India Calls Film on Modi's Role in Gujarat Riots 'Propaganda'
The Indian government on Thursday termed a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi — which reportedly questions his leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots — a "propaganda piece" designed to push a "discredited narrative."
Dismissing the documentary as biased and reflecting a "continuing colonial mindset," India's foreign ministry questioned "the purpose of the exercise," condemning the film's alleged hidden agenda.
The makers said the BBC's two-part series, titled "India: The Modi Question," states it examines "the tensions between Prime Minister Modi and the country’s Muslim minority" as well as investigating claims about his role in the 2002 communal violence that reportedly left over a thousand dead.
Narrative A
This documentary can potentially jeopardize diplomatic relations between India and the UK at a crucial political juncture in either democracy. The BBC — which enjoys significant clout with British administrative and quasi-state authorities — must be held accountable for character-assassinating a democratically-elected leader, questioning the independent investigative agencies, and casting aspersions on the institutional integrity of the Supreme Court of India.
Narrative B
As Gujarat's chief minister, Narendra Modi was directly responsible for halting or abetting the riots. Unfortunately, he didn't bat an eyelid as thousands of innocents were persecuted on the streets. The climate of impunity created by the state government propelled the rioters to lynch Muslims indiscriminately. Modi may not have had a direct role in the mass killings, but concerningly, the prime minister still chooses to look the other way as his supporters intensify the calls to turn the country into an exclusive Hindu state.
Nerd narrative
There's a 54% chance that there will be a non-BJP Prime Minister of India before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Peru: Police, Protesters Battle as Thousands Try to ‘Take Lima’
Clashes between riot police and protesters were reported on Thursday evening in the Peruvian capital after the massive "takeover of Lima" march demanding the resignation of Pres. Dina Boluarte deteriorated into violence.
An estimate of at least 3.5K demonstrators gathered in Lima's historic downtown, with some of them throwing rocks to try to get through police lines that barred them from reaching key government buildings and police officers responding with tear gas.
During the scuffles that killed at least one person and injured 30 others, a historic building near San Martín Plaza in Lima's historic center caught fire but the cause was not immediately known.
Establishment-critical narrative
Through its brutal actions, the Boluarte regime forfeited any legitimacy to lead the divided country. Even curfews cannot keep impoverished Peruvians from standing up for Castillo and democracy. The fury is justified since it was Washington that orchestrated the coup against Castillo to secure US corporate and geopolitical interests. It's time for US imperialism and its increasingly repressive Peruvian puppet government to accept reality and return Peru to the Peruvians.
Pro-establishment narrative
Boluarte has the right to continue Castillo's remaining term after his failed coup attempt. While most Peruvians supported Castillo's ouster and arrest, it is nevertheless true that Boluarte has so far failed to quell general public discontent and stabilize the situation. While the protests have included acts of vandalism and looting, which no government in the world would stand idly by, Boluarte must now ensure that the security forces' crackdown does not escalate further. Otherwise, her days in office are likely numbered.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that Peru's GDP per capita will be at least 20.4k in 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 331: Pressure Heaped on Germany to Provide Tanks to Kyiv
Germany faced mounting pressure to commit its coveted Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine as US Sec. of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted Western defense ministers at America's Ramstein air base in southwest Germany on Friday. German defense minister Boris Pistorius — who met his US counterpart Austin on his first day in office — has told German broadcaster ARD he is, "pretty sure we will get a decision on this in the coming days."
Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian Pres. Voldymyr Zelenskyy singled out Germany for its hesitance to provide the tanks or allow willing countries to re-export them. "Now we are waiting for a decision from one European capital that will activate the prepared chains of cooperation on tanks," he said, adding that he expected "powerful decisions" to be made at the Ramstein meeting.
Following Zelenskyy's address, the Biden administration confirmed a $2.5B military aid package that included 90 Stryker armored vehicles and 59 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles — as well 350 Humvees, 53 mine-resistant vehicles and a number of air defense systems — but excluded any US M1 Abrams tanks.
Pro-establishment narrative
These meetings must see Germany — which has a unique historical responsibility to uphold the sovereignty and freedom of Ukraine — consent to the use of Leopard 2 tanks by Kyiv. Ukrainians were some of the greatest victims of Hitler and Stalin, and Berlin now has the opportunity to intercede on Putin's war of terror against an innocent people. The whole of the West will judge the courage of Germany on whether it allows tanks to be sent to Kyiv.
Establishment-critical narrative
By sending more and more advanced weaponry to Ukraine, America's policy of seeking the strategic defeat of Russia is leading the world to a catastrophe. The US and NATO are increasingly intertwined in this conflict and if this policy continues, we'll be headed for nuclear Armageddon. Is this the path we should be taking?
Nerd narrative
There is a 2% chance that Ukraine will officially recognize a former Ukrainian territory (Luhansk, Donetsk or Crimea) as independent before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
US: New Program Lets Private Citizens Sponsor Refugees
On Thursday, the Biden administration announced a new program — dubbed the "Welcome Corps" — to allow groups of private citizens to sponsor refugees to live in the United States.
According to the State Department, five or more Americans could form a group and apply to privately sponsor refugees fleeing violence or persecution to resettle in the US. This would complement the role currently being played by refugee resettlement nonprofits.
These groups will be required to raise a minimum of $2,275 per sponsored refugee to support their resettlement over the first 90 days in the country. The government seeks to find 10K sponsors for 5K refugees by the end of the 2023 fiscal year, ending on Sept. 30.
Democratic narrative
Biden’s latest refugee program is forward-thinking and could accelerate lagging refugee admissions in the United States. Allowing Americans to play an active role in the immigration process will enable American citizens to support a critical humanitarian mission. Furthermore, a private refugee sponsorship program could reduce government costs and help revive the US economy after COVID.
Republican narrative
This isn't a compassionate refugee program, it's another tactic to bring in more new immigrants — aka frequent Democrat voters — into the US. The US has already accepted 1M refugees over the past 20 years, most of whom then pursue green cards and eventually citizenship. Programs like this cost Americans billions of dollars a year and, more importantly, inorganically shift the electoral landscape.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance at least 186K refugees will be admitted to the US from 2021 to 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Supreme Court Unable to Find Source of Roe v. Wade Overturn Leak
On Thursday, the US Supreme Court issued a report on its investigation into the leaked draft opinion of the court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year, stating that they currently have not identified the individual responsible.
The eight-month investigation, conducted by Court Marshal Gail Curley, involved interviewing 97 court employees and hiring forensic experts to track who had access to the draft.
Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was leaked in May 2022. Alito says the leak put the majority justices in danger of being assassinated since it could give people the idea that killing a justice could prevent the decision.
Right narrative
While some claim this leak was intended to create a public backlash, and others maintain that the intention was to ensure justices reconsidered reversing Roe v. Wade, it is clear the purpose of the leak was an attack on conservative judges. This is a stain on the entire system's integrity.
Left narrative
Public opinion over the Supreme Court has been damaged in recent years by the politicized appointments of conservative judges making morally-questionable rulings. With too many personnel having access to the document this mystery is unlikely to ever be solved. How do we know the leak didn't come from those with right-leaning ideology?
Trump, Lawyer Fined $938K for Clinton, DNC Lawsuits
Former US Pres. Trump and his lawyer, Alina Habba, were fined roughly $938K by federal Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in Florida for filing what Middlebrooks suggested was a bogus lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and others.
Trump filed the lawsuit in March 2022 claiming that in 2016, then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and others crafted a "malicious conspiracy" and asserted that Trump's campaign had ties to Russia, which subsequently "destroyed" Trump's life.
Middlebrooks said the "case should never have been brought" and that "no reasonable lawyer would have filed it." He added that "thirty-one individuals and entities were needlessly harmed," — including former US Dept. of Justice and FBI officials, to "advance a political narrative."
Democratic narrative
Judge Middlebrook issued a scathing ruling. As Trump continues to grasp at courtroom straws in an attempt to smear his political enemies, Middlebrooks and the rest of America will see how far the one-time president has fallen as they witness his reaction to not getting his way.
Pro-Trump narrative
We seem to have forgotten that the claims made in Trump's lawsuit have all been established facts for a while now. The DNC did pay British spy Christopher Steele to create a fake Trump-Russia dossier, which the FBI then used to obtain its secret FISA warrant to surveil the Trump campaign. And when the FBI later offered Steele $1M to prove his claims, he couldn't do it. These are well-known facts, not "frivolous" conspiracy theories.
Google Parent Company to Cut 12k jobs
On Friday, Google's parent company Alphabet announced that it will be cutting roughly 12k jobs, or 6% of its work force.
This is set to be the company's largest-ever round of layoffs, and follows job cuts at other technology companies in recent months, including at Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta.
CEO Sundar Pichai announced the layoffs in a memo to Google employees. He cited the economy as the reason for the cuts saying, "we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today."
Establishment-critical narrative
The recent layoffs in the tech sector highlight these companies' irresponsible hypergrowth. Following the pandemic, tech companies like Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft hired in great numbers at an unsustainable pace and now a change in the economy is causing them to layoff many employees to rectify their mistakes.
Pro-establishment narrative
There are many reasons why the company needs to cut jobs, not just post-pandemic over-hiring. Ad growth has slowed, and the company is facing competitive and regulatory threats. The tech sector is not immune to economic turbulence and recent recession fears are impacting many industries. While these layoffs are unfortunate, they are not entirely the company's fault.
IMF Chief: Economic Outlook 'Less Bad’ Than Anticipated
Speaking at the closing session of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stated that prospects for the global economy have picked up in recent months but warned against overoptimism.
She argued that while the global outlook may not be as bad as feared a couple of months ago, this "doesn't quite yet mean good." Global growth for 2023 is being predicted at 2.7%, which Georgieva described as "not fabulous."
The managing director of the IMF also warned on Friday that interest rate hikes by the leading global economies had "yet to bite" — potentially still increasing unemployment which governments may find hard to respond to adequately.
Pro-establishment narrative
While caution and admitting a tough situation faces the global economy reigned supreme, the stance by many at the World Economic Forum was that the future may not be that bad. Recent economic signals have given reason for hope. With luck, growth in the short term may be a reality.
Establishment-critical narrative
The reality of the World Economic Forum is a devastating socioeconomic system hurtling towards disaster. The ruling elite and their political representatives continue to place the burden of their failing system on the working classes. It is still up to the international community to enact real change in the world — whatever pronouncements of "staying the course" may come from the Forum.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the world's GDP will be at least 166 trillion USD by 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Attorneys: Usain Bolt Lost $12M In Alleged Scam
On Wednesday, lawyers for world-record sprinter Usain Bolt revealed that more than $12.7M is missing from his account with Jamaican private investment firm Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL), threatening civil and criminal action if the money isn't returned within 10 days.
They told Associated Press that Bolt's account — which once held $12.8M — now reflects a balance of just $12K, adding that "a serious act of fraud, larceny or a combination of both have been committed against" him if this is correct.
This comes as Jamaica's Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced on Tuesday it was assuming temporary management of SSL, a day after launching an investigation into the investment firm.
Narrative A
This case has already damaged SSL's reputation and it risks affecting Jamaica's entire financial system as it faces a growing trend of young professionals defrauding their employers. If even a national hero like Bolt cannot trust the country's institutions, regular depositors are likely to become anxious and cause a bank run.
Narrative B
Yes, there are questions still to be answered but the public must be sure that Jamaica's government will be fully transparent and leave no stone unturned in this fraud probe. The FSC and its decisions will be included in the investigation, as the Commission raised issues about SSL's culture of non-compliance and mismanagement of clients' funds in 2017 but took little action.
Federal Judge Orders Boeing Arraignment
On Thursday, federal judge Reed O’Connor ordered Boeing Co. to appear in court on Jan. 26 to be arraigned on a 2021 felony charge after families of the people killed in two crashes rejected a 2021 plea deal.
Boeing and the US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement in 2021 over two 737 MAX airplane crashes. Without involving victims’ family members, the agreement granted Boeing immunity; families say the agreement violated the victims’ rights.
A total of 346 people died in the crashes of a 2018 Lion Air flight and a 2019 Ethiopian Air jet. All MAX jets were grounded for nearly two years and Boeing had to overhaul the craft’s flight-control system.
Establishment-critical narrative
Not only did Boeing commit fraud by misleading regulators about the safety of its aircraft, but it also went behind victims’ backs to strike a deal with the DOJ to gain immunity from criminal prosecution. Victims’ family members are also victims and should have been consulted before Boeing and the DOJ reached their agreement.
Pro-establishment narrative
While the DOJ and Boeing regret not consulting the family members of crash victims, they had no legal obligation to do so. The government investigated Boeing’s errors and reached an agreement that holds the company accountable and institutes measures to prevent future tragic crashes.