza-opinion/ Dear Berkeley: Even Ann Coulter deserves free speech], CNN, 2017</ref> <br />
<br />
[[Democrats]] used paid leftists agitators to disrupt [[Donald Trump]] rallies.<ref name="washingtontimes.com">[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/18/undercover-video-shows-democrats-saying-they-hire-/ Democratic heads roll after video shows agitators planted at Trump rallies], ''Washington Times'', 2016</ref><ref name="frontpagemag.com">[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/264543/undercover-video-democrats-caused-violence-trump-matthew-vadum UNDERCOVER VIDEO: DEMOCRATS CAUSED VIOLENCE AT TRUMP RALLIES], Frontpage Magazine, 2016</ref> As far as the paid agitators, veteran left-wing strategist Robert Creamer confirmed on hidden camera that [[Hillary Clinton]] “is fully in it” and “Hillary knows through the chain of command what’s going on.”<ref name="frontpagemag.com"/> The agitators were sent to Trump rallies to anger Trump supporters and incite violence.<ref name="washingtontimes.com"/><br />
<br />
There have been a number of attacks against President Donald Trump supporters after his election which the [[mainstream media]] underreported.<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2016/11/17/heres-a-list-of-completely-substantiated-and-underreported-attacks-on-trump-supporters/ Here’s A List Of Completely Substantiated (And Underreported) Attacks On Trump Supporters], Daily Caller, 11/17/2016</ref> In addition, there have been a number of instances of leftists and Trump supporters clashing at Trump rallies after his election.<ref>[https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3014061/violence-donald-trump-supporters-clash-rallies/ 'CIVIL WAR' Violence erupts as hundreds of Donald Trump supporters clash with rivals at US rallies], The Sun, March 2017</ref><br />
==== Owning the libs ====<br />
<br />
''See also:'' [[Owning the libs]] <br />
<br />
[[Owning the libs]] is a political strategy used by various [[conservative]]s in the [[United States]] that focuses on upsetting political [[liberal]]s and [[Leftism|leftists]] who often tend to be thin-skinned (See also: [[Irritating an opponent (military and political tactic)]]).<br />
<br />
== Liberals and politics/law ==<br />
[[File:ObamaCareSymbol.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Forced collectivization of healthcare.]]<br />
In the United States, liberals currently use two Clauses of the U.S. Constitution to try to expand their power: the Commerce Clause and the General Welfare Clause. The General Welfare Clause mentions "promoting the general welfare". This to a liberal means taxing the rich at increased rates and redistributing that money. The Commerce Clause, on the other hand, says that Congress has the power to regulate trade with foreign nations, between the states and with the Indian tribes. Since the days of [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] this clause has been interpreted very loosely and has resulted in the federal government expanding its power. The latest example is The Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as [[Obamacare]]. In the ACA, the liberals justify the [[individual mandate]] by saying it regulates commerce between the states. <br />
<br />
The decline in liberal principles can be illustrated by how Franklin Delano Roosevelt opposed and condemned public sector unions, stating that the idea of collective bargaining can't be transferred from the private to the public sector, as that would result in the government being unable to carry out its duties. Yet today, decades later, [[Democrats]] and liberals are in lock-step with public sector unions, as they "donate" money to the reelection campaign in exchange for more taxpayer money in their wallets and fluffed up pensions.<br />
<br />
Current dictionaries describe the liberal ideology by pretending that a liberal is "a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties" or "a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets,"<ref>[http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=liberal&sub=Search+WordNet&o2=&o0=1&o7=&o5=&o1=1&o6=&o4=&o3=&h=00 Noun S: (n) liberal]</ref> or "open-minded or tolerant, especially free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc." or "favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties."<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal liberal]</ref> In practical usage, the term "liberal" is more closely synonymous with "radical," "immoral," "anti-freedom," "elitist," or "bad."<br />
<br />
==Liberals and uncharitableness==<br />
[[File:Krdo13.jpg|thumbnail|250px|left|An [[Obamaville]] was a tent city or shanty town in the [[United States]] created by homeless people during [[Barack Hussein Obama|Barack Obama]]'s presidency.<ref>https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=174965</ref><ref>https://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100627_Huge_tent_city_takes_root.html</ref><ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/12/12/welcome-obamaville-sign-colorado-tent-city-media-mum</ref> <br />
<br /><br />
<br /><br />
[[United States|American]] liberals have been observed to give less to charity than American conservatives.<ref name=georgeWill>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/conservatives_more_liberal_giv.html Conservatives More Liberal Givers], [[RealClearPolitics]]</ref> ]]<br />
''See also'': [[Liberals and uncharitableness]] and [[Atheism and charity]]<br />
In March 2008, [[George Will]] wrote at [[RealClearPolitics]] concerning the [[United States]]:<br />
{{cquote|Sixteen months ago, [[Arthur C. Brooks]], a professor at [[Syracuse University]], published "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism." The surprise is that liberals are markedly less charitable than [[conservative]]s....<br />
<br />
If many conservatives are liberals who have been mugged by reality, Brooks, a registered independent, is, as a reviewer of his book said, a social scientist who has been mugged by data. They include these findings:<br />
<br />
-- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).<br />
<br />
-- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.<ref name=georgeWill />}}<br />
[[Atheism|Atheists]] and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] often reject [[Bible|Biblical]] [[morality]] (and therefore [[conservative Christianity]] ) and hold to [[moral relativism]]. Therefore, it is not surprising that [[per capita]] atheists and agnostics in [[United States|America]] [[Atheism and charity|give significantly less to charity than theists even when church giving is not counted for theists]].<ref>[http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians Atheists and Agnostics Take Aim at Christians]</ref><br />
<br />
=== Liberal politicians and uncharitableness ===<br />
The political magazine the [[American Spectator]] featured an article which focused on [[liberal politicians and uncharitableness]] exposing the hypocrisy of the liberal politicians it featured.<ref>[http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1c5_1238044128&c=1 Charity Donations and Liberal Hypocrisy]</ref> In addition, [[Barack Obama]] has been criticized concerning [[Barack Obama and uncharitableness|his lack of charitable giving]].<br />
<br />
==Liberals and superstition==<br />
''See also:'' [[Irreligion and superstition]]<br />
[[Image:2384975035_230a0eac30.jpg|thumb|right|170px|The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows ...that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to [[superstition]], tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in [[pseudoscience]] than evangelical Christians."<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>]]<br />
The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]].<ref name=irrational>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html Look Who's Irrational Now]</ref><br />
<br />
Also, in September of 2008, the [[Wall Street Journal]] reported:<br />
{{cquote|The reality is that the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] campaign, by discouraging [[religion]], won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass superstition. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith &mdash; it's what the empirical data tell us.<br />
<br />
"What Americans Really Believe," a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]]. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience, such as evolution than evangelical Christians....<br />
<br />
This is not a new finding. In his 1983 book "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener," skeptic and science writer Martin Gardner cited the decline of traditional religious belief among the better educated as one of the causes for an increase in [[pseudoscience]], cults and superstition. He referenced a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer that showed irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born-again Christian college students were the least likely.<ref name=irrational />}}<br />
<br />
== Secular left ==<br />
''See also:'' [[Secular left]]<br />
<br />
The [[secular left]] consists of [[leftist|left]]-wing secularists who are able to exert their influence in many countries. They support "strict government [[secularism]]".<ref>http://www.secularleft.us/about</ref><br />
<br />
=== Decline of the secular left ===<br />
''See also:'' [[Decline of the secular left]] and [[Religious conservatism and politics]]<br />
<br />
In some regions where the secular left has considerable influence, they [[Decline of the secular left|are losing]] an increasing amount of their power.<br />
<br />
Religious conservatism is a big driver of [[social conservatism]]. Religious conservatism is growing in the world and it is affecting politics (see: [[Religious conservatism and politics]]).<ref><br />
[http://www.sneps.net/RD/uploads/1-Shall%20the%20Religious%20Inherit%20the%20Earth.pdf Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century by Eric Kaufmann, Belfer Center, Harvard University/Birkbeck College, University of London]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7vCDeKPRSo Eric Kaufmann - Religion, Demography and Politics in the 21st Century]</ref><br />
<br />
== Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity ==<br />
''See also:'' [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]] and [[Liberal Christianity]] <br />
<br />
According to a 2007 study reported in the ''Journal of Family Issues'', adherents of [[liberal Christianity]] are more likely to engage in marital infidelity than theologically [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christians]].<ref>[http://www.sagepub.com/hillhsstudy/articles/Chapter10_Article%2001.pdf Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity?]</ref><br />
<br />
As noted above, liberals are [[Evolution and liberalism|more likely]] to adhere to evolutionary belief than conservatives. A study conducted by the Australian National University, revealed that belief in evolution is associated with moral permissiveness.<ref>[https://creation.com/morals-decline-linked-to-belief-in-evolution Morals decline linked to evolution]</ref><br />
<br />
== American liberalism ==<br />
''See also:'' [[American liberalism]] and [[Liberal elite|Liberal elitism]]<br />
As noted above, [[American liberalism]] is a political ideology that dominates the [[Democratic Party]]. Its heroes include [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], [[Eleanor Roosevelt]], and [[Martin Luther King]].<br />
<br />
According to the Gallup Organization, in the United States, 25% of the population were liberals and 36% were conservatives in 2016.<ref>[US Conservatives Outnumber Liberals by Narrowing Margin], Gallup, January of 2017</ref><br />
[[File:FDRoosevelt by Perskie.png|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] ]]<br />
In 2017, the ''Financial Times'' declared about [[American liberalism]]:<br />
{{Cquote|...as Democrats struggle to reinvent themselves in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, their party remains captured by a toxic mix of [[identity politics]] and corporate interests. The establishment wing is still convinced that racism and [[misogyny]], not economic populism, sank Mrs Clinton, and that wooing big corporate donors is still the way to victory in the next election.<br />
<br />
While money matters, and there may have been some voters who turned away from Mrs Clinton because of gender, the key reason that the Democrats lost in 2016 and are struggling to rebrand themselves is that they have failed to grasp two things.<br />
<br />
Firstly, most Americans today care more about jobs than identity, and secondly, the same downward mobility that pushed the white working class towards Mr Trump is moving up the socio-economic food chain, and fast. As research by groups from the International Monetary Fund to the OECD to McKinsey has shown, the technology-related job disruption that resulted in rust belt job losses and wage stagnation since 2000 is beginning to affect white-collar workers across nearly every sector....<br />
<br />
But Democrats over-estimated the power and relevance of identity politics (there are still more whites without a college degree than minorities), and underestimated the breadth and depth of labour disruption. In any case, says Robert Johnson, president of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, “it was always a mistake to separate out issues of race and class, because they go hand in hand. In economically insecure times, fear of the ‘other’ increases.” It is a phenomenon exploited by Mr Trump.<ref>[https://www.ft.com/content/b34f5536-2c02-11e7-bc4b-5528796fe35c Economics, not identity, is key to reviving American liberalism], Financial Times, 2017</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In recent years, American liberals have experienced a number of political losses and many liberals in the United States have become embittered (see: [[American liberalism and 21st century political losses]]), <br />
<br />
[[Democrats]] and most media outlets in the [[U.S.]] are blatantly liberal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mrc.org/biasbasics/biasbasics1.asp|title=Media Bias basics|publisher=[[Media Research Center]]}}</ref> Liberalism in North America today practices three primary tactics to attack the Republican Party, and sometimes to attack American values in general. These three liberal tactics can be pronounced using the following [[acronym]]: SIN. Liberals (1) '''s'''hift the subject, they (2) '''i'''gnore the facts, and they (3) '''n'''ame call.<ref>Scott Baker. [https://www.theblaze.com/stories/did-herman-cain-give-the-dont-miss-speech-at-cpac/ Did Herman Cain Give the ‘Don’t Miss’ Speech at CPAC?], ''[[The Blaze]], February 12, 2011.</ref><ref>[[YouTube]]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N3-j3HM7-A& Herman Cain: "Stupid People Are Ruining America"], February 11, 2011.</ref><br />
<br />
* Liberals typically support a "mixed" economy, a policy similar to that of [[fascism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fora.tv/2008/01/30/Liberal_Traits_of_Fascism|title=Video discussion about how modern liberalism is actually fascist by author Jonah Goldberg.}}</ref><br />
<br />
* Liberals claimed a monopoly on [[compassion]], [[decency]], and [[social justice]] (as defined by themselves), posing as the sole defenders of [[civic virtue]] against a horde of backwoodsmen, racists, and religious fanatics. [https://www.americanthinker.com/2008/03/the_disgrace_of_liberalism.html]<br />
{{cquote|There's another goal, from my point of view, which is to try to lay the groundwork for a radical political force which would conceive of itself as distinctly to the left of moderate, reformist American liberals. And that has two aspects. One is to try to change that liberalism, to transform it by analysis, critique, and activism; the second is to build a radical movement which would be an autonomous force in its own right, which would be distinct from the traditional American liberal consensus. This radical part of the program involves not simply supporting the liberal students against conservative students and conservative professors, but trying to act on them, to push them to the left. It also involves trying to find and support, even trying to help create, networks of radical students in law school and of radical professors around the country — students and teachers who see themselves as wanting to go a lot further than most people want to go.<ref>[http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=liberal+teachers&fr=yfp-t-501&fp_ip=MX&u=duncankennedy.net/documents/Liberal%2520Values%2520in%2520Legal%2520Education.pdf&w=liberal+liberals+teachers+teacher&d=BNZFhPReRjC1&icp=1&.intl=us Liberal Values in Legal Education] Duncan Kennedy (professor at Harvard Law School)</ref>}}<br />
<br />
===Liberal Rankings of Congress Members===<br />
The National Journal compiles the votes of each congress member each year and uses the information to create rankings<ref>[http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/index.htm How the House voted]</ref> of how liberal each member of the United States [[Congress]] is. In addition to showing the voting records of each member and given an overall all ranking of liberalness, the National Journal also ranks congress members by liberalness in the areas of social, economic, and foreign policy.<br />
<br />
=== American liberalism, demographics and expected tipping point in the decline of American liberalism ===<br />
''See also:'' [[American atheism]] and [[Decline of atheism]] and [[Global atheism]]<br />
<br />
Due to the explosive growth of [[global Christianity]] in traditional cultures and their influence on Western [[Christianity]] and the higher birth rate of [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christians]] and religious conservatives, social conservatism is expected to rise.<br />
<br />
The Birkbeck College, University of London professor Eric Kaufman wrote in his 2010 book ''Shall the Righteous Inherit the Earth?'' concerning America:<br />
{{cquote|High evangelical fertility rates more than compensated for losses to liberal Protestant sects during the twentieth century. In recent decades, white secularism has surged, but Latino and Asian religious immigration has taken up the slack, keeping secularism at bay. Across denominations, the fertility advantage of religious fundamentalists of all colours is significant and growing. After 2020, their demographic weight will to tip the balance in the [[Culture War|culture wars]] towards the conservative side, ramping up pressure on hot-button issues such as abortion. By the end of the century, three quarters of America may be pro-life. Their activism will leap over the borders of the 'Redeemer Nation' to evangelize the world. Already, the rise of the World Congress of Families has launched a global religious right, its arms stretching across the bloody lines of the War on Terror to embrace the entire Abrahamic family.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-are-years-2012-and-2020-key-years.html Why are 2012 and 2020 key years for Christian creationists and pro-lifers?]</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Liberalism in Europe today==<br />
[[File:Francois Hollande and Vladimir Putin, Moscow 6 dec 2014 - 05-cropped.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The [[France|French]] liberal politician [[François Hollande]] was the President of the French Republic from 2012 until 2017. ]]<br />
In Europe, on the other hand, parties that call themselves ''liberal'' are moderate in outlook, ranging from centre-left to centre-right, promote typically economic and business freedom. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe<ref>[http://www.alde.eu Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament]</ref> is a party of the European Parliament that represents most ''liberal'' parties from European countries. Similar policies are promoted by many ''liberal'' parties throughout the world,<ref>[http://www.liberal-international.org/ World Federation of Liberalism]</ref> such as the Liberal Party of Australia.<ref>[http://www.liberal.org.au/ Liberal Party of Australia]</ref><br />
<br />
Trade unions and socialist parties often criticize politicians for promoting lower taxes on business, or more flexible hiring and firing laws, by calling them "liberals" or [[neoliberal]]s. Thus, just as in the US, "liberal" may occasionally be used as a term of abuse. But when someone is called "liberal" in Europe, it has an entirely different meaning than in the US. In fact, the US meaning of liberal is more similar to the politics of both European [[socialist]]/[[social democracy|social democratic]] or Social/progressive liberal parties, in contrast to conservative or fiscal liberal parties which again falls into the right-wing part of the political spectrum.<ref>[http://www.pes.org Party of European Socialism]</ref><br />
[[File:JohnStuartMill.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px||[[John Stuart Mill]] was a [[classical liberal]]. ]]<br />
==Historical Liberalism ==<br />
In history, the word "liberal" has meant different things at different times, and was associated with individual liberty in prior centuries. In the postwar period, liberals supported government intervention in the economy and welfare state policies, as well as peaceful coexistence with the communist block, which are not liberal policies in the sense of classical liberalism. After the end of the cold war, with the demise of socialism and communism, many liberals embraced some ideas from economic neo-liberalism, and coined it the "Third Way". In the area of [[national security]] and foreign policy liberals in the [[U.S.]] failed to define a consistent stance, even after the events of 9/11 and the beginning of the war in Iraq. Liberals generally support affirmative action, gay marriage, and abortion.<ref>[http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/Bailey/Greenberg-Bailey/Homosexual%20Eugenics.pdf Parental Selection of Children’s Sexual Orientation], '''PDF''', "Political liberals tend, for whatever reason, to be ardent supporters of both gay rights and pro-choice programs." Greenberg and Bailey</ref><br />
<br />
=== Original meaning: Classical Liberalism ===<br />
Liberalism is a political philosophy with freedom as its core value. The term was originally applied to supporters of individual liberties and equal rights, but, in America, the term has come to represent a movement of social change that often conflicts with [[conservative]] values such as moral values and traditions derived from Northern European Protestantism.<br />
<br />
See [[Classical Liberal]]ism. Compare [[Libertarianism]].<br />
<br />
== Influential/famous liberals ==<br />
''See also:'' [[Infamous liberals]]<br />
<br />
* [[Margaret Sanger]]<br />
[[File:Ocasio Cortez.jpeg|thumb|250px|[[AOC]] ]] <br />
* [[Barack Hussein Obama]]<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/cheney-obama-is-the-worst-president-of-my-lifetime-2014-7 CHENEY: Obama Is 'The Worst President Of My Lifetime']</ref><br />
<br />
* [[Elizabeth Warren]]<br />
<br />
* [[George Soros]]<br />
<br />
* [[Emmanuel Macron]]<br />
<br />
* [[Saul Alinsky]]<br />
<br />
* [[Noam Chomsky]]<br />
<br />
* [[John Maynard Keynes]]<br />
<br />
* [[David Thorstad]],<ref>http://hunterbear.org/shooting_lupus.htm</ref> a founding member of NAMBLA.<br />
<br />
* [[Al Gore]]<br />
<br />
* [[Pope Francis]]<br />
<br />
* [[Lee Harvey Oswald]]<br />
<br />
* [[Howard Zinn]]<br />
<br />
* [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]]<br />
<br />
* [[Albert Einstein]]<br />
<br />
* [[Bill Nye]]<br />
<br />
* [[John Wayne Gacy]] - In an interview where he denied killing any of his victims, [[serial killer]] John Wayne Gacy said he was [[bisexuality|bisexual]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YDyGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT129 John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster], Transcript</ref> and "very liberal".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YDyGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT20 John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster], Transcript</ref> Gacy was also a [[Democrat Party]] activist who had his picture taken with [[Rosalynn Carter]].<ref>[http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/45527 Johnwaynegacyrosalynncarter.jpg]</ref><br />
<br />
* [[Gene Roddenberry]]<br />
<br />
==Liberal Organizations of thought==<br />
[[File:Margaret Sanger and Charles V. Drysdale cph.3b18067.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|[[Margaret Sanger]] was the founder of [[Planned Parenthood]] ]]<br />
*[[AARP|AARP - American Association of Retired People]] <br />
*[[ACLU|ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union]]<br />
*[[ACORN|ACORN - Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now]]<br />
*[[AFL-CIO|AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations]]<br />
*[[Amnesty International|AI - Amnesty International]]<br />
*[[A.N.S.W.E.R.|ANSWER - Act Now to Stop War and End Racism]]<br />
*[[CAIR|CAIR - Council on American-Islamic Relations]]<br />
*[[Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism]]<br />
*[[Democratic National Committee]]<br />
*[[Greenpeace]]<br />
*[[MoveOn.org]]<br />
*[[NARAL|NARAL - National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League]]<br />
*[[NAACP|NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]]<br />
*[[National Committee for an Effective Congress]]<br />
*[[National Education Association]]<br />
*[[National Organization of Women|NOW - National Organization of Women]]<br />
*[[PETA|PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]]<br />
*[[Planned Parenthood|Planned Parenthood Federation of America]]<br />
*[[Progressives for Obama]]<br />
*[[Rainbow/PUSH Coalition]]<br />
*[[SEIU|SEIU - Service Employees International Union]]<br />
*[[U.S. Peace Council]]<br />
Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20060509044946/http://www.politixgroup.com/lo.htm The Politix Group]<br />
<br />
==Quotes on Liberals==<br />
"I never use the words [[Democrats]] and [[Republicans]]. It's [[liberals]] and [[Americans]]." -James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under [[Ronald Reagan]]<br />
<br />
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so." -[[Ronald Reagan]]<br />
<br />
“Liberals see racism where it doesn't exist, fabricate it when they can't find it and ignore it within their own ranks.” ―[[Michelle Malkin]]<br />
<br />
"Words mean nothing to liberals. They say whatever will help advance their cause at the moment, switch talking points in a heartbeat, and then act indignant if anyone uses the exact same argument they were using five minutes ago." -[[Ann Coulter]]<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2010/11/23/the_25_best_quotes_about_liberals The 25 Best Quotes About Liberals]</ref><br />
<br />
"The reason any conservative's failing is always major news is that it allows liberals to engage in their very favorite taunt: Hypocrisy! Hypocrisy is the only sin that really inflames them. Inasmuch as liberals have no morals, they can sit back and criticize other people for failing to meet the standards that liberals simply renounce. It's an intriguing strategy. By openly admitting to being philanderers, draft dodgers, liars, weasels and cowards, liberals avoid ever being hypocrites." -Ann Coulter<br />
<br />
"If you can somehow force a liberal into a point-counterpoint argument, his retorts will bear no relation to what you've said -- unless you were in fact talking about your looks, your age, your weight, your personal obsessions, or whether you are a fascist. In the famous liberal two-step, they leap from one idiotic point to the next, so you can never nail them. It's like arguing with someone with Attention Deficit Disorder." -[[Ann Coulter]]<br />
<br />
"Inside many liberals is a totalitarian screaming to get out. They don't like to have another point of view in the room that they don't squash and the way they try to squash it is by character assassination and name calling." -David Horowitz<br />
<br />
"End results that work that don't involve government threaten liberals." -[[Rush Limbaugh]]<br />
<br />
"I'd like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living. I'd like to know why they make excuses for cowards who spit in the faces of the police and then run behind the judicial sob sisters. I can't understand these people who carry placards to save the life of some criminal, yet have no thought for the innocent victim." -John Wayne<br />
<br />
==Quotes by Liberals==<br />
<br />
<br />
"The number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S." -[[Joe Biden]]<br />
<br />
"There is no reason the nation of Africa cannot, and should not, join the ranks of the worlds most prosperous nations." -Joe Biden<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/StupidStuffDemocratsSay Stupid Stuff Democrats Say]</ref><br />
<br />
"Romney wants to give EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION BILLION in tax breaks to the rich." -Joe Biden<br />
<br />
"Will the Mars Rover be able to show the flag the astronauts planted there before?" -Sheila Jackson Lee <br />
[[File:Ytr7576.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|[[Nancy Pelosi]] ]]<br />
"Isn't it a little racist to call it Black Friday?" -Joy Behar <br />
<br />
"Is there such a thing as a man-made stroke? …I know what this [Republican] party is capable of." -Joy Behar<br />
<br />
"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." -[[Al Gore]]<br />
<br />
"The center of the earth is about a million degrees." -Al Gore<br />
<br />
"A zebra does not change its spots." -Al Gore<br />
<br />
"The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied." -[[Jeremiah Wright]]<br />
<br />
"Every month that we do not have an economic recovery package 500 million Americans lose their jobs." -[[Nancy Pelosi]]<br />
<br />
"My favorite word, that is really easy, my favorite word is 'the word'." -Nancy Pelosi<br />
<br />
"We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it” - Nancy Pelosi<br />
<br />
"Why can't I just eat my waffle?" -[[Barack Hussein Obama]]<br />
<br />
"Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go." -[[Barack Hussein Obama]]<br />
<br />
"Welcome to Cinco de Quattro!" -Barack Obama<br />
<br />
"The time has changed for come." -Barack Obama<br />
<br />
"They support democratic institutions in Kyrzakhstan" -John Kerry<br />
<br />
"My fear is that the whole island (of Guam) will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." -Democrat Congressman Hank Johnson<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2013/08/17/the-25-stupidest-liberal-quotes-of-the-last-decade-n1666619 The 25 Stupidest Liberal Quotes Of The Last Decade]</ref><br />
<br />
"Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security." -Obama foreign policy adviser Richard Danzig<br />
<br />
"If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very very low crime rate." -Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry<ref>http://conservative.wikia.com/wiki/Hilarious_Liberal_Quotes</ref><br />
<br />
"What right does Congress have to go around making laws just because they deem it necessary?" -Marion Barry<br />
<br />
"My appetite is so good that I can eat the table cloth right off the chair." -Democrat Congressman Joe Moakley <br />
<br />
"Those who died in the earthquake, their lives will never be the same again." -Barbara Boxer<br />
<br />
"I have to march because my mother couldn't have an abortion." -Maxine Water<ref>http://www.azquotes.com/quote/687234</ref><br />
<br />
"I dare you, you little fruitcake!" -Democrat Congressman Pete Stark<br />
<br />
"I root for hurricanes" -James Wolcott<br />
<br />
"I've got a secret for you: Kiss my a**." -George McGovern<br />
<br />
"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." -[[Norman Thomas]], six-time U.S. Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America<ref>http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Norman.Thomas.Quote.FFB1</ref><br />
<br />
"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." -Hillary Rodham Clinton<ref>Hawkins, John (June 16, 2015). [https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2015/06/16/draft-n2012995 20 Hillary Clinton Quotes You Should Read Before Voting For Her]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved May 16, 2017.</ref><br />
<br />
"Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did." -Walter Mondale<br />
<br />
== Modern liberalism and the use of mockery rather than reasonable argumentation ==<br />
''See also:'' [[Atheism and mockery]]<br />
<br />
In a ''BloombergView'' article, Stephen L. Carter wrote about modern liberalism:<br />
{{Cquote|But the left has work to do, not only on policy and organization but also on attitude. Too many of my [[progressivism|progressive]] friends seem to have forgotten how to make actual arguments, and have become expert instead at condemnation, derision and mockery. On issue after issue, they’re very good at explaining why no one could oppose their policy positions except for the basest of motives. As to those positions themselves, they are too often announced with a zealous solemnity suggesting that their views are Holy Writ -- and those who disagree are cast into the outer political darkness. In short, the left has lately been dripping with hubris, which in classic literature always portends a fall.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-11-11/trump-and-the-fall-of-liberalism Trump and the Fall of Liberalism] by Stephen L. Carter, BloombergView</ref>}}<br />
<br />
== Liberal influence in extreme ideologies (and vice-versa) ==<br />
{{See also|Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism|Communism and Nazism}}<br />
<br />
Although the following individuals were not liberals, they shared several left-wing/liberal views in their ideologies, which overlapped with American/European liberalism.<br />
<br />
=== Marxist/communist figures ===<br />
*[[Karl Marx]]—opposed religion and supported taking it completely out of public life; supported the disestablishment of the family; strong support for labor, socialism, and an expansive government.<ref>''The Communist Manifesto''</ref> Admired by many liberals,<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Dedaj, Paulina (May 5, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/05/moviemaker-michael-moore-wishes-karl-marx-happy-200th-birthday.html Moviemaker Michael Moore wishes Karl Marx a happy 200th birthday]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.<br />
*Duke, Selwyn (May 2, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/reviews/opinion/item/28951-ny-times-hails-marx-on-his-birthday-you-were-right New York Times Hails Marx on His Birthday: “You Were Right!”] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.<br />
*Sunkara, Bhaskar (January 25, 2013). [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/25/karl-marx-relevant-21st-century Why the ideas of Karl Marx are more relevant than ever in the 21st century]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.<br />
*Cooper, Ryan (May 4, 2018). [http://theweek.com/articles/770718/time-normalize-karl-marx It's time to normalize Karl Marx]. ''The Week''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.</ref> including [[European Commission]] president [[Jean-Claude Juncker]].<ref>Multiple references:<br />
*Hale, Virginia (May 5, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/05/05/eu-president-heartfelt-defence-karl-marx/ EU Chief Jean-Claude Juncker Defies Protests to Deliver Heartfelt Defence of Karl Marx]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.<br />
*Byas, Steve (May 5, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/28979-european-commission-president-praises-karl-marx-s-contributions-to-european-union European Commission President Praises Karl Marx’s Contributions to European Union]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.<br />
*Byas, Steve (April 29, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/28934-eu-commission-president-juncker-set-to-honor-karl-marx European Commission President Juncker Set to Honor Karl Marx]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.</ref><br />
*[[Vladimir Lenin]]—socialist, supported an expansive government, supported [[one-world government]]<br />
*[[Mao Zedong]]—socialist. Introduced [[Maoism]], some American liberals admire him<ref>Shapiro, Ben (October 17, 2012). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/10/17/obama-debate-advisor-anita-dunn-mao/ Obama Debate Coach Named Mao as Favorite Political Philosopher]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 20, 2018.</ref><br />
*[[Joseph Stalin]]—socialist. Introduced [[Stalinism]], admired by many (European-) socialists/liberals.<ref>https://www.tni.org/es/node/7617</ref><br />
*[[Fidel Castro]]—socialist, opposition to religion, government-run healthcare. In addition, Castro is admired by numerous American/European liberals.<ref>Wootson, Cleve R., Jr. (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/11/26/trudeau-called-castro-a-remarkable-leader-twitter-imagined-what-he-would-say-about-stalin/?tid=pm_world_pop Trudeau called Castro a ‘remarkable leader.’ Twitter imagined what he would say about Stalin.] ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Lott, Jeremy (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jill-stein-praises-fidel-castro-a-symbol-of-the-struggle-for-justice/article/2608223 Jill Stein praises Fidel Castro: 'A symbol of the struggle for justice']. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Richardson, Valerie (November 28, 2016). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/28/aaron-mair-sierra-club-president-fidel-castro-had-/ Sierra Club president: Fidel Castro had ‘more honor’ than Donald Trump]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref name="O'ReillyNov.29.2016">[https://www.billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=4323#3 The O'Reilly Factor - Monday, November 28, 2016]. ''billoreilly.com''. Retrieved November 29, 2016.</ref><br />
*[[Hugo Chavez]]—socialist. Admired by many American/European liberals.<ref>Kew, Ben (May 4, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/05/04/ten-influential-public-figures-praised-venezuelas-descent-socialist-hell/ 10 Famous People Who Praised Venezuela’s Descent Into Socialist Hell]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 5, 2017.</ref><br />
*[[Che Guevara]]—socialist, admired by many liberals<ref>[http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/05/illegal-immigrants-rally-in-support-of.html Illegal Immigrants Rally For Dead Marxist Che Guevara]</ref><ref>[http://www.che-mart.com/WhoisChe.php Che-Mart]</ref><ref>Jones, Nigel (January 2, 2009). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4077397/It-is-a-sad-reflection-of-our-time-that-Che-Guevara-is-seen-as-a-hero.html It is a sad reflection of our time that Che Guevara is seen as a hero] ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved April 20, 2018.</ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Che_Guevara_in_popular_culture&oldid=833775290</ref><ref>Reiland, Ralph R. (August 12, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/29769-che-guevara-romanticizing-tyranny Che Guevara: Romanticizing Tyranny]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 12, 2018.</ref><br />
*[[Bernie Sanders]]-socialist.<br />
*[[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]]-socialist.<br />
<br />
In 2019, several members of the [[European Commission]] sang the far-left Marxist song "Bella Ciao."<ref>Tomlinson, Chris (December 5, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/05/leftist-european-commissioners-slammed-singing-far-left-bella-ciao/ EU Commissioners Slammed for Singing Marxist Anthem ‘Bella Ciao’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved December 7, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
=== Fascists ===<br />
:''See also:'' [[Liberalism#Nazism and socialism|Nazism and socialism]]<br />
<br />
*[[Adolf Hitler]]—supported animal "rights,"<ref>[ https://books.google.com/books?id=e7FME0btkH0C&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=hitler+animal+rights&source=bl&ots=PIxjDRDBj1&sig=tbJisPm39hMcxj1g6xL0Kh0sn7g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3qZP7xOPTAhVr4oMKHeTMA_c4FBDoAQhKMAc#v=onepage&q=hitler%20animal%20rights&f=false Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions], pg. 62.</ref><ref>Harrison, David; Paterson, Tony (September 22, 2002). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1407954/Thanks-to-Hitler-hunting-with-hounds-is-still-verboten.html Thanks to Hitler, hunting with hounds is still verboten]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref name="EllisWash."/> environmentalism,<ref name="EllisWash.">Washington, Ellis (March 26, 2011). [https://www.wnd.com/2011/03/279449/ The Nazi Cult of the Organic']. ''WND''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/~lnp3/mydocs/ecology/nazi_ecology.htm Nazi "Ecology"], Frank Furedi, ''columbia.edu''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Musser, Mark (February 6, 2016). [https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/02/yale_professor_on_nazi_environmentalism_so_close_yet_so_far.html Yale Professor on Nazi Environmentalism: So Close, yet So Far]. ''American Thinker''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> gun control (see [[Gun Control in Nazi Germany]]),<ref>Halbrook, Stephen (December 2, 2013). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2013/12/how-nazis-used-gun-control-stephen-p-halbrook/ How the Nazis Used Gun Control]. ''National Review''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref><ref>Kline, Audrey D. (May 9, 2014). [https://mises.org/library/gun-control-nazi-germany Gun Control in Nazi Germany]. ''Mises Institute''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref><ref>Wolverton, II, J.D., Joe (January 30, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/14367-nazi-gun-control-laws-a-familiar-road-to-citizen-disarmament Nazi Gun Control Laws: a Familiar Road to Citizen Disarmament?] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Stupp, Herbert W. (July 13, 2015). [https://spectator.org/63424_hitler-and-gun-control/ Hitler and Gun Control]. ''The American Spectator''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Hoft, Joe (March 24, 2018). [https://thegatewaypundit.com/2018/03/reminder-hitler-also-used-children-to-promote-gun-control/ FLASHBACK: Hitler Also Used Children to Promote Gun Control]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref> socialism,<ref>http://louderwithcrowder.com/myth-busted-actually-yes-hitler-was-a-socialist-liberal/</ref> single-payer healthcare (see [[Health care in Nazi Germany]]), and a large expansionist government, and had an intolerance for opposing views.<br />
*[[Benito Mussolini]]—a socialist from a socialist family who only split from mainstream socialism due to his support for Italy during [[World War I]] rather than supporting a [[one-world government|globalist workers' revolution]].<ref>[http://www.biography.com/people/benito-mussolini-9419443 Benito Mussolini]. ''Biography.com''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/italian-history-biographies/benito-mussolini Benito Mussolini]. ''Encyclopedia.com'' (from the Encyclopedia of World Biography''). 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> Prior to [[World War I]], Mussolini wrote for socialist publications and spoke highly of Marx.<ref>Greenspan, Jesse (October 25, 2012). [http://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-mussolini 9 Things You May Not Know About Mussolini]. ''History.com''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> He used gun control to help gain power.<ref>Quammen, E. David (August 12, 2013). [http://www.teapartytribune.com/2013/08/12/italian-gun-control-right-before-mussolini-seized-total-control/ Italian ‘gun control’ right before Mussolini seized total control….]. ''Tea Party Tribune''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
<br />
*[[Conservative vs. liberal]]<br />
*[[Liberal corporate tyranny]]<br />
*[[Left-wing war on women]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{|background="none" width="100%" border="0"<br />
|valign="top"|<br />
* [[Conservative resources]]<br />
* [[Conservapedia:Articles about liberals|Articles about liberals]]<br />
* [[Classical liberal]]<br />
* [[Drinking Liberally]]<br />
* [[Godless liberal]]<br />
* [[Last wordism]]<br />
* [[Essay:Liberal celebrity obsession|Liberal celebrity obsession]]<br />
* [[Essay:Liberal Behavior on Conservapedia|Liberal Behavior on Conservapedia]]<br />
* [[Liberal Christianity]]<br />
* [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]]<br />
* [[Liberal Democrats]]<br />
* [[Liberal Elite]]<br />
* [[Essay: Liberal Falsehoods|Liberal Falsehoods]]<br />
* [[Liberal Fascism]] tendencies. <br />
|valign="top"|<br />
* [[Liberal friendship]]<br />
* [[Liberal Gloss]]<br />
* [[Liberal grading]]<br />
* [[Liberal hypocrisy]]<br />
* [[Essay:Liberal hysteria|Liberal hysteria]]<br />
* [[Essay:Liberal Intellectualism|Liberal Intellectualism]]<br />
* [[Liberal labels]]<br />
* [[Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right|Liberal Lies About the American Right]]<br />
* [[Liberal logic]]<br />
* [[The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness|Liberal Mind]]<br />
* [[Liberal Party]]<br />
* [[Liberal supremacist]]<br />
* [[Massachusetts liberal]]<br />
* [[Progressives]]<br />
|valign="top"|<br />
* [[Scientific Illiteracy and Liberals]]<br />
* [[European Liberalism]]<br />
* [[Liberal and conservative]]<br />
* [[Liberal anger]]<br />
* [[Liberal competitiveness]]<br />
* [[Liberal concealment]]<br />
* [[Liberal conscience]]<br />
* [[Liberal dislikes]]<br />
* [[Liberal excuses]]<br />
* [[Liberal fear]]<br />
* [[Liberal gossip]]<br />
* [[Liberal guilt]]<br />
* [[Liberal confusion]]<br />
* [[Liberal hedonism]]<br />
|valign="top"|<br />
* [[Liberal hyperbole]]<br />
* [[Liberal infiltration]]<br />
* [[Liberal media hype]]<br />
* [[Liberal opinion]]<br />
* [[Liberal relativism]]<br />
* [[Liberal revisionists]]<br />
* [[Liberal self-righteousness]]<br />
* [[Liberalism-ism]]<br />
* [[Liberals and conservatives]]<br />
* [[Essay:Liberal Intelligence]]<br />
* [[Essay:Incoherence of liberal thought]]<br />
* [[Essay:Liberal Predictions of the Decade]]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Further Information==<br />
* [[Best New Conservative Words#New Liberal Terms|New Liberal Terms]]<br />
* [[Conservative Links]]<br />
* http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/<br />
*[https://www.theepochtimes.com/c-how-the-specter-of-communism-is-ruling-our-world How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World]. ''The Epoch Times''.<br />
<br />
{{liberalism}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Political Ideologies]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Liberals]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Conservapedia_talk:Copyright&diff=1937496Conservapedia talk:Copyright2023-03-09T06:52:23Z<p>ChenXiansheng: /* The language of this copyright is vague, and a license with clearer language should be used. */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div>== Dual users ==<br />
As a dual user (and now a dual administrator) of Conservapedia and CreationWiki, I have some questions that I think every registered user of multiple Wikis should ask himself--and here is the best place to put the answers.<br />
<br />
What obligations does a dual user labor under?<br />
<br />
May a dual user submit content--and by "content" I mean ''that user's own words''--directly to Conservapedia and to another Wiki?<br />
<br />
If a dual user has already submitted content to another Wiki--say, CreationWiki--then how long does he have to submit that content to Conservapedia before having to do an extensive rewrite?<br />
<br />
How extensive a rewrite would be required to avoid all questions of liability?<br />
<br />
In asking these questions, I realize at once that some content requires an extensive rewrite because the "target audience" is not the same, and has different values and, for lack of a better term, needs. But if that situation does not apply, then a dual user might be tempted to submit exactly the same words to both projects. If a user is going to do that, then how many days apart may he do that and still stay within a legal definition of "a simultaneous submission"?<br />
<br />
I am glad to have the opportunity to open a discussion on a topic of vital importance to Conservapedia. A firm policy on dual-user rights and obligations will go far to ensure that Conservapedia can get good content submitted to it.--[[User:TerryH|TerryH]]<sup>[[User talk:TerryH|Talk]]</sup> 12:15, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: Other Wikis embrace, mistakenly in my opinion, the [[copyleft]] approach. We do not. As a dual user, I suggest submitting to Conservapedia first because our copyright is less restrictive than other Wikis. If you submit to other Wikis first, then they might insist that impose the burdensome [[copyleft]] conditions on reuse of that material elsewhere. We impose no such requirements.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:46, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
* Just on the broader point of comparing it to Wikipedia's license... [[Differences with Wikipedia]] and [[Wikipedia copyright]] both currently say that contributing material to Wikipedia prevents the author from re-using their work elsewhere. This is manifestly untrue. By U.S. law, authors automatically own the copyright to their work, and the GFDL has no clauses that reassign copyright ownership to anyone else. &nbsp;&nbsp; If I write a poem all by myself, license it under the GFDL, and post it to Geocities, then I still own the copyright. The same holds for Wikipedia. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wikipedia authors can and do [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Multi-licensing multiply-license] their works under other licenses in addition to the GFDL, which can include licenses that are more restrictive than the GFDL. --[[User:Interiot|Interiot]] 13:57, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: That's '''not''' correct to the extent your work has been edited on other Wikis. I don't know if you are right about your unedited original work and what Wikipedia or other Wikis may require as a condition of submission there. The provisions governing submission on those websites would need to be checked.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 14:09, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
::I should think that any contributor who built his contribution on his own machine, or otherwise re-created his original submission ''prior to any edits'', would satisfy the original-submission requirement. Happily, any Wiki has a history section that preserves the source code of every version of every article since its creation, or perhaps fifty edits back. All that a user has to do is look back to how his article looked ''before anyone else edited it'' (not counting immediate reverts) and then view and copy the source. I maintain that a contributor who does that, should be able to dual-submit. But I agree--once the article has been edited by another person, it's not that submitter's original work product anymore.--[[User:TerryH|TerryH]]<sup>[[User talk:TerryH|Talk]]</sup> 14:16, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<br />
: As I (not a legal type - this comes from my experience as an artist and a writer in dealing with copyrights) understand it there are two issues here - original work and deritive work. In the case of original work, unless you assign the copyright or "irrevocably waive and relinquish all copyrights"[http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Conservapedia:Copyright&oldid=89370#II] you own the copyright. You are free to license it however you want. You can put it on a gdfl wiki and you can publish it in a book, and that is not an issue (some publishers may want exclusive publishing rights in which case having published the material at a wiki means they won't be interested in it). The only thing you have to be aware of is that someone else can come along and use the material in a way granted by the gdfl and they are not violating your copyright. If the material is a deritive work - it is edits based on other edits of someone else's work, while you own the copyright to the ''edit'', you have to abide by the licensing of the parent work - if it is gdfl, then that means if you want to publish the material you have edited, then it is also under the gdfl. --[[User:Mtur|Mtur]] 14:17, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: I think both Terry and Mtur are right. Thanks also to Interiot for alerting us to this aspect of the issue.<br />
<br />
: By the way, those you who have influence with other wikis might persuade them to abandon their burdensome "copyleft" or gdfl licensing requirements.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 14:30, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Could you remove that disconcerting "irrevocably waive and relinquish all copyrights" bit here? As an artist that kind of scares me. --[[User:Mtur|Mtur]] 14:32, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::: I've clarified it for you, but I don't see how to change what's in quotations without allowing people to cause problems in protesting copying of their entries. Do you have a suggestion consistent with the purpose of a wiki?--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 14:38, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== From Wikipedia on multi licensing ==<br />
<br />
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Multi-licensing Wikipedia:Multi-licensing]<br />
<blockquote>All text edits to Wikipedia fall under the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) with the copyright being retained by the original author.</blockquote><br />
This edit[http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Differences_with_Wikipedia&curid=11868&diff=89683&oldid=89350] is not correct in that manner.<br />
<blockquote> 1. We allow broader reuse of our material than Wikipedia does. By entering information on Wikipedia you are actually losing rights to your own material to the extent anyone else edits it, as you cannot then copy your entry for use elsewhere without complying with Wikipedia's burdensome copyright restrictions.</blockquote><br />
You still own the original material even after it has been edited. (ps: could you make that a wiki style numbering instead? It should make your life easier if you ever want to insert a point between it or if you use a local style sheet to change how ordered lists are presented) --[[User:Mtur|Mtur]] 14:39, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
: OK, you're right. I made it this: "you irrevocably consent to the display, copying, reuse or editing of your information, edits and entries, with or without attribution." And I'll fix the numbering also. Thanks.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 14:42, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
:: That is ''much'' better. Thank you. --[[User:Mtur|Mtur]] 14:44, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Can Wikipedia (or any Wiki) Stop Copying of Entries? ==<br />
<br />
One editor here has suggested that Wikipedia (and other Wikis) never own any rights in any of their entries, and that Wikipedia (and other Wikis) cannot stop any copying of their entries even if in violation of the GNU license. Wikipedians, do you have a view on this? (We don't want to copy any Wikipedia here but this is relevant to our own copyright policies).--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 19:51, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
:Well, though I'm technically still a registered user of [[Wikipedia]], I must disclaim anything more than a passing acquaintance with Wikipedia's copyright policies.<br />
:But I ''am'' an administrator at [[CreationWiki]], and I am in at least weekly contact with their Chief Bureaucrat, Christopher W. Ashcraft. He says that he won't accept any verbatim copies from Conservapedia to his site, and he has advised all of us on his end not to copy stuff that we did not write over here. (As to things we ''did'' write--well, he doesn't mind dual submissions, and he said that ''simultaneous'' submissions are perfectly permissible as a matter of law. But I think he would agree with you, Andy, that we must submit our own words ''before'' anyone else edited them.)<br />
:Frankly, that's about all that matters. I'll tell you how I use Wikipedia: I go to their sources whenever possible, and where that's not possible, I rewrite. In fact, most of the time, I ''couldn't'' accept their content, because they have a POV that I don't share. And even as regards my dual submisions here and at CreationWiki, I can't always write exactly the same thing here and there. This project and CreationWiki have two different target populations and two different scopes.<br />
:Now as to whether anyone can stop the copying: I suspect that they could. I'll give you an insight from another context: firmware for a wireless router. When the company that currently owns the Linksys name incorporated code from the [[Linux]] operating system in the firmware for their WRT-54G family of wireless combination access point/routers, the Free Software Foundation sent them a cease-and-desist order. Linksys concluded that they just couldn't keep that code proprietary anymore, so they released the code. The result has been the invention of a number of "alternative firmwares" for that device. But it has ''also'' set a precedent that "copyleft" provisions ''are'' enforceable.<br />
:And even if they couldn't go to court--well, I'd certainly hate to see any of our dual users get blocked for unlawful copying. That kind of misunderatanding would truly be a crying shame.--[[User:TerryH|TerryH]]<sup>[[User talk:TerryH|Talk]]</sup> 20:33, 6 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
The original contributors are the copyright owners (Wikipedia contributions aren't a [http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter0/0-c.html "work for hire"], and there's no other agreement to transfer copyright ownership), and the copyright owners [https://message.computerlaw.com/GH_ShowArticle.asp?HID=35 are the only ones who have standing] to sue for infringement. Outside of court of course, standing isn't strictly adhered to, anybody can negotiate on behalf of the copyright owners, particularly if they believe they'll be able to find and assist the people who have standing by the time a lawsuit could occur.<br />
<br />
That's just copyright law though, I guess non-copyleft licenses may behave [http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20031214210634851 more like contracts], I don't know. --[[User:Interiot|Interiot]] 12:32, 9 July 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Photographs==<br />
<br />
To place a photo on wikipedia, you have to have specific proof that you have the copyright holder's permission to post it. Here, you can post any photograph. That's a violation of copyright law. [[User:Czolgolz|Czolgolz]] 01:39, 9 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
:Are you sure? The Sysops monitor all photograph submissions, and insist that everyone provide that proof in a free-text field. We also warn people that photograph submissions not in accord with our guidelines are subject to deletion. [[Wikipedia]] offers a menu of copyright-rationale choices. Perhaps Conservapedia would be well-advised to construct something similar, if only to make things easier on uploaders. But "anyone can post" is not a violation ''per se''. ''Retaining'' a photograph in our image archive that we shouldn't have--now ''that'' might be a violation.--[[User:TerryH|TerryH]]<sup>[[User talk:TerryH|Talk]]</sup> 08:36, 9 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== time to grow up? ==<br />
<br />
Is Conservapedia mature enough yet to remove "To compare this with Wikipedia's more restrictive copyright policy, see [[Wikipedia copyright]]." from this page? We don't compare it to the copyright policy of the US government, or of paper encyclopaedia publishers, so comparing to Wikipedia here is not really helpful either.<br />
<br />
I see this page is not presently protected, but it probably should be, as I believe only the site owner should change its copyright notice. --[[User:Scott|Scott]] 21:46, 13 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: Thanks, I protected it at your suggestion.<br />
<br />
: As to your substantive comment above, Wikipedia's copyright requirements are burdensome. Conservapedia's copyright allows much broader and easier reuse. This is factual, well-supported, and no one seems to dispute it. Users should be aware of this.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 14:01, 14 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Thanks. If Conservapedia is supposed to be an ''alternative'' to Wikipedia, it shouldn't need to compare itself on every page. Someone wanting to know under what conditions they are contributing here, or whether they can reuse something found here, doesn't need or want to read the comparison any more than at the end of point 1 (revocable) "This is different to material published by the US Government which is released to the public domain and can be used for any purpose without restriction." or "Encyclopaedia Brittannica does not allow reuse of their published material." --[[User:Scott|Scott]] 19:34, 14 April 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Self-defense?==<br />
This licence is simpler that the GFDL only at the expense of the vagueness inherent in the sentence "This license is revocable only in very rare instances of self-defense, such as protecting continued use by Conservapedia editors or other licensees." Much of the GFDL licence document is concerned with enumerating the precise conditions you must meet in order to be ''sure'' that that your right to use the material will not be revoked. By maintaining the right to revoke the licence under the poorly-defined grounds of "self-defense" users can't be sure that they actually have the right to use the material; Nor can they be sure that a use that is permitted at one time might be disallowed at a future time. In this sense the Conservapedia license is less free than the GFDL. I suggest that this clause is replaced with a BSD-style "no endorsement" clause.--[[User:Jalapeno|Jalapeno]] 04:12, 15 May 2007 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:This encyclopedia is well appreciated, a needed response to Wikipedia's fatal flaws. I am for it. Nonetheless, Jalapeno is right. It is not really relevant that the GNU project is a left-wing, anti-American organization, or that the BSD license comes from the liberal fever swamps of Berkeley. The informal term "copyleft" may be etymologically annoying, but the idea the term represents is entirely sound. You just cannot have an open-source encyclopedia without a proper open-source license.<br />
<br />
::The Free Software Foundation (GNU project) has a left-wing anarchist bias, and I also reject that term "copyleft" because it implies that everyone who supports open source, even voluntarily or in a financial/promotional setting, is a communist liberal. Many right-wing people, especially the anti-Ayn-Rand libertarians such as Lew Rockwell and Stephan Kinsella, support open-source because it is opposed to restrictive government laws and government-empowered lawyers getting in your way of free markets and a free press, and/or does not follow Locke's definition of property (it does follow Rand's), and/or is/might be financially profitable in certain situations. The man who first commercialized (and coined the term) open-source, Eric S. Raymond of the Open Source Development Initiative, was a libertarian for many years and is currently a neocon. Linus Torvalds is similar, he came from a Finnish communist family but became a wealthy conservative due to his work on the Linux kernel. Other musicians with past fan bases (such as NIN) have turned to Internet marketing and have dumped their record labels, making some stuff open-source/CC and/or charging for another/a better product. So we should not claim that open-source and free-software are "liberal" but are voluntary contracts any political person can agree to. (Private contract is limited government conservatism, isn't it?) However, see my note below about public domain under the "Creative Commons Attribution 3.0" section regarding possible risks with Conservapedia doing waiver such as these. -[[User:Danq|danq]] 13:36, 6 February 2011 (EST)<br />
<br />
:There is a fundamental difference between an encyclopedia that allows free use of its material and one that restricts free use for the purpose of "stopping unauthorized copying or mirroring of entire parts of this site," as Conservapedia evidently does. If Conservapedia includes some old material that obstructs proper open-sourcedness, and if open-sourcedness (is that a word?) is a goal, then why not remove or sequester the old material? --[[User:Tannoce|Tannoce]] 08:43, 21 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: The [[GFDL]] copyright is the one that needs improvement to ease reuse. Our copyright has worked well and is much more free and easy-to-use, except when the use is obviously destructive as outlined.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 09:46, 21 August 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Migrating Solid Material to Wikipedia ==<br />
<br />
As I read the above, GNU allows me to use my ''exact'' contribution elsewhere (but proving it was my contribution may be problemantic) but once others have ''collaborated'' on the article it may be "illegal" for me to cut and paste all or any edited portions of the article to Conservapedia, since it would now include other editor's contributions. Correct?<br />
<br />
Therefore, if one wants to work with collaborators in developing a solid article on controversial issues subject to POV pushing at Wikipedia, one should start here at Conservapedia...collaborate...then copy the entire article over to Wikipedia, since there would be no restrictions on moving an entire article to Wikipedia or WikiInfo or any other GNU governed site. Is that correct?<br />
<br />
Mostly, I'm looking for a safer ground to collaborate with editors who won't constantly disrupt the article by deleting facts that undermine their political position. Am I correct in my understanding that Conservapedia provides better safegaurds? For example, can a person who starts an article for collaboration unilaterally block a disruptive editor? Can one or more "approved" collaborators "guard" the article from someone who is disruptively trying to slant it in a different direction?<br />
<br />
If all that I've described above is correct, I STRONGLY recommend that Conservapedia should have an article prominently linked here that encourages developing articles here with the intent of copying them over to Wikipedia (which surely has more traffic) once they are developed. Participating Editors then should, of course, watchlist the article on their Wikipedia accounts to help protect it from "blanking" of "inconvenient" facts.--[[User:MarthaVine|MarthaVine]] 11:24, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: What you say is correct, but [[Wikipedia]] is a lost cause and I don't have any interest in trying to post good material there. [[Wikipedia]] does have lots of traffic but much of it is for non-educational (and sometimes biased) entries. If something good is posted to [[Wikipedia]], then I don't expect it to last there.<br />
<br />
: However, feel welcome to copy your contributions to Wikipedia over to here, where we do not impose the silly copyright restrictions imposed by Wikipedia.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 11:30, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::At Wikipedia, it is possible for a group of contributors (whom you call "editors") to monopolize all collaboration on an article, even though this is expressly against Wikipedia policy. The abuse happens so frequently that Wikipedia '''itself''' calls it "tag-team editing". <br />
<br />
::*''Tag teams can block other Wikipedians from making contributions'' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Ownership_of_articles#Multiple_editors]<br />
<br />
::Here, collaboration can take place among those who are sympathetic with the project's goals. Trustworthy articles are the primary goal, so if any liberals want to submit reliable information they are welcome. Unfortunately, about 90% of new users arrive here determined to subvert the project. Perhaps you would like to help reverse this trend. <br />
<br />
::What you propose, however, in terms of a team preparing an article offsite for migration to Wikipedia, is best down on a wiki which uses a free license. I would be happy to work with you at www.churchwiki.net if you are on the level. Forgive my caution, but I'd like to make sure before I invest any time in this. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] <sup>[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]</sup> 11:41, 17 April 2008 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Am I wrong to be sure that copying or migrating our articles to Wikipedia would be useless, because "THEY" would destroy it there anyway? {{unsigned|Jerryankeedoodle}}<br />
<br />
== requesting change ==<br />
<br />
In item 3, I recommend changing "the United States District Court sitting in the City of Newark, State of New Jersey" to "A COURT OF LAW IN TRENTON, NEW JERSEY". I would have made the change myself, but the page is protected.--[[User:MackHein|MackHein]] 11:39, 9 March 2009 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Alternative dispute resolution==<br />
A more "free market" solution would be to eliminate all mention of U.S. Government courts altogether, and provide for the settlement of copyright-related disputes through some sort of [[alternative dispute resolution]] (ADR) - perhaps [[mediation]] as a first step and then [[arbitration]]. If any litigation did occur, it would reduce the cost and time required to resolve it. A typical ADR boilerplate clause reads thus:<br />
{{cquote|'''Arbitration of all Disputes.''' As a material part of this Agreement, the parties agree that any and all disputes, claims or controversies arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the purchase of the Property, shall be determined by confidential, final and binding arbitration in Newark, New Jersey, in accordance with the then-existing rules for commercial arbitration of the American Arbitration Association. Disputes, claims, and controversies subject to final and binding arbitration under this Agreement include, without limitation, all those that otherwise could be tried in a court to a judge or jury in the absence of this Agreement. By agreeing to submit all disputes, claims and controversies to binding arbitration, each of the parties expressly waives its rights to have such matters heard or tried in a court before a judge or jury or in any other tribunal. Any award shall be final, binding and conclusive upon the parties, subject only to judicial review provided by statute, and a judgment rendered on the arbitration award may be entered in any state or federal court having jurisdiction thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each party agrees that before undertaking the aforementioned arbitration, they shall submit all disputes, claims or controversies to a mutually agreeable mediator in an attempt to a informally resolve said disputes, claims or controversies without the need for arbitration.}} [[User:NathanLarson|NathanLarson]] 12:39, 1 March 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
:It would only be "free market" if we decided to put it in the contract. I for one have closed many Web site accounts for fear of someone bringing a charge against me where I have no means of self-defense and would be stuck paying not only the Web site owner thousands of dollars, but everyone's "legal fees" to the arbitration forum. Plus, if I am correct it costs companies money to join/fund these forums. I suggest we put as many waivers in as we need, such as waiving the right to a jury trial to discourage long cases and class-action suits. But to involve ourselves in something like this where we not only risk lacking the ability to pay and/or putting the financial safety of one editor/administrator/visitor against another, people's lives can be destroyed over a single debate about something. Conservapedia is not a multinational corporation, and we get picked on/spammed by liberals and atheists, both celebrity and troll, quite a bit. -[[User:Danq|danq]] 11:12, 6 February 2011 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 ==<br />
<br />
The [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license] is a pretty good one. It's not a [[copyleft]] license like the [[GFDL]] or [[Creative Commons Share-Alike]] licenses, so cumbersome contractual entanglements pertaining to derivative works are avoided. Functionally, it's not all that different from a [[public domain]] license (see [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/ this page]), except that it's perhaps on firmer legal footing. (There is still some question as to whether a copyright owner is allowed to release his work into the public domain.) I don't think it would be such a bad idea to migrate this site to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0. [[User:NathanLarson|NathanLarson]] 15:33, 1 March 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
:NathanLarson et al, I thought you should know that Creative Commons at some point introduced something called CC0. It is a list of waivers, not a license, and it waives not only the copyright but all of the "all rights reserved" which come with copyright (this doesn't include patents or trademarks). If any part of waiver is not legally possible, the unwaivable rights are re-waived in a "public license fallback", and if that doesn't work, you agree to not to pursue any legal action against others regarding the work. I have applied this to my journal/poetry/opinion blog, but in terms of something like Conservapedia, every editor and administrator would have to know that there is no "taking back" of anything other than deleting it from Conservapedia.com, discouraging automatic spidering using ROBOTS.TXT, and asking/requesting/begging people. Also, there is no attribution requirement, so people can claim not only full credit for our work but partial credit as well (they cannot claim anyone here endorses it). For example, those liberal and atheist spammers can take whatever content they want, pervert it into something else, and claim it it was based on real Conservapedia content, so long as they don't say it's approved/endorsed by any of us. Links: [http://wiki.creativecommons.org/CC0_FAQ CC0 FAQ] [[http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ CC0 main link] [http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode CC0 legal code]. Personally I think it would be too much of a hassle to put out press releases on what is and isn't genuine all the time, especially with people like Jon Stewart making fun of us on national TV. I just thought I'd share info on the new CC0 system with NathanLarson and anyone else who happens to read this, and why I feel Conservapedia shouldn't do it. -[[User:Danq|danq]] 10:59, 6 February 2011 (EST)<br />
<br />
:Thanks, Nathan. The owner of this site is a licensed Attorney and not merely a wiki-lawyer, however. --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big><sub>/Admin</sub><sup>[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]</sup> 19:46, 1 March 2010 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Interpreting [[Conservapedia:Copyright]] ==<br />
<br />
I do not have any U.S.A. legal training, and I am uncertain as to how to interpret some aspects of [[Conservapedia:Copyright]].<br />
<br />
Perhaps someone can answer these simple questions relating to Conservapedia articles (excluding pictures, talk pages, user pages, etc.):<br />
<br />
*Are Conservapedia articles in the public domain? <br />
*Are Conservapedia articles copyrighted?<br />
**If 'yes', who owns the copyrights? <br />
<br />
I would be grateful for some definitive answers. [[User:RolandPlankton|RolandPlankton]] 17:41, 23 April 2012 (EDT)<br />
:This probably isn't sufficiently definitive, but here are my thoughts based on some googling and a not-yet-complete legal education: Since 1988, no registration is required (generally) to create a copyright. This means that any contributor who edits here (assuming that the edit is eligible for copyright protection), is automatically granted a copyright in his contribution. Over at Wikipedia, edits can only be made after agreeing to release the copyright for use under their license. No such requirement is made here, which I believe means that the individual editors retain their copyrights. The fact that Conservapedia has a copyright policy is functionally of very little use. It would only apply in the rare cases where an editor here has assigned his copyright to the site (assuming that's even possible) or explicitly licensed its use under the terms of this page.<br />
<br />
:So, to answer your specific questions:<br />
:*Not generally, though any article content which was previously in the public domain would remain so.<br />
:*Articles themselves are not copyrighted, but individual contributions are (assuming they're sufficiently original to qualify for protection)<br />
::*The copyright for any individual contribution is owned by the contributor, unless such copyright is waived or released. Since there is no general mechanism here for release, it is likely that very few releases have occurred. <br />
::--[[User:JustinD|JustinD]] 22:09, 23 April 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::JustinD, thank you for your prompt response. [[User:RolandPlankton|RolandPlankton]] 02:34, 24 April 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I'll take a stab at this<br />
::'''Are Conservapedia articles in the public domain?''' No. There is a broad license to reuse Conservapedia content with or without attribution, but it is revocable. Additionally, it may be subject to the [[termination of transfer]]s rule that allows for authors to revoke licenses after 35 years.<br />
::'''Are Conservapedia articles copyrighted?''' Yes, to the extent that the work is creative and original.<br />
::'''If 'yes', who owns the copyrights? ''' The individual contributors. Conservapedia receives a nonexclusive license, not an exclusive license, and not an assignment.<br />
:[[User:GregG|GregG]] 03:52, 24 April 2012 (EDT)<br />
::Greg, how do you know that "Conservapedia receives a nonexclusive license"? You're more deeply involved in this than me, so I'm sure it's there somewhere, but I couldn't find anything like this. Thanks. --[[User:JustinD|JustinD]] 14:43, 24 April 2012 (EDT)<br />
:::I've just noticed that [[Conservapedia:Copyright]] states that "you" (presumably users?) "irrevocably consent to the display, copying, reuse or editing of your information, edits and entries, with or without attribution." So I suppose that's plausibly a granting of a license, though I think it should probably be clearer. --[[User:JustinD|JustinD]] 21:07, 7 May 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== The language of this copyright is vague, and a license with clearer language should be used. ==<br />
<br />
If you don't require sharing under the same license but still want users to cite the source, you can use the CC BY license, which allows commercial or non-commercial use of the text, as long as it is credited with a link to the source. If you don't want to allow commercial use, but show any non-commercial use with a link for credit, you can use CC BY NC. If you want to allow any use without attribution (public domain), you can use CC0. Wikipedia and some other websites don't allow copying the content of this website, as the text of the license is ambiguous and also allows the revocation of the license at the discretion of the site owner. If a more standard license was used, the content (especially the less political content) on this website could be reused in more places. [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 01:52, March 9, 2023 (EST)</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=ChatGPT&diff=1937495ChatGPT2023-03-09T06:36:28Z<p>ChenXiansheng: Bing AI</p>
<hr />
<div>'''ChatGPT''' is an AI chatbot by OpenAI. It allows the user to have natural conversations with an AI, and it can perform many tasks, such as writing or revising code, essays, letters and more.<br />
<br />
ChatGPT features an innovative language model that can produce code in various programming languages to tackle designated issues. However, it is not without its limits and drawbacks. Its solutions may not always be the most optimal, and they may contain bugs or security vulnerabilities. It also cannot access the most up-to-date theoretical knowledge and lacks the ability to choose the best engineering approach if it contradicts popular or well-known methods.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, developing suitable prompts for language models such as ChatGPT is an innovative skill comparable to software programming. This trend may develop into a new type of programming and eventually become a unique industry. In the short term, a more entertaining way to use ChatGPT is to challenge it to write "improper" or controversial content that it was instructed not to create.<br />
<br />
The newest version of [[Microsoft]] [[Bing]] features a ChatGPT-like AI that can intelligently summarize and write answers. Microsoft and OpenAI collaborated to make the feature. The feature is codenamed "Sydney".<br />
<br />
==Sample prompt==<br />
In this example, ChatGPT is asked to write an article about [[Joe Biden]] in the style of this website. The response below has been copied directly from the website, showing its ability to write human-like text while imitating the writing style of a specific website, in this case, Conservapedia.<br />
<br />
'''Prompt:''' ''Write an article about Joe Biden in the style of "Conservapedia".''<br />
<br />
'''Response:''' ''Joe Biden is the 46th President of the United States, having been inaugurated on January 20th, 2021. While some may laud him as a beacon of hope and progress, a closer examination of his policies and political record reveals a man who is a danger to the values that make America great.''<br />
<br />
''Biden has spent the majority of his political career pandering to the left-wing of the Democratic party, and his presidency has only furthered his radical agenda. He has proposed massive spending increases on government programs and has shown a willingness to raise taxes on hard-working Americans in order to fund his progressive wish list. Biden has also shown a lack of concern for the sanctity of human life, promoting policies that promote abortion and undermine religious freedom.''<br />
<br />
''Biden's foreign policy is equally troubling. He has shown a willingness to appease America's enemies, including Iran and China, at the expense of our allies and national security. Biden's administration has signaled a return to the weak foreign policy of the Obama era, which emboldened America's enemies and left our allies vulnerable.''<br />
<br />
''Despite his rhetoric about unity and healing, Biden has done little to bring the country together. He has embraced divisive identity politics, calling for the implementation of policies that promote racial preferences and demonizing law enforcement officers. Biden has also shown a willingness to silence conservative voices, including de-platforming President Donald Trump from social media platforms and targeting conservative news outlets with claims of "misinformation."''<br />
<br />
''In short, Joe Biden represents a clear and present danger to the values that make America great. His radical agenda and divisive rhetoric threaten to tear the country apart and undermine the very foundations of our democracy. Conservatives must remain vigilant in opposing his destructive policies and promoting a vision for America that is rooted in liberty, individual responsibility, and respect for the rule of law.''<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [https://chat.openai.com/chat Official website]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Internet]]</div>ChenXianshenghttps://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Gender_confusion&diff=1937494Talk:Gender confusion2023-03-09T06:26:03Z<p>ChenXiansheng: </p>
<hr />
<div>There is some heavy misinformation here, regardless of conservative biases and opinions on the gender-non-conforming community.<br />
<br />
1) Meghan Markle and Prince Harry denied multiple times that they were raising their first child as gender fluid. <br />
<br />
2) By no means is the U.K. pro-trans in it's policy. It has harmed the transgender community multiple times in recent years. <br />
<br />
At least try to keep a clean ship fact-wise.<br />
<br />
: Additionally, cross-dressers are completely different than trans people. For trans people, it's not a "choice" they can control, due to gender dysphoria, but for cross-dressers it is. [[User:ChenXiansheng|ChenXiansheng]] ([[User talk:ChenXiansheng|talk]]) 01:26, March 9, 2023 (EST)</div>ChenXiansheng